Govanhill International Festival and Carnival
Govanhill International Festival and Carnival is a cultural celebration of our unique community, including a Carnival Parade on Saturday 5th August and a whole host of other events!
About Govanhill International Festival and Carnival
After last year’s huge success, the festival is back: bigger, brighter and more vibrant than ever before. Now, more than ever, we need to be united in tackling racism - and we need to be loud when we take a stand. Govanhill is one of the most proudly anti-racist and multicultural communities in Glasgow, so we’re inviting everyone to join us in celebrating the spirit, strength and incredible artistic and creative talent and culture that makes it so unique.
From the 1st-13th August Glasgow’s Southside and beyond are invited to a two-week long celebration of the richness and diversity of the flourishing arts and culture scene in Govanhill. This year’s programme features 50 events including:-
Talks: Featuring: The Glasgow Effect: A Tale of Class, Capitalism & Carbon Footprint, a conversation with Ellie Harrison about her controversial project, facilitated by Katie Gallogly-Swan, former Govanhill Baths Programme Manager and now Climate & Development Policy Officer at the United Nations; ‘Dreaming + Being Black Oot Here: Black Lives in Scotland’ with writer and activist layla-roxanne hill, as well as an author’s talk with ‘Harry Josephine Giles,’ award-winning poet and the 2022 recipient of the Arthur C. Clarke award in conversation with local Greens councillor Elaine Gallagher.
Music: The Street Music Festival is back. Now in its fourth year, it has become one of the highlights of the GIFC programme; showing how music and culture can unite communities against racism and xenophobia. Love Music Hate Racism is proud to host the Govanhill Street Music Festival again; showcasing the wonderful musical heritage, talent and skill of top musicians and performers including Azamiah, Glasgow based five-piece bringing you a fusion of ambient music, spiritual jazz, neo soul and RnB; Maz and the Phantasms, an electrifying psych punk collective and How to Swim, the baroque pop/ alt rock band formed in Glasgow in the early 2000s. They’ll take to the streets once more with a whole host of other bands, using music as a unifying force to take a stand against racism.
Film: This year multiple partners including Take One Action, Stand Up To Racism and RIG arts, who have teamed up with Govanhill Baths to deliver an incredible Film Festival as part of the GIFC programme! Screenings include the critically acclaimed documentary, In My Blood It Runs (dir. Maya Newell, Dujuan Hoosan, Carol Turner, Megan Hoosan, James Mawson, Margaret Anderson, Jimmy Mawson | 2019 | 84min | 8+) , exposing Australia’s systemic racism, and Made in Bangladesh (dir. Rubaiyat Hossain | 2019 | 95min | 12+) , where a young garment worker discovers the power of activism on a journey towards collective liberation. Plus... we’re pleased to announce a screening of Glasgow Welcomes Refugees, a documentary by filmmaker José Maria Martinelli, which shows the strong tradition of solidarity with refugees that has been forged over decades in this city. This documentary features interviews from the founding members of the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees and is organised by Stand Up To Racism Glasgow.
Exhibitions: portraits of POWER - an exhibition of determination and resistance, new photomontage artworks by Euan Sutherland. This exhibition will feature in multiple locations; 'strike SUPPORT' on Victoria Road, and 'hostile ENVIRONMENTS' and 'mutual aid NOW' at The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale Street. It asks the question where does POWER lie? With you or with those in control?... Plus, as part of her Govanhill Baths Culture Collective residency, artist Paria Goodarzi will be unveiling a public art installation, Through the Looking Glass, in the Govanhill Baths Garden.
Heritage events: Irish Roots! The influence of Irish migrants on the development of the southside of Glasgow, and on the towns and villages surrounding it, is an important part of Scotland’s history and our heritage. Talks by Colm Bryce, author of ‘Little Donegal - The Irish in the Gorbals’ and Govanhill, and author Dave Sherry, who will be launching a new pamphlet ‘The Irish Revolution and Red Clydeside’, will examine the role of the Irish in Scotland. Women, Activism, Archive and Heritage event led by the Govanhill Baths Archive will feature a series of talks exploring women’s role in activism and the importance of archiving women’s contributions. Talks include ‘Bread and Roses v Bread and Circuses: The story of the treatment of Glasgow’s Culture’ by Elspeth King and ‘Sell and be damned – Stories and struggle’ with Anni Donaldson. The event will be followed by a reception with refreshments, before the screening of Sitting Tight, a documentary about the Lee Jeans Sit-in in Greenock, introduced by Rhia Laing.
With special events including: Queer Theory’s Gayest Hits, who will be making their Southside debut at the Rum Shack, plus the premiere of new play ‘Rebel-Heart’ about the life of Coatbridge born revolutionary Margaret Skinnider, an active Suffragette who went on to be leader of the Irish Teachers’ Union. Importantly, this year to commemorate 75 Years Since the Nakba, the Network of Photographers for Palestine will host A Festival for Palestine as part of the Govanhill International Festival programme. Featuring film, poetry, photography and political analysis and a live zoom discussion on the way forward for Palestine with two giants of the Palestinian world, Ilan Pappe and Ramzy Baroud.
As well as the return of the much loved Carnival and Parade after a huge turnout yet last year in Queens Park. Join us on Saturday 5th August for a powerful display of unity against racism, hate and prejudice. The Govanhill Parade will assemble in Govanhill Park at 12.30pm before it makes its way through the streets of Govanhill to Queens Park. The Carnival will be opened at 2pm in the Arena by Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Govanhill.
As always, the festival strives to be as inclusive, accessible and family friendly as possible. With this in mind, all events will be free unless otherwise stated. Check out the full programme now: www.govanhillbaths.com/festival and we'll see you in August!
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
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