About Us
We are Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust
Our vision is that Edinburgh becomes a creative, participative city in which everyone is able to access the spaces and resources they require to pursue their own creativity, no matter who they are or what form it may take.
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Mission & VALUES
Mission
Our mission is to provide affordable and appropriate spaces, resources, projects and opportunities for the residents of Edinburgh to be creative. In doing so we support the creation of cultural, social and economic value within the city.
Values
The communities we reside in are at the heart of everything we do. Those that chose to use our spaces define their own creativity
As a social enterprise we seek to generate a surplus to support our ability to deliver our mission.
We Provide
Studio’s
Out of the Blue supports artists by providing them with workspace and selling opportunities, enabling them to work as artists, and to connect to the local community to pass their skills onto others.
Learn moreEvents and performances
Approximately 50 per annum, all year round. The Out of the Blue Drill Hall has been a venue in Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, People’s Festival, and Leith Festival.
Learn moreExhibitions
Approximately 12 per annum. Local, national and international artists work viewed by a total of 5,000 members of the public.
Learn morePolicies
Check out our accessibility statement, use of cookies, data protection and terms & conditions as well as company and subsidiary information on the Legal Information document. For further information, please also see our Equalities Commitment and Bookings Policy.
Our Ventures
Springing from nowhere into a small gallery space in the middle of Edinburgh in 1994, Out of the Blue has since grown many branches and now enlivens and animates five buildings in Edinburgh. Learn more
The heart of the Drill Hall, the cafe is the ideal spot to relax and unwind. Also offering event and corporate catering.
The centre for making, creating and design in Edinburgh. Our residents also offer a wide range of classes and workshops.
A vibrant hub for participatory arts run for the benefit of the local and artistic communities where people can meet, relax and learn.
History
Out of the Blue is born, opening a gallery in Blackfriars Street.
Converts near-derelict bus garage offices into an arts centre and the Bongo Club on New Street, in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Out of the Blue purchases the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street, converting space for studios, rehearsals, exhibitions, classes, projects, performances, events and a café.
The Bongo Club moves to Moray House on Holyrood Road.
Creates additional workspaces for artists in Portobello in The Powerhouse and Arts Factory.
The Bongo Club moves to beneath the Central Library, on the Cowgate.
Leith Walk Studios opens in empty unused building. Opens Out of the Blue Music Studios, home to bands and individual musicians. The Drill Hall is upgraded to an A-listed building following the Gretna 100 project. Established Out of the Blueprint as a social enterprise supporting young artists in Scotland through the power of print.
Establishes Abbeymount Studios, a centre for craft and design, with workshops in ceramics, wood, textiles and screenprinting.
Creates studio space in empty building in Niddrie Mains Road in Craigmillar. Opens Meanwhile... studios and community space in disused former Tram Depot site on Leith Walk.
Following a successful proposal from OOTB in a competitive process, the City of Edinburgh Council Finance and Resources Committee approved the granting of a 75 year lease of the Powderhall Stables to OOTB. This will be the third listed building in Edinburgh that OOTB owns or manages by way of a long lease.
Following a successful proposal from OOTB in a competitive process, the City of Edinburgh Council are soon to offer OOTB a long term lease as the anchor tenant at Granton Lighthouse. We would adapt our highly successful model of sustainable social enterprise as an integral part of the Granton Waterfront Development. OOTB acknowledge that there is great social, educational and economic benefit to integrating space for production, events, workshops, and cafe.
Featured
PROJECTSSince its inception, Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust has initiated and hosted a wide range of projects. Learn more
Gretna 100
A special project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Gretna train disaster, which left over 200 men from the 1/7th Royal Scots dead.
The Drill Hall Cafe Projects
From Training, to the Cook School, to the Preserves project.
#artcore
A collaborative project with Edinburgh-based artists and young people to develop a new and vibrant youth arts scene, where young people took charge.
Leith Moves
An Out of the Blue Heritage Lottery Funded education programme which investigated the historical significance of Leith docks.