We're still collecting donations
On the 2nd January 2025 we'd raised £350 with 16 supporters in 27 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Raising funds to support refugee artists to rebuild their broken futures in Scotland.
by Abandoned Artists CIC in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
On the 2nd January 2025 we'd raised £350 with 16 supporters in 27 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Who we are
We are an award-winning social enterprise Abandoned Artists. Calling ourselves a talent agency with a twist, we focus on supporting creatives affected by war, displacement, and humanitarian disasters to rebuild their creative journeys in Scotland.
Challenges we address
There are massive barriers for refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced individuals to unlock opportunities for their creative careers. They often don’t speak English as a first language, live in remote areas in temporary housing, solely care for their kids, and lack confidence in understanding how to navigate the UK creative sector.
Additionally, displaced individuals are disproportionately affected by serious mental health issues. According to the Refugee Council, refugees are five times more likely to have serious mental health needs compared to the wider UK population, with 61% of asylum seekers experiencing serious mental health illnesses. These mental health challenges are affected by factors such as trauma, displacement, and uncertainty about their future.
This is where the Abandoned Artists’ mission is rooted. We open the creative sector doors to those who are currently excluded from it. We provide essential support to our artists by building partnerships with creative and business sectors, as well as relationships with retail and exhibition spaces, art fairs, and markets. Our goal is to secure shared spaces, making them affordable and accessible for artists and makers from our displaced community. By doing so, we will help our artists reach wider audiences and generate income from their creative work.
Our achievements to date
Although we just celebrated our first anniversary, we are proud of our achievements. One of the latest successes is that we have transformed a former fast-food kitchen in the Gyle shopping centre in Edinburgh into our Artists Kitchen - a shared studio space where 14 displaced artists can regularly practice, collaborate, and create.
What your donation means to us
Your donation today will help us at the most challenging project stage when we are 'trying to build a plane and flying it at the same time'. We will allocate the raised funds towards operational costs for our Artists Kitchen, running our monthly Artists Circles for displaced artists, and covering the 3 months of wages for our small but highly dedicated part-time team. This would be an essential support for us to kick start the new year on a strong foot.
Our vision in 2025 is to expand the reach to more rural areas of Scotland where a lot of displaced artists are located being disconnected from most opportunities.
Your help means we can continue supporting hundreds of displaced artists in Scotland to rebuild their broken creative careers, be paid for their talent, and contribute to the local economy.
If you are unable to contribute financially, please spread the word about our project or reach us directly to explore other ways to help. For example, we aim to link with the business sector about potential creative projects in 2025, ranging from designing their restrooms and curating their boardrooms to bespoke pieces of art and custom murals. If you know a decision-maker in the corporate sector and can help with an introduction, this would mean the world to us.
Thank you very much for your kindness in keeping our creative spirits alive.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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