Multi-Story is an evolving long-term project, aiming to initiate lasting pathways across communities. It recognises issues raised by forced migration and displacement for both the refugee/asylum seeking and host communities. It aims to celebrate different cultural traditions; stimulate a creative exchange of ideas and experiences and provide a channel for expression across the communities we work with.
Multi-Story was initiated in 2004 by Street Level Photoworks in partnership with the YMCA, Glasgow and supported by the Scottish Refuge Council.
The website was launched in March 2005, accompanied by an exhibition at Street Level’s gallery in Glasgow City Centre.
Springburn, North Glasgow
Springburn has a rich industrial past and the flats that make up the Red Road estate were the tallest in Europe at the time of their construction in the mid-60’s and were seen as a flagship of Glasgow City Council’s social housing initiatives. The social environment within the area today is one of deprivation and there is lack of activities and resources for the whole community.
Preparation has begun on the first phase of the transformation of the area, which will include the demolition of one of the largest of the eight Red Road tower blocks.
Given the pending transformation of the area physically it is a pertinent time for artists to be engaging with the community to both document the physical transformation in the area and offer channels for local residents to comment and reflect on these changes for themselves.
Multi-Story continues to develop through an extended partnership network and new workshop modules are due to begin in the summer of 2007, within Red Road and further afield across the city.
About Street Level Photoworks
Street Level promotes the creative use of photomedia and aims to make artistic production accessible, both physically and intellectually, to a wide audience. Recognised for its integrated practice, the organisation presents an on-going series of challenging exhibitions; an education and outreach programme; open access facilities and training courses for artists and the public.
The exhibitions programme supports new artistic practices in photography and media art. This includes both emerging and established artists from local, national and international sources. It seeks out innovation at home and prioritises the production of new work made within Scotland, alongside distinctive work from further afield and normally one exhibition per year with an international connection.
The education programme involves a range of outreach work and in-house projects with community groups and agencies working across areas of social inclusion and lifelong learning, plus education services with the voluntary sector, schools, local authorities and other arts organisations. The programme seeks to enable the creativity of non-artists and to present their work in the public arena as a result of key projects.
For more information please email info@multi-story.org
Project Partner - YMCA, Glasgow
This project has been developed in partnership with the YMCA, Glasgow. The creative workshop sessions were held in the Community Resource on the 28th Floor of the YMCA, Central Branch, Glasgow which provides accommodation for approx. 200 asylum seekers over 31 floors. In the first phase of the project introductions to digital recording, digital video/photography and imaging were run on a weekly basis between November 2003 and March 2004
The Artists
Photography workshops / coordination: Iseult TimmermansDigital artist / website design: Lindsay Perth
Photography Arts Worker : Basharat Khan
Funders:
'This product has been part funded by the ESF under the Equal Community Initiative Programme. The contents do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the European Commission or the Department for Work and Pensions.'
