Our mission.
House of Toad exists to offer an inclusive, welcoming community for people from all walks of life. At the heart of what we do is our focus on two groups who are especially close to our hearts: People with Additional Support Needs and care-experienced young people in Glasgow. These are people for whom a consistent, creative education and a community is often out of reach.
By bringing together our beneficiaries alongside artists, freelancers, coworking members, and community groups, HOT creates a space where learning, creativity, and connection happen naturally together. Everyone at HOT contributes to the community, and everyone benefits from it.
Our upcoming programme, Mr Toad’s School for Craft & Creativity, will offer courses in film, media, animation, and crafts, onsite for all our members and the wider community.
Through this approach, we aim to:
Remove barriers to participation in the arts
Build skills, confidence, and creative potential in those who need it most
Foster social connection and reduce isolation
Create opportunities for collaboration, learning, and growth
HOT is a place where creativity, community, and education meet, and all are welcome!
Founder story.
Joanna Susskind has spent over 15 years building creative communities that bring people together, inspire collaboration, and remove barriers to participation in the arts. She started her journey in 2008 launching All The Young Nudes life drawing club in Glasgow, originally created to fill a gap she noticed whilst studying at Glasgow School of Art. Within a year, the club at The Flying Duck attracted over 100 participants weekly. ATYN is still thriving today, a testament to her ability to create spaces where people feel welcomed.
In 2010, Joanna launched Toad’s Caravan Ltd, a creative agency and (Scotland’s first) coworking space, providing flexible workspace for freelancers and small organisations during a time of economic uncertainty. Through this, she learned how shared spaces can become catalysts for collaboration, support, and productivity.
Alongside her work building creative communities, Joanna has spent years delivering creative education to young people with learning difficulties and autism, teaching animation, film, and special effects. She has also worked with groups of children in care in Glasgow, many of whom have experienced inconsistent routines and limited access to arts opportunities. These experiences revealed the profound impact that stable, supportive creative spaces can have on confidence, wellbeing, and skill development.
In 2024, Joanna founded House of Toad, combining her passion for building community, creating spaces, teaching animation and connecting people together. HOT makes space for remote workers, artists, community groups, and people who face barriers to participation to work side-by-side. Her vision is clear: a creative ecosystem where work, learning, and social connection all happen together.
Joanna believes that everyone deserves a place to belong, to create, and to grow — and House of Toad is the living proof of that belief.
Our impact &
community voices.
House of Toad is more than a workspace — it is a creative community where people feel welcomed, supported, and inspired. People come here not just to work, but to learn something new, connect with others and be part of something that feels like a home away from home.
What our members & visitors say.
“Fantastic staff and facilities… a special place from my first visit.”
“Very welcoming of everyone… life drawing class is excellent.”
“Warm, welcoming atmosphere… perfect for quiet work or catching up with people.”
“A wonderful space… it’s really important to me that I feel at ease here.”