Homes, gardens, sheds and even staircases are turned into mini galleries
Celebrating 20 years of the glorious grassroots Colony of Artists festival
“Where else can you find incredible art in someone’s living room, a sculpture in a shed or a painting hanging next to a kettle? That’s the charm of Colony of Artists – it’s art with a side of real life.”
Kat Chisholm, ‘Buzz Architect’ of Edinburgh’s biggest grassroots arts festival
There is something about the cats in Abbeyhill. Cats and artists.
Soon, the normally quiet streets of the Abbeyhill colonies, a stone’s throw from the top of Easter Road, will be bursting with colour, creativity and community sprit. That’s true all year round, but it is be more obvious when this historic corner of the capital is transformed into a vibrant open-air gallery for its annual arts festival.
Unlike more traditional exhibitions, Colony of Artists invites visitors into the homes and studios of its creators, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the spaces where inspiration is born. This year’s event, the biggest ever, will be extra special – celebrating the festival’s 20th anniversary.
There is a packed programme of exhibitions planned, with arts and crafts, music, talks, walking tours, street art and even a special festival beer – all on show in houses, gardens and a host of other locations across the neighbourhood. And don’t forget the cats. The local moggies are likely to be on display. Or maybe not. They’re cats after all.
Creative director Kat Chisholm has been at the heart of Colony of Artists since its inception in 2005. It all began when a small group of artists – led by Chisholm’s husband, William ‘Bill’ Mazur – opened their homes in the Abbeyhill colonies to share their creative work. Inspired by the spirt of the building co-operative who built the distinctive properties in the 1860s and community arts events elsewhere in Scotland, that modest exhibition of just nine artists has evolved into one of Edinburgh’s best-loved local festivals.
“I've been part of the Colony of Artists story since the very beginning,” Chisholm says. “My husband Bill was one of the founding members, and by the third exhibition, in 2008, we both found ourselves fully immersed in organising the event.
“Since then, we have been lucky to work alongside an ever-growing list of brilliant, creative and generous people who have helped shape the festival into what it is today. It has been a true community effort from day one, and that spirit is really at the heart of what makes Colony of Artists so special.”
Edinburgh’s living canvas
More than 110 artists are exhibiting across 56 venues this year, so there is plenty to explore over the weekend. From painters and printmakers to ceramicists and textile artists, each creator brings their own unique voice to the Abbeyhill collective. Some have been exhibiting every year since the very first.
“It’s our biggest Colony of Artists yet, with such a lovely mix of returning favourites and exciting new exhibitors,” says Chisholm. “Homes, gardens, studios, sheds – even the odd staircase – will be transformed into mini galleries for the weekend. It’s all part of what makes the festival so special: art popping up in unexpected places, and a community that’s always buzzing with creativity.
“We’re lucky to still have three founding artists exhibiting with us, all the way from that very first weekend back in 2005. It’s a real testament to the spirit of the event – creative, collaborative and rooted in the community. Some of their venues have become yearly favourites for visitors, and it has been amazing to watch their work evolve alongside the festival itself.”
Art behind every door
Artist Jill Martin Boualaxai (pictured above), whose work includes drawing, painting, sculpture and performance, has been showing at the festival since 2014.
“What I like about Colony of Artists is that it’s a chance to catch up with people in the area and share work in a really open way,” she says. “Some artists live in the colonies while others borrow a friend’s house to exhibit, and during the weekend you always find out Edinburgh’s a village at heart.
“You discover who knows who, which art pals are connected, and even which houses your cat has been sneaking off to. Last year my new neighbours came round and greeted me with, ‘Oh, you’re Bod’s mum!’ – my cat had been visiting them for months.
“It’s those kinds of connections, mixed in with the art, that make Colony so special. It’s always busy, friendly, and has become a real fixture in Edinburgh’s festival calendar.”
It’s not just about the work, it’s about the people, according to Chisholm. “You get to chat with artists over garden fences, wander into spaces you would normally just walk past, and feel that buzz of creativity running through the whole neighbourhood,” she says. “Even after 20 years we’re still all about community, connection, and a good dose of creative chaos. And that’s exactly what makes it so special.”
Visitors will find a huge variety of art on display – painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, jewellery, textiles, illustration, and more. The work is exhibited in homes, gardens, studios and sheds throughout the Abbeyhill colonies – a setting that Chisholm believes “makes the experience truly personal and unique”.
Inspired by community foundations
Alongside all the art, there’s a vibrant programme of events and entertainment. Live music will run throughout the weekend at The Hive festival hub, with performances by more than 15 local musicians. A custom-made festival ale – named Worker Beer, in a nod to the bee logo adopted by Colony of Artists - has been concocted by long-time festival partner Campervan Brewery. The bee is a link to the neighbourhood’s original founders, the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company, whose mission was to create superior housing for working people and whose motif was a beehive. The beer will be available at The Hive all weekend.
The POLSKI exhibition, marking 10 years of residencies by artists of Polish heritage at Abbeyhill Primary School – a Colony of Artists project – is being staged a bit further up the road, at St Margaret’s House. It runs from Friday, 19 September, to Sunday, 29 September, and is open to all.
Two history talks are being held at Abbeyhill Primary School, as part of the council-backed Edinburgh900 celebrations, marking the 900th anniversary of the founding of the city. The first talk explores the origins and social impact of the colony housing movement. The second focuses on the area's industrial and railway heritage. Guided walking tours of the Abbeyhill colonies, which includes 285 homes set across six terraces, are being held to complement the talks and offer visitors the chance learn more about the area’s unique past.
A 12-page booklet on the history of Edinburgh's colonies (built at 11 sites around Edinburgh and including more than 1,700 homes) is being sent to every colony household in the city to “spread the love” and “include the other colonies in our celebrations”. An outdoor photographic exhibition, showcasing life in Abbeyhill through the decades, will be displayed on the gates of The Hive, located in Rossie Place.
The Colony of Artists team is also very proud of the work done beyond the festival weekend. “Our partnership with Abbeyhill Primary School has led to Scotland’s first artist-in-residence programme for a primary school,” says Chisholm proudly. “And our mural project – now over 20 murals strong – was started as a creative way to tackle graffiti in the area. So while Colony of Artists is best known for one weekend in September, it’s really a year-round part of the community.”
A special place
Colony of Artists, which is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh900, is more than an art event. It’s a celebration of local identity, resilience and collaboration. It’s a place where creativity meets community.
It's not just the current creatives who make the Abbeyhill neighbourhood and the festival so unique, Chisholm reflects. It’s partly to do with the very fabric of the place – the houses were built by a cooperative to provide homes that were built for workers, by workers.
The late and much-missed Aileen Paterson, author and illustrator of Maisie the Morningside Cat, was a long-time Abbeyhill resident and an early supporter of the festival. There are those cats popping up again.
“The colonies have always had a creative pull,” says Chisholm. “There’s something about the architecture, the light and, most of all, the sense of community that really speaks to artists. It’s a special little pocket of the city.”
As the final touches are being put to the festival, she sends out “a big, heartfelt thank you” to everyone who is or has been involved over the past two decades.
“To our artists, visitors, neighbours and every single person who has chipped in, shown up, put the kettle on, picked up a brush, hung a poster or simply cheered us on from the sidelines: thank you.
“You are the heart of this festival. For 20 years you have helped build something that’s more than just an art trail. It’s a celebration of creativity, community and connection. It feels like home. And that is absolutely worth celebrating.”
Colony of Artists, 20-21 September. For more information and to download the programme, visit www.colonyofartists.co.uk
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