Article Source: Go Forth Stirling
Last Updated: 27 May 2024 11:13
Go Forth Stirling BID brought BRICKLIVE’s Ocean tour - a trail featuring sharks, fish, crabs, turtles, squid, a coral reef and more – to the city centre during April.
Residents and visitors were entertained by the trail which featured 13 sculptures comprising more than 300,000 colourful bricks.
A total of 1800 people picked up paper maps to follow the tour around the city while 575 signed up to an app which allowed users to take part in an interactive game featuring the Ocean Trail.
Danielle McRorie-Smith, Project Director at Go Forth Stirling, said: “We’re thrilled with the success of BRICKLIVE – which helped increase footfall for Stirling’s businesses and promote the city as a popular family destination.
“We were pleased to offer families the chance of a free activity during the Easter school holidays and we also had some great feedback from traders who reported more people coming into the city which meant they benefited from extra footfall and business.”
One of the most popular sculptures was the giant squid in the Thistles which, along with the green turtle, mako shark and octopus, brought extra visitors into the Centre.
The Thistles, who partnered with Go Forth on the initiative, also had a face painter who painted 121 faces during the event and a brick pit where children could play and create new models. And a lucky winner scooped an Ocean-themed LEGO bundle worth £200 after sharing their creations on social media.
In addition to the Ocean Trail, the BID organised an interactive game which participants could download via an app and dive beneath the waves to join Shelly Shark on her first migration while discovering all the BRICKLIVE sea models.
Meanwhile, several city centre businesses organised ocean-themed events and activities including film screenings, face painting, board game nights and arts and crafts sessions.
A variety of life-sized models could be found across Stirling by following the Trail around the city and visiting a range of retailers including New Look, Blue Lagoon, Let’s Party, Contempo and Slaters.
Brown Bear Barbershop and Salon on Barnton Street had a colourful model of an angler fish in their shop.
Owner Gregor Brown said: “It was great to be involved in the BRICKLIVE event this year. We had plenty of people at the window, interacting and taking part in the event. It also made for some good conversation with clients when they asked about it. We’d love to get involved again!”
Rosalind Houston, of Archie’s Pet Shop in King Street, enjoyed hosting a model of a spider crab created from 4,260 bricks in the shop.
She said: “We felt an increase in street activity and lots of engagement from customers and liked the fact that the Trail made the street feel more alive. We were very happy to participate in the event.”
Staff at charity shop Something Old Something New said they were “really, really pleased with the whole experience” and set up a whole tropical background and origami decorations to help their parrotfish brick models look even more eye-catching.
Port Street Gift shop Clan Artisan offered visitors the chance to create their own sea creature-themed artwork which could be added to various gifts while every child who created a design was given a free sea creature-inspired greeting card to colour in.
Co-owner Jen McEwan said: “It was great to be involved and the kids really enjoyed coming in and creating their own designs for personalised prints. In fact, the `colour your own postcard’ was such a hit, we will be continuing to offer them to youngsters while their parents are putting their gift boxes together in the store.”
The BRICKLIVE Ocean tour is one of a number of initiatives provided by the BID with the aim of increasing footfall and attracting more visitors to Stirling.
The non-for-profit organisation was set up in 2017 and currently represents more than 600 local businesses with a key objective of delivering projects and services which improve Stirling’s trading environment to benefit businesses, shoppers and visitors.
For more details visit www.goforthstirling.co.uk
Young people at HMP & YOI Polmont crown ‘Captain Chaos’ Layton as Stirling’s top dog in Thistles’ photography competition
READ MORE
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting pet parents to celebrate Valentine's Day with their beloved furry friends in selected stores across the country!
READ MORE
Aldi Scotland is giving primary school pupils across Scotland the chance to enjoy a truly traditional Burns Supper, complete with all the trimmings, including a bagpiper.
READ MORE
Glasgow International Comedy Festival has announced the full programme for 2026's event with 560 shows in 40 venues across the city from 11th - 29th March, and over 100,000 tickets now on sale!
READ MORE
If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate Burns Night this year, head to Flight Club!
READ MORE
The renowned festival which every year transforms Glasgow in January into a must-visit destination for music lovers is now just over a week away.
READ MORE
Zizzi's January Birthday Jackpot guarantees a special gift for adults born in January, with some lucky birthday guests receiving the jackpot prize - £100 towards their bill!
READ MORE
Dog owners making an environmental New Year Resolution are hoped to boost the ranks of the Paws On Plastic charity to over 30,000 in 2026!
READ MORE
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting customers along to an afternoon of creativity, connection, and cake this January, with a brand-new Crafternoon Tea Club.
READ MORE
Anyone with a connection to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is being invited to celebrate the charity's 70th anniversary by sharing their fondest DofE memories.
READ MORE
Whether you're ditching the booze and going dry for a month or embracing Try January with the goal of experiencing new things, Flight Club, ticks all the boxes!
READ MORE
Europe's largest indoor fun fair, The IRN-BRU Carnival, has opened to the public at Glasgow's SEC with its greatest show to date!
READ MORE
DF Concerts launches the DF Academy to strengthen pathways between education and Scotland's live music & events industry.
READ MORE
Stirling Council has approved a visitor levy scheme that will enable major new investment in the area’s tourism offering.
READ MORE
DF Concerts & Events is celebrating the success of their sustainability initiatives delivered across their major summer events in 2025.
READ MORE
The Scottish Jazz Awards 2025 celebrated the cream of the crop in the jazz scene on Sunday night, honouring outstanding artists and contributors at a memorable ceremony in Glasgow.
READ MORE
Interior designer, BBC Scotland's Home of the Year judge and entrepreneur Anna Campbell-Jones has released her first spirit.
READ MORE
There’s plenty for fans of South Asian cinema to enjoy at Vue this December, with a number of titles heading to the big screen.
READ MORE
The Go Forth team has announced the longlist for the 2026 Stirling Business Awards as voting begins to choose the winners of the annual honours.
READ MORE
Loganair, the UK’s leading regional airline, has launched a new festive competition to name the puffin starring in its emotional Christmas advert.
READ MORE
A family rollercoaster, giant snow globe, rides, stalls, street food and live entertainment makes Loch Lomond Shores FREE Christmas festival the perfect Christmas day out for all the family!
READ MORE
Two young golfers from Stirlingshire are aiming to make history in Portugal in December when they tee off in the 2025 Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship at Quinta do Lago.
READ MORE
Zizzi has introduced a new food & drink menu across all its restaurants, launched a brand-new Zizzi app, and is giving 132 people free pasta for one year.
READ MORE
Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts Collection have launched some new offerings designed for memorable Christmas stays, spectacular Hogmanay celebrations, and cozy winter escapes.
READ MORE
The Meadowpark, one of Bridge of Allan’s most popular family restaurants, is bringing the magic of festive dining to homes around Stirling this Christmas.
READ MORE
Community groups, organisations and schools across Scotland are being invited to apply for grants of up to £100,000.
READ MORE
Go Forth Stirling has launched a new initiative for the city’s business community giving them the opportunity to consult with the BID team and other partners.
READ MORE
A drop-in session is being held on Friday (21 November) for local residents and businesses to learn more about the major redevelopment at Forthside.
READ MORE
Residents and businesses across Stirling are being urged to get ready for the impacts of wintry weather as the council steps up its preparations to keep people safe in adverse conditions.
READ MORE
Doddie Weir’s emotional match ball delivery at Murrayfield in 2017 has been voted the greatest moment in the stadium’s 100-year history, after thousands of fans took part in a nationwide poll.
READ MORE