#futureforfar

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the Future Forfar follow up event on the 28th of January. The event outlined the vision (see below) for Forfar Town Centre arrived at through the series of conversations activities and events undertaken in the form of a charrette between Sunday 22nd and Tuesday 24th November.

You can find a copy of the full presentation here documenting the vision.

The purpose of the lunchtime and evening meetings on the January 28th was to build on momentum generated during the charrette in November. There was a fantastic turnout over the two sessions held at the Canmore Rooms with plenty of new faces who weren’t able to attend the events back in November. It would also seem that there were lots of new connections made and from the people present there was a definite eagerness for community led action. In fact a petition started by locals for a new Community Council has already received the required signatures to trigger the next phase.  

Alongside the follow up event an action plan indicating the next steps was presented and received a huge amount of important and useful comments. Please do feel free to send your further comments to us over the next week at [email protected] (or comment directly on the Facebook post). The opportunity to comment further will be open till Friday 12 February, after which they will be incorporated into the final report which will be completed by the end of the month.

Please continue to follow the conversation and provide comment on the Future Forfar Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Visit our Storify for a full record of all the Future Forfar story so far!

@FutureForfar #FutureForfar

https://twitter.com/FutureForfar

https://facebook.com/FutureForfar

https://instagram.com/FutureForfar

Next up is Forfar! 

In November 2015 we launched Future Forfar; a series of creative conversations, activities and events to explore the future of Forfar Town Centre.

Working across three days, the local community of Forfar collaborated with architects, planners, artists and other experts to explore how Forfar Town Centre can be improved and developed an action plan for a Future Forfar. 

Over the past couple of months we have been working with Angus Council towards launching Future Forfar, a series of creative conversations, activities and events to explore the future of Forfar Town Centre.

Throughout Sunday 22nd, Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th November 2015, there will be lots going on to celebrate the launch of Future Forfar. Across these three days, the local community of Forfar will collaborate with architects, planners, artists and other experts to explore how Forfar Town Centre can be improved and develop an action plan for a Future Forfar. 

Pidgin Perfect warmly welcome all to participate in the discussions, bringing your local perspective along to any of the activities. There will always be someone around during the Drop In Times at the Future Forfar Cafe to welcome you, listen and record your comments. 

Here is a run down of just some of the exciting programme!

Sunday 22nd November 12 - 2pm, Future Forfar Cafe at 3 East High Street - We’re kicking off Future Forfar by bringing the local community together and we want you to join us! Please note in particular the opening event, ‘A Taste of Forfar’ Official launch Event with food by Forfar Cooking Club and special entertainment by DD8 Music.

Tuesday 24th November 4 - 6.30pm, A vision for Future Forfar? in the Drama Society, 132 East High Street  - Closing with presentations, storytelling and imagining Future Forfar. Followed by an Open Mic Night at the Future Forfar Cafe on the 3 East High Street

Monday 23rd November 10.00 - 12.30 How can we attract more visitors investors and business to Forfar?- How can we create more opportunities for business and enterprise? - How can we attract more visitors to the Town Centre? - How can we make more of Forfar’s heritage and culture? - What should we do about vacant buildings?

If you are a business owner, run a social enterprise and are passionate about culture, heritage and tourism this will be of interest!

Monday 23rd November 16.00 - 18.30 How do we make the Town Centre better for the people of Forfar?- How can the Town Centre work better as the heart of the local community? - How could it more welcoming for people of all ages? - How can Forfar offer a better experience of leisure, culture and entertainment in the evenings? - How can the local communities of Forfar work together to create positive change in the Town Centre and in Forfar? - How can Forfar be a more attractive place for people to live and raise their families? If you are a resident or an active member of community groups supporting health and wellbeing in Forfar then this will be of interest!

Tuesday 24th November 10.00 - 12.30 How can we improve the Town Centre, streets and outdoor spaces?- What should the balance be between people and vehicles? - How could we make streets and spaces more enjoyable to spend time in? - Which spaces and places that should be a focus? - What are the opportunities and challenges to the Town Centre brought by the Community Campus? - What type of activities and events would you like to take place at The Cross?

This will interest residents, community groups, businesses and those with ideas about green space, outdoor events, transport, traffic, parking,walking and cycling.

Events will take place at the Future Forfar Cafe, located in the former ‘Treasured Gifts’ shop at 3 East High Street. The Future Forfar Workshop is located behind the red door at 132 High Street at the Forfar Dramatic Society. 

No booking for any of the events is required. Light catering from local businesses will be provided, as well as a creche facilities available. 

Pidgin Perfect are excited to announce the launch of Future Forfar: a series of creative conversations, activities & events to explore the future of Forfar Town Centre.

The charette is a collaborative process which asks the public, local partners and professionals, ‘How do we make the town centre even better?’ leading to further actions for Forfar Town Centre.

We’ll be in Forfar on the following dates and would love to meet with anyone who would live to get involved in the project. If you would like to join the conversation please do contact us at [email protected] 

Whilst we can not release any more details about the content of the program, we are pleased to announce more about the fantastic team collaborating on the project as well as some initial site visit photographs.

Pidgin Perfect will be leading on the delivery of the project with Professor Leigh Sparks, Nick Wright Planning and Willie Miller Urban Design. Pidgin Perfect are a creative studio working to place the community at the heart of our projects; combining research, participation & design. 

Professor Leigh Sparks is Professor of Retail Studies at the Institute for Retail Studies, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK. His research concentrates on aspects of the broad areas of structural and spatial change in retailing. 

Nick Wright is a chartered town planner, a qualified mediator and a trained facilitator. Nick views planning as being about shaping our environment for the future. That needs imagination, creativity and a desire to positively embrace change and risk. Nick works with young people, businesses, artists, civil servants, community groups, architects, other planners, Councillors and all the other people who create places and make them tick.My role is to make things happen: to bring people together, bring their ideas together, and translate aspirations into action

Willie Miller Urban Design is a design practice based in the West End of Glasgow. WMUD promotes a collaborative, contextual and research-based approach to urban and strategic design – working across disciplines, in liaison with local communities, businesses and organisational stakeholders, and respecting local context and heritage.