Two Wester Hailes projects have been shortlisted in the 2026 Creative Edinburgh Awards in the Collaboration category.
The first is a collaboration between Manipulate Arts & WHALE Arts on the Ocho Project – which saw a local young people creating an amazing underwater-inspired world with costumes, puppets, flags and more! It culminated with them joining the inflatable puppet, Ocho the Octopus, and taking their creations on parade in Wester Hailes and along the Royal Mile as part of the Manipulate Festival.
The second was a collaboration last winter between Starcatchers, WHALE Arts and Wester Hailes library for their Narnia project where they held a free, community-wide festive celebration for people of all ages. Working together they brought the magic of Narnia into Wester Hailes, through theatrical experiences, creative play, Window Wonderland, workshops, community meals and family events.
They are shortlisted in the collaboration award alongside Dementia-Friendly Workshops with Space Beacon Club and Edinburgh International Festival, and HIV Aloud: Raise the Curtain with Edinburgh Playhouse and Waverley Care.
The Creative Edinburgh Awards have been running since 2012 and celebrate three key pillars of the creative community:
People: We celebrate the people elevating the creative industries and communities within it through collaboration, leadership, inclusivity, resilience, and vision.
Place: We celebrate the places strengthening Edinburgh’s rich cultural identity through the growth of a community, amplification of values and development of city spaces.
Projects: We celebrate projects making an impact on Edinburgh’s creative scene while demonstrating innovation, responsiveness, integrity, and boldness.
