Amongst the guests were Malcolm Roughead OBE, Chief Executive and Director of Marketing Visit Scotland, David Taylor, Portfolio Manager Creative Scotland, Andrew Normansell, Big Lottery Fund Scotland, Kenneth Gibson MSP, NAC Provost Pat McPhee and NAC Councillor Robert Barr.  They were joined by representatives from a variety of community and third sector organisations, tourism providers, the business community and invited guests from the local community.

The most important guests on the day were Mrs Jean Palmer and her family.  Our special thanks to Jean, who agreed to ‘do the honours’ and perform the cutting of the ribbon, which symbolized the building’s new lease of life as The Barony Centre, Exhibition, Education and Events venue and community hub.

Jean is 84 years young and was married in the Barony Church on the 14^th of February, 1951.  Successive generations of Jean’s family have been married and christened in the Barony Church. Daughter Anne, 3 granddaughters and 2 great granddaughters Sophie & Lucy represented the family and the community – past, present and future.

Speeches by NAC Provost Pat McPhee and Kenneth Gibson MSP, recognised the work of the Barony Project Team in the success of project and highlighted the mammoth investment of time by the volunteers of the West Kilbride Community Initiative and the local community.

An earlier message received from David Cook, Director (WASPS), the biggest provider of artist and maker studios in Scotland, summed things up neatly,

“I think you and your community colleagues have pulled off a remarkable feat in achieving this… having raised funds and managed building projects like this I think I can say I do appreciate the obstacles you have had to overcome in realising it, which makes it all the more impressive”.

Kay Hall congratulated Maggie Broadley, Craft Town Scotland Director for her dedication and skills whilst Maggie spoke on behalf of the Barony Project Team.

“Everyone involved knows only too well just how huge these obstacles have been, and each and every one of them should be congratulated for what has been achieved in the creation of this amazing building.  Hand, mind and eye are all things employed by makers in the creation of their work – but heart is also paramount and this community has displayed heart, passion and tenacity in spades.

The development of the Barony Centre has always been about more than bricks and mortar, buildings are made real by the people who use and love them and everyone involved over the last 4 years has kept that in the forefront of their minds.  We have always respected its past function, we will continue to cherish the building as we move forward in making this a facility for the people of West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland – and beyond”.

Thanks to the funders who have supported our vision and rewarded it with the following grants:

GCA Big Lottery Fund Scotland                              £1,028,072

Town Centre Regeneration Fund                             £  296,290

Ayrshire LEADER                                                       £  266,634

Third Sector Enterprise Fund                                  £   95,000

The Robertson Trust                                                  £   60,000

N A C Landfill Communities Fund                          £   25,000

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority                     £   11,000

Emily McGregor of Happyhills Cakes provided a delicious ‘Craft Town Scotland’ hand- decorated cake and the team at The Flower Room, West Kilbride provided designer floral arrangements for the launch.

We are delighted to report that over 600 visitors have come through the doors already in the first 5 days of opening – please come along to the Barony Centre Monday to Saturday 10am till 5pm, Sunday 12noon till 5pm and see the transformation for yourself.

Jewellery made from sound waves, table lights created by a 3D printer, and a ceramic pot that can be scanned by an iPhone, all form part of this touring Crafts Council exhibition.

Lab Craft features 26 of the most experimental names in craft and design. Traditional craft skills have been combined with cutting-edge digital technologies to create unusual and unfamiliar objects that take a fresh look at how technology can be used by craft makers.

The exhibition is curated by design commentator Max Fraser and includes textiles, ceramics, furniture, jewellery, glass and lighting by makers and designers including Tord Boontje, Committee, Michael Eden, Gareth Neal, Nina Tolstrup and Timorous Beasties.

Please see 'News' for further details

Kay Hall, WKCIL Chair, and Maggie Broadley, Director Craft Town Scotland, represented WKCIL.  Both enjoyed hearing of the excellent work of local people who drive projects forward in communities across North Ayrshire.

Kay Hall would like to thank Joanne Kelly for nominating WKCIL for the award, for all the members of the public who voted for WKCIL and for all those volunteers who have supported WKCIL and Craft Town Scotland over the years.

