Opening the gates

Until the 1970s, the Merchant City area of Glasgow was thriving, but as trade markets moved and the recession hit, this commercial heart began to decline. The commercial and industrial spaces in the area became vacant and began to be populated by arts organisations, artists’ studios, galleries and workshops attracted by the flexible accommodation and low rents. An informal arts quarter emerged, but organisations remained vulnerable because there was no strategic plan for this area of the city. Glasgow City Council developed a strategy for ‘Housing the Visual Arts in the Merchant City’. This recognised the role that the independent arts sector had played in shaping a new identity for the area. It also accepted that further development was hampered by limited tenure in below-standard accommodation with poor public access.

Two major projects were taken forward as a result – Trongate 103 and the Briggait. Trongate 103 is a B-listed Edwardian warehouse that, following its £9m refurbishment, now houses eight established creative arts organisations. It is a working building for artists, with classes and activities taking place alongside taster sessions, exhibitions, performances and tours. Activities include print-making, kinetic sculpture, film and new media, painting and photography. The public response in the opening weeks took everyone by surprise and the general feedback has been that the building is friendly and welcoming whether you are there to buy art, browse, see a performance in Sharmanka’s Kinetic theatre or have a coffee in Café Cossachok (which is part of the Russian Cultural Centre). The tenant organisations have willingly adjusted to the demands of longer opening hours with limited numbers of staff, and to collaborative planning to ensure that visitors can enjoy a number of different experiences across the six floors of the building. The Development and Regeneration Department of Glasgow City Council is the landlord, and Culture and Sport Glasgow co-ordinates joint activity by the tenants and looks after the front-of house.
The second project is the conversion of the Briggait into a new home for 100 artists and cultural organisations. The Briggait is a former fish market which has been empty for the past 20 years. The Wasps Trust and the Wasps Artists’ Studios are developing the building, which will include a public space within the historic 1873 courtyard overlooking the River Clyde. The first phase is due for completion this year with a second phase of work to create workspaces for dance, circus and street arts in the early planning stages.