In Summer 2024, Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) officially opened its doors to the public after several years of intense, multi-million-pound redevelopment and restoration. It gives new life to the Old Royal Infirmary site that served the city for many decades and provides a new space for university staff, students and the public alike, enshrined in the carving over the front door “Patet Omnibus” – “Open to All”.
The Binks Hub is proud to be based at this building and be a part of both a rich history and the start of an exciting new phase. The ethos of Edinburgh Futures Institute is underpinned by a commitment to change, creativity and collaboration – something that is also embodied in the work of the Binks Hub, where we are partnering with communities to promote participatory and artistic methods in academic research.
This collaborative and creative synergy between our two organisations is best captured in the creation of the Spirit Case, a sculpture created from materials that were once part of the Old Royal Infirmary including slates from the roof, boards from the floor, and a piece of the original building’s sandstone. The project was conceived and designed by Dr Jimmy Turner, Binks Hub Research Fellow, and Edinburgh Futures Institute colleagues Jennifer Williams and Gintare Kulyte.
Together, they developed an interdisciplinary arts project that connected woodworking, stone-carving and poetry created from the memories of past nursing staff. The Spirit Case now stands in the Edinburgh Futures Institute building, a touchstone to its past as a hospital and a testament to the future.
Other collaborations with Edinburgh Futures Institute have most notably included our co-sponsoring of an Edinburgh International Book Festival 2022 event featuring writers Jack Monroe, Jeffrey Boakye, and Stewart Lansley on how to effect change, and our contribution to the EFI Spring 2023 event season with the Scottish Dance Theatre, hosted by our co-director Dr Marisa De Andrade. This evening brought together performance and creative exercises to explore the notion of research in the arts, academia and science.
And, of course, the Binks Hub is actively involved in education at Edinburgh Futures Institute. Among our co-badged endeavours are the courses from our co-director, Dr Emma Davidson, who runs an Advanced Methods course called Participatory Research Methods. This coming year she will also deliver an additional course at Edinburgh Futures Institute entitled Participatory Methods in Child Protection, a part of the innovative new MSc programme in International Child Protection developed by Professor Deborah Fry.
We are excited to continue our work in this landmark building, forging new connections and collaborating with colleagues in this futures-focused space.
Image credits: Keith Hunter Photography; Chris Scott Photography; Rachel Travers, Edinburgh College of Art.
