Collective announces Autumn 2025 Programme
Collective is delighted to announce its Autumn 2025 programme, featuring the return of the Collective Gala on Sunday 7 September, and a major new exhibition by artist Shen Xin.
Article Source: Collective
Last Updated: 24 July 2025 9:06
Collective is delighted to announce its Autumn 2025 programme, featuring the return of the Collective Gala on Sunday 7 September, and a major new exhibition by artist Shen Xin, opening on Friday 3 October.
Shen Xin’s exhibition is presented as part of a joint Scottish initiative with DCA, Dundee and Lux Scotland called We Contain Multitudes - a partnership that seeks to question and explore institutional ableism in the Scottish visual arts sector and imagine a future with increased access.
Collective Gala:
Following the success of our inaugural event in 2023, Collective is delighted to announce the return of the Collective Gala – a vibrant celebration of art, place and people on Sunday 7 September 2025.
Now in its second edition, the Collective Gala invites audiences of all ages to experience Collective’s unique site on Calton Hill and engage with our wide-ranging programmes. This year’s event offers the opportunity to explore newly commissioned artworks by Scottish artists, join behind-the-scenes tours, shop with local makers, sample Edinburgh’s new Cafe Calton, and enjoy creative play sessions for children. The day will culminate in a celebratory procession inspired by Gala traditions – led by artists Seamus Killick and Quinie.
Following the procession, there will be a live music performance by Scottish artist and performer Quinie, also known as Josie Vallely, that folk traditions, walking, song, storytelling and visual art to explore Scots language, memory, land and belonging.
For Collective Gala, Quinie explores how we celebrate our local communities through our remembered and imagined traditions. She will unveil an artwork inspired by the panoramic view from Calton Hill; collaging together the Gala traditions of the towns and communities seen from the top of the hill.
Since reopening the restored City Observatory complex in 2018, Collective has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors to Calton Hill. In that time, it has established itself as a dynamic home for contemporary art, connecting audiences with the Observatory’s rich scientific and architectural heritage while offering a platform for bold new artistic voices.
Sorcha Carey, Director of Collective, commented:
“Our second Gala is a moment to reflect on all we’ve achieved and share the spirit of Collective with friends old and new. Through art, play, food and conversation, we’re inviting everyone to discover new perspectives on Calton Hill, the city and beyond.”
The Collective Gala will include a full day of bookable activities designed to celebrate everything that makes Collective.
All day activities will include the opportunity to see and buy work from local makers; enjoy food from Cafe Calton; view a new artwork by artist Quinie inspired by her research walk and the view from Calton Hill; explore the architecture of the site; and check out our summer exhibitions, including the final weekend of Mercedes Azpilicueta’s Fire on the Mountain, Light on the Hill, and Panorama: New Views of a City.
Scheduled activities include creative play sessions for families, running in the morning and afternoon, led by artist Seamus Killick; Edinburgh Astronomical Society tours of the historic Cooke Telescope; a historical tour of Collective and Calton Hill by author, poet and founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association Lisa Williams; and talks from Collective’s team about our summer exhibitions and our site.
The day will culminate in a celebratory procession on Collective’s site and a live music performance by local artist Quinie accompanied by her band. The procession, featuring two specially invited ponies, is inspired by the Scottish traditions of gala days and Common Ridings.
Shen Xin: Highland Embassy:
Collective is delighted to present a solo exhibition of work by artist and filmmaker Shen Xin, as part of We Contain Multitudes - a landmark three-year project in partnership with Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) and LUX Scotland, and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Taking place in the City Dome Gallery from Friday 3 October – Sunday 21 December, the exhibition, titled Highland Embassy, brings together three projects by Shen Xin which are all rooted in place and use storytelling to explore themes of migration, belonging, indigenous frameworks for languages and communities.
Bearing fruit of fondness (2025), is a film set on the Isle of Skye where Shen Xin lives and uses the leaves of a type of cotoneaster plant, which is an invasive species impacting local habitats, as a device to ground the films narrative and themes. The film is also being presented at TINA, London, marking a joint premiere of this new work.
