In Western Edinburgh, Captivate is being delivered with our lead partner WHALE Arts Agency, alongside close collaborations with Wester Hailes and Sighthill Libraries, Clovenstone Community Centre and other local delivery partners.
Read about individual projects, impacts and reach of our pilot year of delivery in our full Captivate Pilot Year Report.
This year we are working with WHALE Arts and our other local partners to deliver opportunities that support ongoing programmes and offer something new with a particular consideration given to how we can be more accessible to those with communication barriers in the area. Read on for some examples of projects we’re supporting to be delivered in this area.
We are committing to developing projects which:
- Bring a broader range of highly visual and accessible quality arts from across Scotland and around the world to the area, with a particular focus on digital performance and installations.
- Offer inter-generational opportunities to families and communities across Western Edinburgh to try new creative skills, develop confidence, spend time together and make new friends. We will particularly focus on children aged 10+ and their families.
- Support artists locally to develop their creative skillset, and support the to creation or development of work by local artists that can engage and entertain local audiences and also tour on to other parts of Scotland
- Enable special moments of community celebration through creativity, placing local people at the heart of telling their own stories.
- Enable links for families who don’t yet engage with our cultural partners in the area, including those with communication barriers to participation, with a particular focus on New Scots families.
Examples of previous projects through Captivate: Western Edinburgh
Social Art Projects 2021: AnimATE
Image: ANIMATE, Corstorphine Hub, 2021, Dominika Jackowska, photo Manipulate Arts
AnimATE is an intergenerational project through which families can explore their creativity together, through animation and cookery. Our community cooking and animation workshops have made a regular appearance in Western Edinburgh, taking place with partners at Clovenstone Community Centre, Corstorphine Community Hub and WHALE Arts during holiday programmes over the past few years.
We’re delighted to keep being asked to deliver this session – and that more families will have the chance to get creative together and cook with our animators and Edinburgh Food Social. Find out more on our AnimATE pages.
Enhanced Performance 2023: The Dab Hands
Image: DAB HANDS, WHALE ARTS FAMILY DAY, 2023, Ronan McMahon & Fergus Dunnet, photo Oliver Benton
Our giant puppet commission, Dab Hands, made for Manipulate 2023 by Ronan McMahon & Fergus Dunnet has been enjoyed by audiences of all ages across Edinburgh. Appearing here as part of a family fun day at WHALE Arts, the Dab Hands encourage playfulness and participation, and have been enjoyed by audiences of all ages in various parts of Scotland.
Enhanced Performance 2022: Hibernate by Tortoise in a Nutshell
Video: HIBERNATE, WHALE Arts, 2022, Tortoise in a Nutshell, videography Oliver Benton
Tortoise in a Nutshell worked with us to redevelop their puppet theatre show Hibernate for community spaces during a residency at WHALE and Wester Hailes library.
Carrying out open rehearsal and engagement activity throughout the period with characters from the show visiting Wester Hailes Library for special book bug and storytelling sessions, the family club at Clovenstone, Hailesland Nursery and WHALE Arts Smarties group for themed puppet making.
The engagement period and redevelopment period culminated in 3-4 community performances of the show at WHALE Arts.
