19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow portaloo at SWG3 brings IBD into the spotlight
But not for the usual reasons—this one has been transformed into a powerful awareness campaign for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Launched by the Catherine McEwan Foundation in partnership with creative agency MadeBrave, the installation marks World IBD Day on May 19 and aims to spotlight what life is really like for the thousands of Scots living with IBD.
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From the outside, it looks like your average portaloo. But step inside, and you're met with an entirely different experience: a cinema-style seat, walls covered in eye-opening facts, and a short film featuring heartfelt messages from DJ George Bowie, Callum Beattie, Robyn Red, and Starsailor.
Callum Beattie puts it plainly in the video, saying: '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.'
(Image: Supplied)
IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, affects more than 1 in 100 people in Scotland, with symptoms ranging from chronic pain and fatigue to anxiety and the need for long-term treatment or surgery. Despite its prevalence, it remains widely misunderstood.
Charity founder Derek McEwan, who set up the Foundation in memory of his mum Catherine, said the installation is designed to get people thinking differently.
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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, and 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.'
The campaign follows last year's headline-grabbing giant toilet roll billboard in Glasgow and continues the Foundation's mission to challenge stigma, fund research, and support those affected across Scotland.
Want to help? Visit or text IBD to 70085 to donate £5.
