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August 2021 – October 2022

Batson Street, Govanhill, G42 8SP

The Batson Street Laboratory (Bat. Lab.) was a community focused project supported by Glasgow City Council’s Animating Spaces fund. The project aimed to revitalise public space in the former civic centre of Govanhill beside the historic Govanhill Picture House and involved the placement of planters, community growing activities alongside a street cinema programmed in partnership with local people and organisations to create a series of cinema screenings and events over 2021-22

The site has been chosen for its cultural significance, of course, as a cinema, it’s heritage makes it fitting for film screening activities, but picture houses used to provide so much more than just a venue to watch films in, they were important community spaces to gather, to socialise and to come together for shared experiences. Since it is not possible to gather safely indoors under these present circumstances, we propose the building of an open-air space for communities to learn, to grow and to come together. Temporary redevelopment of Batson Street also serves to strengthen civic land advocacy within a neighbourhood suffering from varying intercultural tensions created by the disrepair and fly-tipping on this site, GAMIS sees this as an opportunity to make a significant impact on relationships between local residents. 

We’ve playfully titled this project the Bat. Lab. – short for ‘Batson Street Laboratory’ as we want this to act as an experimental melting-pot of civic ideas and methodologies for community engagement. Due to the closure of public buildings in response to the COVD-19 pandemic, as well as the lengthy timescales required for capital work to start on Govanhill Picture House, GAMIS are developing plans to establish a temporary outdoor creative space to the eastern gable of the building on Batson Street.

Research has indicated that language and cultural barriers often discourage many members of the local community from engaging in activities. Based on the reported success of our event for the Govanhill International Festival and other local events, we are working to create more high visibility projects, particularly out of doors. We want to become a recognisable and trusted presence in the neighbourhood, as individuals and as an organisation. Creating visibility and maintaining a regular presence on site will help us to build our relationships with people who live, work and shop nearby. We will create open-source programming opportunities, enabling artists, curators and community groups to programme films and events. Publicising the opportunities in many of the multiple languages spoken in Govanhill through mailouts, social media, posters and the press, to ensure that the programme has the potential to be as far reaching as possible.

Supported by Glasgow City Council’s City Action Plan – Animating Spaces Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Scotland Loves Local.