By Leona Thompson
Inverclyde is host to numerous creative groups to suit all tastes. There is something for everyone here, no matter what your preferred pursuit.
If, like myself, you have a passion for writing, there are plenty of groups to choose from. For instance, the Greenock Writers’ Club, formed in 1968, has this year moved from the Ardgowan Bowling Club to the wonderful Wyllieum, a new art gallery, visitor attraction and community hub at the waterfront. The club runs two sessions through the year, from mid-September to early December, and then mid-January to the end of April, with club nights taking place on Wednesday nights between 7.30pm and 9.30pm.
There is a great line-up of member presentations and guest speakers, so if you enjoy a creative and friendly atmosphere, why don’t you come along to see if you’d like to be a member? Check our syllabus to find out more about our varied talks though the year at https://www.greenockwriters.co.uk/syllabus/
For a more laid-back approach, there is a Crit Group on a Monday night in the Tontine Hotel, where writers can receive feedback on work along with a wee cup of tea or beer if you’d prefer. This smaller group was started by a GWC member Hollie who has kept us all together during the summer break. There is also Inverclyde Shed in Greenock, a volunteer-run organisation with lots of different groups to help grow skills or hobbies, including a creative writing group on a Wednesday between 3pm and 5pm in West Blackhall Street. Check their website, where you can sign up to join and find out more their various groups.
There is also an amazing monthly open mic in Greenock, Word @ The Warehouse, which is run by Polly Bee, a published author and local English teacher. Feel free to come and listen or share your work with some lovely folks, and there’s tea and biscuits for those who come along! This is held down in RIG Arts Tobacco Warehouse on Clarence Street on the last Saturday of every month between 4pm and 5.30pm, see their Facebook page “Write Inverclyde” for more details.
For art classes, RIG Arts has it all – they are a multi-award winning arts charity that helps to bring accessible art to the community. Some of their classes are as follows:
On Monday and Thursday there’s a creativity in mind art class at 11am–1pm. There is a waiting list for this, but people do come and go, so sign up and hopefully there will be free spaces soon. This is a great class with fantastic tutors who will help make any project you have come to life, from sculptures to portraits, and even tapestries. They are also holding an ASN-friendly creativity class that will be running for 24 weeks, so if that suits your needs why don’t you check it out? For younger artists, there is a youth art group on a Wednesday between 5pm and 7pm, which is currently a 36-week block class.
For those of you who would rather make music, there are classes for you too! Back to RIG Arts, who have a School of Rock jam session on Wednesdays between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Over at The Shed, there is a relaxed acoustic guitar class called Jam Sessions on Thursdays between 10am and 1pm. If you have an interest in or want to learn electric bass, there’s also a class on Fridays between 3pm and 5pm, and at the same time there is another guitar group.
There are so many events, clubs and projects around Inverclyde to help boost or even begin your creative journey. It all starts with walking into a room full of friendly faces! Places such as RIG Arts are so important to our community as creative arts funds are constantly being cut, leaving a lot of people isolated and without resources. If we have somewhere to go, to share these passions we can keep creativity alive and well in Inverclyde.