Pat McPhee, Provost of North Ayrshire Council, was delighted to welcome everyone to the second Provost's Civic Pride Charity Dinner and commented on the increased number of nominations.

"It was an extremely difficult task to pick only 15 finalists from the 133 nominations received and the judging panel were thoroughly impressed by the high calibre of the entries."

Maggie Broadley really appreciated WKCIL winning this award, as voted for by people across North Ayrshire, seeing it as very welcome endorsement of the work of Craft Town Scotland and its volunteers in enhancing the cultural life of West Kilbride.  “It was a privilege to have been nominated and very humbling to win given the commitment and passion of those involved in other communities and projects across North Ayrshire”.

Two very worthy charities as selected by Provost Pat McPhee, Hollybush House (Combat Stress) and Cash for Kids, will benefit from over £20,000 raised at the event.

http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/NewsArticles/InfoZone/ProvostDinnerFeb12.aspx?

Craft Town Scotland consists of The Barony Centre: Exhibitions, Education and Events venue and 9 Craft Studios.  Supported by a major award from the Big Lottery, Scotland, The Barony Centre is scheduled to open Easter 2012. It includes a major exhibition and retail space, craft education workshop and Masterclass suite and a café, and will act as a regional centre promoting craft and design.

Craft Town Scotland is an accredited 3 Star Visitor Attraction, as awarded by VisitScotland in 2006. The Barony Centre will open to the public 7 days per week throughout the year with Craft Studios open to the public a minimum of 3 days per week – Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  We do encourage studio makers to open over and above these days.

To be considered eligible to become part of Craft Town Scotland, you have to design and produce work on the premises.

This studio is situated at a prime location in West Kilbride’s Main Street and has:

• An area of 481 sq. feet
• Two large shop-front windows either side of the front door, with access to the studio directly from the main street
• The studio consists of a larger workshop and display area immediately upon entry and a back office with phoneline, kitchen / workshop area and a separate sink area and toilet area
• The rental is £233.00 per calendar month ex. VAT

Rental is INCLUSIVE of:

• Electricity and Gas standing charges and consumption costs for normal use. Consumption costs for equipment shall be metered in excess of normal use i.e. for the use of kilns etc.
• External maintenance of the building, electrical, plumbing and heating installations
• Building and other property insurances
• Contents insurance for items belonging to the landlord
• Public Liability Insurance in relation to the landlord

More Information and photographs are also available from:

Maggie M. Broadley

Director, Craft Town Scotland

The Barony Centre, 50 Main Street, West Kilbride. KA23 9AW

Tel:01294 829179

Mob: 07738321446

www.crafttownscotland.org

or

Download an application form: CTS Studio Application Form 2012

In the meantime, enquiries are already coming in and we have had a craft workshop and a private party take place in the building even although we are not officially open!

Mairi Carlton has been a long-term supporter of craft town Scotland and has displayed and sold her lovely jewellery in the WK Initiative Centre.  Mairi has watched the Barony Centre develop and was desperate to ‘get in there’ with one of her classes.

Mairi has been running off-loom bead weaving workshops for many years, having started off teaching a two-hour workshop in West Kilbride.  As people became more skilled, they began to ask for longer classes.  Mairi introduced full day workshops which grew in popularity, with numbers bolstered as a result of many requests for bead weaving talks and demonstrations from groups like the Embroiderers Guild.

Mairi’s classes are attended by between 9 and 16 crafters but Mairi has 24/30 crafters on her list.  We are delighted to say that Mairi will be running her bead weaving classes throughout the year.  Please see our event calendar for dates, and then contact Mairi direct for further details: mecarlton@tiscali.co.uk

Another long-term supporter of Craft Town Scotland who couldn't wait to take advantage of the 'just completed' Barony Centre was Christine Miller.  West Kilbride's Senior Librarian and village resident, Christine actually did put off a significant birthday celebration for two weeks so it could be held in the Barony Centre this weekend.  Whilst the main function is that of an exhibition and education venue, the Barony Centre is a flexible space which can accommodate small to medium conferences, parties and events in between exhibitions and classes.

Thanks to Christine, her family and friends for ‘christening’ the Barony Centre, with some style, as a party venue!

Check out the Craft Town Scotland facebook page for photographs of both events.

