Our people can live an active lifestyle with access to sports and exercise activities 
Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Step Up
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StepUp is a fully funded Big Lottery project running under Renfrewshire Council's Arts and Museums Service.
We support young people in Renfrewshire from primary to secondary education, and from secondary to further education, training or employment.
We support young people in Renfrewshire from primary to secondary education, and from secondary to further education, training or employment.
On this page you will find our contact details and information about our projects.
StepUp provides useful life skills and training through participation in arts based workshops. Young people gain self-confidence and social skills and are better equipped to make a positive change in their own lives.
Each session develops the young person's motivation, confidence and self-esteem and provides a positive arts experience. Participants are encouraged to gain qualifications that acknowledge their successes, such as ASDAN.
Contact us for more information
- email stepup.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
- phone 0141 887 1007
- Step Up Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, Paisley PA1 1JF
Projects of 2009
South Transition Project
The StepUp team worked with pupils from South Primary School in June 2009. They delivered art workshops in school and at Paisley Museum and Art Galleries in partnership with the Cultural Co-ordinators and Outreach team. Pupils in the lower primary created art work based on memories from their school which were then made into postcards for the children to take away. Upper pupils worked on a series of art based workshops to create a memory book. Each workshop was based on the theme of transition in order to help support the children’s move to their new schools.
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Environmental Expressions Summer Programme
The 2009 summer transition programme worked with a group of around 20 young people moving to S1 in new term from Johnstone High School, Park Mains High School, Paisley Grammar, St Andrews Academy, Castlehead High School, St Benedict’s High School, Gryffe High School and Linwood High School. The students used materials found in the outdoors to create large art pieces in Pollok Park. The pupils worked in groups to produce site specific sculpture situated in natural setting. The StepUp team worked in partnership with the Home Link service to deliver this project.
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Children’s T-Shirt Design
S3 pupils from Johnstone High School worked in conjunction with StepUp to design fun and colourful children’s T-shirts. The pupils designed and created their T-shirts which will be donated to their local nursery. Each pupil also produced a design folio containing all their research and design ideas.
S3 pupils from Johnstone High School worked in conjunction with StepUp to design fun and colourful children’s T-shirts. The pupils designed and created their T-shirts which will be donated to their local nursery. Each pupil also produced a design folio containing all their research and design ideas.
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Mod Roc Masks – working with New Directions and Extended New Directions
The students made masks using mod roc (plaster/bandage), and painted them. They investigated how faces express emotion and how colour is used to express and influence emotion. They also research sculptural work by other young people and discussed it. Their final mask was framed by themselves, using a background and frame they had painted.
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Textile Art - Homecoming Project
This Homecoming project allowed pupils to explore their personal identity and their thoughts about the country they live in and how that affects who they are. They investigated and expressed their thoughts through the medium of textiles, textiles being a key part of Paisley’s history. They used various textile techniques including fabric painting and tapestry weaving to create a square of art each.
This Homecoming project allowed pupils to explore their personal identity and their thoughts about the country they live in and how that affects who they are. They investigated and expressed their thoughts through the medium of textiles, textiles being a key part of Paisley’s history. They used various textile techniques including fabric painting and tapestry weaving to create a square of art each.
The project included a trip to Paisley Museum and Art Galleries where the children from both Houston and Bridge of Weir Primary School came together. They had a tour of the Paisley shawl gallery, and had a chance to try weaving on a loom. There were also fun activities meeting each other and joining their artwork together to make one large final piece. The final piece of work represents the St Andrews cross and is around 1.5 x 2m. It was displayed as part of Paisley’s homecoming celebrations on St Andrews Day, and also as part of the 2010 Look at our World exhibition in Paisley Museum.
