Festivals & Events

V&A Dundee to present the first major exhibition in Scotland in 30 years to focus solely on tartan

Tartan (1 April 2023 – 14 January 2024) at V&A Dundee takes a radical new look at an instantly recognisable textile and pattern.

Set to be a major event in 2023’s cultural calendar, Tartan marks the 5^th anniversary of Scotland’s design museum.

Celebrating tartan and its global impact, the exhibition explores how tartan has connected and divided communities worldwide, how it has embraced tradition, expressed revolt, and inspired great works of art as well as playful and provocative designs.

Tartan at V&A Dundee brings together a dazzling selection of more than 300 objects from over 80 lenders worldwide, illustrating tartan’s universal and enduring appeal through iconic and everyday examples of fashion, architecture, graphic and product design, photography, furniture, glass and ceramics, film, performance and art.

The exhibition features loans from across Scotland and around the world, including Chanel, Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Tate, V&A, National Museums of Scotland, National Trust for Scotland, National Theatre of Scotland, The Royal Collection, Fashion Museum Bath, the Highland Folk Museum and more, many of which are being shown together in Scotland for the first time.

Tartan’s importance and enduring appeal as a textile has been utilised by designers throughout history, with some of fashion’s most innovative and rebellious minds exercising their refined cutting skills on tartan as a fabric. This will be reflected with pieces by Chanel, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons, alongside the work of contemporary designers inspired by tartan including Grace Wales Bonner, Nicholas Daley, Louise Gray, Charles Jeffrey, Owen Snaith and Olubiyi Thomas.

The exhibition takes a radical new look at tartan, juxtaposing historical objects with the contemporary and is laid out in five sections where visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Tartan.

Tartan and the Grid looks at the basic structure of tartan, introduced through textiles from around the world and positioning Tartan as a set of rules to be disrupted by designers.

Innovating Tartan looks at how tartan has always been at the intersection of technical innovation. Tartan has been translated into a pattern manifested in an incredible variety of materials, from natural to the synthetic, and even glass. It covers every imaginable surface, securing its position at the forefront of art and design.

In Tartan and Identity, tartan’s global fascination including its importance to diasporic communities is examined. Also, the appeal tartan has always held for those who express themselves through their clothing, from the traditional to the radical.

Tartan and Power shows how it disrupts and conforms. A force of pride and might, used to push boundaries or maintain control in war and peacetime.

Transcendental Tartan transports visitors to new worlds and possibilities in fashion, media, performance and popular culture. The exhibition will look at tartan’s many narratives and how it is used by designers as a medium for myth and storytelling.  

In addition, V&A Dundee has asked the public to contribute to the exhibition. This will be The People’s Tartan, an eclectic selection of objects and memories that will spark recognition and nostalgia.

To commemorate this landmark exhibition, V&A Dundee has commissioned Kinloch Anderson to design a new tartan to be used as the museum's exclusive tartan and developed a range of merchandise in collaboration with designers in Scotland.

The spectrum of how tartan has been worn is covered in the exhibition, from an eighteenth-century tartan dress coat for the Ancient Caledonian Society, to a significant photograph from around 1908 of Scottish Suffragettes proudly wearing tartan sashes. From Sir Jackie Stewart’s racing helmet with its distinctive Royal Stewart tartan band, through to contemporary streetwear from Japan.

Tartan includes objects that illustrate the global translation, appropriation, reach and appeal of tartan across cultures and borders. The indigenous textiles of Indian Madras and East African Shuka cloth are explored in relation to tartan in the exhibition. Global, diasporic and even out of this world connections are represented too, with an ensemble made from Canadian Maple Leaf tartan and a fragment of MacBean tartan taken aboard Apollo 12 in November 1969 by American astronaut Alan Bean.

Paintings, including Donald Judd’s minimalist grids, Christian Hook’s oil painting of actor Alan Cumming and Gerard Burns’ portrait of the late former Scotland International rugby star Doddie Weir OBE, sit alongside the seventeenth-century image of Lord Mungo Murray by John Michael Wright.

