ANDREW BATCHELOR: A letter to my twelve year old self on Dundee Culture’s 12th birthday

To my twelve-year-old self, Dundee Culture is now the same age as you. Twelve years. It doesn’t feel real, does it?

You’re about to go on a journey that will change your life in ways you can’t imagine. It won’t always be smooth - there’ll be setbacks, quiet doubts, and days when you question why you started. But you’ll also see moments that make every single challenge worth it.

You’ll face big personal hurdles early on. An autism diagnosis will make sense of a lot. Later, epilepsy will join the list. Neither will stop you. If anything, they’ll help you understand yourself better - and they’ll push you to work harder.

At 16, you’ll leave school. Every job you apply for will end in rejection. It will feel like setback after setback. But the work you’re quietly doing online will keep growing. Before long, you’ll gain opportunities and partnerships that will open doors you never expected.

You’ll see your city win some battles and lose others. When Dundee misses out on the UK City of Culture bid you’re supporting, you’ll hear quite a few mock the city. It’ll sting, but it will make you more determined to shout louder about what’s great here.

You’ll campaign for a venue that many say will never happen. You’ll get laughed at for it. But years later, a new place will open - not exactly how you imagined, but with the same spirit - and you’ll be working with the amazing team behind it.

Then there’s the pandemic. When that time comes, you’ll decide to post regular updates to keep people informed and reassured. It won’t be perfect - nothing was in those days - but many will later tell you those updates helped them feel less alone. That trust will become one of Dundee Culture’s strongest foundations.

You’ll also play a role in helping protect a historic local landmark from closure. Working alongside others, your involvement will help raise its profile at a crucial time. It will spark new opportunities and bring a wave of support you never saw coming.

Along the way, you’ll meet some truly brilliant people. You’ll meet the Queen, members of the Royal Family, and the architect behind the V&A Dundee.

But it’s the amazing Dundonians you’ll get to know who will inspire you most.

You’ll meet an incredible woman who takes time out of her day to help you move Dundee Culture forward. You'll meet a new friend in high school who shares the creative mind as you, and who goes out of his way to cheer you on. You’ll meet a food entrepreneur whose passion for the city matches your own, and who will become a strong advocate for you. You’ll meet a student who will join your team, bringing fresh ideas and helping you connect with a younger audience.

You’ll cross paths with a freelance photographer breathing new life into a disused shopping centre through independent galleries, and a karate group that works tirelessly to support the local community. You’ll connect with world-class creatives who started here and now inspire far beyond Dundee - a DJ who’s become one of the city’s most recognisable names on the global stage, community organisers, and the lifeboat crews who keep our coastline safe.

Each of them will leave their mark on you and on Dundee Culture.

But there will be hard moments too. You’ll have trolls, you’ll be criticised, and you’ll be stopped in the street for reasons that aren’t always kind.

When that happens, remember this: you’re not doing this alone. You’ll have an audience of over 100,000 people who care about the city and the stories you share.

They’ll keep you going when it’s hard.

They’ll remind you why you started.

And they’re the reason you’ll still be here, twelve years on.

And never forget the people at home. Mum, Dad, and Ross will be your constant support — cheering you on quietly and proudly, even when you forget to notice it.

Mum will give you a final approval whether there is a good idea - including the idea that sparks the Covid campaign.

Dad will be the one who tells you to say yes when the City of Culture bid team first reaches out.

Ross will be there as your plus one at events - the one who steps in if you’re nervous to go alone, just as others on your team will in years to come.

And yes, the two little balls of fluff, Frankie and Benny, will arrive later and bring more joy (and chaos) into your days than you’ll think possible.

So, to my 12-year-old self: keep going. Keep listening. Keep learning. And above all - never take the people who support you for granted. Because without them, Dundee Culture wouldn’t be Dundee Culture.