A visit to Glasgow’s vibrant cultural heritage scene, created by people for people

On 8 July 2024, nearly 20 heritage experts from all over Europe gathered on George Square in front of the Glasgow City Chambers for the start of the European Heritage Hub’s inaugural peer-learning visit. To one side, a 14-storey building with three impactful words printed on a pink display, ‘People make Glasgow’. Above us, a blue sky without a cloud in sight – a hopeful promise of good weather for our stay. Over our next three days in Glasgow, we would learn clear skies tend to be a rare treat in Scotland’s Culture Capital, but the city’s iconic slogan certainly lived up to expectations. 

“The city’s heritage is the people. It’s their history and story, and it’s crucial they want to take that message forward to the next generation. For any project to be successful, people must be central”, states Bailie Annette Christie, Glasgow City Council Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations and Chair of Glasgow Life, who accompanied participants throughout the visit. A living example of a people-centred project in Glasgow is the recently refurbished Burrell Collection, an award-winning museum home to the art collection of Sir William Burrell and Constance, Lady Burrell. 

The Burrell first opened its doors to the public in 1983 and became a game changer, setting  Glasgow off on a journey of reinvention. Just one year after its opening, the museum secured a Special Commendation in the European Museum of the Year Award. What until then had been conceived as a traditional post-industrial city, grappling with a gritty and violent reputation, suddenly started to have its cultural offer shine out to the world. Seven years later, in 1990, Glasgow was named European Capital of Culture. 

“Glasgow was the first city that didn’t see regeneration purely through the lens of economic development. It was clear that reimagining and redeveloping a city had to be about more than new industries or jobs. Culture and sport also had to be key drivers in that urban renaissance”, shares Billy Garrett, Director of Culture, Tourism and Events at Glasgow Life. 

And Glasgow has never lost sight of the key to its success. “There has been a consistent level of political support for culture in the city, regardless of the administration. Over the years we have seen a willingness to prioritise relatively large levels of investment in culture and sport over other things, and an ongoing understanding of the value both bring to the economy”, adds Billy. 

First stop: The Burrell Collection

On the second day of the visit participants headed to Pollok Country Park, home to two major inclusive cultural heritage development projects selected among the Hub’s 10 local good practices in April 2024: the Burrell Renaissance Project and the ongoing refurbishment of Pollok Country Park Stables and Sawmill.

As Glasgow expanded and opened to the world as a cultural powerhouse, the Burrell – despite having ignited change in the first place – remained static. The collection was as magnificent as ever, yet it attracted only a very niche audience that did not reflect the wider local community. This realisation was one of the reasons Glasgow decided to close the museum’s doors in 2017 for a five-year refurbishment. Since reopening, the Burrell Collection has seen its average annual visitors rise from 150,000 to nearly half a million and has secured the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023, as well as another European Museum of the Year Award nomination in 2024.

“The art work in the collection comes from all over the world, but the audience we had was quite privileged, very white, and of a certain age demographic. The renovation project has managed to connect with people whose cultural heritage is actually on display in the Burrell as well”, explains Jane Rowlands, Senior Museums Manager of Collections and Programming at Glasgow Life. 

The renovation stood out for its community engagement. Instead of expecting the audience to come to the Burrell to give them answers, the team went out to conduct street interviews and visited places where it was easier to reach the local community, such as health centres, schools, libraries, and places of religious worship. Citizens were actively involved in the refurbishment, from site visits to object handling and mock-up designs. 

Inclusivity, digitalisation, and sustainability were at the core of the refurbishment of the Burrell. The museum is now largely fed by renewable energy, such as wind and solar. Materials were carefully chosen and reuse was prioritised. Energy performance is closely monitored, so it can remain efficient over time.

The space was designed to be open to all, with considerations extending from transport to and within the museum, to facilities like accessible toilets and quiet rooms. The collections were adapted in every sense – display heights were adjusted for wheelchair users, content was made available in multiple languages, with audiotracks and subtitles provided, and careful attention was given to avoid any assumptions of prior knowledge. 

Digital and accessibility went hand in hand. From settings on screens for each user to adapt displays based on preference and needs; to objects and figures stepping out of their frames, brought to life through projections on the museums walls; and games on table tops bringing visitors closer to collections and to each other. The objective is for anyone to come in and be able to achieve a personal connection with the museum.