The second film, Solar Wheels (2024), draws on the Uyghur variation of the Wooden Horse story, using this narrative as a shared place to engage in relationship building with kindred communities.
Completing the exhibition is a new series of paintings used to illustrate a short children's story, The child of the mountain (“རིའི་བུ་མོ” in Tibetan), written by Shen Xin. The story reflects on the overharvesting of caterpillar fungus in Tibet as a tale of caution and as a contemporary myth.
Working across moving image, installation, performance, sound and text, Shen Xin creates immersive environments that challenge dominant narratives and propose alternative modes of understanding, rooted in relation, place and political agency.
The major new commission marks a significant moment in We Contain Multitudes – a collaborative project that seeks to create systemic change in the Scottish visual arts sector for disabled artists, arts professionals and audiences.
We Contain Multitudes is dedicated to helping arts organisations embed anti-ableist practices and build programmes that more accurately reflect the diversity of the Scottish population. It is a process of learning – one that acknowledges the ongoing challenges and recognises that access measures alone are not enough to dismantle ableism.
Running until February 2026, each partner will generate a new, alongside published research to support long-term change in the sector. DCA will present a group exhibition featuring new and existing works by Andrew Gannon, Daisy Lafarge, Jo Longhurst and Nnena Kalu, while LUX Scotland will support a new commission to be presented online. The first of these commissions launches with Shen Xin’s exhibition at Collective.
Artist Shen Xin said:
“Living with patterns of dissonance from finding home within oneself, to practice our capacities grounded in relations is a practice of liberation, and so is to create and share work from a spaciousness for love and belonging that is at once innate and manifesting.”
For more information about Collective Gala and Highland Embassy visit:
www.collective-edinburgh.art
Image credit: Sally Jubb
Sponsored Links
Latest Edinburgh News
The Leddie celebrates Burns with a paired Balvenie supper
The Leddie Hotel in Aberlady is celebrating Burn’s Night in true Scottish style on Friday 23rd January, with a one-night-only themed supper in partnership with The Balvenie.
READ MORE
Mowgli Street Food Introduces the new 600 calorie Lite Tiffin
Healthy, hearty and great value at just £15 per person - Mowgli's new Lite Tiffin launches this January.
READ MORE
Return to Middle Earth as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy celebrates its 25th anniversary at Vue
One of the most iconic and beloved fantasy trilogies of all time, The Lord of The Rings, is returning to the big screen at Vue venues across Scotland, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
READ MORE
From suite to studio: The Balmoral unveils bespoke in room reformer pilates
In partnership with FÔLD, The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, is proud to unveil its latest pioneering wellness innovation: reformer pilates delivered to your suite.
READ MORE
A night for poetry, pipes and plates: Burns Night at Duck & Waffle Edinburgh
When poetry meets plate and tradition meets indulgence, Burns Night 2026 comes alive at Duck & Waffle Edinburgh.
READ MORE
Summerhall Arts announce CATALYST: Art as Activism, four new solo exhibitions for 2026
Summerhall Arts presents CATALYST: Art as Activism, a season of four solo exhibitions that position contemporary art as a sustained, embodied form of resistance.
READ MORE
A Burns Night under the stars: Dynamic Earth reimagines the traditional supper
This Burns Night, Dynamic Earth invites you to step into the stars for an evening where tradition meets the galaxy!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Book Festival opens submissions for Global Ink 2026
Submissions for Global Ink 2026, Edinburgh International Book Festival's flagship international forum for Festival Directors, are now open.
READ MORE
Scottish Ensemble spotlights future string stars with Musical Encounters
Scottish Ensemble begins an exciting 2026 with the return of their Young Artist programme, helping to develop the next generation of Scotland's young string players.
READ MORE
Celebrate love with your PAWfect Valentine at Dobbies Garden Centres
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting pet parents to celebrate Valentine's Day with their beloved furry friends in selected stores across the country!
READ MORE
Enlightenment an immersive experience set to transform McEwan Hall in Edinburgh
Swiss art collective PROJEKTIL will bring its vivid light and sound show to Edinburgh from 31st January, following acclaimed runs in Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds!
