Our Cultural Community Festival will provide an occasion for residents and visitors to  come together to share and celebrate the Queens platinum anniversary through cultural activities including-

• Intergenerational Community arts and crafts workshops
• Intergenerational concert  (Music in the Square)
• Community cooking workshops (Food crosses all borders)
• A range of free family fun activities

Our Cultural Community Festival will provide a range of activities which will focus around the development of the community arts, music and community cooking and sharing activities will be delivered to a variety of groupings from pre-school to older people, family sessions, creating intergenerational activities to build community and reinforce positive experiences. Mixed art sessions including Art/Drama, Storytelling, Music and Dance to engage the idea of using personal history and experience to drive the concept of Cultural Community.

Local people will, through arts and cultural activity focused workshops be involved in designing and delivering events to celebrate and share with the wider community encouraging positive social connections, which can enhance wellbeing and alleviate loneliness. The event will offer opportunities for people to come together as we transition to a post covid period and celebrate with friends, family and the wider community.

The Community Cultural Festival will add value to other local services working in partnership with Youth Connections, Larkfield Housing Association and Larkfield Children’s Centre will encourage more effective joint initiatives. This will enable hard to reach participants to engage with the wider community reducing isolation, to making new friends and having fun. Networking with other local services to enhance arts/cultural provision and ensuring that organisations come together to support the local community whilst tackling social exclusion and poverty whilst having access to free family fun activities. The ‘WISHES Group’ who provide opportunities to older people aged over 55, Youth Connections youth advisory group and Venture out Volunteers have been directly involved in developing our proposal.

We would like to join the wider Inverclyde community in recognising and celebrating the end of a difficult 2 years by hosting 2 days of events in the middle of the summer of 2022. Following a consultation with staff and regular users of the hub, as well as examining survey responses from Inverclyde residents, we have decided on a Community Spirit Weekend, which will include;

• Music from DJ’s/local bands/choir.
• Food provided by our café, a BBQ organised by our staff, and snack food stalls featuring small local businesses.
• Pop up shops featuring local artists and creatives.
• A farmer’s market for local growers to sell their vegetables and fruit.
• A tour of our gardens and what we do.
• Entertainment in the form of art classes, face painting, outside yoga, group meditation, small animal interactions, competitions, exercises, film screenings, floristry demonstrations, mindful walks, painting, mascots, football, cycling, dancing, and choir singing. (This list is not exhaustive)

Our events will take place during the day, getting people out in the fresh air to get lungs and bodies moving after a long time spent indoors. Our community gardens provide an excellent space to host our activities; we are based centrally, in Greenock, and easily accessible by public transport. Our walled gardens make our space private and secure, yet are welcoming and inviting to all. Visitors can take advantage of our beautiful greenery in the 6 glasshouses and massive courtyard that we are extremely proud of. Our large halls with glass fronted walls give us the opportunity to host activities inside, and our café provides delicious, low cost, healthy snacks and beverages.  

We would like to host our event over 1 weekend (2 days) in July. This will ensure that the weather conditions are appropriate enough to hold events outdoors, and is also the ideal month to ensure the children of Inverclyde can attend, as it falls in the middle of the school holidays. We would need to coordinate with other community groups in order to agree on an exact date, but for the purposes of the application, but mid July is our goal.

Young people (aged 15 – 25) from Kayos and Prominence will work together to create three performing arts workshops (musical theatre singing, dancing and acting) to be delivered free to schools and/or community groups. Community member workshop participants will then be brought together for a culmination performance to be performed for free to a community group, care home, school or nursery chosen by the participants. All rehearsals, workshops and performances will take place in the Greenock East and Central locality. The final performance will be outdoors in order to be widely accessible to the chosen community group and the local community.

