granton:hub, the creative and cultural group based in the heart of Granton, will open the doors of Madelvic House to the public this weekend – and celebrate the signing of a five-year, rent-free, lease agreement with the EDI Group for the ground floor of the historic building.
Established to create a thriving cultural centre to benefit both the local and wider community, granton:hub has been working closely with the EDI Group for a number of years to develop a proposal that would allow them to be permanently based at Madelvic House. The upcoming Open Weekend has been designed to mark this agreement, whilst giving a taster of the workshops, classes and events planned over not just the next few months, but coming years.
Visitors to the Open Weekend can try their hands at book binding with artist Cassandra Barron, help design a mosaic for granton:hub with Toni Dickson or take part in group-singing sessions with Creative Facilitator, Clare Watson. All this, along with many other activities and events, including planting in the new community garden and the history:hub exhibition, will take place over the two days, with free tea, coffee and cake available in the proposed new café.
Speaking ahead of the Open Weekend, Wendy Wager, Chair of the granton:hub Steering Group, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming everyone to Madelvic House this weekend to showcase what granton:hub has to offer. We’ve been working hard with various expert tutors to put together an exciting and diverse programme of activity, open to all ages and interests.
“The signing of this lease agreement with the EDI Group for Madelvic House is a major milestone for granton:hub. It will help us to build on our vision to create a vibrant community facility in Granton, one that local residents and those from the wider area can enjoy and be proud of.”
Following this Open Weekend, granton:hub will be launching its first full time programme, Madelvic:May, featuring a host of activities, workshops and community events – bringing together a wealth of expert tutors, whilst helping to establish Madelvic House as a centre for creative and cultural activity in Granton.
Denise Havard, Community Development Manager at The EDI Group, added: “It’s been great to partner with granton:hub on this exciting project, one that will bring significant and lasting benefits to the local community.
“The EDI Group is always looking for innovative and flexible ways to maximise use of our portfolio, including pop up events and meanwhile uses, ensuring that community development is a real tool for change alongside physical regeneration. The granton:hub’s ambitious proposals perfectly aligned themselves wiith this and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow and thrive, making great use of this important, historical building in the heart of Granton.”
Along with this programme of events, granton:hub has wider aspirations to create a new community garden in the grounds surrounding Madelvic House, and has already partnered with landscape architects HERE + NOW and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to create a Butterfly Garden, Coastal Grassland and establish a community growing project.