Baker Street project is putting Paisley on the right road
Arts team share their knowledge with Scotland
The team behind an ambitious project to bring a brand new cinema, theatre and performance academy to Paisley has helped launch a national competition.
Paisley Community Trust’s project, dubbed Baker Street, won the Scotland’s Towns FutureTown Design competition last year.
And they returned to the group’s AGM to talk about the difference winning has made and encouraged other community projects to get involved.
Chair of Paisley Community Trust, Gary Kerr, said: “Entering the competition in 2017 was an opportunity to raise the profile of Baker Street nationally, benchmark against other exciting regeneration ideas for towns across Scotland and await public feedback.
“We were delighted with the result. Our profile and social media statistics during the voting period were some of the largest we have seen.
“Baker Street has certainly captured the public’s imagination – winning gives us confidence we are getting things right and the community are right behind us.”
Baker Street is a £24.7 million plan to create a community space on derelict land between Incle Street and Smithhills Street in the town.
It will include a flexible 500-seat theatre space, restaurant and cafe as well as one 170-seat, a 120-seat and three 70-seat cinema screens that will show both blockbusters and arthouse and niche films.
Gary and the team are in the process of putting together a detailed business plan which they’ll present to Renfrewshire Council and potential funders later this year.
The organisers said Paisley Community Trust captured public attention with their Baker Street proposal for a new cultural and creative quarter in Paisley town centre. This would include a community-led performing arts and film theatre and a performance academy.
Now in its fourth year, the FutureTown Design Competition is aimed at provoking ideas and encouraging new approaches to highlight what the country’s towns could look like now and in the future.
Organised by the national agency for towns, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, the winner is chosen by the public through an online vote.
App l i c a tions close on Wednesday, October 31, with voting held during Scotland’s Towns Week in November. Full information can be found at the website scotlandstowns. org/ future_town_design_comp_2018
For more information on the Baker Street project, go to facebook. com/paisleytrust