'It's just heart-breaking': Edinburgh's St Margaret's House tenants fear loss of creative community
Around 200 studios, community groups, charities and creative businesses based at St Margaret’s House have been told to vacate by January 24, 2027
Tenants at Edinburgh's St Margaret's House have spoken of their devastation after being told to leave the creative hub, warning that livelihoods in vital community support networks are at risk.
More than 200 studios, community groups, charities and creative businesses based at the Meadowbank building have been told to vacate by January 24, 2027, ahead of its sale.
For those who have spent years building their businesses and communities within its walls, the loss goes beyond finding somewhere new to work.
Lainey Vox, 34, has run her singing and performance coaching business, Vox Stars, from the building since 2019.
The business offers singing lessons, performance opportunities and groups for children and young adults with additional support needs.
Around 88 to 90 per cent of her students are neurodivergent or have additional support needs, making accessibility and a welcoming environment essential.
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She said: “Basically, my heart dropped. It was just absolutely devastating.”
Lainey said the building's accessible facilities, location on a main bus route and community atmosphere were among the reasons she chose to base her business there.
The communal space outside her rooms has allowed parents attending her additional support needs groups to connect and form their own support network.
She fears losing the premises could take away a service that is difficult to find elsewhere, particularly for adults with additional support needs.
“Its not just singing lessons,” she said. “Its people's mental health. It’s people finding a place where they’re accepted.
“And that’s not always easy.”
Vox Stars is approaching its 10th anniversary in March, but Lainey said she did not know whether the business will get to see that day.
Finding suitable premises has proved challenging, with potential venues needing wheelchair access, permission for music and evening opening hours.
She has collected around 33 videos from students and families explaining what the business means to them, including stories of people gaining confidence, friendships and the opportunities to perform.
Lainey is now contacting community hubs and councillors around Edinburgh in a bid for more support while she desperately searches for a new venue.
Independent video game developer Jack King-Spooner, 40, has worked from St Margaret's House for around five years.
His small studio creates games using stop motion animation, physical models and action figures, meaning he needs a dedicated workspace rather than somewhere he can simply take a laptop.
Jack revealed that his studio had cost around £330 a month when shared between two people, while one alternative he had considered was £350 plus VAT for a smaller space of 70 square feet.
He is hoping to find somewhere suitable before the deadline but fears he may have to pack away or sell equipment if he cannot secure a new premises.
For Jack, the building's value also lies in the connections between people working across different creative genres.
He said conversations with fellow artists about their work and interests often sparked new ideas, something he believes would be lost if everyone were forced to work from home.
He said: “It will just be less art, less creativity, less people making things which challenge you, which push different envelopes.
“The less rich life will be.”
Susan Pinkney, a loctician, dreadlocks hairdresser, who has had a studio in the building since October 2010, has already decided to leave on October 31.
She estimates she could lose between 25 and 30 per cent of her clients as a result of moving away from the studio back to her home in Bo’ness.
Having previously worked from home, she said moving into a professional space helped her business grow and gave her and her clients a greater sense of safety and privacy.
Susan described St Margaret's House as a “home from home”, recalling the friendships formed between tenants and the range of activities taking place across the building.
“I think the whole thing holistically, the whole thing is really just…thrumming with life,” she said.
She believes the scale and variety of the community could be difficult for people outside of the building to appreciate, with artists, craftspeople, wellbeing services and specialist groups all sharing the space.
Susan said tenants had been supporting one another through a WhatsApp group, but remained concerned about the number of businesses that could struggle to find affordable alternatives.
While she does not blame Scot-ART, the organisation operating the building, she worries that some tenants may be unable to continue their work elsewhere.
Lainey also questioned whether vacant office space across Edinburgh could be adapted for creative use, arguing that businesses such as hers need premises where they can work directly with the public.
“We’re meant to be a city of culture,” she said, highlighting the importance of local people having places to rehearse, practice and take part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The tenants are continuing to search for alternatives, but say the challenge is finding premises that meet their practical needs while preserving the sense of community they have built.
For those who have spent years creating businesses, friendships and support networks at St Margaret's House, the loss is not simply about finding another room but finding somewhere that can replace what they are leaving behind.