Help us keep GDODF a free event – text DOORSOPEN to 70085 to donate £5.
Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.
11th SETEMBER 2023
GLASGOW DOORS OPEN DAYS FESTIVAL LAUNCHES PROGRAMME FOR 2023
Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is back, and this year’s programme promises to be an immersive celebration of the city’s heritage and culture. As part of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust’s 40th-anniversary celebrations, the festival will take place from 11th to 17th September. Embracing the theme of ‘The Sensory City,’ inspired by poet Liz Lochhead’s ‘A Glasgow nonsense rhyme for Molly,’ attendees will delve into the non-visual senses and experience Glasgow in a whole new light. With an array of open buildings, heritage talks, and exhibitions, visitors will connect with the heart and soul of the vibrant city we know and love today.
The Sensory City
Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2023 takes a unique approach by exploring the non-visual senses—touch, taste, sound, and smell—that significantly impact our perception of the city. The theme draws inspiration from the works of renowned poet Liz Lochhead, inviting participants to embark on a sensory exploration that will unlock a deeper connection to Glasgow’s rich cultural heritage.
A Week of Excitement
From Monday, 11th September, to Sunday, 17th September, attendees can enjoy a diverse range of events. More than 100 buildings will open their doors to the public, allowing visitors to indulge in the city’s history and architectural wonders. The festival boasts an exciting lineup of over 100 trails, tours, and special events, giving everyone a chance to find their perfect experience. For those unable to attend in person, digital trails, films, and resources will be available online.
The Festival Hub – Advanced Research Centre (the ARC):
For the second year running, the University of Glasgow’s Advanced Research Centre (the ARC) will be the festival hub, hosting talks, activities, and exhibitions throughout the week. This modern and innovative venue offers the perfect setting to learn, connect, and celebrate Glasgow’s heritage. This year’s programme will include a series of talks, workshops, and exhibitions at the festival hub (the ARC) Monday 11 – Sunday 17, with building visits, tours and trails running across the city from Friday 15 – Sunday 17.
Highlights of the 2023 Programme
Our programme for 2023 is now live. All events are free to attend, but some require advance booking. Reserving your spot can be done through the festival website from 1st September.
Here are some highlights from the jam-packed programme:
- Calton Cats Exhibition: Delve into the history of dyeing at The Pipe Factory through this unique display developed in collaboration with pupils from the Gaelic Annex at North Kelvinside Primary School.
- ‘Loom that Broke My Heart’ Exhibition: Join artists Adam Stearns and Mary Clare Lacey to explore Glasgow’s vibrant weaving history at the former Weaving Factory on French Street.
- The Tenementals – A History of Glasgow in Song: Witness the award-winning musical journey through Glasgow’s history, presented by The Tenementals at St. Lukes.
- Storytelling Tour of Derelict Buildings: The New Glasgow Society offers a fascinating tour showcasing the architectural past of Glasgow’s derelict buildings through captivating storytelling.
- West Boathouse Visit: Explore GBPT’s newly completed project, the West Boathouse, featuring in the festival programme for the first time since its renovation.
- Camphill Gate Tenement Building: Admire the recently refurbished B-listed Camphill Gate tenement building in Glasgow’s Southside, a stunning example of architectural preservation.
- Glasgow City Improvement Trust Exhibition: Witness Glasgow’s transformation and the remarkable achievements of the Glasgow City Improvement Trust in a captivating exhibition presented by conservation architect Niall Murphy.
- Clarice Pears Exhibition: Celebrate a century of public health at the University of Glasgow’s Clarice Pears exhibition, offering a unique opportunity to explore this brand new building.
- Crookston Castle Tour: Younger audiences can embark on an interactive sensory experience tour of Crookston Castle, led by The Village Storytelling Centre.
- Superhero City: Dive into the captivating world of superhero movies set in Glasgow and experience the city from a different perspective.
- It’ll Be Great When It’s Finished: Commemorate GBPT’s lasting impact on Glasgow’s architectural heritage through a talk and film screening that showcases the Trust’s 40-year journey.
The Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2023 promises an unforgettable week of sensory exploration, historical discovery, and celebration of Glasgow’s vibrant past and present. From heritage talks to open buildings and interactive tours, attendees will experience the city in a whole new way. Mark your calendars and be part of this exciting event to connect with Glasgow’s unique cultural heritage and architectural treasures. We can’t wait to welcome you to the festival. See you there!
15th AUGUST 2022
ROLLER SKATING RETURNS TO THE BARROWLAND BALLROOM!
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust is thrilled to announce the premiere of Skate the City, a short film which celebrates Glasgow’s roller-skating heritage. The premier will take place at the Barrowland Ballroom and will be followed by a roller skate party in the historic hall. This event is the culmination of the Trusts’ My Historic Neighbourhood project which celebrates the heritage on the doorsteps of communities around Glasgow and is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery Players.
Roller-skating has its origins in the world of theatre and was developed in the late 1700s to simulate ice-skating on stage in musical and theatrical performances. Since then, skate crazes have periodically swept the nation, and Glasgow has not been exempt from these. These crazes have been inspired by broader social and societal factors, such as sport and recreational activities becoming more available to women in the early 1900s and skating rinks becoming safe spaces where women could gather with less formality and scrutiny. In Glasgow, there were 20 ‘rollering rinks’ by 1911, including the famous ‘Zoo Rink’ on New City Road. Other famous rinks include the American Roller Rink (1909) on Victoria Road, The Locarno (1929) on Sauchiehall Street and more recently Fantasia at the Barrowland Ballroom (1981), opened by the Lord Provost on skates!
2020 saw another period of roller-mania. During the pandemic, people had to find safe, creative ways to exercise and socialise when gyms and other indoor physical activities were put on hold. In Glasgow, a group of young women found community by learning to roller-skate and seeking new places to skate around the city. This film project has aimed to spotlight the hidden history of roller-skating in the city, whilst also helping this group of young skaters explore heritage spaces, connect with the historical trailblazers of their sport and find new indoor spaces to skate in.
Event details and tickets
The event will take place at the Barrowland Ballroom on Friday 2nd September, from 7PM till 9PM, doors at 6:45PM.
Buthothewarrrior DJ set.
Skate hire will be provided free of charge. The event will be dry.
The event is free but ticketed, booking is essential.
Tickets will be available on this page from 12pm on Friday 19th August – check back then for the booking link.
Tickets will be available for skating and for spectators, please do not book a skating ticket if you do not intend to skate.
You are of course welcome to bring your own skates, but please make sure the wheels are rubber (polyurethane).
9TH AUG 2022
FESTIVAL GUIDE IS HERE! FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET ONE!
Our festival guide is now available to pick up from locations around Glasgow. See the list below to find out where you can get yours.
This year, the festival guide provides an overview of our events from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th September.
To access the full festival programme, including information on timetables, ticket booking and accessibility, you must come here to the festival website – www.glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk.
The guide also includes a map to help you see what’s on in your area.
Happy exploring!
| Name of Building | Address | Postcode |
| Baillieston Library | 141 Main Street | G69 6AH |
| Bridgeton Library | 2-16 Orr Street | G40 2QH |
| Cardonald Library | Mosspark Drive | G52 3BU |
| Castlemilk Library | Castlemilk Drive | G45 9TN |
| Drumchapel Library | hecla avenue | G15 8LX |
| Flourish House | 23-25 Ashley Street | G3 6DR |
| Glasgow Central Mosque | 1 Mosque Avenue | G5 9TA |
| GLASGOW GURDWARA | 37 ALBERT DRIVE | G412PE |
| Glasgow Women’s Library | 23 Landressy Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow | G40 1BP |
| Gorbals Library | Crown Sttreet | G5 9XD |
| Govan Old Church (The Govan Stones) | 866 Govan Road | G51 3UU |
| Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church | 23 Saltoun St | G12 0SZ |
| Library at GoMA | Royal Exchange Square | G1 3AH |
