This autumn marks a major milestone for Glasgow’s East End as Platform at The Bridge celebrates 20 years of participatory arts, community outreach, and world-class programming in Easterhouse.
First opening its doors in autumn 2006 as part of the award-winning Bridge complex, Platform has spent two decades making performance, music, and visual art radically accessible to its local community. Demonstrating that commitment, starting ticket prices remain just £5 – having increased by only 50p over the past 20 years.
To mark two decades, Platform launched an ambitious year-long campaign supporting, creating, and delivering 26 creative projects and live events. The festivities culminate on Friday, 23 October 2026 with Made in Easterhouse 2026 – a multi-artform festival come birthday celebration taking over the space from 4pm to 10pm.
For Performance Programmer Eoin McKenzie, who co-programmed the festival alongside Visual Arts Programmer Margaret McCormick, the milestone represents a personal full-circle journey. McKenzie first attended drama groups at Platform as a child when the building first opened, later stepping into leadership roles, performing in past festivals, and eventually joining the programming team.
"Made in Easterhouse feels like a chance to celebrate not just what has happened here over the last two decades, but the particular kind of arts centre Platform has become – and what it might become next," McKenzie reflects. "Across a much wider programme of live music, performance, participation and visual art, artists including Sacred Paws and David Sherry sit alongside work that has grown directly out of the building. Yer Da Works At Tesco, for example, is an anarchic anti-capitalist performance made by Monday Night Drama – a group of teenagers who meet at Platform every week to make performance."
The festival lineup itself reflects Platform’s blend of grassroots community participation and celebrated Scottish talent, here’s a look at what to expect throughout the day:
Cranhill Arts’ Glaswegians: The biggest showing in 35 years of a landmark 1989 photographic initiative, where 22 local residents captured nearly 40,000 portraits of fellow citizens.
Live Music: Headline sets and birthday gigs featuring Sacred Paws & Pals, DICK50 featuring L + R.AGGS, and an Akashic Records Listening Outpost.
Glasgow Library of Synthesised Sound (GLOSS): A collaborative Make An Album In A Day session followed by an evening album launch party.
Interactive & Visual Arts: Live screen printing with Print Clan, live portrait painting with Project Ability, happenings from artist David Sherry, and new work from Durty Beanz.
Legacy & Archival Writing: Writer Helen Charman will spend time with Platform’s archive and community, creating a dedicated legacy piece exploring the question: What is an arts centre for?
Reflecting on two decades of activity, Platform’s Artistic Director Matt Addicott says: "In that time, we’ve hosted art and artists from across the world here in Easterhouse and supported communities to watch, participate and collaborate in this work... As we gear up for the Made in Easterhouse 2026 festival on 23 October we make a nod to the multi-artform celebrations which have formed a key part of our programming over the past 20 years... Those moments when you find something you were not expecting, a new artist to follow, a new artform to try or just a great day or night out."
So if you’re free this Friday (October 23rd), why not pop along to Platform in Easterhouse to join in the celebrations? Kicking off at 4pm, tickets start at £5 here.
