Paisley Arts Centre Archives - Paisley Scotland

Real-life grandads and their grandsons from the Paisley area will take to the stage to become stars of a theatre show about the relationships between men and boys.

The show Old Boy is being performed at Paisley Arts Centre on Wednesday and Thursday, June 5 and 6 at 7.30pm.

And three local granddads and their grandsons will be on stage performing in the shows presented by the Glasgow-based theatre company Glas(s) Performance.

The men and boys taking part are grandfather, Ray Brown, aged 65, from Quarrier’s Village, near Kilmacolm and his two-year-old grandson, Harvey Millar, from Paisley; Patrick Head, aged 66 and his nine-year-old grandson, Dalton, from Penilee along with 82-year-old Monty Colvan and his grandson, Owen Fyfe, aged 21, from Crookston.

Ray Brown looks after Harvey three days a week and he takes his grandson along to various activities like swimming, Bookbug sessions and the Gym Joey’s classes at the ON-X sports centre, in Linwood.

Rays said: “I’ve never been on stage before and neither has Harvey, since he’s only two. But we’re really looking forward to it and I’ve no doubt Harvey will enjoy himself, as he loves mixing with people.

“I’ll be doing all the talking on stage and Harvey will be enjoying himself playing with toys.”

Ray has been used to being in front of a large audience as before he retired he was a senior manager with a large insurance company and has spoken to audiences of hundreds at conferences all over the world. He even shared a stage with Nelson Mandela in 1997 during a conference held in Zimbabwe.

Ray added: “I spend a lot of time with Harvey and I thought it would be exciting for him to take part in the show. I’m quite looking forward to it myself!”

Jess Thorpe, Co-Artistic Director of the show said: “We’re excited to introduce audiences in Renfrewshire to the real-life relationships of three local sets of grandfathers and their grandsons and to share the stories of love, legacy and tenderness in their family relationships.

“Old Boy is a show about love, tenderness and care between men. This is a side of masculinity which we rarely get to see on stage and something that feels important to celebrate.”

Since the show is about men and boys, Renfrewshire Leisure is offering children into the performance for free when they are accompanied by a paying adult.

Log on to www.renfrewshireleisure.com or call 0300 300 1210 to buy a ticket at only £5.

03/06/2019/by Brian McGuire

Old Boy. Glass Performance. Platform, Glasgow. October 2017

This award-winning company present a show about men, boys and emotion featuring a cast of real-life grandfathers and grandsons focusing on legacy, inheritance, history and ageing

Devised and Performed by a local cast of men and boys from Renfrewshire

Paisley Arts Centre

5th and 6TH June

7.30pm

£5

Running time: 1 hr

“Utterly life-affirming” ★★★★ The Herald

OLD BOY is a show which is re-made and performed by a new cast local to each venue it visits. It was originally created at Platform in Glasgow which was then featured as part of the Made in Scotland showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It has since toured to Northumberland, will visit Washington DC and London this summer and in June will come to Paisley Arts Centre.

OLD features real-life grandfathers and grandsons aged 2 – 82 as they perform this tender performance about making memories together, exploring what men and boys have meant, might mean and do mean to each other, what has been difficult and perhaps not talked about before. OLD BOY reflects on the legacies passed down through generations, received notions of masculinity and how these ideas impact on real lives lived.

Jess Thorpe, Co-Artistic Director, said: “We are delighted to be bringing OLD BOY to Paisely Arts Centre as every time we make it in a new place it feels new and we learn loads from the men and boy we get to work with. We are excited to introduce audiences in Renfrewshire to the real-life relationships of three local sets of grandfathers and their grandsons and to share the stories of love, legacy and tenderness in their family relationships. OLD BOY is, amongst its many aspects, a show about love, tenderness and care between men. This is a side of masculinity which we rarely get to see on stage and something that feels important to celebrate.”

