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Buddy, can you spare a gag?
20/02/2003
Tonight sees the launch of a four-day festival of comedy in Paisley featuring a host of some of the best comic talent in Scotland.
The 'Paisley in Stitches' festival, brainchild of the Paisley Partnership, is part of a local economic and social regeneration project set up to tackle social exclusion in Renfrewshire's most deprived communities.
The project uses the stand-up comedy business to engage Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) area residents, particularly young people, and provide them with skills designed to lead them to self-employment and pathways to success.
The festival will feature some of the graduates from the Paisley in Stitches project, as well as a host of established comedians.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Deputy Culture Minister Dr Elaine Murray said:
"This festival is not only a great community event for the people of Paisley, but is an innovative way of engaging the residents of Renfrewshire in social inclusion initiatives through popular cultural forms.
"The festival organisers must be congratulated for their hard work in establishing the programme of workshops which has enabled local residents to realise their potential to perform on the comedy stage.
"In particular, it has allowed them to hone their all round performance skills, their creative writing and improvisation skills, as well as communicating with their audience.
"Above all, the festival offers them a unique chance to perform alongside some of the countries finest comic talent, in an event sure to be a success".
The 'Up for Laughs' venue at 32 High Street will stage the comedy festival tonight and tomorrow.
The Paisley Partnership is at the forefront of economic and social regeneration in Scotland, developing, delivering and funding a wide range of projects that help to tackle social exclusion in 11 of Renfrewshire's most deprived communities.
Paisley in Stitches is an innovative approach in using stand-up comedy as a means of engaging Social Inclusion Partnership Area residents in self-development and employment.
The eight-week practical programme of workshops, led by professional comedian Paul Sneddon, included confidence building, performance skills, creative writing, improvisation and communicating with an audience.
There was also an introduction to Business Planning in the creative industries. This provided specially tailored business support to individuals considering a career in comedy or commercialising their work. This was delivered by Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire.
For more information on the programme of events contact Owen Campbell and Julie Millar, Paisley Partnership on 0141-887-7707 or 07765-236225. Email ocampbell@paisley-partnership.co.uk