£800 to help us survive CORVID19! We support local artists! We are changing the way people engage with art.
COVID19 has ravaged the nation and especially small businesses. With rent still being collected, but no way of accessing or selling in the shop we need your help to keep The Woom Room Alive.
we are looking for £800 to cover rent for the next 2-3 months
We have a simple message:
To support local artists by providing a space for them to promote and sell their work.
We want to not only provide a space for people to engage with art but also to interact with art and local artists through workshops and other events. We want to provide artists with opportunities to take their art into non-traditional spaces including immersive club nights and festivals. We want to change the way people think about art by promoting and developing narratives which are centred around bringing society together.
After all this is over we want to help artist get back on their feet, provide workshop space and exhibitions spaces along with curating events, to celebrate connection and community. We can see the amazing response from the People of Glasgow, teaming together to provide food, shelter and support. We need a little of that support so we can in-kind support others.
The story
As Daisy sat in the back of Hannahs Goth Clothing shop, drawing for an online commission, she realised that Glasgow was sorely missing something.
That something is a creative hub and gallery in the city centre that celebrates local artists. A place where local artists can hang out and exhibit and sell their work; a place where people can buy local artwork and a safe space for anyone to collaborate with others, develop ideas and network.
The idea was so simple and of course, Hannah jumped at the chance to work with her best mate and support the local community.
And so - The ‘Woom Room’ was born.
Like any big city, Glasgow has many creative people that are looking to make a living from what they love to do - develop and sell their work, their talents and their time. However, venues are shutting down and spaces are expensive to rent and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find places to exhibit work and make a living. Glasgow was the city of culture, and quite rightly so. It has a lot going for it - big theatres, museums, art galleries and creative spaces. However, many of these spaces, though free, can be intimidating, high brow, unwelcoming. Many are large whitewashed spaces - sometimes a little dull, offering a tailored and possibly biased view on Glasgow's creative scene. Where are the parties, the events, the intrigue?
The Woom Room looks to change all this by offering a warm colourful space that engages with its surroundings, collaborates with local businesses in the Savoy Centre and across Glasgow and runs inclusive events. Not everyone wants to look at a £200000 piece of art, sometimes a £25 print is more your style, or maybe an interactive skateboarding installation, or a performance art piece that uses dancers and costumes to convey a message.
The Woom Room is a space to bring the public of Glasgow (especially that of the Savoy Centre ) into the realm of the Glasgow art scene. In an accessible and commercial way, it aims to educate and explore ideas of existence, connection, mental health and sexuality in a positive and inclusive way. It looks to break down barriers between groups by interacting in a variety of different ways including regular exhibitions, events, collaborations, performances, workshops and even shop visits that would open up a dialogue with The Woom Room artists themselves.
Our aims are to :
The Woom Room is for Glasgow, by Glasgow, celebrating Glasgow.
We are a small business with big ideas.
As creatives, we are used to working on a shoestring budget so a little money will go far but a lot of money will help us change the way the public view, engage and receive art. When you donate money to us, you will be donating to over 20 artists. As our business grows we can support more artists and creatives,we can hold bigger and better events and we can provide more opportunities for people to be involved and develop their ideas.
What will we do with £5000?
The Woom Room Shop
First and foremost any money donated will go towards more storage for the shop such as built-in cupboards and shelving along with a print rack or two (which are surprisingly expensive). The other much-needed appliance is a heater. The shop is in an old shopping centre which has open doors and no heating ( we live in Glasgow) so through the winter months, it gets a wee bit nippy. These last few bits and pieces will help the shop to display all our lovely artists work, meaning we will be able to give every artist a chance to sell their work.
Legal Fees
We are in the process of changing from a Company limited by Shares to a Company Interested in the Community (CIC). We need to get legal advice to make this jump. We will be working with SenScot and an all-female team to do this.
Workshops
We would like to be able to schedule a number of workshops over the next year. The workshops will range from embroidery, acting, life drawing, Ableton and much more. We want to offer a wide range of creative skills and learning opportunities for everyone. We would like to be able to subsidise the costs of attending the workshops for those on low incomes whilst making sure those providing the workshops are paid appropriately. We want to support the other tenants within the Savoy Centre and so our workshops will all take place in The Joy Room, a female-run space in the centre.
Exhibitions
We want to offer artists who are selling work in The Woom Room the opportunity to have their own exhibition, using space in the Savoy Centre. We would like to support these artists by providing funds to cover some of their materials and time. This will allow the artists to really invest in what they are making by not having to worry about some of the costs. This won't be a huge sum of money, just something to ease the burden of creating their vision.
Merchandise
The last thing we would like to do if we got up to £5000 ( told you we would make this money stretch) is to create our own limited-edition range of merchandise. The Woom Room is more than a shop, creative hub and gallery, it's a collective and brand that actively seeks to be inclusive, effect change and offer opportunities. We are in the process of designing comfortable clothing at affordable prices, which is suitable for every day and activewear for working artists.
If we get over £5000
If we can get over and above our target of £5000 we will be able to do so much more. We would be able to really develop the business into the creative hub we have dreamed of. Here are some of the things we will do with your donation.
Celebrate!
Since we opened in early January 2020 we have been organising small immersive club nights and multimedia performance parties in Glasgow. We have been collaborating with local collectives, musicians, performers, musicians and more. With a little extra cash, we will be able to put on one hell of an event, that won’t rely on tickets sales. We will be able to pay all parties involved and not have to ask for reduced rates due to budgeting. We want to curate a night full of surprises and wonder using some of Glasgows new, alternative or undervalued spaces.
Take us back to school.
We want to learn as much as we can about business, about the creative industry and about how we can help our community. Therefore we want to go back to school - get advice from business developers, go to workshops, visit other creative business and develop our knowledge on how we can expand the business and make it sustainable.
Girls are giving back
With any additional money we receive, we would like to provide a fully-funded residency for one local artist. This would be a 2-month opportunity to work in The Woom Room spaces, use the facilities and collaborate with the Woom Room Girls. As creatives, we understand the struggles of trying to create work, hold down numerous jobs and have a social life. We want to offer an artist some financial support to help with the cost of living, materials etc. The residency would have an award of £1500, space and time with The Room Room along with help and support from us and our army of amazing artists.
If we reach over £15,000
This is an extraordinary amount of money and we would use it very wisely! Promise.
With this money, we would be able to pay back our debts, do all the things mentioned above, plus run at least 5 BIG events around the city of Glasgow. The Woom Room looks to create opportunities for all, create accessible events that excite and challenge, provide new platforms to engage with art and importantly to have fun doing it. The more money we can raise the more we can give back to young artists living in Scotland. Our dream is to one day own our own place and be able to host all types of events, launches, exhibitions and create a space for people to come hang out and be part of something different.
We are a small business with big ideas.
This project successfully funded on 10th April 2020