Offline

Glasgow International 2026 Spotlight 💡 Strange Evidence, Michelle Williams Gamaker @m.williams.gamaker Presented by @offline_glasgow curated by Lydia Honeybone Michelle Williams Gamaker’s Strange Evidence is a genre-bending body horror film noir focusing on 1930s screen star Merle Oberon. As a contracted star for British director Alexander Korda’s London Films, Merle was the so-called “exotic”, playing stereotypical roles. To transition to leading roles, she hid her mixed Sri Lankan, Indian and British heritage, claiming to have been born to white parents in Tasmania, Australia. Behind the scenes, she maintained strict control of her image, relying on make-up, lighting, dermabrasion (a type of intensive skin resurfacing), and skin-bleaching procedures, and passed as white until her death in 1979. Strange Evidence forms the first part of Williams Gamaker's new phase in her Fictional Healing series, following Fictional Activism and Fictional Revenge. It also completes her Critical Affection trilogy (2021–2026), including The Bang Straws (2021), and Thieves (2023). Swipe to see more of Strange Evidence ➡️ 📍 Strange Evidence is at Offline, 138 Niddrie Road, 5 – 21 June, visit the link in our bio to see full dates and opening times. Images: Michelle Williams Gamaker, Strange Evidence, film still, 2026. Commissioned and produced by Matt’s Gallery, London and Offline, Glasgow.

Strange Evidence has wrapped @mattsgallerylondon , but I wanted to say a huge thank you to my cast and crew by sharing some BTS of our body horror/and film noir shoots (as a double post). Hopefully these photos show how special our collaboration was, all pulling in the same direction, for the production motto: “Together we labour to realise images” 💫🤍💫 CW: the last 2 images are gory, but so stylish… Cast: Merle Oberon: Thara Schöön @tharaschoon Psychoanalyst: Catherine Lord @catherine.lord.9822 Lucien Ballard: Maximilian Raboin @maxraboin Nurse 1: Hannah Taverner @ooqoot Nurse 2: William Lang @memry_bnk Body double: Jacinta Gowans @jaciiiinta Extras: Window Cleaner: Robin Klassnik @robinklassnik Young Merle: Wren Gamaker Members of public: Michael Curran, Katherine Harvey @katharvey813 , Oona Grimes @grimesoona , Teresa Grimes @tintypelondon @teresavkgrimes , Nina Davies @influential_bro , Tim Dixon @timothy_dixon , Tony White @pieceofpaperpress , Barbara Campbell @barbaracampbell321 , Graeme Quinn-Smith @graemequinn Please see Crew credits in the comments, we’re too many to post here! Photos: @lottie_gomes Co-commissioned by @mattsgallerylondon & @offline_glasgow

We are excited to be part of Glasgow International 2026 - the 11th edition of Scotland’s biennial contemporary art festival - running from 5–21 June! 🎉 Showing new work by @m.williams.gamaker co-commissioned with @mattsgallerylondon Across 18 days, the festival will enliven Glasgow with work by more than 60 artists, celebrating the city as a vital place for making, organising and experiencing contemporary art. Free, open, and for everyone, this year’s festival brings together Glasgow International-curated commissions alongside projects selected through open call - led by artists, artist-run spaces and organisations across the city. The full programme can be found via the @gifestival website. #GI2026 #GlasgowInternational @gifestival

Applications still live for candidates to join our Board of Trustees. We are now inviting applications for two specialist trustees. Who We Are Looking For: We are seeking trustees with expertise in one or both of the following areas, and who are based in Scotland (with a strong preference for candidates in Glasgow, where most of our work and partnerships are rooted): Finance Trustee * Experience in financial oversight, budgeting, and governance for small arts charities or third-sector organisations. * Skilled in reviewing management accounts, cashflow, reserves and organisational risk. * Familiar with public-funding environments (Creative Scotland, cultural funds). * Interest in film, moving image and artist-led practice. Legal Trustee * Legal expertise relevant to the arts or third sector: capital projects, charity law, contracts, governance, compliance, employment, or IP/licensing. * Experience supporting small organisations in legal and strategic decision-making. * Understanding of trustee duties and legal best practice for charities. Sadly we are not recruiting generalist trustees at this time as our current priority is to strengthen finance and legal capacity at Board level. How to Apply: Please send: 1. A CV (max. 2 pages) 2. A short supporting statement (1 page) outlining your interest and relevant experience

 Deadline: 13th February 
Email: [email protected] More info on the governance page on our website. Link in bio. @sarahwishart_art 📸 @house.on.legs

Offline are delighted to announce Michelle Williams Gamaker’s ’Strange Evidence’ will come to Glasgow for its Scottish premiere for Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art 2026. ‘Strange Evidence’ (2026) is a genre bending Body Horror/Film Noir, focusing on 1930s screen star Merle Oberon, who kept her mixed Sri Lankan, Indian and British heritage secret to protect her industry status across the British and American Studio systems. Merle falsified her past claiming that she was born in Tasmania to white parents - she passed as white until her death in 1979. Merle maintained strict control of her image; relying on make-up, lighting, dermabrasion and skin-bleaching procedures. Alternating between colour and black and white worlds, Williams Gamaker revisits the cosmetic procedures Merle underwent to maintain this illusion, and speculatively offers the star psychoanalysis to unpack her self-censorship (what the artist calls Fictional Healing). The project sensitively explores racial stigma, trauma and complex decisions shaped by prejudice and restrictive labour conditions, which still impact screen-artists today. Co-commissioned by Offline and Matt’s Gallery with support from Creative Scotland who made possible the mentorship of Glasgow-based artists, Aqsa Arif and Kialy Tihngang as 2nd Assistant Directors. ‘Strange Evidence’ will be on show throughout GI - Friday 5 June to Sunday 21 June 2026. @m.williams.gamaker @mattsgallerylondon @aqsa.arif.art @kialytihngang @gifestival @creativescots

