The Birdman of Pollok
"Colin Macleod was a modern-day land raider who gave a voice to poverty-stricken Pollok in the 90s. The M77 motorway was being driven through Pollok Park, cutting the local community off from their only green space. The people of Pollok did not have Greta Thunberg or Extinction Rebellion – they had Colin Macleod. His protests were legendary. He started by staying up a tree for 9 days to grab press attention. This grew into a full-blown protest camp and once the declaration of independence was written, the Pollok Free State was born. The Free State became a community where people lived, worked and philosophised round the camp fire. It was an escape from the gangs, drugs and poverty of Pollok. Even though the motorway eventually went through, the Pollok Free State had become more than a protest camp. Through Colin’s efforts, the community had learned how to heal. Drawing on his experiences as a young man in Native America, Colin and his fellow Free State activists founded GalGael, a trust based in Govan which offers support to people with addictions or mental health problems. Within their workshops they offer healing through reconnection with culture and working with natural materials: after all, a tree with no roots cannot stand up. Colin’s roots were deeply Gaelic and this propelled him to reclaim Govan for the people, for the Highlanders and Irish who had lost sight of their culture. Through his colleagues, friends and family, we come to know Colin Macleod, a visionary whose work was ahead of its time and is still a beacon of hope for impoverished communities today."
- Festival
- Celtic Media Festival 2021
- Title
- The Birdman of Pollok
- Entry Category
- Single Documentary
- Produced By
- BBC Scotland Multiplatform Production
- Producer
- Nina Torrance , Jennifer Robertson
- Directed By
- N/A
- Production Partners
- N/A
- Broadcaster
- BBC Alba