SOME of Scotland's best-known arts organisations are throwing open their doors for a day of free performances, workshops and events for all the family.

Speirs Locks Unlocked is a rare opportunity to get a glimpse at what happens behind the scenes at Scottish Opera, the National Theatre of Scotland, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow Academy of Musical Theatre Arts and the Glue Factory.

They are all based in a new artistic quarter at Speirs Locks, just minutes from the city centre.

On Saturday, the streets and buildings from Garscube Road up to the Forth and Clyde Canal will team with activity.

Visitors can join in singing, dancing, games, card-making and graffiti art as well as watch a wide range of performances, from puppetry about polar bears to opera about lonely lighthouses.

There will be a chance to try on hats, wigs and make-up and meet the teams who create the costumes, sets and props for professional stage productions, while on the canal boats will sail off in search of treasure.

Scottish Opera general director Alex Reedijk said: "Speirs Locks is bursting with activity and creativity and we really want to share that with everyone.

"By joining together to throw open our doors, we are letting the whole community have a look at the fantastic work that is happening on their doorstep.

"We can guarantee there will be something for all the family, whether you just want to take in a few performances or get stuck in and have a go at some singing, dancing or designing.

"It is going to be a fun, free family day out."

Spiers Locks Unlocked will run between 10am and 5pm and visitors can start their day at the National Theatre of Scotland truck on Edington Street to collect maps and information about performances, workshops and tour times.

The area round the waterway has been transformed in recent years from a rundown industrial zone to a buzzing artistic area, a centre for creative production.

The Glasgow Canal website says: "The changes are creating a vibrant city area, full of life and culture – a series of thriving villages within the city, places where people live and work.

"This is an exciting point in the regeneration of Glasgow's canals.

"By 2020, the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Project aims to transform the canal into a fantastic waterside environment that will bring benefits to those living and working in Glasgow, providing special destinations for visitors to the city."

vivienne.nicoll@ eveningtimes.co.uk