Final Friday, Gab returned for its fortieth version at Barras Artwork & Design in Glasgow. In case you’ve by no means been, Gab is the town’s vastly widespread design and creativity occasion collection, based and run by the crew at Jamhot.
For greater than a decade, they have been pulling collectively talks from designers, illustrators, animators, and makers of all stripes, staging them in among the most sudden venues – from ballrooms and breweries to music halls and former church buildings.
It is grassroots, not-for-profit, and run purely to present one thing again to the inventive group. Any revenue is donated to charity, which makes it really feel all of the extra real in a time when many occasions can really feel stuffy and company. That ethos has carried Gab by means of to its milestone fortieth night time, and it reveals. As a result of I used to be proper there, celebrating with them.
After spending a day exploring the town with Chloe Marie Doyle, aka The Chatty Freelancer, I rocked as much as Barras Artwork & Design – a becoming area that is uncooked, buzzing, and proper on the coronary heart of Glasgow’s inventive group.
Doorways opened at 7pm, however I used to be there slightly earlier to satisfy the crew and chat about all issues Gab and what they’ve deliberate subsequent. On lastly assembly the well-known Graeme McGowan, co-founder of Jamhot, I wished to know why Glasgow is particular for creatives. “It is a tremendous pleasant crowd,” he instructed me with a heat smile. “There isn’t any competitors in anyway. Everybody is aware of one another, and all of us look out for each other. I am undecided if it is like this elsewhere, however Glasgow’s inventive scene has at all times felt like a close-knit household. It is actually one thing particular.”
That was the impression I might bought, too. It felt vastly welcoming. After consuming pizza with Graeme and studying extra about his hometown, the room shortly stuffed with acquainted faces and newcomers alike, bringing with them a quiet vitality that felt each welcoming and electrical. It is the form of occasion the place you stumble upon outdated inventive friends whereas additionally discovering somebody new doing good work.
Inspiring Audio system
After we would all grabbed a pint and greeted these sat round us, we settled down for the talks. Kicking off the night time was Studio Blup, with co-founder Dines taking us inside their world of boundary-pushing design. Daring and loud, unapologetically experimental, their work set the tone for a night of inspiration.
Subsequent up was a trio of Glasgow-based expertise – Orla McAuliffe, Columba McCallum, and Lucy Stevenson – who completely blew us all away with their confidence and keenness. The gifted trio made a rallying name to the native business, asking everybody to take an opportunity on a graduate or faculty leaver, eager to get their first foot on the ladder. It was much less a chat, extra a manifesto – a strong reminder that recent voices want backing if the business desires to thrive.
After a brief break, Animade‘s Ed Barrett took the stage. As co-founder of one in every of London’s most revered animation studios, Ed introduced sharp insights into collaboration, play, and what it takes to maintain a studio’s inventive spark alive over the lengthy haul. I particularly cherished listening to about current initiatives, comparable to their Additional Good work for It is Good That (who?), and their social marketing campaign for LEGO, which helped carry folks collectively. Simply good.
Lucy Stevenson, Columba McCallum, and Orla McAuliffe
Columba McCallum, Lucy Stevenson and Orla McAuliffe
The Extras
One among Gab’s strengths has at all times been the best way it avoids being “simply talks”. This time, the night was hosted by Lisa Henderson of Ilka Studio who did an superior job of warming up the group. After which there was the band: Hugh Reed & The Velvet Underpants. In case you have been flagging after three talks, you were not anymore. The music, usually hilarious and stunning, injected a correct Glasgow twist, reminding everybody that Gab is as a lot a celebration as it’s an business night time. Large flying boxing glove, anybody?
Photographer Eoin Carey, whom we have featured on Artistic Growth earlier than, was readily available to seize all of it. The sense of event felt palpable – Gab at 40 was each a milestone and a marker of what makes Glasgow’s inventive scene so particular.
Hugh Reed & The Velvet Underpants
Why Gab Issues
Persevering with my chat with Graeme McGowan, it is clear the collection was by no means about self-promotion. It was about group – creating area for creatives to satisfy, study, and be impressed. Forty occasions in, that mission hasn’t modified. “It is quite a lot of arduous work, sure, however we love doing it. Nothing beats getting creatives in the identical area.”
In a metropolis that has given a lot to Jamhot, Graeme and the crew see Gab as a manner of giving again. And it really works. Each time you permit, you aren’t solely impressed by the audio system but additionally reminded of the richness of Glasgow’s inventive scene. “Why would not we need to do that?” mentioned Graeme cheekily, gesturing to the area, whereas the band’s humorous lead singer clambered over tables, nearly knocking over pints. It was an evening I will at all times bear in mind.
The following Gab hasn’t been introduced but, but it surely’s price conserving an eye fixed out. (Signal as much as the mailing listing!) When it comes round, do not overthink it – simply go. Present up, seize a pint, and let the night time unfold. You will go away with recent concepts, new contacts, and perhaps even a narrative or two price telling. I do know I did.
