£1.7m Christmas Present Delivered for Kirkintilloch

15 Dec 2006

Plans for a brand new arts and cultural centre in Kirkintilloch are to be turned into a reality after being awarded £1.7m of capital lottery funding from the Scottish Arts Council.

The arts and cultural centre is one of the flagship projects of Kirkintilloch’s Initiative (KI), a partnership between East Dunbartonshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which will deliver a £56 million regeneration package for the town across the next 10 years.

It will be the centrepiece of an attractive development of Southbank, which aims to bring first class arts facilities to the area as well as major infrastructure improvements such as the new marina on the canal. Over the last few months KI has been revising the design and business plans for the centre to meet Scottish Arts Council requirements to deliver a facility which will encourage significant development of participation in the arts in the area. The funding award will allow KI to deliver the building which makes these plans possible.

Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council and Kirkintilloch’s Initiative Board Member, Councillor John Morrison has welcomed the announcement. He said: “The new Arts & Cultural Centre will be an important canal-side facility attracting users from a wide area and adding to the growing range of opportunities for leisure and recreation associated with the Forth & Clyde Canal. This will help put Kirkintilloch on the map for visitors to the West of Scotland.”
With a combination of classic and contemporary design, the new centre will create a striking piece of architecture at Southbank, helping to revive the area and increase the level of activity, tourism and use of the canal, appealing to people of all ages. It will include a 300-seat theatre, a multi-purpose studio and performance space, , recording studio, committee and dressing rooms, support facilities including bar and cafe as well as space for many other community events.

Iain Munro, Scottish Arts Council Head of Lottery said:

“At the Scottish Arts Council we aim to invest our lottery funds in inspirational and transformational projects, we have contributed almost £1.7million to the Kirkintilloch arts centre which we are confident will not only inspire many in the local community to further engage with the arts but also contribute to the transformation and regeneration of the local area. “

Kirkintilloch’s Initiative Board Member, Councillor Rhondda Geekie is delighted that the hard work has paid off. She said: “This money will allow us to deliver on the expectations of the local arts community. It complements the investment by the Council and Kirkintilloch’s Initiative in the development of the Southbank area as a destination. Having this attractive building sitting next to the new marina and the modern footbridge is an exciting prospect for the people of the Kirkintilloch area.”

The new arts and cultural centre will also play a key role in the regeneration of Kirkintilloch. As KI Board Member Councillor Anne Jarvis explains:
“The role of the arts in local economic regeneration is well recognised. This award is welcomed by the whole community, and gives people a taste of what’s to come for the future of the town.”

Award-winning Glasgow firm, Page and Park, who were responsible for the Italian Centre – a key project in the regeneration of Glasgow’s Merchant City area, are the architects behind the imaginative design. The inspiration for the eye-catching layout of the main auditorium came from a painting of a beautiful theatre stage setting on the canals of the romantic Italian city of Venice. The architects had to consider a number of issues when creating the design and are confident they have developed a solution that fits in with the surrounding landscape but ensures future developments around the basin of the canal, will compliment the centre.

The local arts organisations and community groups played a key role in the development of the plans and contributed to many consultations on the design and facilities. Local community representatives for the project were instrumental in making sure that the needs of the local community would be met in the plans. Project Champion for the arts centre Joan Riddell commented:

“The design of the centre is incredible and once opened, will really help to breathe new life to the Southbank area. The range of facilities on offer will benefit both residents and visitors of all ages. Not only will the centre play host to a wide range of theatrical, dance, and musical events, it will also be an ideal venue for wedding ceremonies and receptions, with its idyllic setting and central location in the town.”

KI will now start work on detailed designs for the arts and cultural centre and begin a recruitment programme to appoint the Design Team and associated staff to take the development forward.

Duncan Hamilton, Project Director of KI, recognises the hard work and commitment put into the development of the project. He said:

“This really is excellent news for Kirkintilloch’s regeneration. It’s important to say a big thank you to everyone involved who has worked tremendously hard over the past months towards securing the funding. The Scottish Arts Council has been very influential to the submission and as a result the new building will be able to host an ambitious and exciting programme. I look forward to seeing the building work progress next year.

A project team meeting will be held in early 2007 to agree a programme of work, with a view to it opening in September 2009.