Glasgow's cultural legacy

Audiences of more than 2.1m actively engaged with the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, research has revealed.

Throughout Scotland’s biggest ever nationwide, cultural celebration, more than 12,000 events took place, including over 3,000 performances, 3,600 exhibition days and more than 5,600 learning and outreach sessions during this unprecedented cultural celebration, accompanying Glasgow and Scotland’s hosting of the best ever Commonwealth Games.  

Launched in July 2013, the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme consisted of two strands: the Scotland-wide programme of activity, Culture 2014 and the Games-time Glasgow-based Festival 2014. 

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This cultural celebration was developed through a unique collaboration between the performers and artists, communities across the country, the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, Glasgow Life and Creative Scotland. 

More than 8,000 artists and 2,500 organisers were the creative driving force behind work inspired by Scotland’s relationship with the Commonwealth and the achievements of competing athletes.
More than 600,000 people participated in performances and events in a programme that aimed to give visitors and people across Scotland and further afield the opportunity to be part of the Games wherever they were.

Artists and organisers producing work created 1,600 new partnerships with members of the cultural, educational, sport, local authority and other sectors, making connections with potential to last beyond the Games and benefit Scotland’s cultural sector in the future.

For the Commonwealth Games Federation, in the evaluation of the bids for 2022 and onwards, a cultural programme will now be part of the formal criteria.
Work was presented for the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme across all art forms, from the intimate to the spectacular, as well as ground-breaking nationwide projects such as GENERATION – the celebration of 25 years of contemporary art in Scotland, Big Big Sing and Get Scotland Dancing.

The evaluation research was carried out by research specialists BOP Consulting and Counting what Counts. They gathered feedback from artists, audiences and the organisations who created, supported and participated in the cultural programme.

A separate report into Get Scotland Dancing by evaluators Catch the Light, also published in June online alongside the main report, found that a total of 546 dance events were delivered by this national dance initiative in 2014, with an estimated 74,500 participants. 

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, said: “The Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme was the most ambitious nationwide cultural celebration that has ever taken place in Scotland, bringing a national programme of new work by world-leading and emerging Scottish and international artists to communities across the country, as today’s findings show.

GENERATION, the nationwide programme of exhibitions and events, celebrated the last 25 years of Scottish contemporary art, while the Big Big Sing inspired hundreds of thousands of people from Shetland to Devon to unite in celebration of singing.

“The Scottish Government is committed to securing a legacy for communities across Scotland from the hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and the Cultural Programme has offered an excellent platform to strengthen connections both here at home and internationally, through culture and learning, enhancing our reputation as a vibrant and culturally-rich nation.”