Tag: plans

Lung Ha Theatre Company turns 40

One of the UK’s leading theatre companies for learning disabled actors, Lung Ha celebrates four decades of brilliant theatre-making

Lung Ha is an Edinburgh-based theatre company for actors and theatre makers with a learning disability and autism which produces award-winning productions and works with a year-round, 25-strong Ensemble to develop their practice and remove barriers to participation into the arts.

April marks the start of 12 months of the Company’s 40th anniversary celebrations which will see it take part in or present a remounting of the Company’s 2021 hit An Unexpected Hiccup at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s biggest stage.

Originally created and performed under strict COVID procedures during the global pandemic, the show is a tale of comic misunderstandings, sinister goings on and dangerous eccentricities.

This will also be the inaugural production of the Lung Ha Touring Company which will provide further opportunities for performers to create and tour new and existing work, with bespoke and specialist actor training.

An Unexpected Hiccup is a co-production with Plutôt La Vie featuring five Lung Ha actors, written by Michael Duke after a devising process with the Company. It will be presented between 2 and 10 August at Zoo Southside.

The Company is also commissioning initial research to develop an Access and Creative Principles Toolkit which will support the launch of Lung Ha Touring Company. The research aims to cover three main areas:

  1. To understand the access support structures required for learning-disabled actors in a professional company.  
  2. To apply fair and equitable pay remuneration frameworks for ourselves and other theatre companies working with actors and artists in receipt of varied and complex benefit arrangements. 
  3. To create a practical toolkit for working with learning-disabled actors which has a wider culture sector benefit and application. 

The first publication of findings is expected in spring 2025. The project is funded by RS Macdonald Charitable Trust.

Lung Ha Theatre Company has been invited as a guest contributor at the Europe In Action Conference, a partnership between Inclusion Europe and Enable in May 2024 in Glasgow during Learning Disability Awareness Week, hosted by Enable who are also marking an anniversary year (70th).

The Company will be hosting the closing session of the conference with the theme of deinstitutionalisation, including a presentation about the Company’s work and a focus on the award-winning production Castle Lennox from 2023.

Also in May, Lung Ha Theatre Company will host the World Premiere of its short film, Love Like Salt, at Traverse Theatre – a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, featuring the Lung Ha Ensemble and co-created by Maria Oller, Susan Worsfold and Stuart Platt. The evening will also feature a short snippet from an anniversary documentary about the Company made and edited by a Lung Ha actor, Emma McCaffrey.

Throughout the year Lung Ha will be spotlighting our Ensemble actors using commissioned portraits from photographer and long-time collaborator Peter Dibden. The photoshoot was a glamourous “Met gala meets night at the theatre” extravaganza.

The actors were given the opportunity to curate their own costumes and threw themselves into model poses and characterful performances which are beautifully captured in this series and in our commemorative 40th anniversary Ensemble group photograph.

Short history of Lung Ha

Lung Ha Theatre Company began its life as Lung Ha’s Theatre Company in October 1984. A sixty strong team of performers, with a learning disability, under the direction of Richard Vallis and Peter Clerke created and performed their own version of the fabled Monkey stories (for a time the Company was called Lung Ha’s Monkey Theatre).

The production was hugely successful and a new company and vitally important new theatrical voice launched onto the Scottish stage, now a vital part of it.

Since then, the Company has worked with over three hundred performers with a learning disability creating over forty original productions. The Company and has also worked with some of the leading artists and creative organisations across the country and toured internationally to England, France, Ireland, Poland, Sweden and Finland. 

Some of the Company’s achievements include the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) for Best Ensemble in Huxley’s Lab in 2009 (co-recipient with Grid Iron Theatre Company) and for Castle Lennox, a 2023 co-production with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh.

Now the company offers a range of creative opportunities for learning disabled actors. Our Pathway for Progression features six strands of work where actors can access training and performing opportunities in an inclusive and welcoming environment and on an established platform.

