UWS seek to Close the Gap
As part of Commonwealth Sport’s commitment to support Para athletes and their participation at Glasgow 2026, a pre-Games GAPS camp was hosted by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). In addition to the hosting and support of the staff and students, Commonwealth Sport commissioned the Centre for Culture, Sport and Events (CCSE) to produce a research-informed documentary focused on the athletes and their preparation ahead of the Games in Glasgow.
When Glasgow stepped up to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, CCSE planned a range of research activities designed to advance the disability rights agenda. One of these activities focused on the pre-Games GAPS Camp hosted at UWS’ Ayr Campus the week before the Games, delivered in partnership with Commonwealth Sport, South Ayrshire Council, a network of university partners from across the Commonwealth and Bupa, the Official Healthcare Principal Partner of both the GAPS Programme and Glasgow 2026.
Fifty-four Para-athletes and coaches from 15 Commonwealth nations, representing Para Athletics and Para Powerlifting participated in the camp, providing a unique insight into the preparation of elite Para athletes.
The GAPS programme is designed to provide Para athletes from across the Commonwealth with specialised training support in performance, psychology, and physiotherapy while also fostering a sense of belonging from being part of a welcoming and supportive community.
Professor David McGillivray, Professor Gayle McPherson and Dr Liz Carlin combined their research interests and expertise with the production skills of UWS’ internal film unit, FIREbase, to create a research-informed documentary foregrounding the voices and experiences of Para athletes at the pre-Games GAPS Camp. The film was directed by FIREbase co-directors, Paul Tucker and Bettina Talbot, who shaped the interview approach, filming and edit, translating the research into documentary form.
The documentary addresses participants’ experiences and reflections, foregrounding the lived experience of Para athletes from across the Commonwealth’s nations and territories.
The final Closing the Gap film reflects on what the GAPS programme means to participating athletes and coaches whilst outlining what still needs to be done to ensure Para athletes from less well-resourced nations across the Commonwealth have the freedom to participate in sport and the pathways necessary to enable them to pursue their dreams.
As a research film, Closing the Gap operates as both a research output and a means of dissemination, translating research findings into a creative artefact to inform policymakers, sporting bodies and athletes.
Background and Author Bios:
CCSE’s Professor David McGillivray and Gayle McPherson have been undertaking research on the relationship between major events and disability rights since 2013, in collaboration with Professor Laura Misener from Western University, Canada. This work has sought to advance a disability rights-supporting agenda, challenging the ableist thinking that often impacts negatively on the experiences of people with disabilities in accessing sport and events. This longitudinal research programme has sought to foreground the voices of people with disabilities as a fundamentally important means of driving social change.
Professor David McGillivray holds a Chair in Event and Digital Cultures and is Co-Director of the Centre for Culture, Sport & Events at University of the West of Scotland.
Bettina Talbot is a Lecturer in Television, Radio & Podcast Production and co-Director of FIREbase, based in the Department of Creative Arts & Media at University of the West of Scotland.
