Watch: Yardworks Festival returns to SWG3 celebrating the city’s urban art scene

Yardworks Festival is returning to Finnieston’s SWG3 this weekend (4 and 5 May) celebrating the talent and creativity of urban artists from Glasgow and beyond. The venue’s Galvanizers Yard will be transformed into a maze of blank canvases, while hosting a range of activities, events and workshops across the weekend. 

Since it launched in 2017 the festival has become a fixture in the urban art and graffiti scene attracting creatives from across the globe, offering an opportunity to learn from the very best, gain inspiration, and be immersed in the culture.

Speaking to Michaela McManus, programme co-ordinator for the festival, she said: “It’s an international festival of street art and graffiti. It happens every year at SWG3. We have 120 artists coming down this weekend. Each year they build a maze in the yard and this year they’ve got containers. The whole thing will be painted. 

“Gaz Mac started it in 2017 as a paint jam. Since then it’s sort of grown arms and legs and this year it’s bigger and better than ever. There’s a real social aspect to it. Loads of different people are a part of it and it reached so many different communities. A lot of the work we do is community outreach based. We speak to people about what they want to see on their doorstep. I think Yardworks Festival reflects that as well. 

“I started here working with young people. It was for COP26 a few years ago. Since then I’ve worked with different communities. We work across part of Govan and Yorkhill. Working with them to see what they want on their doorsteps and organising the festival each year as well. 

“Yardworks itself provides lots of different opportunities for artists. It can be commercial opportunities but also collaborations. There’s lots of different people from different backgrounds so it’s a really nice way for emerging artists to meet established artists. It’s really nice because some people get to come down to meet their heroes.”