Tramway:

Tramway is one of Europe’s most celebrated ‘found spaces’ and one of its most significant multi-purpose performance and exhibition venues. With an emphasis on the contemporary and experimental, it provides both a showcase for international work and a focus for young Scottish artists.

The building offers an unrivalled range of performance, exhibition and workshop space in a unique environment. Its Café Bar is hugely popular with people of all ages from the local community and beyond, offering a wide range of food and refreshments. Walking through Tamway you will find The Hidden Gardens, an award winning community project and Scotland’s first permanent public garden.

In September 2009 Scottish Ballet’s new headquarters opened, with offices, rehearsal and technical space adjoining Tramway on two levels. This adds a new dimension to Tramway, as one of Scotland’s national companies becomes a partner organisation.

Tramway is owned by Glasgow City Council and programmed and managed by Culture & Sport Glasgow.
You can find out more about Tramway, the venue and its programme, by visiting the website: http://www.tramway.org

The Project in Detail:

The Tramway Footprints project was launched in November 2009. It arose in response to the need for greater engagement with four audience groups, and to enhance Tramway’s development through collaborative relationships with the public.

The groups will explore all the aspects of the venue, and reflect on the role of Tramway in their lives and the places where they live.  The learning journey will have a simple structure – active investigation followed by reflection, which will prompt more questions – this is Action Research.

Innovative use of social media and web 2.0 technologies will support the process, allowing participants to record their ideas and experiences online, and continue discussions started at Tramway.  A coordinated social media strategy on Facebook and Twitter has already proved a valuable asset for Tramway, and this activity will continue.

Having mapped out their connections to Tramway with a dedicated research team, each group will have the opportunity to present their impressions to members of staff.  This ensures that each group’s voice is heard.  The progress of each group will be fed back to Tramway management in real time, and the findings that arise from the whole 18month action research project will be shaped into a report.

Through meaningful conversations, the project will provide information about Tramway’s current and potential audiences, visitors and participants. This will help  influence programming, marketing and communications initiatives to better meet the needs of the public.

The project aims not only to significantly increase attendance at the venue, but also to deepen the engagement of those who do attend.

This project is funded by the Scottish Arts Council and supported by Glasgow City Council through Culture and Sport Glasgow.