Paisley has launched a joint bid to become an official Festival Town for 2013.

Renfrewshire Council and the Creative Renfrewshire Network have teamed up to submit a joint bid to Creative Scotland for a Creative Place Award.

The Creative Place Awards aim to celebrate the value of creativity to the social and economic wellbeing of smaller communities across Scotland.

If successful, the town will receive funding to support events and activities that will further enhance the cultural life of the area.

The award will allow the council and the Creative Renfrewshire Network (CRN) to continue to work in partnership to further develop Paisley as a festival town, developing and showcase a programme of national events.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan said: “Paisley already has a rich cultural heritage and thriving arts scene. The council is committed to supporting and building on this by working with the Creative Renfrewshire Network and local cultural organisations. This bid is a really exciting opportunity to further develop that relationship and enhance our shared vision of Paisley as a creative place.

“Over the last few years we’ve worked together to bring a wide programme of events to the area from the Voices in Paisley choral festival to the Renfrewshire Witch Hunt 1697 event. Next year is set to be even bigger with the Royal National Mod coming to Paisley for the first time, as well as further major arts festivals such as The Spree.

“We want to build on this opportunity to cement the area’s already strong reputation for arts and events and establish Paisley as an official Festival Town for 2013.”

In addition to hosting the Royal National Mod in 2013, Paisley would use the award to host additional flagship festivals.

The council’s cultural strategy was launched in 2010 along with the Creative Renfrewshire Network with the aim of recognising and celebrating the unique cultural strands of different communities in Renfrewshire.
David Wallace, Chair of Creative Renfrewshire Network, said: “The Creative Renfrewshire Network seeks to represent the many diverse and vibrant cultural organisations and individuals in Renfrewshire. As such, we fully support this exciting bid which has the potential to develop and enhance the already wide programme of cultural events and activities taking place in Paisley and being delivered by our membership and by the Council. This is a great example of partnership working between local organisations and the local authority and we would look forward to seeing the benefits to those organisations and the wider community should the bid to Creative Scotland be successful.”

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Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X