Crew commander’s artwork supports The Fire Fighters Charity

A crew commander is set to raise more than £10,000 for The Fire Fighters Charity after his artwork was selected by legendary band The Cure.

Pete Dunlop, based in the Learning & eDevelopment team, is a self-taught artist who began drawing in 2018 to support his mental health. Earlier this year, he began experimenting with cyanotype printing, using a photograph he had taken of Edinburgh Castle to create a limited-edition poster for The Cure's Edinburgh show on Saturday, 23 August.

Inspired by the band's tradition of commissioning local artists for tour posters, Pete decided to submit his work for consideration after encouragement from family and friends.

IMAGE CREDIT - Eden Gallup

To his surprise, the artwork was chosen by the band, with frontman Robert Smith supporting sales of the print at their recent sell-out show in Edinburgh. Pete planned to donate his design fee to The
Fire Fighters Charity, while the band supported the cause by donating all net profits from poster sales.

Supporting The Fire Fighters Charity was particularly important to Pete, who wanted to give back to an organisation that helped his family during a difficult time. His father, Gavin Dunlop, a former Lothian and Borders Group Commander, received support from The Fire Fighters Charity during his illness, including stays at Jubilee House in the Lake District.

Speaking on the experience, Pete said: “It was such an honour to hear that Robert Smith loved the print and wanted to support The Fire Fighters Charity through sales of the poster at their Edinburgh show.

“It means a lot to be able to give something back to a charity that supported my family immensely during my dad's final year."

The poster is set to raise more than £10,000 for The Fire Fighters Charity and is available to purchase through The Cure's website.