"A Bird's Eye View on Hate Crime Exhibition
A BIRD’S EYE VIEW ON HATE CRIME
Exhibition Open Friday 17th October - Tuesday 21st October 10am-5pm at Creative Stirling Venue, 44 King Street
We are proud to launch Forth Valley’s Hate Crime Awareness Campaign, a project led by Creative Stirling volunteers through our Lavender Lives (funded by Youth Arts Open Fund) and Jasmine Journeys (funded by Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund) projects.
The campaign was developed following findings from our Hate Crime Awareness Survey, which gathered over 100 responses from community members about their experiences of hate. Working with local artist David Galletly, supported by Police Scotland's Forth Valley EDI Coordinator, LGBT Youth Scotland, and guided by our Community Development Manager and Volunteer Youth Workers, the volunteer group created an animated campaign that explores not just how to report hate crime, but also where hate comes from, and how we can all help prevent it.
This powerful story, told through animation featuring birds, shows that it is never too late to challenge bias, change behaviour, and embrace diversity. The message is clear: every one of us has the power to make a difference.
Come and see the exhibition, watch the animation, learn more about the creative process, the story behind the project, and our collective vision for safer, kinder, more resilient communities.
Find out more: www.creativestirling.org/hate-crime-awareness-campaign
VICTIM? WITNESS? OFFENDER?
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY
REPORT • EDUCATE • LEARN
TOGETHER WE PREVENT HATE
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland: Knowledge Exchange Event
Come along to Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS) knowledge exchange event on November 7th to discuss the local opportunities there are for your participants to develop the professional skills they’ll need for a career.
Youth theatres foster a passion for creativity, often inspiring young people to follow their interests into professional work. This knowledge exchange sessions will focus on mapping local opportunities for your young participants to develop skills as they step into the professional world.
We’re thrilled to be facilitating the conversation alongside YTAS, supporting the network to identify existing employability schemes, projects, and opportunities to signpost to your participants, or to identify any gaps you might be interested in filling in the future.
What’s a Knowledge Exchange?
Building on previous exchange events and practical Swap Shops, our series of Knowledge Exchangeevents are facilitated meetings about a specific topic or trend that we have identified in the sector.
They are a space to come together and share knowledge in all forms, whether that’s discussing projects you’re involved in, offering a sneak-peak at policies you’re writing, sharing processes and admin top tips, or making new connections across the sector.
Knowledge Exchange sessions won’t aim to solve the issues presented or invent new projects, although they may lead to actions for Future Us… by attending, you’ll be helping YTAS to identify further ways to support and advocate for the amazing work of the youth theatre sector.
Speakeasy Stirling #5
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for the next in our regular monthly cultural nights Speakeasy Stirling celebrating the best of contemporary talent. Each night features a mix of performance, live music, and spoken word, programmed in collaboration with Kevin P Gilday (Stirling Makar).
We're delighted to be joined by a fantastic line-up of musicians, comedians, and poets for November's event, including:
Calum Baird (music)
Amanda Dwyer (comedy)
Michael Mullen (poetry)
Sophie McCabe (comedy)
EVENT TIMES
Please check back a few days before the event for a complete running order.
A Bird Eye View on Hate Crime Exhibition Launch
Exhibition Launch Event: Thursday 16th October 6-8pm | Creative Stirling Venue | RSVP here.
A BIRD’S EYE VIEW ON HATE CRIME
VICTIM? WITNESS? OFFENDER?
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY
REPORT • EDUCATE • LEARN
TOGETHER WE PREVENT HATE
We are proud to launch Forth Valley’s Hate Crime Awareness Campaign, a project led by LGBTQIA+ volunteers through our Lavender Lives (funded by Youthlink Arts Fund) and Jasmine Journeys (funded by Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund) projects.
The campaign was developed following findings from our Hate Crime Awareness Survey, which gathered over 100 responses from community members about their experiences of hate. Working with local artist David Galletly, supported by LGBT Youth Scotland, and guided by our Community Development Manager and Volunteer Youth Workers, the volunteer group created an animated campaign that explores not just how to report hate crime, but also where hate comes from, and how we can all help prevent it.
This powerful story, told through animation featuring birds, shows that it is never too late to challenge bias, change behaviour, and embrace diversity. The message is clear: every one of us has the power to make a difference.
Come and be part of the launch. Learn more about the creative process, the voices behind the project, and our collective vision for safer, kinder, more resilient communities.
Free event. Anyone under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
Please RSVP using the link attached: https://forms.office.com/e/VeDrrfvAbq
Find out more: www.creativestirling.org/hate-crime-awareness-campaign
Speakeasy Stirling #4
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for the next in our regular monthly cultural nights Speakeasy Stirling celebrating the best of contemporary talent. Each night features a mix of performance, live music, and spoken word, programmed in collaboration with Kevin P Gilday (Stirling Makar).