These are The Lung Ha Ensemble, Lung Ha Touring Company, Lung Ha Across Scotland (an online nationwide actor training workshop series), Creative Development (one to one skills development, mentoring and critical response), Sharing our Expertise (via our Access and Creative Principles Toolkit, and workshop leader training), and Supporting External Opportunities (where the Lung Ha team prepares and supports people with their creative ambitions outwith Lung Ha).

Artistic Director Maria Oller and Executive Director Ruth McEwan said: “Entering our 40th year, we are so proud of our achievements and what has come before now.

“We have shared incredible moments with everyone we work with and our audiences far and wide.

“From here, we are passionate about continuing to create fabulous theatrical experiences and breaking down barriers in our sector and beyond. Our actors are the inspiration and the beating heart of Lung Ha Theatre Company.”

Lung Ha actor Fern Brodie said: “I see Lung Ha and the other actors as my other family.

“I feel safe and happy when I spend time with them.”

Lung Ha actor Gavin Yule said: “Lung Ha is a place where I can perform and practise acting skills and develop new ones.

“It’s also where I can make friends and have a social outlet. It also allows me to experience professional theatre and perform incredible pieces of work.”

Theatre critic Neil Cooper said: “Its first show, Lung Ha’s Monkey, gave the company both its name and an identity that seemed to suggest that monkeying around on stage was a good thing.

“In the forty years since, that sense of liberation through play has remained at the company’s core throughout work by a stream of writers and directors who followed in Vallis and Clerke’s footsteps.

“With current Lung Ha Artistic Director Maria Oller at the helm for the last fifteen years, the company’s radical philosophy has put it at the centre, not just of community-based arts initiatives, but of Scotland’s entire theatre ecology.

Watching the company grow into itself over these years has been a joy. Long may Lung Ha continue to thrive.”

Wet winter doesn’t negate need for water scarcity plans

Nobody will be surprised to hear that Scotland experienced a very wet autumn and winter – but abstractors are being reminded they still need to plan ahead in case conditions change.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have published the first Water Situation Report of 2024, providing information on water stores in the ground, lochs and reservoirs.

Weather conditions over autumn and winter have a major influence on water resources and the risk of water scarcity in the following summer.

As reported last month, SEPA issued a record number of regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings to the public this winter.

A total of 720 messages were sent between 1st September 2023 and 16th February 2024. The previous record of 714 was set over autumn and winter 2015/16.

Areas along the east coast of Scotland saw higher than average rainfall throughout autumn and winter, with some parts seeing 170% of the winter average.

Elsewhere rainfall totals have been within the normal range, and natural water storage in lochs and groundwater is between normal and high for this time of year.

However, if the country experiences particularly dry weather over spring and summer it could still lead to water scarcity.

Water users are urged to keep an eye on the situation and plan ahead to manage water supplies sustainably.

Stephen McGuire, Senior Hydrology Specialist at SEPA, said:“It would be easy to look at the amount of rain Scotland has seen over the last few months and think that water scarcity isn’t an issue.

“The risk is currently lower than normal as a result, but the reality is we can’t rule out a repeat of the water shortages businesses have experienced in previous years – if we have drier than average conditions over the next few months things can change quite quickly. 

“Water abstractors licensed by SEPA need to make sure they are prepared to deal with water scarcity, so I would encourage them to consider how to improve their business resilience and manage water wisely during prolonged dry conditions. We can help by providing advice and guidance on ways to reduce pressure on the water environment. 

“Taking the right steps now will lower the likelihood of resources reaching a critical level again this summer and SEPA having to suspend licences to protect the water environment.”

Scotland’s Changing Climate

Scotland’s climate is changing and businesses are experiencing the impacts of more frequent extreme weather events like water scarcity.

The number of serious drought events is projected to increase from an average of one every 20 years, to one every two years in the near future.

In 2023 the first area reached Alert level at the end of May, and five areas (Rivers Annan and Nith in the southwest, the Black Isle, the Outer Hebrides and the Loch Maree area of the Highlands) had reached significant water scarcity by the end of June.

Significant impacts from water scarcity were apparent during 2022, particularly in the east of the country. Groundwater levels in the region were their lowest since records began in 2009 and there was below average rainfall in eight out of the twelve months.

