We’re the creative producers
We’re very excited to have been appointed creative producers for the Paisley Radicals project, a large scale community performance celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Radical War.
The main output of the Paisley Radicals project will be a series of site-specific performances in Paisley town centre. These performances will involve both professional and community performers, exploring stories from Paisley’s ‘radical’ past, in particular the town’s role in the Radical War of 1820.
We’ll also be bringing workshop activity to community groups and individuals living in Renfrewshire (see below for more details), designed to encourage creativity and raise awareness of the Radical War.
The Paisley Radicals project is part of programme of activities, produced jointly by Paisley TH.CARS 2, Renfrewshire Council’s Events team and Renfrewshire Leisure Arts.
Free creative workshops online
As part of the Paisley Radicals project, Civil Disobedience and Renfrewshire Council are running a series of free, creative online workshops, starting in April 2020.
The workshops are open to anyone 14+ with a Renfrewshire postcode and will cover:
- Heritage
- Creative writing
- Acting
- Physical theatre
- Design
You’ll be asked to take part in group video conferencing online, so you’ll need access to a PC, laptop or smartphone with WIFI/data. Each session will last no longer than 90 minutes.
There’s no cost for the workshops; you’ll simply need to fill out and return an evaluation form after the close of project.
If you take part in the workshops, you’ll also have the opportunity to take part in the live performance elements of Paisley Radicals later in the year. (More details and dates to be confirmed as soon as we have guidelines from the authorities around public gatherings.)
Fancy taking part – or want more information?
For more information and to sign up for the workshops, please contact Barry Church-Woods, Civil Disobedience Director.
Email: barry@wearecivildisobedience.com
About the show: a word from Barry Church-Woods
At its heart, we see the Radical War as an immensely impactful moment in time for Scottish democracy. A time when people started fighting back for their rights, not just as workers, but as people capable and deserving of individual thought, opinion and morals.
Using the Peterloo massacre memorial on 11 September 1819 – which lead to a week of rioting in Paisley – as a jumping off point, Civil Disobedience’s response to the Paisley Radicals brief will be a love letter to democracy, human rights and progressive social behaviour sparked by having the courage to speak out.
A promenade, site-specific theatre performance incorporating theatre, storytelling, stage combat, music, design and creative writing, the piece will aim to highlight the ripples of progression sent out from Paisley during the aftermath of the rioting – and how those agitating voices helped fuel the Radical War the following year.
We’ll explore that important moment in time, but will also highlight those that came after. From Jane Arthur’s feminism and John Henning’s secret influence on Princess Charlotte’s radical reading, to more contemporary examples of Paisley residents using their voices and platforms for social justice and parity.
About the scheme behind Paisley Radicals
‘Paisley – The Untold Story’ (the Paisley Town Centre Asset Strategy & Action Plan) is an ambitious, long-term heritage and cultural programme, seeking to deliver Renfrewshire Council’s vision for the regeneration of Paisley town centre.
As part of ‘Paisley – The Untold Story’, the Council has secured a Townscape Heritage (TH) grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) grant from Historic Environment Scotland. With this matched funding, the Council is delivering the Paisley TH.CARS 2 project which will run until 2021.
In addition to improvements to the built environment of Paisley’s town centre Conservation Area, the Paisley TH.CARS 2 project is delivering a comprehensive range of engagement activities, which offer opportunities for diverse audiences to explore and learn about the heritage and culture of Paisley.
This programme of activities highlights Paisley’s rich history of making, including its architecture and its textile heritage, and is delivered across three themed programming strands: Fabrication; Social Fabric; and Built Fabric.
wearecivildisobedience.com 