Agile City Newsletter – September / October 2025
Hello again Agile City Community!
It’s getting pretty autumnal out there isn’t it? And while we should all make sure to prioritise time to kick the leaves and bask in coppery glow, remember this – we’re only human. Retreat back inside before your hands get too cold.
We’ve a lot to warm your cockles with this month at Agile City – music, arts, culture galore. So layer up and get toasty.
— Read on to find out more —
Upcoming Events:
Of Us & Others – The Alasdair Gray Archive’s Creative Commission
Saturday 4th October, 12:00 – 17:00
Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Of Us & Others is the result of The Alasdair Gray Archive’s inaugural visual art Creative Commission with Maya Rose Edwards, supported by Creative Scotland Open Fund and Ed Morgan Trust. Edwards has created a new film which will screen for one day only at Civic House, from 12–5pm, on a rolling loop.
Inspired by WWI “camouflage trees”—hollow structures used for covert observation—Edwards created two sculptural installations designed as spaces for live, anonymous conversations between LGBTQIA+ thinkers. These discussions took place across various locations in Glasgow and explored themes common to the works of Alasdair Gray and Edwin Morgan, including imagined futures, kinship, and queer identity. Notably, participants—including poets, artists, researchers, young people, and activists—engaged without prior acquaintance, connected only through the broader LGBTQ+ community.
Of Us & Others is a montage of voices, ideas, and places—held together by the structural metaphor of the camouflage tree and the resonant power of what remains unsaid.
Nordic Music Journeys 2025
Monday 6th October, 13:00
Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Scottish Ensemble presents a 60-minute showcase of short works by Swedish and Scottish composers, exploring everything from birdsong to industrial heritage, shadows to vibrant colour, wild cabbage to slate foundations. Expect innovation, contrast, and adventure in this special legacy performance born of Nordic Music Days 2024.
A second concert follows at 3pm, focusing on immersive soundscapes. Tickets to both events are available for just £1 extra.
Book your tickets via the eventbrite listing now.
KIN-TU x Berlin – Building Global Connections
Wednesday 8th October, 18:00 – 22:00
Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Join us for an evening of conversation and connection as part of the Glasgow leg of the KIN-TU x Berlin project — a Creative Scotland-supported initiative exploring sustainability, ethical artist development, and international collaboration in independent music.
Hear from key voices in Berlin and Glasgow’s DIY scenes, including Young Lychee (Raider Records), Suz O’Neill (Radio Buena Vida), and Camilla Rae (Body Language Collective), as they share insights on community-building, artist support, and cross-border creative exchange.
The night includes a Q&A, networking mixer, and music from Kin-Tu Records. Attendees also receive free or discounted entry to the KIN-TU Halloween Special at the Berkeley Suite later in the month.
For more information, and to RSVP, please follow the link here.
Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2025
Thursday 23rd October, 11:00 – 18:00 / 19:00 ‑ 21:00
Friday 24th October, 11:00 ‑ 17:00
Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Civic House is delighted to be part of this year’s Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF), a nationwide celebration that explores the relationship between creativity and mental health through diverse and thought-provoking artistic programming.
On Thursday 23 October, Civic House will host Are You Sitting Comfortably?, a one-day programme (11am–6pm) featuring powerful new work-in-progress theatre pieces by Emma Lynne Harley, Milly Sweeney, Ese Ighorae and Skye Loneragan. The event also includes installations, creative conversations and interactive moments, offering audiences the chance to engage with bold, emerging voices in mental health-themed performance.
The day will be followed by A Kick Up the Arts (7–9pm), a special evening of music and conversation in partnership with BBC Scotland broadcaster Nicola Meighan’s acclaimed podcast. Singer-songwriters Emma Pollock, Amy Duncan and Jo Mango will join Nicola to explore how creativity intersects with their lived experiences of mental health, performing and reflecting on their journeys through song and dialogue.
Both events are part of SMHAF’s commitment to fostering open, inclusive conversations around mental health through the arts.
‘Pay what you can’ tickets are available now.
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Join us at Civic House the following morning, when SMHAF presents our final host event of this years festival, Participatory Arts and Mental Health Symposium, bringing together artists and organisations from across Scotland to share experiences of working creatively with people with lived experience of long-term mental health difficulties.
Tickets for this event are free, and are also available via the SMHAF website.
Events Recap:
Beautiful banner made by SfD member Arwen.
Scotland for Decrim
On 1 September, Scotland for Decrim, a grassroots campaign fighting for the full decriminalisation of sex work in Scotland, hosted its first public event at Civic House. A screening of Open Clasp’s Mycelial was followed by a panel discussion about the collaborative process of writing and creating the play, sex worker rights, and the laws in Scotland surrounding sex work.
Scotland for Decrim’s Nina Hart led the conversation with Mycelial’s writer and Artistic Director Catrina McHugh, Lynsey, the CEO of National Ugly Mugs, Laura Baillie, SfD’s Political Officer, and Victoria, a Scottish sex worker. After a moving panel discussion, audience members got the chance to ask questions. Another exciting first for the group was the quiet launch of SfD’s merch: A tote bag with the group’s logo on it.
It was a pleasure to host this event, and it encapsulates exactly what we strive for our buildings to provide – a safe space for discussion and change.
University of Glasgow GALLANT Project
The second Community Co-Design Workshop, led by designer Alicia Storie with support from the GALLANT team, brought local residents together to reimagine shared spaces through sustainable design thinking. The session, Designing a Collective Home for the Community, encouraged participants to reflect on what they value in their neighbourhoods, identify challenges and opportunities, and frame shared design questions around wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusion.
Using clay prototyping and a library of natural materials, attendees experimented with forms, layouts, and features to spark ideas for eco-friendly community spaces.
This event was part of Sustainable Design for Home and Community: A Four-Part Workshop Series, which offers creative, hands-on sessions on eco-interiors, community-led design, and nature-based creativity. Each workshop provides participants with practical tools and inspiration to foster sustainable change in the home and neighbourhood.”
The next event in the series is on Tuesday 21 October. Please sign up here.
Trestle Desk, now available at Civic House Studio
Step Up to Net Zero
Civic House was delighted to host the latest instalment of Step Up to Net Zero last month – a fully funded programme from Glasgow City Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, delivered by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. Their Embedding Change & Creating a Legacy event welcomed participants from across the city, including QTV, Pure Roasters, and Glasgow City Council, for an afternoon focused on driving sustainable change within their organisations.
We’re always glad to be involved with SUTNZ, who drive important work helping businesses on their sustainability journey while creating meaningful, funded work placements across the city. To find out more about these sessions and how to get involved, visit their website here.
News & Updates:
Looking for a more permanent workspace to call your own? Our Trestle Desk at Civic House Studio could be just what you need.
For £160/month, you’ll get your own dedicated desk with 24/7 access —perfect for freelancers, creatives, or small company bases looking to settle into a supportive, inspiring environment.
Join our growing community of designers, social enterprises, and sustainability-focused professionals, all working under one roof in the heart of North Glasgow.
Ready to make the move? Enquire via hello@agile-city.com to find out more or arrange a visit.
Thank you to everyone who created, planned, attended and contributed to all the wonderful activities across campus this month.
We look forward to seeing you soon!