SEPA had to take steps to protect the environment from the effects of prolonged dry weather and suspensions were imposed on 175 water abstraction licences in four catchment areas.

From May, SEPA will publish a weekly Water Situation Report looking at the latest conditions across Scotland.

Transport Convener: Are we doing enough for future generations?

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, looks forward to some of the major changes to transport planned for the Capital:

Are we doing enough when it comes to delivering a safer, more accessible, and environmentally friendly city for future generations?

There will be a range of opinions on that, but the fact is that if we are to reach net zero for transport by 2030, we need to act 12 times faster than we have over recent decades.

Alongside tackling air pollution, congestion, road safety, poverty and rapid population growth, climate change, and our response to it, forms one of the key challenges for Edinburgh’s transport system.

Thankfully, public engagement shows that many of the people who live here share my love of Edinburgh and my opinion that changes need to be made to the way we move around the city. Whether it’s improving pavements to make it easier to get around on foot, expanding our cycle network for safer travel by bike or prioritising public transport, the appetite for cleaner transport is there.

That’s why I was so passionate about working cross-party to agree a package of ambitious measures to transform travel in Edinburgh at last week’s Transport and Environment Committee and was delighted when progress was made.

Thanks to committee approval we’ll now be able to accelerate plans to open up the heart of our city to make it truly people-friendly. On Thursday we heard from Peter Vansevenant from Ghent, who told us about the ‘Big Bang’ approach they took in the city, where they introduced restrictions over a single weekend and saw rush hour traffic drop and public transport levels increase.

Learning from others is invaluable but one size doesn’t fit all, and we’ll be carefully considering how any of our own changes to traffic flow could impact residents, businesses and public transport before implementing them.

Our first action, a trial the closure of the Cowgate from this summer, will be part of the process for considering how to take forward a wider package of proposals to help create a calmer, safer city centre sooner rather than later.

Other cities across Europe have already done this, it is time for us to catch up!

Of course, these decisions aren’t easy, and a balance needs to be struck. We now recognise that streets like Morningside Road are so much more than transport corridors, they’re communities and retail and leisure destinations in their own right.

It’s essential that we allocate limited space in our historic city to best serve the communities and businesses that call it home, while also addressing the climate emergency, accessibility and issues like air and noise pollution, which disproportionately affect low-income households.

To do this we need to get the balance right between different modes of transport, and that’s not straightforward. However, the framework sets out a clear and transparent set of guidelines for apportioning space on different kinds of streets, which is an excellent place to start.

Progressing aspirations to build a tram line between Granton and the BioQuarter and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary via the Western General and the City Centre may involve some tough decisions too, but last week’s vote to put the route to public consultation signals our intent to move forward.

The service would not only carry a million passengers per month and link key areas of growth and development to the city, but it would support local regeneration, boost economic growth and connect to educational and cultural venues along the route.

This is a huge, transformative project and we need to get it right, which is why we’ll be presenting both routes to Granton – along the Roseburn path and through the Orchard Brae area – clearly and objectively for people to tell us what they think.

I am always being told that Edinburgh must be bolder and act faster in the face of the climate emergency. The choices we’ve made over the last week are our chance to show Edinburgh is serious.

West Pilton Park development meeting

GET INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING EXCITING NEW PLANS FOR LOCAL GREEN SPACE

West Pilton Park Development Meeting

Tuesday 13th June, 5.30 – 7pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Park has received significant funding for development. We need your help to guide issues such as paths & access, play & leisure, nature & wildlife, and security.

Come along, get involved, and help guide the development of your local greenspace.

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Parklife

West Pilton and West Granton Community Council

Residential-led proposals for Ocean Point 2 in Leith revealed by Harrison

Property developer S Harrison Developments have revealed ‘exciting proposals’ for a residential-led development at Ocean Point 2 in Leith.

Neighbouring Ocean Point 1, whose occupiers include VisitScotland,  the brownfield site will aim to comprise a mix of residential homes for rent alongside other potential uses, which are currently being ascertained. These will occupy two buildings on the site.

