How we got here

Anchored in the past, building for the future

Built in the heart of Muirhouse, North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) has been offering the North Edinburgh residents a place to create, explore, learn, relax, meet new people and have fun in since 1998.

The NEA building, which incorporated a 96-seat theatre, café, two creative studios, a music studio and an adjacent garden, was once described by STV as ‘a bright bubble of activity behind Muirhouse shopping centre’. Additionally, it was also home to Muirhouse Link Up, Firstport Social Enterprise, North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre, and the Tinderbox Orchestra, all working to serve the most disadvantaged children, families and adults in the North Edinburgh area.

Over the years, NEA built a reputation as a well-loved and well-used community space, but after two decades, it had outgrown its current building and needed a bigger and improved space to meet the evolving needs of current and future residents. Between 2018-2020 extensive public consultations (engaging local residents, third and public sector organisations, and City and local council officers and officials) were carried out to better understand the challenges facing our community. The following aspirations and needs were identified:

• Stimulate enterprise & tackle youth unemployment; a need for space for new and existing businesses to grow, develop and train
• Investment in young people and families; a need for space for young people and families to meet, feel safe and have ownership of
• Provide a space for wellbeing in its widest sense, bringing community together to build resilience and address mental health, social isolation, and poverty

NEA’s vision was to continue offering:

• A place for our community to meet, share, celebrate and support one another
• A place to consolidate our people, projects and funding

• A place to be enterprising
• A place to collaborate

Development plans begin

With support from over 96% of community respondents, NEA got to work on its vision to be at the centre of a creative, connected, inspired, and inspiring community. Together with the City of Edinburgh Council, NEA was excited about developing a neighbourhood hub promoting culture, enterprise, learning and well-being and the possibilities the upgraded and expanded facility would offer the local community.

The development plans for the MacMillan Hub included a refurbished and redesigned venue offering the highest quality culture, arts and meeting space as well as new enterprise, workshop, learning space and creative studios alongside an expanded café, and shared atrium all working to complement the Council’s adjoining library, skills hub and early year’s provision.

As part of the new MacMillan Hub, the NEA capital development will:

• Increase the footprint of NEA to over 2000m2, adding two floors of studio and work space
• Remodel and extend the café to look into MacMillan Square, and offer enhanced community facilities
• Provide bespoke workshop space for the NEA Community Shed
• Reduce the carbon footprint through better insulation, lighting, and environmental design and construction
• Be a fully owned community asset

Coming into full community ownership

In mid-2022, North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) was granted full community ownership in a community asset transfer from the City of Edinburgh Council, with the additional transfer of a plot of land to the north of the organisation’s venue. This was a major step on NEA’s exciting journey of developing an extended creative and community hub for the area, working in partnership with the Council. NEA secured £156,000 from the Scottish Land Fund in 2020 allowing the charity to complete the asset transfer and buy the land and building from the Council.

Development begins

Richard Murphy Architects, multi award winning architects, were appointed to design the MacMillan Hub, of which NEA makes up a third, with the charity and Council working together to submitting a joint planning application  in November 2020, and starting the build in 2022.

During the construction phase, 2022-2024, NEA activities were relocated to partner venues across North Edinburgh. Thanks  to West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre for offering us a temporary office and event space, and to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre for support with the Shed’s temporary location.

Take a look at drone footage of the construction site from May 2023:

Fundraising journey

Costs of an extended and refurbished NEA building were estimated at £4.2million, and NEA begun its fundraising journey to ensure that these ambitious development plans could be realised.
The first major fundraising milestone came at the end of 2021. NEA was awarded £2million from The Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund for the MacMillan Hub partnership project with the City of Edinburgh Council.
In 2022, NEA secured vital funding from Foundation Scotland Investing in Enterprise Fund, The Garfield Weston Trust, The William Syson Trust, The Robertson Trust, and The Binks Foundation alongside other donors.
In March 2023, NEA was awarded £0.5m from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Funds, reaching 75% of its fundraising target for the capital development project.
In summer 2023, NEA reached 80% of the fundraising target for our capital development project by receiving a capital grant of £250,000 from the Levelling Up Community Ownership Fund.
NEA is extremely grateful for all the funders and individual donors who have supported the  vision so far. NEA continues to fundraise to improve the inside of the building as well as the outside, and you can help to make this happen. With your help NEA can make the new building a home from home for the local community, and visitors alike, for years to come.
There are a few different ways you can show your support. You can support NEA by taking part in our crowdfunding campaign, join as a member or make a one-off donation. Your support is crucial in shaping the future of North Edinburgh Arts.