A charity-run arts venue in Scotland has addressed concerns raised about its response to a pro-Palestine protest in June this year.
The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), a registered charity based in Glasgow, published an almost 800-word statement last week addressing its approach to a protest on 24 June by campaign groups Art Workers for Palestine (AWfP) and No Pride in Genocide, among others.
AWfP had reportedly proposed a week-long series of workshops hosted in the venue, which the CCA claims did not have permission to go ahead.
CCA is understood to have called the police to prevent the protest, with one person reportedly being injured at the event.
In its statement, CCA acknowledged the “disruption, confusion and harm experienced over recent weeks, particularly by our community, artists, staff, tenants and partners”.
“We sincerely regret the outcome of our decisions on 24 June and that an individual was injured,” it said.
“We recognise that a lack of clarity on our choices had real human consequences, and for this we are deeply sorry.”
CCA has since been closed, with the charity aiming to reopen the week commencing 25 August.
External comms delay
The charity had been criticised in recent months for its refusal to back the demands of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
In a statement last month, the charity said its board could not reach a consensus on publicly endorsing the boycott, claiming it could face “potential legal complexities and implications for a charity”.
The charity added that “to fulfil its charitable aim, the organisation must remain independent politically.”
In the most recent statement, the charity apologised for what it described as a “delay in external communications”, saying it “focused first on internal dialogue so that we could provide clear and considered information when speaking publicly”.
It added: “We are listening and know that trust cannot be repaired with words alone, but through consistent, honest, and long-term work.
“CCA is committed to lasting change, to listening more openly, making space for conversation, and taking shared responsibility.
“We are working to refresh our processes to ensure leadership reflects our principles, to amplify staff voices and to meet the changing needs of CCA.
“Through this, we remain committed to meaningful engagement first within the organisation, and then with all those we work with and serve. This includes constructive dialogue with those who have raised concerns.”
The charity also emphasised its condemnation of “the violence of the Israeli state” and its “ongoing occupation, genocide and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.
CCA added that while it would not endorse PACBI, the charity would be “adopting an ethical fundraising and programming policy” and that it would revisit the matter “when the new leadership is in place”.
It also highlighted that the venue had hosted 44 events in solidarity with Palestine in the last year.
Leadership changes
In its statement, the charity also revealed plans to change its leadership team, including a new chair and board of trustees.
This follows its move earlier this year to recruit an interim chief executive and change lead to implement a “one-year turnaround” at the charity.
The charity will also recruit another finance manager after interim incumbent Steven Thomson leaves next month.
According to reports in TFN, Thomson liked an “ableist” social media post directed at a group challenging his employer.
A CCA spokesperson told Civil Society: “Steven Thomson was contracted to work at CCA on a short-term freelance basis.
“We can confirm that he will move on from CCA at the end of this month. CCA is beginning recruitment for a new finance manager in the coming days.
“As this is a personnel matter, we will not comment further at this time.
“We want to be clear that CCA does not condone ableism or prejudice in any form. It does not reflect the values of our organisation.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Scottish charity regulator said: “OSCR has examined a number of concerns which had been raised with us regarding an incident at the CCA on 24 June 2025.
“We have concluded that the matters raised with OSCR do not raise any regulatory issues, and we will be taking no further action at this stage.”
