Calling all pianists! Skypark is lifting the lid on the City’s Piano Project, a cause that sets out to put the ‘playfulness’ into work places and public spaces, by providing free-to-play pianos at a range of venues, turning Glasgow into a city of pianos!
All piano enthusiasts are invited to have a go and tinkle the ivories, with the arrival of the Project’s beautiful white baby grand piano – a recent star of the BBC drama ‘Ordeal by Innocence’ – with a new life in Skypark 1 reception area.
Driven by the idea of bringing people together through music, Tom Binns started The Piano Project, a social enterprise that sets out to create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to play the highest quality acoustic pianos in Glasgow and beyond. Tom said, “Our project is all about quietly embedding more opportunities for ‘playfulness’ into the fabric of the City. The interaction that can happen around these pianos and the opportunity for people to break out of patterns of behaviour that keep us stuck, and make some music, is one antidote to isolation, loneliness, social anxiety, the process of dealing with grief and loss. It’s all about playfulness as this helps bring a different, flexible, state of mind that feeds back into how we live our day. We hope that Skypark tenants will enjoy the chance to play as they go about their work.”
Ongoing health and wellbeing initiatives that the Piano Project runs, include Glasgow Piano City; that offers free piano tuition for people coping with isolation, loneliness and long-term health conditions. Playing it by Ear sets up acoustic pianos in public parks and spaces offering free piano lessons to anyone with an interest. The Piano Project in partnership with Galgael and KibbleWorks, are developing a new range of high-quality products, by recycling pianos, creating employment and reducing waste.
Lisa Kirsop of Resonance Capital, who handles marketing and tenant services on behalf of Skypark added: “The piano is open to the public and tenants, to pop along and enjoy. We hope to encourage ‘playfulness’ and people can take time out and relax. We are delighted to give our support to the Piano Project at Skypark”.
Instruments are also loaned out to venues across the City for performances, events, conferences, festivals, workshops or private occasions.
The Piano Project’s baby grand piano at Skypark, will be open to tenants and the public from 9am-10pm Monday to Friday. Other participants in the project include King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and the Riverside Museum.
If you’re interested in finding out more or donating a piano to be refurbished and used as part of Piano Project’s ongoing initiatives please contact tom@thepianoprojectcic.co.uk
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