Glasgow Connected Arts Network is the city's go-to creative network for participatory artists and organisations to connect, share practice, and access funding and training opportunities.
As a non-profit, community interest company, they aim to encourage and maintain public engagement, awareness and understanding of participatory arts in Glasgow – such as interactive, activist and community-based projects - in Glasgow.
Glasgow Connect Arts Network aim to bring people together to promote and develop participatory arts. They actively support artists and organisations through partnership initiatives and host regular networking events and training programmes that allow their community to meet up, share ideas and find ways of working together to benefit communities across Glasgow.
They seek to support artists or organisations from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds to reflect the Glasgow community they serve. This includes individuals from backgrounds where there may be low creative activity due to isolation, geography, socio-economic status, and other barriers. They also encourage projects that promote equality and inclusion and specifically work that involves refugees and asylum seekers, the LGBTQ+ community, young people, women’s groups, the elderly, and those with ill health or disabilities. The Innovation District has a sizeable creative sector that can benefit from the services they offer. They encourage anyone in this community to reach out and see what benefits they can bring, particularly as this group was hit notably hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their hard work is reflected in their expanding membership, which is growing weekly and features individuals and companies from the world of dance, theatre, comedy, arts and crafts, music, and writing. They also connect with larger organisations such as the Royal Conservatoire, Glasgow Film Theatre and the Tron Theatre.
Creative individuals or organisations from the District are encouraged to reach out to Glasgow Connected Arts. This may be to access their expertise and support or attend their events or skills workshops that can help you upskill and increase employability. Additionally, they aim to help creatives connect to their network and increase freelance work with contacts and neurodiverse commissioners.