Community open exhibition with the theme 'Our Stories', celebrating the people, places and experiences of Wester Hailes.
WHALE Arts are opening their latest exhibition, the Wester Hailes Open Exhibition, at WHALE Arts Agency on Friday 23 October. It runs from that opening day right through to 23 January 2027, so there's plenty of time to catch it if you can't make the launch.
The theme this year is Our Stories, and it's exactly what it sounds like: a celebration of the people, places and experiences that make the local community what it is. The show is open to anyone who lives or works in Wester Hailes, and they can submit their own work to be part of it. It's a community exhibition in the truest sense, with the art coming from the people who actually live and work in the area rather than from a curated list of outside names.
WHALE Arts themselves are a community arts organisation set up by local people back in 1992, and they've spent the years since establishing themselves as the cultural anchor of Wester Hailes. They're a community-led arts charity and social enterprise, operating out of the purpose-built WHALE Arts Centre—known around here as 'The WHALE'. Inside you'll find an arts workshop, a performance space, a darkroom and digital media facilities, alongside social enterprises like the WHALE Pod creative business incubator, craft fairs, and training and conference facilities. This exhibition is supported by Creative Scotland, The City of Edinburgh Council and the Creative Community Hubs Network.
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If you want to be there for the start, the opening celebration is on Friday 23 October from 1pm to 4pm, followed by a Saturday open day on 24 October from 11am to 3pm. After that, it's open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Entry is free, and you'll find it at WHALE Arts Agency, 30 Westburn Grove, Edinburgh West EH14 2SA.
