Phase 1, Ward 2, A Map of Narratives
It is important, opportunities like this... I haven’t ever been in a situation like this where I can engage with writing and performing just for myself, to help me think and understand who I am and where I am from.
As part of Glasgow Life’s Creative Communities Artists in Residence programme for Ward 2, Newlands/Auldburn, The Village Storytelling Centre delivered a creative, community-wide initiative led by Associate Storyteller Shona Cowie.
Through performances, workshops, focus groups, story clubs, and local network conversations, Shona invited residents to explore and share their experiences. Central to the project were the Sangs an’ Clatter events, joyful gatherings across the ward that combined music, stories, food, and socialising. These events fostered an atmosphere of celebration and connection, encouraging honest and open storytelling.
A four-week writing programme offered young people a rare chance to express themselves freely, without set outcomes, a process many described as entirely new and empowering.
Throughout the residency, Shona listened carefully during informal chats, structured sessions, and shared creative spaces. From these interactions, she developed a Map of Narratives that captured the community’s strengths and challenges. Rooted in lived experience, this project used storytelling to build connections, amplify local voices and create space for reflection.
A special thanks to community partners, supporters and contributors: Pollokshaws Community Hub | Glenoaks Housing Association | Tinto Primary School Youth Clubs in Mansewood and Pollokshaws | Mansewood Community Centre | Arden Community Hall | Glasgow Museums Resource Centre | Pollokshaws Bowling Club | Auld House Community Group | Pollokshaws Library | Pollokshaws Area Network | Pollok House | The Kale Yard | The Old Barn | Go Connect Arden | Ward 2 Community Choir | Pollokshaws Parish Church.
