About Us - The Portal Arts

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Who we are

The Portal Arts is an award-winning arts and media charity based in the Greater Govan area of Glasgow, UK. We provide a co-creative production space, delivering a range of screen skills, training, development and participation programmes that improve socio-cultural equality.

Working in a socially-engaged, co-creative manner, our projects build confidence, connections and self-esteem, improving community cohesion as well as individual wellbeing.

As an embedded organisation, our mission is to tackle inequalities, advocating for the power of creative participation. Our person-led approach ensures our community has a voice, are able to influence what happens locally, as well as improving their overall mental health and wellbeing.

Our story

The charity was founded in 2001 by Moya Crowley after receiving a £2,000 grant from the Greater Govan Community Forum. Originally based at Plantation Square, within the Kinning Park Complex, the organisation was first known as Plantation Productions, reflecting the nickname of the local area, before rebranding as The Portal Arts in 2022. From the outset, our mission has been to address the multiple forms of inequality.

Over the last 25 years, we have delivered this through our co-creative and film projects, as well as through specific skills training and events.

A core contributor to the area’s regeneration, the charity used the arts as a way to improve community engagement, social development and ultimately individuals’ lives. In 2003 we initiated ‘Govan Gathering Light’, a community wide response to the City’s lighting strategy. The project creatively reimagined a whole street of empty shops in Govan, initiating community events across the area. In recognition of the project’s wide-reaching impact, it was awarded the Dynamic Place Award.

Since 2006, 978 Govan Road has been our home and head office since, used for our co-creation projects, arts-based peer support groups, skills development days, as well as to hold meetings and community events.

As an organisation rooted in the Goven community, our creative space welcome other local organisations to use our building. We currently host The Govan Queer Space and Small Trans Library as well as Govan’s Weekday Wow Factor group.