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While the CCA was an established institution, the lesser-known commercial building in the Trongate area, Granite House, had become home to hundreds of artists for the past year.
Now, the Glasgow Times has spoken with several of those affected by the closure, who described the struggles facing unfunded artists in the city.
It comes after the Glasogw Times reported last week that one group, Theatre 118, had to vacate the premises after being served a seven-day notice.
David Hewitson, 31, co-founded Theatre 118 and secured the space in Granite House through charity Outer Spaces, who offer access to empty shops, offices and industrial space for artists.
He said: “We’ve lost a crucial part of arts infrastructure in Glasgow in the past month.
“What people don’t necessarily realise is that it’s spaces like ours is where people get their start.
“Actors need a place to get their first jobs, writers need a place to get their first scripts produced, and there are so few opportunities now.”
The short notice is typical of these agreements, and the building is set to be redeveloped into a 291-bed student accommodation venture by owners MCR Property Group, which purchased Granite House in 2025.
David added: “It’s the nature of meanwhile use, and it’s just really frustrating; it’s either commercial rates, which are unaffordable, or you’re stuck with seven‑day notice periods.
“There needs to be a middle ground where we can have a more secure, affordable lease, and that’s what we’re trying to find.”
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Salvador Kent, who was a regular at 118, and described its closure as a “real blow”, added, “In a time where I think theatre in Scotland is lacking funding and imagination, its closure is a valuable lesson for the grassroots scene.
“We cannot rely on a sole space, but need to continue fighting to open more and more of them.”
Julienne Restall, who performed at the CCA, Theatre 118 and _andfriends, said there’s an “ongoing cycle” where spaces open and close while the artists have to adapt, and added, “Without access to spaces like that, I might not have had the courage to begin.”
Catriona MacLeod, who ran her business _andfriends from Granite House, spoke about the “unsustainable” situations most independent artists are in, with the “onus on them to create their own spaces.”
Catriona said: “It feels like the scales are tipped so far outwith our favour, how do we change that? How do we stop things from dying out without support?”
We reported at the end of January that the CCA had gone into liquidation after deciding to commence a formal winding-up process, and the future of the venue remains unclear.
Outer Spaces has confirmed that Granite House is set for its redevelopment, which was “always planned.”
A spokesperson for Outer Spaces said: “Theatre 118 was part of a temporary artist community in a central Glasgow property that has always been planned to be redeveloped.
“It was given to the group as one of the temporary spaces offered by Outer Spaces to artists and arts organisations in Glasgow.
“As per the terms of the agreement (shared with the artists when they took on the spaces) – all artists were given seven days to vacate (on Monday, February 2) and the group were offered another space and have since moved in, along with all the other artists who were at 118 Osborne Street.
“These properties provide us with the space to programme curatorial projects often in collaboration with other arts organisations and partners.
“Our spaces are made available for artists, art collectives and organisations to use free of charge.”
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