Colin Crawford

Colin is an accomplished actor and singer based in Castle Douglas and has lived in Dumfries and Galloway all his days except for a short period when he served in HM Forces. He was educated in Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright and is known to many of us. Colin, aka Codge to his theatre colleagues and friends has an impressive resume of acting credits including a UK tour of Yes! Yes! UCS by Neil Gore for Townsend Theatre; a Dumfries and Galloway tour of Because We Said We Would by Helen Fox; a month run in Edinburgh Waverley in The Polar Express for PNP Events Ltd; and a small tour of A Trio of Tennessee Williams for Fox and Hound Theatre Company.

Codge is delighted to be working on Because We Said We Would and will perform this at various venues in 2025, and he is thrilled to have been asked to return to his role on the Polar Express again at the end of this year.

Bea Last

Based in Dumfries and Galloway Bea Last is a professional, contemporary visual artist. Working with repurposed,  reclaimed,  recycled,  or gifted materials to create what she refers to as Sculptural Drawings.  With a focus on the creative process and experimentation in order to move her practice forward, Bea is currently creating work in response to global issues such as conflict, crisis and humanitarianism along with that of generational trauma.

Bea has received acknowledgement in recent years through the prestigious Aesthetica Art Prize Finalists 2023, The Laguna Arte Prize Venice Finalists 2024, the VAA (Visual Arts Association) Artist of the year 2024 and the Dumfries and Galloway Life Award , Artist of the Year Award 2024. She has also been selected for the VAO 2025 (Visual Arts Open) Finalists exhibition in London,  this October. Along with her own creative practice Bea is an Educator and Mentor. Currently facilitating VAS (Visual Arts Studio) , a portfolio preparation course helping support young artists aged 16-25 who may be considering application to art school or employment under a professional Creative, in order to bridge the gap between school and university. As a Mentor,  Bea also helps support both emerging and more established artists on their creative journey’s along with supporting young adults with autism spectrum disorder, through creativity, both one-to-one or group workshops.

Hagen Patterson

Hagen is a Director of Dumfries Music Collective (DMC), Dumfries and Galloway’s independent, not for profit, community interest company which develops and nurtures strong links to people and organisations in the Scottish music industry and aims to provide opportunities for young people in the region through educational events, talks and workshops, and through live showcases often attended by music industry figures. DMC imparts key musical insights and knowledge to local people to help them advance their own career musical objectives and job opportunities. Hagen is a strong advocate for Dumfries and Galloway’s vibrant contemporary music scene. He and the DMC team engage the local music industry and attract others from outside the area. His work helps to inspire and educate a wide range of audiences, and to understand, celebrate, participate in, and be supportive of the local contemporary music community. Hagen is also proud to serve as the Communications and Events Officer for The Holywood Trust, and he also runs his own artist management company, Big Red, which he leads with passion and his vision, which in his own words is to, “to harden the need to create and release truthful music to help liberate a rather beige and imprisoned musical landscape.”