Govanhill Baths Community Trust ·

From Struggle To Streetlands, Baths Mark Anniversary

Posted: 9th May 2011 By John McCann

GOVANHILL Baths helped to attract record numbers of festival-goers to this year’s Streetland community festival, bringing together people from all walks of life - and across the globe.

The trust campaigning to restore the building to the heart of the community has been a key partner in Govanhill’s own street festival since its inception, even before the first event last year.

And volunteers showed the 10-year struggle to reopen the baths isn’t just about hard work as they helped the festival attract up to 1000 visits from locals and friends setting out to have some fun in the Sun.

Streetland 2011 has established the multi-cultural event at the heart of the community as must-see for locals and international visitors alike.

Govanhill Baths opened its doors as one of many ongoing events this year celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the campaign to see the baths themselves re-opened, while offering visitors a chance to have their say in the future of the historic building.

From the morning’s Belly Babies dance workshop to the Troop de Loop performance in the afternoon, there was a steady stream of visitors to the building which will open to the public later this year as the baths and Centre for Community Practice's HQ in a staged renovation.

The trust also helped visitors to brush up on traditional festival skills with the Booomwackers drumming workshop and another interactive event which created a giant star, perfect for a carnival parade, in the main pool.

Voicebeat singers took their “Echoes” show on the road around the district, attracting onlookers back to the baths for a singing workshop that took full advantage of the main pool’s unique acoustics.

Alex Wilde, a leading member of Govanhill Baths Art, said: “It was great to see how people of all ages and backgrounds got together over the two days.

"It shows the strength of the festival that there are events that appeal to different groups and the way they naturally overlapped meant people stayed on and sampled something they might not have thought of.”

More than 250 people visited the baths for the events and most of them took time to record three wishes for the future of the building on a “wishing wall” in the foyer.

Andrew Johnson, Chairman of the Govanhill Baths Community Trust, said this served both to highlight the value placed on the facilities once offered and to clarify the hopes of residents old and new for the future of the building.

He said: “The need for the baths to reopen was clearly apparent from the responses we received. This event has formed an early part of our Big Lottery-funded consultation into what services and activities - including swimming - that people want to see returned to their community.”

Friends of Govanhill Baths and Trust volunteersvolunteers also opened a cafe on the steps in front of the baths for the day - offering a very welcome break for refreshments for many visitors taking time out from the packed schedule.

While Govanhill Baths offered the largest indoor venue, performance and celebration spaces sprung up across the area, from the streets that offered a ready audience for street dance and quirky events like the Interplanetary Postbox. A flat on Dixon Avenue, home to the Polka Dot Punks, made a claim for smallest venue - but not for the smallest crowds.

Alex said: “As well as introducing people to other local residents they don’t know, Streetland gives people a chance to find out about places they don’t often go.

“The Gardens in Westmoreland Street aren’t used as much as they could be so it was great to see the park full of people throughout the day.”

Saturday’s pakora workshop in the park (and the hotly-contested pakora challenge later) shared space with a performance from Polyphony. At the same time, residents took part in planting workshops from South Seeds. It’s not every day you leave a concert with something to brighten up the garden as so many did.

The park saw more than 400 visits on the Saturday before transforming into an open-air cinema, complete with a Master of Ceremonies and 1950s-style usherettes dispensing popcorn to a crowd of more than 150.

Throughout the area, artist and Govanhill expert Alistair Fyfe took willing crowds on foot around some of less well-known sites, including the former Annette Street home of navigator Arthur Whitten Brown who, along with pilot John Alcock completed the first transatlantic flight across the Atlantic. Roger Guthrie shared highlighted examples of architect Alexander “Greek” Thomson’s work around the area.

There was also a welcome opportunity to see behind the scenes of buildings that remain mysterious throughout the year.

Alex said: “There are buildings, including the baths for now, where people don’t often get to go inside.

"The Chalet and the Southside Studios have a certain mystery to them because they’re not places people can usually visit so the events held there gave people a chance to explore parts of Govanhill they wouldn’t have seen before.”

The festival's legacy will contribute to Govanhill for a long time to come.

From the new mural created by Govanhill Youth Project on the wall of the Centre for Community Practice to the plants lovingly tended at home by visitorsand the many web galleries showing favourite moments, there are many reminders of a weekend that saw Govanhill celebrate its own unique identity.

For more photos of the event visit www.streetland.net

(Click an image to open the slideshow)