Phase 2, Ward 6, Pollokshields Pantoum
As part of Glasgow Life’s Creative Communities Artists in Residence programme for Ward 6, Pollokshields, Martin O’Connor delivered The Pollokshields Pantoum, a multilingual poetry project celebrating the area’s vibrant cultural and linguistic identity.
Martin collaborated with four local groups: Pollokshields Bowling Green, Hidden Gardens, Pollokshields Community Food Point, and Bunsgoil Ghàidhlig Ghleann Dail. Working online and remotely, he facilitated poetry sessions and creative writing workshops, distributed worksheets, and gathered contributions via email, inviting participants to contribute to the pantoum.
Participants were encouraged to write in the languages spoken in their homes and communities. The final collaborative poem incorporated English, Punjabi, Urdu, and Scottish Gaelic.
The Pollokshields Pantoum allowed residents to connect across cultures and generations while documenting their shared experiences of the area and the pandemic. The work culminated in a community poem that showcased local voices and celebrated the diversity of Pollokshields.
Read the full Pollokshield Pantoum online.
In Phase 3, this evolved into O Dhoras gu Doras, a Gaelic poetry trail inspired by Pollokshields’ house names, as part of ongoing engagement since 2018, celebrating the area’s linguistic diversity.
A special thanks to community partners, supporters and contributors: Pollokshields Community Food Point | Hidden Gardens Men’s Gardening Group | Langside Finn’s Place Community, Health and Well-Being Centre | Battlefield Primary School | Golden Generation | Clyde College Esol Department.
