Macrobert Arts Centre opens at Thistles

Thursday 3rd February 2022

Thistles shopping centre in Stirling is welcoming a new tenant, central Scotland’s leading arts centre, Macrobert. The latest name to join the centre, Macrobert follows in the footsteps of other creative businesses, including social enterprise Coorie Creative, by choosing Thistles to host its first expansion outside of the University of Stirling.

Opening its doors to the public in the centre of the city for the first time on Friday 4 February, Macrobert will offer a range of classes and workshops from its new location in the heart of the Thistles. Catering to all age ranges, the offering at Macrobert will range from dance to drama, visual art and film classes, all conducted in accordance with current Covid-19 guidelines.

Visitors to the Thistles will also be able to purchase tickets for upcoming performances at Macrobert Arts Centre by visiting the new unit, located near Sainsbury’s.

Gary Turnbull, Centre Director at Thistles, commented: “At Thistles we are continuously working to increase our offering and provide customers with a memorable visitor experience, something we look forward to enhancing through Macrobert’s classes and workshops. A well-known name in Stirling, we’re delighted that the arts centre chose Thistles to become home to its first central location, especially at a time when the city is gearing up for its City of Culture 2025 bid, and look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to the centre.”

Allan McIntyre, Creative Activities Manager at Macrobert Arts Centre, commented: “We are excited to open our doors at Thistles and bring our offering to the centre of Stirling. Like so many other businesses we spent a lot of time over the last year speaking to our customers and identifying how we could better support them and, through these conversations, identified a need for our classes and workshops in a central location. Through this space at Thistles we hope to reach even more people and help them benefit from the joy the arts can bring.

“Through our work at Macrobert we know only too well the pleasure that can come from participating in the arts, so the fact we’re now able to share this from the heart of the community is a really exciting prospect.”

Macrobert Arts Centre is just the latest in a number of organisations to take up residence at Thistles shopping centre. Over the last six months retailers including Centre Stage Dancewear, Blue Inc, Leading Labels, Ann Summers and Little Bambinos, have brought their diverse offering to the people of Stirling and Forth Valley by setting up shop in Thistles.

A full range of classes available at Macrobert in Thistles can be viewed online at www.macrobertartscentre.org

For more information on Thistles, its opening hours and its shops and events, visit www.thistlesstirling.com