Social Investment helps draw a brighter future for North Edinburgh Arts
New hub strengthens creativity, connection and community in North Edinburgh.
For more than two decades, North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) has been a trusted anchor organisation for the communities of Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton and Drylaw. Founded in 1998, NEA has built a reputation as a welcoming, community-owned hub that delivers a rich programme of creative activities, events and services for people of all ages and abilities. In the organisation’s own words, “together we build confidence, strengthen connections and challenge perceptions. NEA opens doors and minds.”
Now, NEA is celebrating a major milestone following the successful completion and first year of operation of the new MacMillan Hub at MacMillan Square on Pennywell Road, North Edinburgh. Delivered in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, the development brings together North Edinburgh Arts, a library and a 170-space early years childcare centre within a vibrant new civic space designed to serve the whole community.
In 2022, Foundation Scotland agreed a £300,000 award in social investment towards the build cost, supporting NEA’s ambitious vision to create a modern, fit-for-the-future facility capable of meeting growing community need. Foundation Scotland worked alongside NEA, adapting the funding timescale as the project changed over time, with the investment being made in 2025 as the build moved towards completion.
NEA is based in one of the most deprived council wards in Scotland, an area that has undergone significant change in recent years as part of a wider £200 million regeneration programme. Around 1,000 new homes have been delivered alongside a new health facility and improved local amenities including the library and nursery at MacMillan Square.
While NEA’s previous two-storey hub was much loved and heavily used, it could no longer meet the scale of demand from the local community. In response, the organisation embarked on an ambitious capital development programme to expand, refurbish and transform its facilities through the creation of the MacMillan Hub.
NEA raised £5.2 million towards its share of the wider £16 million MacMillan Hub project. Following a 165-week construction phase, members returned in April 2025 to a bright and engaging new space featuring a 96-seat theatre, a 72-seat café, two wood workshops hosting the Community Shed, five multi-purpose studios, six artist studios, a music studio, greenhouse, one-to-one support room and a half-acre award-winning landscaped garden complete with sandpit, pond and bothy.
One year on from reopening, the impact of the investment is already being felt across North Edinburgh. NEA has hosted 2,166 events and now welcomes over 1,000 visitors each week, directly delivering 21 weekly activities and serving up to 125 people daily in its café.
Its 800 members now have access to a thriving creative and community space on their doorstep, offering free member yoga classes, an e-bike lending library, the annual North Edinburgh Film Festival, weekly dementia-friendly social clubs, bike maintenance sessions with Dr Bike and grassroots theatre productions and drama classes.
Local artists Kevin, Yasmin and Kirsty have been using the dedicated creative workspace in the building since September 2025. They spoke about the difference this has made:
- "This was an amazing experience that allowed me the space to practice and try new things. I also really enjoyed collaborating with the other residents and discussing where we were with our projects." Yasmin
- "I would just never have done this [new] artwork without the residency and studio. Allowing myself to make mistakes...It has been a space to express feelings not otherwise expressed." Kirsty
- "I was able to try unexpected materials, to follow the feeling- having the space and freedom to enjoy making. I enjoyed people coming in to see what we were working on." Kevin
NEA also continues to play a central role within the wider North Edinburgh community ecosystem, working closely with organisations including Tinderbox Collective, Project Esperanza and as part of the North Edinburgh Support Services collaborative (NESSie).
The expanded building has also created opportunities for people starting out in the arts sector who are not yet in education or employment, providing dedicated creative workspace and new pathways into artistic development and community participation.
“When the NEA Board and team embarked on the capital programme we knew we were being ambitious but had the confidence of our members behind us. The first year’s operation has exceeded all expectations and demonstrated the major impact a community-owned asset of this scale can have. Our programme combines creativity, sustainability, and well-being and, with thanks to all our supporters and investors, we are able plan for the long term”
“North Edinburgh Arts is a powerful example of what can happen when communities are supported to shape their own future, and it's so impressive to see how far they’ve come since our hard hat tour of the site back in 2022. Working alongside the NEA team, adapting to deliver this investment over a 3-year period, required a flexible and supportive approach. The MacMillan Hub is much more than a building — it is a vibrant, welcoming and valued space that brings people together and creates many opportunities for the community. It’s wonderful to see the vision we discussed then now fully realised in such an inclusive way. This is a project that will deliver lasting social impact for generations to come.”
Foundation Scotland’s blended social investment model combines non-repayable grant funding with affordable loan finance, helping organisations reduce financial pressure while building long-term sustainability and unlocking additional capital investment needed to deliver transformational community projects.
Visit the Social Investment information page for more information.