Granton Salvation Army are having a re-launch day and would love to see everyone there!
Pop down to say hello, find out about the services and grab a free burger!
Granton Salvation Army reopening event on Friday
Category: Granton
Green light for Wasps to get Granton Station buzzing
Arts and social enterprise charity, Wasps, is to breathe new life into the former Granton Station after the Finance and Resources Committee approved their lease yesterday.
The Edwardian former station is to be transformed into a cultural and creative hub by Wasps, Scotland’s largest provider of studio space for artists and creative industries.
The first spades were put in the ground in June to bring the historic former Granton Station back to life as a high-quality creative workspace within the community, with a new public square in front of the building for pop-up events and recreation.
At a cost of around £4.75m, the project is being part-funded through Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund support and town centre funding. This project is part of the Council’s £1.3bn wider regeneration of the area.
Wasps is set to move into the building in 2022 to create the cultural hub, providing space to support around 40 jobs, as well as helping around 100 people each year with creative business development opportunities.
The Glasgow-based social enterprise charity will deliver a heritage programme for local people and railway enthusiasts on the unique history of the location, as well as providing exhibition space to showcase local talent. They’ll also host workshops and a series of outdoor and online events for locals, with the potential to attract thousands of visitors to the area.
Councillor Rob Munn, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “I’m delighted that the Committee has approved the lease for this historic building so Wasps can now start putting their exciting plans into place to bring this fantastic piece of Edwardian architecture back to life.
“The arts and cultural activities and events planned by them will attract thousands of visitors to Granton Waterfront, as well as nurturing artistic and cultural talent in the local area.
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day, said: “In June, we saw the first spades going in the ground to create this fantastic new space for artistic and cultural talent and we’ll soon be announcing the name of the new square being developed in front of it.
“The new hub run by Wasps will be a key focal point in our wider £1.3bn regeneration of the local area, creating new homes, jobs and communities. I’ve met with Wasps recently and I’m keen to see them work with existing local community groups.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with Wasps as they move forward and develop their exciting plans for the building and the wider Granton Waterfront area and beyond.
Audrey Carlin, Wasps’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Wasps and for the area, as part of a wider cultural regeneration initiative. Wasps already supports 180 artists in Edinburgh, and this new facility, at the gateway into Granton, will incubate more digitally based creative people.
“On completion it will attract a diverse and vibrant community to the heart of Granton, and provide new opportunities for established communities in North Edinburgh, while acknowledging the heritage of the building and its connection to the city.
“The project also offers new employment and community engagement opportunities, something we have helped to foster successfully at other locations across Scotland.”
Revealed: the graduates featuring in Hidden Door art exhibition
HIDDEN Door has announced details of more than 20 visual art graduates whose work will feature at this year’s festival.
The news comes as a crowdfunder to help transform a disused warehouse into a vast exhibition space for the graduates’ work reaches 20% of its target.
With last year’s festival cancelled due to the pandemic, the 2021 event is taking place mostly outdoors, in the shadow of the Granton Gasworks in North Edinburgh. But with the addition of the huge warehouse, just over the road from the main festival site, the footprint of the festival is effectively doubled.
To support the plans, Hidden Door have launched a crowdfunder to raise £10,000, with supporters able to pick from a wide range of rewards including an immersive treasure hunt experience through the festival grounds, exclusive hand-printed T-shirts from Acorn Print Studio, VIP passes for the festival and limited edition prints by Hidden Door artists.
The visual artists taking part in the Hidden Door Graduate Exhibition are:
Adela Kaluzinska, Alliyah Enyo, Becky Brewis, Cara Kennedy, Csian Jemecel Canave, Eilidh Nicoll, Elvey Stedman, Jack Waygood, Josie KO, Katelyn Grant, Keziah Macneill, Kirsten Millar, Leah Moodie, Madeleine Kaye, Martha Stefani-Bose, Martin Crawford, Mclaughlin + Williamson, Miriam Levi, Molly Kent, Paria Goodarzi, Rhona Sword, Sam M Harley, Scott Hunter and Verity Church.
They all graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, Grays School of Art, University of Dundee, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Edinburgh Napier University in 2020 or 2021.
The artists were chosen from Hidden Door’s Graduate Support Network, launched earlier this year to support recent graduates. These artists will be paid for their work through the proceeds raised from this year’s Crowdfunder. For many of them, it will be their first paid creative opportunity.
Jill Martin Boulalaxai, Visual Art Curator, said: “Hidden Door is committed to supporting emerging creative talent, providing a platform for showcasing work and collaborative projects.
“The graduate exhibition at this year’s festival is the first of many exciting opportunities being made available through our Graduate Support Network. We really hope people will get on board with our vision and help us transform this incredible space.”
Opening daily from Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 September, the Granton Gasworks site will feature two stages for live music and other performances, with dynamic lighting on the giant gasholder to be programmed in time with the music to create a stunning visual experience for festival-goers.
The neighbouring warehouse will be home to the art exhibition and a number of performances.
Granton Goes Greener looks forward to Climate Festival
Granton Goes Greener are very excited to be part of @EdClimateFest on 14th August at Leith Links …
We are very excited to have our stall with FREE clothes, shoes and some books at the festival.
Plus we are preparing a basic weaving workshop, where we will be teaching how to do weaving with upcycled materials like T-shirt yarn or plastic fruit nets.