We're delighted to announce our line-up for October's event:
Natalie Jayne Clark (host)
Chrysanths (music)
Biff Smith (poetry)
Paul McDaniel (comedy)
Viv Gee (comedy)
Please note: this event is strictly 18+. There will be a bar on the night.
ABOUT THE ACTS
CHRYSANTHS
Chrysanths is the Glasgow-based singer and composer Emily Scott.
Scott’s main drive is beauty and lyricism before fashion, mood and sense of place before feelings, and she has been described simulataneously as out of her time, and timeless.
PAUL MCDANIEL
Paul McDaniel is a Northern Irish comedian with an act that CHORTLE described as "an explicable delight". As seen/heard on BBC's Breaking the News, Susan Calman's Socially Distant and BBC's Scot Squad. Winner of the Scottish Comedy Award for Breakthrough Act and Tour support for Susie McCabe.
"Glorious" - British comedy Guide
"Paul McDaniel is fucking brilliant" - Janey Godley
BIFF SMITH
Biff Smith is a singer-songwriter with the Glasgow-based band A New International. He began writing and performing poetry as he was attracted by the idea of not having to carry a guitar. On stage, he is the current Scottish and World Poetry Slam Champion. On page, he is, to date, unpublished and has a growing collection of rejection letters to prove it. Biff's specialist subjects include failure, depression, alcoholism and existential dread. He enjoys fine wines and likes a good belly laugh.
VIV GEE
Viv Gee has performed stand-up from L.A to Bangkok and has numerous TV and radio credits including The Comedy Undergound, The Stand-Up Show and The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected. This year she was a nominee for the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Awards and was also awarded the Lord Provost’s 850 award for her contribution to Glasgow’s comedy scene.
In 2014 she was the recipient of the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy at the inaugural Scottish Comedy Awards.
NATALIE JAYNE CLARK
Natalie Jayne Clark is a neurodivergent poet, author and producer based in Perth, Scotland. Her debut novel 'The Malt Whisky Murders' is shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and was selected as one of Love Reading's Books of the Month in June 2025. Natalie has won several poetry slams and her work can be found in a range of publications, including anthologies from thi wurd, Flapjack Press, and Open Book. She co-hosts a monthly poetry and prose open mic in Perth at the fabulous Osteria Bau Bau venue.
EVENT TIMES
Please check back a few days before the event for a complete running order.
Forth Valley Creative Network: Creative Flow #9
Come join the Forth Valley Creative Network on Friday October 10th 1-4pm at the Forth Valley Sensory Centre for Creative Flow 9, with our wonderful hosts Circular Arts Network and the Forth Valley Sensory Centre. This networking session allows folks to gather, connect over a brew and to hear all about our hosts activities and get involved. This Creative Flow is a little different from usual as we'll be collaborating with CAN with one of their Sharing Sessions. This will be a chance to take away loads of amazing recycled materials for free and also you are welcome to bring in old materials we no longer need to donate to CAN. In the middle of the event, we'll hear from CAN and FVSC about what they get up to! Take a look at what CAN have on offer: https://www.canarts.org.uk/listings/
Please tell all your pals to come along so you can get your hands on some amazing free materials. This is the first Sharing Session in the Forth Valley region and we're super excited to support this sustainable and accessible event.
More about our hosts:
Circular Arts Network (CAN)
Circular Arts Network (CAN) is an online platform designed to facilitate the sharing and redistribution of art resources, materials, and equipment within the creative community, embracing the principles of the circular economy. By promoting the reuse and repurposing of items, CAN helps reduce waste and extends the life cycle of resources, fostering sustainability.
Through our freely downloadable WordPress plugin, CAN is now available to be seamlessly integrated into any website, allowing people to easily post, find, and exchange items within their community of users. By using CAN, artists, organisations, and institutions can connect within their local areas while also being part of a broader network. This interconnectedness enhances the overall health and sustainability of the arts community, fostering innovation, resilience and cross-artform collaboration.
CAN is not for profit, and is administrated by Sculpture Placement Group CIC. Contact: info@canarts.org.uk. Details of how to support CAN can be found here.
Forth Valley Sensory Centre is a place where people with a visual or hearing loss, their friends, families, carers and the wider community can access quality services and advice from our partner organisations. The Centre is inclusive, accessible and aims to promote the involvement of the wider community and build positive relationships across Forth Valley.
Venue Accessibility:
The Forth Valley Sensory Centre is located 3 minutes from the Camelon Station. There is also parking at the centre with 19 spaces, 4 of which are disabled bays. The centre has a cafe and accessible toilets.
Forth Valley Creative Network: Creative Flow #8
Come join the Forth Valley Creative Network on Friday 26th September 13:00-15:00 at the Dunblane Centre for Creative Flow 8, with our wonderful hosts All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre, where we'll be hearing from Artistic Director Jen Paterson about the All or Nothing programme of activities and have the chance to view and take part in some aerial training that will be happening in the Sports Hall from 2pm.