| Library at The Bridge | Westerhouse Road | G34 9JW |
| Maryhill Library | maryhill Road | G20 9AD |
| Milton Library | Liddesdale Road | G22 7QR |
| Norwoodville | 161 Nithsdale Road, Glasgow | G41 5QS |
| Ottoman Coffeehouse | 73 Berkeley Street | G3 7DX |
| Partick Library | Dumbarton Road | G11 6AB |
| Pollok Library | Cowglen Road | G53 6EN |
| Pollokshaws Library | Shawbridge Street | G43 1RW |
| Pollokshields Library | Leslie Street | G41 2LF |
| Primal Roast | 278 St Vincent St, City Centre, Glasgow | G2 5RL |
| Print Clan Studio | 241 High Street | G4 0QR |
| Riddrie Library | Cumbernauld Road | G33 2QF |
| Royston Library | Royston Road | G21 2QW |
| SaltSpace Art Gallery | 270 High Street, Glasgow | G4 0QT |
| Springburn Library | Kay Street | G21 1JY |
| St Margaret’s Newlands | 353/355 Kilmarnock Road, Newlands, Glasgow | G43 2DS |
| St. Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral | (Next to 196) Clyde Street | G1 4ER |
| St. Ninian’s Episcopal Church | 1 Albert Dr., Pollokshields, Glasgow | G41 2PF |
| The Glasgow Film Theatre | 12 Rose Street | G3 6RB |
| Whiteinch Library | Victoria Park Drive south | G13 3BB |
| Woodside Library | St Georges Road | G3 6TQ |
9TH AUG 2022
SAVE THE DATE! BARRAS PATTER ENGRAVINGS UNVEILLED//TOURS OF BARROWLAND BALLROOM//SONIC SCULPTURE
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust is thrilled to announce the unveiling of a series of pavement engravings of market traders’ patter, as a permanent celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Barras Market. The engravings are part of GBPT’s My Historic Neighbourhood project, a programme of creative activities celebrating the heritage of communities
around Glasgow – from the rich history of Govan to roller skating across the city, and the 100-year anniversary of the Barras Market.
The engravings will be unveiled at 1pm on Sunday 21st of August, by Gavin Mitchell and Alison Thewliss MP at the corner of Kent Street and Moncur Street.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded My Historic Neighbourhood a grant of £58,600 thanks to National Lottery players. The project is also supported by Glasgow City Council and delivered in partnership with Articulate Cultural Trust, Friends of The Pipe Factory, and the Margaret McIver Company The Barras started in 1921 as a safe space for people to trade from their barrows, created by Maggie McIver, who was sometimes known as the ‘Barras Queen’. Over the next 50 years, it became the permanent fixture it is today, central to Glasgow’s heritage, filled with memories and cherished connections of the local community. The engravings are the culmination of 2 years of creative heritage projects centred around the 100th anniversary of the Barras Market. In 2020 and 2021, Articulate Cultural Trust and Friends of The Pipe Factory delivered Barras100, which involved the gathering of stories and memories through a programme
of community activities and events. These stories included memories of first Saturday jobs on the stalls, roller skating at the Ballroom, family traditions centred around the Barras, and the stallholders’ legendary calls, designed to draw the crowds and secure sales.
Another story gathering event was held by GBPT in November 2021 at the Pipe Factory. The stories and memories gathered by the various projects, were then the subject of deliberation at a community consultation held in April 2022, and the 8 best-loved phrases were chosen to be engraved into the pavements around the market as a permanent celebration. Phrases that the community contributed include ‘Get yer lucky knickers’, the catchphrase of local lingerie trader ‘Lucky Knickers Josie’. Josie traded for
years at the Barras and used to call ‘They’re your lucky knickers’. ‘They’re your American knickers – one Yank and they’re off!’ – was also heard around the market.
‘Come a wee bit closer, Madam, I don’t do mail order!’ was another call that would often be heard being shouted across the market. The Barras Queen, Maggie McIver, was often heard saying, ‘Work hard and keep the heid’. These phrases were felt to be synonymous with the market and a fitting celebration of the spirit of the place and its people.
As well as unveiling these phrases, on the 21st August, there will also be another chance to experience ‘Sounds Like a Bargain’, the sonic sculpture created in a collaboration between St Mungo’s students and artist Adam Stearns at the beginning of this year. The sculpture was created using field recordings and objects bought at the market. There will also be tours of the Barrowland Ballroom, run by the Margaret McIver Company.
