‘And what’s The Forest?’ I hear you ask – well, at the moment we’re a loose collection of writers supporting all things weird, wonderful, and, above all, creative! We’ve been on quite a journey since our inception in 2000, where we had our own space on Edinburgh’s Forest Road*. This was a beautiful place with big windows, a cafe, art gallery, and studios, where everyone and anyone was welcome to pitch ideas, host events, and generally just see what was possible with the power of people.
And it was amazing what they were able to achieve – gigs, art evenings, poetry slams, zines, and even a record label! The pace kept up when we moved to our new quarters in Tolcross, but sadly, as for many community spaces across the country, COVID was an enormous setback which we’ve struggled to bounce back from.
We’ve stayed true to our vision, supporting artists through an artist residency programme at Sett Studios, providing small grants to various initiatives, and publishing a literary anthology Origin Stories.
Over the summer, we’ve had some restructuring, with some trustees moving on to pastures new, and we’ve welcomed in a new cohort who are keen to carry the mantle onwards. As a result, we have, for now, slimmed down our offering, and will be launching another anthology in 2025! This will showcase all of the amazing work put forward by creatives in Scotland and beyond. Further details to emerge shortly!
We hope to grow from here, welcoming more people into the space, and supporting them with their ideas. We’ll be sharing more information as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, watch this space, submit if you wish, and we hope to see you for the launch!
*Now owned by a big fat conglomerate who close it for 11 months out of the year since they make more money during the fringe. As a result, a beautiful big space, which used to be a hub for community, now lies dormant much of the time.
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