As 2021 draws to a close, big changes are on the horizon for North Edinburgh Arts. As part of the ongoing regeneration programme around MacMillan Square, development work at North Edinburgh Arts should begin in the next few weeks.
One of the last events in our building before the planned makeover will be the Festive Community Event on Monday 13 December, kindly funded by Police Scotland.
We’re host to lots of other local community stalls on the day, so it’s a great opportunity to learn more about what’s going on in the local area, get together with other local residents and go away with a free goodie bag too!
Whether you’re a regular user or occasional visitor to our community space, we’d like to invite you to say goodbye to the NEA building.
Drop-in any time between 10am and 3pm when you can find out more about our temporary relocation while having a wander, a chat, a festive mince pie and hot drink.
I wanted to spread some festive cheer and send details of a free outdoor Christmas Carol Concert led by Edinburgh College taking place at Forthquarter Park by the Granton Gasholder next Thursday 9th December at 6pm.
It is a free outdoor event, with some complimentary mulled wine and mince pies on offer provided by North Edinburgh Arts café. The music will be led by the Edinburgh College music department, including the Edinburgh College Chamber Choir, String Ensemble and Clarinet Quartet. There will be carol sheets for singing along!
The college are looking for local people that might be interested in doing a festive reading, or a young person to do the solo for the first verse of Away in a Manager. If that might be of interest, please do let me know.
See below for link to the Facebook page – please do share with your networks, and perhaps see some of you there!
Do you have a story to tell or a memory to share about North Edinburgh Arts or the local area? We’re collecting local stories before North Edinburgh Arts closes for refurbishment.
Join writers Eleanor Thom and Luke Winter in the Story Wagon, a beautiful, purpose-built storytelling and writing caravan, situated in the North Edinburgh Arts Garden tomorrow – Wednesday 17 November, drop-in between 10am and 2pm.
Citizen is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and funded through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government— through Creative Scotland — the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival has teamed up with The Brunton Theatre and North Edinburgh Arts to host a weekend of inspiring creative activities and conversations.
The second Citizen Winter Warmer presents two days of heart-warming, interactive and fun events celebrating local community voices and creating opportunities for new stories to be heard.
Featuring fun-filled afternoons of art and stories for families and an evenings of celebration featuring local residents side-by-side with professional writers, the Citizen Winter Warmer will take place on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 November 2021 and is part of Book Week Scotland.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen project is supported by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery and through the PLACE programme.
Noëlle Cobden, Communities Programme Director at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said “We’re delighted to be working with our partners North Edinburgh Arts and The Brunton on our Citizen Winter Warmer.
“Through our year-round Communities Programme, the Book Festival provides a platform for local people to share their stories, helping to bring us together in challenging times.
“The Winter Warmer all is about celebrating community and connection, spreading a little bit of light in the darkest point of the year, and we hope that everyone, whether or not they’ve been to a Book Festival event before, feels welcome to join us either in Musselburgh or North Edinburgh.”
The Citizen Winter Warmer is all about sharing stories from local communities and, prior to the event itself, writer Luke Winter is joined by Citizen Writer in Residence Eleanor Thom as they park the Story Wagon outside each venue (Tuesday 16 November at The Brunton, Musselburgh and Wednesday 17 November at North Edinburgh Arts, 10.00am to 2.00pm each day).
Local residents are encouraged to drop in, have a chat and tell their stories to Luke and Eleanor.
The Winter Warmer kicks off on Friday 19 November at The Brunton in Musselburgh, moving to North Edinburgh Arts in Muirhouse on Saturday 20 November.
The Great Big Story Show presents two afternoons of family entertainment, with the fun-loving duo Macastory bringing their hilarious songs and stories to the stage.
Writer Luke Winter creates a fresh story live on stage from audience suggestions and much-loved children’s authors Maisie Chan and Elle McNicoll read from their brand-new book The Very Merry Murder Club – packed with Christmassy crimes, festive foul play and murderously magnificent mysteries – perfect for inquisitive kids!
In Musselburgh on Friday author Christopher Lloyd also joins to explain how to stand up for the environment with his beautifully illustrated nature book It’s Up to Us, while at North Edinburgh Arts on Saturday illustrator Eilidh Muldoon creates a beautifully illustrated map of North Edinburgh featuring all the audiences’ favourite places.