The unveiling event and exhibition of Sounds Like a Bargain is free and unticketed. The unveiling will take place at the corner of Moncur Street and Kent Street at 1pm on August 21st. Sounds like a Bargain will be exhibited within the Barras Market from 11am till 4pm. Tours of the Barrowland Ballroom are free but ticketed, booking is essential. Tickets available from 12pm on Thursday August 11th, from Eventbrite.
21ST JUNE 2022
THE ARC TO BE 2022 FESTIVAL HUB
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust is thrilled to announce Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2022 Hub will be hosted in the University of Glasgow’s new flagship research building the ARC.
The ARC, the Advanced Research Centre, is a £116.5 million building which hosts over 500 researchers. The ARC forms part of the main Gilmorehill campus and is located on the old Western Infirmary site in the west end of Glasgow. The ground floor of the ARC will be open to the public, showcasing the University’s research. It will offer a mix of multi-purpose spaces for events and conferences, as well as team building, networking activity and public engagement.
The Festival Hub will host a number of talks, events and activities as part of the Glasgow Open Doors Open Days Festival 2002.
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “The University is an anchor institution in the city of Glasgow, with an important civic role to play, and we are very pleased to host the Festival Hub in the ARC. The building was designed and built to connect the University with the city and its communities. I am delighted that within months of opening the doors of our newest building we will be hosting such an important and engaging festival on our campus.”
Charlie Turner, Chair of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the University of Glasgow to host the 2022 festival hub and very excited to help to share this new building with the wider Glasgow community.
It is a very special year for the Trust as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Such a milestone is an opportune moment to reflect and consider the impact that the Trust’s projects have made in the community and the City, over the last 40 years. It is also a moment to look to the future and ask, ‘how can the changes we make today have a legacy for the city of tomorrow?’. Glasgow Building Preservation Trust looks forward to 40 more years and to partnering with other City institutions, like the ARC, in the future.”
Visitors to the festival can expect a programme of around 75 buildings open for visits, heritage trails, musical performances and even a Wall of Death! The festival will celebrate Glasgow as an amorphous, pulsing city, unbound and with a willful personality of its own. The life of the City has been a long and varied one, and this year’s festival will be an opportunity to consider the moments that have influenced the past, those that have shaped the Glasgow of today, and new endeavors which will bring change tomorrow.
Help us keep the Doors Open! Have you enjoyed the building tours or guided trail around Glasgow as part of Doors Open Days at past events? You can help us ensure the future of the festival by donating. Text DOORSOPEN to 70085 to donate £5. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.
The full festival programme will be announced on August 1st, at www.glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk.
WHERE TO FIND US ONLINE
5TH APRIL 2022
MY HISTORIC NEIGHBOURHOOD: THE BARRAS
An exciting and engaging community consultation event is to be held as part of the My Historic Neighbourhood project: a project, produced by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, celebrating heritage on the doorsteps of neighbourhoods around the city. On 30th April, at The Pipe Factory, members of the public are invited to help to decide which memories of the Barras Market are commemorated and recorded for future generations, as engravings into the streets around the market..
My Historic Neighbourhood, a project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and National Lottery players, focuses on the heritage of the areas Anderston, Barras/Calton, Govan and Sighthill.
The project began in November 2021 at The Barras, at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the market. To celebrate this momentous occasion, members of the local community were invited to document their memories of the Glasgow institution.
The Barras was made famous by its many traders who were expert showmen, and drew the crowds with their raucous calls. One trader teased onlookers with “Come a wee bit close madam, I don’t do mail order!”. Another would stand on a soapbox, yelling to the passing crowd “Horrible! Terrible! Awful! Horrible! Terrible! Awful! Tradgedeeeee!” doing his best to punt the latest newspapers.
The hawkers and their fantastic banter made The Barras much more than a place to shop. It was the beating heart of the community, where people flocked to be entertained on a day out.
A record of the most popular and fondly remembered phrases was made, and on 20th April, a community consultation event will be held at The Pipe Factory, to choose which phrases will be carved into the pavements around the market as a permanent commemoration of the 100th anniversary.
