The New Town of Cumbernauld began coming to life 60 years ago next year. Located on the north eastern outskirts of a then overcrowded post-war Glasgow, the developers brought ideas of modernity to an extant village with roots stretching back to the Romans. Theirs was a vision of utopia, of a community created from scratch in a town purpose built for the future; but decades later it is clear that ideas and realities often can’t match up. From modernist masterpiece to ‘Plook on the Plinth’, the built environment of the town has come to be ridiculed and reviled in equal measure – but what of the people and their stories? If we pay more attention to the realities, the hopes and fears and desires of people in the area, would a picture emerge of a town more closely resembling the community which was dreamed of? And if not, why not?

Booked! is coming to Cumbernauld in the spring of 2017. We’ll be working for several weeks with local people including schools and pensioner groups, before hosting a weekend festival in May. Full details will be revealed soon.