We'll meet in the Dunblane Function Room and connect before having an exploration around the Dunblane Centre later on to take in some of the training.
More about our Hosts:
All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre are Scotland’s leading aerial dance company creating, performing, teaching and pioneering aerial arts in Scotland. We combine aerial arts with dance theatre and contemporary circus, creating our own theatrical works for touring as well as developing aerial elements for events.
Participation is vital to the company’s work, believing that aerial is for everyone, developing all kinds of opportunities for this to happen, challenging assumptions of who aerial is for.
When Artistic Director Jen Paterson moved back to Stirling, we looked for a venue in the local area and have been hanging from the rafters at the Dunblane Centre since 2017. We run a successful programme of recreational aerial classes, there are professional artists training here and other activities include hosting the first ever Scottish Youth Circus Exchange with support from the National Centre of Circus Arts.
The Dunblane Centre was established using funds generously donated from all across the world following the tragedy at Dunblane Primary School in March 1996. The Centre represents a space that can be enjoyed by the entire community from babies all the way through to senior citizens. It is a vibrant hotch-potch of every conceivable activity. We pride ourselves in being accessible to all and provide many valuable social and fitness opportunities to everyone. We run our own creative activity programme and many creative organisations use the centre for their activities which include our fully equipped arts and crafting room.
Accessibility:
The building is very accessible - free parking, accessible entrances, disabled toilets, baby changing facilities, and toys available for young children. For more access info visit https://dunblanecentre.co.uk
Wellbeing & Yoga with Shams
Join Shams for light yoga and calming breath work to nurture your wellbeing. An inclusive, supportive space open to all levels. Book here.
Thursday 25th September 19:00-20:00 at Creative Stirling Venue (44 King Street, FK8 1AY)
Wellbeing & Yoga with Shams invites you to step into a space of calm, connection, and care. The session blends light yoga movements with accessible breathing techniques to help you release tension, recharge your energy, and reconnect with yourself as part of our Jasmine Journeys project.
Whether you’re completely new to yoga or have some experience, these sessions are designed with inclusivity at their heart. Everyone is welcome, all bodies, all abilities, all backgrounds. You’ll be supported in a gentle, encouraging environment where you can simply move, breathe, and be. These sessions are designed to nurture your wellbeing through simple, mindful practices. Together, we’ll explore:
Gentle yoga to ease stiffness and support mobility
Breathing techniques to calm the mind and restore focus
Relaxation practices to leave you feeling grounded and refreshed
This is more than a yoga class. It’s an inclusive, supportive community where everyone is welcome. No experience is required, and the sessions are fully accessible for all levels and abilities.
What to expect:
A warm, encouraging environment
Practices you can adapt to your own needs
Space to unwind and recharge, free from judgment
What to bring:
Comfortable clothing you can move in
A yoga mat (if you have one, otherwise we can provide one)
An open mind and a willingness to pause for yourself
Come as you are, and leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more connected.
Free event, booking required. Ages 16-35
Pride Pit Stop
Creative Stirling and Made in Stirling will once again host the fantastic Pride Pit Stop Youth Space in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland from 12pm to 4pm on 20th September.
This space will be aimed at Young People aged 13 to 25 and their families. There will be lots of exciting activities and workshops to enjoy all afternoon.
Activities will include;
Games area
board games
Consoles set up on the TV for collaborative games only.
Beauty area
Glitter make up ran by Youth Scotland & young volunteers.
Gender affirming make up ran by The Reclaim Room
Gender affirming hair style/cuts
Nail painting station.
Eco area
Clay sculptures by Jade Diamond Art
Flower tie dye on old clothing by Carina Rose Designs (please bring along your old cloths)
Communal banner painting using donated & recycled paints (one banner designed by all)
The Conservation Volunteers
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
Quiet space
Origami from recycled paper
Book binding workshop
LGBT Youth Scotland
Team building activities & games (if attending this area the young people can choose to receive a high five award for attending Stirling Pride & trying new thing's)
Free event, open to all aged 13-25. Find out more about Stirling Pride here.
Mosaic Workshop for Stirling Pride 2025 By Creative Stirling
Book your space here.
Saturday 13th September | 10am - 11:30pm | St Ninians Library
Join us on Saturday 13th of September for a Mosaic Workshop for Stirling Pride!
Meet Artist, Lou Carberry, and learn about the history of LGBTQ+ people in Scotland.
Then, get creative and work on a collaborative mosaic for the Mayfield Secret Garden, using objects donated by the local community.
Free event for ages 13-17. Booking essential.
In collaboration with St Ninians Library and Stirling Pride
Speakeasy Stirling #3
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for the next in our regular monthly cultural nights 'Speakeasy Stirling' (for ages 18+), celebrating the best of contemporary talent. Each night features a mix of performance, live music, and spoken word, programmed in collaboration with Kevin P Gilday (Stirling Makar).
