Scotland has some of the highest IBD rates in the world
A reimagined festival toilet has appeared in Glasgow, inviting the public to "sit with" the realities of life with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The eye-catching purple portaloo, installed outside SWG3 over the weekend, was launched by the Catherine McEwan Foundation in partnership with creative agency MadeBrave.
The aim is to raise awareness of IBD – a group of chronic, often invisible conditions that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affecting more than 1 in 100 people in Scotland.
From the outside, the installation resembles a typical portable toilet - but inside, it has been transformed into an immersive space.
The seat functions as a cinema chair, the walls are lined with bold, fly-poster-style facts, and when the door shuts, a short film begins featuring video messages from Glaswegian DJ George Bowie, Scottish singer-songwriters Callum Beattie and Robyn Red, as well as Britpoppers Starsailor.
Calum Beattie, from Edinburgh, said: “Do you know what really sucks? There are people who want to be at the festival but they’re stuck inside yet again. Not because they didn’t want to be at the festival, but because of Crohn’s and colitis — their body just says no.”
The Catherine McEwan Foundation, which supports individuals and families affected by IBD across Scotland, is known for its creative approach to awareness-raising.
Last year, it installed a giant toilet roll billboard in Glasgow city centre – another project made in partnership with MadeBrave.
Derek McEwan, who founded the charity in 2003 in memory of his mother, Catherine, said the campaign aims to challenge public perception of what it’s like to live with the disease.
He said: “IBD is a battle for those who live with it, as their families. My mum lived with severe Crohn’s for most of her life. I grew up in waiting rooms. She never once complained, but I saw how hard it was.
“Even things that are meant to be fun, like going to a music festival, can become a source of stress. Many people with IBD just don’t go. The fear of flare-ups, access to toilets, the planning is exhausting.
“We created this space to help people stop, think, and understand. For some, a festival loo is something to avoid. For others, it’s the reason they miss out entirely.”
It can cause chronic pain, fatigue, weight loss and anxiety, and often requires long-term medication, hospitalisation or surgery.
The foundation funds research, and support services for patients across Scotland and it hopes this campaign will challenge stigma and bring the realities of IBD into the public eye.
For more information, visit www.catherinemcewanfoundation.com. Donations can be made by texting IBD to 70085 to give £5.
