First Nations and Scottish artists unite for Awakening at Bellahouston Park
A powerful artwork celebrating First Nations cultures, shared histories and connections will be created at Bellahouston Park this week as part of the Glasgow 2026 Festival.
Communities and visitors are invited to help create a large-scale artwork on the site of a former 1938 Empire Exhibition this week.
Awakening is a free participatory project taking place from Wednesday to Friday.
It brings together Scottish, Australian and Wardandi artists, researchers and communities to explore themes of land, language, cultural connection and healing through collective action.
Created by Scottish/Australian land artist Elaine Clocherty, internationally recognised Wardandi Elder artist Vivian “Nan Viv” Brockman Webb, and Wardandi Custodian Mitchella Hutchins, Awakening will culminate in the creation of a collaborative bora – a temporary land artwork formed directly on the earth of Bellahouston Park by artists and participants working together.
The project forms part of the Glasgow 2026 Festival, a ten-week celebration of Glasgow’s creativity, culture and communities running until 9 August 2026 alongside the Commonwealth Games.
Connecting land, culture and community
Developed through an international collaboration between artists, researchers and community organisations in Scotland and Australia, Awakening acknowledges First Nations peoples across the Commonwealth while exploring shared experiences, cultural resilience and relationships with land.
Visitors will be invited to contribute to the creation of the artwork, take part in guided walks, join conversations and celebrate its completion through music and collective gathering.
Designed specifically for Bellahouston Park, the artwork responds to the history of the site, which hosted the 1938 Empire Exhibition - an event shaped by the legacy of empire and colonialism.
For artist Elaine Clocherty, the project offers an opportunity to reflect on that history while creating a space for connection, understanding and healing.
Elaine said: “The artwork aims to acknowledge the impacts of colonialism across Commonwealth nations while recognising the strength, knowledge and cultural continuity of First Nations communities. By creating the work on this site, we are reclaiming a small part of the exhibition grounds and creating an opportunity to readdress and re-evaluate the impacts of colonialism.
“It acknowledges the loss of language, culture and traditional knowledge experienced by Indigenous peoples while celebrating the enduring strength of First Nations cultures.”
“It is less a performance to be viewed and more a collaboration to be part of. It is a moment to invest in emotionally and an expression of connection between peoples. The artwork only comes into being through the participation of everyone involved.”
Visitors taking part in workshops will help prepare and place natural materials within the artwork, becoming active contributors to its creation. Find out more about them.
To find out more about the Glasgow 2026 festival, visit: https://www.glasgow2026.com/get-involved/about-festival