New suggestions will also be welcome. Do you have memories of The Barras hawkers? What was your favourite Barras battle cry? We would love to hear from you, either at our event, or by getting in touch by email, doorsopendays@gbpt.org, or on social media, @glasgowdodf.
The community consultation will launch a short film, directed by David Hayman Jr, produced in partnership with Witsherface and the Citizens Theatre. The film beautifully weaves recordings of the voices of women from Calton, and archive footage of The Barras Market from the 1960’s, with performances by the Citizens Theatre WAC ensemble: an exciting and innovative theatre company for care-experienced young adults. Also showing will be a filmed heritage talk by local historian Peter Mortimer. Completing the community consultation line up will be a kinetic sculpture made of objects from The Barras Market. The sculpture has been made by artist Adam Stearns, and pupils from St Mungo’s Academy, who have been participating in workshops, learning about the heritage of the Barras and sound art.
The community consultation is open to all. Whether you previously lived in Calton, have memories of visiting The Barras at the weekend or are just a keen history fan, we warmly welcome you to this free, drop in event (no ticket required).
The community consultation event will run Saturday 30th April, 12pm till 4pm at The Pipe Factory, 42 Bain Street, G40 2LA, (use Moncur Street entrance).
Sign up to our Facebook event here.
WHERE TO FIND US ONLINE
21ST JANUARY 2022
MY HISTORIC NEIGHBOURHOOD: THE BARRAS
‘My Historic Neighbourhood’ is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and celebrates amazing the heritage on the doors steps of neighbourhoods around the city. In a range of creative workshops, we will be learning about heritage in Anderston, Barras, Calton, Govan and Sighthill.
In November 2021, we kicked off the project, down at the Barras. 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of the market and we celebrated by inviting local people to document their memories of the Glasgow institution. We gathered amazing stories by interviewing folks, making films and audio recordings and we look forward to sharing these documents, here on the GDODF website later in the year.
To give you a sneak peak we are excited to share a story from Barras stall holder, Gary:
“We were just discussing some war-cries in the Barras, and one of them that you would maybe say to the customer if they were buying something electrical, you would say to them, ‘Listen pal, everything works in the Barras, pause, it’s when you get it home it’s broken!’
And they’d still buy it, as I’d always say, and it’s not a very strong guarantee, ‘You get a one week guarantee.’ [Laughs]
We also used to have the ‘No quibble’ guarantee, that was when they came back, I’d say, ‘Listen pal we’re not quibbling, you’re not getting the guarantee!’ Just kidding on! [Laughs].
One of the local lingerie traders, Lucky Knickers Josie, she used to shout, ‘They’re your lucky knickers!’ She’s still living, she’s ninety-six, I think she is – she traded here for years – Josie, known as ‘Lucky Knickers’.”
WHERE TO FIND US ONLINE
18TH AUGUST 2021
OUR DEAR GREEN PLACE: THE SURPRISING GREEN LEGACY AND ECO FUTURES OF GLASGOW'S BUILDINGS
With Glasgow’s COP26 on the horizon, and the IPCC report sounding the alarm about an imminent climate emergency, there’s no time like the present to talk about how we can adapt our cities to be more sustainable.
The theme for this year’s Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is Sustainable Communities, so we’ll be spending our week talking about Glasgow’s green heritage and the hunt for more climate friendly ways of living.
Our city already has a long-held connection with nature. The word Glasgow literally translates to “dear green place” or “place of the green hollow” in Cumbric, an ancient brythonic language spoken by Celts before the Roman invasion.
That green theme has continued to shine through the city’s history, from Glasgwegians’ pride in our public parks to being crowned the vegan capital of the UK.
We’ll pay tribute to that legacy at the festival, while also thinking about how we can push our community to become even more eco-friendly in the coming years.
Expect in-depth explorations of our city’s parks, radical new plans for low carbon buildings, and ideas for how we can live together better in urban spaces.
Bookings open on Wednesday 1st September.
OUR DEAR GREEN PLACE
The benefit of public green spaces to our health and happiness is a well established fact. From lower risks of cardiovascular disease to improved mental wellbeing, a simple walk in the park can do wonders for those of us who live in the city.
At Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival, we invite you to join us outdoors at one of the many parks and gardens taking part in the festival.