Located in Leith, voted in October 2021 by Time Out as one of the “world’s coolest neighbourhoods”, the proposed development is conveniently situated just two miles from Edinburgh city centre and is likely to be attractive to those seeking to live and work in the area, taking advantage of local shops, bars, restaurants and cafés.

The tram line extension between Edinburgh and Ocean Terminal will also provide connectivity between the development and the city centre within 20 minutes.

Two public exhibitions on the proposals will take place on Tuesday 13th December and Thursday 9th February between 2pm and 7pm at Ocean Terminal.

Further information will also be posted on the website at:

www.oceanpoint2.com

Harrison has a long pedigree of working in the city, ranging from delivering the Malmaison at St Andrew Square to student developments at Westfield and Gorgie and hotel development at Osborne House, Haymarket.

A spokesperson for Harrison Developments commented: “We are extremely excited to reveal our proposals for this brownfield site. There are serious demands on housing supply in the city and this is a superb location in what has been voted one of the world’s ‘coolest neighbourhoods’.

“The proposals will significantly assist in the regeneration of this part of the city and we look forward to engaging with the local community, providing it with the opportunity to input their views and shape our ambitious proposals.”

Radical plans to transform Gyle Shopping Centre unveiled

Development managers Bankfoot APAM have announced a consultation on plans to transform The Gyle shopping centre into a new ‘town centre’. The proposals are a radical departure from previous plans to extend the centre.

The Gyle was originally opened in 1993 after an investment of £68million. It quickly became one of the most successful shopping destinations in the east of Scotland and was extended soon after.

Previous owners had brought forward plans for small extensions for new retail units and a cinema, but these were rejected last year by the City Council.

Options now include a fully refreshed and enhanced retail offer, major new housing and office space on a site that has some of the best public transport links in Scotland and in an area (west Edinburgh) where up to 18,000 new homes are already planned.

The concept is to create a new town centre where people will live, work, shop and enjoy their leisure time in one of the most sustainable communities in Scotland.

The initial ideas reflect the fact that whilst The Gyle was once at the fringe of Edinburgh, it is now at the heart of one of Scotland’s fastest growing residential and commercial districts.

The options being consulted on include:

  • A new community in which people can live, work, shop, rest and play within easy reach of the city centre and countryside
  • A renewed and revitalised retail offer with enhanced facilities for click and collect, home delivery and other services
  • New homes for families and professionals that bring people to live more closely to their jobs to encourage more public transport use, cycling, and walking
  • A new east/west ‘green link’ that provides better and safer walking and cycling facilities and new public green space
  • Improved access to the existing Tram, Bus and Rail services that run through and around The Gyle

Chris Moore, Managing Director at Bankfoot APAM, said: “When the Gyle was built it was a leading modern shopping destination. However, we are now looking at a new normal that is very different for shopping and living.

“The creation of a new urban city district will help transform the visitor experience and bring many more new residents, workers and customers to the shops and facilities.

“Increasingly people will travel by public transport and the facilities need to reflect that new normal. We have seen the changes that the new St James development in the city centre is making to people’s shopping experience and our aim is to deliver better and higher quality shopping, rather than just increasing floorspace. We have also studied the quality of the proposals for new homes and offices at the nearby Edinburgh Park.

“Edinburgh is changing, and west Edinburgh is changing faster than almost anywhere in Scotland and our plans must reflect sustainability issues and respond positively to those changes. Looking ahead we should consider how best to serve our customers and meet their growing concerns about the environment. A more balanced community is what is proving to work best.

“We will be consulting local residents and communities on our new vision in the near future, and we look forward to starting the regeneration and revitalisation of The Gyle in a way that makes it an even more special place for many more people. The Gyle can again be one of the finest shopping destinations in the country, but our ambition is to make it one of the finest places to live, work and play as well.”

The concept is to create a new town centre where people will live, work, shop and enjoy leisure time, all in one of the most sustainable communities in Scotland.

The plans also include a new east and west ‘green link’ for safer walking and cycling facilities, along with more public green space, as well as improved access to the tram, bus and rail services that run through and around The Gyle.

