Creative Day Services

COVID-19 UPDATE...

Garvald Edinburgh workshops remain open on all four sites for those with significant need of the service.

In line with level 4 guidance for building based day services we are able to remain open for those who have a significant need. All families/carers of members who have been coming in up to pre-Christmas will receive a call to reassess with them how we can best support them for now.

If you have questions you can contact the building directly:

Orwell Arts: 0131 516 2750
Gorgie: 0131 337 4965
Waterside: 0131 541 2284
Mayfield House: 0131 541 2306

As soon as we are able to resume new admissions we will post an update on at http://www.garvaldedinburgh.org.uk/garvald-for-you/creative-day-services.

General email enquiries can be sent in via admin@garvaldedinburgh.org.uk

Normal service details...

Garvald Edinburgh offers diverse and creative day opportunities for adults with learning disabilities across the City using all our buildings and through supporting members in using community settings including colleges and obtaining both paid and voluntary work.

At Garvald Edinburgh we can support you and give you a chance to learn and develop skills in lots of different arts and crafts. You might want to work with wood, or learn to work and make things with glass or clay. Make puppets and take part in puppet shows. Learn to weave, knit or sew. Paint or draw. You can also get the chance to show your work in exhibitions. Do you like working with food? We can offer you the chance to learn and develop skills in our Organic Bakery and Confectionery. Prepare and cook food in our Canteens.

What else can I do? You could work in our shop, the Mulberry Bush. Or work in our Tools workshop, repairing donated tools and sewing machines, that we then send to help people abroad. If you like working outdoors you might want to be part of our Land Group, doing gardening work in our own garden or places like Gorgie Farm.

Day Services Workshops:

Bakery

In our Bakery workshop you can learn all the skills involved in being a baker. A range of organic rolls and bread are made. Every day fresh bread is delivered to food shops around Edinburgh.

As a member of the workshop you could be involved in baking, packing and delivering the orders. Everything made in the Bakery has to be very high quality and the bread and rolls have to be made on time, so that they can be delivered to the shops on time.

Canteen/Cafe

All our buildings have Canteen workshops. In this group you can help to make lunches for everyone using the building. You will be involved in choosing recipes, making up menus, preparing different dishes, and serving the lunch each day. You will learn about food hygiene and how to use kitchen equipment safely.

The canteens use fresh fruit and vegetables and the meals are healthy and vegetarian.

Confectionary

In this workshop you can learn how to make cakes, scones and biscuits. As well as preparing and baking the products you can also help to package things ready for selling. It is really rewarding to see all the products you have made going off to be sold in shops around Edinburgh.

Drama

The Drama and Performance Workshop is based at Waterside and takes place in the studio/theatre space. In drama and performance there are opportunities to make theatre, play games, tell stories, celebrate festivals, sing, dance and maybe even perform! Drama provides a warm, creative, safe space to work with others and build confidence and communication skills.

Glass Studio

In our Glass Studio, everyone gets the chance to develop their drawing and design skills to make exciting pieces of work. You will learn how to cut and fuse glass, and use copper foil and solder, and how to make glass sculptures. There is a kiln for firing glass and the work often goes in to exhibitions.

Joinery

There are two wood workshops. You can learn lots of different skills. How to use tools like saws and chisels. Some people learn how to use big machinery too. Members of the workshop make lots of different things, like, tables, wooden toys, stools, picture frames and even musical instruments.

Some of the things that get made get sold in our shop – the Mulberry Bush at 77 Morningside Road, or at our Christmas Bazaar.

Jewellery

In the Jewellery workshop we use many different materials to make necklaces, brooches, earrings and bracelets. This allows for a huge variety of techniques, making the workshop accessible to all different ability levels.

We do lots of drawing and painting in our sketch books to develop individual’s ideas. Some of the most exciting work to be produced so far is the animal and bird brooches. These are made of a slice of tree branch and have a design drawn onto them. We then drill along the lines of the drawing and embroider with colourful threads into the drill holes. We often work in collaboration with the other workshops at Mayfield House. We also design and make packaging and displays items for the finished jewellery.

Land Group

At Garvald we have recently started a Land Group. The group do outdoor work at Gorgie City Farm, Bridgend Allotments and our community house at Napier Road. This means that the group get a chance to do lots of different things like planting seeds, digging, growing and harvesting vegetables. Working outdoors helps you to stay fit and healthy with fresh air and exercise.

Mulberry Bush

Garvald Edinburgh’s shop is situated in Morningside in South West Edinburgh. You can learn retail skills such as pricing , stocking shelves, using the till, and working with customers. This is a great way to build up your confidence in the world of work and could help you if you are interested in finding a job in the future.

Pottery

In the Pottery workshop you can learn how to work with clay. Clay can be used in many different ways such as slab-building, coiling, or using a potter’s wheel. Everyone is encouraged to have fun and create their own designs. You can make a range of products like plates, bowls, jugs and sculptures. These are fired in a kiln and many are sold at the Mulberry Bush Shop and our Christmas Bazaar.

Puppetry

In the Puppetry you can learn how to make puppets and take part in puppet shows. There are all sorts of puppets – glove, rod and finger puppets, dolls and shadow puppets. There are many skills involved in this workshop such as felting, sewing, embroidery and printing. By taking part in the puppet shows you will learn about story-telling, playing music and performing.

Textiles

In this workshop you will get the chance to weave on a loom and to make a range of exciting textile products. As well as weaving you will also learn skills such as knitting, sewing, and embroidery. Members of the workshop develop their design skills and use of colour to make cushion covers, bags, scarves, tapestries, rag rugs and knotted rugs.

Tools refurbishment

As part of this group you would be involved in repairing hand tools and sewing machines that people in the community have donated. Members of the workshop collect and sort out the tools, and learn skills such as grit blasting, grinding, polishing, sanding, and finishing. The refurbished tools are made up in to kits and are sent to countries such as Malawi, Tanzania and the Congo.

This workshop is part of the international Tools for Self Reliance Network. An important part of the workshop is learning about the places the tools are sent to and finding out how the kits have helped people. Getting letters and photographs and meeting some people from the countries, means you get to see how the workshop is helping others.

Further Opportunities

As well as our core workshops we also offer a supplementary workshop to help people develop their creative artistic abilities, sometimes in collaboration with other workshops.

We promote having a healthy diet and act as a gateway to other recreational activities as well as supporting people to attend college.

Suitable for adults 18+