The Ripple Project

Exploring past, present and future with the Ripple Project (May 2022 – present)

We first met Rachel Green, the Ripple Project’s director, at our launch in May 2022. It quickly became clear that we were both keen to work together, with Rachel joining the University of Edinburgh to study for a Binks Hub-funded Masters degree in Health Humanities and Arts, and the Binks Hub team spending time at the Ripple getting to know the organisation, the local area, and the people who live there.

In Summer 2023, we began to think through what a co-created community arts-based research project might look like, and the idea for our exhibition ‘The Ripple Project: Past, Present and Future’ was born.

The 'Past, Present, Future' exhibition

On Saturday 15th June 2024, the communities of Lochend, Restalrig and Craigentinny, together with the Ripple Project and the Binks Hub, were proud to launch their exhibition of artworks exploring the memories, experiences, realities, hopes and dreams of the local community.

We were completely blown away by both the artworks created by the local community and the ambition for the area. The artworks themselves are stunning, and a testament to the drive, hopes, and creative energy of the community.

“This exhibition has been so important in getting local people’s voices heard,” said Ripple Project director Rachel Green. “So often, we can focus on the physical elements of a space, whereas what’s highlighted here is the deep connections and relationships with the area that enable people to live full lives despite the outward appearance of the place.”

The 'Alternative Futures: Who Decides?' exhibition

From 3rd to 5th October 2024, the Ripple Project and the Binks Hub hosted a three-day exhibition at the prestigious Dovecot Studios in the heart of Edinburgh, showcasing the artworks to a wider audience.

Over the three days we welcomed almost 200 visitors who engaged with the exhibition and associated activities, and they represented a fantastic range of types of people. This included members of the Ripple and residents of Lochend, Restalrig and Craigentinny who travelled to the centre of the city to see theirs and their neighbours’ work exhibited; people from a range of other community centres and arts organisations across Edinburgh; many staff from the University of Edinburgh, both researchers and community engagement and participation specialists, and students from the University of Edinburgh and other universities, including many PhD students who are using, or were looking for inspiration to use, artistic and creative methods. We forged many new connections and created art together through the tapestry-weaving, poetry-writing, collage-making and mapping activities that we ran alongside the exhibition.

You can read and download a project guide for this exhibition here. 

What's next for our work with the Ripple?

Both the artworks themselves and the process of making them have given our team a wealth of information about the local area, the community members who live and work here, and the diversity of lives, experiences and dreams that make this place so special. We additionally invited visitors to the exhibition to share their own thoughts and aspirations for the local area.

We have since used this information to prepare a range of connected materials:

  • With the expert support of Nel Coleman from the University of Edinburgh libraries service and their ‘Community Reads’ project, we have collaborated with the local community to develop a briefing paper for policymakers and funders expressing what community members want for the area – you can read and download the paper here.
  • We will also be taking the artworks to a further exhibition at the Scottish Parliament in Summer 2025, inviting people who have the power to change things and doing our best to see that local voices are heard.

Explore the artworks

To find out more about the project, please just get in touch with our research fellow Jimmy Turner or the Ripple Project director Rachel Green.

Want to share your research via the Binks Hub?

If you've got an idea for a research project – or are already working on a research project – which you'd like to talk to the Binks Hub about, please just send us an email. We'd love to hear from you.