Glas(s) Performance is an award-winning Glasgow based theatre company run by performance directors Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore. Glas(s) Performance work with real people in the place of fictional characters to tell human stories that resonate with audiences of all ages and experiences. They have been making this work for 14 years now and have produced over 30 pieces of new work inspired by the people they have met.

Past shows include: Life Long (2010) a show about love featuring Tillie and Ronnie Jeffrey, a couple who have been married for 55 years. Hand Me Down (2011) about the things women pass down to each other in families with Margaret Hendy, her daughters, granddaughters, sisters, nieces and cousin.

Albert Drive (2013) A large-scale project looking at the idea of neighbours from the perspective of one street in Pollokshields, Glasgow. GLIMMER (2014) The story of two sisters at Christmas with Rosie and Megan Reid. Recent co-production include The Happiness Project (2015) with the Roundhouse and SPOTLIGHT (2015) with Rogaland Teater in Norway.

Glas(s) Performance also produce award-winning Junction 25, a company of young performers aged between 11 -18 based at Tramway. www.junction-25.com.

Company

Devised and performed by local cast of grandsons and grandfathers from Renfrewshire

Designer Rachel O’Neill

Sound Design Harry Wilson

Lighting Design Kate Bonney

Web and social media links: www.glassperformance.co.uk | @glassperform | #OLDBOY

Listings information

Old Boy – a coproduction between Glas(s) Performance and Paisley Arts Centre

Paisley Arts Centre

5th and 6TH June

7.30pm

£5

Running time: 1 hr

20/05/2019/by Brian McGuire

surrogate productions presents The Guitar Man. Performer Renee Williams. Photo credit Daniel Brecher (1)

The debut production from surrogate productions, The Guitar Man, opens as part of Platform’s Outskirts Festival on Saturday 27 April, before embarking on a tour around Scotland in May.

‘Everything has its time, a man and a piece of music…’

A man makes his living singing the same songs day after day on the edge of town. He plays to an audience that is always on the move, always passing him by. People call him The Guitar Man.

On a winter’s night, he takes shelter and tells us his story: he came here because of a woman, and stayed here because of a son. Searching for answers to the past, present and future, he reaches a decision: to stop playing.

In a world made up of winners and losers, The Guitar Man asks what is left when we reject the role we are expected to play? Written in 1997, by Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, the play speaks anew to a post-industrial society in crisis, where rootlessness and homelessness have become a common experience.

Weaving text, song and silence to create an intimate, physical and disquieting
theatrical experience, this tender study of a so-called ‘outsider’ traces the delicate balance between loneliness and longing, loss and salvation.

The Guitar Man will be played by female performer Renee Williams, and is directed by actor and director, and Artistic Director of surrogate productions, Nora Wardell. The production features a composition of vocal and guitar fragments by artist, composer and performer, Hanna Tuulikki with sound design by Kevin Murray. The creative team also includes dramaturgy by Eszter Marsalkó, set and costume design by Sarah Beaton and lighting design by Emma Jones.

Paisley Arts Centre | Wed 1 May | 7.30pm | £10/£8 (+ bkg fee)
0300 300 1210 | renfrewshireleisure.com/arts

30/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Blog, Events, Glasgow, Music, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Arts Centre, Paisley Photographs, Paisley Visitor Attractions, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire Arts, renfrewshire events, Renfrewshire Leisure

SURROGATE PRODUCTIONS TOURS THE UK PREMIERE OF JON FOSSE’S THE GUITAR MAN IN A TRANSLATION BY LOUIS MUINZER

The debut production from surrogate productions, The Guitar Man, opens as part of

Platform’s Outskirts Festival on Saturday 27 April, before embarking on a tour around Scotland in May.

‘Everything has its time, a man and a piece of music…’

A man makes his living singing the same songs day after day on the edge of town. He plays to an audience that is always on the move, always passing him by. People call him The Guitar Man.

On a winter’s night, he takes shelter and tells us his story: he came here because of a woman, and stayed here because of a son. Searching for answers to the past, present and future, he reaches a decision: to stop playing.

