Category: North Edinburgh Arts

A message from North Edinburgh: Never Give Up!

Thanks to everyone who came along the National Gallery yesterday to take part in the Resistance – North Edinburgh panel discussion.

It was great to see so many old friends and colleagues and a pleasure to meet new ones too. Participants were not only from North Edinburgh, ‘outsiders’ were also welcomed: we had Leithers, we had folk from Gorgie, Stockbridge and a wee crowd from Wester Hailes too.

But there’s got to be a special mention for one particular online viewer – he was watching from Sydney, Australia (or maybe it was just a bloke called Sidney?)!

Wherever and however you were watching, though, I hope you enjoyed the discussion as much as we did. As you know we went slightly over our allotted time (at one point I thought we might have to apply for a late license!) and we appreciate the organisers at the National Gallery allowing us some leeway.

Even so, I know there was a lot more to share so apologies if you didn’t get the opportunity to ask your question – if it’s any consolation I know I didn’t get to ask half of mine!

Our hope before the event was that it would be informative, interesting and enjoyable and a celebration of vibrant communities, and I think we got there.

I’d like to think we could do it all again one day before too much longer, before we all get just too old and our memories and recollections of events, experiences and the characters who have helped to shape North Edinburgh’s proud history dim and fade.

And if there’s just one message to remember, it’s this: NEVER GIVE UP!

DAVE P

See below for a recording of the event

https://youtu.be/Zc5kFwp-XaY

The celebration continued at the National Portrait Gallery in Queen Street, where the Solidarity Wins: Creative Resistance in North Edinburgh exhibition was launched after an excellent lunch provided by North Edinburgh’s very own Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts.

The exhibition was created by a local collaboration of North Edinburgh Arts’ Art for Grown Up in partnership with Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Arts & Culture Group and features art works, music, archive films and research material.

The exhibition will be on display in the Portrait Gallery’s Contemporary Space until – do visit if you can.

And to end the day on a high note, there was music from the Resistance Choir – a new song, no less!

SOLIDARITY WINS: A SONG FOR GREATER PILTON may not become the Christmas Number 1, but it definitely struck the right note with Portrait Gallery punters yesterday!

All together now:

We all come from somewhere and now we’re all here …

PICTURES: CRAIG MCLEAN

RESISTANCE: North Edinburgh Fights Back

NORTH EDINBURGH ACTIVISTS GO TO TOWN

NORTH Edinburgh community activists are taking their message to town this afternoon with two events taking place at art galleries in the city centre.

The events have been built around artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen’s RESISTANCE photo exhibition, which runs at the Modern 2 gallery on Belford Road until 4th January.

First up, community stalwarts Anna Hutchison and Willie Black will reflect on campaigns past and present in a panel discussion in the National Gallery at 12.45.

With so many years of campaigning experience Anna and Willie have a host of stories to share and, having known the pair for the best part of thirty years, I’ll be there to try to keep the event running to time!

The free event is sold out, but you can still register to watch online.

Later in the afternoon, two North Edinburgh groups have been working together on an ambitious project that encapsulates North Edinburgh’s spirit of resistance.

The result of the collaboration is the Solidarity Wins: Creative Resistance in North Edinburgh exhibition, which opens at The Portrait Gallery on Queen Street from 2pm today (details below).

It promises to be very good and it’s free – don’t miss it!

The details of today’s events:

RESISTANCE|NORTH EDINBURGH PANEL DISCUSSION

Free – Booking essential SOLD OUT

Book tickets

PICTURE: Craig McLean, Outside Drylaw Police station, community campaign GRASP protesting against Police harassment and violence, 2001

The Resistance exhibition chronicles 100 years of protest across Britain from 1903–2003. Using the exhibition as a starting point, activists Willie Black and Anna Hutchison alongside chair Dave Pickering, editor of the North Edinburgh News and Information Worker at Granton Information Centre, discuss North Edinburgh community activism, campaigns and actions, and their relationship and solidarity with local, national and international protests and change.

All tickets for the live event have been snapped up, but you can watch the discussion online in a streamed version of the live event.

Ticketholders will be sent a joining link before the event to either watch live or view the recording later. 

SOLIDARITY WINS: CREATIVE RESISTANCE in NORTH EDINBURGH

Solidarity Wins: Creative Resistance in North Edinburgh Exhibition Launch

2pm – 4pm

National Galleries of Scotland, The Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, EH2 1J

Celebration with food, song and creative activities in the Contemporary Space of the Portrait Gallery. Art works, archive films and research material gathered by Art for Grown Ups and Royston Wardieburn Arts & Culture Group.

Join us for an afternoon of creativity, community and conversation celebrating North Edinburgh’s spirit of resistance.

