Spotlight on Edinburgh Open Workshop
In our newest spotlight, we’re happy to be joined by Natasha Lee-Walsh, Director at Edinburgh Open Workshop (EOW). EOW are an open access workshop offering affordable fabrication bays and machinery for metalwork, painting, carpentry, and textile makers in Leith.
What does your social enterprise do?
We provide access to affordable fabrication space, equipment and support to anyone wanting to make anything; underpinned by a program of woodwork, metalwork & welding and DIY classes for all levels. We reinvest our profit to improve our equipment, facilities and our learning and outreach activities.
How do you do it?
Workspace is offered on a membership model. Membership is tiered to suit all pockets. Our learning program does not require a membership and is open to all. We offer staggered payment options and a bursary scheme to make our classes as accessible as possible.
Why should someone buy/use your product/services? What are the benefits and what makes your organisation unique?
We are the only creative facility in Edinburgh that caters to you if noise or mess is your jam! Our classes are taught by Residents. EOW staff and residents often collaborate on projects. By sharing resources and knowledge we keep costs down and pass this on to our clients.
What is your personal motivation?
The founders and staff team all experienced the decline of making space in the city centre. We believe anyone can participate in, and benefit from creativity. We believe art is viable. We are driven to make creativity and creative learning accessible; responding to the needs of our community.
What is the current focus for your social enterprise?
Service building. We took on the building adjacent and created a 9m x 12m event space with tiered hiring options favourable to community organisations and creative companies. Downstairs is a dedicated metalwork and welding workshop (keeping timber and flames at a respectable distance)! and PAYG project storage for members.
What exciting things do you have coming up?
Funding from the National Lottery Community Fund means we can employ a Community Outreach Officer. In the pipeline is a series of innovative education programmes, and events. The aim is to encourage social connection and improve social cohesion while equipping community members with the skills to mend, make and create.
Who do you want to work with more?
We want to work with like-minded organisations doing great work in Leith; Move on Wood, Edinburgh Tool Library, The Croft… and connect with more of the community we serve. We want people of all ages and abilities to connect and to grow in confidence in and out of the workshop.
What’s your biggest challenge?
The same as the one facing the sector. The creative industry is facing significant challenges. We believe in supporting creative business and the creative economy. We believe that resource and knowledge sharing is key to supporting viable creative businesses and that these enrich the communities they thrive in.
Where do you see your organisation in 5 years?
Providing more and varied workspace, coordinated resource sharing, more courses in new creative areas. We will work with other social enterprises to do this well and equitably. Long-term we’d like to share a purpose-built facility so we can serve more people, share resources and deepen our impact collectively.
What top tips would you give to other social enterprises?
Relationships are key. Understand who you serve. Partner with others doing the things that complement what you do. Develop good relationships with your supporters. Get some coaching. Take a business mindset; Forecast. Pivot. Allow space for failure. See mistakes as a learning opportunity. Don’t be afraid to be proven wrong.
For more information about Edinburgh Open Workshop, please visit their website and make sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Want to read more Member Spotlights? Visit our blog. If you’d like to be featured, please email membership@socialenterprise.scot.