What We Do

We host a programme of exhibitions, events, films, music, literature, workshops, festivals and performances - working collaboratively with more than 200 programme partners every year. At the core of all activities is the desire to work with artists, develop relationships with communities across the city and beyond, commission new work and provide a welcoming and accessible space for the widest possible audience to enjoy art and culture. Across all these activities, and our building, we are actively working towards integrating sustainable practices.

Current Activities

CCA’s open-source programming means that we share our building and resources with a range of artists, individuals and organisations, offering the public a diverse, high-quality, and engaging cultural experience and supporting programme partners to present a wide range of events to diverse audiences. An example of some of the partners we work with include Buzzcut, Ceòl is Craic, Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Samizdat: Eastern European Film Festival, Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, Cryptic and Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, with between 200-300 partners supported in total.

CCA curates three visual art exhibitions yearly, featuring local, national, and international artists. These exhibitions are always free for visitors to attend, with accompanying talks and events offering the opportunity for visitors to engage with the themes of the exhibition in greater depth and foster a richer, more inclusive encounter with art. The curated exhibitions will be dedicated to working with contemporary artists to unravel the web of legacies left by the colonial project, examining how these legacies permeate our social fabric, in the hope of reshaping a contemporary understanding of Scotland’s culture and its connections to the wider world.

We are home to Intermedia Gallery which platforms emerging artists through an open call, where the artists are supported with a substantive fee, invigilation budget, communication support and install. We recognise that emerging is a word often associated with age; however, we believe that an artistic practice can ‘emerge’ or ‘reemerge’ at any stage in life.

We host artists in residence in Creative Lab, a dedicated space and programme that welcomes several artists to develop new work. Providing room for risk-taking and experimentation acts as a catalyst for innovation. We also host international residencies, often in partnership with other arts organisations or funding bodies, and have our own artists flat to host artists at minimal cost.

CCA Annex is an online project space with global reach, hosting new works, live events, and a repository of diverse cultural materials, focusing on issues like sustainability and equality.

We have an accessible Archive housing materials from Third Eye Centre to present which is open access, with dedicated support for academic and entertainment inquiries.

We are home to Publication Studio Glasgow, part of an international network of eleven studios spanning four continents. Our fully equipped studio is accessible to artists, writers and anyone interested in using the studio. We offer training and development opportunities, accessible to all, to gain the skills in self publishing.

Common Ground is a creative and social project within CCA, created by, with and for refugees and those going through the asylum process. The project strengthens collectivity, community support, invests in autonomy-building among refugee communities in Glasgow and supports emerging artists and creatives in their journey in the arts and cultural sectors.

Glasgow Seed Library is a collection of seeds and a community of growers. The project provides practical seed skills, training and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of our evolving climate, all while nurturing a sense of unity and purpose among its members. The seed library itself occupies space in our foyer at CCA and is accessible for all of the general public to use.

Our Schools and Young People’s Programme serves to build meaningful connections with children and young people within our local communities and across Glasgow, engaging children and young people in the arts by exploring the themes and social issues presented through art and empowering them to develop key skills through working collaboratively and learning through creating.

We aim to take meaningful steps in Accessibility to provide parity of access commensurate with the able bodied community and to tackle ableist attitudes and barriers to make CCA more accessible.

We are home to cultural tenants who rent our office space and contribute to our programme, as well as creative retail shop Welcome Home and independent bookshop Aye-Aye Books.

Enjoy a selection of local and international beers on tap as well as a curated list of wine in Third Eye Bar by Tatenda from Tatenda’s Tastings. You can also dance the night away with regular DJ sets, open-mic nights and special events.