Glasgow’s Artists in Communities creative projects celebrate their links with cycling’s biggest-ever event and achievements to transform lives across the city

Glasgow Life’s Artists in Communities programme is on track to mark the success of citywide creative projects influenced by, and celebrating, the biggest cycling event in history: the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Delivered by the charity which – through culture and sport supports mental, physical and economic wellbeing in Glasgow – the community arts initiative has been making a significant positive impact since the start of the year by encouraging and enabling local people to take part in projects spanning visual arts, music, dance, poetry, storytelling and film-making.

Artists In Communities is funded jointly by Creative Scotland and the Glasgow City Council GO LIVE! cultural initiative created for the UCI Cycling World Championships. This is designed to boost community participation in the sporting mega-event taking place in Glasgow and Scotland until 13 August, ensuring people benefit fully from the experience.

The GO LIVE! cultural events being staged across the city while the major cycling extravaganza is being hosted (details of which can be found here) incorporate a number featuring local artists and arts organisations leading Artists in Communities projects in the city’s three Community Planning Partnership Areas (CPPs). These include:

● Performances in George Square’s GO LIVE! official Fanzone area by Glasgow Barons and Màiri Morrison. The music group’s Artists in Communities project in Glasgow’s South CPP involves music and singing workshops with local schools and choir development events, whilst the Gaelic singer and director is working on North East CPP projects designed to generate engagement in Gaelic arts activities.

● A celebratory event at the Yoga Barn in Pollok Park, led by artists Deirdre Neilson, Hannah Brackston and The Village Storytelling Centre. With storytelling, printmaking, food and music, this event will welcome Think Malawi cyclists to Glasgow.

● An afternoon tea party in Elcho Gardens celebrating the writing, music and art created and performed by the local community and featuring playwright John Binnie, percussionist Tina Freeland and photographer Robin Mitchell – whose North East CPP project focused on workshops involving primary schools, recovery groups, and users of the park.

● Merchant Square Family Day activities that include flag-making workshops led by arts collective In the Making and artists Jenny Olley and Lynsey Wells, whose programme project in the North West CPP is involving refugee and asylum seeker communities in arts workshops.

Reflecting the Artists in Communities programme’s close associations with the GO LIVE! initiative and 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, many of the city arts initiative’s projects have been inspired by and explore themes relating to cycling, circles, connection, journeys and movement. In addition, many of the community projects have also been working closely with local partners involved in and encouraging active participation in cycling.

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life said, “Hosting a major event like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships gives us an opportunity to support other programmes that align with the city’s wider aim of using the ‘power of the bike’ to engage communities citywide. Whether that be through our Go Cycle Glasgow Fund, Girls’ Participation Programme, Learning Through Cycling Project or supporting existing schemes like Artists in Communities. Working with local groups to influence and drive these projects means that the end result truly resonates with the communities who have helped create them and I for one can’t wait to see some of the work, as part of GO LIVE!, during the Championships.”

Karen Shaw, Glasgow Life Senior Arts Producer – Creative Communities, said: "Art has the remarkable ability to empower individuals from all walks of life and our Artists in Communities projects demonstrate that creativity knows no boundaries and has the ability to promote social integration and wellbeing.
“Many of the programme’s fantastic projects across the city have been influenced or inspired by the power of the bike, offering a wonderful opportunity for local people to explore themes of movement, active travel and connection. We’d encourage people in Glasgow to get out and about to discover the creative activities in their neighbourhoods. I would also like to thank the artists for their hard work and vision in bringing so many wonderful projects to life across the city.”

Get more details on the Glasgow Life Artists in Communities programme, the artists and their projects

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Image shows an artist arriving by bike at Cathcart Baptist Church to deliver a screenprinting session, part of Deirdre Nelson's Artists in Communities activity in the south of Glasgow. Photo SNS