Floating stage proposed for the canals

A NEW and unique performance venue is in the wings for the Lowland canals.

This vision is of a floating stage that can be moored at different places along the Union and Forth & Clyde Canals, providing a performance space for amateur, semi-professional and professional entertainers.

The Floating Stage project aims to serve all the villages, towns and communities along the 66 miles of canal between Bowling, Glasgow and Edinburgh, offering community organisations, charity fundraisers, local choirs, bands, dramatic societies and schools a venue and a way to reach their communities.

This exciting project comes off the back of the recent Flotilla 200 – the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Lowland canals – which saw boaters, charity and volunteer organisations and local communities come together for a weekend of celebration. Entertainment included lots of music and dance. The organisers were approached by many individuals and groups wishing to be involved. All of this provided the inspiration for a floating stage that will bring communities together to enjoy the unique environment of the canals.

The proposal is to form a new not-for-profit charitable organisation which would create and operate the stage, towing and positioning it along the canal. The stage could be provided for free, depending on the type of organisation and event, or a nominal fee could be charged to support smaller embryonic groups.

As well as the canalside communities, the stage could be used at major locations including Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Festival, Glasgow ( where the canal flows almost to the city centre) or at the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, both popular visitor attractions. The project would also offer valuable volunteering opportunities and experience in everything from boat movement and location arrangements to promotion, publicity and event management.

The Floating Stage is already attracting enthusiasm, with people signing up for membership or volunteering. The website gives lots of information about the project and the next steps needed to take it from a vision to reality. You can sign up now for free membership and there are lots of ways to get involved, from receiving the newsletter to volunteering for anything from the initial management team, as a trustee or a member of the committee.

Stuart Rennie, founder and principal of the Floating Stage project said: “The concept for the Floating Stage was born out of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the Union Canal, which brought together the boating fraternity, local communities and many types of entertainment both on the water and on the banks of the canal. It’s now great to see the vision moving towards becoming a reality.”

Find out more and show your support on Facebook or Twitter or the Floating Stage website at www. thefloatingstage.co.uk