The Gallow Gate is a project space curated by Natalia Palombo at Many Studios and provides a platform for the development, presentation, and discussion of contemporary visual art and culture.

Projects consider access to creative and cultural activity, expectations within arts practice and the misrepresentation of non-western cultures in the UK. The programme exists to showcase work that addresses gaps in our knowledge and actively encourages discussion on how ignorance and complacency, often perpetrated through the arts, upholds oppressive structures both in our own society and across the world.

Since opening in March 2016, The Gallow Gate has experimented with methodology by introducing play and participation to the programme to build accessibility to creative practice with our local context, and to address expectations on artists to produce ‘final/completed work’- work that often feeds into a curatorial narrative. The programme has been designed to challenge what people expect from creative practice, and to try to break down barriers of access and elitism within the sector. We’ve did this largely by producing cross-arts projects with live and participatory elements, inviting audiences into the process of making rather than focusing on conventional presentation of contemporary art. Artists are invited to use resources to produce work that they want to realise, with no expectations for final presentation, but with a requirement to engage audiences in the process.

In 2019, we were invited to co-curate a major exhibition as part of the13th Bienal de La Havana, presenting new work by Ayọ̀ Akínwándé and existing work by Athi-Patra Ruga, in conversation with one another for the first time. In 2021, we will present new work by Ndidi Dike as part of Glasgow International 2020.


Many Studios is a creative hub in the east end of Glasgow, providing workspace to over 50 creative practitioners, and hosting an arts programme at The Gallow Gate, meeting and event spaces and emerging creative businesses.