Nithraid is Dumfries’s very own river festival, taking place on Mill Green on 24th August this year. Alongside the river race and other family friendly activities, Alex Rigg of Oceanallover will produce a colourful performance which will carry the Salty Coo, Nithraid’s much-loved icon, from the town centre to the Mill Green to open the event.
The Holywood Trust is supporting Alex to work with young people from Dumfries to make costumes and choreograph the Rite of the Salty Coo which will culminate in setting her adrift down the River Nith at the end of the event. Alex is looking for young people aged 15-25 to join him in a series of workshops in Dumfries working towards this colourful event. Any young people interested should contact Alex at [email protected]
Supported by EcoArt, Graham Bell Tornado has been awarded a residency in Dumfries and Galloway, to work in Kirkcudbright, Auchencairn and Dumfries. Graham is a Scottish environmental performance artist, now based in Spain, who will be working with communities to produce banners and emblems that highlight the rights of nature. They will also create participatory performances that include drawing, song and costume. Part of this commission will be a series of workshops and not to be missed, an extraordinary waterborne performance to the audiences at Nithraid.
Nithraid, the annual celebration of the River Nith, will see some exciting changes this year.
This project has been part financed by funds from Annandale and Nithsdale Community Benefit Company, disbursing funds on behalf of ScottishPower Renewables Harestanes Windfarm.
Keeping at its heart the spectacular fun of the river race, the Rite of the Salty Coo and its festive atmosphere, the Mill Green will be refocused to bring audiences an array of creative activities and events with an environmental focus. There’ll be performances by Oceanallover and Graham Bell Tornado with community participation. The Mill Green will host the popular flag design drop-in run by EcoArt as well as activities using seaweed and cyanotype photography. The Crichton Carbon Centre will demonstrate their Flux Tower and representatives from the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and the SWSEIC will be guiding walks and opening moth traps. There’ll also be performances by Helmut Lemke, films at the Burns Centre, artist walks and much more.
- 1.00pm Midsteeple. The Rites of the Salty Coo, her stately progress to the River
- 2.00 Mill Green Activities. Festival site opens. Food will be available for a picnic
- All activities. (see above)
- 3.00 Boats start to arrive
- 4.00 Prize Giving. Boats depart after High Water.
- 4.30. Salty Coo committed to the Waters
- 5.00 open discussion
- (All above timings are tide dependent and approximate)
- 7.00. Film, Riverwoods, Robert Burns Film Centre
Nithraid is a Creative Environmental Festival, it celebrates the river and looks for new ways to understand and sustain it.
https://thestove.org/nithraid
