Leith Seeks Ideas for 900th Birthday With £3,000 Commissions
Leith residents, community groups, and local organisations have until Friday 6 November 2026 to pitch ideas for three creative commissions worth £3,000 each, ahead of the town’s 900th anniversary celebrations.
Leith Culture Partnership launched the call, titled Big Ideas. Leith Style., on 21 October. The three Countdown Commissions, worth £9,000 in total, will fund projects taking place in January and February 2027, one year before Leith marks 900 years since its first written record.
From street art and music to football and community history, the organisers want ideas that celebrate what makes Leith distinctive, with no lengthy application process.
What projects are organisers looking for?
The commissions are intended to celebrate Leith’s heritage, culture, and identity while bringing people together.
Organisers are particularly interested in projects that leave something lasting behind. That does not necessarily mean a physical artwork or building improvement. New skills, relationships, knowledge, confidence, and shared memories all count.
The choice of subject is deliberately broad. Ideas could draw on Leith’s football history, shipbuilding, food, music, golf, street art, or everyday community life.
Nor do projects have to take place in traditional cultural venues. Pubs, playgrounds, bowling clubs, church halls, theatres, cafés, and community spaces could all provide suitable settings.
Susie Gray and Jenny Mungall, co-directors of Leith Culture Partnership, said:
Culture isn’t something Leith is short of – it’s all around us.
The organisers want proposals developed with local communities rather than projects simply presented to them.
Who can apply for the £3,000 commissions?
Anyone based in Leith can submit an idea, whether working individually or as part of a group. Applicants do not need previous experience of arts funding or an established cultural organisation.
Eligible applicants include residents, charities, community groups, social enterprises, businesses, cultural organisations, and informal networks. Joint applications are encouraged.
Application details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Funding available | Three commissions of £3,000 each |
| Application deadline | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Eligible applicants | Leith-based individuals and organisations |
| Project dates | January and February 2027 |
| Submission format | Written proposal, voice note, or short video |
| hello@leith2028.com |
There is no lengthy application form. Applicants simply need to explain:
- What their idea involves and which aspect of Leith it celebrates.
- Who they would work with to deliver it.
- Who the project is intended for.
- Why the idea matters to Leith.
Submissions can be sent to hello@leith2028.com or through the Leith2028 account on Instagram.
The deadline is the end of Friday 6 November.
A new Leith People’s Forum will review submissions during November, with shortlisted applicants invited to discuss their ideas in more detail.
Further information is available in the official Leith 2028 commissions announcement.
Leith’s UK Town of Culture 2028 ambitions
The commissions form part of a wider effort to celebrate Leith’s 900th anniversary and strengthen its bid to become the UK’s first Town of Culture in 2028.
Leith is one of 15 places shortlisted from almost 400 applications nationwide. The winning town is due to receive £3 million in government funding to develop and deliver a cultural programme.
Organisers are also seeking larger ideas for possible inclusion in the 2028 celebrations. Unlike the £3,000 commissions, these proposals are open to artists and organisations from outside Leith, provided they have a strong local connection and create opportunities for the community.
Potential awards for larger projects could range from £15,000 to £150,000.
These larger sums are not guaranteed. They depend on Leith winning the UK Town of Culture title and the subsequent selection of projects.
Leith Culture Partnership is expected to submit its final bid to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 30 November 2026, with a decision anticipated by 31 March 2027.
Leith is already the focus of other cultural investment. Edinburgh councillors recently approved visitor levy support for restoration work at Leith Customs House, with plans to develop the historic building as a community and creative hub.
Read more about Edinburgh’s visitor levy-funded projects.
How residents can get involved this weekend
Residents who want to contribute to Leith’s wider cultural plans can attend the Leith Imaginarium on Sunday 25 October 2026.
The free drop-in session takes place at the Wee Museum of Memory in Ocean Terminal, from noon until 4pm.
Visitors of all ages can share their memories, suggestions, and priorities for Leith’s future through interactive activities and conversations.
The ideas gathered will help shape the area’s UK Town of Culture bid.
The event is separate from applications for the three £3,000 commissions. Anyone seeking funding must still submit their proposal by the 6 November deadline.
Full details of the drop-in are available on the official Leith Imaginarium event page.