Event: From Glasgow to the Gambia

Royston, Glasgow on Wednesday, 21st September 2005

Who Came?

Six people from Royston, Glasgow, six from Saragunda in The Gambia.

What happened?

You know that feeling you get when you go on holiday and it changes the way you look at your life? Basing the event around exchange between the two groups, we tried to make that feeling happen, to help them find a new perspective on the future.

The Lowdown

The Glaswegians and the Gambians formed two groups and collectively drew maps of the places they came from. They then created a description of a typical character who lives there. The characters were then swapped between the groups and each group told the story of the other group’s character living in their city until 2020.

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The Gambians create Chille, a hard-working, hard-smoking over-sexed, taxi-driver. He looks like a friendly chap, but you wouldn’t want to trust him and inch. He knows the city better than anyone else, but he has as little respect for his own passengers as he does for other drivers. The product of a broken family he is busy creating more: he has several wives and 11 children.

The Roystoners tell the story of Chille’s new life in Glasgow. Chille changes his name to Sammy Morrison and relocates to Rosemount flats, Royston. By 2007 he has become a volunteer in the community and is leading a good life, but in 2008 when his wife comes over from The Gambia he starts taking it easy and becomes a scrounger. But by 2010 is Muslim faith becomes increasingly important to him and he starts to concentrate on his family, faith and work. In 2015 he moves to Newton Mearns. He passes retirement age in 2017, and returns to The Gambia with his wife, where he is much happier, leaving his son behind.

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The Roystoners on the other hand, created Jo-Jo, an 11 year-old “un-holy terror”, with a weight problem. He slings stones at cats, kicks in cars and sets fire to wheely bins. But life hasn’t been kind to Jo-Jo, his Dad’s a notorious local drug baron. He’s never far from violence and envelopes stuffed with grubby tenners. But the Roystoners know that all Jo-Jo needs is some TLC. His sister, who mothers him, can bring out the best in him as can the bloke across the road who takes him to the boxing club.

Jo-Jo is taken by the Gambians and is immediately renamed Kunta-Kinteh. They tell the story of Kunta-Kinteh’s reform in an SOS youth village for lost children, where he is held to curfew by night and rigorously mentored by day. His reform in the Gambian educational establishment, lasts until 2015 when he leaves school to assume professional training, which is followed by the beginning of his career as a scientist in 2017. 

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Like that?
Think you could do better?

Could you write 500-1,500 words on a Glaswegian going to The Gambia or Gambian coming to Glasgow in 2020. Or something like that? Send a story, with your contact details, to Glasgow 2020, Oyster Arts, 100 Beith Street, Glasgow. G11 6DQ. Or e-mail Gerry Hassan. We will publish all stories on the website, and especially good ones on hoardings around Glasgow and in forthcoming book.