Our August line-up is now confirmed!
We are delighted to host:
Elaine Malcolmson (stand-up comedy);
Sam Small (poetry + compere);
Empress (Hip Hop);
Starry Skies (music)
plus guest DJ Richie Havers.
Please note: this event is strictly 18+. We will have a bar on the night.
EVENT TIMES
Check back a few days before the event for a complete running order.
GETTING HERE
The event will take place in the Creative Stirling Venue, which is located above Made in Stirling Store (44 King Street, FK8 1AY). We are a five minute walk from Stirling Train Station and located at the top of King Street.
Kite Making for Gaza
Date: Saturday 30th August 11am-1pm
Who for?: Family friendly. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Where: Creative Stirling Venue, 44 King Street, FK8 1AY
Cost: Free!
Join us for a drop-in kite-making event, in collaboration with Mothers Against Genocide Scotland.
Join us for a family-friendly drop-in kite-making event, in collaboration with Mothers Against Genocide Scotland.
Create and make kites with messages of solidarity for the people of Palestine. These will then become part of an art installation in September.
The session is free; booking is essential to allow us to anticipate numbers.
Individuals under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Materials will be provided, but please feel free to bring anything you’d like to use.
Self Defence Class (for LGBTQIA+ Community aged 16-35)
Self-Defence Workshop for LGBTQIA+ Individuals (Aged 16–35)
Creative Stirling, 44 King Street, Stirling, FK8 1AY
Sunday 17th August 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
This self-defence workshop is designed specifically for LGBTQIA+ individuals aged 16 to 35, as part of our continued commitment to building a safer and more inclusive Forth Valley.
Led by Jackie, the session will demonstrate practical, accessible self-defence and personal safety techniques. The focus will be on de-escalation methods and non-strenuous movements that can empower you to feel more confident and secure in everyday situations. No previous experience is required.
The workshop is open to all LGBTQIA+ identities and will take place in a supportive, inclusive environment. The venue is fully accessible and centrally located on Stirling’s High Street, close to public transport links.
This event is part of our wider hate crime awareness campaign. Come along to learn new skills, connect with others, and find out more about how we’re working toward a safer Forth Valley for everyone.
Free to attend. All welcome within the age range. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
If you have any access needs or questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch. To find out more, please contact samg@creativestirling.org
Moon Tell Me Truth - Free Creative Writing Workshop
We're delighted to be hosting a creative writing workshop as part of Hands Up Project's exhibition Moon Tell Me Truth, currently on display at the Creative Stirling Venue.
The poetry and writing workshop is open to all and will be led by Stirling Makar Kevin P Gilday and Hands Up Project volunteers. The workshop activities will be responding to the poems featured in the exhibition.
Registration is free and family groups are welcome. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult.
Please note: this is the new rescheduled date for this workshop. Thank you for your patience!
Summer Chefs: Youth Cooking Classes for mercat cross residents
Free event, booking essential. You must be ages 11-14 and living in the Mercat Cross and City Centre area. BOOK HERE.
Dates: Wednesday 6th August & Friday 8th August (must commit to both dates)
Time: 12:30 – 15:30
Location: Creative Stirling Venue/Made in Stirling store, 44 King Street, FK8 1AY
Ages: 11–14 (must live within Mercat Cross & City Centre Community)
Join us for two fun, hands-on afternoons of cooking, learning, and eating! These free sessions are perfect for young people aged 11–14 who live in the Mercat Cross & City Centre area of Stirling.
Whether you're a beginner or love cooking already, come along to grow your kitchen skills and meet new friends.
What to Expect:
Lunch provided on arrival. Choose from our tasty menu when you book.
Learn to cook family favourites like chilli and bolognaise.
Work at your own individual cooking station (think of Bake Off!)
Learn key cooking techniques in a brand-new community kitchen
Help choose what to make in the second session – your input matters!
Tour the space and meet the team. Parents/guardians are welcome to pop in, say hello, and hear about our upcoming Mercat Cross Community Meals project.
Limited spaces – 8 cooking stations available!
Please let us know about any dietary requirements when booking.
This is a two day course, so you must commit to attending both the Wednesday and Friday. Attendees must be residents within the Mercat Cross/City Centre area of Stirling.
Booking link - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-chefs-youth-cooking-classes-with-kitchen-at-44-king-street-tickets-1496157510389?aff=oddtdtcreator
Forth Valley Creative Network: Creative Flow #7
Join the Forth Valley Creative Network on August 1st for our next Creative Flow gathering where we bring together creatives from across the Forth Valley region to connect and share news or opportunities. Our focus this month will be discussions around the impact of creativity. There will be free coffee, tea, and fruit available for attendees. This month we're delighted to be collaborating with our friends at Reachout With Arts in Mind.
