Community Event Will Light Up Glasgow’s Canal
2 October 2007
• Leading artist to create giant floating lanterns
A stunning torchlight procession will be at the heart of community celebrations to mark the rebirth of Glasgow’s historic canal corridor.
School children living in and around the canal have been working on a unique project to create a series of spectacular lanterns which will be paraded along the canal to Firhill Basin as the finale to a day long series of community activities on Saturday 6th October.
Illuminating Links - a Forth and Clyde Canal Celebration, will incorporate a huge range of water and land based events including boat trips - courtesy of the Forth & Clyde Canal Society - canoe and kayak sessions, musical performances, art and craft displays and even a fishing competition.
Event organisers are working with a number of primary schools around the canal on the different elements of the parade. As part of the workshops children have been encouraged to identify six buildings which are important to the communities around the canal, and to the City generally, which have been transformed into giant 5 metre x 2.5 metre floating lanterns by internationally renowned artist Graeme Gilmour.
The six buildings which have been chosen include The Armadillo; Ruchill Hospital; Ruchill Parish Church Tearooms; Mausoleum, Sighthill Cemetery; Our Lady of the Assumption Church and Keppoch Campus School.
Pupils from each school will create their own handheld lantern and at dusk on the 6th October the procession, with a musical accompaniment, will wind its way from various locations along the canal to Firhill Basin where all the lanterns will be combined to create a spectacular light installation.
The event will also be used to bring residents up to speed with long term regeneration plans for the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal. Over the past few years the Lowland Canals have undergone an incredible physical transformation and now the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership is working to bring the waterway alive through a long term regeneration project which will see sensitive development from Port Dundas to Maryhill over the next 15 to 20 years.
An extensive community engagement exercise is ongoing in the area to ensure that everyone with an interest in the revitalisation of the canal corridor has an opportunity to input into the proposals.
It is hoped that the free event, which has been organised by The Waterways Trust Scotland with support from British Waterways, Glasgow City Council, ISIS Waterside Regeneration and Keyhaven Developments, will attract residents and visitors alike and become a regular feature in Glasgow’s events calendar for years to come.
Commenting on the event Steve Dunlop, Director Scotland at British Waterways said; "This is a fantastic opportunity to involve the community in an event which will truly bring the canal to life. We have been working very closely with residents and businesses alike to create a series of regeneration proposals for the canal corridor and this will give everyone a chance to look at the plans as well as enjoy a great day out on the waterway."
Karen Moore, Head of Development at The Waterways Trust Scotland added; "The Firhill Canal Festival promises to be a great event, bringing together lots of different people to celebrate the waterway. Far from being a place to avoid, the Forth & Clyde Canal has been transformed over recent years and we are using this free festival to show local residents and visitors what a great place our waterways are, and how much they have to offer."
Councillor George Ryan, Executive Member for Development and Regeneration Services at Glasgow City Council, said: "This event will cement the idea of the canal as an attractive part of the city to live and visit, and I am sure it will be a great success. The involvement of local schoolchildren underlines the commitment of all the partners in the canal's regeneration to fully involve the community at all stages of the project."
Illuminating Links is a partnership between British Waterways Scotland, The Waterways Trust Scotland, Glasgow City Council, ISIS Waterside Regeneration, Keyhaven Developments, British Energy, Queens Cross Housing Association Ltd and Glasgow Housing Association. The event is produced by UZ Events.
Ends
Issued on behalf of British Waterways Scotland by Wave PR. For further information contact Chris Bell, Tel: 0141 303 8390 Mobile: 07974 692 330
Notes to Editors
British Waterways Scotland
Responsibility for inland waterways in Scotland is a devolved matter, with funding for British Waterways' Scottish activities coming from the Scottish Executive. In Scotland the 137-mile (220km) canal network includes the Caledonian, Crinan, Forth & Clyde, Union and Monkland canals.
British Waterways Scotland works in partnerships with local authorities, voluntary groups, private companies and other government agencies to protect and enhance the waterways and benefit the communities through which they run.
The organisation balances the conservation of the country’s heritage and environment with developing commercial opportunities to generate income to reinvest in the waterways for further sustainable regeneration.
The Waterways Trust Scotland is part of The Waterways Trust, a registered charity, and works to promote greater public enjoyment and awareness of the UK’s waterways by raising funds for waterway restoration, conservation, recreation and education.