There are items of devotion, from a fragment of tartan worn by Prince Charles Edward Stuart, now afforded relic status, to Bay City Rollers trousers, handmade by a lifelong fan.

From the sublime through to the everyday - even the humble but iconic tartan shortbread tin has been considered.

Leonie Bell, V&A Dundee Director, says:

"To mark our 5th birthday we are celebrating and challenging the history and contradictions within Scotland’s most iconic design.

“Everyone knows tartan, in Scotland and across the world, and it is linked to a hugely diverse range of identities. It is at once the pattern of Highland myth and legend, forever entwined with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite uprising, as well as being the pattern of 1970s punks and contemporary Japanese fashion influencers.  

“Tartan lives in the worlds of high fashion and tourism souvenirs, military uniform and palaces, football stadiums and concerts. It is adored and derided, has inspired great works of art and design, and somehow can represent unity and dissent, tradition and rebellion, the past, the present and the future. 

Tartan – the instantly recognisable symbol of Scotland, a global textile of oppression, rebellion, and fashion, is major and must-see show for 2023.”

Consultant curator Professor Jonathan Faiers, says:

“The diversity that this exhibition encompasses is an indication of the significant position that tartan occupies as a visual representation of historical, political and economic shifts within society. Marked by wars and revolutions, modified by migrations and prohibitions, tartan is uniquely positioned to act as a reminder of the past whilst clothing the present.

“As tartan so richly demonstrates, textiles, from the smallest details of their pattern and construction to their global dissemination, provide rules to be disrupted with which we can understand historical transformations within society and developments in our own time.

“The intersections and spaces between warp and weft provide a textile template for the collisions, coincidences and ruptures that punctuate society.”

Mhairi Maxwell, Curator at V&A Dundee, says:

“Tartan is a design which offers a set of rules to be disrupted. The sett, warp, weft and pivot are what makes tartan’s grid instantly recognisable, even the smallest fragment. But these rules are open to infinite possibility, as experimented with by designers in fashion, technology, architecture, and many other disciplines.

“Tartan has been misunderstood. Tartan has inspired designers, artists and its consumers a world away from parochial pastiche.

It is a global phenomenon, expressing diverse ideas of belonging, kinship, nationalism, unity and resistance.”

Kirsty Hassard, Curator at V&A Dundee, says:

“Tartan has been constantly reinvented and that is incredibly important to the narrative of the exhibition. It’s a pattern and textile that stretches back thousands of years, and some of the stories the exhibition tells are 300 years old or more, but Tartan isn’t a retrospective, it is absolutely a contemporary show.

“With in excess of 300 objects from more than 80 lenders around the globe, Tartan tells the story of how this pattern has travelled and explores the connection we all have to it.”

Entry to the exhibition is free for members and 18s and under.

Tickets are now on sale at www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/exhibtions/tartan

@VADundee #VADTartan

James has today confirmed they will be performing at Dundee, Slessor Gardens, with special guests Razorlight on Friday 28^th July 2023.

Having one of Britain’s most enduring success stories, James have released 16 studio albums, selling over 25 million copies with their recent run of Top 5 albums proving to be a golden era for the band.

Released in 2021, ‘All the Colours Of You’ was their most critically acclaimed album in many years, preceded by ‘Living in Extraordinary Times’ and ‘Girl at the End of the World’ which only narrowly missed out on the top spot in 2016 to Adele.

In 2021, the band’s arena tour was their biggest selling and most successful to date and as James approach their fourth decade as a band they are showing no signs of slowing down with the release of a double album landing in 2023 as well as a sold out UK tour.

James will be joined by special guests Razorlight. Back in April 2021 when Johnny Borrell, Andy Burrows, Björn Ågren and Carl Dalemo revealed they would be back working together for the first time in over a decade, correcting the unsatisfactory conclusion to their original formation.

Following first phase of the group’s classic line-up of reuniting they wowed audiences with a live streamed gig and a series of festival dates. With their enthusiastic return in 2022 Razorlight released a brand-new album titled Razorwhat? The Best Of Razorlight that collates 11 of their finest moments plus two thrilling new tracks that demonstrate how the band’s creative spark has been relit.

