NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS
Wednesday 20 April, 7pm
A film by Angelica Kroeger
Supported by Urban Union
Tag: arts
Green light for new theatre in city centre
A £1.8m plan for a new theatre and arts venue in Rose Steet has been given the go-ahead by city planners. Continue reading Green light for new theatre in city centre
Edinburgh teenagers chosen for national writing project
Two Edinburgh teenagers have been selected by Scottish Book Trust to work on a project aimed at increasing opportunities for young people to access and contribute to literary culture across Scotland. Continue reading Edinburgh teenagers chosen for national writing project
Thursday’s gonna be a Bright Night in Muirhouse!
Muirhouse Shopping Centre Thursday 26 November 6 – 8pm
RE:SEE IT at Madelvic House
A weekend of fun activities for all the family coming up at The Madelvic
Epic awards nominations open
The UK’s body for championing participation in creative cultural activities, Voluntary Arts, has launched the Epic Awards
Thousands of people across the UK give up their time to share their passion for arts and creative activities. Leading groups of young and old, these people improve the lives of millions of people across the country.
The Epic Awards offer the opportunity to celebrate and reward these volunteers and groups and spread the word about the huge range of activities enriching our lives in all areas of Scotland.
- UK and Ireland’s premier award for amateur cultural groups, the Epic Awards opens for nominations.
- A winner and a runner up will be chosen from Scotland, England, Northern & Republic of Ireland, and Wales.
- Over 60,000 voluntary arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland are eligible.
- Groups can nominate themselves online at epicawards.co.uk
- Closing date for nominations is 7 December.
- The Epic Awards will be presented at a dinner in Cardiff on 2 April 2016.
- Once the shortlist is announced there will also be a People’s Choice award voted for by the public, a Peer award in which groups vote for each other and additional awards for excellent work with young people and disabled people.
- The Epic Awards are run by Voluntary Arts to recognise and reward excellence and innovation in the amateur cultural sector.
https://youtu.be/Ncad5dgSv2U
Are you involved in an arts or crafts group that is doing something new and interesting? Have you struck up an interesting collaboration, inspired others or solved a problem in your home town?
From singing to knitting, amateur dramatics to painting, over 60,000 amateur arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland are making a difference to lives in their local areas. The Epic Awards shines a spotlight on their achievements.
You can nominate your group for an award by filling in the form on www.epicawards.co.uk and put them forward for national recognition and a range of prizes from financial support to advice, partnership and performance opportunities.
Winning groups have usually run initiatives or activities that involve interesting collaborations, or engage with their local community or beyond, undertake creative activity that inspires others or increases participation, or use new ideas in innovative ways.
Last year’s Scottish winner, Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail (below), is a volunteer-led arts trail which has grown to include over 100 venues filled with work created by over 200 participants attracting audiences from far and wide.
Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail’s Pauline Saul reflected on what winning the Epic Award meant for the group. She said: “We were delighted to be short listed for the Epic Award for Scotland. When the email came saying that we had won we were extremely proud of our achievement, wanting to run outside and tell everyone!
“The Epic Award has given the trail some good publicity through local papers and town folk have been really pleased both for us and for Kirkcudbright. Following the Epic Award we have grown in confidence, and become more forward thinking, planning a Christmas event and our theme for 2016.”
Last year’s runner-up in Scotland DD8 Music is a group run by volunteers in Kirriemuir, which provides free lessons, jams and recording equipment for young people. DD8 Music also picked up the UK wide award for exceptional work with young people.
The public have their chance to vote and award a prize to one of the shortlisted groups through The People’s Choice Award. Last year’s winners were Knitted Knockers UK, a group of over 650 people across the UK who co-ordinate online to create and send 100 per cent cotton breast prostheses to women who have had mastectomies.
Jemma Neville, director of Voluntary Arts Scotland, said: “The Epic Awards demonstrate the scale and diversity of self-led creative cultural activity in Scotland. From volunteer-led festivals to community radio stations, and poetry groups to choirs, there are creative people across the country with the passion and initiative to provide opportunities for people to take part in voluntary arts activity. I strongly encourage groups thinking of applying to do so.”
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “The Voluntary Arts Epic Awards showcase excellent examples of inclusive and local participation in the arts and the initiative and drive of many dedicated volunteers across the country who set up and run thousands of arts and cultural groups.
