Matt Baker
ART, COMMUNITIES & STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE
I help communities/organisations/government plan, navigate and deliver paths that bring together the potent forces of community, creativity and positive change.
Matt Baker is an artist and leader working at community, strategic and policy levels. From his home region of South West Scotland, Baker has taken his pioneering work in Creative Placemaking from an intimate local level to influence regional, national and international initiatives.
In 2011, Matt co-founded and then led The Stove Network for 14 years. A place-based arts organisation, The Stove has driven a community-led regeneration of Dumfries town centre with 5 High Street buildings now in community ownership and over £10M inward investment attracted. The Stove was the first artist-led community development trust in the UK, it also manages a creative placemaking network made up of community anchor organisations and creative practitioners.
From 2020-23 Matt Baker was co-chair of the National Partnership for Culture, a group appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture to advise on delivery of the Culture Strategy for Scotland (2020).
Local Culture Scotland
In 2026, I was commissioned by Scottish Government to lead the development of a set of proposals for a national framework of support for culture created with, in and for communities. Local Culture Scotland is both a funding scheme and a strategic approach to delivery. It positions culture as a core piece of infrastructure for place-based working in Scotland
The Stove
Co-founder in 2011 and CEO until 2025. National portfolio arts organisation. Growing and sustaining a local creative sector in a rural region, working co-creatively with communities on placemaking projects and shaping social, economic and environmental strategy.
What We Do Now
Creative placemaking network for the region of Dumfries and Galloway, growing capacity for local organisations to work with creative practitioners to deliver key outcomes for their communities. Developed and managed by The Stove.
A Creative Placemaking Approach
A handbook facilitating cross-sector creative collaboration in placemaking projects. Co-authored with Katharine Wheeler and published with South of Scotland Enterprise.
Culture Collective
Chair of the working group (2020) that designed Culture Collective. £13M national investment in 26 regional initiatives supporting creative practitioners to work in left-behind community settings.
Dumfries and Galloway Creative Placemaking Framework
Consultant. Pre-qualification framework developed for the local authority to procure creative community engagement services from local organisations in support of place-based regeneration.
Midsteeple Quarter
Strategic Director (2017-21). Regeneration initiative for Dumfries town centre built around community ownership of a key town centre district. Founded by The Stove (story here).
Stranraer
Creative placemaking projects supporting the community-led re-development of the former ferry town as a destination for active tourism. Including setting up the new arts organisation Creative Stranraer Led by The Stove.
From 1995 – 2011
Matt Baker worked as an independent public artist leading major projects such as the artworks programme to accompany the regeneration of Glasgow’s Gorbals (1999-2005), as lead artist for Inverness City Centre (2006-2011), and a diverse portfolio of site-specific sculpture, action and strategy projects. Information about this period can be found here.
