COMMUNITY #14 - Save The Forest Cafe, Edinburgh

I don’t know enough about The Forest or its history, but through the few experiences I have had with it, I can tell it is a brilliant community-centric space, operating on a uniquely inclusive level. You only have to look back through its event archive to see quite how much it achieves on a regular basis. From writing and craft groups to meditation classes to free/not-for-profit gigs, to a poetry night about the world cup to free Gaelic workshops.

This is from their website:

“For over a decade, The Forest has provided a free arts and events space in an Edinburgh increasingly given to supporting hotel chains, mutliplexes and glass-fronted superstores. We are one of the few truly autonomous arts and cultural spaces in Edinburgh and have hosted thousands of free events, exhibitions and straight-up parties, put out acclaimed books and records, given grants and studio space to struggling artists, hosted award-winning theatre programmes and much much more.

Now, in order to carry on, we plan to raise £500 000, buy the building, and continue doing what we do in Edinburgh’s historic centre forever.”

These kind of spaces are, sadly, few and far between. Raising this amount of money may seem like a tall order, but if you donate even the smallest amount it will inch them towards their target. I really, really hope they can do it. Please help! Donate here!