“Voluntary arts contribute much to Scotland’s rich and varied cultural life and Voluntary Arts Scotland’s support helps enable more people to get involved in creative activities.
“These awards demonstrate an ongoing commitment to ensuring that communities across Scotland are supported to create and participate so that all the hard work and imagination that contribute to the cultural life of our communities, often undertaken by volunteers, is recognised.
“I’m looking forward to hearing more about the exciting work taking place the length and breadth of Scotland in the run up to this year’s awards and encourage Scottish nominations to be put forward.”
The Epic Awards are supported by Spirit of 2012, an independent trust created to sustain the spirit and opportunities from London 2012, and are themselves supporting BBC Get Creative. Spirit has also helped to create two new categories of Epic Award as well as the Epic Places project. Voluntary Arts also acknowledges funding from Arts Council England, Arts Council Wales, Creative Scotland and Arts Council Northern Ireland.
Debbie Lye, chief executive of Spirit of 2012, said: “We at Spirit are delighted to be supporting the Epic Awards again in 2016. I was blown away by the sheer breadth of high-quality award nominations last year – it’s clear we’ve got a voluntary arts scene to be proud of.
“The Epic Awards really do showcase the cream of the UK and Ireland’s amateur artistic and cultural crop, and I am eager to see who’s in the running in 2016. Best of luck!”
Remember that closing date for nominations: Monday 7 December
Calling all collectors!
ARCADEUM: art project looking for unusual collections 
Whether it’s an interest, an obsession, a hobby or a habit; from animal ornaments to ankle bracelets, from zulu masks to zoo souvenirs, intentionally or by chance – lots of us collect things.
As part of ARCADEUM, a new art project based at North Edinburgh Arts, artist Hans Clausen is looking for residents in North Edinburgh who have collections. Hans plans to create an exhibition around local residents collections accompanied by a book and/or website featuring people’s collections and the stories attached to them.
He would like to hear from anyone of any age who has a collection they’d like to share … the more unusual the better! Over the coming year the ARCADEUM project will be exploring the purpose, potential and possibilities of public art, specifically in and around the new Community Partnership Centre to be built in Pennywell in 2016.
There will be public art events, exhibitions and opportunities for participation, collaboration and discussion. Bringing people together to talk about the things they collect is a way of finding common interests and starting conversations about why we like what we like, the value and worth of things and how we relate and respond to the stuff that surrounds us.
If you’re a collector, a happy hoarder or just happen to have a curious collection of things Hans would like to hear from you. Please get in touch, leave us your contact details and Hans will be happy to meet with you to hear about your collection!
You can contact Hans by:
- Email: hans@arcadeum.org
- Phone: 0131 315 2151
- At North Edinburgh Arts on Thursdays or Fridays or leave him a message at reception.
www.arcadeum.org
Special double bill at North Edinburgh Arts tonight
Tonight at NEA: The Bridge and Remembering Tomorrow
We are delighted to be presenting not one but two fantastic events on Friday 23 October, from Annie George, and the North Edinburgh Theatre project:
7pm THE BRIDGE by Annie George
TICKETS: £8 full/£5 concession/£3.50 Good Neighbours
Box Office 0131 315 2151, admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
Written and performed by Annie George
Directed by Sarah MacDonald
Composer, Niroshini Thambar
Design by Alice Wilson
The Bridge is a compelling and inspiring piece of visual theatre, which tells a remarkable story of the short life and lost work of PM John, a poet and author from Kerala India, living in the days running up to Independence from the British in 1947. His story is interwoven with that of his family, their struggles, and journeys they took across continents to new lives and opportunities.
8.30pm Remembering Tomorrow
A short film from the North Edinburgh Theatre project as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival
Join us for the premiere of a short film devised and presented by the group who brought you the sell-out 1D Tenement Opera in January this year, The North Edinburgh Theatre group (above) have used film, scripted and devised pieces to reflect on their own and others’ experiences around wellbeing.
Director: Stephanie Knight
Filmmaker: Elliott Hatherley
Free – but contact the box office to book. The cafe will be open serving light refreshments, wines and beer so why not join us for the evening?
New arts initiative to launch in Granton
Lord Provost to open Made in Granton exhibition
![madelvic_office[1]](https://i0.wp.com/nen.press/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/madelvic_office1.jpg?ssl=1)
Council-owned property development and investment business The EDI Group (www.edigroup.co.uk) is to support support a new programme of arts initiatives based at Madelvic House in Granton (above).
