STIRLING SHOWCASES CULTURE AMBITIONS
Claire Baker MSP at the MacRobert’s new Thistles Shopping Centre creative hub.
Stirling hosted a visit from Claire Baker MSP last week (Monday 21 February), highlighting the creative momentum generated by the city and region’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025.
The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP was given a tour of the city’s cultural hubs by Scene Stirling Manager Kevin Harrison, where she met with local artists and creative businesses to find out more about the work going on behind the scenes to galvanise Stirling’s creative offer.
Kevin Harrison said: “Claire has a keen interest in economic development and the role culture can play in Scotland’s Covid recovery, so we organised a tour of our local creative organisations to show how Stirling is leading the way in this regard.
“It was also a chance for Claire to learn about Stirling’s culture bid and how the Scene Stirling cultural partners are helping the local creative scene to thrive through grants, commissions and expert support.”
Stephen McAll gave the MSP an insight into Stirling’s creative community, with tour of Constant Follower’s collaborative exhibition at The Tolbooth.
The day’s tour began at the Tolbooth, where musician Stephen McAll and local filmmakers Michael Prince and Sean Hall showed Claire Baker around the ‘Constant Follower + Friends’ exhibition. The centrepiece of the show being a new collaborative work, ‘One Hand Washes the Other,’ which focuses on themes of creative community in Stirling.
The MSP’s visit also focused on how local arts and cultural organisations have established creative hubs in the city centre by repurposing empty retail units.
The first stop was Creative Stirling’s hub at 44 King’s Street, where Claire learned about the important role an independent creative community space can play in the regeneration of the city’s high street and city retail offer from Director Joe Hall.
Joe Hall and Paul Jenkins of Creative Stirling gave Claire Baker a tour of Made in Stirling.
Creative Stirling continued to support the creative workforce through the challenges of the pandemic by producing content to support creativity at home and by developing an online sales platform for Made in Stirling, which enabled Stirling artists and makers to sell worldwide.
For several months, the store was also given over to supporting local residents affected by the crisis, acting as a distribution point for surplus supermarket food, an initiative to combat food waste led by the Kitchen at 44 and Transition Stirling.
Director Joe Hall said: “Creative Stirling has always been focused on working principles that work for people and place and we continue to evolve everything we do to ensure support for the sector in Stirling is sustainable. This year we have received funding to refurbish our new event space, artist’s studio spaces and teaching kitchens to provide a uniquely integrated program of cultural events around local food and the broader notions of community wealth building and economic growth around wellbeing.
“We have also just had the fantastic news that we have been awarded Scottish Government funding for a new renewable energy heating system for the building which is a key step towards meeting our organizational objectives for sustainability, both economically and regarding climate challenge. It’s a very exciting time for us.”
The MSP then visited Stirling Arcade, where Jitka Fleglova of Go Forth, demonstrated Stirling’s Street Stories augmented reality trail which has transformed empty shop units.
Next up was the Macrobert’s new City Hub in the Thistles – the arts centre’s first expansion outside the University of Stirling in its 50-year history, offering a range of classes and workshop.
Claire Baker learned about Macrobert Art Centre’s community programme from Julie Ellen.
Julie Ellen, Artistic Director, Macrobert Arts Centre said: “Over the last 6 years we have increasingly taken ourselves and what we do to the communities who find it harder to come to us. We meet people, get to know them, then invite them round to ours…for the great shows, films, exhibitions and activities we have at Macrobert. We’ve worked with Community Cinema Programmers in Raploch, taken the ‘big screen’ to miners’ welfare clubs, care homes and hospices, held drop-in activities at the Sruighlea festival and Sterling Mills shopping outlet and Dance for Parkinson’s in Alloa.
“Macrobert’s City Hub at The Thistles shopping centre is the perfect next step out for us, hosting a full range of creative activity sessions and there’s always someone on box office where shoppers can buy tickets for any of our classes, events, film programme and live performances. It is wonderful to have this presence in the city.”
Last but not least, was a visit to the new charity and social enterprise Coorie Creative, which as well as selling textiles offers workshops and workspaces for creatives. During the visit, Claire was lucky enough to drop in on a class with Stirling’s archaeologist Murray Cook on the rich history of the tartan and textiles in the area.
The MSP tried her hand at weaving at Coorie Creative.
Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said:
“Stirling is experiencing a grassroots boom in culture and creativity. It is evident that there has been a real commitment in recent years to grow the city’s cultural offer and put arts and culture at the heart of city life.
“During my visit the enthusiasm and creativity of local artists and groups was clear to see and it was great to hear first-hand about the work which has gone on and the links which have been developed between social enterprises, businesses and creatives.
“With innovative thinking and collaborative working, Stirling is a great candidate for UK City of Culture 2025. The team involved has put together a strong bid which demonstrates the vibrancy of the local cultural scene and provides a firm footing on which to build further success.”
Back Stirling’s bid at Stirling2025.com and share your support with the hashtag #Stirling2025