‘Cautious but optimistic’

Fringe update from Chief Executive Shona McCarthy

Last week, we announced to Fringe participants that we’ll be opening show registration – for both online and in-person performances – on Wednesday 05 May, in advance of the Fringe taking place from 06 – 30 August.

This is an exciting moment for the Fringe Society; it means all the preparatory discussions we’ve been having – with artists, venues, government and all members of the Fringe community – can finally be translated into action, with visible results.

The positive response we had to last week’s announcement only confirms what I knew in my heart – that there are many people out there who are just as excited and eager as we are to see the Fringe return!

Of course, opening registration is only the start of this process – we are acutely aware of how difficult the last year has been for artists, and we’re doing everything we can to support them in making work this year and beyond.

We’ve reduced registration fees across all tiers by 25%, and removed the top tier entirely.

We’ve also announced the opening a Fringe Artist and Venue Recovery Fund: a £75,000 funding pot which is available to Fringe companies, creatives and venues to support projects that will enable a return to the Fringe in 2021 or 2022.

The fund will prioritise projects that seek to improve opportunities for access on the Fringe by underrepresented groups – you can find out more at edfringe.smartygrants.com.au/recoveryfund. 

There’s certainly a lot more still to be done, but we feel this is the first of many steps we can take to support artists returning to the Fringe.

I recognise that any eagerness to restart the Fringe must be tempered by a sense of caution and responsibility.

We continue to work closely with Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council, and keep a close eye on official guidance as it emerges and develops, using it to inform every decision we make.

The most recent news indicates some easing of restrictions by the end of June, which is definitely encouraging, but if the last year has taught us anything it’s that things can change at very short notice, so for those dreaming fervently of a fun-packed summer in Edinburgh, we strongly recommend an attitude of cautious optimism at this stage. 

It’s also important to remember that this year’s Fringe won’t be the same as it was. Even as restrictions relax, we still expect to see some form of social distancing and other safety measures in Edinburgh this August.

Again, we’ll work with venues and other partners to figure out how best to use this information as it develops, creating clear guidance for audiences and participants. We also know that it will not be possible to produce our usual printed programme this year, though we are exploring alternatives.

While it is right and appropriate that we manage our expectations about a return to live performance, I am full of positive anticipation to see how Fringe artists channel their extraordinary creative energy into digital work at this year’s festival.

As happens with any seismic change in society, artists have responded to online life in brilliant and inventive ways, and I think it entirely correct that the Fringe – with its longstanding reputation for unleashing the creative spirit – showcases the best in digital inspiration as well.

Silver linings to the past year’s events are few and far between, but the increased availability of innovative, imaginative work – work that can be accessed virtually anywhere – is surely among them.

With this in mind, we’ve put a lot of time and energy into developing our digital infrastructure for this year’s Fringe. We’ve ensured that, whichever online platforms artists and venues want to use, we can support them to do it; they’ll also have access to our own innovative Fringe Player.

In addition, we’re creating an exciting new online events programme and meeting space to help artists and industry connect and collaborate, which we’re hoping to launch in summer. 

With the seeds of carefully laid plans now blooming into life, our goal – as ever – is to support Fringe participants.

As mentioned above, registration (and the wide range of benefits and services that come with it) will open in May, and will remain open right through to the end of the Fringe with no deadlines attached.

We’re also continuing to invest in our website so that audiences can search, browse and book shows as easily as ever, helping them find the artists whose work will resonate with them for years to come.

All of our plans are being made cautiously but optimistically, and as ever, public health will be our priority. But we can take heart in the fact that the Fringe is happening. And, whether online or in a venue, I can’t wait to see you there.

Shona

Carnegie UK Trust: What’s Next for Wellbeing?

“… by such means as the Trustees may from time to time select as the best fitted from age to age, remembering that new needs are constantly arising”, or “how to solve a problem like improving wellbeing?”

Along with his substantial endowment, Andrew Carnegie left his UK and Ireland Trustees an obligation to undertake regular reviews of the most effective means of securing his mission to improve wellbeing (writes Carnegie UK Trust Chief Executive SARAH DAVIDSON).