Liz Doogan-Hobbs MBE, CEO of Grandslam Live Ltd said, “We are delighted James will be coming to Dundee Slessor Gardens this summer with Special Guests Razorlight. We are thrilled to bring such a strong and credible night of music for Dundee to enjoy.

Both bands are incredible live and an evening with James and Razorlight will be amazing! We know fans will enjoy what promises to be one of the most memorable shows Slessor Gardens will ever see. It’s great for the city and the development of music in Dundee.

With Bastille also performing on Saturday 29^th July too, the weekend will surely be one to remember!”

Ticket Info 

• Tickets for James with special guests Razorlight are on general sale at 9am on Friday 17^th February 2023 with tickets priced from £39.50 + booking fee
• VIP upgrades also available
• Accessible tickets are available directly from Ticketmaster

Tickets are available from:  www.lhgtickets.com       www.ticketmaster.co.uk    

This morning on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Greg James revealed that Lewis Capaldi, The 1975, Raye, Niall Horan, Anne-Marie and Arlo Parks are the first acts set to perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023 which will be held in Dundee from 26 – 28 May. 

Camperdown Park in Dundee, Scotland will play host to Radio 1’s flagship live music event with over 80,000 music fans expected to attend the three day festival, over the late May bank holiday weekend. 

The first artists to be announced are (in alphabetical order):

•    Anne-Marie 
•    Arlo Parks 
•    Lewis Capaldi 
•    Niall Horan 
•    Raye 
•    The 1975  

Radio 1’s Big Weekend kicks off the UK’s festival season by bringing some of the biggest UK and international artists to cities that may not otherwise host such a large scale event, shining a light on the local area and providing a major boost to the local economy. There is always a huge demand for tickets, with the festival selling out within minutes every year.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend was originally set to go to Dundee in 2020 but due to the Covid-19 Pandemic it was unable to go ahead. This year, the BBC is working closely with Dundee City Council to put on Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023.

Lewis Capaldi says: “I’m very excited to be playing in Dundee for Big Weekend, I never managed to get tickets last time so I’m very excited to be able to come along and enjoy it as well as playing.” 

The 1975 say: “We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Dundee for our first outdoor show of the year!”

Niall Horan says: “I can’t wait to kick off festival season at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023 in Dundee. See you all there!”

Arlo Parks says: “Can’t wait to be at this year’s Big Weekend! What a joy to perform for you guys in Scotlandddd”

Greg James, Radio 1 Breakfast Show host, says: “We were gutted not to come to Dundee due to the pandemic so it’s massively exciting to finally fulfil our promise this year. I was on holiday close to Dundee in the summer and decided I wanted to move there so doing Big Weekend nearby is just the first part of my cunning plan to get out of London. I’m glad Radio 1 have fallen for it.”

John Alexander, Dundee City Council leader, says: “This is an incredible opportunity for Dundee and we are looking forward to hosting such an exciting event at Camperdown Park after the disappointment of 2020’s cancellation.

“Radio 1’s Big Weekend will showcase Dundee not only to the tens of thousands of people who attend, but also the millions who will watch and listen through the BBC. We expect a huge economic boost for the area as the event has been worth millions of pounds to previous host locations.” 

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, says: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend always delivers the biggest and hottest artists from around the World and what better place to bring them than Dundee! We’ve got some brilliant ideas for the event this year and a few special guests who we’ll be bringing along to celebrate with us!”

Further information about Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023, including the full line-up and ticketing details will be announced on Radio 1 in the coming months.

BBC Radio 1 will broadcast live from the festival site across the weekend, with performances and tracks available live and on demand across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and BBC Sounds.

For more information see this dedicated Big Weekend page.

Image by Matt Rowe, courtesy of Art Night - Zadie Xa, 'Child of Magohalmi and the Echos of Creation' (2019) at Walthamstow Library, co-commissioned by Art Night, Tramway, Yarat and De La Warr.

