Between 2019-2022, WHALE Arts and Edinburgh Art Festival are working collaboratively to support community engagement in contemporary visual art in Wester Hailes, with the ambition to commission an artist to develop a new work for Wester Hailes in 2022. The project will have co-creation with the community at its heart, and through activities and dialogue with community organisations, residents of all ages and local schools, will explore fundamental local issues.
Exhibition tours, art workshops, projects and art packs are co-programmed with, and tailored to, residents’ interests and abilities. The activities enable individuals to share and expand their knowledge and creativity, experience and skills, using art as a tool for bringing people together and empowering them.
2020 has seen the Wester Hailes Adult Art Group, comprised of local residents associated with WHALE Arts and people living in the South West of Edinburgh, go from strength to strength. Led by Edinburgh Art Festival, the group meets up every couple of months, introducing them to contemporary art practice through exhibitions, meeting artists and specialists and trying out new artistic techniques. As well as this, the trips include appreciating the city’s walking routes and green spaces and visiting other Scottish cultural destinations. We are always looking for new members: if you are interested in joining, please contact Holly Yeoman, Community Engagement Manager – holly@edinburghartfestival.com
Ongoing school partnership projects have been established, with Edinburgh-based artist-educator Sally Price working with Wester Hailes Education Centre S3 and Sighthill P5 producing temporary sculptures exploring the importance of environmentally minded-art making. WHEC’s online-exhibition can be viewed on the Edinburgh Art Festival blog, and from the 25th November – 19th December 2020 Sighthill Primary’s ‘How to Build a Mini-Eco World’ exhibition can be seen at WHALE Arts.
‘DIY Art’, a series of home creativity kits by selected artists, have been distributed with the support of WHALE Arts to local residents, organisations and groups including SCOREscotland, Wester Hailes Carers Group and Heathervale Young People’s Residence. ‘DIY Art’ kits are available to download throughout the year here.
If you are interested in attending activities or are a local organisation interested in what Edinburgh Art Festival have to offer, please contact: holly@edinburghartfestival.com
Founded in 2004, Edinburgh Art Festival is the platform for the visual arts at the heart of Edinburgh’s August festivals, bringing together galleries, museums and production spaces in a city-wide celebration of the very best in visual art. Each year, the Festival features leading international and UK artists alongside the best emerging talent, major survey exhibitions of historic figures, and a special programme of newly commissioned artworks that respond to public and historic sites in the city. The vast majority of the festival is free to attend.
Edinburgh Art Festival website
Edinburgh Art Festival Community Engagement Blog
Follow us on social media – EdArtFest
Supported by the PLACE Programme: Platforms for Creative Excellence; a partnership between Edinburgh Festivals, Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland.
Supported by the PLACE Programme: Platforms for Creative Excellence; a partnership between Edinburgh Festivals, Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland.
Sighthill Primary P5 class
25 November – 19 December 2020
WHEC’s 2019 online-exhibition and documentation of Sighthill Primary’s ‘Build a Mini-Eco World’ can be viewed on the Edinburgh Art Festival Community Engagement blog. Follow Edinburgh Art Festival on social media – @EdArtFest
