North Edinburgh Arts: The Organisation
North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) is an arts organisation in the heart of Muirhouse, North
Edinburgh, which provides creative opportunities for individual and community
development through contact with the professional arts, particularly for residents living
within the City of Edinburgh Council’s Forth Ward. NEA do this by:
• engaging professional, performing and visual artists to deliver projects and
activities for personal and group development through, or in, the arts
• working with city, national and international cultural organisations to make sure
residents of Greater Pilton have access to their services
• working with local partners to encourage cultural approaches to engaging young
people, lifelong learning, health promotion, employability, community safety, and the
environment
• working with statutory and voluntary community planning partners to ensure
regeneration plans reflect and respond to the cultural identity and life of the area and its
residents
North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) is an arts organisation in the heart of Muirhouse, North
Edinburgh, which provides creative opportunities for individual and community
development through contact with the professional arts, particularly for residents living
within the City of Edinburgh Council’s Forth Ward. NEA do this by:
• engaging professional, performing and visual artists to deliver projects and
activities for personal and group development through, or in, the arts
• working with city, national and international cultural organisations to make sure
residents of Greater Pilton have access to their services
• working with local partners to encourage cultural approaches to engaging young
people, lifelong learning, health promotion, employability, community safety, and the
environment
• working with statutory and voluntary community planning partners to ensure
regeneration plans reflect and respond to the cultural identity and life of the area and its
residents
Context
North Edinburgh Arts is located in Muirhouse, North Edinburgh and the building acts as
the cultural centre of the community. Through partnership working and ongoing local
and city consultation the centre provides a safe, enjoyable and creative space for people of
all ages to relax and develop within, in what can otherwise be a harsh physical and social
environment. The award winning centre (NEA won the 'Edinburgh Architectural
Association Awards Silver Medal) was opened in 2002 and is a registered Scottish charity
which is run by a small core staff team working with freelance artists and managed by a
Board of Directors. With approximately 1,650 visits made to NEA each month,
participants, from early years (0-5 years) to adults, can enjoy a range of creative
workshops within the space. NEA had 19,800 visits in 2010/11 with 90% of centre users
taking part in an activity. Our current weekly programme offers workshops in visual arts,
dance and drama alongside project based work in music, outreach for young people and
public art. NEA also hosts cultural events run by local community organisations and
works in partnership with local and city cultural and community organisations. The
centre contains a fully equipped and professional standard 96 seat theatre, two multipurpose
studios, a music recording studio, a gallery, a busy on site café and office space.
We are open to the public for 50 weeks of the year Tuesday to Saturday, opening to 8pm
on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Muirhouse features significantly in the Scottish Index of Deprivation (2006)
appearing in the lowest 5% index within the whole of Scotland. The area is rated as
‘significantly below average’ compared to the rest of Scotland in terms of education,
skills, training and crime prevention. With high levels of social housing the area is also
below average in terms of health, housing and employment with 36% of families being
lone parents, 42% of children live in workless households and 45% of adults in the area
have no qualifications. NEA runs a Good Neighbours (GN) scheme for residents living near
the centre, providing a 20% discount on ticket and café purchases. Prices are kept as low
as possible to reflect the economic realities of North Edinburgh. NEA has recently
revamped its’ Good Neighbour Scheme, due to over 700 local flats being knocked down in
the first phase of the City of Edinburgh Council’s 21st Century Homes Regeneration
programme.
NEA works directly with the community of Muirhouse with much of NEA’s core
programme focusing on developing creative and educational activities for local children
and young people within the centre’s supported and vibrant environment. By offering
the community a consistent and interesting programme, staff have been able to build and
sustain positive, meaningful relationships with participants. This has proved vital in
helping to develop participants’ personal/social/creative skills, increase levels of self
esteem, improve group work skills and build confidence to take part in striking
exhibitions and lively performances.
Accessibility and Access
North Edinburgh Arts aims to be an accessible organisation welcoming people regardless
of age, background, ethnicity, ability or economic status. We are working to place creative
activity, resources and events at the centre of our community. The building has been
designed to be physically accessible with a lift to the first floor, specially adapted toilets
on both floors, and a loop system in the theatre.
North Edinburgh Arts staff
Caroline Muirhouse, Manager NEA, & Administrator for the Knowing Ways: Critical Learning in Arts Practice international conference
Angela Austin Audience Development Officer
Sandra Newby Box Office Manager
Lesley Blackie Housekeeper/Front of House
Debbie White Housekeeper/Front of House
John McCaffrey Technician
Tam Renton Maintenance Officer
Sam Khan is a Community Learning and Development practitioner with a specialism in the arts. She is the volunteer Resources Coordinator for the Knowing Ways: Critical Learning in Arts Practice international conference. During the conference she will is responsible for the practical and technical resource requirements of the workshops and presentations.
Conference caterer
Adil Ibrahim
Nile Valley Cafe & World Café volunteers
Conference cake maker
Michael Frame
Ceilidh Band
The Belle Star Band have provided the musical glue for festivals, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, fundraisers and even BBC 4’s Women’s Hour.
Based in Edinburgh they remain one of the only all-women dance bands in the country. As well as holding down day jobs and producing off-spring, they have worked together as a band for 16 year and performed across the UK, and Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Belgium. They are:
Gica Loening and Jenny Gardner – fiddles
Cathy Wood – guitar and caller
Lynn Sampsell – bass guitar.
www.bellestarband.co.uk
