WHALE Arts

Our Family Carnival Workshops have begun 🎉

The first of our four family-friendly workshops took place on Friday, where our participants got busy with air dry clay and created these rather brilliant looking creatures!

Our next workshop is this Friday and we'll be making a start on the giant water dragon puppet that we'll be taking with us to the Edinburgh Festival Carnival. Over the next three sessions we'll work together to build an epic puppet, along with other costumes and accessories.

These workshop sessions are free, and materials and snacks are provided. They're open to children, young people and families in Wester Hailes. All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

🎉 Family Carnival Workshops
📆 Friday 19th June, Friday 26th June and Friday 3rd July
🕞️ 3:30pm - 5:30pm
📍 WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, Edinburgh EH14 2SA

➡️ Book your place on the workshops by emailing [email protected] or calling 0131 458 3267

🌻 Drop-In Summer Sessions for Adults 🌻

Check out our drop-in sessions. There's no need to book, just mark the date in your diary and come along.

🎨 Open Studio
📆 Tuesday 14th July
🕙️ 10am - 12:30pm & 1pm - 3pm
🧑‍🎨 A relaxed and creative drop-in session, led by a friendly, knowledgeable tutor. Bring along your own project to work on or use our materials and try something new.

🍵 Coorie In Café
📆 Wednesday 15th, 22nd, 29th July & 5th August
🕙️ 10am - 12pm
💚 Group coaching sessions with our supportive wellbeing coach. Build skills to help you make positive lifestyle changes, manage your emotions effectively, shift your mindset and feel more confident. For adults with long-term conditions, disabilities, and mental health challenges.

🪡 Textile Repair Café
📆 Tuesday 21st July & Tuesday 4th August
🕙️ 10am - 12:30pm
🧵 Come along and learn how to repair and upcycle clothes and fabrics. Bring an item that needs repairing, or just pop in and gain some sewing and mending skills.

📃 Papermaking Workshop
📆 Tuesday 28th July
🕙️ 10am - 12:30pm
✂️ Learn how to make your own paper using recycled materials.

🌿 Foraging Friday
📆 Friday 24th July & Friday 31st July
🕐️ 1pm - 2:30pm
🌼 Our popular Foraging Fridays are back! In the first session, we'll be making salad boxes and herb butters. In session two, we'll enjoy a 'garden tea party' - decorating cupcakes with edible flowers and making delicious herbal teas.

All activities are free, and there's no need to book, just drop in and enjoy summer session with us!

No experience necessary for any of these activities, just a welcoming space to be creative, try something new, and meet others.

Unfortunately the Pod Café will be closed this week. It will be back open at 10:30am on Tuesday 23rd June, serving up the usual array of tasty treats, toasties and hot drinks.

Our Coorie In Café will also be paused this week, but will be back at 10am on Wednesday 24th June.

Apologies for any disappointment caused.

The WHALE Arts building will be closed for essential maintenance on Thursday 18th June until 1pm.

Our Open Studio session will run as usual at 1:30pm.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Unfortunately Street Arts won't be running this evening due to the bad weather.

Apologies for any disappointment. Our Street Arts team will be back out and about in Wester Hailes next Thursday! See you then!

☀️ Summer Sessions for 12 - 16 year olds ☀️

Summer is almost here and we've got some great stuff coming up at WHALE Arts:

🎨 Open Studio
📆 Tuesday 14th July
🕜️ 1:30pm - 3:30pm
✏️ A relaxed and creative drop-in session - bring along a creative project you're working on, or just come along, use our materials and try something new

💥 Comic Club
📆 Wednesday 15th July and Wednesday 22nd July
🕐️ 1pm - 3pm
✏️ Learn how to create your very own comics, or just pop in, relax and enjoy our comic collection!

🧵 Textile Lessons
📆 Tuesday 21st July (make a drawstring backpack)
📆 Tuesday 4th August (make a roll-up pencil case or brush case)
🕜️ 1:30pm - 3:30pm
🪡 Learn how to sew and create your very own backpack or pencil/brush case

📃 Paper Making
📆 Tuesday 28th July
🕜️ 1:30pm - 3:30pm
✂️ Learn how to make paper using recycled materials

🎤 Sound Stage Tour
📆 Wednesday 29th July
🕘️ 9am - 2pm
🎧️ Join us as we go on a tour at an Edinburgh-based Sound Stage. Go behind the scenes and discover one of the most important parts of the entertainment industry.

Places are limited, register your interest today ➡️ whalearts.co.uk/2026-summer-youth-programme

We're thrilled that our friends from Starcatchers will be joining us at the WHALE Arts Community Picnic 🎉☀️!

Bring your wee ones along to meet Zen — a gentle, calm and curious character who loves to sing, drum, draw and explore. Families can join Zen in the garden where he will be offering soothing, imaginative play for little ones aged 0 - 5. Look out for the friendly figure with a blanket and straw basket on their head … that’s Zen, ready to welcome you into a world of slow, mindful fun.

☀️ WHALE Arts Community Picnic
📆 Saturday 8th August
🕛️ 12pm - 4pm
📍 WHALE Arts
⭐️ A fantastic afternoon of summer fun! Food, arts and crafts, games and fun for all ages. An unmissable event - bring your friends, family and neighbours, everyone is welcome!
🎟️ Free! No need to book, just come along and join in.



Photo credit: Solen Collet

⭐️ Family Carnival Workshops ⭐️

Be a part of the incredible Edinburgh Festival Carnival on Sunday 19th July! 🎉

We're hosting 4 family-friendly workshops where we'll be building a brilliant giant water dragon puppet, along with other costumes and accessories. You can then join us as we take our epic creations to the festival!

These workshop sessions are free, and snacks are provided. Open to children, young people and families in Wester Hailes. All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

🎉 Family Carnival Workshops
📆 Friday - 12th June, 19th June, 26th June and 3rd July
🕞️ 3:30pm - 5:30pm
📍 WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, Edinburgh EH14 2SA

➡️ Book your place on the workshops by emailing [email protected] or calling 0131 458 3267

Mums and Babies Group at WHALE Arts

Looking for a friendly, welcoming space to be creative, meet other local mums and do something different with your little one? Come along to our Mums and Babies Group, take part in an optional creative activity and enjoy a cuppa and a chat. Your little one can join in with the activity, or play and explore.

📆 Sunday 5th July, 1pm - 3pm (for children 0 - 2 years)
📆 Monday 20th July, 10am - 12pm (for children 0 - 5 years)
📆 Monday 3rd August, 10am - 12pm (for children 0 - 5 years)

Email [email protected] to book your place.

We'd love to see you here!

Here at WHALE Arts, we've been incredibly lucky to have some wonderful volunteers over the years. From helping in our café and garden to supporting our events and everything in between, volunteers play such an important role here and in our community.

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered with us, past and present.