The LeithLate17 festival runs from Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 June, and invites members of the public to explore the hidden spaces of the city. The programme will incorporate Mural Tours, a new Public Poetry Trail, and the opportunity to visit the little known underground vaults at Trinity House at the Kirkgate.
The vaults at Trinity will also play host to an art installation by Danish video artist Clara Hastrup, whose degree show was selected for the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries exhibition in Spring 2017. Hastrup has chosen to make new work specifically with the Trinity House vault space in mind for this year's festival.
Once the base of the Incorporation of Mariners and Shipmasters, this elegant Georgian building holds an outstanding collection of maritime treasures – from navigational instruments and ship models to rare objects such as narwhal tusks. The vaults below the building, which date from the 1500s, once housed a school for young mariners.
Clara Hastrup said of the house:
“I am so happy and excited about the venue. It's really exciting in terms of showing video and playing with sound and I also really like the whole context - the history of the place and its location at the end of the shopping street, so unexpected!”
On Sunday 18 June, the closing night of LeithLate festival, visitors will be able to explore not just the vaults but the whole of Trinity House as part of the inaugural Leith Heritage Day. Bring the family for activities, object handling, heritage trails and more from 12pm to 6pm.
HES’s first LeithLate event is part of the Trinity House Community Learning Programme, supporting inclusive access to the collection for learning and creativity. This programme is funded by the Historic Scotland Foundation.
LeithLate17 is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh City of Literature and Settlement Projects.
For a full list of daily events and venues taking part in LeithLate17, please see their website.