In a world made up of winners and losers, The Guitar Man asks what is left when we

reject the role we are expected to play? Written in 1997, by Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, the play speaks anew to a post-industrial society in crisis, where rootlessness and

homelessness have become a common experience.

Weaving text, song and silence to create an intimate, physical and disquieting

theatrical experience, this tender study of a so-called ‘outsider’ traces the delicate balance between loneliness and longing, loss and salvation.

The Guitar Man will be played by female performer Renee Williams, and is directed by actor and director, and Artistic Director of surrogate productions, Nora Wardell. The

production features a composition of vocal and guitar fragments by artist, composer and performer, Hanna Tuulikki with sound design by Kevin Murray. The creative team also includes dramaturgy by Eszter Marsalkó, set and costume design by Sarah Beaton and lighting design by Emma Jones.

28/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

Announcement, Blog, Events, Music, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Arts Centre, Paisley Visitor Attractions, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire Council, renfrewshire events, Renfrewshire Leisure

Tenants tread the boards in new play

Renfrewshire Council Sheltered housing tenants have taken starring roles in their own theatre production, thanks to funding from Renfrewshire Council.

Tenants from four complexes across Renfrewshire took to the stage to perform ‘UpLIFTing Renfrewshire Folk’, performing two sold out performances at the Starlight Youth Theatre to rave reviews.

Karen Herbison, Director of H-Arts has been involved in working with the tenants, using their life experience and stories to write and produce the show, with many tenants appearing in performing roles.

Assisted by her core team, Karen and the tenants developed a performance telling stories that touched audiences, showcasing new and original sketches and featuring monologues, poetry and song.

Sally Logan, Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator for Renfrewshire Sheltered Housing Service, said:

“All the tenants worked really hard to produce an unmissable piece of theatre and had a great time in the process.

“It has provided our tenants with the opportunity to channel their inner creativity. It also shows how important it is to keep active and socialise to reduce the effects of loneliness and Isolation.”

The project was supported by Renfrewshire Council’s Culture, Heritage and Events Fund (CHEF). Launched in 2016 to support Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture in 2021, CHEF has supported over 100 projects across Renfrewshire with the aims of increasing participation in cultural activity and showing how creativity can boost education, social inclusion and quality of life.

Leader of Renfrewshire Council, Iain Nicolson said:

“The CHE fund has been key in involving local people in cultural and creative activity and I’m pleased to see our sheltered housing tenants benefit.

“Involvement in culture has a positive impact on health and wellbeing and it’s fantastic that the tenants have had this opportunity to take part in what was a new experience for many of them.”

Applications for the next round of the Culture, Heritage and Events Fund are now being accepted. More information about the fund is available online at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/CHEF.

28/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

Blog, Business, Events, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Arts Centre, Paisley Events, Paisley Photographs, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire, renfrewshire events, Renfrewshire Leisure

Have a conversation while your eating a fish supper

Visitors to one of Paisley’s best-known chip shops will be having a special conversation while they’re eating their fish and chips.

Hannah Fox and Kate Drummond from Paisley Arts Centre’s Out of Place programme of innovative artworks will be interviewing customers in Castelvecchi, in Paisley’s New Street on Monday, March 25 and Saturday, March 30 between 11am and 5pm.

They will be gathering information for a unique newspaper called The Castelvecchi Chronicle, which when printed, will be used to wrap the next day’s fish and chips!

Kate Drummond explains: “Castelvecchi owners, Alfredo and Linda Nutini have kindly welcomed us into their wonderful café.

“We’ll set up camp in the restaurant to gather news, views, top tips, wishes and fascinating facts from customers as they sip their cups of tea and have a delicious meal.

“We want to fill this newspaper with people’s news with an emphasis on the delights, trials or triumphs of their day-to-day experiences, which will then be featured in this rather unusual newspaper.”

Hannah added: “After we’ve produced The Castelvecchi Chronicle, we’ll deliver the newspaper back to the café for the classic ‘keep ‘em warm and soak up the grease’ function.

