https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8157-1408
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ABSTRACT
This article examines the relationship between contemporary art spaces and ‘Do-It-Yourself’ (DIY) music in Glasgow. It demonstrates the continuity and interconnectedness of DIY music and art practices by considering the transition of galleries from ‘white cubes’ to music venues and spaces for social interaction. Following a brief overview of Glasgow’s urban renewal and cultural regeneration, it traces the emergence of the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) and Transmission and provides an outline of their organisational structure and policies. It then explores ethnographically how they have facilitated the cross-pollination between DIY music and contemporary art after the 2008 financial crisis. Approaching art galleries as social spaces that provide a platform for DIY musicians invites a holistic understanding of the reciprocal relationship between DIY music and contemporary art institutions in Glasgow. Therefore, the article considers in turn how these spaces were influenced by the ethics of DIY music. The malleability of contemporary art spaces and their relationship to the DIY ethos demonstrate that cultural policies should aim to strengthen the existing grassroots communities that form the bedrock of the city’s cultural scenes. This necessitates a move beyond the labels ‘post-industrial’ and ‘creative city’, thus decoupling cultural activities from the discourse of urban competition and Glasgow’s economic goals.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 High-profile examples include members of indie bands Franz Ferdinand and Travis who were GSA graduates; the collaboration between post-rock band Mogwai and artist Douglas Gordon in his documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait; and, more recently, artist, musician and writer Ross Sinclair curating an exhibition at the artist run space Queens Park Railway Club, entitled ‘Artists Who Make Music Musicians Who Make Art’.
2 http://www.cca-glasgow.com/blog/25-years-of-cca (accessed 16 November 2023).
3 http://www.cca-glasgow.com/blog/25-years-of-cca (accessed 16 November 2023).
4 https://www.cca-glasgow.com/blog/cultural-tenants (accessed 16 November 2023).
5 https://www.cca-glasgow.com/journal/open-source-programming (accessed 16 November 2023).
6 At the time of writing, CCA is facing renewed challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions and the economic aftermath of the pandemic.
7 https://www.transmissiongallery.org/Info#tab-about-overview (accessed 3 April 2022).
8 https://www.transmissiongallery.org/Info#tab-about-overview (accessed 3 April 2022).
9 https://www.transmissiongallery.org/Info#tab-about-membership (accessed 3 April 2022).
10 https://www.transmissiongallery.org/Info (accessed 3 April 2022).
11 https://mailchi.mp/5941e5be915a/transmissions-creative-scotland-funding-response-statement (Accessed 16 November 2023).
12 Personal names have been changed.
13 https://www.list.co.uk/article/41889-DIY-music-promoters-cry-parrot-turn-5/ (accessed 9 February 2023).
14 http://www.payingartists.org.uk/locations/cca-glasgow/ (accessed 9 February 2023).
15 http://web.archive.org/web/20150910024346/http://www.transmissiongallery.org/archive?year=2010 (accessed 16 November 2023).
16 https://www.transmissiongallery.org/Info (accessed 3 April 2022).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Evangelos Chrysagis
Evangelos Chrysagis holds a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh. His doctoral research explored the intersection of DIY music practices and ethics in Glasgow. Evangelos has co-edited Collaborative Intimacies in Music and Dance: Anthropologies of Sound and Movement (Berghahn 2017), a book that examines music and dance from a cross-cultural perspective; and a special issue on art and value for the Journal of Cultural Economy, entitled ‘Crafting Values: Economies, Ethics and Aesthetics of Artistic Valuation’ (2020). His latest output is a book chapter on ethnographic methods in the study of popular music and youth culture (Bloomsbury, 2023).