As part of the Resistance exhibition, the National Galleries of Scotland’s Community Development programme has been working with North Edinburgh groups to create responsive work inspired by the area’s long history of community resistance.

Workshops have included song writing, poetry, photo-montage and exploring photographer Craig MacLean’s back catalogue of North Edinburgh activism, all of which will result in an riso-graph exhibition at the Portrait gallery in November.

As well as this North Edinburgh Arts worked with Local Cinema to programme films as part of their ‘Local Resistance’ programme.

Each screening event included a creative element, one of which included the Resistance choir performing their collaboratively penned song ‘Solidarity Wins: A Song for Greater Pilton‘, along with some well known songs on power of solidarity and friendship.

Thanks to song writing facilitator and choir leader Penny Stone and Tinderbox Jed Milroy and artists Sam Rutherford, Jj Fadaka and Megan Rudden, and all those involved so far!

The programme is a partnership with North Edinburgh Arts Art 4 Grown Ups and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Arts and Culture Group.

IMAGE (above): Collaborative piece by Art 4 Grown Ups members, framed by Muirhouse anti-racism campaign image, 1991.

If anyone is free 2 – 4pm today, it’s the launch of ‘Solidarity Wins: Creative Resistance in North Edinburgh‘ exhibition at the Portrait Gallery, which has been a collaboration between North Edinburgh Arts’ Art 4 Grown Ups project and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Arts and Culture Group (writes HOLLY YEOMAN).

Together they have reflected and responded to North Edinburgh activism and campaigns over the years. There is a community lunch catered by Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts and we will be singing our anthem ‘Solidarity Wins: A Song for Greater Pilton‘ at around 3pm-ish(!)

The exhibition will run till April, and we welcome community groups who might want to visit. If interested please email hyeoman@nationalgalleries.org

Holly Yeoman

Creative communities: Living Well Locally in North Edinburgh

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

TUESDAY 27th NOVEMBER 11am – 3pm

CCScotland Green Tease: Living well locally is taking place next week 🌿

Join us for a day of workshops and conversations about how cultural activities can contribute to creating sustainable and regenerative communities.

When: 11am-3pm, Thursday 27 November

Where: North Edinburgh Arts

Join us at North Edinburgh Arts to understand how cultural activities can contribute to creating sustainable and regenerative communities.

In particular, we’ll explore the role of culture in 20-minute neighbourhoods – creating walkable and wheelable places where everyone can access their daily needs.

The morning session will be an introduction to pre-existing place-based work in Scotland. Lesley-Anne Rose will share her reflections on the importance of culture in place planning and community work, Pippa Cook will introduce the Place Standard Tool and Rebecca Dillon-Robinson will outline the policies supporting local living and 20-minute neighbourhoods in Scotland.

At 12pm, we’ll break for a shared lunch of soup and sandwiches.

The afternoon session will involve creative mapping of Granton (North Edinburgh? – Ed.) and the places where participants live and/or work.

This is an opportunity for participants to reflect on how culture can support sustainable development or regeneration in their communities. We’ll end the afternoon by developing a toolkit incorporating culture into placemaking.

Agenda

  • 11am: Teas and coffees
  • 11.20am: Introduction to pre-existing place-based work in Scotland
  • 12pm: Lunch
  • 12.30pm: Creative mapping workshop
  • 2.15pm: Co-developing a toolkit incorporating culture into placemaking
  • 2.45pm: Feedback
  • 3pm: End

Find out more and register here: https://cultureforclimate.scot/…/green-tease-living…/

Free Bike Maintenance session at Granton Parish Church

THURSDAY 27th NOVEMBER from 6 – 8pm

We are very excited to be hosting another FREE BIKE MAINTENANCE session at Granton Parish Church, Edinburgh on Thursday 27th November.

This event is delivered in partnership with North Edinburgh Arts and R2.

Come along and have your bike repaired/checked for FREE. Stay safe on the road and keep cycling wherever you can.

Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Tomorrow: Children’s Creativity Festival at North Edinburgh Arts

EVENT ORGANISED by MISSION OF INNOCENTS

Mission of Innocents warmly invites you to the 2025 Children’s Creativity Festival.

Performed by the children of the Ukrainian community, experience vibrant dancing and heartfelt singing from the voices of the innocent. Remember to arrive early to explore a beautiful art exhibition showcasing their creativity and culture.

For more information about this event, please contact the organiser:

https://www.missionofinnocents.org/

North Edinburgh Arts: We are the Lions, Mr Manager!

SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER at 7.30pm

We are the lions, Mr Manager! is the story of the Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike (1976–78) and the inspirational strike-leader Jayaben Desai, one of many newly arrived Gujarati women workers from East Africa.

