Summerhall is a distinctive cultural and community asset in Edinburgh that serves as a home for artists and audiences. Its contribution to Edinburgh and Scotland’s cultural identity, creative economy and international reputation requires understanding and in any plans for its future.
Summerhall Arts’ ambition is to see Summerhall continue as a thriving cultural destination, protecting the building’s character while enabling its artistic contribution to grow, recognising that any future proposal must be financially realistic and operationally sustainable. Viability also means having sufficient affordable and usable space to continue supporting and nurturing the wider community throughout the year.
Supported by Creative Scotland multi-year funding, Summerhall Arts has established itself as a leading supporter of the arts in Scotland, both locally and nationally and has developed new professional development opportunities for artists.
The 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe showcased Summerhall Arts’ international significance, featuring work from 24 countries and a record-breaking number of award-winning shows and audience numbers.
The individual character of spaces within Summerhall are central to this work. Any plans for the future must fully recognise the relationship between the building, its spaces and the cultural activity they make possible.
Working constructively with AMA to help establish a viable, sustainable future for the arts at Summerhall, means securing enough affordable, appropriate and usable space to continue successfully delivering a year-round programme and ensuring that the practical needs of artists, performances, exhibitions and professional development are understood and reflected in future plans.
Achieving an opportunity to develop a model that combines appropriate investment in the building with a sustainable programme of arts and cultural activity and community spaces requires a full understanding of the existing spaces, their cultural significance and their role in supporting the site’s activity.
Summerhall Arts is ready to contribute its experience and knowledge to this conversation and want to be part of a constructive process that recognises the realities of developing a viable proposal while protecting the cultural purpose that makes Summerhall so important.
CEO of Summerhall Arts, Sam Gough, said “Whilst our intention is to remain here and work with AMA to continue the provision of arts within Summerhall, the future space needs to be viable, and we are hopeful that the plans will provide that. We are encouraging all those who love Summerhall and its spaces to contribute to the consultation, to help the developers understand how important they are to what makes this already thriving arts centre what it is. At the moment, I have not seen anything that demonstrates this. So many of the beautiful, special parts of Summerhall, such as the historic Anatomy Lecture Theatre, the unique Dissection Room, Tech Cube 0 and the ever-so-wonderful Royal Dick pub, are earmarked for demolition. Our message is ‘repair, not demolish.’ Edinburgh’s name as the world’s festival city rests partly on places like Summerhall. Developers, like arts organisations, are remembered for what they leave behind, and I would much rather AMA be remembered as the owner who protected it.”
There is concern that the current plans appear to earmark some of Summerhall’s most distinctive spaces for demolition that are integral to Summerhall’s identity, character and cultural offer. Their loss would have implications for the arts activity that takes place across the site and for the wider experience of artists, community and audiences. The potential for repair, renovation and continued cultural use deserves serious consideration as part of the search for a viable long-term solution.
Preserving Summerhall does not mean preventing change but means recognising what makes the site special, so the consultation is an important opportunity to ensure that the cultural significance of Summerhall and the needs of Summerhall Arts are properly understood by AMA as it develops its plans.
Artists, audiences, cultural organisations, supporters and everyone who values Summerhall are encouraged to participate. Please explain what the site means to you, why its spaces matter and why retaining an established thriving arts presence should be central to its future.
Summerhall Arts want to be able to count on support not only during this consultation, but throughout the future stages of the process. A strong collective voice can help ensure that the search for viability fully considers the cultural activity the site supports, and the space required to sustain it. With a shared commitment to finding a workable solution, there is an opportunity to protect the site’s distinctive character while securing its continued contribution to cultural and community life.
Your feedback can help demonstrate that Summerhall’s value extends far beyond the property itself.
To view the current plans and submit your feedback, visit the consultation website:
https://summerhallconsultation.co.uk/index.php
Irene Brown
