Noise, Carrots, Drag and Scars: A Night with Artists
A couple of us from Creative Renfrewshire headed along to the “Night with Artists” event recently, organised by the Renfrewshire-based creative collective, Scope. It was a typically dark and wet Paisley evening, but despite the weather, a good crowd had turned up.
The intention of the evening was to move away from high-level “regeneration” talk and instead platform the artists actually doing the work on the ground. The format was split into two halves—the first consisting of individual presentations from a panel of four artists, followed by an Q&A session to discuss some of the topics raised in the panel presentations.
The audience was welcomed by Celie Byrne (@celiebyrne), Scope’s co-leader, who handed over to founder Indie McCue (@indiemccue). Indie gave some context for the evening, explaining that Scope was born in 2021 out of a “real need” to fill a void in Paisley’s creative organising. He then introduced the panel, each of whom gave a brief presentation on their specific area of practice.
Amy Cameron, a sculptor and casting technician, opened with her fascination for scale. She showed work featuring “comically enlarged” everyday objects—70cm slices of bread and giant carrots—using high-end casting techniques to make art that is explicitly not “precious.””I like to make until it stops becoming fun.” She has exhibited and worked internationally. @amykimgrogan
Moth, the organiser behind the Queer Cafe and Paisley (the Paisley drag night run in the Bungalow), spoke about the necessity of safe, local spaces. Moth argued for the decentralisation of culture, questioning why Glasgow should have a monopoly on exciting events when Paisley has the space and the talent. Their focus is on radical accessibility—keeping events free or low-cost to ensure they remain open to everyone. @qnetwork.ren @queer_sketchclub
Seonaid Burns shared their journey from being “burnt out” by art school to co-founding the Queer Sketch Club. Her work now bridges digital design and traditional painting, with a specific focus on “body diversity.” She uses her practice to celebrate features like stretch marks and scars, turning life drawing into a supportive social club. @seonaidburnsart @queer_sketchclub
Chris Duddy brought a technical, DIY edge to the night. He builds his own 3D printers to recycle plastic bottles into art and tools. He puts on regular sound events including 4 track nights which features a range on national and international artists streaming live from Paisley. When local institutions told him there was no market for “experimental sound,” he built his own global streaming platform. @fourtracknights
Following the panel presentations there was a Q&A session at the end. A major takeaway was around “Barriers”—the many local artists struggle with the opaque, administrative heavy lifting required for funding. There was a consensus that in appears that the current system is “risk-averse” and often gate-kept by people who often don’t actually live in the area or aren’t engaged in the arts. The room called for a “smaller garden” approach to funding: easier applications, more transparency, and real support for the paperwork that currently excludes so many.