⭐⭐⭐⭐“The story of Jayaben Desai… makes you laugh, feel and think… a powerful story, powerfully told.” – Clare Brennan, The Guardian

📅 Saturday 11 October, 7.30pm

🎭 Creative Captioning

🎟️ Tickets: £7 – £14

💜 Discounted tickets available for NEA Members

👉 Book your tickets now: https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/…/we-are-the-lions-mr…/

Presented by Townsend Theatre Productions

Edinburgh’s Regenerative Futures Fund Moves into Next Phase

Edinburgh’s pioneering Regenerative Futures Fund has reached a major milestone in its long-term effort to shift power and resources into the hands of communities tackling poverty, racism and the climate crisis.

From 97 proposals, a Panel, made up of 15 Edinburgh residents with direct experience of poverty and racism, selected 34 projects to advance to the next stage of funding.

50% of selected projects are led by Black and People of Colour, reflecting the city’s commitment to dismantling racism, tackling the climate transition, ending poverty, and addressing the interconnected challenges shaping a just and thriving future.

Included among the projects initially selected are local initiatives Lauriston Farm Collective, Muirhouse Youth Development Group and R2 (above).

The Resident’s Panel has spent months listening, learning and working through each application with care, mapping projects across the City by geography, theme, and approach. Projects selected will enter the capacity-building phase, from August until December, giving groups the time, space and funding to develop full proposals for long-term, unrestricted funding.

Proposals submitted at the start of 2026 will then be considered for an annual award of £100,000, for ten years. Between 10 and fifteen projects will be selected.

However, the work of the fund goes beyond this as all 34 groups, and dozens more from the initial 97 projects, have registered interest in joining the Regenerative Futures Fund wider network for peer learning, collaboration and collective action – a shared movement for the future of Edinburgh.

“We’re here to build movements, as well as to distribute funds,” says Aala Ross, Co-Head of the Fund. “If we accept that the Fund exists to redistribute power, not just resources, we can reimagine our role as something more powerful.

We nurture conditions for collective power, we build trust across difference, and we learn together, to challenge the systems that shape our lives.”

Leah Black, Co-Head, adds: “We’re flipping the usual script on funding. We’re saying: here’s the time, here’s the space, here’s the support – now let’s imagine and build the future we actually want.

“That’s what makes this different. It’s rooted in care, equity and collaboration, and it’s led by the people who live and breathe these challenges every day.”

The Regenerative Futures Fund is backed by some of the UK’s biggest charitable funders, including the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, The Robertson Trust, Turn2us Edinburgh Trust, Foundation Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council.

Crucially, these funders have stepped back from decision-making, placing control firmly with local people.

City Council Leader Jane Meagher said “Five years ago, Edinburgh became the first UK city to set a target date to end poverty. To achieve this, we must be ambitious and drive the change that is so greatly needed, which means being brave and being innovative.

“We know this is a challenging time for the third sector and we’re working to increase stability for organisations. By giving greater, longer-term support to community projects, they can get on with what they do best – supporting residents, tackling poverty, and changing lives.

“Edinburgh’s Regenerative Futures Fund is a unique new fund to help us achieve just that and end poverty together. 

“I’m excited to see a shortlist drawn up by individuals with lived experience of poverty and looking forward to funding awards being presented early next year.”

In September, the wider network of applicants and community groups will come together for the first time to begin a city-wide journey of learning, connection and shared action. 

The Fund is also inviting new partners, funders, donors, philanthropists and supporters to join this long-term collaborative effort to reimagine how resources are shared in the city.

For more information, including the list of the 34 projects in the capacity-building phase, visit Services 4 — Regenerative Futures Fund | Working Together Towards A Regenerative And Just Future For Edinburgh | Community Fund | Scotland – UK

End of Summer Family Bash!

PARENTAL EMPLOYABILITY SCOTLAND (PES)

FRIDAY 5th SEPTEMBER 1 – 4pm at NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

PARENTAL EMPLOYABILITY SUPPORT FUND (PESF)

PESF offers support to:

  • Lone Parents
  • Parents with disabilities
  • Young parents age 25 years and less
  • Minority ethnic families
  • Families with a disabled child
  • Families with 3 or more children
  • Families where the youngest child is under 1 year

Taking a holistic Key Worker approach parents are supported to upskill and/or re-train, increasing family income, lifting themselves and their families out of poverty.

The fund provides personalised support for parents who face barriers to progressing their careers, including help to gain qualifications, improving skills or work experience; money advice, and motivational support.

You can read more about the Scottish Government’s plan to eradicate child poverty by clicking on the following link: Every child, every chance: tackling child poverty delivery plan 2018-2022 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Contact your local employability lead to find out more.

Additional help and support is available at www.parentclub.scot/work.