From the ground up: Rewriting the creative city narrative (Invite Only)

Glasgow Women’s Library came into being partly in response to the over-arching masculine narratives then present in the cultural sector and reflected in Glasgow’s approach to its year as City of Culture. That period rapidly became one of culture-led regeneration, where culture was seen as a means to reinvigorate the economies of cities, particularly those experiencing post-industrial decline. It was characterized by cultural festivals (European City of Culture, Garden Festivals, 1999 City of Architecture and Design etc), flagship architectural buildings, new galleries and museums or works of public art, and the prominent marketing of a city’s cultural credentials. In recent years, however, this period of regeneration has come under scrutiny for several reasons including its effectiveness, longevity and the extent to which it was or could be truly representative. Many narratives – particularly those of grassroots and small organisations – remain untold, dynamics unrecognised, and different forms of cultural leadership unacknowledged.

As we celebrate GWL’s thirtieth birthday, we want to invite you a roundtable open discussion, to join us in reflecting on:

• What has been the role of Glasgow’s grassroots organisations in the cultural ecology of the city over the last 30 years; and,
• What are the untold or neglected stories in that period of post-industrial regeneration?

We have invited you along because we think you could bring valuable insight to this conversation, drawing on your previous work and professional expertise. 

Through this event we want to explore a different narrative for the creative city and highlight how what we have learnt from the last thirty years can inform how we move forward into an era when place, culture, community and identity are likely to be of heightened importance. This is the start of what we hope will be a larger project examining grassroots cultural organisations particularly in post-industrial cities.