Maggie Broadley, Craft Town Scotland would like to thank the many local people who have sent congratulations on its recent success at the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, Creative Place Awards.  “Everyone involved, from volunteers to our Board of Directors and staff, are still grinning from ear to ear every time we think of winning such a prestigious award against competition from some of Scotland’s most creative communities.  Our success has sent ripples across Scotland, with congratulations winging their way back to West Kilbride from individuals and organisations throughout the country”.

The Creative Place Awards aim to celebrate the value of creativity to the social and economic wellbeing of smaller communities across Scotland, and to reward the hard work and imagination of such places. Nominees were chosen for the involvement of the community, as well as the creativity of their existing plans.

After hearing they had been nominated as one of three finalists in their category in November 2011, the build up to judgment day on the 24^th January seemed to flash past. However, nerves had certainly begun to jangle in the week leading up to the Awards Ceremony.  Organised by Creative Scotland and Event Scotland, the ceremony took place in Edinburgh at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

Kay Hall (WKCIL Chair), Angus Kerr (Barony Project Design & Construction), Jean Kerr (Barony Centre Arts Education) and Maggie Broadley (Craft Town Scotland Creative Executive) all travelled through to Edinburgh.  Sitting in the auditorium listening to details of the other nominees and their impressive artistic and creative programmes, they all said they felt very proud to have been considered equal to these.

Kay Hall said, “The build up to the announcement of the winners was quite incredible – to hear West Kilbride named the winner of our category was just amazing and was greeted with whoops of delight from us all!  This is a huge accolade for all of our Volunteers, Directors and Committee but it is also recognition of the work over recent years to establish Craft Town Scotland as a creative hub.  We can now put into operation all of our plans to roll out a much wider programme of activities and events for our community and visitors”.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, said; “Scotland is a creative nation and I am hugely impressed by the wealth of creative communities we have in every corner of the country. To win a Creative Place Award, and in the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, is a great achievement which demonstrates the truly exceptional standard of the successful programmes”

Category winners will receive a cash prize specifically to enhance their creative activity further.  West Kilbride will receive £100,000 in the category for places with fewer than 10,000 residents.  Maggie Broadley continues, “This is a very specific award which is designed to add creative events and activities as part of a national programme. Before we receive any monies we have to provide Creative Scotland with a detailed budget which will cover the cost of the proposed activities and events as described in our submission.

We have a beautiful, well-designed building in the Barony Centre, this award allows us to fund top quality activities to match.  For example, we will be able to buy in top class exhibitions and have agreed to host the “Modern Languages” exhibition, curated by Katy West, and are in negotiations to bring “Lab Craft: Digital adventures in contemporary craft”, the new Crafts Council touring exhibition to the Barony Centre.  In addition to buying in the exhibitions, the award will allow us to fund residencies for top class makers and to lead a Youth and Cross-Generational project which will link in with the exhibitions.

We will also be able to fund Youth Activity for 14-24 year olds and provide a dedicated craft and new media based youth programme over 28 weeks.  In addition, we can now fund a ‘Kindercraft’ project aimed at parents/carers and toddlers which will provide craft play classes once a week over 12 weeks.  We have already had provisional discussions with West Kilbride Primary school and this award means we can fund a project which will involve the whole school.  Community events like the Scarecrow Festival and WK Gala can also be supported and we plan to offer free workshops during those events”

First off, we want to arrange a very special craft and local history project based around the ‘Barony Brides and Babes’ to help create a community exhibition in a specially dedicated area for community and educational display.  We’d love to speak to anyone out there who was married or christened in the Barony and who have any photographs or stories to share.

For further details of this and the Barony Centre programme please contact:

maggie@crafttownscotland.org

Tel: 01294 829179

"You wouldn't catch them Bungee Jumping, but Sheila and Zoë are about to take the plunge at the stylish new Barony Bites located at The Barony Centre, West Kilbride. The mother and daughter team have backgrounds in catering and hospitality, as well as having done their fair share of administrative based work.

Sheila brings a wealth of experience from her previous careers as a Nurse and Senior Cabin Crew.  She is always happy either cooking, gardening or curled up with a good book.  “It's not every mother and daughter that have the opportunity to work together, and I am really excited about Barony Bites ”.

