COMMONSpace, 20th January – 21st April 2024

This display shows the processes and outcomes behind “Dancing Wave”, an impactful community art project along the River Clyde. Stretching nearly 1,000 metres, ‘Dancing Wave’ is the longest outdoor mural in Glasgow. It has been created by Healy Arts Charity to celebrate the River Clyde, whilst combining Glasgow’s rich history of craft heritage with 21st Century technology and design.

The mural runs alongside the River Clyde, starting at The Clydeside Community Garden and finishing at Castlebank Street, next to the Riverside Museum. The area, currently object of redevelopment, is enclosed by a perimeter fence, which has become the canvas for this amazing project of community engagement. Aiming to make the area look more attracting for the duration of the redevelopment works, the project is part of the Glasgow City Council River Activation Programme (RAP), supporting temporary interventions on vacant or under used sites along the River Corridor.

Healy Arts ran preparatory workshops with the local community and art groups at GoMA and the Annexe Healthy Living Centre in Partick. They employed artists and volunteers to hand paint the mural and then added Augmented Reality (AR) to animate areas of the mural.

The Dancing Wave was conceived as a continuous white line, which would connect different artworks, each telling its own story, both physically and metaphorically. QR codes next to specific sections of the mural allow access to Augmented Reality animations, which can be viewed through the EyeJack app.

The project helped draw the riverside community together, by expressing the River Clyde’s identity, whilst making our riverside environment feel more valued. It has already shown the impact on the local community, by invigorating local businesses, serving as a catalyst for intergenerational and intercultural dialogue, and by instilling a sense of environmental stewardship.

You can find out more on the project by watching this short film:

Healy Arts is a charity (SC051273) established in 2021 by Siobhan Healy to advance education by providing opportunities for the public and artists based in Scotland and internationally to learn new skills in specialist materials, endangered crafts, and cutting-edge technologies.

Artists involved in the project: Siobhan Healy, Gerald Mangan, Vikki Litton, Frank McNab, Stuart Low, Chris Watson, Amy Bruning, Mike Rolek.