And we will have some weaving kits to give away, so you could take them home and practise!
Remember, the Climate Festival is taking place in Leith Links Park this year on Saturday 14 August between 12 noon and 7pm.
If you have any plastic fruit nets ( from your lemons, onions etc), we would happilly accept them at Share’n’Wear on Friday between 11:30 am and 1 pm or you can bring them to the festival.
Forth Ports poured cold water on Wardie Bay wild swimming plans
Following a Freedom of Information request the Scottish Government has released the following submission from Forth Ports:
Wardie Bay was not included on the list of Scotland’s designated bathing waters when it was published on 1st July.
The Wardie Bay Beachwatch environmental group appealed the decision and received the following response from the Scottish Government’s Environmental Quality Unit last month:
Thank you for your letter to Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, about the application for Bathing Waters designation at Wardie Bay, Edinburgh. Bathing Waters fall under the remit of Mairi McAllan, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, and I have been asked to reply.
The Bathing Waters Review Panel is multi-stakeholder group, chaired by SEPA, that considers and reviews the list of bathing waters, including new applications for designation and provides recommendations to Scottish Ministers. The Panel met on 8 December 2020 and made recommendations to the Minister for Wardie Bay bathing water designation application in May 2021.
The panel recognised numerous positive aspects of the Wardie Bay application and agreed that user number criteria was met in 2020 and seemed sustainable. However, Forth Ports provided a submission which mentioned swimmer safety in relation to offshore vessel/harbour activity, and this would have to be managed by clear beach management and bather information.
The relevant local authority, City of Edinburgh Council, indicated overall support in principle for the application. However, despite the Transport and Environment committee outcomes you mention in your letter, there are still on-going discussions at Committee level on their current roles and resource to perform beach management functions.
As beach management is a key criteria for designation, until such times as the City of Edinburgh Council concludes its deliberations on these matters, the Panel was unable to recommend designation.
Having considered the Panel’s advice on the circumstances at Wardie Bay, the Minister accepted the Panel’s recommendation that Wardie Bay is not designated as a bathing water at this time, noting that the outcome of the Council’s current deliberations on beach management will inform the Panel’s future recommendation regarding this location.
I hope you find this information helpful.
The group’s petition to have Wardie Bay included on the list of designated bathing waters remains live on Change.org – over 1730 people have signed so far.
Hidden Door crowdfunder is live!
Last week we revealed our plan to transform a disused warehouse into a vast exhibition and performance space as part of Hidden Door 2021.
With this year’s festival taking place outdoors at the old Granton Gasworks, we now have the chance to use a nearby warehouse as well, if we can raise the funds to make it happen.
The additional venue will double the footprint of the festival this September and allow us to exhibit the work of recent art graduates whose degree shows were cancelled due to COVID-19.
The graduates, proud parents and audience members alike will be able to immerse themselves in the exhibition experience whilst staying safe and covid-compliant.
To support the plans, we have now launched a Kickstarter campaign with a wide range of rewards including an immersive treasure hunt experience through the festival grounds, exclusive hand-printed T-shirts, VIP passes for the festival, limited edition art prints and lots more.
This will only be possible with your help, so please take a look at the campaign and support us if you can … thank you x
Help yourself in Granton
Just a reminder that we open every Friday between 11:30 am and 1 pm at Granton Parish Church on Boswall Parkway.
FREE good quality clothes and shoes, books, sanitary products ( including reusable ones) and bread plus bakery products.
We would be happy to welcome some new service users so help us to spread a word!
Granton Goes Greener
Wheely good result following Marine Drive police intiative
Officers from Drylaw’s Local Initiative Team carried out proactive patrols in the Marine Drive area yesterday and recovered six motorbikes valued at approximately £20,000.
The bikes are now in the process of being reunited with their owners. Result!
Voluntary Sector Forum to meet next week
Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will meet on Tuesday 20 July at 1pm via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84802007045?pwd=WmU3REQrL2ZNa3NEVDg4Zlp3TkVGdz09
Meeting ID: 848 0200 7045
Passcode: 991758
We will use this following agenda to guide our discussion:
1 Welcome and Introductions
2 Pilton Community Health Project and ASH Scotland present on new work addressing smoking rates in areas of deprivation (see below)
3 Evaluating Third Sector contribution to LIP priority 3 – tackling poverty and inequality
4 LOG Update
5 Training Opportunities for third sector (EVOC)
6 Member update
Hope to see you there,
KATE BARRETT
EVOC Development Worker – Community Planning
Plant Sale and Scrapstore Open Day at granton:hub this afternoon
granton:hub are having a Plant Sale and the Edinburgh Scrapstore Open Day today (Sunday 11th July) from 2.00 – 4.30pm.
Not heard of The Edinburgh Scrapstore? This is the repurposed blue shipping container in our community garden which is a unique resource where scrap materials can be donated, stored and collected by members to be re-used. Some of the materials include textiles, paper, paint and tiles. Come along and see what resources and gems you can find for your next project.
We will be running a plant sale which will feature young plants grown organically in our community garden by our volunteer garden group. We want our plants to be affordable for all, with most plants costing £2 from our nursery. Come see the selection of Scottish plants we have grown and ask our garden team advice for your gardening needs.