Royston Road Project
‘Arts for living, arts for life’
Key contact: Russell McLarty
Email: spire@brocweb.com
Web address: www.brocweb.com/spire
The Royston road project in a nutshell
This is the story of how a few members of a community in the north of Glasgow started a campaign to save a local landmark – the Townhead Spire – and ended up involved in a multi-million pound regeneration project. The Royston Road Parks story is well documented with a website and publications. Here are some reflections on the role of the arts in community regeneration and the long term impact on the communities of Royston, Blackhill, Provanmill and the North Glasgow area.
The issues addressed
The Royston area is one of the most deprived in Glasgow, suffering from:
• a lack of employment and training opportunities for young people
• poor health record
• limited access to services
The approach to the issues
The centrepiece of the project was the physical development of the area and the creation of two new parks at each end of the area: Spire Park and Molendinar Park. However, as Russell McLarty, Chair of the Board, explains:
“The aim was not just to build two parks but also to make changes in the way local people saw themselves and their own community”
Projects were developed that touched all parts of the community:
• Mongrel - Stephen Healy, artist in residence with Royston Youth Action, created a photographic collection of pet dogs for permanent exhibition. Stephen discovered that “folk are proud of their dogs” and they are an important sometimes controversial part of the community.
• Romantic Vanguard - Jenny Brownrigg, a Mills and Boon author, helped the community publish a screenplay about romance and belief.
• A community web project and website was established by the artist Eddie Ladd.
• Bolt FM – a youth led community radio station for and by the young people of Royston, Blackhill, Germiston and Provanmill. The project provides training towards employment for local young people.
• A local history project in conjunction with the local library.
Evidence of success
An independent evaluation was carried out in 2001 and this was very positive about how the project had delivered what it had set out to do. The project created a sense of self and community confidence, particularly as a result of the physical regeneration of the spaces. Training provided by the Wise Group was also highlighted as a positive outcome.
However, the evaluation pointed out that were still concerns about vandalism, drug abuse and the quality of local housing in the area. In 2001 it was noted that the expectations raised by the arts led approach were not going to be met by arts projects in isolation.
This prediction has proved prescient and to date the new parks have suffered from a degree of vandalism. However, the basic architecture is designed to withstand damage and an ongoing maintenance programme by Glasgow City Council is aiming to address the issue.
Overall the project is a leading example of community regeneration. Evidence of success includes:
• New housing developments in Blackhill and Provanmill designed with the park as the hub of the community
• National and international interest and acclaim with a steady stream of visitors interested in the approach to community regeneration taken
• The project was the subject of a BBC television programme ‘Restoration Nation’ in 2004
• The project received a Scottish Urban Regeneration Award in 2002 in the ‘Recreate’ category. This award recognises the best use of creative arts to help community regeneration and break down barriers to social inclusion.
Testimonials
Russell McLarty acknowledges the importance of the physical regeneration of the area but as he says:
‘More important is the transformation of peoples’ attitudes and the creative energy produced. We can make a difference and why not?’
This ambition has ensured inspiring legacy projects such as Bolt FM; the youth led community radio which broadcast in both 2003 and 2004. The station is now developing a £60,000 youth culture project targeted at teenagers. A new youth shelter is about to open, developed with support from the local police and in consultation with those who have previously been most destructive of the physical environment.
Setting up the project
The initial focus of the project was the ‘Save the Spire’ campaign – a local landmark that was under threat of demolition in the late 1990s. The ‘Save the Spire’ campaign had a dramatic start with the burning of a cross in front of the spire as bulldozers moved in by the artist George Wylie.
This initial focus on saving the Townhead Spire soon developed and in 1998 the local community formed the independent Royston Road Project Board comprised of local people, project workers, and community and city councillors. The Board had underpinning objectives to bring in training and employment opportunities to the area, provide something of interest to young people and involve them in making a difference to the area.
To meet its original objectives, the Royston Road Project Board worked with arts organisations such as Fablevision and individual artists on several linked projects. Fablevision were involved at the very start of the adventure organising George Wylie’s intervention. They supported the local community and the board, helping to identify funding, shaping the ideas and finding artists to work on the project.
Partnerships
The physical regeneration of the park areas involved private businesses including landscape architects Loci Design as well as two artists – Toby Paterson who designed sculptural elements including an area for skateboarding and Graham Fagan who led tree planting projects and the Naming of the Rose – the community’s specially named rose ‘where the heart is’. There were innovative ideas used to communicate with those involved and community celebrations to mark various stages in the project.
The funding partnership included Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Arts Council, the National Lottery Charities Board, European Social Fund and Strathclyde European Partnership.
Learning points
• Art has been a powerful tool at the heart of this regeneration project which has helped to transform the community’s ambitions and confidence in its own ability.
• Large scale regeneration projects can be community led and the arts can empower those engaged in the process.
A final message
North Glasgow is a bigger and more disparate community than that covered by the Royston Road project and there is a network of local arts groups who work throughout the community in areas such as drama, music and visual art.
A recent development reflects this with the creation of an Arts and Retention Network with its own development officer supported by the Scottish Arts Council and Social Inclusion Partnership. This began as an initiative by Fablevision as a way of ensuring the Royston Road Project was not the only arts project in the area.
While it is early days yet for this Network, links are already being established between arts organisations in the city such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
