Yesterday, we held the first of five workshops in Drumchapel which are designed to create a support structure for local inhabitants to set up a community garden. The workshops have been funded by the RSA and we have worked in collaboration with LIFE, the Drumchapel centre for Healthy Living, to set up this series of events. Each workshop is led by someone with expert experience in community gardening, vegetable growing and general gardening skills but the focus is on local ownership of the project.

Yesterday, the workshop was led by Councillor Danny Alderslowe (a well know permaculture campaigner) and there was a visit to the site set aside for a community garden several years ago. The site has a clear drainage problem at one end but Danny thought more minimal work could establish a first plot on the level ground pictured above while there were a series of horticultural solutions to the drainage question. All of this remains at a proposal stage. The workshops will also be accompanied by a continual and growing effort to inform as many of the surrounding residents as possible of the opportunity to take on this project and become involved, as this is key to the success of any project eventually undertaken.

On Tuesday 19th January, Plantation Kids Club from Plantation Productions in Govan packed out the CCA cinema with a preview of their most recent production ‘Charlie’. The film was written, shot and edited by the members of the club over three months and was an interesting take on the dangers that drugs can incurr.  DC and Angela from Plantation led discussions about the film and there was a question and answer session with the young filmmakers.  CCA look forward to Plantations next visit in March.

One month into the new year and we’re busy programming away to give you some top notch exhibitions, screenings, performances and events well into 2010 and beyond.  As we can’t always be relied upon to quench the diverse appetites of you, our informed, intellectual audience (flattery will get us everywhere… we hope…), the question that’s always playing on our minds is ‘what would you like to see?’  So, we’d love to hear from you to see what you’re interested in and what you’d like to see later this year at CCA.  Answers on a postcard to…