In 2023, internationally renowned contemporary art festival Art Night will deliver its first full iteration in a city outside London - in Dundee.  In June 2023, over one packed weekend, organisers will present ten major new commissions in civic spaces across the city by internationally significant and emerging artists.  The free festival will be brought to Dundee in partnership with Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA).  The scheduled date is the evening of the 24th of June 2023.  Art Night will also collaborate with V&A Dundee;  Creative Dundee;  NeoN Digital Arts;  Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) at the University of Dundee;  GENERATORprojects;  Dundee City Council;  Dundee Heritage Trust, and Hospitalfield, Arbroath.

The commissions will comprise ambitious live events, installations and performances and be presented in well-known Dundee locations, bringing to audiences and participants world-class cultural opportunities in the city.

Art Night has delivered four editions of the festival in London (2016-2019) in collaboration with major partners such as The Hayward Gallery and the ICA and showing work by globally significant artists such as Barbara Kruger;  Joan Jonas;  Zadie Xa;  Celia Hempton;  Mark Leckey;  Christine Sun Kim;  Frances Stark and Alberta Whittle.  One edition took place across the UK and online (2021) during the Pandemic, including an outdoor commission by the Guerrilla Girls in Dundee, which was also installed in further sites across Scotland, England and Wales alongside other works and projects.  The Dundee festival will be the first time a full festival has taken place in a city outside London.  Since 2019, Art Night has been curated by Artistic Director Helen Nisbet, a Shetland and London based curator and a team of curators and project workers based in Dundee.

Helen Nisbet, Artistic Director of Art Night

Art Night Dundee will take place primarily around the city centre of Dundee.  Many of the commissions will be developed in partnership with local communities and the majority will be developed as co-commissions with local, national and international partners.  Local artists and arts workers will be employed by the festival.  Some works will be installed longer than the ‘festival’ weekend for audiences to engage with across the summer of 2023, and one work will be gifted to a local collection after the project ends, creating further legacy of the festival in the city.  It can be announced now that one commission will be a new work by Turner Prize winning artist Tai Shani.

Joe Namy, 'The Eighth Automobile' (2019), Live performance at Sainsbury's Rooftop in Walthamstow, commissioned for Art Night 2019 and part of the London Borough of  Culture in Waltham Forest programme. Photo by Rama Knight, courtesy of Art Night

Artistic Director of Art Night, Helen Nisbet said, “We are beyond delighted to announce that our first full national festival will be in Dundee. Dundee is an excellent city which is very close to my heart due to formative experiences in the city and the people I’ve met here.  Dundee is a tremendous venue for Art Night, it has a vibrant cultural scene and strong social history and we will collaborate with inspiring partners to commission new work by globally important artists and work with local people to deepen our knowledge of the city. Art Night will bring a festival atmosphere to the city and wider area and kick off the summer of festivals in Scotland in 2023.  I look forward to telling you more plans soon, including the artists we will work with and more about the gorgeous and rich locations works will take place within”.  The programme will be free to attend, as with every edition of Art Night.  Since its inaugural edition, Art Night has also engaged with a wide range of audiences, exhibiting work in everyday places such as libraries, parks and squares, places of worship, shopping centres and car parks.

Beth Bate, Director, DCA, added, "We're thrilled to be partnering with Art Night to bring this exciting programme of new commissions to Dundee.  Our city, with its lively visual arts scene and world class galleries and museums, is a perfect location for Art Night's first full festival outside London, and we can't wait to share the full programme with our audiences."  Art Night Dundee is funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

Kirsteen Macdonald, Visual Arts Officer at Creative Scotland said:  “This is a hugely exciting development for Dundee and art lovers across the city and beyond. Art Night Dundee is the result of excellent partnership working across the region combined with the strong artistic vision of curator Helen Nisbet.  The festival will provide a unique opportunity to support an exciting group of artists to reach new audiences beyond traditional gallery spaces, reimagining the city and bringing people together in new experiences.”

Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said:-  “I am delighted that Dundee will be the first venue outside London to host the unveiling of so many ambitious live events, installations and performances developed in partnership with local communities.  The city’s reputation as a visitor attraction of choice for its heritage and culture can only be cemented with the announcement of such a prestigious and creative event happening here.”

