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Mon 13 Jan
Tayside Arts Society Lunch
12:15 - 12:45
Doors Open 12:00
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What's on by genre
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Mon 13 Jan
Tayside Arts Society Lunch
12:15 - 12:45
Doors Open 12:00
We are delighted to be expanding our arts programming in the coming year, to celebrate more local and Scottish artists.
Our not-for-profit status is important to us, with our café, gift shop and commercial use of the meeting spaces allowing us to deliver our dynamic arts and community programmes.
From our start in 1880 as a community facility for 'education and enterntainment', led by local stationmaster John Kinnaird, to the present day, the people of Birnam and Dunkeld – and those who've visited the area – have been involved in the life of Birnam Arts.
From the initial efforts of fundraising towards building costs, with the help of many visitors to the area who were travelling to their villas and lodges, to our present corporate partners and local supporters, the building and programmes have evolved to support artists, residents and visitors to the region.
The original building has been used as a library and reading room, hall, refreshment and games room, caretaker's accommodation, billets for troops in World Wars I, a movie hall, and a theatre for the entertainment of troops during World War II.
In the 1990s it was understood that it no longer met building regulations. A series of public consultations, feasibility studies, proposals, and plans were created, offering a refurbishment and extension project to give new life to the then-named Birnam Institute.
Funding of nearly £2,000,000 for the proposed building works took around three years to assemble. As well as the many members of the community and the Dunkeld Village Hall Fund, we were supported through grants from the Scottish Arts Lottery, the European Regional Development Fund, the Millennium’s 21st Century Halls for Scotland, The Gannochy Trust, Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, and The Carnegie Trust.
A partnership was established between the Birnam Institute, Macmon Chartered Architects and the local community, to provide a design that was both sensitive to and respectful of the conservation area of Birnam, and that offered a contemporary quality and vitality for years to come. With an agreed design, work started in February 2000 and was completed in June 2001. The building then went on to achieve a Dynamic Place Award in 2001 and a Civic Trust Award in 2003.
In September 2011, a change to the consitution led to a legal requirement to a change of name, from The Birnam Institute to Birnam Arts. To this day, many locals still refer to the building – and many of our activities – as The Institute, and probably always will.
While there have been various changes in name, as an organisation, what remains at out heart is the people in our different communities. Our work continues to be to provide a place that is welcoming – that inspires each of us to be creative, be inspired, and to think differently.
GENERAL MANAGER
giles conisbee
Performing Arts Programming & DEVELOPMENT Manager
Willow findlay
Visual Arts Programming & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Helen Reid
Gift Shop Manager
Rachael LivingstoN
CO-CHAIRS
SARAH YEARSLEY + ANDREW CAVE
TRUSTEES
ROSS ASHWORTH
GARTH PONSONBY
PAT FAIRWEATHER
CAT WALDRON
SANDRA WHITE
LIAM CASSIDY (OBSERVER)
We could not function without our team of incredible Volunteers. From the Box Office to the Gift Shop and Beatrix Potter Exhibition, our dedicated team of Volunteers work with us to welcome the public, sell tickets, artworks and Shop items. Whether you have a passion for the arts, enjoy helping at events, or simply want to give back, we have a range of opportunites waiting for you.
If you would be interested in Voluntering with us, we'd love to hear from you. Days & times are flexible to suit and no previous experience is nescessary.
Discover how you could contribute by getting in touch today.
Birnam Arts is a community owned and run facility with charitable status. Our two core aims are:
As a not-for-profit organisation, any profit made from our areas of business – café, gift shop or conferences – goes back into our arts and community programmes. We thank all our customers, as they really do help benefit our vibrant local community.
If you would like to know more about our organisation, you can read our constitution here: Birnam Arts Constitution
Read about the difference we made and impact we had on the communities we serve
We are incredibly thankful for the support of our important funding partners, without whom we wouldn’t be able to maintain and update our beautiful building and continue to offer a strong range of activities.
Their funding allows us to keep expanding how we deliver on the two goals of Birnam Arts. They allow us to expand our programming in the visual and performing arts for the people of Perthshire, and to keep Birnam Arts relevant in the competitive world of business meetings, which in turn supports our community and arts programming.
It is clear that funding support for charities comes in many shapes and sizes, and our community members are not just those who live in the nearby area but many who live and work across much of Perthshire.
Over the past two years, Aberfeldy-based Macintyre Wealth Management have included Birnam Arts as a recipient of one of their 12 days of Christmas gifts. In 2020, the gift was a new ballet barre, which has gratefully been used throughout the past months through our students of all ages.
