Author: David McGillivray

Topics of Interest for SGSSS Student-Led Open Competition 2026/27

Colleagues from the Centre for Culture, Sport and Events (CCSE) at University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are eligible to supervise students in the area of sport, leisure and tourism (Unit of Assessment 24) for the SGSSS Student-led Open Competition which is now open for applications. We are keen to invite expressions of interest in several research topic areas, related to the SGSSS Challenge-Led Pathways (https://www.sgsss.ac.uk/about-us/challenge-led-pathways/).


If you are interested in discussing an application with CCSE colleagues, in the first instance contact the SGSSS UoA Lead for UWS; david.mcgillivray@uws.ac.uk.

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Glasgow 2026: Conference on Reparatory Justice in and through Sport

On the sidelines of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, CCSE’s Professor Gayle McPherson and PhD researcher Zara Grant attended the Conference on Reparatory Justice in and through Sport at Glasgow City Chambers. Hosted by the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, Commonwealth Sport and the UN Human Rights Office, the event explored the link between sport and legacies of colonialism and enslavement – and how sport can be reimagined as a force for healing and unity.

“The harm (of colonialism and enslavement) has persisted across generations and is still carried. What was taken was human dignity. Reparation is about the return of dignity. That is what reparatory justice sets out to restore.”

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CCSE plays key role in production of Glasgow 2026 Human Rights Statement

The Centre for Culture, Sport and Events welcomed the recent publication of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games’ Human Rights Statement, having played a major role in drafting the commitments set out therein. CCSE’s Professor David McGillivray, Dr Callum McCloskey and Zara Grant joined the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Human Rights Working Group last year and worked alongside Commonwealth Sport’s Legacy Manager, Alex Johnston, and Laura Main, Senior Manager for Social Values at the Organising Company (OC), to draft the Statement – twelve years after Glasgow 2014 became the first in Commonwealth Games history to publish a human rights statement.

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CCSE Members Present at Northern Ireland Sport and Human Rights Forum, NI Human Rights Commission, Belfast

Two CCSE members were recently invited to present at the Northern Ireland Sport and Human Rights Forum. Dr Callum McCloskey and Zara Grant attended the event, which was hosted in Belfast by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The focus of the event was on the 2026 ‘summer of sport’ – with speakers addressing the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and the United 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

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CCSE Professor addresses international conference on human rights and sport

Professor David McGillivray, Co-Director of CCSE, has delivered a keynote address at an international conference in Cape Town on the need for major sport events to take a more responsible approach to human rights and social justice. Professor McGillivray spoke at the World Association for Sport Management conference, where he set out the case for stronger accountability, better governance and a clearer focus on the impact major events can have on workers, communities and host cities.

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CCSE Associate delivers Muhammad Yunus Lecture

By Dr Elizabeth Gardiner

On 16 September, I had the privilege of giving the annual Muhammad Yunus Lecture at Glasgow Caledonian University. To be invited to speak in honour of a man who reimagined the relationship between poverty, enterprise, and dignity was deeply humbling. It was also an opportunity to share the interim findings of the WISE (Women in Social Enterprise) research — findings that suggest the models of leadership we urgently need already exist, even if our systems fail to recognise them.

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Getting the inactive active: Barriers to physical inactivity and potential policy solutions

Dr David Meir, Lecturer in Sport & Physical Education

I have worked at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) for 8 years as a lecturer in sport and physical education. Over the last two years I have been involved in the production of two articles that explore sport and physical activity policy in Scotland. The first of these articles was entitled Country Profile: Sport and Physical Activity Policy in Scotland. Country profiles are a specific publication format for the International Journal of Sport Politics and Policy, and their intention is to increase awareness of the global diversity of sport policy and politics. I have written previously about this article for CCSE should you wish to explore the findings further.

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CCSE Visiting Scholar Dr Trudie Walters wraps up her Special Olympics project

For the past 3 months Dr Trudie Walters from Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki/Lincoln University in Aotearoa New Zealand has been a Visiting Scholar in the CCSE at UWS. She has been exploring the importance of Special Olympics involvement for intellectually disabled athletes, along with their wider network of family, coaches, club administrators and other volunteers, and support workers. In this blog post, she tells us a little about the project…

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CCSE Deputy Director debates the social value of sporting and cultural events

On August 5th, as part of the famous Edinbrugh Festivals, CCSE Deputy Director, Professor David McGillivray, was invited to participate in the inaugural Centre for Events and Festivals (CEF) debate. Debate panellists were asked to consider, “Do large scale cultural festivals deliver more social value than major sporting events?” with David and his partner, Iain Edmondson, on the opposition side, arguing for the value of sporting events, against Professor Jane Ali-Knight and Lyndsey Jackson, from the Edinburgh Fringe making the case for cultural festivals.

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CCSE collaborates with Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games organisers to develop legacy story of change

Last week, CCSE’s Professor Gayle McPherson, Dr Briony Sharp, Professor David McGillivray and Callum McCloskey collaborated with Alex Johnston and colleagues from the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company to deliver eight legacy workshops involving a diverse range of stakeholders with an interest in how the Commonwealth Games can be a catalyst for meaningful impact in 2026 and beyond.

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FestivalConnect project film released

As we approach the end of a very busy 2024 for CCSE, we’re delighted to release the project film for our FestivalsConnect project, funded by Spirit of 2012. This film relfects on the objectives of the project, what we did, what we found and what outputs and outcomes we’ve delivered. The film is one of several outputs from the project, adding to the Playbook for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Festivals and Events and the Evidence Review. These outputs are endorsed by sectoral partners, helping to ensure EDI is more effectively embedded in the planning and delivery of festivals and events, cultural and sporting.

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Mega sport events and human rights focus of new CCSE film

Mega sporting events and human rights are at the centre of a new documentary film produced by Professor David McGillivray and other CCSE colleagues, in collaboration with an international group of academic and non-academic partners.

The film, titled EventRights: Progressing Human Rights in Sport Events was produced by UWS’ FIRE base, as an outcome of the EventRights research project, and explores the potential for mega sport events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup to shine a light on and advocate positively for progressive social change, within host communities and beyond.

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CCSE publishes Playbook to promote EDI in Festivals and Events

A new resource aiming to help promote equality, diversity and inclusion within festivals and events has been launched by CCSE researchers.

A Playbook for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – developed by the Centre for Culture, Sport and Events at UWS – in partnership with Glasgow Life, funded by Spirit of 2012, and with contributions from Visit Scotland – aims to support those responsible for planning, organising and delivering festivals and events to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) from the outset.

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Whose Festival is it Anyway?

I was invited to contribute to a conference organised by The Cockburn Association titled ‘Whose Festival is it Anyway’ on Saturday 31st January. The conference featured panels exploring Edinburgh’s Festivals – past, present and future. I participated in a panel chaired by well-known broadcaster, Stephen Jardine, focused on Cultural Tourism and the Festivals: What will be the ‘new normal’?

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