The artist line up will be revealed later in 2023.

Bastille has today (Friday 2^nd December 2022) confirmed they will be performing at Dundee, Slessor Gardens on Saturday 29^th July 2023 as part of the Bad Blood X Tour.

Over the course of nearly a decade together, Bastille’s unique sound – that cinematic, melancholic pop that masks the bleak realities reflected in their lyrics – has connected with audiences across the globe like no other British band in recent memory, with next year being the 10th anniversary of the band's chart-topping twice No.1 debut album Bad Blood which featured the international hit, ‘Pompeii’

From what started in Dan Smith’s bedroom in 2011, relentless gigging, genuine word of mouth with some smartly curated mixtapes meant that within a few years — and with Chris Wood (drums), Will Farquarson (guitar) and Kyle Simmons (keyboards) added to the line-up – Bastille became a global phenomenon.

After their first album release, Bastille’s second album ‘Wild World’ retained the vivid, rich, filmic song-writing of its predecessor but pushed the band’s distinctive sound in exciting new directions receiving No.1 in the UK, and Top 5 in the U.S, going Gold in the process. The record’s lead single, Good Grief achieved the most week-one streams ever for an alternative single and scored them a nomination for Best British Group at the 2017 Brits.

On their third album ‘Doom Days’ Bastille received huge critical acclaim and charted in the top 5 in both the UK and U.S, the only UK band to have achieved this chart landmark alongside The Beatles and Queen in 2019. In the same year they cemented their reputation as one of the world’s most captivating live bands having played an extensive two month-long sold-out U.S and UK tour

Earlier this year saw the release of the band’s fourth album. Give Me The Future, is a tribute to tech times and a glimpse of what could be to come. Exploring both the opportunities of new technology and the dark side of lives lived online, it's as playful as it is thought-provoking, as dystopian as it is dancefloor-friendly and as electronic as Bastille have ever been.

Liz Doogan-Hobbs MBE, CEO of Grandslam Live Ltd said, “We are delighted to confirm that we will be bringing Bastille to Dundee, Slessor Gardens next summer. Bastille are a phenomenon and we know our Dundee fans will enjoy what promises to be an epic party weekend! It’s great for the city and the development of music in Dundee.”

With over 11 million records sold, 6 UK top 40 singles and 1.5 billion video views, Bastille continue to be one of the world’s most streamed bands and it will be an opportunity you do not want to miss out on in 2023!

To get tickets to see Bastille on Saturday 29^th July 2023 Dundee, Slessor Gardens head over to www.lhgtickets.com or www.bastillebastille.com

Bastille:  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Website                                                               

As Christmas draws closer, Dundonians can look forward to getting into the festive spirit, with the launch of Christmas in Dundee on December 1^st in City Square.

Opened by Lord Provost Bill Campbell, the installation heralds 24 days of free family fun which have been designed to appeal to all age groups.

With a jam-packed calendar which includes live music performances, workshops, and even a visit from Santa Claus on December 22^nd to collect his letters, City Square is set to be a hub of seasonal activity.

Visitors can look forward to the return of Dundee’s favourite winter character Pingoo, alongside the much-loved Dundee Christmas Card and this year will also see a spectacular Heofon Maze take pride of place.

Visitors can challenge their friends to an end of curling, and those looking to finalise their Christmas lists can make the most of the illuminated wishing fountains.

Little ones can enjoy free activities, including a Santa letter writing station, and this year visitors can help spread goodwill at the Social Bite Tree of Kindness by donating gifts to people who are homeless and vulnerable this Christmastime.

The first weekend of activity kicks off with a not to be missed Unicorn Dance Party and Santa Dash, whilst crowds can look forward to flash mobs, appearances from magical nutcrackers, book readings and performances from Shaper Caper during the lead up to Christmas.

Lord Provost Bill Campbell said: "It’s wonderful to see City Square lit up again for Christmas. Between the installations, activities, performances, and workshops planned, there is something for everyone to enjoy, and with so much free fun on offer, I hope that the families of Dundee can make some truly special memories here this festive season."

Young people from across the city and beyond are being encouraged to become Dundee detectives during the school holidays.

