Arts festival to be staged on a cycle path

A unique arts festival is being staged at a very unusual location – a cycle track between Paisley and Lochwinnoch.

The Cycle Arts Festival Renfrewshire is a series of innovative artworks and performances for all ages that can be experienced along the 11-mile cycle path between August 21 and 29.

The artworks and performances include an oversized wind-powered sculpture based on a child’s whirligig toy; a live performance that will see a group of BMX bike riders trace out coloured pathways along the cycle track in a choreographed stunt with paint on their bike tyres; a walking theatre experience, outdoor film installations and a puppet show.

Most of the Festival events are free, however some performances required tickets to be purchased. Some performances also have limited capacity so booking early is recommended. For more info on booking and ticket prices, go to www.renfrewshireleisure.com/cycle-arts-renfrewshire.

Muriel Ann Macleod, Creative Producer for Place Partnership at Renfrewshire Leisure said: “We want to encourage the communities of Paisley, Elderslie, Johnstone, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch to come out and enjoy these outdoor events taking place on their doorstep.

“People can attend the arts festival by either cycling or walking along the cycle path, which is one of the most scenic off-road cycle routes in Scotland,

“This is a unique way of staging an arts festival and it links innovative arts events to people’s health and wellbeing, raising awareness in cycling and experiencing the countryside environment.”

The events are being staged by Renfrewshire Leisure in partnership with Sustrans, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and Renfrewshire Council as part of the Green Arts Initiative and the Future Paisley Programme.

Future Paisley is the radical and wide-ranging programme of economic, social and physical regeneration using Paisley’s unique and internationally-significant cultural and heritage story to transform its future.

The project is supported by Creative Scotland’s Place Partnership programme, designed to support local partners to work together to place culture at the heart of development and regeneration.