Stitching together the stories of Sauchiehall Street!
Soft City is a community art project that will deep dive into the history of Sauchiehall Street and the stories of the people who visit it.
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Through a series of chat ‘n’ craft workshops, we will work together to create a soft sculpture model of Sauchiehall Street.
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Everyone is welcome to take part, whether you're new to craft or an expert stitcher!
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Soft City aims to diversify the voices who have a say in the regeneration of Glasgow's City Centre.
We want to engage communities in reclaiming their heritage and shared spaces, by exploring the many reincarnations of Sauchiehall Street.
Using Feminist City thinking, together we will imagine what a safer, more accessible city centre could look like for everyone.
We are Ellie and Alice, two Glasgow-based artists, interested in storytelling, crafting, sustainability and collaborative making. Together, we love to work on community-focused projects, creating playful, immersive worlds for people to explore.
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Ellie
Alice
Your contribution will become part of the collaborative art project. Whether a story, activity pack or workshop, all contributions will be included in the big soft sculpture model of Sauchiehall Street. This will be exhibited on Sauchiehall street in Spring 2025 - we hope you can come along to spot your piece!
Your Voice Matters!
Get Involved
There are 3 easy & free ways to take part. Choose what works best for you - one, two, or all three!
Join a Workshop
Connect with others whilst learning and sharing craft skills in a supportive, relaxed environment. Bit by bit, we will use textile crafts to make a big soft street!
Share your Memories of Sauchiehall Street
Think of Sauchiehall Street - what places come to mind? Is there somewhere on the street that sparks a memory: a great gig or a bargain purchase, a trip with a friend or a first date? Somewhere you used to go with your gran, a favourite pub, or a community space that has made you feel welcome - everyday stories are what makes a place unique, so we want a peek into what and where matters to you!
Feel free to answer one or as many prompts as you like – we’d love to hear from you!
If possible, include an approximate year of your memory
Read other people's stories of the street...
172 Sauchiehall St, 1938, courtesy of Mitchell Library (C6999)
Photo from 1975, courtesy of Aileen Ahmed
199 Sauchiehall St, Edward House, 2024
185 Sauchiehall St, Vacant, 2024
304 Sauchiehall St, 1931, courtesy of Mitchell Library (C5048)
Shelagh Mckay Jones
Story of the Barefoot Busker - 1990's
“I have fond memories of busking barefoot outside C&A back in the early '90s. It was The Sunny Boys' regular busking spot, but I didn’t know that at the time. They came along and were so nice about it. When I realised who they were, I thought they might be annoyed, but they were lovely.
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It was a hive of activity back then, and people seemed more interested in buskers than they do now. Most buskers were unplugged, which meant you could have a lot of them on one street. It was great.
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I was doing a lot of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Kate Wolf, John Denver, etc. Bit of a hippie back then. I'd just got back from doing voluntary work with Mother Teresa's organisation in Calcutta. I play guitar – it’s a bit big for me since I’m quite wee, haha. I had long brown hair back then and wore long hippie skirts and dresses, all in bright colours.
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That was 1991. I lived in a bedsit in Pollokshields for six months that year. The old guy from Shettleston was still around with his accordion, and there was also the fella who played two tin whistles in perfect harmony simultaneously."
Sauchiehall St, near Pitt St, 1958, courtesy of Mitchell Library (C2696)
"I believe stories matter. They frame how we perceive the past and the present, shape our capacity for empathy with others, and most critically, mould the range of potential outcomes that we both desire and imagine."
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Leslie Kern
Gentrification is Inevitable and Other Lies
Craft Packs
'Little Windows'
A window into what matters to you, reflecting the day-to-day life of Sauchiehall street…
Get Stitching OR Make a Fabric Collage
Sew
Craft
Pack
Needles & threads
Story tag
+ Activity instructions
Soft City zine
Backing fabric
Fabric scraps
Story tag
No Sew
Craft
Pack
Soft City zine
Backing fabric
+ Activity instructions
Sticky back felt
Fabric scraps
Pick up a craft pack (or have it delivered) with everything you'll need to take part. We've made a 'Sew' and a 'No Sew' option to suit all ages & abilities!
With the craft supplies provided in these packs, you can make a fabric patch. When it's handed in, your patch will then become one of the little windows on the collaborative soft sculpture model of Sauchiehall Street.
Craft Packs will be available to collect from the 21st of January
Please return packs by 3pm, February 28th 2025
Pick up a Craft Pack from the following places:
When you're done, drop it back at one of the collection points or post it to:
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Sauchiehall Street Culture & Heritage District project space
Edward House,
199 Sauchiehall St,
Glasgow G2 3EX
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Opening times:
Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday: 12pm–5pm
Opening times:
Tuesday: 10.30am-1.30pm during community cafe hours
Can't pick it up? We can post it to you!