“The staff can wrap all takeaway orders in their very own newspaper for people to read while they eat their fish suppers.”

The Castelvecchi Chronicle project is part of Paisley Arts Centre’s Out of Place programme of innovative artworks in unconventional spaces delivered in association with Glasgow’s Take Me Somewhere. The main Out of Place programme will run from May 17 to May 19.

22/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

Paisley Beer Festival Promo 14.3.19-6962

Beer lovers will be able to enjoy all the fun of this year’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival as organisers are teaming up to host a Renfrewshire CAMRA Beer Tent.

The Festival, which takes place on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April, will showcase more than 40 top food and drink traders from across Scotland, a demonstration kitchen with celebrity chefs and live entertainment in the stunning surroundings of Paisley’s historic Abbey.

Paisley Beer Festival Promo 14.3.19-6962

For the past five years, Paisley Food and Drink Festival has been staged alongside Renfrewshire CAMRA’s annual Beer Festival in Paisley Town Hall.

With the much-loved Victorian town hall currently undergoing a major £22million refurbishment, organisers of both events are working together to host a Beer Tent for visitors to enjoy across the two-day event.

The marquee will be located at the town’s Bridge Street, as part of the Festival grounds, and will have around 70 cask conditioned ales and craft beers available.

Paisley Beer Festival Promo 14.3.19-6962

There will also be a wide range of bottled beer from around the world and vegan options for those attending the event.

Karen Moore of Renfrewshire CAMRA said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Renfrewshire Council to host a Renfrewshire CAMRA Beer Tent at this year’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival.

“The marquee will have something for all tastes with a wide selection of cask conditioned ales, craft beers, international bottles and much more.

“With its handy location on Bridge Street, visitors can have a drink in the Beer Tent and wander out to the main Festival area to enjoy the range of street food, live music and entertainment in store.

“I can’t wait to see lots of familiar faces at the Paisley Food and Drink Festival. There’s so much for everyone to enjoy across the two days in April.”

Paisley Food and Drink Festival is one of Scotland’s largest outdoor food and drink festivals. This year’s line-up will also see delicious street food with traders from PLATFORM on Tour – the independent street food market who reside in Glasgow’s Argyle Street Arches, tasting sessions with Gin 71, live music and entertainment programmed by Paisley’s famous The Bungalow music venue, children’s workshops, picnic areas and much more.

You can find out more about Paisley Food and Drink Festival 2019 here: https://paisley.is/featured_event/paisley-food-and-drink-festival/

15/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

Business, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Arts Centre, Paisley Visitor Attractions, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire

Eco Drama in association with Platform presents The Whirlybird

An exciting new show for 3-7 year olds and their families, The Whirlybird celebrates the differences that make us unique, finding inspiration in nature and the wonder of flight.

Scotland’s leading Eco-friendly theatre company is set to tour its latest production – The Whirlybird – to venues and museums across Scotland this spring. Through movement, music, birdsong and puppetry, The Whirlybird is a funny and moving story about a bird that yearns to fly.

In a cosy nest, two birds look skyward and get ready for their maiden flight. While flying comes easy for one, the other just can’t get the hang of it. After many failed attempts, inspiration is found in a very special flying seed.

Directed and co-devised by Eco Drama founder Emily Reid, the show is performed by co-devisors Caroline Mathison and Beth Kovarik with music by Greg Sinclair and set design by Claire Halleran.

Children aged 3-5 years from Buchlyvie Nursery in Easterhouse were involved in the show’s early stages of development. The children took part in sessions on the theme of birds, flight and puppetry. These sessions empowered them to use creativity to engage with their natural environment.

