This is the archive for Beyond the Forbidden Gate— a new body of work by Joey Simons exploring the parameters of urban development in North Glasgow. Joey’s practice as an artist and writer spans forms of organising, collaboration, textual research and poetry. His work addresses suppressed working-class histories and their relevance to contemporary social struggles.

Joey’s research into histories of enclosure, public housing, refugee organising and workers’ opposition in North Glasgow has informed the collaborations with local communities and artists that underpin Beyond the Forbidden Gate. Developed as part of Glasgow Sculpture Studios’ Learning & Engagement Programme, these collaborations have led to the creation of an imagined counterplan to recent local authority development proposals.

The Mitchell Library’s Old Glasgow Room served as a central gathering point for the project, with the space used by Joey and his collaborators to present archival materials and artworks that investigate the class forces shaping competing visions for North Glasgow. A series of talks, workshops, poetry readings and text-based works also unfolded across public libraries in Springburn, Woodside and Possilpark. These civic spaces, forever under threat, remain a vital space for culture to persist and flower amidst the developers’ plans.

Presented by Glasgow Sculpture Studios, Glasgow International and S.I.S.C.O, in partnership with Open Museum Glasgow and Glasgow Libraries.

Co-commissioned by Glasgow Sculpture Studios and Glasgow International. With support from The Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Glasgow City Council.