Mosey on down to Ferguslie Park festival
The people of Ferguslie Park flocked to the Tannahill Centre for a rootin’ tootin’ Wild West themed event to kick off Paisley’s newest festival.
With singing hairdressers transforming revellers into rhinestone cowgirls, a bucking bronco and a pot of stovies on the go, the Tannahill Threads Festival got off to a rowdy start.
The country and western themed event celebrated the 25th anniversary of the area’s popular monthly Big T country and western night.
It was the first in a series of events planned as part of the Tannhill Threads Festival.
But it wasn’t all yeehas and Stetsons – local people exhibited artwork that they have been working on for the past few months as part of the Tannahill Centre’s Art Bank and Arts From Your Elbow initiatives.
Lead artist Mandy McIntosh, who has encouraged local people to think of the Tannahill Centre as both a gallery space and a blank canvas.
She said: “Art is a powerful language and folk in Feegie are fluent in it.
“In all my years of working in schemes, I’ve never encountered such a great spirit and willingness to embrace new things, whether it’s screen printing or jumping on the back of a rodeo bull.
“This enthusiasm is definitely due to all the amazing work locals have laid down over the years, putting weans first and providing activities for them in a grassroots way.
“Tannahill Threads was always about acknowledging that powerful legacy and reigniting the great drive for a cultural place at the table. Ferguslie is on the map as part of Paisley and on its own terms.”
The festival will continue every weekend in May with The Tannahill Centre being transformed into a pop- up cinema with a 32 square foot movie screen today and tomorrow.
As well as screenings of blockbusters such as CoCo, Black Panther and the Greatest Showman, there will also be a showing of the 1997 film adaption of John Byrne’s Slab Boys to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the play’s debut on stage.
Jamie Mallan, business transformation manager at the Tannahill Centre said: “Last year we asked people from Ferguslie Park how they want to get involved in Paisley’s cultural regeneration and thanks to funding from Renfrewshire Council’s Culture, Heritage and Events Fund we’ve been able to respond to this.
“We have been working with a team of artists, who have been great.
“They have really inspired local people to give art a go, or to pursue their interests in art further.
“One individual has secured a summer placement at Glasgow School of Art whilst another is participating in a cultural employability programme run by Impact Arts and Invest Renfrewshire.
“Another big aspect of the Tannahill Threads Festival has been about making art accessible to all, which is why we introduced the Art Bank, free cinema tickets and free food at all of our events.”
The Tannahill Centre has also teamed up with the Renfrewshire Fair Trade Steering Group, The Scottish Fair Trade Forum and Fair Trade Scotland to show the hard hitting True Cost Movie that exposes the exploitative practices of the fashion industry.
For a full programme of events v i s i t www. facebook. com/ TannahillCentre