The funding, from the Heritage Lottery Fund's Great Space Scheme, is part of the £340,100 funding - with match funding bringing the project budget to almost £520,000 - that was given in 2018 to allow organisations along Glasgow's Canal to work together to ensure that local heritage contributes more to meeting local social, environmental and economic objectives.
The Glasgow Canal Heritage project is being coordinated by Glasgow City Council, with some activities being delivered through local organisations, with the Glasgow Canal Co-operative - made up of local social, cultural, arts, sports and nature-based bodies, and delivering the Canal Festival - a key partner.
The project's scope was developed in partnership with the Glasgow Canal Co-operative and Scottish Canals, and evolved out of the intensive local engagement undertaken in 2014 and 2015 for the two planning charrettes for Port Dundas and Woodside, Hamiltonhill, Applecross and Firhill.
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Funding already allocated in 2018 and 2019 has supported the development of the Canal Festival, the Canal Stalled Spaces programme, and the Glasgow Canal Cultural Heritage and Arts Strategy and Action Plan.
The remaining part of the project has three components:
• A physical commission - this will support the delivery of physical artworks (e.g. sculpture) within the canal corridor, to be led by Scottish Canals on behalf of the wider Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership (£64,000).
• A digital commission - this part of the project looks to support the development of an app (or similar) to allow for visitors to engage with the heritage and development of Glasgow's Canal through the use of technology. One possible option could see this linked with the roll-out of iPads to pupils across Glasgow (£32,000).
• The Community Ideas Fund - a grant fund to be used to support community groups to bring forward proposals that explore and unlock local heritage projects linked to the canal and the overall aims and objectives of the Heritage Lottery Fund's Great Places project and the key themes emerging from the Glasgow Canal Heritage and Arts Strategy. While guidance on the types of project that could be brought forward has been provided, this fund is very much intended to allow local community groups to bring forward their own ideas and projects. This project will be administered by the Glasgow Canal Co-operative (£36,000).
The Glasgow Canal Heritage Project will be completed by December 2020.
Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convener for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm at Glasgow City Council, said: "Glasgow's Canal has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the past decade, with many people and a host of cultural, sporting and regeneration organisations calling the area home. The release of this final tranche of the Great Space Scheme funding will allow the fantastic heritage potential of the canal to be more fully realised, and continue the regeneration of the canal corridor and the wider North Glasgow area."
