For 50 years, Edinburgh Printmakers (EP) has been at the forefront of contemporary fine art printmaking, nurturing talent and developing skills in the medium. Advocating for print to be celebrated and recognised as a principal component of visual arts practice through a world-class studio and artistic programme, Edinburgh Printmakers is recognised for excellence and quality in contemporary printmaking practice. We support pioneering and experimental artists from our local community and across the world to develop unique artworks in print that reflect current trends in printmaking, and demonstrate the evolution of interdisciplinary print practice.

At the heart of our organisation is our studio, where over 400 established and early career artists share knowledge, expertise and creativity to produce and collaborate on exciting and original artwork in print. We provide professional training in printmaking for all abilities and offer a range of creative learning opportunities for those normally excluded from the arts.

EP offers an artistic programme of the highest caliber, showcasing the very best of contemporary printmaking and a wide range of other media from Scotland and around the world. We regularly commission new work and deliver print projects by leading artists, supporting them to develop and realise their creative ideas through collaborations with our expert Master printers, and the medium of print. Our rich thematic artistic programme traverses social, humanitarian, environmental, and technological currents arising from the global context, presented by artists from different backgrounds and cultures who pepper our programme with diverse voices, and contribute multiple perspectives on the discourse around these concerns. Our programme outputs include exhibitions, print and public realm commissions, creative learning, outreach and events programmes.

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Rachel Maclean, I HEART Scotland (installation), summer 2013. A solo exhibition of film and print commissions, exploring Scottish national identity and its founding mythologies, in the run up to the Referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014. Maclean represents Scotland at the Venice Biennale in 2017

‘Castle Mill Works’ - A world-class centre for Printmaking and the Creative Industries

In 2010, Edinburgh Printmakers found that we had outgrown our current premises. Demand for our printmaking studio exceeded capacity. Our building lacked a dedicated education space to increase the provision of our highly regarded outreach and educational activities. We had little space to introduce new ways to self-generate income to support our charitable objectives, and our existing home was structurally unsuitable for many of those with access needs.

We were introduced to Castle Mill Works, a Grade-C listed heritage building, recently saved from the risk of demolition by the local community and immediately saw its potential. Once the headquarters of the North British Rubber Company and one of Edinburgh’s main employers, this neglected industrial site held particular importance in the local community of Fountainbridge, and is known for being the birthplace of the wellington boot.

Our £10.5m project brings Castle Mill Works into public use for the first time, as an inclusive and accessible arts centre, featuring:

▪ An expanded Printmaking Studio

▪ Two gallery spaces

▪ A 130m2 Learning Studio

▪ A Creative Industries Hub

▪ Improved visitor amenities, including a café, shop and courtyard▪ A specialist contemporary print archive

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On opening, each year, 600 artists will have access to affordable printmaking facilities; 30,000 visitors will head to Castle Mill Works for exhibitions, talks and events; 6,000 people will enjoy printmaking learning experiences, including 1,100 from excluded groups. An important piece of Edinburgh’s social and industrial heritage will be saved for the public benefit and 15 new jobs will be created aiding the regeneration of the immediate area.

Our project has received widespread support from the local community, City of Edinburgh Council and private individuals, and we have secured grant funding from Heritage Lottery Foundation, Creative Scotland, Scottish Government – Capital Regeneration Grant Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, Robertson Trust, Dunard Fund, The Binks Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust among others.

With over £10m of funds secured, and construction now underway at Castle Mill Works to restore the existing structure, our fundraising continues to ensure our new home is fully equipped when our doors open in Spring 2019.

Image credit: Page / Park

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