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The Tramway Theatre in Glasgow is one of the leading venues for contemporary visual and performing arts venues in Europe.

Located in the South Side of Glasgow, the Tramway is regarded as Scotland’s most internationally acclaimed venue for contemporary visual and performing art.  This reputation is founded on the tramway’s commitment to the presentation of the most innovative work by Scottish and international artists.

The building itself has very distinctive architecture, arising from it’s origins as a tram shed in the late 19th century, and in the early 20th century as Glasgow’s main Tram terminus, depot and factory.

In the 1960′s trams were being phased out, and the building was then used as Glasgow’s museum of transport.  It was only when the transport museum moved to the Kelvin Hall that the Tramway Theatre was born.

The history of the venue, alongside its unique character, has ensured that Tramway is a wonderfully original place to produce and experience the best in contemporary art.

In addition to their wide programme of exhibitions, theatre, performance and experimental art, the Tramway regularly runs workshops and classes within their visual arts studio:  Portfolio Preparation, Evening Life Classes, Skill Based Workshops, Design Based Workshops and Saturday Art Workshops to name but a few.

Details of performances and exhibitions are available on the Tramway’s website.

Getting There

The Tramway Theatre is located on the south side of the city on Albert Drive. There are many ways to get to the Tramway Theatre including various buses which go along Pollockshaws Rd (the main Road mearby).  The closest train station is Pollockshields East.

Parking

On street parking is available although it can be busy when there are performances taking place.

Tel: 0141 287 2999
Email: history_and_glasgow@ gcl.glasgow.gov.uk

Admission: Free

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday & Saturday 9am-5pm; closed on Sunday.

Europe’s largest reference library takes its name from the tobacco tycoon, Stephen Mitchell.

The Mitchell library was founded in 1874 and has been open to the public since 1911, it now houses over 1 million books and documents.

Wander around the spacious rooms and admire the beauty of this magnificent building.  The hallmark of the Mitchell Library is its majestic dome, which features the visage of Minerva, goddess of wisdom.

There is a huge selection of aerial photography covering most of Glasgow and it’s an excellent place to visit if you are interested in Glasgow’s history.

To make the resources of the Mitchell Library more accessible, a selection of photographs and other images of the city have been digitised.  The digitised material is of local and historical interest, featuring Glasgow’s buildings and streets as well as showing Glasgow’s people going about their daily lives.  Although the selection is a very small portion of the collection held within the library, this online collection is a great place to start browsing.

Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery

Tel:  0141 330 5431

Admission:  Free with the exception of Mackintosh House which is £3/£2 concession, but free on a Wednesday after 2pm.

Opening hours:  All 4 of the buildings are open Mon – Sat, 9am – 5pm with the exception of the Zoology Museum which is closed on Saturdays.  All of the buildings are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Opened in 1870, the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery is the oldest public museum in Scotland.

The museum first opened in 1807, in a specially constructed building off the High Street, adjoining the original campus of the University.  When the University moved west to its new site at Gilmorehill (to escape crowding and pollution in the city centre) the museum moved too.  In 1870 the Hunterian collections were transferred to the University’s present site and assigned halls within Sir George Gilbert Scott’s neo-Gothic building.

The Hunterian is separated into 4 different sections, located in various buildings on the main campus of the University in the west end of Glasgow.  At first the entire collection was housed together, and displayed in the packed conditions common in museums of that time, but significant sections were later moved away to other parts of the University.  The Zoological collections are now housed within the Graham Kerr Building, the art collections in the Hunterian Art Gallery, and the books and manuscripts in Glasgow University Library.  Hunter’s anatomical collections are housed in the Allen Thomson Building, and his pathological preparations at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow.

The Hunterian Museum
Housed in large halls in George Gilbert Scott’s University buildings on Gilmorehill, the museum features extensive displays relating to William Hunter and his collections, Roman Scotland (especially the Antonine Wall, geology, ethnography, ancient Egypt, scientific instruments, coins and medals, and much more.

The Zoology Museum
Most of the zoology collections, including those of William Hunter, are displayed in a separate museum within the Graham Kerr building, which also houses most of the University’s zoological research and teaching.  This is also open to the general public.  The insect collections are particularly important and extensive, and are the feature of some excellent recent displays.

