Yardworks G.R.I.D.
Our partnership with the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District is one of our most ambitious and far-reaching projects to date, stepping outside of the SWG3 complex and transforming the neighbouring districts of Yorkhill, Partick and Govan with a vibrant open-air gallery.
G.R.I.D. stands for the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District. It’s an area spanning from the edge of the city centre, through the west end and south of the river, across which there’s currently a lot of neglected and disused land. The area is being transformed to develop opportunities, facilities, culture and more.
SWG3 happens to sit at the heart of the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District. Now, as part of the development of the riverside area, we’re planning to begin to transform the area around us into a colourful, vibrant street arts district - an open air gallery, showcasing locally and internationally-renowned artists, and bringing people together to enjoy art, architecture, and Glasgow’s glorious communities.
Phase One: Consultation
Asking the residents what they want to happen
The areas in this ‘innovation district’ aren't a blank canvas. They’re community, home, where people in Glasgow live, work, play, walk their dogs, chat in the streets. The blank walls and gable ends are not ours to play with: they belong to the people who live there. What happens on them needs to be something they'd feel proud of, something they'd want to see every day, something that means something to them and the community they're a part of.
During our Yardworks Govan project, we were been bowled over by the passion and care that people have about their neighbourhoods and what happens in them - so we wanted to find out more. Our first step was to conduct a survey, for anyone living in Govan, Yorkhill and Partick, asking them what they already knew and felt about SWG3, street art and graffiti, and what they wanted to see happen in their local area. Find out much more on the Yardworks G.R.I.D. website.
Phase Two: Work begins
Bespoke workshops and activities in each postcode
We’ve already started working with communities across each area, delivering workshops with young people, commissioning murals from local and international artists, and more.
G51
Yardworks have been working in Govan since 2021 thanks to funding from Inspiring Scotland, Creative Communities. There's a wealth of community spirit, fantastic community-led organisations and initiatives. We've already had the pleasure of working with some brilliant people and look forward to building on that in this project and beyond.
G11
In Partick, we’re working with local residents and community groups to develop designs for four large public art spaces. Each of these has existing work that we would like to refresh with new and exciting art work. We'll be working with local people to design artwork for billboards as part of the Yardworks Festival in June, and finding out what the community would like to see on the walls.
G3
SWG3, as the name suggests, sits in the G3 district — and we want to work with the community to create some beautiful and meaningful work. We will be working with local groups and schools to decide where and what public art in G3 looks like and what it means to the community.
