£300,000 funding boost for community and arts venue in Edinburgh's Muirhouse

Charity North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) has secured vital funding from Foundation Scotland to develop and grow its popular community spaces.

The £300,000 from Foundation Scotland’s Investing in Enterprise Fund will help the charity to refurbish, redesign and extend its existing arts centre on MacMillan Square in Muirhouse, creating a culture, arts and meeting space “for current and future generations to enjoy for years to come”.

North Edinburgh Arts is a purpose built creative and community venue that has served the local area for more than 20 years. The existing two-storey hub incorporates two studios, a 96-seat theatre, recording studios, offices and a café with children’s play area and a large garden.

Muirhouse is currently the focus of targeted regeneration, with hundreds of new homes, a health facility, a new nursery and a new centre being created around MacMillan Square.

The plans involve the creation of a culture, arts and meeting space 'for current and future generations to enjoy for years to come'.

The new MacMillan Hub, developed through a partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, will become an anchor building, offering services for everyone, while focusing on the most disadvantaged.

Maria Law, social investment executive at Foundation Scotland, said: “The MacMillan Hub will be an important and inspiring place for everyone in the local community and we are extremely proud to be supporting its development.

“The £300,000 investment from Foundation Scotland will support the charity to increase its footprint by a third so that they can provide more local people of all ages and all abilities with creative classes and community activities at a time when it’s never been needed more,” she added.