This project will build on recent successes of Prominence’s ‘Elfcapades’ and ‘Deadcapades’ and Kayos’ street theatre productions (performed at Galoshans Festival and Surge Fest as part of Merchant City Festival) clowning and puppetry workshops and numerous successes of both groups in music and musical theatre. It will allow young people from both groups to put in to practice skills they have learned, work collaboratively, be supported to take leadership and assistant roles and work through the process of creating and delivering workshops and working with a group of participants to create and deliver a final performance.

Young people (aged 15 – 25) from Kayos and Prominence will work together to create three performing arts workshops (musical theatre singing, dancing and acting) to be delivered free to schools and/or community groups. Community member workshop participants will then be brought together for a culmination performance to be performed for free to a community group, care home, school or nursery chosen by the participants. All rehearsals, workshops and performances will take place in the Greenock East and Central locality. The final performance will be outdoors in order to be widely accessible to the chosen community group and the local community.

This project will build on recent successes of Prominence’s ‘Elfcapades’ and ‘Deadcapades’ and Kayos’ street theatre productions (performed at Galoshans Festival and Surge Fest as part of Merchant City Festival) clowning and puppetry workshops and numerous successes of both groups in music and musical theatre. It will allow young people from both groups to put in to practice skills they have learned, work collaboratively, be supported to take leadership and assistant roles and work through the process of creating and delivering workshops and working with a group of participants to create and deliver a final performance.

In partnership with the Upper Port Family group, the Charm Group are looking to hold a family fun day using Newark Primary School as a base, this will be great opportunity to bring the Port Glasgow Community together.

The fun day will include:  

• Community BBQ (external company)
• Bouncy castle/inflatable
• Charm group to lead on arts and crafts for example clothing up-skilling and blankets for care homes
• Line dancing
• Face painting
• Music activities

This will help bring the community together both young and the older generation, there will also be opportunities for skills share for example sewing and embroidery. It will also hopefully encourage more community members to become part of the Charm Group and also attend the other groups such as the toddlers group and family group.

This is a partnership approach in which we will use local suppliers and encourage the community to come together to take part in a fun day. It will help improve the community feel good factor and provide families with a day that requires no cost which will reduce any barriers to access.

A series of weekend/holiday workshops. The workshops would take place at the garden at Saint Columbas High School. The school is in the process of setting up a garden and would like the local community to be involved with this. The workshops would initially include, planting sunflower seeds in pots to take home, making herb planters and learning/sharing  gardening skills.Inviting the community into the school will have a multitude of benefits for the school and  the local community. These workshops would help build a bridge between the community  and the school. The school garden is a long term project that will need the support and help of the local community. There is also strong research that shows gardening and  working outside improve peoples mental health, which has taken a knock with lockdown.  These events will give people the opportunity to talk and share experiences and skills in an  outdoor setting. It is envisaged that the event will give attendees the skills to look after their own gardens and to be involved in the Siant Columbas' Garden in the coming years.  Giving people the opportunity to learn new gardening skills, be involved in a nurturing an caring project and learn more about the school fits the criteria of the Meloria events perfectly.

The event will be open to all members of the local community, with no barriers to taking part.  People of all ages and abilities will be encouraged to participate.  The workshops will be outside allowing people who are nervous about working in groups  indoors the opportunity to be involved. It is hoped that the event will initiate partnerships with the school and its neighbours, that will continue for many years as the school garden grows.

GMAS would like to host two events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. The events will provide a safe and fun environment providing food and entertainment as part of the party celebrations.Our events will include local members of our community who are in our care, their families, friends and loved ones, and the families and friends of our staff too. We will include our executive board members and our house committee members who are all local people who give back to our community on a voluntary basis. The events will provide an opportunity for everyone to come together and reconnect, allowing us to share our experiences during the past 2 years which has been particularly difficult for our residents and their families who have felt cut off and isolated due to the pandemic.

Our events will include local members of our community who are in our care, their families, friends and loved ones, and the families and friends of our staff too. We will include our executive board members and our house committee members who are all local people who give back to our community on a voluntary basis. The events will provide an opportunity for everyone to come together and reconnect, allowing us to share our experiences during the past 2 years which has been particularly difficult for our residents and their families who have felt cut off and isolated due to the pandemic.

