Dumfries Music Collective
Since 2012, DMC has created opportunities in music, advocated for local talent, connected communities, and nurtured creative growth across Dumfries & Galloway.
Our Programmes
DMC LIVE
Bringing live music to Dumfries & Galloway through gigs, performances and festival takeovers. DMC Live creates opportunities for emerging local artists to perform, connect with audiences and be part of the region's grassroots music scene.
DMC PLATFORM
A youth-led programme giving one young person the opportunity to develop and deliver their own creative programming project. With paid experience, a dedicated project budget and ongoing support from DMC, participants can turn their ideas into reality while building valuable skills.
DMC SALUTE
Celebrating women and non-binary people in music, DMC Salute brings together DJ workshops, industry professionals and live events to champion emerging talent and create more opportunities in electronic music.
DMC EXPORT
Helping artists from Dumfries & Galloway connect with opportunities beyond the region. Through industry partnerships, networking, travel and showcases, DMC Export supports local talent to build connections, reach new audiences and take their music further.
DMC FUTURES
A fully funded mentorship programme connecting young creatives aged 16–25 with experienced industry professionals. Through tailored one-to-one guidance, it helps emerging talent build confidence, develop skills and take the next steps in their creative careers.
About
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DMC is an independent, not for profit, community interest company. Through our links to people and organisations in the Scottish music industry, we aim to provide opportunities to young people in the region. We do this through educational events like talks and workshops, and through live showcases that are often attended by music industry figures. We aim to deliver key musical insight and knowledge to local people, with a view to helping them advance their own career objectives and job opportunities.
We advocate for Dumfries and Galloways vibrant contemporary music scene by engaging local music industry people and attracting others from outside the area. We hope to inspire and educate a wide range of audiences, and to understand, celebrate, participate in and be supportive of the local contemporary music community.View our core structure:
DMC LIVE | DMC SALUTE | DMC PLATFORM | DMC FUTURES | DMC EXPORT -
DMC (formerly Dumfries Music Conference) began as an annual three-day event that brought music industry figures to South-West Scotland. In 2022, the conference format was retired as DMC shifted focus to serve the local community in a different way, prioritising engagement, education, and empowerment of those shaping the cultural landscape of Dumfries & Galloway.
The conference ran for 10 years, including an online conference over the pandemic. It hosted what became a 3 day conference featuring panel discussions, workshops, live music, art exhibitions and film. Discussions from the conference are still available to view and reflect.
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DMC was a project initiated by The Stove Network, a pioneer of local creative industries who continue to be our long-term partner. We are supported by Dumfries & Galloway Youth Work, Youth Music, DG Unlimited, Creative Scotland YMI, Eilidh MacLeod Trust, MEPG and The Holywood Trust.
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Hagen Patterson, Director
Hagen Patterson is an artist manager who runs his own D.I.Y. music management company, BIG RED. Hagen takes great pride in working with the underground music scene, focusing on sustaining art for art's sake. BIG RED is a music management company with a collaborative outlook. It provides its collective with a home to be creatively honest, safe and free.
Hagen joined the Dumfries Music Collective team as The Plaza Coordinator back in October 2019, and is now one of the Directors.
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Lorena Hurtado, Marketing Officer
Lorena is a creative working across marketing and digital content, with a background in media and communications. She is particularly interested in storytelling and the ways people discover, experience and connect with music online.
Her experience spans social media, digital campaigns, video, graphic design and editorial, with a focus on making content that feels engaging and relevant to its audience. Alongside her creative work, she writes about artists and live shows across the alternative music scene.