The series of events organised by granton:hub@The Madelvic will officially launch this Saturday with the ‘Made in Granton’ exhibition, showcasing the history of the local area. Forth Neighbourhood Partnership is also supporting the exhibition.
Madelvic House will host a series of pop up events over the next six months organised by the granton:hub group. The focus of the initiative is to test out ideas in the community with the view to securing long term use of the building for a community arts hub.
If successful in receiving approval from EDI, the group propose to use the ground floor of the building to house a number of artists’ studios, café and a flexible space which will be used for events such as temporary exhibitions and workshops.
The programme launch and local history exhibition ‘Made in Granton’ is open to all and will take place on:
Saturday 24 October
11:00am to 2:30pm
at Madelvic House
More events to look forward to at Madelvic House include:
- 28 & 29 November: ‘Re:See It’ An art exhibition focuing on positive artistic perceptions on environmental sustainability and climate change, showcasing artists from St. Margaret’s House Studio’s and members of Creative Carbon Scotland/Green Arts Initiative Edinburgh.
- 19 December: ‘Lantern Storytelling’ Display of lanterns made by local schoolchildren with Janis Hart.
- 30 January 2016: ‘The Embassy Cinema’ Film screening in conjunction with Screen Education Edinburgh and Take one Action to show a series of short films.
- 27 February: ‘New Life from Old’ The event will include stalls selling upcycled products and workshops on repair/remaking goods from recycled materials.
- 25 – 27 March: ‘Art in Granton’ This event will promote Madelvic House as an exhibition and artist space.
Denise Havard, Community Development Manager at EDI, said “We are pleased to support the granton:hub and its programme of arts initiatives and we look forward to receiving their business plan outlining their proposals for future use of the building. Ensuring that community initiatives are supported in the area where EDI are working is key for our wider regeneration plans.”
Demand for a community art space in Granton was identified at an open day in May where local residents put forward their ideas for using Madelvic House. The granton:hub is a group of largely local residents of Granton and surrounding areas with a vision to create a community-led initiative using space at Madelvic House.
Louise Knight, spokesperson for the granton:hub, said: “We are very grateful for EDI’s support with our programme of events at Madelvic House. We’re really pleased that EDI shares our vision for community initiatives which bring people together and offering locally based activities.”
Madelvic House is located on Granton Park Avenue in Granton and was originally built as the offices of the Madelvic Carriage Company. The Madelvic Carriage Company Limited was formed in Edinburgh in 1898 producing electric vehicles and built the first purpose built car factory in Britain. The red sandstone, two storey building is currently owned by Waterfront Edinburgh Ltd and managed as a multi-let office space.
EDI is working with adjoining landowners to deliver a number of major developents as part of its regeneration of Granton, including a new Collections Facility for National Galleries, retail and leisure opportunities along with residential.
If you’d like to get involved with the granton:hub group, or you’d like to find out more, contact Louise Knight: louiseesknight@gmail.com
Exciting new chapter for Edinburgh Printmakers
New £6 million HQ in Fountainbridge will ‘place creativity at the heart of the community’
The former headquarters of the North British Rubber Company – birthplace of the Wellington boot, the modern motor car tyre and the first ever traffic cone – is to be saved from demolition and transformed into a world-class visual arts centre and creative hub thanks to Lottery funding of over £6million.
Creative Scotland has confirmed £1,728,075 funding and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is investing £4,994,000 towards Edinburgh Printmakers and the transformation of the historic former North British Rubber Factory HQ into a new centre for printmaking and creative industries.
The HLF grant is inclusive of a first stage award of £500,000 already received by the visual arts charity to develop the project and engage the community with the vast local heritage through creative activities.
The funding from Creative Scotland is in addition to an initial stage one capital funding award committed in 2012 of £60,000 to enable Edinburgh Printmakers to develop their proposal. The funding from Creative Scotland will support artistic excellence and engage audiences in diverse and inclusive exhibitions and education.
The project proposed by Edinburgh Printmakers will save a 19th century category C-listed building of significant architectural and historical value in Fountainbridge from decay and eventual demolition.
