The Pend to open its doors free to Edinburgh creatives every Wednesday
The Pend has launched Creative Community Wednesdays in its events, community and coworking space on Old Fishmarket Close. Every Wednesday from 9am to 4pm, the space will be handed over to one local creative company, group or community organisation, free of charge.
The initiative is open to creatives working in any art form, from theatre, film and writing to music, dance and comedy. Groups can use the space for rehearsals, read-throughs, developing new work, workshops and community meet-ups. Applications are now open, with first bookable dates from 6th January 2027.
A space shaped by the creative community
The Pend, a creative events space run by CODE Concepts, the hospitality group behind CODE The Court in Edinburgh’s Old Town, opened in May 2026 on the historic site that once housed the headquarters of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. From the outset, the space was designed to connect CODE’s international guests with Edinburgh’s local creative scene. Since launch, it has hosted magic shows, documentary screenings and storytelling sessions, and served as a venue during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Creative Community Wednesdays builds on that programme. The aim is to remove one of the biggest barriers facing grassroots and emerging groups in the city: finding affordable space to make work.
Katie Scott, Head of Events and Experience at CODE Concepts, said:
“Finding space to rehearse, write or simply get together is one of the hardest things for creatives in Edinburgh, especially for new and grassroots groups. The Pend was always meant to be a home for the city's creative community, and Creative Community Wednesdays is a way of making that real. Every week, one group gets the space to themselves, for free, to make whatever they want to make. We can't wait to see what comes through the door.”
How it works
Each Wednesday, one group is given exclusive use of The Pend's multipurpose cinema room from 9am to 4pm, at no cost.
The room was designed with SPLINTR to host screenings, performances and workshops, and sits within a space whose original exposed stonework gives it its name: in Scotland, a pend is a passageway leading somewhere beyond.
The initiative is open to:
Creative companies, collectives, groups and community organisations
Groups based in Edinburgh, or working in the city regularly
Any art form, including theatre, film, writing, music, dance and comedy
New and grassroots groups, who are particularly encouraged to apply
The space can be used for rehearsals, read-throughs, developing new work, workshops and community meetups.
Groups can apply by telling CODE a little about themselves and their idea via the online application form: apply for Creative Community Wednesdays.
