Groundbreaking Glasgow exhibition space CCA has been forced to shut permanently

In another blow for the UK’s cultural institution, a beloved arts centre in Glasgow has been forced to shut up shop after 34 years. The Glasgow Centre For Contemporary Arts (CCA) permanently closed its doors last week, apparetnyl after serious concerns were raised about its finances, the BBC reported.  

The creative hub comprising an art gallery, performance space, café, cinema and offices was founded in 1992. In a shock move, all staff at the venue have been made redundant just a year after the CCA secured three years of funding, worth £3.4 million, from arts body Creative Scotland. 

The centre on Sauchiehall Street has been involved in a number of rows in recent years, including disagreements with the Art Workers for Palestine group that had been urging the CCA to boycott Israel. A social media account claiming to be run by a whistleblower at the CCA said of issues with payments, unexplained expenses and financial irregularities. The Unite Hospitality union told the BBC that employees were informed of job losses via an online video call with one day’s notice. 

All upcoming events at the CCA have now been cancelled and the doors have been closed since Friday, January 31. In a statement, the board said it had been ‘unable to achieve a sustainable financial position’ and was entering liquidation.

A petition has been started asking the Scottish government and Creative Scotland to save the venue, which at the time of writing had 1,120 signatures. 

‘CCA is not simply a building or an organisation, it is a vital cultural institution that has supported artists, audiences and communities in Scotland for decades,’ the petition said. ‘It provides a central space, resources, connection and visibility for artists, arts organisations and our communities. The loss of the CCA would represent a profound and irreversible blow to Scotland’s cultural ecosystem.

‘At a time when artists and cultural workers are facing rising costs, reduced funding and increasing precarity, allowing a cornerstone organisation like CCA to be liquidated sends a devastating message about the value placed on arts and culture in Scotland. Once this infrastructure is lost, it cannot be easily rebuilt.’

On the plus side, one of the UK’s greatest regional art galleries will reopen next month. 

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