Colony of Artists 2025 – Community and Creativity
I’m thrilled to be taking part again this year in Colony of Artists, right here in my own neighbourhood, Edinburgh’s Abbeyhill Colonies. It’s been an annual highlight since I first participated in 2016, and this year is extra special: the 20th anniversary of the festival!
Colony of Artists began in 2005, when a small group of nine local artists opened their homes to share their work. Since then, it has blossomed into one of Edinburgh’s most vibrant grassroots arts events, bringing together artists, residents, and visitors in a spirit of collaboration and community.
Since 2016, I’ve had the joy of opening my own home and garden, welcoming neighbours, fellow artists, and art lovers into my space, it’s a wonderfully intimate show, and I love wandering around during the festival; meeting neighbours, seeing how the houses (all originally built the same way in the 1860s) have changed over the decades, and feeling that sense of care and continuity with the people who came before me and those who will come after.
This year, more than 110 artists will transform homes and gardens across the Colonies into spaces of discovery and connection. Being part of this milestone makes me feel even more rooted in our creative hive. I’m unreasonably pleased that Ariadne is in so many photos of the event, too.
So if you’re nearby, I’d love to welcome you into my living room during the festival. I’m venue 47 – come say hello, play with my glass, ask about my process, or even chat about commissioning a piece that’s made just for you. It’s going to be a weekend full of buzzing creativity, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Buzz buzz.
