Leith Creative is a new research project that has mapped cultural resources and creative industries within the Leith area. It has enabled a better understanding of the region’s cultural landscape and it is hoped that the findings can be used to champion the creative community within Leith and help the area flourish. Leith Creative has been co-delivered by LeithLate and Citizen Curator and is supported by Creative Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) and the Leith Benevolent Association.

We were delighted to be able to provide additional data to support the work. Throughout the period of this project we have been assessing and collating digital data and audience information on the postcode areas EH6 and EH7. Our research shows that Leith residents are highly engaged cultural consumers and that proportionately they engage with more cultural activities over a year when compared to Scotland averages. For example, 57% of those living in the EH6 area attended an art gallery last year, which is significantly more than the Scottish average of 33%. The data also shows that those from the Leith area attend venues and events more frequently than the Scottish average. Six percent of adults across the whole of Scotland attended five or more times but in Leith this figure was more than double at 13%.

These statistics reflect the fact that Leith has a wide variety of cultural opportunities for audiences to engage with. The Leith Creative report identifies nine creative hubs with over 1140 creative individuals and organisations working from these, with an additional four large festivals operating in the area. This has proven to be an effective and dynamic approach to urban development and CEC have recently approved a new ‘Leith Economic Framework’, where for the first time, the importance of the creative and cultural sector to the area and to Edinburgh-wide regeneration has been recognised. Other positive benefits of Leith’s creativity are also highlighted in the report, along with the current risks for the sector. Read the full report here.