Audiences can tuck into two evenings of terrific tales and delicious food as the Book Festival’s Citizen participants share stories of life in Musselburgh and Muirhouse, and writers explore what community means today in the popular Stories and Scran event.
The evening offers a sumptuous three course meal provided by the Scran Academy, a social enterprise catering company supporting vulnerable young people, and brilliant new writing inspired by the surrounding areas from local people who have taken part in Citizen’s creative conversations and workshops.
In Musselburgh the writers from the community will be joined on stage by the award-winning author of Scabby Queen, Kirstin Innes, and poets JL Williams and Andrés Ordorica, who share their own powerful writing and discuss their views on community, identity and home.
At North Edinburgh Arts the evening is hosted by Scran Academy founder, social entrepreneur, youth leader and campaigner John Loughton. The local community writers are joined by the award-winning poet, playwright and author of Luckenbooth Jenni Fagan, as well as poets Courtney Stoddart and Ryan Hay, who share new work and reflect on what community, identity and home mean today.
In 2019, local photographers Karmen Bermudez and David Coxon took to the streets around North Edinburgh Arts to shoot the urban landscape, capturing incredible images which inspired short written responses from visitors to that year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival.
As part of the Citizen Winter Warmer celebration in north Edinburgh, a free exhibition titled Who Lives in a Place Like This? showcasesthese photos and the writing inspired by them, returning to the community that birthed them along with words and images created by young people from The Alternative School at Spartans Community Football Club which offer a vital snapshot of their lives and a sense of their world and their community.
Michael Stitt, Chair of Brunton Theatre Trust, said “The Brunton is dedicated to bringing the very best theatre, music, dance, comedy, children’s theatre, film and live screenings to East Lothian for the enjoyment and enrichment of as many people of all ages, as possible.
“Situated within the heart of the vibrant and creative community of Musselburgh, the breadth of our programming is ambitious and takes account of the interests of all communities we serve. We also have an exciting creative participation programme.
“We are delighted to be working in collaboration with our partners Edinburgh International Book Festival to deliver the Citizen Winter Warmer programme that supports creative activities with local communities.”
The Citizen Winter Warmer is part of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen project– an ongoing programme of events, festivals and residences taking place around Edinburgh and the Lothians throughout the year, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and through the PLACE programme.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “I’m delighted that players are supporting the Citizen programme, helping bring communities together and hearing their stories. The Winter Warmer is an opportunity for us all to learn more about this city and its residents.”
As part of the Winter Warmer, featured children’s authors Christopher Lloyd, Maisie Chan and Elle McNicoll will be visiting local schools. Children will get to explore their fascinating stories through a mix of interactive activities, readings and Q&A sessions led by the authors themselves.
Tickets to all events at The Brunton, Musselburgh are available through http://thebrunton.co.uk or on 0131 653 5245 (Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm).
Tickets to all events at North Edinburgh Arts are available through http://northedinburgharts.co.uk or on 0131 315 2151 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm).
We’ll be exploring the unique shoreline and all its treasures, from rock pooling and wildlife ID to seaweed gathering, bird spotting and more … Bring your nets and binoculars for a fun-packed wild shoreline discovery session, and don’t forget to wear your wellies …
Suitable for ages 8+
Free but advance registration is required.
To book your place: go to www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/183463433067 call us on 0131 315 2151 (Mon – Fri, 10am to 4pm) pop by and see us in person.
North Edinburgh Arts’ FREE October Film Club for local children and young people starts tomorrow (Monday 18 October), and we’ll be showing a different film every day at 10:30am until Friday 22 October.
Places are available on a first-come basis for local residents living in EH4 2 (Drylaw and Telford only), EH4 4, EH5 1 and EH5 2.
This free offer is suitable for families and children (up to 12 years of age) to attend.
Children under 7 years old must be accompanied by a guardian (aged 14+) with no more than 2 children per guardian. A healthy snack will be provided.
Create Community Wealth is looking for two (2) Lead Creative people to join the project!
Create Community Wealth is an exciting long-term collaborative project that aims to develop micro-enterprises across the communities in Wester Hailes and Muirhouse.
Inspired by the grassroots movement of the Granby Four Streets in Liverpool and other Community Wealth Building initiatives around the world, this project aims to tackle social exclusion and improve wellbeing and local economic prospects through creativity.
go to 
There are still places on North Edinburgh Arts’ September Wildlife Watch next Friday 17th September, 2 – 4pm at Gypsy Brae 