This has translated over time into quinquennial strategy reviews and the subsequent production of 5-year strategy documents.  Those of you who follow our work may have spotted that the most recent one (2016-2020) expired at midnight on 31st December. So, what’s next for the Carnegie UK Trust?

For an organisation whose entire purpose is focussed on the improvement of wellbeing, the past decade has been a remarkably fertile one in public policy terms. Across the world, as well as here in the UK, the concept of “societal wellbeing” – everyone having what they need to live well now and in the future – has gathered momentum. The Trust has been at the heart of that debate, bringing accumulated expertise to policy and practice and adding to our own understanding as we went along.

It has been an incredibly busy period, no more so than in the last few years. In our work on digital futures;  fulfilling work; enabling wellbeing; and flourishing towns we have ranged widely across the public policy landscape as well as the actual geographies of our 5 jurisdictions. In doing so, we have enjoyed multiple collaborations and partnerships, developed a diverse playbook of approaches, and invested in the thinking and doing which we believed were necessary to stimulate positive change.  It has been challenging and exhilarating and – at times – exhausting.

As we entered 2020, we knew that it was almost time to draw breath, to look back and to look forwards and to take stock, as Andrew Carnegie asked us to. And then came the pandemic, and the year that was to have been one of review and reflection became the year when we doubled down on the insights and learning we had gained throughout the strategy period and brought them to bear on the greatest challenge to individual, community and societal wellbeing of our lifetimes.

However, we quickly discovered that 2020’s clarity of focus on questions of wellbeing actually acted as a stimulus to our strategy review, rather than a distraction. We added to our existing evidence base about what influences wellbeing, and we worked alongside partners old and new to understand how Covid-19 was affecting communities across the UK and Ireland.

At the same time, the experience of remote working during a pandemic encouraged us to reflect on ourselves. What is our identity as an organisation when we are not working together in our familiar building in Dunfermline? What does it mean to work across the UK and Ireland when you never leave your home?  Faced with immense challenges to public policy and practice, how can a team of 16 FTE reasonably make an impact, and what does “impact” mean anyway, in our business?

In the course of last year, we started to address some of these questions, drawing on the extensive experience and insights of our own team and Board of Trustees, as well as undertaking a thorough stakeholder survey carried out on our behalf by The Diffley Partnership.

We heard some very encouraging and positive things during this process.

People who engaged with our work in 2016-2020 said that they regarded our activities as relevant and influential.  We have strong relationships and active networks across all the jurisdictions where we operate, and across sectors, allowing us to fulfil a valuable convening function.  

The quality of our work, our approach to partnerships and our varied menu of ways of working are all perceived as strengths, as are my colleagues who are highly valued by all who engage with them. As the Trust’s still-relatively-new CEO I am privileged to enjoy the reflected glory of much of that feedback.

However, a period of reflection and review is most useful when it sharpens your ambition and signals future opportunities. So, while we are proud of the work that we have done over the past decade in order to improve wellbeing, we also recognise that in this rapidly changing world we must evolve our approach to build on the work we have done to date and become even more effective in pursuit of Andrew Carnegie’s mission.

This is what we are working on as we enter 2021.

We are exploring how to strengthen the focus on our USP, which is wellbeing. As part of this, we want to invest more consciously in our ongoing learning as an organisation (both at a governance and an operational level), and we intend to become much more explicit about our values and how they shape us and our work.

We need to revisit the sheer volume of activity that we undertake and reflect on the trade-offs between individual busyness and the overall depth, quality, and impact of our output as a team.

We want to understand more fully how the work we do and the way that we present our evidence connects with those we seek to influence – or doesn’t.  Does everyone understand what we mean when we talk about “wellbeing” and if not, how can we communicate that more effectively?

It’s also important for us to keep abreast of and emulate the very best practice in assessing impact in the complex world of social change.  We are currently inviting expressions of interest from people interested in working with us on refreshing our brand, and also on a review of best practice on impact. If either of these falls into your area of expertise, we’d be keen to hear from you.

