Strange Field provides opportunities for creative experimentation, learning, and development, with a focus on underrepresented and early-stage career artists, and our local community, at both French Street and The Pipe Factory in Glasgow's East End.
Our vision is for accessible creative platforms to be embedded across Glasgow, at the heart of communities as catalysts for increased creative development, education and experimentation, and inclusion.
We do this by building a network of creative practitioners and educators that facilitate, support, and share work that is vital to the wellbeing of artists and the communities in which they exist.
Our Strategic Priorities are:
-
To support under-represented and early career artists and curators to test out new ideas and centre their creative development
-
To prioritise accessibility and resilience within the arts and ensure grassroots & artist-led creative activity is embedded across our organisation, where as much agency as possible is devolved to the level of the community.
-
To work with our local communities in Glasgow’s East End, as catalysts for creative change, improving quality of life through access to cultural activity for all ages.
We seek to establish and continuously strive for best practice around non-hierarchical governance, to understand how we can improve our working practices and organisational resilience.
ABOUT US
We deliver both an arts and community programme, in our ground floor spaces at both French Street and The Pipe Factory. We also provide a range of affordable studios for artists to develop their work, if you are interested in our studios please click here.
Strange Field Programme
We deliver a curated programme of exhibitions, events, residencies, and workshops, that centre our strategic priorities. Working in partnership with artists, organisations, and local communities, we develop projects throughout the year that prioritise early career and under-represented artists.
There is a focus on artist development throughout our approach, prioritising a supportive, collaborative, and horizontal approach to exhibition and event making. As part of this, we support a Programming Committee to develop their curatorial skills and gain experience to develop their own projects.
Open Source Programme
We offer subsidised venue hire and support for projects that fit with our strategic priorities and ethos, as well as for those based in the Calton, Dalmarnock and Dennistoun area (G40 & G31).
We see our Open Source Programme as part of our work to increase opportunities for artistic development by providing subsidised space for artist to test out and disseminate their ideas.
If you are interested in discussing programming opportunities with Strange Field, please get in touch or fill out our Creative Proposal form here.
Open Community Art School
We are working towards a new alternative arts education programme, in the form of an open community art school, which will be based within The Pipe Factory.
We aim to reach as diverse a student body as possible and to overcome barriers that prevent people from taking part in creative activity.
Open to the public, participants will be invited to work in a studio environment with other artists, to develop their practice and build their own curriculum from a range workshops and events.
WHAT WE DO
Between 2012 -2018, Strange Field ran a public programme at The Pipe Factory, that included residencies, exhibitions, events and publications.
During this period we supported over 500 artists, produced over 100 exhibitions and events and welcomed an audience of over 10,000 people. We also rescued the historic Pipe Factory building from disrepair with the aim of embedding a cultural resource, which is owned, run by, and for, both the creative and local community.
Strange Field is one of three founding members of Friends of The Pipe Factory CIC. In March 2021, Friends of The Pipe Factory purchased the Pipe Factory building as a community asset and in Jan 2023 were successfully awarded £1.9 million from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund to begin the final phase of renovation works.
As a founding member of Friends of the Pipe Factory CIC, our collective ambition is to form a home that fuels the creativity that will generate pathways to pursue individual learning and development in the fields of art, architecture, and design, with young people and our communities at its core. You can find out more about Friends of The Pipe Factory here.
To engage the local community with this next chapter in The Pipe Factory’s journey, Strange Field is currently delivering a creativity programme of workshops and events rooted in the Calton community.
In March 2021, Strange Field expanded to French Street in Dalmarnock. At French Street, we offer affordable artists' studios and an expansive exhibition space for creative programming.
OUR HISTORY
HOW TO FIND US
Car | Taxi | Drop Off
There is ample free parking directly outside the venue and surrounding streets. It takes only 5 minutes to drive from the city centre to the venue.
Accessible Parking
There is accessible parking directly outside the venue on French Street with ramp access for wheelchair users.
Train | Bus
The closest train station is Dalmarnock Train Station, which is only a 5 minute walk to the venue.
Glasgow Central Low Level trains to Dalmarnock depart every 10-15mins and directional signage will lead you straight to the venue.
First Bus Number 18 and Number 263 both depart from Ingram Street opposite GOMA to Dalmarnock's Bartholomew Street on Dalmarnock Road. Bus journey time is 14mins
Active | Foot | Bike
From Glasgow Green/Glasgow city centre it takes approx 20 mins to walk and only 6 mins to cycle, skate or scoot.
French Street is connected to several national cycle routes.