Do YOU have a talent? Join the line-up for Fort Kinnaird’s first ever Summer Live event!

Scotland’s largest outdoor shopping centre, Fort Kinnaird, is on the lookout for local performers to step into the spotlight as part of its inaugural Summer Live event.

Taking place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2nd August – 18th August between 12-5pm, the centre is giving all type of performers from musicians, dancers and actors, to uplifting choirs, spoken word poets and solo singers the chance to showcase their talents to hundreds of local people.

The Summer Live stage will be set up near Hotel Chocolat, with a seating area for visitors to enjoy acts, and performers will be allocated a 30-minute time slot.

Fort Kinnaird is also partnering with East Lothian Arts Service – a council run programme supporting the arts – to host a series of workshops and performances from local community groups across the three weekends.

This will include sessions from The Brunton’s Performing Arts Network, East Lothian Youth Music Forum (ELJam), Sistema and Tinderbox Collective. Separately there will also be a variety of performances from The Theatre School of Scotland.

And as part of the centre’s commitment to supporting the arts, Fort Kinnaird will also be donating £1,000 to Tinderbox Collective to support an ongoing initiative to get musical instruments into public libraries, so people can borrow them for free – just like taking out a book – which is currently operated locally within Craigmillar and Moredun libraries.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “With a series of city-centre events hosting Edinburgh’s talent across the summer, we wanted to get involved to support even more local performers and groups to share their talent with the local community.

“We also hope our donation to Tinderbox Collective will help more people discover or continue to pursue their musical talents.

“We’re incredibly excited for our first ever Summer Live event. If you would like to take part, or even just find out more information, we’d encourage you to get in touch as soon as possible as we expect the line-up to fill up pretty quickly.”

Fancy taking part? All you need to do is contact info@fortkinnaird.com with the following:

  • Your stage name and type of performance
  • How many people are in your group (maximum is 30)
  • What times/days you are available and how long your set is
  • Details on if an electrical supply is required
  • The equipment you would like to bring*

For more information visit: Got talent? Take part in Summer Live | Fort Kinnaird Shopping in Edinburgh

To plan your day out and find the full list of stores and restaurants at Fort Kinnaird, please visit www.fortkinnaird.com

*Please note that all electrical equipment must be PAT tested.

National Lottery funds support Edinburgh creative projects

Projects and organisations across Edinburgh are sharing in £49,382 National Lottery funding in the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund awards. 

Edinburgh contemporary composer, Neil Smith is developing two projects designed to inspire new audiences for contemporary classical music. 

A debut portrait album of chamber music and a new music-driven puppet theatre show follow fast on the heels of his collaboration with Tinderbox Collective’s recent Music For Bridges project. 

Photographer, David Grinly is developing new work for an exhibition at Sierra Metro gallery, Edinburgh in January 2022.  

Collaborating with six musicians, Grinly will perform and record works of “photographic music” composed via a method developed by the artist to translate colour into musical notation. 

The Edinburgh projects are among the 36 creative initiatives across Scotland sharing in over £772,000 of National Lottery funding in this round of Open Fund awards.

The full list of awards is available on the Creative Scotland website. 

Iain Munro, CEOCreative Scotland said: “These Open Fund grants are capable of making a palpable and positive difference to the lives and careers of artists, and more widely to those of us living within Scotland’s communities.  

“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every year, these awards continue to support communities the length and breadth of Scotland, inspiring generations and boosting overall wellbeing.” 

Scottish Government emergency funds for Edinburgh youth arts

Emergency funds from the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland are enabling youth arts and music organisations to roll out new activities and initiatives for young people in the Edinburgh area.

Drake Music, Tinderbox Collective and Starcatchers* are among 18 youth music and wider youth arts organisations receiving a share of £1,053,000 to deliver a range of local and national projects, all of which target priority groups of children and young people and provide important work for freelance artists.

Thursa Sanderson, Chief Executive, Drake Music Scotland said: “This funding will enable us to forge ahead with Sound Explorers, a new programme of online activity. It responds positively to the changed learning landscape for young people with additional support needs – offering an interactive and fun way to make music.

“It will directly tackle the lack of access to music making for young people with disabilities and additional support needs caused by the Covid pandemic removing the barriers for those isolating at home and those in the classroom.”

Jack Nissan, Director, Tinderbox Collective said: “The Youth Arts Targeted fund is an invaluable support that will enable us to provide a range of music projects, youth clubs and creative opportunities to hundreds of children and young people at this time, both on-line and in person, as we adapt to the changing circumstances of the pandemic.

“It is so important that all young people have access to positive, social and creative activities like this, and that we do whatever we can to keep these going at this time.”

Rhona Matheson, Chief Executive, Starcatchers said: “On behalf of Starcatchers, Imaginate and Lyra I am delighted that we have secured the Youth Arts funding to deliver the Where We Are project together.

“As well as providing children and young people with the opportunity to engage with, and participate in creative activities in their own communities, it will also provide more than 15 jobs for artists and freelance practitioners over the next year.

“Given the challenges we are all facing as a result of the Covid pandemic, this is an exciting opportunity to initiate a new project that fosters collaboration, creativity and connection.”

Opportunities for young people are also being provided on a nationwide basis through other Fund recipients including Engage, Film Access Scotland, National Piping Centre, National Youth Choir, Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Brass Band Association, Scottish Music Centre, Scottish Youth Theatre and Youth Theatre Arts.

Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop said: “Youth music and youth arts organisations across Scotland are playing an important role in the lives of young people during these difficult times.

“This funding will support these organisations to expand their work and provide creative opportunities to young people as well as work and income for the artists and practitioners working with them through these projects.”

These awards are the first to be announced from the Scottish Government’s £3million funding package for Youth Arts. Further announcements will follow regarding recipients of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund, the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme and £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund.

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “All the emergency funds currently being delivered by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government are vital in addressing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I’m particularly pleased that we are able to announce today the first recipients of this Youth Arts funding which will reach some of the children and young people most adversely affected by the pandemic and provide important work for freelance artists whose opportunities have been so severely impacted by Covid-19.”

The full list of Fund recipients:

Organisation (Trading name) Local Authority Area Funding Amount 
Drake Music Scotland Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highland £61,880 
Engage National £40,744 
Fèisean nan Gàidheal Highland, National £30,000 
Fèis Rois Highland £64,820 
Film Access Scotland   National £40,744 
National Piping Centre National £37,477 
National Youth Choir of Scotland   Aberdeen, Glasgow, National £64,820 
National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Glasgow, Stirling £30,000 
Scottish Book Trust National £64,820 
Scottish Brass Band Association National £50,680 
Scottish Music Centre National £64,820 
Scottish Youth Theatre National £64,079 
Sistema Scotland Dundee, Aberdeen £50,805 
Starcatchers* Edinburgh, Fife £193,605 
Tinderbox Collective Edinburgh, Perth and Kinross £64,820 
Toonspeak Young Peoples Theatre Glasgow £44,448 
YDance North Lanarkshire £35,892 
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland National £48,939 
  Total: £1,053,393.00 

*Starcatchers led consortium working in partnership with Imaginate and Lyra.

Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on this website and publicised through media and social media communications.

Photograph: Anne Binckebanck, courtesy of Drake Music

Creative Scotland announces organisations to receive three year funding

More funding for Edinburgh – but some high profile capital projects lose out

CREATIVE Scotland has announced the network of organisations that will receive Regular Funding for the three-year period, April 2018 to March 2021. Among the new recipients is Tinderbox, based at North Edinburgh Arts, who will receive three year funding of £300,000. Continue reading Creative Scotland announces organisations to receive three year funding