What to expect?
Creative Flow is a casual monthly gathering of creatives who practice, work, and/or live in the Forth Valley region. A creative peer network to support, share news and opportunities with each other. When you arrive, help yourself to a cuppa and settle in, we will have a short introduction to the activities of Reachout With Arts in Mind, followed by community shoutouts where you can highlight an opportunity or creative project you are working on. The rest of the morning will be blethering.
Who will be there?
Creatives of any stage, age, creative discipline, or practice. This is a safe and welcoming event for creatives alike to connect, extend their professional networks, and find out about upcoming opportunities in the Forth Valley region. Creatives can be hard to define: all are welcome, but as a guide we're expecting artists, writers, performers, designers, musicians, digital creators, studio providers, support orgs, craft makers, producers, curators, filmmakers, animators, game designers, art directors, educators, participatory creatives, workshop providers, architects, fashion, and many more.
Fantastic Mr Fox - Family-Friendly Film Screening
Fantastic Mr Fox | 2007 | dir. Wes Anderson | £5 | TRAILER
An urbane fox cannot resist returning to his farm raiding ways and then must help his community survive the farmers' retaliation.
Join us at the Creative Stirling venue (upstairs in Made in Stirling) for a family-friendly screening of Fantastic Mr Fox.
Please note: doors open at 1:45pm, and there will be no adverts before the screening. The film will start shortly after 2pm.
Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult.
Speakeasy Stirling #2
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for our new regular monthly cultural nights 'Speakeasy Stirling', celebrating the best of contemporary talent. Each night will feature a mix of performance, great live music, and spoken word, programmed in collaboration with Kevin P Gilday (Stirling Makar).
Our line-up for the July event includes musician Mima Merrow, poet Martin O’Connor, comedian Amelia Bayler, and poet and author Natalie Jayne Clark.
Please note: this event is strictly 18+. We will have a bar on the night.
EVENT TIMES
7pm: Doors open
7:30pm: Kevin Gilday Introduction + Poem
7:40pm: Natalie Jayne Clark
8:05pm: Amelia Bayler
8:30pm: Break
8:50pm: Kevin Gilday Poem
9pm: Martin O'Connor
9:25pm: Mima Merrow
9:55pm: Kevin Gilday Outro
10pm: DJ till Late
GETTING HERE
The event will take place in the Creative Stirling Venue, which is located above Made in Stirling Store (44 King Street, FK8 1AY). We are a five minute walk from Stirling Railway Station and located at the top of King Street.
Moon Tell Me Truth - Free Creative Writing Workshop (Ages 6-16)
We're delighted to be hosting a creative writing workshop as part of Hands Up Project's exhibition Moon Tell Me Truth, currently on display at the Creative Stirling Venue.
The poetry and writing workshop is for children aged 6-16, and will be led by Stirling Makar Kevin P Gilday and Hands Up Project volunteers. The workshop activities will be responding to the poems featured in the exhibition.
Registration is free and family groups are welcome.
Moon Tell Me Truth: Exhibition launch Event
Showing at the upstairs event space at Creative Stirling Venue, 44 King Street, from the 19th of June until the 17th of July.
"Moon Tell Me Truth" is an exhibition by The Hands Up Project: an organisation that supports creative expression among children in Palestine.
Step into a powerful exhibition of poems, artworks, and a film screening installation by, and inspired by, children in Gaza, created through The Hands Up Project. These deeply moving works, many by children displaced or no longer with us, offer a glimpse into young lives shaped by conflict but rich in creativity, hope, and resilience.
Featuring original artwork, poetry, and an immersive installation, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect and respond creatively in solidarity.
Join us for our family friendly launch event on Thursday the 19th of June, 6-8pm, here at Creative Stirling Venue (44 King Street, Stirling). The official opening if free and open to all, with readings, conversation, refreshments, and community gathering.
Copies of the book Moon, Tell Me Truth will be available throughout the exhibition from Made in Stirling store (located downstairs from the exhibition). Proceeds support The Hands Up Project’s work with children in Palestine.
We will also be hosting a family friendly creative writing workshop on Friday the 11th of July. More information coming soon.
Find out more about the Hands Up project here.
EXHIBITION: Moon Tell Me Truth
Creative Stirling are proud to be hosting Moon Tell Me Truth: an exhibition curated by The Hands Up Project. Children in occupied Gaza were invited to write poems inspired by two paintings. Their poems were submitted to a competition run by The Hands Up Project - an organisation that supports creative expression among children in Palestine. The selected poems were brought together in a book, “Moon Tell Me Truth”, alongside the original paintings and illustrations by the young poets themselves.
Now, their poems, paintings, and drawings have become an exhibition, travelling across the UK and beyond. At rallies and public events, the poems are read aloud. In galleries and community spaces, they are displayed as powerful testaments to creative spirit, grief, and resistance.
