A scoping workshop and networking event to discuss the proposed research project 'Rewriting the Creative City Narrative'. An earlier event was held in Newcastle, followed by this Glasgow iteration, co-organised by Professor Vee Pollock and Dr Rebecca Farley with GSA (Prof Susannah Thompson) and GWL. Outline:
Glasgow Women’s Library came into being partly in response to the over-arching masculine narratives then present in the cultural sector and reflected in Glasgow’s approach to its year as City of Culture. That period rapidly became one of culture-led regeneration, where culture was seen as a means to reinvigorate the economies of cities, particularly those experiencing post-industrial decline.
It was characterized by cultural festivals (European City of Culture, Garden Festivals, 1999 City of Architecture and Design etc), flagship architectural buildings, new galleries and museums or works of
public art, and the prominent marketing of a city’s cultural credentials. In recent years, however, this period of regeneration has come under scrutiny for several reasons including its effectiveness, longevity and the extent to which it was or could be truly representative. Many narratives -particularly those of grassroots and small organisations - remain untold, dynamics unrecognised, and different forms of cultural leadership unacknowledged.