Instagram Live, Zoom quiz nights, podcasts, at home workouts. In the last few months these forms of connections have skyrocketed into the public consciousness with everyone and their granny (literally) logging on to connect with the world. It makes sense, now more than ever we all are desperate to grasp onto as much human connection as we can.
Continue reading “The Future Paisley Podcast 📻 🎧”
Seven weeks in…
These are my reflections on working as a third sector / civil society Chief Executive during these bizarre, unsettled and challenging times.
The last few weeks have been inspiring and stressful in equal measure. I wanted to try to capture and publish some of this.
Continue reading “Reflections 01— Third Sector Chief Exec-ing during Covid-19 🐋”
This week, Active Schools Coordinators Tammy Johnston and David Rose reflect on the ways in which the COVID 19 pandemic has impacted on their work and, on the experiences of the young people they work with. Active Schools is a government initative funded by sportscotland and managed by Local Authorities.
March 16th 2020 was my own Covid-19 watershed. I started the day at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge. I was speaking about GWL and our work with legendary feminist artist Linder; the audience had seemed marginally depleted, there was nervous laughter as the mic was passed around in the Q and As, hugs still happened, social isolation and social distancing were new terms that were yet to affect behaviour.
Continue reading “Soundings, One Month in: Leading and Learning during Lock Down at Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL)”
The world is being shake in a way never seen before, after the COVID-19. The virus has affected practically all sectors of the economy and it was to expect that the culture would not be left behind.
Continue reading “The Cultural Sector and the Affects of the Corona Virus”
German philosopher and cultural critic Fredrich Nietzsche once said “invisible threads are the strongest ties”. As well as being reminiscent of Paisley’s very own Sma’ Shot, there is the undeniable truth that these invisible threads Nietzsche refers to are what binds our communities together.
Continue reading “Invisible Threads”
When I started my PhD just a little over a year ago, I made a mental list of all of the things that might happen over the next three years, and all of the challenges I might face. That life happens around and throughout your PhD journey is something that all researchers must confront at some point during their studies, and doing a doctorate requires an intricate management of the world beyond the PhD.
Continue reading “The Pandemic and the PhD”
Back in February (admittedly, a time that now feels but a distant memory), the Centre for Culture, Sport and Events, Renfrewshire Council and STAR Project came together to ask the Paisley community what culture meant to them. Despite the appaling weather, our community members attended en masse to tell us exactly what it meant to them.
Continue reading “Art & Soul of Paisley – ‘Get on yer feet, use yer voice, get the colour markers out!’”
The first ever Paisley Book Festival celebrated a hugely successful inaugural year. From 20th to 29th February, the festival – which celebrated Radical Stories and Rebel Voices and marked the 200th anniversary of the Paisley Radicals – packed out venues across the town as more than 2,500 people came to listen to the likes of John Byrne, Kirsty Wark, Janice Galloway, Kirstin Innes and many more.
Continue reading “The Inaugural Paisley Book Fest!”
Last week I attended Paisley’s first Green Tease event hosted by Creative Carbon Scotland. Sometimes it’s easy to lose momentum when it comes to environmental issues, especially when you feel like you are the only person who cares.
Continue reading “Renfrewshire’s Green Tease Event”
Creativity
Creativity across the global education landscape is considered a fundamental skill that will help future generations thrive. It can support young people to be more engaged in learning by fostering imagination and curiosity.
Continue reading “Creative Learning – Fundamental not Ornamental”
On Wednesday 22nd January, 2020, more than 700 people attended a public meeting titled “City for Sale: The Commodification of Edinburgh’s Public Spaces” in Central Hall, Edinburgh.
Continue reading “David McGillivray contributes to public meeting on the commodification of Edinburgh’s public spaces”
We want to congratulate our Colombian PhD student and associate researcher, Greis Cifuentes, who has been chosen as the new Development Director of the Fundación Nacional Batuta – FNB – in Colombia.
Continue reading “CCSE PhD Researcher Secures Prestigious Role”
I joined Renfrewshire Council in late 2018 in the newly-created post of Paisley Partnership, Strategic Lead for Cultural Regeneration, having previously held culture-related roles with the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland and a variety of other organisations.
Continue reading “Culture, Health and Social Change”
On the 6th and 7th of April 2019, the sports diplomacy organisation Save the Dream, organised the International Youth Forum ‘When Sport Breaks Down Walls.’ #
Continue reading “Sport & Sport Diplomacy: Save the Dream”
As part of the delivery of training in cultural heritage workshops that took place in Mombasa, Kenya from 12-16 November 2019, the team and participants took a trip to Fort Jesus.
Continue reading “Memorialisation, Heritage and Funding at Fort Jesus, Mombasa.”
The weeks from late October until mid-December always seem to be some of the most hectic of the year, and this is especially true for researchers looking at events like myself.
Continue reading “🎃 Busy Days During the Halloween Season 👻 🧟”
The Future Paisley Partnership comprises 22 local and national organisations committed to driving forward Paisley’s cultural regeneration.
Continue reading “Learning from Regeneration on our Doorstep: Future Paisley field trip to Glasgow’s East End”