Zoë loves to spend her spare time in the kitchen with various new recipes.  She has gained her experience through working in 5* hotels, bars and restaurants.  “It might sound cheesy, but I am so looking forward to this venture.  I am a big believer in fantastic customer service and to be able to provide this on my own terms, with my mum's support and experience is something I couldn't refuse”.

Barony Bites – A unique and exciting “Café Experience”.

Delighted to provide journalist Scottish daily David Taylor with a positive high street story - and very pleasing that he already knew of our community led initiative as an exemplar of town centre regeneration.  Read on for the full article.

WEST Kilbride is bucking the trend being seen in high streets up and down the country.

The North Ayrshire village has rebranded itself Craft Town Scotland and has seen a massive rise in shops opening as well as a huge boost in visitor numbers.

By the mid-1990s, more than 50 per cent of the shops in the village centre had closed down.

But since the launch of the West Kilbride Community Initiative in 1996, the village has practically all its 40 retail units open for business.

All of the shops are independently run and sell mostly craft and artistic items.

The project is managed by a volunteer board of directors, whose aim is to lure new businesses to the village and to promote tourism in the area.

They turned the village around by providing affordable studio spaces by slashing business rates and by exploring the niche market of arts and crafts.

In the past few years they have seen visitor numbers increase from around 3000 a year to more than 18,000 – a five-fold increase.

Maggie Broadley, creative executive of the initiative, said: “By 1996, half the shops in our high street, 21 of them, were boarded up but almost all of theproperties are now occupied.

“As well as the craft shops and studios we have an upmarket florist and an award-winning bridal outfitters, Opus Couture, neither of which would have established their business in a town which had 21 boarded up shops.”

As well as the retail side, the initiative promotes community andsocial events, and is in the process of developing the Barony Church in the village into a craft exhibition and activities centre.

Maggie added: “We have been putting into operation for 13 years what retail guru Mary Portas is talking to Parliament about.

“It’s about people coming to see the studios, and while they are visiting they are going to look around the area as well as other local tourist attractions.

“Our success is down to the real good mix of local people identifying a problem, identifying a unique selling point and then just developing that.

“In the early years there was a lot of hard work, and it took about three years before the first studio opened, but since then we haven’t looked back.”

Lorna Reid, 41, has run her design studio and shop from West Kilbride’s Main Street for the past four years.

The mother-of-one, who has been a self-employed textile designer for 21 years, says business has never been so good since she moved into the village.

Visitors to her Chookiebirdie studio and gallery can see her at work, stitching away and designing her collection of home accessories and gifts.

Lorna, who lives in the village, thinks that customers feel more confident in what they are buying if they can see exactly where it has come from.

She said: “Some come in and ask me to make them very specific things, which they wouldn’t be able to do if there wasn’t the set-up there is here.

“I thoroughly enjoy living and working here, it is great for business, and you can’t get much better than that.”

Lorna worked from home before being lured to West Kilbride by the facilities and community spirit.

She added: “I came to West Kilbride looking for something different and to meet like-minded crafters and designers, and when I was offered a studio it changed everything.

“It has been absolutely great forbusiness and because I have a shopfront as well as a studio, I can get an instant reaction from customers to my work.

“Previously I lived in a commuter village and was practically the only person at home during the day but in the village I am involved with the local community and it is this spirit and determination which has led to it becoming what it is today.”

There are three categories in the Creative Places Award, each with 3 shortlisted candidates who will go forward to be judged by a panel of experts, with the winners of each category announced at the end of January 2012.  Kay Hall, WKCIL Chair, is delighted by this latest success,

“To have such national recognition is a fabulous boost to all those involved in the development of Craft Town Scotland. It gives huge credibility to our local commitment and rewards our determination to regenerate our village in a creative and dynamic way”.

The Scottish Government committed to a series of focus years running from 2010 to 2013 to ensure co-ordinated national activity to spotlight some of Scotland’s great assets as we journey toward 2014 and a second year of Homecoming. Creative Scotland has been chosen as the key partner to work alongside Eventscotland in delivering The Year of Creative Scotland.

