The race for bandstand enters final lap

Time is running out in the race to win a truly unique prize – a genuine bandstand! Young people in Irvine Bay are being prompted to make sure they get their entries in for the competition to win the Irvine town centre bandstand.

Artist and Sculptor Peter McCaughey – commissioned to create a new giant artwork for the ongoing regeneration of Irvine town centre – is heading up the competition to offer local schools and youth groups the bandstand that currently stands on the site.

In a new podcast, he urges them to ensure their entries are in before the January 31st deadline, and also offers a sneak preview of his fascinating mirrored artwork, complete with code. The podcast is available via the Irvine Bay Regeneration Company website www.irvinebay.co.uk

The town’s bandstand needs to be relocated to accommodate the exciting transformation of the town centre being carried out by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and North Ayrshire Council.

Rather than lose the iconic structure, Irvine Bay schools and youth clubs are being invited to put forward their ideas for its relocation and future use – and they are being asked to be as creative as possible. A two-minute video or a 500 word written submission are being invited, with the best handful of entries being invited to make a more detailed pitch.

The competition can also be followed on the company’s Facebook page, at 

To win, entrants will have to answer a whole raft of questions and tackle some big issues, including an explanation of where it would be sited, how and who it would be used by, what benefits it would bring, what other organisations would benefit, how it would be maintained and what funds would be accessed to develop it.