Learn about why our Victorian ancestors opened Victoria Park on the Victoria Park Heritage Trail, take an up close look at the 330 million year old trees in the Fossil Grove, or find out how the Hidden Gardens are creating a new inner city hub for community gardening.
Lost Glasgow celebrates our long love affair with Glasgow’s parks in an in-depth webinar, complete with vintage photographs of Glasgow Green, Victorian pleasure parks, and urban play areas. Or you can listen to the Dear Green Bothy, a project from the University of Glasgow, explore how Glasgow’s green spaces were tied to the demolition of Glasgow’s slums in pursuit of better public health.
And we all have a hand to play in ensuring that our green heritage stays that way. Why not help restore Springburn Park to its former glory by taking part in the first ever clean-up of the Victorian Rockery?
Springburn Rockery
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
In our quest to invent more innovative and hi-tech fixes for climate change, it’s easy to forget that some of the best solutions are already under our noses. What better buildings to see us into a new low waste era than the ones that have already stood for over 100 years?
That’s the thinking behind Civic House, an old print works that published posters for unions and political movements from the 1920s. Take a tour of the building and hear about its ongoing retrofit – an ambitious project that will turn it into Scotland’s first low carbon “Passivwarehaus” while retaining its original features inside.
Or embark an in-person trail through Glasgow’s Art Deco Quarter just south of the Clyde. Starting from Bridge Station, you’ll explore the design trends left over from the 20s and 30s – some still open and repurposed, some abandoned and unoccupied – and hear about their unsung potential in the midst of the climate emergency.
Tenements are already a good model for sustainable living. By building vertically they can pack lots of homes into a small space only a walking distance from vital amenities. But there is always more that can be done to reduce their environmental impact. Under One Roof shows us how in their webinar, which encourages flat owners to club together in tenement communities.
Govan Thriving Place Zero Waste Market
LOW IMPACT LIVING
How can we change up our lifestyles to minimise our environmental impact? There’s plenty to do on both an individual or a wider social level, and some of the events at our festival will delve into these micro and macro solutions.
Start your sustainable living journey at the Govan Thriving Place Zero Waste Market, a community-led market in the Govan Cross Shopping Centre car park where you can pick up some re-used items.
Listen in to the interactive lecture presented by Architectural Association Ground Lab and the Common Wealth Think Tank, which imagines how Glasgow might evolve if it were to implement the Green New Deal policies by 2030. You’ll hear about hot topics like flood resilience, alternative energies, pedestrianisation and retrofitting tenements.
Or perhaps you want to hear about sustainable food practices. The Glasgow City Food Plan was launched in June this year, and aims to improve access to food, reduce child food poverty, overhaul the food supply chain, and mitigate the climate effects of food waste within the city. Women In Property lead a webinar at the festival discussing the benefits of the plan and how we might embed growing spaces within disused heritage spaces.
FUN WITH NATURE FOR KIDS
We think heritage can be fun for all ages, so we’ve included loads of activities for families to get up to during Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival.
Like a song and dance session with The McDougalls, the legendary touring theatre troupe for children. In “The McDougalls Tidy Up The Ocean”, they’ll take your wee’uns on a journey to the bottom of the sea with some favourite singalong hits from their show “The Big Splash!”.
Or, if you’re looking for an excuse to get outdoors, you could take a walk down the Children’s Walking Trail through Springburn Park, Winter Gardens & Environs. This trail is suitable for primary age, and was developed specially by the children at Elmvale Primary. Because really, who knows kids’ entertainment better than the kids themselves?
WHERE TO FIND US ONLINE
18TH AUGUST 2021
GLASGOW'S BUILDINGS ARE GETTING READY TO RE-OPEN THEIR DOORS
After a year of social distancing and closed off spaces, we’re celebrating the communities that bring people together in the heart of the city.
Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival returns this September, and this time we’re going hybrid. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic and reacquaint ourselves with – dare we say it – going out, Glasgow’s heritage buildings are inviting us back in to explore both in-person and online.
Over 100 events will draw you in to Glasgow’s history and possible futures, with a mix of open buildings, physical and digital tours, webinars, and audio walks taking place between Monday 13th – Sunday 20th September.
