Toad’s Caravan is a creative agency based in the west end of Glasgow. They specialise in film, animation, illustration and motion graphics. Founded by Joanna Susskind in 2010, Toad’s Caravan has worked with many happy clients including Enable Scotland, The Citizens Theatre, STV Creative, Glasgow Film Festival, The Digital Design Studio, The Commonwealth Games, Creative Scotland, Shed Media and lots more. Here, they take you through what they suggest you do if you find yourself in Glasgow for the day.

We recommend (in Glasgow):

First thing

Pay a visit to the charming Rocco and Santino at Smile Cafe on Queen Margaret Drive. Their coffee is dynamite. We often pick up a round for the team at TC – hard to get going without it, we’ll tell you that for free!

Image from Yelp

Morning

Be productive and listen to super blank rain noise while you respond to emails, read the news and plan for the day.

Mid-morning

Check out what Parisien Lucien Zayan is up to by following @TheInvisibleDog on Instagram. This arts centre in Brooklyn, NYC is host to all sorts of amazingly weird and wonderfully creative things. We paid many a visit to this spot whilst working remotely in the states. Glasgow would lap up an Invisible Dog, so it would. Come visit Lucien!

Midday

Make things and be creative whilst listening to this excellent Electronic Concentration compiled by Spotify. Thanks guys!

Lunchtime

Give Rachna a call and order in or go pick up some seriously good curry from Babu Bombay Street Kitchen.

Post lunch

Turn designs in to REAL THINGS YOU CAN TOUCH with PushPrint for fast turn-around times, sound advice and general all-round great quality (service, staff and product).

Late afternoon

Continue that conversation across the street over a pint at the ever impressive Ubiquitous Chip where fires roar around the clock, dogs are welcome and drinks are served in the sunshine on the roof terrace. Heaven.

Later on

Listen to Kate Bush and Roxy Music, neck some cheap lager and draw with the wrong hand to take the focus off your lack of skills at All The Young Nudes life drawing club (Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee).

Find out more about Toad’s Caravan founder, Joanna on Central Station here. Toad’s Caravan are currently looking for new residents. If you’re a small business or creative freelancer, get in touch with Joanna by emailing joanna@toadscaravan.com.

More: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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For more recommendations on what to read, watch or listen to, go here.

A Clockwork Orange Trailer by Joanna Susskind and Up Up Design. Client: The Citizens Theatre. All right reserved © Toad’s Caravan Ltd 2011

I’ve always loved art and design but never knew exactly how I would utilise it in my working career. I studied History of Art at Edinburgh University and focussed my dissertation on the growth of animation, which led me to a masters in 2D/3D Motion Graphics at the Glasgow School of Art.

As a post-graduate student at GSA, I was lucky enough to receive the Dog Digital scholarship. I worked with Dog on a part time basis for 2 years during my studies – I learnt a lot about animation and working with an agency during my time there. It was very good of them to take me under their wing :)

My student film ‘Toggle’ was later screened as part of The Glasgow Film Festival.

After my GSA degree show I was contacted by the BBC where I went to work as lead animator on a childrens’ TV show pitch. The people I met here led me to The Digital Design Studio at The Glasgow School of Art where I was offered the role of Digital Media Specialist. During my 2 years employment there I worked on a wide range of commercial projects, most prominently animation and video editing. I was also project lead on television broadcast work.

Beauty and The Beast Trailer by Joanna Susskind and Up Up design. Client: The Citizens Theatre.  All right reserved © Toad’s Caravan Ltd 2011
As a side project in 2009, I created “All The Young Nudes”, an alternative concept in life drawing/social club which consistently attracts up to 65 people weekly in Glasgow city centre. This has established a great network for artists and designers in Glasgow. The club helps maintain a dialogue between creatives working in Glasgow which I found could be tricky after leaving art school if you weren’t immersed in the industry.

I now work for myself running and managing Toad’s Caravan, a shared studio for digital artists and designers in Glasgow’s west end. I am currently involved in print, motion and film work through the studio. I absolutely love working for myself as it gives me the flexibility and time to look after All The Young Nudes and my other small ventures too.

www.joannasusskind.com
www.toadscaravan.com
www.atyn.co.uk

All photographs courtesy of Up Up Design @ Toad’s Caravan 2011

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‘Where I Make’ invites readers behind the scenes of artists from many disciplines to share photographs and a little insight about where they create their masterpieces. See more from the series here.