Published
Thu, Nov 14, 2019, 13:30
- The space remains open for GSA students, though it's unclear if it will return as a public venue.
Glasgow venue The Art School has suspended its electronic and live music programme due to financial mismanagement.
The venue is run by GSASA Ltd, the commercial arm of Glasgow School Of Art (GSA) Students' Association, a registered charity that supports the local student population. Responsible for the venue's music bookings, bar and restaurant, GSASA Ltd has been operating at a loss for some time, racking up large debts.
Last month, staff members learned that their jobs were under threat, which led to protests outside the venue. The venue was also forced to suspend its commercial operations (bar, music, restaurant), though the space still remains open for GSA students.
Whether The Art School will reopen to the public is unclear. According to a statement by GSASA, the charity is "proposing to restructure the GSASA Ltd. over the coming months" and is "committed to creating, in consultation with students, a financially viable commercial operation which reflects contemporary desires of the current and future student body."
Dozens of artists, promoters and industry figures, including JD Twitch, Sofay and Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, have signed an open letter in support of the staff who lost their jobs. Read it in full here.
First opened as The Assembly Building in 1927, The Art School has been a key node in Glasgow's thriving electronic scene for more than a decade. Last month, the Argentinian artist Tayhana, who was due to play local party Club Dzo, was denied entry to the UK and deported.