Participants will be encouraged to discover an article in the window of a participating city centre business, shop or café that doesn’t fit in there.

Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, who helped launch the competition said: “We want young people to have a bit of fun, a little challenge and at the end a chance to top up their pocket money by winning either a £30, £20 or £10 gift card.

“Clearly though there is a serious point behind this initiative and we want to make coming into the city centre a positive experience for young people that becomes a part of their life going forward.”

The 20 businesses taking part in the inaugural Discover Window Trail competition will display a numbered Sunny Dundee window sticker which will correspond to the row number on the entry form.

Budding detectives have been given a helpful hint that the rogue item may relate to #SunnyDundee, have a historical Dundee connection or be something the city is famous for.

Fully completed forms must be subitted by 5pm on Sunday October 23 to the Overgate Customer Services Desk (upper floor beside New Look) for a chance to win one of the three prizes donated by Dundee Loves Local.

Our picture shows: Eilidh Roberts of Voyager CBD, one of the participating shops, and Cllr Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee.

Dundee announces its newest arts festival - Opera Festival Scotland! 

The first festival of its kind in the country, this exciting new project, run entirely by local volunteers, is taking place at the Caird Hall in Dundee this September. Comprised of various performances from professionals and community musicians alike, masterclasses and educational workshops, there is something for everyone in the debut programme and the festival are eager for community members to both participate and enjoy. 

The largest and most unique event of the festival is the Young Artists Singing Competition. With the hopes of reaching the final to perform with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the competition received over one-hundred applications from around the UK. With four finalists selected and ready to perform in front of audiences and a high-profiling panel of judges, this certainly is an exciting opportunity coming from Dundee. 

CEO of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alistair Mackie, says "We can’t wait to be back in the Caird Hall for the first ever Opera Festival Scotland. It’s an exciting opportunity for the RSNO to be accompanying the finalists performing in the Young Artists Singing Competition, and its brilliant to end the festival programme celebrating emerging talent". 

The festival is dedicated to promoting and encouraging talent from within the community, and are thrilled to be hosting a singing competition for non-professionals. Scotland has a rich tradition of community music, and it only appropriate to provide an opportunity for those who have great talent and enthusiasm, yet were not able to pursue music as a career. 

Verdi's grand opera Aida will be making a return to Dundee after almost twenty years! The ensemble is comprised of collaborations with Tayside Opera, National Youth Choir of Scotland Dundee and Stonehaven Chorus, along with other talented individuals from the community. This large mixture of professional, semi-professional and community singers take on the challenge of grand opera, while also celebrating the learning that comes from working with such a diverse group. The festival is incredibly proud to provide an opportunity for locals to perform a piece of music they love and in one of Scotland's most beautiful concert halls. 

What takes this Aida performance further is it is closely linked to festival education workshops, which focuses on the dramatic side of opera. High school students from across Dundee have been invited to take part in this workshop, which will focus on the various themes present in Aida, for example, love, war, feminism, slavery, which highlights how relevant opera can be in a modern-day context. The students will then have an opportunity to attend the opera itself. 

Learning and educational opportunities are also available for general members of the public. International Soprano and Chair of Voice at the Royal College of Music (and fellow Scot) Janis Kelly, will be giving a public masterclass during the festival programme. 

International organisation, Opera For Peace, are hosting a networking lecture in collaboration with Dundee University and will discuss important topics like equality and diversity while working in the arts, as well as vital career advice. 

Michael Jamieson, Festival Founder and Director, said: "A community project like this certainly takes a lot of time and work to put together, but the benefits will be seen. The festival aims to increase footfall and business to Dundee for the duration of that weekend".

"The festival will bring back a much-needed boost for the Opera community, especially as it links in with Tayside Opera, promoting this artform to youth and other community members where opera may not be easily accessed."

Please come and enjoy a weekend of entertainment and learning as Dundee premiers it's latest addition to a line-up that make the city the place to be! Box office now open and tickets available from www.operafestivalscotland.co.uk

Batman, Rupert the Bear and Minnie the Minx are just some of the much-loved characters to appear in a new University of Dundee exhibition exploring the production process underpinning the creation of comics.