Craft Packs will be posted from the 20th of January
Join a Workshop
All workshops are free & open to all skill levels*
Come get crafty! Connect with others whilst learning and sharing craft skills in a supportive, relaxed environment. Everyone is welcome to take part, whether you're new to craft or an expert stitcher. Together we will use different textile crafts and techniques to make a big soft street!
*These workshops are aimed at adults but children aged 11+ are welcome at the daytime sessions, if accompanied by a participating parent or guardian. Parents with babies are very welcome! - We have Activity Packs so children can take part too, click here to see more details.
Secure your free ticket using the links below, or simply drop by on the day. Please note: venue capacity is limited, and entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
- wheelchair accessible venue
These are drop in workshops, so come whenever suits you and stay as long as you like - 10 minutes or 3 hours!
We will have different stations set up where you can try things like weaving, embroidery, patchwork and fabric painting We will also share some make-do-and-mend visible mending techniques, for rips or holes, so feel free to bring along something that needs fixed!
Free tea & coffee is available.
If you have any additional access needs, please contact us in advance and we will do whatever we can to accommodate. If you have any additional access requirements or questions please contact us on: alicedotbrown@gmail.com
News Article, 1975, The Sunday Post
Uncover the Stories & Social Heritage of Sauchiehall Street
Sauchiehall Street has worn many faces over the years. Once a country lane, it’s also been home to an ice rink, a circus, a shopping hub, a lively place to dance, a centre of learning, and a vibrant spot to enjoy a drink!
She's been through her fair share of highs & lows!
Looking east from Cambridge St, 1960,
courtesy of the Mitchell Library (C3601)
Charing Cross Mansions; shop fronts, 1930's, courtesy of the Mitchell Library (C7072)
An extract from a letter, describing the changes to the street, Agnes Toward writes to her friend Elsie, 1958
- Tenement House Collection
RESOURCE
LINKS
Here’s a wee list of our fav resources for you!
Fancy digging deeper into Sauchiehall Street’s heritage
& feminist city thinking?
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Sauchiehall St, 1958 courtesy of Mitchell Library C1823)
Book - Feminist City, Leslie Kern
In Feminist City, Kern examines how cities have been built to prioritise middle-class male, able-bodied needs and envisions transformative, inclusive spaces for a more equitable urban future.
Podcast - If Glasgow Walls Could Talk
By Glasgow City Heritage Trust, this podcast explores the relationship, stories and shared memories of Glasgow's historic buildings and the city's communities.
Newspaper - Remnants
Remnants - "How you build a city" is a free newspaper about Glasgow's Merchant City, commissioned by Panel in partnership with Voices of Experience for Civic Room’s programme ‘Of Lovely Tyrants and Invisible Women', 2019–20.
Library & Archives - Glasgow Women's Library
Celebrating and documenting the lives, work and achievements of women, GWL is an incredible resource. Did you know the original Women's Library was in Garnethill? The Library also has a walking tour of women's heritage in Garnethill, which you can download for free here.
Library & Archives - Mitchell Library
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A fantastic library! On level 5 you'll find the newspaper archives and loads of books about the history of Glasgow. They also have a large historical archive collection, as well as the 'Virtual Mitchell', an online resource of photographs of Glasgow from the archives.
Walking Tours - Kevin Morrison
Kevin Morrison wrote his PHD on wartime Glasgow. He is a wealth of knowledge! He has run walking tours of Sauchiehall Street as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival - keep an eye out for future tours!
Museum - Tenement House
Step back in time in this preserved historic tenement flat nestled at the motorway end of Garnethill, a really fascinating place to explore the life of an ordinary Glaswegian in the early 20th century.
Interactive Map - Scotland LGBT Historical Maps
A map to explore queer history in Scotland from 1885-1995, noting queer friendly bars and venues and places of significance to the gay community. There is also some really interesting information below the map about queer history in Glasgow - research and map by Jeff Meek.
Craft Links
Here are some helpful links to guide you in creating your little windows for your craft pack. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
P.S. - A little tip: Don’t stress about making it perfect—just have fun with the process!
Sewing
A run through the basics of hand sewing
A beginners guide to embroidery
Some more intricate
stitch ideas!
A few techniques to fill an area using embroidery.
Fancy trying some elaborate stitching?
Appliqué
Get some tips on how to sew on fabrics to your window.
The blanket stitch can be used in appliqué!
Collage
Some tips and tricks to creating your felt collage
Some collage ideas for wee ones
Inspiration and ideas for collaging and layering
A small scale collage making tutorial
Add a wee character into your design
This project was commissioned by Glasgow Life as part of their programme for Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District, and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.​​