READ MORE
Primary schools in Scotland given chance to win specifically curated Burns Supper from Aldi
Aldi Scotland is giving primary school pupils across Scotland the chance to enjoy a truly traditional Burns Supper, complete with all the trimmings, including a bagpiper.
READ MORE
Glasgow International Comedy Festival launches 2026 programme with over 100,000 tickets on sale
Glasgow International Comedy Festival has announced the full programme for 2026's event with 560 shows in 40 venues across the city from 11th - 29th March, and over 100,000 tickets now on sale!
READ MORE
Top Scottish chef to host floating Captains Table experience onboard luxury Edinburgh hotel
One of Scotland's leading chefs will be hosting a collaborative Captain's Table experience onboard Edinburgh's five-star luxury floating hotel, Fingal, on Wednesday 4th February.
READ MORE
National Centre for Music appoints Director of Partnerships
Scotland's National Centre for Music bolsters founding team with new Director of Partnerships.
READ MORE
Celebrate Burns Night 2026 at Flight Club
If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate Burns Night this year, head to Flight Club!
READ MORE
Everything you need to know about Celtic Connections 2026
The renowned festival which every year transforms Glasgow in January into a must-visit destination for music lovers is now just over a week away.
READ MORE
Zizzi launches their January Birthday Jackpot
Zizzi's January Birthday Jackpot guarantees a special gift for adults born in January, with some lucky birthday guests receiving the jackpot prize - £100 towards their bill!
READ MORE
Litter picking dog charity aims to remove 44 million pieces of rubbish in 2026
Dog owners making an environmental New Year Resolution are hoped to boost the ranks of the Paws On Plastic charity to over 30,000 in 2026!
READ MORE
Edinburgh Open Workshop kicks off the New Year with hands on courses to build new skills
New year, new skills. Edinburgh Open Workshop is kicking off January with a hands-on programme of creative courses designed to help people turn resolutions into reality!
READ MORE
Brand new craft event encourages mindfulness, creativity and relaxation
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting customers along to an afternoon of creativity, connection, and cake this January, with a brand-new Crafternoon Tea Club.
READ MORE
Famous faces share their DofE Award memories in celebration of their 70th anniversary
Anyone with a connection to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is being invited to celebrate the charity's 70th anniversary by sharing their fondest DofE memories.
READ MORE
Vow to volunteer! The New Year resolution that could change lives in 2026
The team at Volunteer Centre East Lothian (VCEL) believe that by vowing to volunteer in 2026, people can make a real difference to their local community!
READ MORE
Dry or Try January: Flight Club is your go to January social spot
Whether you're ditching the booze and going dry for a month or embracing Try January with the goal of experiencing new things, Flight Club, ticks all the boxes!
READ MORE
Glamorous Edwardians to be explored in major Edinburgh exhibition
A glamorous, never-before-exhibited portrait of Queen Mary and a miniature sleigh made of rock crystal will be among highlights on show in Scotland for the first time in this major exhibition.
READ MORE
Scotland goalkeeper kicks off Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh
Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations officially began last night as Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon kicked off the city's iconic Torchlight Procession.
READ MORE
Hibs women support Scottish charity with Nuby this Christmas
Two Hibernian Women players have helped bring festive cheer to local families this Christmas, donating Santa Surprise Boxes to a Scottish charity on behalf of baby brand Nuby.
READ MORE
Hauf and hauf revival as Edinburgh drinks partnership hits the pub
A modern twist on a traditional Scottish serve is being poured across Edinburgh this festive season, as two of the city's leading independent drinks producers announce a flavour-led collaboration.
READ MORE
Opening New Years Day: Turner in January triumphantly returns to the National Galleries of Scotland
Following the incredible success of last year's blockbuster exchange with the National Gallery of Ireland, Scotland's own much-loved Turners are back in Edinburgh for 2026!
READ MORE
Christmas has arrived in Glasgow, The IRN BRU Carnival returns for its 106th year
Europe's largest indoor fun fair, The IRN-BRU Carnival, has opened to the public at Glasgow's SEC with its greatest show to date!
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links