And finally… raise the doof

The studio is operated by music charity Turn The Tables in partnership with Street Soccer and Dundee-born international DJ and producer Hannah Laing, whose record label doof and festival doof In The Park are also supporting the venture.

Formerly a changing room within the venue, the space has been completely refurbished and transformed into a professional-standard DJ and music production studio that gives Turn The Tables a permanent base for its work in Dundee.

The project was delivered with significant support from Robertson Construction Tayside through Dundee City Council’s Wish Portal, an initiative that connects community needs with local business support and encourages collaborative approaches to community development. doof Studios is one of the first wishes to be fulfilled on the platform.

Robertson provided its services at no cost, carrying out initial briefings and partner meetings with Turn The Tables, completing an on-site survey and leading early discussions with building control. Its in-house design team produced the plans for the studio, supported by building services engineering consultancy John G MacIntosh, before submitting and securing the building warrant on behalf of the Change Centre.

Robertson then delivered further elements of the build through charitable support and benefit-in-kind, working with contractors including Gowrie Contracts, W.B.S. Keillor, JGM North, Veitchi Flooring, Scott and Simpson, Carter Ceilings and Binn Group to complete the refurbishment.

Hannah Laing said: “I’m truly proud to help bring doof Studios to life. Dundee has given me so much, and giving back in a meaningful way has always been close to my heart. This studio isn’t just about music, it’s about opportunity. It puts world class facilities in reach for people right here at home, something I would have loved when I was coming up and travelling hours just to access.”

Kevin Dickson, regional managing director, Robertson Construction Tayside, said: “Projects like this show the positive impact that can come from local organisations and businesses working closely together for their community. From the first survey through to securing the building warrant and helping deliver the refurbishment, our team felt strongly about supporting the vision that Street Soccer, Turn The Tables and Hannah Laing have for creating new opportunities for local people.

“Becoming the first project delivered through Dundee City Council’s Wish platform has added real significance to this work. The portal helped turn the idea into reality, and watching a former changing room become a studio where people can learn and grow has been genuinely rewarding for everyone involved at Robertson Construction Tayside and our subcontractors.”

Robbie Tolson, founder of Turn The Tables, said: “This project represents everything Turn The Tables stands for. It started with music on the sidelines of the Homeless World Cup and has grown into a permanent community music hub for Dundee. Street Soccer have used football to change lives for decades, and we’ve been very inspired by their work and following in their footsteps.

“Having Hannah involved, giving back to her hometown, and seeing the wider Dundee business community step up especially Robertson Tayside delivering the build pro bono through the Wish Portal as well Andy Prior from Priority care step up with extremely generous donations to help establish Turn The Tables in Dundee.”

David Duke MBE, CEO & founder of Street Soccer, said:  “We’re absolutely thrilled at Street Soccer to be able to launch this new collaboration at the Change Centre with Hannah Laing and Turn the Tables. Street Soccer has always been about more than football, and this partnership represents a new opportunity for us to broaden our range of support we can offer our community.

“The Change Centre has been an important community asset serving Dundee since 2021, and 100% of profits are reinvested back into Street Soccer to allow us to continue to greater serve our community. doof Studios is a fantastic example of how we can work together with like-minded people to have a greater impact and reach with our work, so we’d encourage anyone interested in learning how to DJ to come out and give it a go.”