Wasps artists’ studios

Barrowland Ballet is one of Scotland’s most exciting and successful contemporary dance companies. Based in Glasgow, the company name reflects the company’s unique mix of popular culture and high art as well as their East Glasgow base.  

The origins of the company were in an artist residency project undertaken by Natasha Gilmore, the company’s founder, at Dance House, Glasgow in 2007.  During that time Natasha discovered that there was a demand in Glasgow and beyond for a permanently established company to build and consolidate the kind of work she was offering with direct links between the professional and community.

Gilmore has forged her identity as an artist working in new and surprising ways across art forms, developing her reputation as a collaborator by working with some of the UK’s leading artists. Using original composition, well written text, intriguing designs and film to create her bold choreographic style.

Becoming a registered company in 2008 and subsequently a charity in 2009, they achieve excellence in terms of artistic standard, reflected in their continued support form Creative Scotland.  They are also celebrated for their accessibility in terms of outreach participation work and generating new audiences for dance through both the style of work they create and the venues they perform at such as street festivals.

The work challenges the perceived boundaries of dance and genuinely connects with people new to the art form. The company delivers accessible, high quality, challenging yet humorous dance theatre performances and workshops. The company is committed to delivering a range of dance theatre participation work within the wider community, to people of all ages and abilities, creating small-scale performances or short films.

The company’s professional work is directly linked to its community involvement and the two are inter-dependent with one inspiring the other.