Looking ahead, the priority is to ensure that the museum’s programme continues to broaden participation. This includes initiatives like week-long school residencies, where students can study their usual subjects at the museum; craft takeovers, which allow visitors to deconstruct and explore objects; and the celebration of a wide range of cultural and religious holidays throughout the year. “We have a wonderful space. We now have to ensure we make the best use of it for as many people as possible”, says Jane. 

Second stop: Pollok Stables and Sawmill

A 10-minute walk through the Pollok Country Park leads to the Stables and Sawmill, a formerly derelict A-listed heritage asset which is undergoing a £15.5 million three-year refurbishment project to become a Living Heritage Centre, blending traditional functions of the stables with modern solutions towards a more sustainable future.

Labelled as a centrepiece for Glasgow City Council’s net zero strategy, the project aims to reintroduce hydropower from the White Cart River, transforming the stables into a carbon-positive building. Surplus energy will be distributed to shuttle buses and other electric vehicles, with additional plans to ensure the stables and the Burrell speak to each other from an energy perspective.

“We are exploring opportunities to link everything and create a localised energy network within the park. In the past, the sawmill in the stables powered the house – just scale that up. It’s almost like a miniature version of what the city may be”, explains Alex Maclean, Head of Consultancy Services at the Glasgow City Council. 

The Pollok Stables are also being refurbished to be climate-proof, in view of existing flood risk at the facility. Instead of trying to prevent water from getting in, materials have been carefully selected to withstand flooding and ensure minimal damage. “This is the reality now; we’re going to have to get used to town centres and places dealing with it. When given the chance to refurbish, make spaces more resilient, make them recoverable”, adds Alex. 

The interconnectedness across the park extends to the variety of activities offered, aiming to create a true cultural and community hub that will spur development and revitalise the South Side of the city. While the Burrell provides an indoor, cultural experience, the Pollok Stables aim to offer a more outdoor ‘muddy boots’ kind of day. Plans include not only the return of the iconic Clydesdale horses but also the addition of a café and a riverside terrace. Educational activities and workshops will also be offered on-site. However, the redesign ultimately adopts a loose-fit approach, ensuring the facility isn’t limited to a single purpose. “It’s about not being too specific and leaving room for programming and operational ideas from the public to shape what the space can be”, concludes Alex.

Next up: a big birthday and a forward look 

As we wrapped up the Hub’s first peer-learning visit, Glasgow City Council started gearing up for the launch of its Culture Strategy 2024-30 that very afternoon. The strategy aims to ensure culture and creativity continue to be valued and invested in. “Our message is that culture is Glasgow’s heart. Everyone in the city can make, share it, and enjoy it”, emphasises Bailie Christie, Glasgow City Council Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations.

2025 will also be a big year for Glasgow, marking the city’s 850th anniversary. Reflections will mainly focus on what has been achieved over the past 50 years through a fascinating story of culture-led regeneration. However, it’s also a time to reflect on what comes next. For Billy Garrett from Glasgow Life, the transversal role of culture must continue to be recognised: “Poverty, health, and inequality are really difficult challenges in this city. Going forward, we need to continue to make sure our cultural and sporting programmes are woven into those agendas as well”. 

Glasgow will not be celebrating its big birthday alone – everyone across Europe and beyond is invited to join the celebrations. Despite Brexit, Glasgow remains very much open. The peer-learning visit of the Hub is just a small example of this, showcasing the value that cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange can bring to cities.

“It’s a way of building a camaraderie, of working together with people of like minds, finding solutions to common problems, and giving each other support”, recognises Bailie Christie. “Yet it’s also a way of continuing relationships and making it loud and clear to every city and nation we encounter across Europe that Glasgow is still European, and Scotland is a European nation. We may not have political control of where we are at the moment, but our heart is always in Europe.”

Learn more about our peer-learning visit to Glasgow in the video below, featuring Bailie Annette Christie, Glasgow City Council’s Convenor for Culture, Sport, and International Relations, along with several programme participants:

More images from the visit can be found on Flickr.

Our next peer-learning visit will take place in Nantes from 6 -8 November 2024 – make sure to apply by 6 September and stay tuned for more updates!