OOTB is 30!
Celebrating 30 years
This year Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust celebrates 30 years of life in Edinburgh. Since 1994, over two million people have come through our doors to work, create, exhibit, perform, eat, drink, dance, teach and learn.
Springing from nowhere (hence the name!) into a small gallery space in Edinburgh’s Old Town in 1994, Out of the Blue now enlivens and animates six buildings in Edinburgh, including 2 listed buildings which are iconic community landmarks for Leith and Abbeyhill, and the evergreen Bongo Club, a lively hub for music events and themed club nights.
Our History
Throughout our 30-year history we have seen many success stories from those using our spaces to bring their creative vision to life; including:
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1994: Created a DIY arts organisation and a gallery in a shop space in Blackfriars Street, Old Town Edinburgh |
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1996: Relocating to New Street ex- bus garage offices to carve out studio, workshop and exhibition space, followed by the creation of the Bongo Club |
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2000: Initiated and awarded the ‘Tap Water Awards’ as a cheeky riposte to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Perrier Award |
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2003 – 2006: Purchased and refurbished the (now A listed) Drill Hall in Leith – now filled with creative activity visited by over 100,000 people each year |
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2003 – to present: Provided studio space for artists and organisations that are some of the most successful and vibrant in the city. Out of the Blue accommodates over 200 artists in studios including 50 organisations/SMEs and designers, film companies, events companies, painters, theatre companies, photographers, ceramicists, textile workers, printmakers and musicians |
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2005: Initiated a significant community-based project engaging young people in a creative project to transform the local park. An outcome of those initiatives was the involvement of many participants into training and employment opportunities at the Out of the Blue Drill Cafe |
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2015 to present: Created and developed Out of the Blueprint as a risograph (RISO) print studio, based in the OOTB Drill Hall. RISO printing is a low-cost, eco-friendly printing process, using only vegetable inks and 100% recycled paper, with a unique aesthetic |
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2017 to present: Transformed Abbeymount Techbase, office spaces based in the old school at the top of Easter Road into Abbeymount Studios, a centre of imagination and enterprise for 50 craft and design artists and hundreds of workshop participants. |
Read more about our organisation’s history here.
Our Ventures
Central to the work of Out of the Blue has been the development of the Bongo Club, the Drill Hall Cafe, Abbeymount Studios and Out of the Blueprint. As a creative development organisation, Out of the Blue will continue to build on our expertise and develop new ventures.
Although these Out of the Blue ventures have a creative purpose in their own right they collectively drive the growth of the Creative Industries in Edinburgh and Scotland by providing opportunities for employment, education and enterprise. We will continue to connect the various strands of our current ventures, whilst recognising they are well-established and well-loved entities in their own right.
Projects
As a local organisation that sprung up from grassroots, Out of the Blue has made a significant impact on the city of Edinburgh and the communities it thrives in, as well as contributed to the creative industries as a whole. An example of how we have worked in collaboration with other organisations and with the community is illustrated by :
Gretna 100 Project – A community centenary commemoration investigating and interpreting the impact on the Leith community of the worst train crash in British history.
Anniversary Activity
Throughout the year we’ll be working with our residents and partners to create a series of events, exhibitions, workshops and markets to commemorate 30 years of Out of the Blue. We’ll update this page as and when they’re announced. You can also keep updated via our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
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Abbeymount Open Studios Weekend | Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd June A chance to meet our resident artists and makers at Abbeymount Studios and browse an exciting variety of works. Find out more. |
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Exposed 24 Photography Exhibition | Wednesday 5th to Thursday 13th June Final year photography work from Edinburgh College BA (Hons) and HND Professional Photography graduates. Find out more. |
Here’s to the next 30 years!