The Hunterian Gallery
The Hunterian Art Gallery is now housed in a modern, custom-built facility that is part of the extensive Glasgow University Library complex.  This displays the University’s extensive art collection, and features an outdoor sculpture garden.  The bas relief aluminium doors to the Hunterian Gallery were designed by sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi.  The gallery’s collection includes a large number of the works of James McNeill Whistler and the majority of the watercolours of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The Mackintosh House
The Mackintosh House is a modern concrete building, part of the gallery-library complex.  It stands on the site of one of two rows of terraced houses which were once sections of Hillhead Street and Southpark Avenue, demolished in the 1960s to make room for the University’s expansion across the residential crown of Gilmorehill.  One of the buildings lost, 78 Southpark Avenue, was formerly a home to Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  The University rebuilt the form of the house (using modern materials) approximately 100 metres from the site of the original.  Due to its displacement, one door now hangs precariously above a 20 foot drop, the ground on what was once Hillhead Street having been radically excavated during the construction.  The Mackintosh House features some of the original woodwork of the old terraced house, and has been furnished entirely to Mackintosh’s design, with original decorations and furniture.

Getting there
The Hunterian is located in the West End of Glasgow just off Byres Rd, and thus is very well connected to the rest of the city via public transport.  The nearest subway station is Hillhead.

Parking
At weekends, free campus parking is available approximately 100m from the Museum and Art Gallery entrances.  Access to parking is from the Main Gate in University Avenue.  There is also pay and display parking available on University Avenue and along Kelvin Way.  Disabled parking is available within the university campus; entry is through the main gate in University Avenue.

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre

Tel: 0870 040 4000‎

See what’s coming up at the SECC

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), located at Finnieston Quay on the north bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, is Scotland’s national venue for public events.

Opened in 1985, the SECC occupies a massive 64 acres (260,000 m²) of land, and has five main exhibition halls, the largest of which can seat up to 12,500 people.  Then in 1995, construction began on a new building; the Clyde Auditorium, which was to become part of the SECC complex.  Designed by award-winning architect Sir Norman Foster and known as “the armadillo” among Glaswegians, this new 3,000 capacity building was completed in 1997.

The SECC hosts numerous music concerts, exhibitions and professional conferences.  Past events have included the second Eurovision Dance Contest in 2008, the Scottish Wedding Show, the Scottish Golf Show, and performers such as Elton John, Michael Ball, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Green Day and Pink.  The SECC also hosts the annual World Snooker Grand Prix Championship every October.

How to get to the SECC View map

• By rail:  Exhibition Centre station is SECC’s own dedicated railway station allowing easy access from the city centre and the suburbs.  Six trains an hour from Central Station (lower level) will bring you to Exhibition Centre station in a journey time of just three minutes.  Call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 for timetable and price details.
• By bus:  From the airport, First Bus 757 service operates daily (every 30 minutes) to and from Glasgow city centre or the airport from the SECC.  A single fare to or from the SECC from Buchanan Bus Station on service 757 costs £2.00.
• By taxi:  There are taxi ranks throughout the city. Main pick-up points include Buchanan Bus Station, Queen Street and Central Stations and most large hotels.  An average journey from the city centre will cost around £5.00.
• By car:  SECC is just off Junction 19 of the M8 motorway.  From the M8 take the westbound Clydeside Expressway (A8414).  Exit at ‘SECC West’ slip which takes you straight to the SECC parking.  On-site parking is available for over 2,500 vehicles at £5.00 per car per visit.
• By bike:  Cyclists can use the covered walkway from the Exhibiton Centre Station for travelling to and from the city centre.  National Cycle Routes 7 and 75 cross the SECC site at Bell’s bridge.
• On foot:  There is a covered walkway from the Exhibition Centre Station to the SECC which takes you across the Expressway.  This is around a 10 minute walk from the West End of Glasgow, and around 20 minutes from the city centre.

To find out more about the SECC, visit the SECC website.  If you would like to know what’s on at the SECC, visit the SECC ticket website.

Centre for Contemporary Arts

Tel:  0141 332 7521

Email: info@cca-glasgow.com
Website: www.cca-glasgow.com

Admission: Many of the art exhibitions are free, as are some other events.  For more information about ticketing please visit the CCA website.

Opening hours:  Events and exhibitions are on at various times, and each day is different at the CCA.  Please check the website for details.

The world reknowned Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) is an art gallery, performance space, cafe, and cinema on Sauchiehall Street, in Glasgow.

CCA is a unique contemporary arts organisation in the centre of Glasgow at the heart of the vibrant cultural community.

CCA’s artistic and educational programme primarily focuses on visual arts, contemporary music and film.  With it’s eclectic programme offering such varied exhibitions and events there is always something interesting going on at the CCA.

Housed in the restored Grecian Chambers, a category A listed building, designed by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, the centre is established and recognised as one of Europe’s leading contemporary galleries.  It curates six major exhibitions a year, showing a wide range of Scottish and international contemporary art, as well as being home to Intermedia Gallery for emerging artists.  Fast developing a reputation for world class improvised, experimental and electronic music, CCA also screens unique independent short, dance and documentary films which can only be seen at the CCA.

For more information or to find out what’s on in the CCA Glasgow, visit the CCA website.