The exhibition runs from June 19th to July 17th and is available to view 10am-5pm 7 days a week in the Creative Stirling Venue (upstairs in Made in Stirling store).
I Saw the TV Glow Screening & Discussion
Join us for a screening of Jane Schoenbrun's film I Saw the TV Glow (2024). The screening will be followed by a post-screening discussion as part of Dr Darren Elliott-Smith's research project The Struggle is Real: Queer Horror and Trauma.
About the film:
I Saw the TV Glow (2024) directed by trans filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun (We're all Going to the World’s Fair (2021) is an indie-horror which focuses on the relationship between two angst ridden teens, Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Jack Haven) who bond over their love of the fictional cult TV series The Pink Opaque (a Buffy The Vampire Style, monster of the week TV horror serial). The show and their obsessive love of it, provides escape from a world of bullying and oppression that sees Owen and Maddy as Others within a high-school milieu of jocks and prom nights. They begin to feel that the lead characters of The Pink Opaque (Isobel and Tara) are indeed fictional versions of themselves, and that the TV world is in fact reality leaving them questioning their own lives and identities. I Saw the TV Glowhas been praised by LGBTQ+ scholars and critics alike in its representation of embodied Otherness, dysmorphia and alternative sexuality. Schoenbrun's film uses LGBTQ+ fan experience to demonstrate how film and TV can play a vital part in allowing queer folks to find themselves via identification with characters and situations on screen.
About the post-screening discussion:
The screening will be followed by a post-screening discussion where the film's themes and representations will be considered in contrast and comparison with audiences' own lived experiences of difference, loneliness, isolation, desire, and trauma. We will ask those joining the discussion to think about the ways in which we engage with film and TV shows in order to find expression and identification in a world that increasingly feels oppressive for those who identify as LGBTQ+.
Please note: the post-screening discussion is entirely optional. Participants who do decide to join us are able to leave the discussion at any time, and a quiet space will also be available should anyone feel they need some time on their own.
About Dr Elliott-Smith's research project:
Queer Horror is a sub-genre that describes horror and Gothic media that has been reclaimed by LGBTQ+ communities. Queer Horror often confronts, reinterprets and works through previously oppressive tropes and conventions from the genre to allow for an expression of trauma, anxiety and desire felt deeply by LGBTQ+ folks in the recent difficult cultural moment. This series of screenings is programmed by the University of Stirling/Creative Stirling as part of an ongoing community/academic project entitled The Struggle is Real: Queer Horror and Trauma. Taking some key examples from recent cinema, these film screenings will be introduced by published academics working in the field of Film, TV and Gender Studies and will be followed by post-screening discussions around the themes and experiences raised by and represented in the films.
Please note: this event is 18+.
Speakeasy Stirling #1
Join us for the first in our new regular monthly cultural nights 'Speakeasy Stirling', celebrating the best of contemporary talent. Each night will feature a mix of performance, great live music, and spoken word, and are programmed in collaboration with Kevin P Gilday (Stirling Makar).
Our first edition of Speakeasy Stirling will feature poet Iona Lee, comedian Chris Thorburn, live music from Waverley and Pippa Blundell, and guest DJ Nicola Meighan.
Please note: this event is strictly 18+. We will have a bar available on the night.
EVENT TIMES
7pm: Doors/Nicola Meighan DJ
7:30: Kevin Gilday Introduction and Poem
7:40: Waverley
8:10: Iona Lee
8:35: Break/Nicola DJ
8:55: Kevin Poem
9pm: Chris Thorburn
9:25: Pippa Blundell
10pm: Kevin Outro
10:05 - end: Nicola DJ
Gender Affirming Hair Cuts & Styles
Gender Affirming Hair Cuts & Styles
Location: Creative Stirling
Date & Time: Saturday 24th May, various appointments available between 1pm and 5pm
With: Inclusive stylists Carina Rose & Gemma
Cost:Free!
Ages: 13–35 (we will need to obtain parental/guardian consent for anyone under the age of 16)
Join us for a day of self-expression and care through free gender-affirming haircuts and styles, offered in a safe, inclusive space by two experienced and affirming stylists — Carina Rose and Gemma.
This event is for anyone aged 13–35 looking to explore or affirm their identity through hair in a warm and welcoming environment. Whether you’re after a fresh cut or a bold transformation, your style is valid and celebrated.
Spaces are limited — booking is essential!
Light refreshments provided
All genders, expressions, and identities welcome
This event is proudly part of the LGBT Jasmine Journeys Project, funded by Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing fund, promoting wellbeing, creativity, and community for LGBTQ+ youth.
Delivered by Creative Stirling in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland
Book your space here
Aromatherapy Workshop
Location: Creative Stirling
Date & Time: Friday 24th May, 10am–12pm
With: Community Development Officer Sam & LGBT Youth Worker Lou
Cost: Free!
