Helena Grimshaw

The Barras Political Film Theatre has a clear political agenda. For me, the problem of society today is lack of communication about and participation in politics, which can lead to mistrust, ignorance and disrespect. There are statistics showing that almost all young Calton residents had been to the cinema, many going regularly, despite not attending other cultural events. This theatre will screen political films, in the attempt to educate through the most accessible form of media – through film.

The films are political in the sense that they seek to stimulate new ideas and the sharing of different view- points through a focus on issues of social change, so- cial justice, investigative journalism and political satire. The curation of films will include a focus on both local and international cultural themes. The film theatre has many welcoming and varied spaces of interaction, to encourage dialogues both before and after films particularly about difficult topics. It is vital that the architecture of the BPFT feels democratic and accessible to all.

The elderly local population of the Barras and Calton should be placed at the heart of a community rather than pushed to the fringes of a town. When researching the current treatment of the elderly in Scotland, I discovered that sheltered living is considered more successful than care homes, but could be vastly improved. There was a desire for a live-in carer in the accommodation as well as a focus on sustainable living due to fuel poverty. I was inspired by ‘Share’ Kanazawa, a village in Japan targeted at the elderly but also accommodates young disabled people and students. The village creates a self sufficient community of care, connections and friendships , which also attracts the surrounding residents.

The housing rises from public to private; the lower two floors share their own language in terms of materiality as they are the most public and busy spaces. The ground floor accommodates commercial and labour activities such as markets and artist studio, and the first floor will house all the social activities such as communal dining spaces, a gym and a computer room, which are open to the public at certain times. The three top floors accommodate the more intimate private spaces of the dwellings, a combination of sheltered living for the elderly, but also for artists and carers. The dwellings are arranged to reduce isolation by encouraging interaction, with the kitchens looking out onto the wide circulatory winter gardens filled with plants and seating. The dwellings are adaptable to suit the needs of the different needs of the users.