East meets North West as Glasgow celebrates Chinese New Year

Young tenants Jessica Khan and Evie Jo McManus join bagpiper Michael McGowan and dancer Mei Loi
Young tenants Jessica Khan and Evie Jo McManus join bagpiper Michael McGowan and dancer Mei Loi

Residents of North West Glasgow welcomed the Chinese New Year in multicultural style on Monday with a traditional Scottish ceilidh thanks to Queens Cross Housing Association.

Woodside Halls, Glenfarg Street came alive to the sounds of bagpipes and a full ceilidh band, with guests enjoying featured traditional Chinese dance performances and a Chinese Scottish fusion buffet.

Queens Cross Housing Association’s Sharing Lives, Sharing Spaces community engagement project organised the event. Developed in response to research which showed that one in five tenants in the Woodside neighbourhood are of Chinese ethnic origin, the project brings different cultures in the area together through classes and social events.

The project was established with an award from the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund, which increases support for community-led regeneration throughout Scotland.

Dancers from the Glasgow Oriental Dancing Association
Dancers from the Glasgow Oriental Dancing Association

Sharing Lives, Sharing Spaces project officer, Shawn Zhou, said: “Sharing Lives, Sharing Spaces has been a real success so far. We’ve established community English and cookery classes, employability courses, and helped to increase access to Association services such as welfare rights and benefits advice.”

Queens Cross Housing Association chief executive, Shona Stephen, said: “We’re committed to recognising and celebrating the diversity of our neighbourhoods and the people who live and work there.

“Cultural events like this help us bring our diverse community together, and provide an opportunity to meet with friends and neighbours from all walks of life and share culture, language and experiences.”

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