Ages: 16–35
Join us for a relaxing morning of aromatherapy-inspired creativity, designed to support wellbeing and mindfulness. In this hands-on workshop, you'll get to make your own scented sleep masks, clay-scented jewellery, and soothing fidgets — perfect for promoting calm and relaxation.
This is a free, inclusive event for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community aged 16–35 looking to unwind, get creative, and connect with community in a supportive space.
Spaces are limited — booking is essential!
All genders, expressions, and identities welcome
We will also be welcoming Tom from Kooth, an online mental wellbeing community, to talk about the services they offer.
This event is proudly part of the LGBT Jasmine Journeys Project, funded by the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund — promoting creativity, connection, and care the LGBTQIA+ community.
Fleapits, Jam Jars, and Cushions on Seats Screening and Roundtable
Saturday 8th May | 6:00-8:00pm | Tickets from £2
Fleapits, Jam Jars, and Cushions on Seats | 2007 | Dir. Amanda Aiken
Young friends Callum and Jane disagree about whether the cinemagoing experience is better now than in the past, interviewing older cinemagoers, cinema staff, and specialists to help settle the argument. The film helps to record people's experiences of going to the cinema from the 1920s to the 1960s.
The screening will be followed by a roundtable discussion on film preservation and the importance of moving image archives featuring Dr Maria Velez-Serna and archivist Karl Magee from the University of Stirling.
About our panelists:
María A. Vélez Serna teaches film and media at the University of Stirling. She enjoys archive research and is particularly interested in industrial, corporate and educational film and video, with her current work focusing on histories of coal mining in Scotland and Colombia. She has published a book on unconventional film screening places (Ephemeral Cinema Spaces, 2020) and co-authored another book on Early Cinema in Scotland (2018).
The film is provided by the National Library of Scotland's Moving Image Archive. More information on the archive can be found here.
This screening is part of our ‘Unlocking the Archives’ project. Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFIs Film Audience Network, awarding funds from Screen Scotland and National Lottery Funding from the BFI.
Dahomey - Film Screening
Saturday 10th May | 4:00-5:30pm | Free entry
The journey of 26 plundered royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey exhibited in Paris, now being returned to Benin. Diop artistically voices a new generation's demands.
Join us for this free screening of Mati Diop's award-winning documentary Dahomey.
Co-organised with the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK as part of the LUX Audience Awards competition.
Watch a trailer for the film here.
Flow - Family Friendly Film Screening
Saturday 10th May | 1:00-3:00pm | Free entry
Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.
Join us for this free family-friendly screening of the Oscar-winning animated film Flow.
Co-organised with the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK as part of the LUX Audience Awardscompetition.
Watch a trailer for the film here.
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story Screening and Roundtable
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story | 2017 | Dir. Alexandra Dean
A documentary celebrating the life and career of the hailed Hollywood star and genius inventor Hedy Lamarr.
The screening will be followed by a roundtable discussion on feminist media led by Dr Darren Elliott-Smith and Dr Susan Berridge from the University of Stirling.
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI's Film Audience Network, awarding funds from Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.
Watch a trailer for the film here.
Engulf: it’s about connection.
Exhibition by Keri Colville
15th of April - 11th of May | Open 10am-5pm Daily
Creative Stirling Venue, Gallery 1
Come and experience Engulf—a bold, dynamic installation by emerging artist Keri Colville, created in collaboration with some of our young people, youth volunteers, friends, and members of our local community.
In collaboration with Creative Stirling, Engulf explores what it means to be part of a community in 2025. Built using reclaimed textiles from Radical Weavers and the Stirling Reuse Hub, the work transforms the exhibition space into something playful, thoughtful, and deeply human.
Keri asked, "What does community mean to you?" The word that echoed through every conversation was connection—and this installation invites you to feel exactly that.
Come along, be part of it, and see what happens when art, people, and place intertwine.
Creative Youth Assembly, with special guest Hugh MacDonald
Our second CYA guest of 2025 is the incredible Hugh MacDonald: a local, well know football journalist.
“Hugh MacDonald has been a journalist for more than 50 years. He was chief sub editor, literary editor and chief sports writer during his career. His work has also appeared in the Daily Mail, the Guardian and Nutmeg and Slate magazines . He regularly broadcasts on BBC and plz soccer.”
This session would be brilliant for anyone interested in journalism, sport, football, or just interested in learning more about media, as Hugh also features in several documentaries (including Alex Ferguson's recent documentary), as well as podcasts, TV, and YouTube shows.
Sign up here (sign up essential)
Suitable for ages 13-25
Forth Valley Creative Network: Creative Flow #4
Event Date: Friday 21st March
Event Time: 9-11am
Event Location: Stirling University Innovation Park, University of Stirling, Hillfoots Rd, FK9 4NF
Join the Forth Valley Creative Network on Friday 21st March for our next Creative Flow gathering where we bring together creatives from across the Forth Valley region to connect and share news or opportunities. There will be free coffee, tea, and fruit available for attendees. This month we're delighted to be collaborating with our friends at Stirling University Innovation Park (SUIP) and Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce.
