About Us

Everytime, you choose to host your next event at The Boardwalk, you are supporting innovative Scottish arts charity, Impact Arts to deliver more of their life changing work.

Our Social Impact

Impact Arts are dedicated to transforming lives through creativity.
By engaging communities in creative projects, they empower individuals
to develop skills, confidence and a sense of purpose.

Through their programmes, Impact Arts fosters positive change, using art as a catalyst for personal growth, improved wellbeing and social impact.

Some of the people who benefit from Impact Arts’ projects include:

Young children

Struggling to process challenging life events or who may be experiencing anxiety, challenges making friends and dealing with complex emotions.

Impact Arts delivers art therapy programmes to support with increasing resilience and coping strategies and building confidence and self esteem.

Young people

Who have no or few qualifications and may be disengaged from education or unemployed.

Impact Arts delivers a range of projects that support young people to develop their core skills, to achieve accreditations, to undertake work experience and ultimately to move forward positively onto the next stage whether that is college, training or employment.

Adults

Who have been homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.

Impact Arts delivers a range of creative interior design projects that help people to transform their tenancy into their home. Teaching skills in upcycling, sewing, painting & decorating and budgeting, we ensure that people are supported to create a welcoming home that they love.

Older people

Who are feeling isolated or suffering poor mental & physical health.

Impact Arts delivers Craft Café in care homes and community settings, bringing artists together with older people to develop new skills, reconnect with people and communities and to bring joy and meaning to people’s lives

Boardwalk (noun)
– bord-wok

A boardwalk provides a safe
pathway over difficult terrain

The Team

Fiona Doring

is CEO of Impact Arts as well as Chair of Scottish Contemporary Art Network and a Board Member of Edinburgh College.

Fiona’s vision is for The Boardwalk to be an inclusive and vibrant cultural venue and social enterprise, that brings people together from different backgrounds and from across sectors to support creative engagement in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City.

Laura Wright

brings many years of event management experience to The Boardwalk and is the first point of contact for anyone looking to book our venue. 

Laura takes pride in helping The Boardwalk continue to grow into one of Glasgow’s best creative social enterprises which provides space to meet, rehearse & perform in the heart of Merchant city. 

Contact Laura on [email protected]

Mairi McLaren

is Head of Finance & Corporate Services for Impact Arts and is degree qualified from Strathclyde University Business School.

Mairi leads our relationships with our professional suppliers and has been instrumental in the development of social enterprise activity for Impact Arts. Mairi uses her financial expertise to ensure The Boardwalk social enterprise maximises resources and acts as a catalyst for positive change.

Blair Sutherland

manages the operational procedures for The Boardwalk and all of Impact Arts’ facilities, including all aspects of our buildings & equipment, maintenance and health & safety.

Blair enjoys that no two days are the same at Impact Arts. He finds it a joy, and often very humbling, being part of a company that changes people’s lives for the better.

Gillian Rome

leads all the Marketing & Communications for Impact Arts and The Boardwalk. Gillian loves sharing the stories about the many varied events taking place in The Boardwalk and can support you by promoting your events via our social media channels and website. Additionally, if you’d like to feature any news stories about The Boardwalk, please contact Gillian directly: [email protected]

The wider team

We have a wonderful, friendly team at The Boardwalk who are here to ensure your event runs smoothly. They are on hand to welcome guests, serve coffees and lunch and to ensure your sound and lighting requirements run exactly as you want them to.

SPACE TO MOVE, SPACE TO MAKE, SPACE TO DANCE, SPACE TO CREATE,
SPACE TO MOVE, SPACE TO MAKE, SPACE TO DANCE, SPACE TO CREATE,

Other organisations based within The Boardwalk

Solar Bear

Solar Bear is a theatre company with inclusion and collaboration at the heart of their mission. Working with deaf and hearing actors, theatre makers, artists and young people, they reach out to those often excluded from the arts.

Birds of Paradise

Birds of Paradise employ disabled and non-disabled actors and other theatre professionals, to commission new work, to work in partnership with other organisations at home and abroad, to create positive images of inclusion and to encourage participation in the arts.

Citizens Theatre

The Citizens Theatre is an iconic venue and theatre company that creates ground-breaking theatre productions and empowering participatory projects.

S-MB Company

Solar Bear is a theatre company with inclusion and collaboration at the heart of their mission. Working with deaf and hearing actors, theatre makers, artists and young people, they reach out to those often excluded from the arts.

Spacestor

Birds of Paradise employ disabled and non-disabled actors and other theatre professionals, to commission new work, to work in partnership with other organisations at home and abroad, to create positive images of inclusion and to encourage participation in the arts.

Bridges the Actors Agency

The Citizens Theatre is an iconic venue and theatre company that creates ground-breaking theatre productions and empowering participatory projects.

Carers Trust Scotland

Carers Trust works to transform the lives of unpaid carers. It partners with its network of local carer organisations to provide funding and support, deliver innovative and evidence-based programmes and raise awareness and influence policy.​ 

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out more about The Boardwalk or enquire about an event or room booking then please complete this form below and someone will aim to respond to you within 48 hours.