Maggie Broadley, Craft Town Scotland Creative Executive, submitted the application at the beginning of November and received an email on Tuesday informing her of the village’s success as one of the shortlisted candidates.  Maggie then had the difficult task of not sharing the good news until to-day’s formal announcement by Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs.  Maggie said,

“The Year of Creative Scotland 2012 coincides with an incredibly exciting time in our community’s development. Everyone at Craft Town Scotland is extremely proud to have been shortlisted for a Creative Place Award, which celebrates our nation’s creativity, culture and identity. This nomination in itself is a huge boost for West Kilbride, I wish to pay tribute to the volunteers, studio makers, local crafters, businesses and residents who all contribute so much to our success”.

North Ayrshire will also be represented in another category, with North Ayrshire Council’s application to the Creative Place Award based around developing its cultural strategy by building upon the Harbourside’s existing reputation as a cultural hub.

Here is the full shortlist:

Places with under 2,500 residents:

• The community of Creetown has a thriving creative community and a Creative Place Award would support the community to invite the National Symphony Orchestra to music workshops in the village as well as developing new projects for the younger residents.
• Kilmartin Glen: A Creative Place Award would support Kilmartin House Museum to develop Sounding Dunadd, a community performance on the ancient site of Dunadd Fort, alongside new projects to draw visitors to Kilmartin Glen.
• Wigtown would use its Creative Place Award to develop its hugely successful Book Festival into more year-round activity – including a residential creative writing course and a high-profile Wigtown Lecture.

Places with under 10,000 residents:

• Huntly developed strong links with the international creative community across the globe through its trailblazing town is the venue programme which involves people from all ages and backgrounds in projects spanning the traditional, contemporary and classical sectors. Next, Huntly wants to expand its Room to Roam programme by developing new collaborations, including a signature menu for the town.
• Prestonpans: The Prestoungrange Arts Festival would create an iconic public artwork during 2012, around a theme of ‘looking forward’, which will also feature in a range of events, workshops and art classes.
• West Kilbride: Craft Town Scotland would develop a new series of exhibitions for the The Barony Centre in West Kilbride and develop new programmes to involve younger, and older, members of the community in their creative programme.

Places with under 100,000 residents;

• Irvine Harbourside would work with organisations from the creative, heritage, tourism and commercial sectors, to develop a year-round cultural programme, centred on the Harbourside.
• In Perth, the local Cultural Partnership, led by the local authority, would support the delivery of high quality artistic outputs through the Living Communities project and, in partnership with the people of Perth, would identify a new local hero for a commissioned portrait.
• In 2012, St Andrews will be hosting the Year of Celebration and a Creative Place nomination would focus on the town’s already rich cultural programme, as well as exciting new events.

For further information please contact: Maggie M Broadley, Creative Executive, Tel: +44 (0) 1294 829179, Email: info@crafttownscotland.org

FH - NR - Year of Creative Scotland - 12 December 2011 Full

Thank you to the management of the Seamill Hydro Hotel for their invitation to the launch of the “Christmas at Seamill Festival Gardens”.

The lovely Lorraine Kelly, who was welcomed by Councillor Pat McPhee, North Ayrshire Provost, launched the Festival.  Lorraine shared her very fond memories of childhood visits to Seamill and delighted everyone by spending time with guests, posing for photographs and joining in the festive atmosphere.

Lorraine and the rest of the guests were serenaded by the West Kilbride Brownie troupe, who were all in great voice and got the proceedings off to a very fine festive start. Lorraine cut the ribbon to herald the official opening whilst a colourful display of fireworks lit up the spectacular evening sky.  Ice Dancers gave a terrific display of ice-skating with attitude on the specially created outdoor ice rink.  A Stilt Walker, Juggler and Fire Performers added an extra exotic twist to the evening.

I had a chance to chat to Lorraine and invite her to visit West Kilbride “Craft Town Scotland” – Lorraine had noticed the Craft Town Tourist Attraction signs on the approach to West Kilbride.

The Victorian Swing Boats offered an enchanted glimpse back in time, the swing boats are full size and so adults and children alike can enjoy a magical time this Christmas. The main attraction of any good Victorian Fairground was the Carousel - the wonderful and eye-catching piece is a favourite for children of all ages and adults alike and takes you back to a bygone and carefree era.

Thanks also to the intrepid team of Emily and Fiona from the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, who were great companions throughout the evening.

Maggie Broadley

Craft Town Creative Executive