An A to Z of Edinburgh's most exciting creative talent

Celebrating the artists and events making a big impact on life in the Capital

We are known as a home of the arts.

Our famous festivals, galleries and best-selling authors are internationally feted. Our arts scene draws talented creative people from around the world to make their home in the city.

Yet, times are tough for those making their living in the creative industries, amid a funding crisis which has only grown since we reported on the “Hunger Games” facing arts organisations this time last year.

Yet, the city remains a hotbed of year-round creativity, with talented and resilient practitioners producing an abundance of diverse and internationally-acclaimed work.

Today we celebrate them and their achievements, highlighting the work of some of the most exciting creative talents in the Capital.

All those featured in our A to Z guide have been shortlisted in the Creative Edinburgh Awards 2024. The list of previous winners reads like a who’s who of the city’s artistic stars from the Hidden Door Festival to the Loud Poets.

Our list gives just a flavour of some of the trailblazing work being done in the city. We are sorry that we don’t have time and space to feature all of the finalists, but you can check out the full shortlist here. Congratulations to them all.

Creative Edinburgh is a charity which exists to promote and support artists and creators in the Capital. Ola Wojtkiewicz, Executive Director, says: “Creative Edinburgh's annual Awards aim to create a meaningful and lasting impact on creative freelancers, start-ups, and the wider community. The Awards contribute to Edinburgh's identity as a dynamic and creatively rich city, bringing much-needed collective joy, recognition, and a deep sense of pride to Edinburgh's creative scene. I can't wait to celebrate all the achievements with our community in November." 

A

When singer-songwriter Kyle Falconer, of indie rock band The View, and his partner Laura Wilde wanted to turn his sometimes painful album about love and loss, No Love Songs for Laura, into a musical, it was Anne McCluskey who made it happen. She was also the producer behind The Traverse Theatre’s award-winning A History of Paper, the poignant story of a man, a woman and the little bits of paper that make up a life, and a string of other hits. The theatre’s senior creative producer has been praised for providing a platform for exciting new local and international works.

B

Bright and Wild is a drama festival with children and teenagers at its heart created by Lyra. Based in Craigmillar, Lyra brings together professional performers and young artists to create world-class productions, addressing the profound challenges of poverty, racial inequality and social disparities faced by young people living in this vibrant but challenged part of the city. Lyra runs ArtSpace, Scotland’s only arts venue exclusively for children and teenagers, which includes a 116-seat theatre and studio space.

C

Chris Barkley is a British-American novelist and short story writer, who, in 2022, became the Edinburgh Book Festival’s first Writer in Residence. His debut novel, The Man on the Endless Stair will be released in summer 2025.

D

Doba Studio focuses on recycling waste plastic and turning it into beautiful pieces of art. Led by artist and environmentalist Bartłomiej Urbański, Doba recycles plastic on a small scale in its London Road studio, with an emphasis on fun and education to promote the importance of tackling plastic waste.

F

F-Bomb Theatre was set up in 2021 by a group of university students frustrated at the lack of interesting roles for women. The Fringe First Award-winning feminist theatre company went on to start the FemiFringe movement, celebrating the work of women, trans and non-binary people at the Fringe. The F-Bomb Theatre FemiFringe Guide lists the shows at the Fringe that are created by women, trans, or non-binary people.

G

Supported by Hearts FC and staged at Tynecastle Stadium, Many Good Men is an acclaimed drama exploring the world of incels and misogyny following the arrest of Andrew Tait. Told through the story of two young footballers, it was created by Civic Digits, who combine digital technology, gaming and live performance, in association with Stories Untold and Stellar Quines Theatre Company.

H

Half Danish half British and raised in Thailand, artist and performer Oskar Kirk Hansen moved to Edinburgh in 2016, via Italy and Denmark. As Mystika Glamoor, they are “the High Priestess of Edinburgh drag” and hostess of the monthly Glamoor cabaret night at The Street nightclub. Mystika was one of the stars of the 2022 Hidden Door festival.

I

Natasha Iregbu is an author and teacher whose Slow Down story book series introduces the principles of mindfulness to children.

J

Tzipporah Johnston is an embroiderer, illustrator and installation artist. She is a leading member of the Neuk Collective, which brings together, supports, and advocates for neurodivergent artists in Scotland.

K

Photographer Michael Vince Kim was chosen as one of legendary Magnum Photos agency’s ‘30 under 30’ and was awarded first prize in the People Stories category of the World Press Photo Contest in 2017. His work has been exhibited internationally and published in some of the world’s most prestigious magazines and newspapers, including TIME, The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian, and M Le Magazine du Monde.

L

From Locked Down in Leith to Good Moring Easter Road, singer-songwriter Lou McLean often takes inspiration from life in her home city. Emerging from the GRS (Girls Rock School) Edinburgh collective, Lou writes darkly comedic feminist bangers focused on lyrics and melody. Killjoy is her fourth EP.

M

Writer and performer Rona Johnston and director Katie Slater created Mary: A Gig Theatre Show which was a hit at this summer’s Fringe. The show uses spoken word poetry and original music to retell the story of Mary Queen of Scots and is performed by a live band of actors-musicians.

N

Edinburgh is of course famous for its festivals. Far from the Royal Mile, the North Edinburgh Community Festival has established itself as a growing, annual fixture in the city’s events calendar. Held in West Pilton Park in May, the free family fun day brings together music curated by the Tinderbox Collective and Granton Youth’s Mixtape Music Club with activities and stalls, staged by more than 100 organisations, and attracting 8,000 visitors.

P

Edinburgh Printmakers was the first open-access printmaking studio in the UK when it opened in 1967. Today, in its beautiful, light-filled new home in the former North British Rubber factory in Fountainbridge, it is one of the largest studios of its kind in Europe. Its two galleries, studio and art shop don’t just support a community of working artists, but also fosters a creative environment for the local community and visitors alike.

Q

Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, Queer Folk Tales brings together storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures to share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past and present. Hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile by BBC Radio comedy and drama writer and director Turan Ali, guests have included psychiatrist and writer ZK Abraham, comedian Juliette Burton and poet Gray Crosbie.

S

From photography to jewellery, beer to the winter light show that illuminated Edinburgh Castle, the Summerhall complex is home to a unique creative community. More than 110 artists, businesses, makers, science and tech innovators together make up the arts village that occupies more than half of the sprawling former Royal Dick Vet School campus. It is a community that has evolved over more than 13 years and is known collectively as Made in Summerhall.

T

All you need is a library card to borrow from the instrument library run by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with the Tinderbox Collective. The collective is a community of young musicians involved in grassroots youth work who stage often joyous, award-winning musical productions. Instruments can be borrowed free of charge from the libraries at Craigmillar, Drumbrae, Moredun, Muirhouse and Wester Hailes and rehearsal space can be booked free of charge at the Central Library’s Music Room.

W

Author and poet Lisa Williams is the creative force behind a series of arts events celebrating Caribbean culture in Scotland, including running popular Black history walking tours of Edinburgh. She is the founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association.

Y

A troupe of three storyteller musicians, David Hughes, Ailsa Dixon and Mark Borthwick, the Young Edinburgh Storytellers have won acclaim for their award-winning Fringe show Land Under Wave.

Z

Artist Kelly Zou is a painter and illustrator whose work includes the art for The Lost Flower Children by Janet Tayor Lisle, a children’s book published in China.