out of the blue was born in a small shop unit on Blackfriars Street in 1994 of one passionate aim: to make the arts more accessible. At that time we could not easily define this term 'accessibility' rather it embodied for us a feeling. This feeling was that we were not experiencing creativity and art as part of our daily lives and this was due to barriers, real and sometimes invisible, which existed to restrict our experience of and participation in the arts. Seven years on out of the blue has moved down the Royal Mile to it's current premises at 6-14 New Street, an old bus depot which has been transformed into a bustling hive of activity, with over 30 artists studios, and around 5,000 people a month attending a variety of events within The Bongo Club, the venue housed within the arts centre.

out of the blue is still looking for ways of helping people to feel that art and the experience of artists is for them to share and that creativity can be accessible to each of us. Our attempts to counter feelings of alienation have also extended to gaps that exist between artists themselves working in similar or different art forms. We actively promote experimentation and collaboration to explore what is possible, and look for collaborative opportunities to involve people who are economically, politically and culturally marginalised.

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