WHALE Arts Local Cinema Project (2024 & 2025-2026)
In 2024, the Edinburgh Film Guild helped enable the WHALE Arts Local Cinema Project to secure and enhance community cinema facilities in 9 screening locations within Edinburgh. Local Cinema is a network of community cinemas based in Edinburgh. We supported film screenings co-curated with and for local communities across a range of community spaces in the city, including WHALE Arts; North Edinburgh Arts, Duncan Place Community Hub, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Space @ Broomhouse Hub, Craigmillar Now and The Crannie Community Hub. Also supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and Film Hub Scotland.
In 2025-2026, the Local Cinema Project was again supported by the Edinburgh Film Guild and City of Edinburgh Council. We supported film screenings co-curated with and for local communities across a range of community spaces in the city. The Local Cinema shared community cinema programme runs from August 2025 to March 2026, details of the programme are below (right).
The Local Cinema shared community cinema programme “takes place across a range of community spaces in Edinburgh, programmed in collaboration with community members and groups. Our programme not only includes screenings in local community hubs across the city, but also contributions from a range of community cinema organisers who are at an early stage of development.
The majority of film screenings in the programme are available via a pay what you can sliding scale ticketing model, take place in accessible venues and are presented with descriptive subtitles in English, regardless of the film’s original spoken language.” (Morvern Cunningham, Project facilitator)
https://www.whalearts.co.uk/local-cinema/
The 2024 & 2025-2026 Programmes
Community cinemas and organisers:
Please follow the links below to find more information about each of the Hubs and how to book a ticket.
The Crannie Community Hub The Crannie is a community hub for residents of the Old Town.
Craigmillar NOW Hosting local cinema screenings at Craigmillar Now!
Duncan Place Community Hub Duncan Place Community Cinema programme at Duncan Place in Leith.
A thank you from Duncan Place Community Hub (lower right), who were able to purchase a new projector for their community cinema programme.
McDonald Road Library Regular events and activities for adults, including a Film Club.
Out of the Blue Drill Hall Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust is an arts and education trust based in Edinburgh, creating opportunities for everyone to participate in the arts.
WHALE Arts WHALE Arts is the cultural anchor organisation for Wester Hailes.
Love is Sweet eh! Celebrating love in Black cinema.
Queer Film Night. Against the erasure of queer stories and history, QFN digs into archives and films which bring different perspectives on what it means to be queer, how we resist, and celebrate together. It’s a space for people to question and be inspired by films from the past and present. A space in which we connect with previous generations of queer people through their films and come together in the present.
Borscht Film Club. Beetroots Collective is a Community Interest Company based in Edinburgh. Leading award-winning multimedia artists – Marta Adamowicz and Robert Motyka, provide socially engaged participatory art projects working with the underrepresented, diverse communities in Scotland.
BSL Film Club. Deaf Action exists to support the diversity of deaf people, including deaf users of British Sign Language (BSL), and those who are deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing.
WHALE Arts
Since being set up by local people in 1992 WHALE Arts has firmly established itself as the cultural anchor organisation for Wester Hailes. As a community-led arts charity and social enterprise, WHALE Arts’ mission is to be the creative heart of a vibrant, thriving community. WHALE acts as a conduit between our community and creative opportunities through the direct delivery of projects, programmes and events and by connecting our community with city and national cultural partners. WHALE Arts based in the purpose built WHALE Arts Centre – ‘The WHALE’ – a unique community asset that provides a range of high quality creative spaces including an Arts Workshop, Performance Space, Darkroom and Digital Media facilities for our community.
WHALE Arts
30 Westburn Grove, Edinburgh, EH14 2SA
0131 458 3267
info@whalearts.co.uk
https://www.whalearts.co.uk/