At the same time, we are continuing to assess our own ongoing development as an organisation.

In common with many others in our sector, the events of summer 2020 added further urgency to the challenge we had already set ourselves to examine our policy and practice on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  

We’ve started some important conversations, but we have much more still to do here. We were already auditing our environmental practice a year ago, but an 11-month period without travel has shown us what is really possible with the aid of technology and the goodwill of partners.

The realities of lockdown created opportunities for team members to step into new spaces, take on additional responsibilities and demonstrate the power of collective leadership. Our Organisational Development strategy will be founded on our strengthened belief in the capacity and desire of individuals, teams, and the organisation as a whole to learn and grow.

So, that’s what we are up to here at the Trust, while at the same time making sure that we bring any remaining work under the 2016-20 strategy to a positive conclusion. The next six months will be the time when we lay down the critical foundations for successful delivery in the years ahead.

We expect to publish our 2021-2026 strategy in the summer, along with the accompanying operating plan. Between then and now, we will go on sharing updates on how our review is going. We are always keen to learn from others, so if you have experience and learning to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Lottery cash for Granton Castle Walled Garden

Lottery boost for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

The Friends’ group’s Gillean Paterson explained: “We received £10,000 from the National Lottery to match fund the grant from The Robertson Trust.

“The money is specifically to employ a Community Project Development Officer for one year to put in place plans for the garden.

“These include more community veg growing, a green gym, planting a miniforest to increase biodiversity, longer opening times – and that’s just to begin with!”

A busy year ahead for the Walled Garden team!

New plans revealed for Edinburgh Filmhouse

Edinburgh’s Filmhouse has today revealed a bold new vision to create an internationally significant, fully accessible and environmentally sustainable landmark home for film and screen culture in Edinburgh.

It will provide unrivalled spaces and facilities for everyone to watch film, to make film and to learn about film and filmmaking in all its diversity.

The planned new Filmhouse building has been designed by award-winning Edinburgh based Richard Murphy Architects and will significantly improve and increase the quality and quantity of spaces available to and needed by Filmhouse and EIFF for their audiences, customers, participants and industry partners.

It will create a hub for Edinburgh’s film and broader cultural community to base themselves in, and be a focal point for Edinburgh’s citizens to learn about film.

Filmhouse’s audiences have made it clear what they value and these have been built into the design: location, atmosphere, diversity of programme, education and learning activities, great locally sourced food and drink in the Café Bar, and a safe and comfortable space for people to gather. Most importantly, these will all be delivered to contemporary standards of access and comfort.

Filmhouse has been at the centre of Edinburgh’s cultural landscape for more than 40 years. As well as a year-round programme of inspiring films, creative learning, special events and partnership working, Filmhouse is home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), hosts more than 20 other film festivals, and plays a key role in promoting a vibrant and successful film and moving image industry and culture across Scotland.  The new building will secure Filmhouse’s future for generations to come.

The new Filmhouse will:

  • Provide six new cinema screens allowing Filmhouse and EIFF to programme even more great films, festivals and partnership events.
  • Improve the audience experience with a world-class venue that is fully accessible for all, with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Continue to screen film on all formats, including 4K digital, and 16mm, 35mm and 70mm film.
  • Ensure accessibility for all, with a commitment that all public and office spaces are fully accessible for audiences, staff and guests.
  • Increase Filmhouse’s education and outreach activity, with dedicated education spaces to host year-round activity for learners of all ages.
  • House Filmhouse’s award-winning Café Bar, which will be designed to retain the intimate and safe atmosphere of the existing space.
  • Create a brand-new Festival Centre to provide a venue to support EIFF and other festivals and special events year-round.
  • Introduce a new Cultural Industries hub, supporting the Scottish screen sector with much-needed flexible workspace in Edinburgh’s city centre.
  • Create a restaurant and rooftop event space.
  • Keep Filmhouse’s iconic character and atmosphere, in a new building that has been thoughtfully designed to represent its independent spirit and ethos.
  • Reduce impact on the environment by creating a carbon-neutral building.
  • Increase financial sustainability, by creating greater capacity, diversifying sources of income generation, and becoming more self-sufficient over the longer term.

