Scotland’s festival of graffiti and urban arts, Yardworks has grown to become one of Europe’s biggest and best celebrations of the extraordinary talent, skill and creativity amongst the global and local graffiti communities. Across two days, the concrete playground that is known as the Galvanizers Yard becomes a mess of colour, creativity and collaboration as urban artists and punters from across the globe come together to paint, draw, inspire, educate – or just hang out and enjoy some street food in the sunshine.
Since the first festival in 2017, the word has spread far and wide, with the festival now attracting the crème de la crème of the urban art and graffiti scene. I only started to visit SWG3 in 2018 and since then have become a regular visitor, becoming friends with Gaz Mac, the Studio Director and many of the artists and staff who work there.
Yardworks 2019 – Yardworks 2021 – Yardworks 2022 – Yardworks 2023
The Railway Arches
The route alongside the Clydeside Expressway, leading to the SWG3 complex, with it’s 27 railway arches, was thought to be marred by bad lighting, and ‘undesirable’ graffiti, used only by cyclists and avoided by pedestrians. Combining two ambitions — to create an outdoor gallery for people to enjoy street art, and to encourage the use of the path as a safe public walkway — Yardworks worked with Yorkhill Community Council, Sustans, DRS and Network Rail to gain funding to transform the stretch of 27 railway arches into Scotland’s largest outdoor gallery for street-based art.
[Arches 2019] – [Arches 2022] – [Arches 2023]
Jim's travels 