Glasgow City Council organise huge Scottish dancing event down newly re-opened Sauchiehall Street
In association with the Sauchiehall Street Culture and Heritage District project, Glasgow Life are hosting a Burns Day dance along the newly re-opened Sauchiehall Street
Burns Day is set to be a special occasion in Glasgow City Centre as social dancing is set to brighten up the afternoon.
Set to take place on January 25, from 2pm to 3pm, the ‘Strip the Willow’ dance in partnership with Celtic Connections will run down the newly reopened pedestrian walkway along Sauchiehall Street from Rose Street to Cambridge Street.
The event will be MC’d by Scottish actor Andrew William Agnew (PC Plum from Balamory) and led by Highland dancers Caragh McKinnon and Maria Monk as well as pipers from The National Piping Centre.
Those interested in attending the event are encouraged to drop in at 2pm or register their interest in advance by emailing [email protected].
The event is just one of many planned over the next decade to draw Glaswegians back to Sauchiehall Street. Though those who have visited since the partial re-opening of the main thoroughfare have noted that not much has changed - there are still closed shop fronts, the pavement slabs are still uneven, and the new trees planted in Winter are barren and unsightly. Not to mention the bottom half of the street still remaining closed.
Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life said: “The life and works of Robert Burns will be remembered by Scots around the world on Saturday and Glasgow is hosting its own unique salute to the Bard.
“The strip-the-willow on Sauchiehall Street will be a brilliant spectacle and takes place while Celtic Connections is still in full swing. If you can make it along, join in and celebrate Robert Burns as only Glasgow can.”
The new 10-year regeneration plans are funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage Places, the project will:
- Celebrate History: Work with locals to Uncover stories and memories of the street.
- Bring Back Vibrancy: Animate the area by hosting activities and events to attract people to the area
- Plan for the Future: Explore new ways to renew the use of historic buildings
Activities are set to run until June 2025, setting the stage for a long-term revival of the area.
The Sauchiehall Street ‘Culture and Heritage District’ takes in the section of Sauchiehall Street bookended by the Mitchell Library and The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall which is ‘one of the densest concentrations of culture and heritage institutions in Scotland.’
Glaswegians are encouraged to get involved with the project by sharing their memories at Edward House at 199 Sauchiehall Street, or by joining the Facebook group: Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District.