What to expect?
Creative Flow is a casual monthly gathering of creatives who practice, work, and/or live in the Forth Valley region. A creative peer network to support, share news and opportunities with each other. When you arrive, help yourself to a cuppa and settle in, we will have a short introduction from Lynn Harris, Head of Innovation Park and Forth Valley Chamber who will introduce us to the activities of SUIP and the Forth Valley Chamber, followed by community shoutouts where you can highlight an opportunity or creative project you are working on. The rest of the morning will be blethering and connecting.
Who will be there?
Creatives of any stage, age, creative discipline, or practice. This is a safe and welcoming event for creatives alike to connect, extend their professional networks, and find out about upcoming opportunities in the Forth Valley region. Creatives can be hard to define: all are welcome, but as a guide we're expecting artists, writers, performers, designers, musicians, digital creators, studio providers, support orgs, craft makers, producers, curators, filmmakers, animators, game designers, art directors, educators, participatory creatives, workshop providers, architects, fashion, and many more. For this Creative Flow we will be mixing with the wider business community in Forth Valley through FVChamber members and SUIP residents.
About Stirling University Innovation Park:
Stirling University Innovation Park (SUIP) is a dynamic business hub established in 1986. Set within the University of Stirling Campus, the Innovation Park offers spectacular views and inspiring environment for over 60 innovative companies, fostering collaboration and growth. SUIP offers flexible office and laboratory spaces ranging from 400 to 3,000 square feet, complemented by state-of-the-art conference facilities, meeting rooms, and unlimited business connections through networking opportunities & events. Its strategic location near Stirling's city centre and major motorway networks ensures excellent connectivity, making it an ideal base for businesses aiming for high growth and innovation.
About Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce:
As the leading business membership organisation in Stirling, Falkirk, and Clackmannanshire, the Chamber is dedicated to supporting businesses at every stage, from start-ups to scale-ups, helping them grow and succeed. Our core mission is to drive local economic growth by fostering collaboration, supporting businesses, and promoting positive change. We work tirelessly every day to provide our members with the tools, resources, and networking opportunities they need to navigate an ever-evolving business environment. Through workshops, networking events, and business-to-business connections, we are committed to empowering businesses of all sizes and industries. As an affiliate of both the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the British Chambers of Commerce, we amplify our members' voices and extend their reach far beyond the Forth Valley. Join the Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce and become part of a dynamic and expanding network of businesses across Central Scotland.
SPRINGBOARD: Assembly for Creative Climate Action 2025 - Stirling Watch Party
PURCHASE YOUR SPRINGBOARD 2025 TICKET HERE
RSVP TO OUR WATCH PARTY HERE
About the event
We are a watch party host for the first day of CCS's SPRINGBOARD: Assembly for Creative Climate Action 2025.
The event will be all about transformational change. Attendees will explore how the arts and cultural sector can work on their own transformation and contribute to the transformation of wider society. Wednesday March 5th will focus on keynote speakers and inspiration.
SPRINGBOARD 2025 will be held online to minimise travel emissions and maximise geographical conclusion. However, face-to-face conversations are important for networking and instigating or strengthening collaborative relationships. Local watch parties including ours in Stirling will be held in various locations so attendees can watch and listen together, then discuss, meet, and share ideas.
Nibbles will be provided on the day, but please do feel free to bring along a packed lunch if you would like something more substantial. There are also lots of lovely cafes around our venue.
Two tickets
People from cultural and climate organisations, local government and freelance creatives, and climate champions from the area can sign up here to attend SPRINGBOARD 2025 at our venue. Spaces are limited so RSVP is essential.
Remember, you must also purchase a SPRINGBOARD 2025 ticket via Zoom events here.
That's two tickets - one from us for our Day 1 watch party, and one from Culture for Climate Scotland covering both days of the Zoom event.
The second day (Thursday March 6th) will be entirely online in breakout rooms with interactive workshops, panels, and discussions.
Outline programme
Wednesday March 5th
10.15am-5.30pm including breaks
This first day will focus on keynote speakers and inspiration. We’ll watch, listen and learn together at our watch party in Stirling.
Speakers will include:
Rebecca Ford, Director of the International Futures Forum, will introduce the Three Horizons, a framework for structuring our thinking about the future to unlock transformative innovation.
Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee, will share her thoughts and experience on change, challenge and leadership.
Amina Shah, National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland, will talk about the library transformed – how to imagine the next chapter in an age of uncertainty.
Throughout the day there will be artistic contributions by Ink Asher Hemp, freelance multidisciplinary artist, facilitator and advocate. Attendees will have time for networking in small groups.
