The Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of the Arts, DG Unlimited announced great news at their AGM recently. The Scottish Charity has been awarded £84,946 by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland Open Fund for Organisations for their flagship project, Creative Compass.
This is a major boost for the arts sector in our region. The charitable organisation DG Unlimited is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £84,946 by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland Open Fund for Organisations programme to deliver its flagship project Creative Compass.
This award underlines DG Unlimited’s key role as a cultural and creative engine in Dumfries & Galloway, enabling the organisation to expand its reach, strengthen professional development for its creative members, and further enhance creative infrastructure within the region. With this funding, DG Unlimited will roll out Creative Compass: a strategic programme of activity designed to support artists, creative professionals and the cultural sector across the South of Scotland between October 2025 and March 2027. Creative Compass is also supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council.
This latest investment will enable DG Unlimited to deliver leadership development, mentoring networks, peer-learning opportunities, workshops, and creative showcases, all underpinned by DG Unlimited’s work as a founding partner of the Dumfries and Galloway Cultural Partnership in its long-standing relationship with Dumfries and Galloway Council. By drawing on the unique and vibrant cultural sector of Dumfries & Galloway, the programme aims to help its members, (currently standing at over 600 creative practitioners), to flourish, build sustainable careers, and connect with national and international opportunities.
Chair of the DG Unlimited Board of Trustees, Ailsa Mackay said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this funding from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland. It represents a powerful vote of confidence in the strategic work we are doing to champion, support and develop the artistic and cultural activity being undertaken all around this region. With Creative Compass we are committed to nurturing talent, broadening horizons, building leadership skills in the sector, and celebrating the creative spirit and cultural excellence of Dumfries & Galloway.”
Creative Director, Tabitha Mudaliar added:
“This is a transformative moment for DG Unlimited and the creatives we support. With £84,946 generously awarded to us by Creative Scotland, we are excited to launch Creative Compass and create real impact in our region.
Creative Compass enables us to work with our creative members to help them make connections, develop new skills, and ensure that we can support them as they navigate their own creative paths.”
We extend our sincere thanks to the National Lottery and to Creative Scotland for this investment in Dumfries and Galloway and its endorsement of the work of DG Unlimited. We look forward to working in partnership with Creative Scotland, and funding partners, Dumfries and Galloway Council, to deliver this ambitious programme.