Our events will provide a platform for everyone to come together in a fun way. Our current intergenerational work with Inverclyde Shed, Broomhill Hub, Parklea, Battery Park and Madeira Nurseries will bring together all genders, ages, and cultures within our community. Our local partners will be invited to join in our celebrations, and we will support local businesses to provide us with our entertainment and catering requirements on the day.

Kerrs Journey & Branchton Community Centre would like to facilitate a large community fun day to serve the wider South West Inverclyde Area. This event will be held in a local high school to ensure it is in a central location.  Kerrs Journey will be in the centre of the planning stages of this event to ensure it is inclusive to all and accommodates families with Children with Additional support needs and sensory requirements. It is important for Kerrs Journey to be part of this event as we feel that many community events do not cater for many support requirements such as a quiet area, no que system , appropriate games and space.   Regular Activities will include: Inflatables, Carnival Games, Arts & Crafts , Food

This Fun Day will benefit the wider community by bringing together various groups and residents in South West Inverclyde and allowing them participate together. It will also allow groups and organisations to showcase their services.

We have partnered with several community groups and organisations to ensure we are reaching all members of the wider south west Inverclyde community. Our application is in conjunction with the following partners.

Constituted Groups                                    

• Larkfield Tenants Hall                                 
• Branchton Community Centre                   
• South West Community Council               
• St. Andrews Parent Council                     
• Aileymill Parent Council                           

Other Organisations & Groups

•  Bluebird Family Centre
•  Aileymill Nursery 
•  Lady Alice Primary 
•  Aileymill Primary
•  Aileymill Nurture Room

The Kilmacolm Community Council would like to hold a Jubilee village fete event, the remit being a family friendly engaging and inclusive event for all of the community. Running alongside the fete we plan to have a week long community art trail displaying artworks created by various community groups using recycled materials around the village, along with heritage photos of the village from days gone by displayed in the windows of local businesses. The fete would take place on one day over the Queens Jubilee weekend, held in Birkmyre park we would provide toilets and marquees to ensure ease of participation no matter what the weather. There will be a range of traditional games and stalls, children's entertainment including face painting and crafts along with a fancy dress parade for young people dressed as Kings and Queens. There would be a barbeque and space to encourage families to picnic at the event. We also plan to invite local groups to preform such as School Choirs, Pipe Bands and local dance and drama groups. The day will be organised by the Kilmacolm Community Council but involve participation from other local youth organisations such as schools, The Scouts and The Girl Guides. The art trail will follow a similar format to a previous spring art trail organised by the Kilmacolm Community Council, we provide a wooden board and a theme to local groups, for this event the theme will be related to decades in Britain/Scotland the groups then decorate the board with recycled materials and we coordinate the display in public areas throughout the village providing a map for people to follow. The art trail will remain up for around 1 week before being removed and distributed back to the groups or donated for display at suitable locations. Along side this we will be encouraging members of the community to submit historic images of the village which will be reproduced in large format and displayed in local premises.

Following Covid there has been limited opportunities for community led events, the Kilmacolm Community Council are confident that the fete will provide a family friendly event which will act as an opportunity for all parts of the community to participate and socialise. We believe it will attract those living in the village of Kilmacolm, as well as their family, friends and those from surrounding communities. We have sought to include activities which are suitable for the widest demographic in a central location in Kilmacolm and will promote the event on a variety of channels including social media, printed press and local posters to ensure wide coverage. It will give the opportunity for other village groups particularly those which are youth based such as schools, The Guides and Scouts to participate positively and interact with the wider community in a fun and proactive way.

