Nathan Woods
Moments & Exchanges
Stramash, Cowgate
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Located in the Old Town, Edinburgh, lies the 900-capacity arts and performance venue. It operates over two floors with a live music stage, accessed from all areas by a mezzanine floor. The venue is the largest live music venue in the city and is one of its most eccentric.
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The Cowgate is located 500 metres South East of the Edinburgh Castle within the city’s World Heritage Site. The building is a former Church built in 1859, that has a rustic and dramatic quality. The Free Cowgate Church was built by Edinburgh architect Patrick Wilson and composes antiquated architecture, robust fixtures, distressed timber with exposed brick and steel for a contemporary design.
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Social Issues & Inequalities
All band members performing lacked a diversity in race and gender, limiting representation and inclusion
Traditionalist performance routine reinforces hetero-normative behaviours; pairing dancers by gender
Venue floor tiering and arrangement non-accessible to the disabled, having an ablest attitude towards potential attendants
The atmosphere tackles social issues such as lonliness as the venue is condusive towards participation and engagment
Seating with sightlines to stage provides a place to socialise, encourage interaction whilst also experiencing the live entertainment