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Glasgow club The Art School suspends club and live music programme due to debt

It's still open to students at Glasgow School of Art

The future of Glasgow club and live music venue The Art School is in doubt after financial troubles have forced the team running the space to suspend its future programming.

GSASA Ltd, a commercial branch of the Glasgow School of Art Students' Association, oversees the venue's club and live music programming, as well as its use as a bar and restaurant, but has admitted that debts have built up as a result of frequently running at a loss.

The space is still open to students at Glasgow's School of Art, but it's unclear whether it will return at a public venue. It has been closed since last month, when news first emerged of troubles at the venue. At that time, staff were also told that they may lose their jobs.

"GSASA Ltd. will be reducing trading (provision of a limited food offering, teas and coffees) for a short period until the New Year in order to reflect, regroup and develop a more sustainable business model," reads a statement shared this week. "This decision has not been taken lightly. All alternative avenues were considered extensively before this decision was made."

The statement continues: "GSA Students’ Association is committed to creating, in consultation with students, a financially viable commercial operation which reflects contemporary desires of the current and future student body. This operation should produce profits that will directly benefit the student experience, creating funds to support creative engagement projects, campaigns and other extra-curricular activities."

You can read the full statement here.

A number of local Glasgow figures have voiced their support for the staff affected by the news, penning an open letter in response. Amongst the signees are Optimo's JD Twitch and JG Wilkes, Eclair Fifi, BAKE, Laurie and Oliver Pitt of Golden Teacher, 12th Isle label-runners and DJs Fergus Clark and Stewart Brown, and Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite. Read the full terms of that letter, and the list of signees, here