For further information, photographs and press tickets contact Wendy Niblock on 07961 814834 / wendyjniblock@btinternet.com

Tour:

McKillop Institute (part of Lochwinnoch Arts Festival)

Wed 20 Mar

10.30am

07868 752814

The Swallow Theatre (Newton Stewart)

Sun 31 Mar

2pm

01988 850368 / swallowtheatre.co.uk

The Barn (Banchory)

Thu 4 Apr

2pm

01330 825431 / thebarnarts.co.uk

North Edinburgh Arts

Sat 6 Apr

2pm

0131 315 2151 / northedinburgharts.co.uk

North Berwick Community Centre

Tue 9 Apr

11am

seetickets.com

The Pagoda (Grantown on Spey)

Fri 12 Apr

11am & 2pm

01479 873877 / thepagoda.scot

Aberdeenshire Farming Museum

Sun 14 Apr

11am and 1.30pm

livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk

Platform (Easterhouse)

Tue 16 Apr

10.30am & 1.30pm

0141 276 9696 (opt 1) / platform-online.co.uk

Music Hall (Aberdeen)

Sat 27 + Sun 28 Apr

10.30am & 1.30pm

01224 641122 / aberdeenperformingarts.com

The performances at the Swallow Theatre, The Barn, North Edinburgh Arts Centre, North Berwick Community Centre, The Pagoda and Aberdeenshire Farming Museum are part of the Puppet Animation Festiva

28/02/2019/by Brian McGuire

More than double the amount of people than expected turned up at Paisley Arts Centre to learn sign language.

Staff who had organised the British Sign Language sessions reckoned they would get 50 people coming along, but they were astounded when there was a queue of 128 waiting to join the Paisley Arts Centre’s Sign Language Club.

Organiser Emma Armstrong, who works for Renfrewshire Leisure said: “It was the first meeting of the club and we got a real shock when we saw people queuing out the door and along the side of the building.

“We had to move everyone into the main theatre auditorium, as there were so many who came along. We were delighted to see all these people were interested in learning sign language.”

The Arts Centre received funding from Renfrewshire Council to help with the costs of running the Sign Language Club and the grant means the club can run for at least a year. Those attending now only have to pay £10 for each block of six sessions.

The club meets on a Monday night at the Arts Centre and instruction is provided by Graham Dow, who is profoundly deaf and David O’Rorke from local theatre company, Historical Adventures.

David Emma added: “We had people coming along to learn BSL for all sorts of reasons.

“One lady wanted to learn because her grandson was born deaf and would be learning Makaton – the children’s version of BSL. She wanted to be able to communicate with the boy.

“Some people wanted to use the signing skill in their workplace and others were just interested in learning BSL.

“Everything was very informal and everyone had a lot of fun. But people were also very keen to learn sign language.”

28/02/2019/by Brian McGuire

PAISLEY Arts Centre will be hosting three dementia friendly concerts this spring, presented by Live Music Now.

This begins with Aidan Moodie and Graham Rorie, on Wednesday, February 20, featuring an eclectic mix of traditional and self-penned tunes and songs from across Scotland and beyond.

The other LMN performances are MK Duo, who are Roberto Kuhn and Callum Morton-Teng on Wednesday March 13 and Voice and Verse, who are Laura McFall and Kristine Donnan on Wednesday June 12.

A spokesperson for Live Music Now said:

“Live Music Now Scotland’s dementia friendly concerts are relaxed and informal, and the audience is invited to sing and dance along if they like.

“We have consulted with experts in dementia to find a format that is likely to be both enjoyable and beneficial to the audience’s health and wellbeing.

“The musicians tailor the performance so that some tunes may already be familiar, and therefore good for singing along to, which means the concert becomes interactive with everyone feeling welcome to join in.

“For those who prefer just to listen, they can enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit while being entertained by outstanding performers.

“It has been shown that participating in arts activities is extremely beneficial for older people with dementia, improving such things as communication, memory, enjoyment of life and creative thinking.”

For more information, or to book one of these performances call Renfrewshire Leisure box office on 0300 300 1210 or go to www.renfrewshireleisure.com/whats-on.

Tickets for these performances are £5, and include tea and coffee. Carers go free.

13/02/2019/by Brian McGuire