This year, Yardworks Festival at SWG3 proudly joins the citywide celebration of Glasgow 850 – marking 850 years of Glasgow’s city status – with a programme packed full of creative projects, workshops, exhibitions and record-breaking ambition. The festival is honouring the spirit, history, and future of Glasgow through the power of street art and community creativity:
Spray Can Upcycling Workshops with Danielle Nixon
Led by artist Danielle Nixon, these workshops breathe new life into old spray cans, transforming them into unique art pieces. Participants are encouraged to think sustainably while celebrating Glasgow’s rich graffiti culture. It’s a creative nod to the city’s resourcefulness and flair for reinvention.
Protests and Suffragettes: Collage Workshops Celebrating Female Activists
Dive into Glasgow’s proud history of activism with hands-on collage workshops exploring themes of protest, empowerment, and social change. Inspired by the pioneering spirit of Glasgow’s suffragettes and modern-day changemakers, these sessions highlight the city's long-standing role in fighting for equality and justice.
Mother Tongue, Brick Skin: An Exploration of Glasgow’s Graffiti and Street Arts Heritage
An exciting new exhibition delving into Glasgow’s graffiti and street art history through rare archive imagery, personal collections and contemporary projects.
- Featuring material from John Kraska, Duncan Cummings, and the National Library of Scotland
- Showcasing recent works from the Yardworks GRID programme in Partick and Govan, spotlighting today’s emerging and established artists
- A visual journey through Glasgow’s walls, voices, and creative rebellion over the decades
World Record Attempt: The Longest Doodle (Unofficial)
Get ready to make history! We are attempting to beat the unofficial world record for the Longest Doodle, believed to be held by Mr Doodle at 623m. Our goal: create 700 metres of non-stop, collaborative artwork, celebrating Glasgow’s energy, diversity, and imagination. Hosted by illustrator Samme Snow, the giant doodle will grow across the Galvanisers space across the festival weekend – with contributions open to all ages and experience levels.
Fresh Exhibition of Artists' Work
Yardworks Festival will also unveil a new exhibition featuring some of the finest street artists and illustrators working today including members of the Yardworks Artist Mentoring Programme. The exhibition will celebrate current talent, creativity, and innovation – with many pieces available for sale, giving visitors a chance to take home a piece of Glasgow’s thriving art scene. Featuring Frank Carty, Pizza Boy, Alko, Tef, Aroe, Danielle Nixon, Jacques, Emsky, Skye, Taio, Visualanti, Jonny Mowat, Kannae Park, Outr, Michael Skeen, Guzla, B-Side, Rolek and Wee Thistles.
Invisible Cities Tours
Between 12pm and 4pm each day, social enterprise Invisible Cities will be offering guided tours of the Yardworks site.
Their trained tour guides will share stories and insights about the artists, artworks, and inspirations behind the festival walls — helping visitors experience Yardworks through new eyes and deeper stories.
Together, these projects create a vibrant, multi-layered celebration of Glasgow’s past, present, and future –capturing the resilience, creativity, and radical spirit that have always defined the city.
Yardworks 2025 is proudly funded by Glasgow 850.