Comics Stripped!  opened this week and will be on display at the University’s Tower Foyer Gallery throughout the summer.  A celebration of the world of comics, it explores how comics are made and how that process has changed over time.

The exhibition is one of several comics-themed activities taking place in Dundee as part of the Summer (Bash) Streets Festival. 

Matthew Jarron, Curator of Museum Services at the University, said, “Dundee is, of course, famous for producing comics and our students at the University have the opportunity of studying comics at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

“We were keen to explore the process of making comics, much of which has changed completely in recent years thanks to digital technology.  As well as some amazing artwork, the exhibition also features fascinating examples of scripts, printing plates, corrections, colour proofs and more.”

This exhibition has been guest-curated by Zu Dominiak, a comics creator and former PhD student at the University, who now teaches comics at De Montfort University in Leicester.  While in Dundee, Zu was an intern with the University’s Museum Services and the exhibition also features larger-than-life characters from Inside the Museum, an upcoming comic created by Zu based on the internship.

Zu added, “One of the most incredible things about being an intern at Museum Services was interacting with original comics artwork.  There are so many ways in which comics have been produced over the years, and I am very excited to share this insight with the public.”

All the artwork on show comes from the University of Dundee’s Museum Collections.  The University holds Scotland’s only public collection of original comics art, featuring both Scottish and international creators.

Comics Stripped! runs until 30 September and is open from 9.30am-6pm on weekdays. Admission is free.

More information about studying Comics at Dundee can be found here. 

Dundee's biggest ever celebration of comics set to take over city this summer 
 

Whilst Dundee has long been known as the city of Discovery, this summer it’s set to celebrate its status as the undisputed home of comics with the Dundee Summer (Bash) Streets Festival, which will take place from 14^th-24^th of July.

For the duration of the festival, Dundee will become ‘Beanotown’ as the much-loved characters and stories will take over the streets of the city for an extravaganza of stories. The programme is supported as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022, a year-long celebration ehich will spotligt. celebrate,and promote the wealth of stories inspired by, writen or created in Scotland.

Designed to appeal to locals and visitors alike, the packed programme features events, talks, exhibitions, screenings, trails, workshops, and performances across the city centre.

The Dennis and Gnash Dash family fun run will invite participants to dress in red and black in homage to our ‘favourite menace’ and a ‘pop up’ history of comics will tell the rich story of Dundee’s comic creating past and present.

A Blamazing Beanotown Trail Map, specially designed by Beano, will guide festivalgoers around key Dundee places associated with the famous comic characters, and an exhibition inside DC Thomson’s HQ will give visitors a rare chance to see original artwork from one of the world’s most recognisable comics.

Free outdoor performances will take over City Square across both weekends, and a character parade will see participants dress up in their favourite comic book costumes.

In addition to the family-friendly activities on offer, there will be a host of workshops and talks for those interested in behind the scenes of comics. The Comicopolis talk will see Professor Christopher Murray delve into Dundee’s comic heritage and history, whilst LACD libraries will host how to draw comics sessions for 8–14-year-olds. A professional development panel is planned with Creative Scotland and others advising on the business of creating comics, and the UNESCO City of Design Dundee team will host a representation in comics event.

Meanwhile festival partners across the city will be adding to the programme with their own family friendly activities in The McManus and V&A Dundee, and a fun zine event in DCA.

Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “Dundee has a well-deserved reputation for producing comics that have enriched the childhoods of generations of people around the world.

Characters from the stories and their mischievous antics have also inspired many writers and illustrators over the years.

The festival is a welcome addition to our Year of Stories and I looking forward to finding out more about the history of these entertaining comics.”

A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “We are delighted to be presenting what is going to be a special event for the city and beyond.

“Storytelling is in our blood and being able to share with readers, visitors and local people will be one of the highlights of the summer."

Organisers, Dundee City Council have been working closely with Beano Studios, DC Thomson, and the University of Dundee to look out all the best from the city’s comics archives and create a festival filled with free comics fun. See full PROGRAMME  of events.