An intergenerational mini arts festival, celebrating the new use of a previously prohibited green space. An all-day inclusive event for the surrounding community featuring:

• Mindfulness/meditation walks                      
• Street Food
• Poetry and creative writing workshop          
• Live music from local artists
• Teddy Bears' picnic and Storytelling time   
• Children's activities

An opportunity for connection after Covid, conversation, hospitality, art therapy and fun, as a chance to reimagine the possibilities of this new space together as a community.

This festival will encourage the local community to visit this previously prohibited space, particularly those who have no private garden and those who have had little access to this site and contribute their ideas and vision for the future use of the site. We are hoping that this will be interactive on the day, with an 'ideas tree' where folk can discuss, write and display their ideas. We will encourage our multi-cultural neighbours and friends to participate in planning the event to include cross cultural exchange and friendship.

The festival will seek to foster interaction, promote good mental heath through community, and nurture confidence and inclusion in the local area by providing time and space to celebrate together in a safe and fun environment. We will be directly supporting local musicians and artists as well as reaching out to 'sister' green spaces, (eg Broomhill Hub), local schools,(eg Ardgowan),  churches, (eg Hope Church) We will encourage partnerships with local businesses and charities (eg Mindfulness Warrior, Man On, Foodshare, Spar, Porchlight, artist Nicola Young, Yvonne Lyon Music, Reely Jiggered, Urban Folkers, BEP signs and Inverclyde Shed), most of these being in our neighbourhood, or having strong links with.

Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow Agricultural Society Ltd in collaboration with The Ark on the Clyde CIC

We are running an Educational/Heritage Area at our Annual Show at the Knapps, Kilmacolm on May 14th. This is a completely new event and if it is successful, we hope to do it again each year at the Show. This will feature animal/agricultural exhibits, heritage information/displays, environmental/community groups, and local producers/handlers - we would like our visitors to experience a wider range of animals than is normally at the show so we would like to introduce speciality farm animals and heritage breeds in the tent. We will install educational/info signage at tents, rings and pens. We will hand out educational/heritage treasure hunt maps to kids as they arrive at the show. To complement this launch, we will also install directional/health and safety signage to make the show more accessible and help guide visitors to points of interest/health and safety areas.We are running an Educational/Heritage Area at our Annual Show at the Knapps, Kilmacolm on May 14th. This is a completely new event and if it is successful, we hope to do it again each year at the Show.  

This will feature animal/agricultural exhibits, heritage information/displays, environmental/community groups, and local producers/handlers - we would like our visitors to experience a wider range of animals than is normally at the show so we would like to introduce speciality farm animals and heritage breeds in the tent. We will install educational/info signage at tents, rings and pens. We will hand out educational/heritage treasure hunt maps to kids as they arrive at the show. To complement this launch, we will also install directional/health and safety signage to make the show more accessible and help guide visitors to points of interest/health and safety areas.

We want to help our visitors learn more about the countryside, farming, plants, gardening, environment, and animal care, this in turn will educate them on the impact they have on the planet and the local environment. We also want to educate visitors about local heritage - farming, the show and the impact on the local community in the past and in the future. Given the decline of the local farming industry, we want the show to provide a vital link between the public and the agricultural industry (field-to-plate journey). We would like to establish this event as a learning experience which will encourage people to support the farming community and respect and enjoy the outdoors – this will hopefully have a positive impact on local issues such as fly tipping, anti-social behaviour, littering, dog fouling. We would particularly like to target young children so that they grow up with an understanding of their impact on their environment and how farming and the countryside shape their lives. We intend to demonstrate and give away longer lasting items such as seed bombs, planting kits, litter pickers and informative literature - this will keep the ethos alive within the community longer than just at the event.

We intend to create areas within the event for local suppliers/producers, community groups and local companies who can demonstrate, educate and facilitate the learning experiences noted above. We also want to give local producers the opportunity to sell items that are related to the experience. Our give-aways and demonstrations will hopefully create long lasting enthusiasm and initiative within the community, especially kids, for our key themes. We hope to be able to build upon this event and offer more community involvement with schools and groups using some of the people, tools and equipment we will pull together for May 2022.