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Showcase demonstrates the importance of creativity in communities

An opportunity to bring everyone together. 

As we approach the first-year mark of the Creative Communities Glasgow programme, we brought together our 10 partner organisations and some of the 968 participants they support for a celebration event at The Pyramid at Anderston in Glasgow on Thursday 30th May.  

The event offered funded organisations from across Glasgow an opportunity to come together to showcase what they have been working on with their participants, including an exhibition of artwork and live performances. 

The main goal of the event was for the participants to feel joy, make new connections and build creative skills that support wellbeing. 

The importance of creativity as an outlet 

Despite being from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, the participants in the programme share many similar practical and structural barriers to participating in creative and cultural life. 

The Creative Communities Glasgow programme,reflects Inspiring Scotland’s experience that cultural activity has broad, interlinked benefits for people and communities, and that a participatory approach can lead to greater impact and drive unexpected outcomes. 

In the first six months of the programme, our partners have reported strong progress towards the Fund outcomes: participants have been able to build connections, develop skills for life and have an opportunity to enjoy the creative arts.  

Celebrating the many cultures

This enjoyment was evident on the day as the room was filled with people passionate about the images, stories and music they have created since taking part in the programme.  

Common Wheel’s music project set the tone for the day as they covered pop classics from over the years. The project supports people with mental illness and dementia through singing, playing and composing music as a way of improving wellbeing and learning new skills.  

Member-led charity Glasgow Disability Alliance’s Purple Poncho Players demonstrated that as well as improving wellbeing, the arts can be a powerful way to tell a story, and use performance and theatre skills to tackle serious topics in a light-hearted way. They showcased the issues that they face in accessing transport to get to the city centre of Glasgow, and the feelings of isolation this can cause.   

Celebrating the many cultures that make Glasgow so vibrant is also an essential part of the programme. Ando Glaso’s performance celebrated their  heritagethrough music. They host weekly workshops and annual events which support Roma people in Glasgow to engage with and strengthen their cultural heritage through practicing and performing their traditional music and dance. 

Once the live performances had commenced, we encouraged people to enjoy the space through looking through the exhibition which had been contributed to by organisations including Govanhill Baths Community Trust’s ‘Time for Art’ and ‘Collective Resonance’ projects, which provide access to the arts and networks of support to question and address issues of power and justice facing marginalised identities.  

One participant from the project said: “The whole experience has pushed me out of my comfort-zone. I am doing creative activities I never thought were possible for me to do.” 

About the fund 

Between August 2023 and March 2025, 10 community-led organisations based in the city of Glasgow are delivering distinct participatory arts projects to support their communities, with grants of between £18,000 – £80,000. 

Creative Communities Glasgow is funded by Glasgow Communities and Place Fund which is part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Find out more about the ten Creative Communities Glasgow projects 

Find out more about Creative Communities Glasgow