by Sophie Mamattah | Aug 18, 2022 | Accessibility, Art, Commemoration, Community, COP26, COVID19, Cultural Regeneration, Culture, Disability Sport, Disabled Community, Events, Learning, Mega Sporting Events, PACE Theatre, PACE YT, Paisley, Parasport, Place, Renfrewshire, Research profile, Resources, Symposium, Uncategorised
Another wee while has flown by since the last slightly random summary of CCSE blog activity; we have tentatively emerged from COVID restriction, endured unusual summer heat and enjoyed another season of outdoor sports. To accommodate a winter World Cup, football has made an early start. And, the CCSE blog has continued to tick over, providing a space for record and reflection of cultural, sporting and event related activity ongoing at the locally and nationally. (more…)
by Sophie Mamattah | Feb 24, 2022 | Art, Arts, Community, COVID19, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Regeneration, Culture, Digital, Events, Place, Power, Public Space, Renfrewshire, Resources, Uncategorised
The Grand Conversaziones series – part of the currently ongoing Paisley Exhibition – kicked off on the second Friday in February with a frank and fascinating exploration of Paisley’s Present. The event provided a timely reminder of the town’s assets – chief among them the internationally recognised Paisley Pattern – alongside an opportunity to reflect upon the path that Paisley is navigating out of the pandemic.
While the impositions forced upon us by the necessity for COVID19 lockdowns have been many, the enforced break from the norm has nevertheless caused many to reflect on what constitutes success and where we should seek to invest our effort when seeking to create vibrant, liveable and sustainable communities. (more…)
by Sophie Mamattah | Oct 28, 2021 | Art, Artist, Arts, Community, COP26, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Regeneration, Culture, Events, Learning, Resources, Uncategorised
The delayed COP26 summit is to begin on the last day of October, amid the road closures and the rail strikes, the challenges of social distancing and – perhaps – of Scottish weather in autumn, over 30,000 attendees representing over 200 countries, businesses, NGOs and other groups will meet and attempt to advance the aims of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. (more…)
by Sophie Mamattah | Oct 7, 2021 | Artist Development Grant, Audience, Brexit, Community, COVID19, Events, Public Space, Research profile, Resources, Sport, Theatre, Uncategorised
As the new academic year pick up pace, we find ourselves tentitively adjusting to something of a return to a more conventional office life. Albeit one in which venturing out in public my still result in failure to recognise someone you’ve known for years on account of only being able to see half of their face! Nevertheless, it is encouraging that we are able to look forward to some work taking place in ‘real life’ settings rather than in the ether. (more…)
by Sophie Mamattah | Sep 9, 2021 | Audience, COVID19, Culture, Events, Place, Public Space, Sport, Theatre, Uncategorised
For a few months now the summer sun – punctuated with episodes of deluging rain – has provided the backdrop for the continued gradual reopening of our social, sporting and cultural venues. In turn, these developments have presented us with the opportunity to begin returning to social and spaces as audience members, engaging with events in closer proximity with others than has been possible for quite a while.
Navigating the return to a state of near normality has been – and for some continues to be –challenging. If the preceding months have taught us anything, it has perhaps been to ‘expect the unexpected’. Yet, it is also clear that festivals and events of all stripes do not thrive on uncertainty. (more…)