Tag: North Edinburgh Arts

Can we have a Christmas tree? Yes we CAN!

Community celebrates despite deluge

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It lashed down with rain all afternoon and into the evening – a real Muirhouse monsoon! – but local people came out in their droves to see the Christmas tree lights being switched on in Muirhouse Shopping Centre last night.

Craigroyston High School’s Josh Hardwick did the honours and kicked off an evening of music, food and fun that seemed to get everyone in the festive mood!

So many people to thank:

  • Craigroyston Community High School for sharing their wonderful musical talents – the band and the choir were superb.
  • Local schools Oaklands, Rowanfield, Pirniehall, St David’s, Forthview and Craigroyston for creating the beautiful snowflakes that now adorn the centre
  • Fleurtations for delivering, erecting and decoration the tree
  • Urban Union for supplying the Christmas tree
  • The City of Edinburgh Council for their support and advice throughout
  • Weber Shandwick for getting things done
  • North Edinburgh Arts staff for their wonderful support: particularly John for his technical wizardry, Michelle and her team for the fabulous food (and wonderful winter punch!) and for sharing her artistic skills to make the shopping centre look great
  • Local police for supervising the event
  • The Tomorrow’s People team for all their hard work in decorating the Centre and making the event such a success.
  • Santa for … well, just being Santa!
  • And finally, the children and families of North Edinburgh who came out on such a horrible night to support the event. Comments have been overwhelmingly positive – maybe we’ll try another event in the New Year?

Thanks, everyone!

Andy & Dave, Community Action North (CAN)

Our day in pictures (below)

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There are more on Facebook too …

 

 

Tree-mendous: Christmas arrives in Muirhouse!

Tonight’s the night at Muirhouse Shopping Centre

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Dull old Muirhouse Shopping Centre will be transformed into a local winter wonderland tonight when Community Action North (CAN) kicks the Christmas season off in style!

Why are we doing this? During the first phase of the Community Action North project we spoke to dozens of local groups and hundreds of local people – and one of their biggest complaints was about the state of the shopping centre. Everyone agrees it’s not the most welcoming environment, so we decided to do something about it – even if only temporarily. And when Urban Union kindly offered to donate a real Christmas tree we thought: if places like Corstorphine, Morningside and Stockbridge can have public Christmas trees, why not Muirhouse too?

It’s taken a while to organise and has presented a number of challenges – I’m sure Santa’s Christmas present run is easier to plan – but we’re almost there and tonight we hope local people will join us to celebrate our community at a very special time of year.

We’ve been working away to make the Centre look a little bit brighter – children from the local primary schools created some brilliant snowflake stencils and these are now being painted on the walls by a team from Tomorrow’s People, supported by Austeja from North Edinburgh Arts.

Our Christmas tree, a mighty twenty-two foot Norwegian Spruce, was delivered and erected yesterday and will be decorated today. We’ll also be adding some more lights around the Centre to give it that festive feel. There’s still a lot to be done, but we’ll get there!

So what could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot – as many local people have been quick to point out! However we’ve looked at all the possibilities, we’ve weighed up all the risks and we’re giving it a go. Christmas is a time of hope, of new beginnings and more than anything it’s about children – and we believe our local children deserve to have their own tree, here in their community.

Among tonight’s highlights:

  • Christmas Tree lighting ceremony
  • Music from Craigroyston Community High School
  • Free festive food and drink at North Edinburgh Arts
  • Sweets for the children
  • A visit from Santa
  • An opportunity to hear about CAN – what CAN can do for you, for groups and for our community

The festive fun kicks off at 5pm. Santa Claus is coming to Pennywell tonight – we hope you will too!

Andy and Dave, Community Action North CAN

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Festive crafts with the Centipede project

And there’s a free festive lunch too!

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Looking for a free Christmas activity? Centipede Project is getting all festive on Friday 11 December in the Old Kirk and Muirhouse Church!
Join in from 1pm and learn to make your own Christmas gifts, take what you make home with you and enjoy a FREE festive buffet lunch too.
You need to collect a ticket to take part in a workshop, but if you just fancy some lunch or a mince pie then just turn up from 1pm.
Tickets are available from North Edinburgh Arts reception and are limited, so get yours now before they’re gone! 
Any questions? Call 0131 315 2151.

If you want to make anything for the buffet, let Jo know by calling 0131 315 2151 or email centipedeproject@outlook.com

Continue reading Festive crafts with the Centipede project

The Alien Assignment: Haven kids produce another classic!

‘It was his first assignment as a Secret Agent …’

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Over recent years, children from Circle’s Haven Project have spent a week during the summer holidays visiting a location then coming up with ideas and storylines to produce their very own storybook with writer Mike Nicholson. Continue reading The Alien Assignment: Haven kids produce another classic!