The recent article “An outbreak of artists’ studios” (Artwork, Winter) must have been read with a wry and envious smile by art lovers in part of Fife.

Voluntary networking group Dunfermline Arts and Media (DAM) has been campaigning hard in recent months for the creation of a community creative art centre in Scotland’s former capital.
For while Edinburgh’s arts may be booming, West Fife’s is suffering from a haemorrhage of talent.

Now, DAM is determined to stem the flow of creativity by establishing studios and an exhibition space in the hope that Dunfermline can become a vibrant artistic hub.

Last year, DAM attracted a £6500 National Lottery ‘Investing in Ideas’ grant to fund a study into the feasibility of setting up an arts centre in Dunfermline. It looked at various buildings but concluded that the town’s iconic fire station, which will be vacated when a new one is opened on the edge of town in March, would be a perfect home for a centre.

“It’s almost as if the building was designed for use as an arts centre,” said DAM co-founder Ian Moir. “The building is almost in move-in condition, its large garage would be ideal as an exhibition area and its 29 rooms would lend themselves perfectly for use as workshops and
studies. It even has two kitchens, toilets on every floor and ample parking space. Everything about it is perfect.”

Built in 1936, the fire station is situated on one of its main thoroughfares in the centre of town.

It’s been described as “hot stuff” for fans of the Art Deco movement, its clean lines and austere frontage betraying its ‘30s origins as a striking example of late modernist architecture.

“It is quite simply too good a building to be turned into a pub or hotel, which is its likely fate if  we don’t act now,” said Ian Moir. “Dunfermline has an embarrassing shortage of facilities for the art scene and I know that converting the fire station would not only play a large part in the
town’s cultural renaissance, it would contribute significantly in economic terms.”

DAM’s dream, in short, is to create a facility which could become Fife’s equivalent of Gateshead’s Baltic Mill, which was converted from a disused flour mill to an arts centre, helping to transform post-industrial Tyneside into a vibrant cultural centre.

The organisation is not alone. A study has shown that since Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) was opened in 1999 it has generated millions of pounds for the Tayside economy. It now attracts around 300,000 visitors a year and its director, Clive Gillman, sees no reason to believe Dunfermline wouldn’t get a similar boost if it had a similar facility.

“I wish this venture well,” he said. “There is no doubt that an arts centre can have a significant impact on a local economy. We at the DCA are all about supporting a sense of cultural ambition in the city and I think there’s a place for that attitude in all our towns and cities.”

Another example being used by DAM is in Scarborough, where the Woodend Creative Workspace is run by a not-for-profit trust that leases the building for a peppercorn rent from the local council. The centre, which provides a base for artists and craftspeople, is a key part of an emerging cultural quarter in the Yorkshire town which is helping to generate commercial activity. It is part of the Scarborough Renaissance project,
representatives of which addressed a public meeting in Dunfermline organised by DAM in January.

The meeting was told that the volunteers behind the fire station plan have now attracted a £4500 grant from Fife Council, which owns the building, for an architectural feasibility study. It will define the physical potential of the building and lay the groundwork for an inspiring design solution for the building’s transformation.
“We’re delighted that Fife Council are helping us advance this initiative,” said Ian Moir. “We’ve still got a long way to go but this latest development lends much credibility to our investigation.

The council has no definite plan of its own for the building’s future use but is represented on a working group set up by DAM to progress its proposals.

DAM’s own study is pragmatic about the financial implications of the proposal.

“It certainly cannot be assumed that Fife Council can afford to ‘gift’ a building, or offer to charge a peppercorn rent,” the study report states. “However, if the council were able to take the long-term view, the economic, cultural and social benefits from investing in an iconic venue for Fife as well as for Dunfermline are likely to be much more than the short-term aim of additional income.”

The report argues that the costs of running an arts centre could be sustainable, and points to similar centres which are made financially viable through generating various income streams.
In Dunfermline’s case, studios and exhibition space could be rented, cultural events staged and sponsorship sought, while a cafe and shop would also bring in cash.

Meanwhile, there’s a growing list of individuals and groups volunteering their support for the initiative.

Among them is Dunfermline resident John Gibson, who runs an arts centre in Leith that’s remarkably similar to the one proposed for the fire station. He owns Coburg House Arts Studios and Gallery, a centre which houses 40 studios accommodating 70 artists. Like the fire station,
Coburg House is a 1930s,listed building. A former grain store, it is quickly being recognised as a key artistic base in the capital. As well as providing studio space for artists and craftworkers it boasts an exhibition space and hosts art and craft classes all of which DAM would like to
see in the fire station.

“I read about the proposal for the fire station and I was amazed at how similar it is to what I’ve done in Edinburgh,” said John Gibson. “I think the fire station idea is a real goer. With a wee bit of vision it could turn out to be a really marvellous place. It’s just the sort of facility Dunfermline needs.”

 Mr Gibson has offered his advice to DAM, as has another Dunfermline resident who feels her skills could be of use to the fire station project.Fiona Logue is business director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and she has volunteered to help DAM with fundraising.

“I’d be delighted to help in any way I can,” said Fiona, who previously ran a gallery in Glasgow, worked with the Scottish Arts Council and had a career in financial services.

“I have experience of fundraising and managing a small business and might have some skills which I would be happy to volunteer to help the project. It would be fantastic to see this get off the ground. A place the size of Dunfermline should have something like this.”