The oculus design reflects the eye on the world that Filmhouse, EIFF and the myriad of festivals, events and learning opportunities in the building will provide, whilst also providing a striking addition to Edinburgh’s architectural landscape.

Its location in Festival Square is designed to be the catalyst that brings to life a currently underused public space and as part of the development would place a responsibility on Filmhouse to manage the curation of activity within the surrounding square.

The architect drawings and visualisations for the new Filmhouse give people a good idea of the thinking on the position and shape of the building, and the spaces it would contain, howeverthe design is still in development.

Due to the significance of this project to Filmhouse and to Edinburgh, the project team are consulting as widely as possible on this proposal. The consultation stage will officially run for 12 weeks from 11th March to 3rd June.

Filmhouse is looking to engage with customers, partners, stakeholders including programming partners, creative learning partners and the Scottish film sector, community councils and councillors, and residents of Edinburgh to gauge support for the plans and further develop the designs before submitting a formal Planning Application to the City of Edinburgh Council during the summer.

Information on the proposed development including architect drawings and visualisations, the background to the development and FAQs will be available on the Filmhouse’s website. There will also be information and images on display at the Filmhouse including a scale model.

People will be able to give feedback through a simple online survey through the Filmhouse and EIFF websites, through comment cards in the Filmhouse, and formally and informally at events, meetings and discussions with Filmhouse staff.

Three all-day (10am – 7pm) public consultation events will take place in Filmhouse on Sunday 29 March, Wednesday 1 April and Tuesday 28 April where members of the Filmhouse team, Richard Murphy Architects and Montagu Evans will be present to answer questions and collect feedback.

There will be two Filmhouse Members’ Events for its more than 5,500 members on Sunday 29 March and Monday 6 April with opportunities for this key group of stakeholders to hear more and ask questions.

An annual Programme Partners’ event in March gives the Filmhouse’s festival and cultural partners an opportunity to focus on this consultation and how they can engage with the proposed development.

In addition, Filmhouse will actively engage with a range of audiences, customers, interest groups and stakeholders, for example presenting information specifically to its Young Programmers and Senior Selections volunteers, and will invite people from organisations or networks representing special interests to attend individual or group meetings to have more focused discussions about the designs.

Full costing of the project will take place later in 2020 to coincide with the formal Planning Application, but the cost is currently estimated to be in the region of £50m.

An indicative timeline, contingent on the Planning Application decision and fundraising success, hopes to start work on the building in 2023 with it opening in 2025.

This project is led by CMI’s Board and Senior Management Team, with support from property consultancy Montagu Evans.

Ken Hay, CEO of Centre for the Moving Image (inc Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival) said: “For more than 40 years Filmhouse has been at the centre of Edinburgh’s cultural life, and for more than 70 years Edinburgh International Film Festival has been an international beacon for film and film culture.

“This proposed new building will transform what we’re able to do for Edinburgh’s residents and Scotland’s film community, as well as providing Scotland with a physical celebration of the most popular artform.  Through doubling the number of screens and seats for regular cinema-goers, creating dedicated education and learning spaces, and developing an iconic festival centre, all within a fully accessible and carbon neutral building, this really is a 21st century temple for film.

“We are hugely excited about sharing this vision during the consultation period, and are looking forward to engaging with as many people as we can in helping us shape the future for Filmhouse and lovers of film.”

Sandy Begbie CBE, Chair of Centre for the Moving Image (inc Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival) said: “These are very exciting times for the Filmhouse – the opportunity to create a new home for film in Edinburgh, with a landmark building in the city centre.  

“This will provide a new state of the art home for Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival, but at its heart this is for the citizens of Edinburgh and Scotland and the entire film industry.

“The building will retain the purpose, values and culture that has served us so well over many years but in a building that will take us forward for the next 50 years.  This will also allow us to continue the valuable work we do in the community and the development of talent for the Scottish film industry.  This is what makes us different and the new building will provide the facilities to grow and develop that work.”