About Art for Grown Ups
Art for Grown-Ups, led by Artist Alice Betts, is a long-term project for Muirhouse and the surrounding areas, offering adults an opportunity to learn and develop creative skills together, while creating art for exhibitions and public spaces.
Sessions involve a wide range of experimental and playful activities, creating both small, and large-scale artwork. Support with personal projects and creative goals can also be provided.
Art for Grown-Ups is supported by Creative Scotland.
Art for Grown Ups sessions
Regular sessions: Wednesdays, 10.30am – 2.00pm
Join us for exploring, drawing and creating together at NEA. No previous art experience is required. All sessions are free, and lunch/refreshments provided, so make sure to let us know if you have any dietary requirements.
Saturday Specials: 11.00am – 4.00pm (returning in April 2024)
Art for Grown Ups’ Saturday Specials take place about every 6 – 8 weeks depending on the projects we are developing. Activities are suitable for all ages, so you are welcome to bring your young people along with you. Sessions are open to anyone regardless of whether you have participated with Art for Grown-Ups before.
Latest News -March 2024
Our research around shared and community studio space continues, with a recent visit to the studios of HND Contemporary Art Practice at Edinburgh College. We had a great welcome from the course leader Alan Holligan and were able to look around students’ and artist-in-residence work spaces and hear about their work. Next up will be a visit to Project Ability in Glasgow, which provides space and support for artists with experience of mental ill health to develop and exhibit their own artwork.
Also, our recent art trips included City Art Centre and National Galleries‘ exhibitions, showcasing paintings by Andrew Mackenzie and a very eerie video installation by Hannah Tuulikki.
We recently convened our Inaugural Trips Committee Meeting. Seven members of the group met to discuss future days out for the AFGU group and the wider community, as well as reflecting on the different types of events we have held over the past 4 years. Going forward the committee will work on all aspects of the AFGU project, helping to steer our programme and collaborations. (Scroll down for more details)
New ideas we developed
Third Thursdays: We’ll be piloting Third Thursdays trips and visits programme. We’re hoping to schedule a day, or a half-day out every third Thursday of the month. Watch this space for more details.
Skills Share Wednesdays: We will schedule members to lead sessions sharing the skills and activities they love. Probably once a month; these will be workshops with materials and instructions provided, held within our regular Wednesday session.
Film Fridays (Coming soon): Following previous workshops focused on creating tiny films (known as Artists’ Moving Images) for the North Edinburgh Film Festival, we’ll be hosting a video artist known for making amazing tiny films on mobile devices, to inspire and teach us about artist’s moving image so that we can create more of our own work for our next year’s Film Festival.
Upcoming events
Community Consultation Postcards
(Closing date: Wednesday 13 March)
The next two Wednesdays will be a chance to contribute (even more!) to the postcards collaboration we’ve been doing with Link-Up and their community consultation, launched by Dean and James nearly a year ago at the North Edinburgh Community Festival. We now have nearly 30 great designs depicting peoples’ hopes and dreams for the new NEA building which will soon be made into a zine by Link-Up’s Katie Quinn.
So, get along to the AFGU Wednesday sessions to make your mark on this project. Katie will be with us, and collecting the work at the end of our session, on Wednesday 15 March.
Trip to Glasgow: Wednesday 20 March
To visit exhibitions by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and more at Tramway, and exhibitions and studios of Project Ability at Trongate 103.
We are joining the Wester Hailes Adults Art Group on this trip, so, it’s a great chance to strengthen connections across our creative communities.
Full details to be confirmed. Contact us for more information and to book your place.
AFGU Committee Meeting
Wednesday 27 March, 2.30pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
The AFGU Committee is a work in progress being shaped together with group members, so if you have enjoyed any aspect of Art for Grown Ups since our beginnings in 2020 and would like to stay involved, get in touch and come along on 27th March. There’ll be good biscuits!
How to get involved
To find out more and to book your place, please email alice.betts@northedinburgharts.co.uk or text or call Art for Grown-Ups on: 07949 778 485
You can also get in touch with us:
Pop by in person: The NEA office at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre is staffed Monday-Friday, 9am -1pm
Email: The NEA email inbox (admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk) is checked Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm, and also on Saturdays, 10am-1pm, during term time.
Phone: Call us on 0131 315 2151 – Monday to Friday, between 9am and 4pm, and also Saturdays, 10am to 1pm, during term time. Outside of these times, please leave us a voicemail with your contact details or send us an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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