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Homecoming Portraits
Step Up worked with pupils in Fordbank and St.Charles primary school on a homecoming project based on portraiture. The pupils selected and researched a prominent figure from Renfrewshire. They researched information about these contemporary or historic figures and wrote a story about them. The pupils learned about portraiture and looked at the work of various portrait artists. They went onto create a series of portraits of their chosen person using a variety of artistic techniques. The pupils’ stories and portraits were then collated into a book and presented to their school at the end of the project so that other pupils in their class could learn about these successful people from their local area.
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Ethical Tote Bag
Step Up worked in conjunction with Home Link in Trinity High School with a group of s3 pupils to raise awareness of ethical issues and citizenship. The pupils explored moral issues through discussion and chose a moral issue that was important to them. They went on to produce a sketch book researching their issue. The pupils then started to developing design ideas for a tote bag to create awareness of their chosen issue. The pupils all produced a finished tote bag advertising their chosen issue and these are currently on display at trinity high school.
Step Up worked in conjunction with Home Link in Trinity High School with a group of s3 pupils to raise awareness of ethical issues and citizenship. The pupils explored moral issues through discussion and chose a moral issue that was important to them. They went on to produce a sketch book researching their issue. The pupils then started to developing design ideas for a tote bag to create awareness of their chosen issue. The pupils all produced a finished tote bag advertising their chosen issue and these are currently on display at trinity high school.
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Skyline Bags
The skyline tote bags were designed by a group of students from new directions. They photographed paisley’s skyline and created their own stencils from these. They experimented with different materials, and decided what best to use to create the effect they wanted. They thought about use of colour in design, type, styles, and market. The end result was displayed and sold at Paisley Town Hall on St Andrews day. The students have requested that proceeds from the sales go to the RSPCA.
The skyline tote bags were designed by a group of students from new directions. They photographed paisley’s skyline and created their own stencils from these. They experimented with different materials, and decided what best to use to create the effect they wanted. They thought about use of colour in design, type, styles, and market. The end result was displayed and sold at Paisley Town Hall on St Andrews day. The students have requested that proceeds from the sales go to the RSPCA.
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Music buddy
From October to December 2009 stepup delivered joint music project with 5 students from St Andrews academy and 5 students from Kersland school. A young person from each school paired up to create four music track’s using magic music maker 15. The group designed a cd cover for their buddy and were able to take away with them the cd they worked together to create. The aim of the project was to help build a link between both schools and to gain new skills and confidence from working with each other and with the music programme.
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Radio workshops
The radio project worked with a group of s4 pupils from Johnstone High School. The students worked alongside the cultural engagement worker to develop their own radio magazine show. Each participant researched their chosen subject to create their very own script. The students then recorded the script which will be brought together to make a radio show that can be broadcasted in the new Johnstone high school building in 2010. The aim of the project is for the group to gain in self confidence by producing their own radio show. The students will also use creative literacy when devising their scripts.
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Music workshops
Stepup has been working with a group from apex that helps to reduce re-offending by working with offenders and young people at risk of offending to help them address their employability needs and progress them towards employment, education or training. The students worked alongside the cultural engagement worker to develop their own music tracks, in all the group made 5 different music tracks and designed their own cd cover and were able to take their cd away with them.
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Curse of the demeter
The curse of the demeter was a joint project with stepup and Visible Fiction theatre company. Nine young people from extended new directions created and recorded a Paisley ghost tour and took part in research, literacy, drama and sound recording workshops. The students involved had a chance to preview the audio tour they created and recorded before the matinee performance of curse of the demeter at Paisley Arts Centre. The tour was also available for the public to access.
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Gargoyles
S1 pupils from Park Mains high school and St.Benedict’s high school created gargoyle sculptures during a 6 week project with stepup. These workshops were inspired by the visible fictions performance ‘The Curse of the Demeter’ which was performed at Paisley Arts Centre on 2 October 2009. The pupils had the opportunity to have a look around paisley abbey and photograph its architecture and gargoyles. The pupils will then discussed the meaning of the gargoyles on the building and went on to create their own gargoyles sculptures which were exhibited at paisley arts centre from the 1st October until the 5th October to compliment the production.