Once part of a vast industrial complex manufacturing goods such as rubber boots, hot water bottles and the car tyre, the Castle Mill Works building is now the only remaining physical reminder of what was once a world-renowned rubber factory that, for many years, was at the forefront of innovation and integral to the expansion of the city.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs said: “Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland to preserve the building, and Creative Scotland’s investment in setting up the new arts centre, Castle Mill Works will be an exciting addition to Scotland and Edinburgh’s cultural scene.
“The money raised through lottery contributions will be used to get this important project off the ground. Edinburgh Printmakers will transform this historic building and in its new form it will deliver a new home for Scottish printmakers and help shape the future of our country, as well as preserve its past.”
Iain Munro, Deputy Chief Executive, Creative Scotland, said: “Creative Scotland is delighted to be supporting the creation of a world class centre for printmaking for Edinburgh Printmakers, an organisation of considerable experience and repute. Edinburgh Printmakers plays an important role in the infrastructure for contemporary art in Scotland.
“This new facility will enable the organisation to build on this reputation by creating a state of the art, fit for purpose building which will be a more visible, accessible, facility appropriate to their needs and aspirations for the 21st century.
“The relocation of the Printmakers to Fountainbridge will unlock many opportunities for the organisation to engage with new and different communities and to partner with a range of schools and community groups.”
In August, Historic Scotland (Now Historic Environment Scotland) announced that they would be awarding £500k of grant funding to the project to restore this important part of Edinburgh’s built heritage.
Commenting from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Dame Seona Reid, Deputy Chair of HLF and Chair of Committee for Scotland, said: “We are delighted that thanks to players of the National Lottery, we are able to unlock the potential of this much-loved building. Not only will it provide a thriving cultural centre, benefitting many hundreds of national and international artists, but it will breathe life back into Foutainbridge. The community is justly proud of its industrial heritage so it is fitting that Castle Mill Works, which once supported so many families, will be the catalyst in its regeneration.”
The ambition to save Castle Mill Works stemmed from Edinburgh Printmakers’ search for the ideal home in which to build a contemporary arts centre specialising in Printmaking and Creative Industries, offering a year-round public programme of exhibitions, events and learning.
Opening to the public in 2018, Edinburgh Printmakers’ new home will be an international centre for printmaking with a state-of-the-art open access workshop, galleries, education spaces, a deli/wine bar with terrace, art retail area and production spaces for a wide range of creative industries. The total cost for the project will be £10 million.
Edinburgh Printmakers will continue to present a public programme of exhibitions, events and activities at its Union Street premises until summer 2018.
Chair of Edinburgh Printmakers, Alastair Snow, said: “We are delighted to have support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Creative Scotland for this project. These awards will allow us to bring Castle Mill Works back from the very dilapidated state it has fallen into and transform it into a vibrant cultural resource.
“Castle Mill Works was once a powerhouse of industry and invention, our plan will bring production back to Fountainbridge and place creativity at the heart of the community. This neglected area will become a vibrant place to work or visit, foster a sense of community, and offer opportunities for everyone to engage with creativity.
“These awards provide a substantial amount of the funds required to realise the project and are a real vote of confidence for Edinburgh Printmakers as a leading arts organisation. But, just over £2M still needs to be raised. As well as applying to trusts and foundations, we are asking the public to join us on this new and exciting journey and help us reach a target of £10m.”
Sarah Price, CEO of Edinburgh Printmakers added: “The vision for Edinburgh Printmakers as a cultural provider has evolved hugely as a result of this project and in response to the heritage of the building. We can’t wait to get going on delivering artistic exhibitions and activities that will benefit local people and bring visitors to the area. Art has the power to transform lives and places and that is our aim, we have spent many years planning and now with these decisions we can start to make those dreams a reality.”
In the lead up to the opening of the arts centre, Edinburgh Printmakers will showcase a series of temporary artwork commissions at Castle Mill Works that respond to the unique heritage of the grand industrial building and its rich cultural environs.
The heritage of the building will also be a permanent feature within the complete arts centre as the legacy of the building is explored through newly commissioned artwork installations, each uncovering the past and creating a conversation between new and old that can continue into the future.
The project has already attracted widespread support and endorsement with local community groups keen to save the building for future use as a cultural venue.
The announcement of this award coincided with the launch of Edinburgh Printmakers public appeal for donations. The public can help Edinburgh Printmakers reach the £10m target by texting CMWS001 to 70970 to give £5, or by visiting www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk to donate any amount.