Scotland’s culture chiefs back bid to deliver 2021 vision

Ambitious plans to realise the vision behind Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 have been backed by senior figures from Scotland’s cultural scene.

The support comes in the week the ongoing legacy work takes several big steps forward.

The doors of Paisley Museum were closed for the last time on Thursday before the venue undergoes a four-year £42 million refurbishment.

Councillors also approved a number of measures on Wednesday to bring new life to Paisley town centre. These include:  Formal approval for a new cultural organisational development fund of £360,000 over the next three years to support the area’s creative sector to grow their operations and reach

 Transforming key outdoor town centre sites in Abbey Close and County Square by expanding capacity for major events and creating spaces which encourage residents, visitors and students to spend time

 Improvements to major road junctions to improve road safety, allow traffic to flow better, and open up key gateways to the town centre.

The new measures have been backed by senior figures within Scotland’s cultural scene.

Gar y Cameron, from Creative Scotland, said: “We are delighted Renfrewshire Council have established the cultural organisations development fund.

“Local authority support is essential for developing arts and culture across Scotland, and we believe this fund will build on Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture and bring a range of cultural, social and economic benefits to the region.”

Support has also arrived from Dundee – which opened its V& A museum last week.

Dundee City Council leader Councillor John Alexander said: “The recent opening of V& A Dundee is the latest achievement in the longterm regeneration of the city where culture plays an integral part in this transformation.

“Our status as a UNESCO City of Design has been awarded because of the growth of the sector in the Dundee and the contribution this is making to our economy. Creativity is helping to create jobs and to attract tourists in ever great numbers.

“I am pleased to see how the legacy of the Paisley bid campaign is being used to focus on the future and tap into the power of the arts to bring about change for the good.”

The council’s leadership board also agreed to consider a report at their next meeting which will look at how the cultural legacy will reach towns and villages throughout Renfrewshire.

The investment in outdoor spaces and roads forms £ 10m of a £ 100m investment in Paisley town centre over the next few years – to create homes for the increased events, festivals and cultural activity the area is already attracting.

This includes the Paisley Museum redevelopment, which is expected to quadruple current visitor numbers when it reopens in 2022, plus £22m plans to preserve Paisley Town Hall’s place at the heart of life in the area and turn it into a landmark performance venue.

The report to councillors explained that investment in culture is already delivering results for Renfrewshire, including:

• A £ 1.25m economic boost and 70,000 attendees at major events so far this year alone, including the Paisley Food Festival, British Pipe Band Championships and Sma’ Shot Day/ Weave

• Work to sell the area as a visitor destination through the paisley.is brand and website, pioneering work by the NHS to use cultural activity to tackle mental health issues and a growth in creative business development across Renfrewshire.

Bid partners have also been using social media to celebrate the work achieved so far, using the hashtag #WhatPaisleyDidNext

Alan McNiven, chief executive of Engage Renfrewshire said: “We know Renfrewshire’s cultural activity programme is already providing fantastic opportunities for developing local aspirations, reducing isolation and re-connecting people with Paisley.”

Bob Grant, chief executive of Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “We welcome this investment in the next stage of the journey to deliver the vision of the 2021 bid.

“Enhancing our key cultural assets and public realm will we believe drive visitor numbers and increase economic spend, presenting opportunity for businesses to capitalise on our growing profile on the national and international stage.”

And Alan Clark, of the Creative Renfrewshire group, commented: “I think Creative Renfrewshire members would see real value in this investment in the local creative scene over the longterm.

“The new organisationa l development fund will allow organisations to build partnerships and create growth across the whole sector – we are all part of this together.

“It feels like this is the beginning of a long-term growth.”