Meet Laura-Beth of From the Ground, performing at Celtic Connections, as she discusses blending Scottish traditions with global influences. Discover the band's message of nature, resilience, and unity, plus our guide to the must-see Celtic Connection gig lighting up Glasgow’s Southside.

We spoke with members of the Southside’s creative and inclusive communities, who shared how local spaces like Glasgow Zine Library and Glasgow Sunflowers have fostered their sense of belonging.

Marzanna Antoniak shares her journey from feeling isolated as a new migrant in Scotland to finding belonging in Govanhill through volunteering, multilingual initiatives, and community connections, highlighting the power of inclusive spaces, and multilingual initiatives in fostering belonging and community.

Glaswegian poet and novelist, Shane Johnstone reflects on the ties between language and identity in Govanhill, tracing its evolution through Irish diaspora culture to today’s vibrant multilingual community. By exploring how migration shapes belonging while raising questions about preserving and celebrating the area’s rich linguistic diversity.

Balfour Reparations 2024-2044, a performance lecture by Farah Saleh, uses a mix of movement, spoken word, and participatory action to confront the UK’s colonial role in Palestine and explores our role in shaping a decolonial future.

For those of us far from our ancestral homelands, connecting to heritage is an act of resilience, joy, and community. This piece explores Melissa Espinoza’s connection to food, the role it plays in preserving Mexican culture, and how culinary traditions bridge the gap between past and present – even in Glasgow.

We had a chat wit musician Lizy Stirrat, a Royal Conservatoire alumna and the upper brass teaching musician at Big Noise – a music education and social change programme delivered by Sistema Scotland. Lizy shares how her love for music shaped her life and her passion for helping young people discover their musical talents.

Aliana Michalewicz si sadne so svojou mamou Sonia, aby sa dozvedela viac o ich fascinujúcom, slávnom rodinnom príbehu zakorenenom v hudbe a tanci, ako to priviedli z Poľska do Glasgowa a ich nádeja do budúcnosti. 

In this issue of Roma News and Views, Aliana Michalewicz sits down with her mum Sonia to learn more about their fascinating, famous family history rooted in music and dance, how they brought this from Poland to Glasgow, and their hopes for the future.

We Incite This Meeting is a powerful performance that invites the audience to discuss women’s rights and question: “What remains to be done, and how are we going to do it?”