The funding in 2021 has provided a new guillotine, which will be used by visiting artists with the production of zines and booklets. Staff will also have a chance to use it for things such as workshop preparation, the production of activity sheets for Beatrix Potter, as well as inhouse creation of posters for upcoming events and exhibitions.
Support is also underway through the crowdfunding activities of 12-year-old Rose Cave, who is currently holding a challenge that has already surpassed her target and first stretch goal, with a few weeks yet to go.
We also know that our funding angels don’t only live in the corporate world.
In October 2020 the Birnam Arts team took on the challenging task of trying to raise funds to keep the doors open after the first year of the Covid pandemic. The incredible outpouring by those who know, and love Birnam Arts was humbling, and continues to inspire us.
There are many wonderful comments on our crowdfunding page highlighting many of the incredible connections that have been made through the years with our community, near and far.
Still, more than a year on, Covid continues to impact Birnam Arts … but there are lots of ways you can still support us!
Visiting is the easiest and best way you can support us right now. We invite you to enjoy the latest exhibition in the mezzanine Gallery, linger in our café and taste the delicious treats prepared by our baker extraordinaire Sandra, and discover the new ideas in our gift shop or learn something new about Beatrix Potter.
If you're more online these days, you can help to increase the reach we have in the community by following us on Facebook and Instagram and reacting to our posts. This is a big help in so many ways!
And finally, if you are in a position to donate or you would like to donate on someone's behalf in place of a gift, you can do this by heading to our Crowdfunder page – still live! Through GiftAid, you can help us even more.
Every £10,000 we raise provides an additional month of basic running costs to the building. Until normal business can resume with conferencing and catering, these continue to be strange and financially difficult times, so every £, $, € or ¥ pledged goes towards securing and improving the future of this much-loved arts venue.
MORE
I have played at Birnam Arts as part of Blow and Blast for a number of years and never cease to be amazed by how many activities take place there - too valuable to lose!
Kenneth MacKenzie | Crowdfunder #savebirnamarts 2020
Birnam Arts has been host to great memories and moments, from dancing my heart out at weddings to speaking at conferences to enjoying wonderful music ... this place does it all and is an important hub. We look forward to the time we can enjoy BA to its full once again.
Susanna Thomson | Crowdfunder #savebirnamarts 2020
A fantastic opportunity to support Birnam Arts and dedicate a space to loved ones or shine a light on your business.
Read On >
Following the success of our 2021-24 Artist-in-Residence (AiR) opportunities, and with thanks to further funding from Creative Scotland, we are delighted to offer our second Studio-Access Artist Residency for 2024.
Read On >
This is a selling exhibition and all media will be accepted, in the past this has included but is not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, textiles, ceramics and jewellery.
Read On >Can help provide materials for two young artists in one of our workshops or contribute to running our kiln
Info >Can help fund the delivery of a kids workshop or a support community outreach events.
Info >We offer the opportunity to work in a lively, creative, arts environment. Throughout the year, we proudly work with hundreds of creatives, local suppliers and supporting members of the community. We present a contemporary arts programme of exhibitions, performances, workshops and events, as well as hosting a rich variety of community focused projects.
We are a small team that programme, manage and develop the venue and there are a variety of roles ranging from project development to administration, arts tutors to finance, and volunteers who help us with events, in the Gift Shop and Beatrix Potter exhibition.
No vacancies at present.
Box Office
Open periodically throughout the week | Book online 24/7
Cafe
Daily | 10 - 4
Welcome to Birnam Arts, a boutique multi-purpose arts, conferencing and entertainment venue.
Pop in to the Foyer Cafe for breakfast, grab a delicious coffee with a selection of our homemade baking or enjoy a light lunch whilst browsing on the free WiFi. Wander upstairs to view the latest of our monthly art exhibitions before visiting the world of Beatrix Potter, or the Gift Shop to purchase a special gift for your loved ones or yourself!
We had not planned to present a hybrid festival, however that changed when one of our main authors tested positive for Covid. I greatly appreciated how the team worked with us to pivot and present remotely in part, making full use of your enhanced video conferencing equipment. As a result, we were able to deliver quite complex events with several elements all showing on screen simultaneously. The audio-visual quality was excellent, and our audiences were delighted that these events could still go ahead, in spite of Covid. The author in question was really pleased that he could join us on screen and remarked that he had not been so well supported in this way at any other festival.
Fiona Ritchie | Birnam Book Festival 2022
Entrance
Kinnaird
Cafe
Beatrix Potter
Shop
Gallery
Studio