Without The Forest, I wouldn’t be in Edinburgh and I wouldn’t have done anything interesting with my life. The Forest is well-known as a volunteer-run, collectively-owned, free arts and events space.

Forest runs a vegetarian café and a big block of studios and facilities for people to get involved in any creative activity imaginable. Forest exists to provide a risk-free environment to try now things, collaborate, and (importantly) to fail. The artists and organisers I’ve met through working with The Forest have been invaluable to both my career and life. Edinburgh, and I, remain lucky to have it exist thanks to the hard work of thousands of volunteers from around the planet. I continue to enjoy a night shift amongst other responsibilities.

As a long term collective member, I’ve been involved since 2001 and have been a Kitchen Manager, volunteer, Editor of Forest Publications, events organizer and who cares. It is a good place.