Introducing Offline’s chair, Sarah Wishart. Do you have capacity to join Sarah and the rest of the voluntary trustees? We are now inviting applications for two specialist trustees to join our Board. Who We Are Looking For: We are seeking trustees with expertise in one or both of the following areas, and who are based in Scotland (with a strong preference for candidates in Glasgow, where most of our work and partnerships are rooted): Finance Trustee * Experience in financial oversight, budgeting, and governance for small arts charities or third-sector organisations. * Skilled in reviewing management accounts, cashflow, reserves and organisational risk. * Familiar with public-funding environments (Creative Scotland, cultural funds). * Interest in film, moving image and artist-led practice. Legal Trustee * Legal expertise relevant to the arts or third sector: capital projects, charity law, contracts, governance, compliance, employment, or IP/licensing. * Experience supporting small organisations in legal and strategic decision-making. * Understanding of trustee duties and legal best practice for charities. Sadly we are not recruiting generalist trustees at this time as our current priority is to strengthen finance and legal capacity at Board level. How to Apply: Please send: 1. A CV (max. 2 pages) 2. A short supporting statement (1 page) outlining your interest and relevant experience

 Deadline: 13th February 
Email: [email protected] More info on the opportunities page on our website. Link in bio. @sarahwishart_art 📸 @house.on.legs

Huge thanks to everyone who came along to MERLODRAMA! last weekend, from the Offline team and artists who brought this incredible programme together! L->R @leonie_rae @honeybones @aqsa.arif.art @m.williams.gamaker @kialytihngang We were absolutely blown away by the audience response to this weird and wonderful weekend of films and artists moving image. Thank you to our funders @filmhubscotland and @creativescots 📸 Biggest thanks goes to @house.on.legs for capturing this photo of us.

GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK Complete our MERLODRAMA! Feedback form (scan QR code or follow link in bio) for a chance to win £50 At Offline we’ve been dreaming of opening a new Southside venue for years now. To do this, we want to think about what a Neighbourhood Cinema could offer the communities we programme for, support and connect with. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this idea of a Neighbourhood Cinema - what would your priorities be? What would excite you most? What would you not want!? We’d really appreciate you filling out this form, it helps with our thinking and also helps us prove to funders and partners that the work we do is reaching people. 📸 @house.on.legs - looking forward to sharing more documentation of the festival from our brilliant photographer Steven Jones @filmhubscotland @creativescots #Govanhill #CommunityCinema @govanhillbaths #Merlodrama

MERLODRAMA! Artists spotlight: Maya Gurung-Russell Campbell TODAY, 1:30pm 📆 Saturday 6 December 🕣 1:30pm 📍 The Deep End Responding to todays’s headline feature, ‘Imitation of Life’, Kialy Tihngang @kialytihngang has selected ‘Effigy for a Black Soldier and Protector of the Children’ by Maya Gurung-Russell Campbell @mayajcampbell “In Imitation of Life, racial passing is so much about denying the existence of a mask, concealing its edges until it becomes seamless and unquestionable. In Protector of the Children, Maya Gurung-Russell Campbell actively centres and celebrates her grandmother’s Nepalese masking tradition. Unlike Piola in Imitation of Life, Campbell uses performance to camera to acknowledge matriarchal figures and to simultaneously honour the co-existing Nepali, Caribbean, and British components of her heritage.” - Kialy Tihngang Book via link in bio 🎟️ £0-£12 pay-what-you-can Supported by Film Hub Scotland and The National Lottery through Creative Scotland #MERLODRAMA #ImitationOfLife #ClassicHollywood #Govanhill #FilmScreening

MERLODRAMA! - tonight’s feature! 📆 Friday 5 December 🕣 7:30pm - NEW START TIME! 📍 The Deep End With yet another film adaptation of the classic Brontë novel set for release in 2026, we revisit the 1939 classic which sees Merle Oberon cast in the iconic role of Cathy opposite Laurence Olivier’s Heathcliff. Produced under the constraints of the Hays Code’s anti-miscegenation rules, the film could never have cast Heathcliff as a man of colour, as Brontë originally described him. Yet, what audiences at the time didn’t know was that the Hays Code was being broken, not by Olivier but by Oberon who kept her heritage an industry secret until her death in 1979. This headline title will be preceded by The Breaking Story by Sin Wai Kin, 2022 and O’ Pierrot by Tanoa Sasraku, 2019, selected by Aqsa Arif. 🎟️ £0-£12 pay-what-you-can 🔗 in bio Supported by Film Hub Scotland and The National Lottery through Creative Scotland @filmhubscotland @creativescots @aqsa.arif.art @kialytihngang @m.williams.gamaker @sinforvictory @tanoasasraku #Govanhill #ArtistsMovingImage #ClassicCinema #WutheringHeights

MERLODRAMA! a weekend of screenings and events starts tomorrow! 📆 5-7 December 📍 The Deep End / Roma Cultural Centre - Govanhill 🎟️ £0-£12 pay-what-you-can MERLODRAMA! – a season of film screenings, workshops and discussions dedicated to the enigmatic 1930s film star Merle Oberon – programmed in collaboration with artists Aqsa Arif, Kialy Tihngang and Michelle Williams Gamaker, part of BFI’s Too Much: Melodrama on Screen. @bfinetwork @filmhubscotland @creativescots @creative_glasgow @kialytihngang @aqsa.arif.art @m.williams.gamaker #Govanhill #GovanhillBaths #Melodrama #Merlodrama #FilmFestival