ONE of Scotland’s "most vibrant small arts venues" is set to reopen after a £3 million refurbishment.
Paisley Arts Centre is set to reopen its doors following a multi-million-pound renovation to turn the space into a unique and intimate performance venue and creative hub.
The refurbishment of the Art Centre is part of the Renfrewshire Council’s wider regeneration project of Paisley’s cultural venues.
Work has been completed on modernising the back-of-house and performance facilities, improving the sound and lighting, upgrading the dressing rooms for artists, and improving the workshop space for rehearsals.
The venue is run by OneRen, a charity that provides culture, leisure, and sports opportunities to people living in Renfrewshire.
Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Renfrewshire Council’s culture spokesperson and chair of OneRen, says it is a “really exciting” time for the people living in Paisley with the Art Centre reopening and is looking forward to seeing the town continue to flourish.
She said: “I am delighted to see the results of the works to Paisley Arts Centre as we have created a modern performance venue that can attract a unique type of event to Paisley and a wider range than ever before – reaffirming its place as one of Scotland’s most vibrant small arts venues.
“The audience experience and performance facilities have been hugely improved which will attract more artists to want to perform at the venue, while remaining a key part of the local creative community scene.
“The Arts Centre is the latest venue to be completed as we strive to regenerate and enhance Paisley for all those who live, work and visit the town – and we want to give people new reasons to return again and again.
“It’s fantastic that we are now seeing our major infrastructure projects come to fruition, with the Town Hall and Learning and Cultural Hub recently completed and Paisley Museum’s transformation next to come. It’s a really exciting time for Paisley and I can’t wait to see the town continue to flourish.”
The refurbishment of the Art Centre is part of a wider investment in Paisley’s cultural venues by Renfrewshire Council and other projects planned to be transformed are the town’s museum, the Paisley Town Hall, and the Paisley Central Library.