Some buildings are free for you to simply walk in, while some require booking. Information on how and what to book is included in the programme.
Bookings open on Wednesday 1st September.
While we wait for tickets to launch, let’s take a closer look at the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2021 programme.
OUR DEAR GREEN PLACE
The theme for this year’s festival is “Sustainable Communities”, so we’re spending the week talking about our relationship with nature in the city and potential eco-friendly futures for Glasgow.
History virtuoso Lost Glasgow shares vintage photographs in an inspiring webinar on our city’s parks, which have proven vital to so many without private gardens of their own during lockdown.
We’ll imagine how implementing the Green New Deal could reshape Glasgow in an interactive lecture delivered by Architectural Association Ground Lab and the Common Wealth Think Tank.
And we’ve got several events exploring Glasgwegians’ relationship to local producers and sustainable eating, from our in-person trail through the Old Glasgow Markets to the Women in Property’s panel discussion on the new Glasgow City Food Plan.
There’s lots to dig into to help us imagine a brighter, more sustainable future for our dear green Glasgow.
But wait, there’s more.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
On the other side of our festival theme are the collectives that are nurturing community spirit in the heart of Glasgow.
Community ownership can be an effective way that we can reclaim our heritage buildings and ensure that they stay standing. We’ll share some of the success stories of CIC owned buildings, like the ambitious renovation ongoing at Govanhill Baths (which has been rescued from closure by the Save Our Pool campaign).
As we hunt for sustainable solutions within architecture, it’s worth considering that the buildings built to last are already with us. We’ll dive into the potential of retrofit with buildings like Civic House, another community owned space that is being transformed into Scotland’s first carbon efficient ‘PassivWareHaus’ – all while preserving its original heritage features.
And as we all know, people make Glasgow, so we’re meeting some of the groups that bring people together and nurture connections across the city. Groups like U Belong Glasgow, a multilingual community platform that features BPOC, LGBT+ and disabled creatives, or the Hidden Gardens, a once derelict area that has been resurrected and turned into a community garden.
DISCOVER GLASGOW ONLINE AND IN-PERSON
This year we’re bringing back the wonder of walking into a building’s physical space, while still keeping the best bits from 2020’s digital festival.
If you’re not feeling keen on venturing out to public events just yet, or are planning on joining us from further afield, there are lots of ways that you can still get involved:
- Tune in to our webinars over Zoom
- Download audio tours on GuidiGO and, if you’re in the area take them with you on a self-guided walk around the city. Get GuidiGO on your phone from the Apple Store or Google Play
Listen in to Glasgow Doors Open Days Radio, our new 24/7 broadcast of music, lectures, field recordings, and audio tours that you can find on our website during the festival
ENTER OUR PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
A key attribute of a sustainable city is walkability. Glasgow is a very walkable city and a wander through the town can unearth all sorts of hidden gems, like the ones featured in our programme!
We are calling all Glasgow wanderers to join our Glasgow Doors Open Days Photography Competition and Gallery. We’d love to see the city from your point of view.
How to enter
- We are looking for an image you’ve taken of your favourite GDODF buildings, places, parks or sites you encounter on your wander.
- Upload your picture to Instagram, tag @glasgowdoorsopendaysfestival and use the hashtag #GDODFphotography
- Please give a caption for the picture in your submission and include its location
- Alternatively you can email us your submission with the competition hashtag in the subject line to doorsopendays@gbpt.org
- Submit your entry by Monday 20th September
Our favourite images will be included in an online exhibition on our website and a £100 voucher for a Glasgow local business of your choice will be up for grabs for one lucky winner.
T&Cs
This competition is run by Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival and is in no way endorsed by Instagram.
Closing date for entries is 19th September.
Winner will be announced on @glasgowdoorsopendaysfestival Instagram account on Monday 20th September at 12pm GMT.
All entries must be original works by the participant. Submissions must be taken within the Glasgow City boundary.
By entering the contest, participants agree that photos submitted can be used by Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival to promote the Glasgow Doors Open Days Photography competition with appropriate accreditation.
Prize will be redeemable at a Glasgow local business of your choice.
