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5 Aug 2022

Pollok House seeks a storyteller to explore links with enslavement

A view of the exterior of Pollok House, seen from the foot of some semi-circular stone steps and through a cast iron gate. Two large stone statues of lions, holding shields, stand either side of the gate.
Pollok House in Glasgow
At the National Trust for Scotland, we believe that it is our responsibility to explore the whole history of the places in our care and to share this history with visitors.

Update | March 2024: Pollok House is now closed for approximately two years to facilitate the second phase of a £4 million programme of investment led by Glasgow City Council. The works will comprise roof and general building fabric repairs.

The team at Pollok House are currently inviting applications from creative practitioners for a six-week residency which will take place in autumn 2022.

Over the course of the residency, the creative practitioner will research the connections between Pollok House, the Stirling Maxwell family and the history of enslavement, and develop a suite of stories which will become part of the long-term visitor offering at Pollok. The Engagement team at Pollok will support the practitioner through the research process and in the delivery of a series of online and in-person events to share the stories with staff and visitors.

A room inside a grand house, with a dark-wood bookcase on one wall and detailed rugs covering the wooden floor. There is a white archway with plinths, and through it you can see the next two rooms, one of which contains a grand piano.
Pollok House

The commission forms part of the Facing Our Past project which explores the connections between National Trust for Scotland properties and historic enslavement. An interim report outlining these connections was first published in December 2021. The residency is supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. This fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland, with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 26 August 2022.
Please see the document below for more information about the role and how to apply.

Download

Pollok House, Creative Practitioner: project brief

pdf (196.668 KB)

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