History

Edinburgh Printmakers was established in 1967 as the first open-access studio in Britain. The studio facilities are open to anyone who would like to take a course or join as a member.

In 2019 we moved from our former home on Union Street to Castle Mills, Dundee Street in Fountainbridge.

We provide space, expertise, and support for artists to develop their practice, networks, and professional experience, at various stages of their careers. We have a distinctive offer for printmakers and has developmental opportunities for both artists and the creative industries, supporting learning, production, presentation, and exchange that will have a significant impact on their practice and profile.

Edinburgh Printmakers has played a key role in the careers of Alan Davie, John Bellany, Carol Rhodes, John Byrne, and Kate Downie, among others. A supportive community continues to encourage contemporary artists across Scotland and beyond to push beyond the boundaries of their respective disciplines and embrace the medium of print.

Our permanent collection charts the history of our studio and the many artists we have worked with over the years.

History of the Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop

In 1967, a group of like-minded artists established ‘The Printmakers’ Workshop,’ which sat on Victoria Street in the centre of Edinburgh. It aimed to provide new facilities and opportunities for printmakers, such as making expensive equipment more accessible and providing space for them to exhibit their artwork. The space was to be more than a production facility but to foster collaboration, education, community, and experimentation. The early years saw the establishment of international partnerships and major exhibitions.

However, the Victoria Street space was small, and in 1975, Printmakers moved to a larger space on Market Street above the Fruitmarket Gallery. This workshop oversaw significant projects, such as a folio of 20 lithographs by William Johnstone. Throughout the 1970s, other cultural establishments were inspired by the organisation’s model, such as Glasgow Print Studio and Peacock Printmakers in Aberdeen.

In 1967, a group of like-minded artists established ‘The Printmakers’ Workshop,’ which sat on Victoria Street in the centre of Edinburgh. It aimed to provide new facilities and opportunities for printmakers, such as making expensive equipment more accessible and providing space for them to exhibit their artwork. The space was to be more than a production facility but to foster collaboration, education, community, and experimentation. The early years saw the establishment of international partnerships and major exhibitions.

However, the Victoria Street space was small, and in 1975, Printmakers moved to a larger space on Market Street above the Fruitmarket Gallery. This workshop oversaw significant projects, such as a folio of 20 lithographs by William Johnstone. Throughout the 1970s, other cultural establishments were inspired by the organisation’s model, such as Glasgow Print Studio and Peacock Printmakers in Aberdeen.
In 1984, the Workshop moved again to an old wash-house on Union Street. This opening was marked by a major exhibition of prints by Henry Moore, with further displays of work by John Bellany following. Throughout its time here, many up-and-coming artists worked with the facilities who would later go on to become dominant figures in Scottish art.

In the 1990s, under Robert Adam’s stewardship, our technicians began implementing new non-toxic etching and screenprinting processes - a methodology that was recognised internationally. Working alongside artist and researcher Friedhard Kiekeben, a nontoxic ferric solution for developing plates called the ‘Edinburgh Etch’ was invented in our studios. It is widely used in studios across the globe today.

In 1998, the organisation changed its name to Edinburgh Printmakers.

The move to Castle Mills in Fountainbridge in 2019 enabled Edinburgh Printmakers to diversify its impact in many ways, such as expanding the studio facilities and exhibition spaces and providing studios to rent for creative businesses. More educational facilities were developed, as well as new partnership projects with local, national, and international partners. Edinburgh Printmakers continues to provide support for artists to develop their practice, build networks, and seek out new opportunities.

For more information about our upcoming courses, click HERE

To inquire about memberships and opportunities, click HERE
History of the Castle Mills building

Find out more and listen to the stories of the Castle Mills Site on our page about the North British Rubber Company.

In the 18th century, Fountainbridge was a country suburb. As early as 1857, the North British Rubber Company was able to buy its 5.5-acre site at the corner of Fountainbridge and Gilmore Park. In 1863, fire, always a hazard in a rubber factory, destroyed some of the mill buildings. By 1877, the company had outgrown the existing Castle Mill building and had built a new factory complex.

In the early 1900s, NBRC purchased an adjacent plot of land, taking its land holding to eight acres. The factory employed more than 3,000 people at its peak, producing the first Hunter Wellington boot, tyres, golf balls, hot water bottles, and other products. From the start, NBRC had a reputation for design and innovation as well as manufacturing. From hot water bottles to air balloon fabric, NBRC’s diverse range of products was exported worldwide. NBRC was more than a business: ‘the Rubber’ was a way of life for many of its workers who lived locally.

By the 1950s, the East Mill stretched from behind the Palais dance/bingo hall at the city end of Fountainbridge to Gilmore Park. The South Mill from Gilmore Park to Viewforth comprised the mechanical rubber goods factory, laboratories, and the Head Office. The Reclaimed Rubber factory ran from Viewforth to Gibson Terrace, with the tyre reception centre on Dundee Street and the plant behind. Scottish Vulcanite Co, which made ebonite products, also operated on the site from 1860 to the end of the Second World War.
In 1969, a huge fire spelt the end of the Castle Mill site, which was then sold to Scottish and Newcastle Breweries. The surviving Gilmore Park building was North British Rubber Company’s head office and registered address. Built in 1894 by an unknown architect, it consisted of a sixteen-bay, two-storey building and basement constructed of red brick with yellow brick banding. The building was C-listed in 1998.

William McEwan opened his Fountain Brewery in 1856. He soon established a flourishing colonial trade with McEwan’s Export and India Pale Ale. The company merged with William Younger, another famous Edinburgh brewer, to form Scottish Brewers Ltd in 1931. It grew to be the UK’s largest brewery and the third largest in Europe, trading as Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd from 1960. The brewery took over the North British Rubber Company site as part of its 1971-3 expansion on the other side of Fountainbridge from the original brewery (now Fountain Park Leisure Centre). This housed one of the world’s largest and most automated brewing complexes.

When the Fountain Brewery closed in 2004 and was later demolished, the North British Rubber Company building became derelict. In 2010, following local opposition, Edinburgh City Council withdrew an application to demolish the building, and its heritage value was increasingly recognised, thanks to the campaigning efforts of preservation bodies and the Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative. The local community has been incredibly supportive of Edinburgh Printmakers’ plans to preserve the last remnant of a forgotten industry and of an area that was once the city’s powerhouse of industry.
Edinburgh Printmakers is a member of the Edinburgh Local Heritage Network. You can find out more about the network on the City of Edinburgh Council's website.