The Boardwalk, Impact Arts‘ social enterprise arts venue and theatre for hire, is delighted to announce the successful installation of new automatic entrance doors, made possible through funding from the FCC Communities Foundation’s Scottish Action Fund and installed by contractor G2 Property Ltd.
This major accessibility upgrade represents a significant step in The Boardwalk’s commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible space for all. The new doors are helping visitors access the venue more easily and independently, enhancing the experience for people with a wide range of access needs.
This project was made possible by the FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that provides community grants to empower local projects and enhance community life. Since 1997, FCC Communities Foundation has invested over £295.5 million in more than 8,680 projects across the UK.
The funding enabled us to replace six sets of heavy, non-automatic fire doors with new automatic opening fire doors, significantly improving ease of movement throughout the venue. Located along two main corridors, these doors provide essential access to various office spaces, studios, and our 120-seat black box theatre, making access far easier for audiences attending performances. This upgrade will directly benefit thousands of disabled visitors, early-career artists, creatives, community groups, families, and young people who use The Boardwalk each year.
“Accessibility starts at the front door. This investment is about much more than a building improvement. It’s about ensuring people can enter The Boardwalk with confidence, independence, and dignity. We want everyone to feel welcome from the moment they arrive, and these improvements bring us another step closer to creating a venue that is truly accessible to all.” – Fran Armour, Head of Development at Impact Arts
The whole team at Impact Arts and The Boardwalk are deeply grateful to the FCC Scottish Action Fund for making this transformative project possible.
Why this upgrade matters
Several of our long‑term tenant organisations at The Boardwalk are disability-led or work extensively with disabled creatives and performers, including Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, a disability-led theatre company; Solar Bear, a theatre company working with Deaf and hearing actors, theatre makers, artists, and young people; Paragon Music, an inclusive arts charity based delivering music and dance programmes for people with additional support needs; and Carers Trust, a charity that works to improve the lives of unpaid carers by providing local support and advocacy.
“The automatic doors have made a real difference to our staff team and the artists we work with. Getting from the office to the Gold Room used to need planning, or a second pair of hands. Now, when one door opens, another door closes behind you and you simply keep going. For our disabled colleagues, artists and participants, that’s a daily change to how independently they can move through the building.” – Robert Softley Gale, Artistic Director at Birds of Paradise Theatre Company
Tenant organisations, alongside public survey feedback, helped identify this project as an urgent priority. One visitor told us: “This would make things much easier for me to access the venue independently.” Another said: “Without automatic doors, I’m physically unable to open doors or I injure myself when trying.”
About the Boardwalk
ThThe Boardwalk welcomed more than 44,000 visitors in 2025-26 (expected to be 50,000+ in 2026-27) including young people participating in Impact Arts programmes and members of the public attending performances, workshops, exhibitions, rehearsals, theatre performances, conferences, and a wide variety of events.
In light of the recent loss of several arts venues and theatres in the city, The Boardwalk has become an essential cultural resource for Glasgow, providing affordable meeting rooms, rehearsal studios, and theatre performance space for hire for over 200 organisations annually across arts, third sector, and theatre organisations. The venue offers charity rates, small charity rates, and discounts for early-career creatives.
As Impact Arts’ social enterprise venue, The Boardwalk also plays a key role in supporting the charity’s mission to tackle inequalities and address poverty across Scotland through creative engagement, with venue income going towards the charity’s work.
The Boardwalk is a creative, accessible venue in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City with a variety of meeting, performance, studio, and event spaces for hire. Our colourful building is adorned with artwork and has a large foyer and fully functional theatre with a capacity of up to 120 people. We can also provide delicious and diverse catering options and a drinks service.
The bonus? We’re a social enterprise which means every time you choose to host an event at The Boardwalk, you are directly supporting Scottish community arts charity, Impact Arts.
Planning your next event? Book a space at The Boardwalk today.
Email [email protected] or call us on 0141 575 3001
