Creative Routes: LeithLate13

Stretching from the east end of Edinburgh’s city centre all the way to the Leith Shore, Leith Walk is a street that has been called many things. A quick Google comes up with some lurid descriptions ranging from ‘vibrant, full of energy and ever evolving,’ ‘the Camden of the north,’ and ‘the Williamsburg of Midlothian,’ on the positive side of the fence, to ‘a tour into the insanity of humanity,’ and ‘full of smack-heads, knock off goods and tanning salons’ on the negative. 

A bit of a divisive place then. It’s also the most multicultural area in the capital, and home to the highest concentration of creative communities due to the comparatively cheap rents and density of post-industrial spaces crying out to be turned into studios. Galleries, practise rooms, design agencies, community enterprises and niche shops all call Leith Walk home, channeling an energy which belies Edinburgh’s staid reputation. And each year an event occurs which draws together those creatives to celebrate and showcase their practice in a one night extravaganza: LeithLate.

2013 marks the third outing of the programme, and it’s the strongest yet. On Thursday 13 June, between 6-9pm, venues the length of the Walk will be opening their doors to the public with a series of one-off performances, exhibitions and gigs which celebrate the diversity of Scottish creative endeavour (ranging from poetry slams to fine art to live music), engages with the community in the form of bespoke shop-front installations, and culminates in an afterparty shindig headlined by Sparrow and the Workshop. Best get yourselves along there.

1) Edinburgh Printmakers: Members’ show Life in Leith, printmaking demonstrations, plus solo exhibition Construct by Bronwen Sleigh.
2) Superclub: BOGLES HOLE, new work by Leon Sadler and JR McNeill.
3) Windsor Buffet: Live music from Norman Lamont & James Whyte, Dog on a Swing, and Boy Up A Tree.
4) I Heart Cafe: An all-female night of spoken word curated by Jenny Lindsay & Rachel McCrum from Rally & Broad and Kirstin Innes of Words Per Minute
5) Settlement Projects Shop: Artist William Darrell creates an installation for the shop window.
6) The Old Ambulance Depot: Composite Landscape by Jill Martin Boualaxai & Damian Michael Malone plus Kevin Harman open studio.
7) Brass Monkey Leith: ECA Animation graduate showcase including the BAFTA-winning short, The Making of Longbird by Will Anderson.
8) Elvis Shakespeare: Local live music with The Pink Dogs, White Lightnin’, and Blueflint.
9) Rhubaba Gallery and Studios: 6000 Posters for Giants and Dwarfs curated by Modern Edinburgh Film School’s Alex Hetherington.
10) The Out of the Blue Drill Hall: Exposed 13, the Stevenson College Photography Degree Show
11) Leith Walk Barber’s Salon: Omar Zingaro Bhatia’s Spuriosity Shop
12) Woodland Creatures: 24 Other Girls Illustration Series by Glasgow-based artist and illustrator Ciara Dunne.
13) Victoria: An exhibition by Julian Morai, live music by Scott Walker of Forbidden Fruits and a special LeithLate photo booth with Seb Singh!
14) Boda: Edinburgh-based record label Song, By Toad curate an evening of live music.
15) Leith Athletics: Artist John Brown's window installation, Stuffland.
16) Silverhub Studios: An exhibition of work from the studios’ resident and professional jewellers alongside an acoustic performance by Blueflint.
17) The Travelling Gallery: Group exhibition Turquoise Heid, with work by Jock Mooney, Ellie Harrison and David Shrigley, amongst others, on a bus.

∆ LeithLate13 Afterparty is in Pilrig Church from 9pm-midnight, with tickets priced a very reasonable £6. Line-up includes LAW, Teen Canteen, Sparrow and the Workshop and Egg DJs.