Tales from the Kilns
22 June
Edinburgh & The Lothians Performance
Event Summary
Tales from the Kilns is a site-specific theatre piece focusing on the Portobello Kilns, the only surviving bottle kilns in Scotland.
Book hereTime
14.00
Date(s)
22 June
Location
Portobello Kilns, Bridge Street, Portobello, Edinburgh
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Additional Location Info
Portobello Kilns are located on Bridge Street, near the Promenade in Portobello, Edinburgh. This is an outdoor, site-specific theatre event. There will be no formal seating. The area around the kilns is level with wheelchair access. There are public toilet facilities available at Pipe Lane next to the kiln site.
Getting there: The site is accessible on foot or bicycle. The closest bus stop is Bridge Street, Portobello High Street, outside The Portobello Bookshop. There is limited, paid on-street parking and one disabled parking space nearby on Bridge Street. We would recommend travelling by public transport where possible. here
Organiser
Georgina Heriot and Jessica Moran
Tales from the Kilns
Tales from the Kilns is a site-specific theatre piece focusing on the Portobello Kilns, the only surviving bottle kilns in Scotland and a signifier of the rich industrial history of pottery in Portobello. This devised work is being developed in collaboration with Edinburgh Youth Theatre, based in Portobello, working with local theatre maker Georgina Heriot to respond to the legacy of their industrial heritage.
The performance is inspired by beach-combing workshops that engage youth theatre members with the history of their community, uncovering original pieces of Buchan Pottery that were fired in the kilns. In response to the artifacts of their cultural heritage, the young people are devising a site-specific performance with local actors, where the kilns symbolise their connection to a forgotten community of pottery workers and a shared industrial past. The remaining kilns are the last reminder of a lost industry in a community that has experienced intensive urban development and gentrification.
This project aims to bring attention to the rebuilding of the partially demolished 1906 kiln, which has been protected by hoarding since it was dismantled for safety reasons in 2018. The 1909 kiln was rebuilt using as much of the original brickwork as possible in 2014. Progress is slow in identifying funding to rebuild the 1906 kiln. By highlighting the uniquely valuable history of the Portobello kilns and connecting a new generation with the stories of their industrial past, Tales from the Kilns will encourage attendees to work together to preserve these historic structures.
Community, exchange, and industry are at the heart of this project. What is lost, hidden, and forgotten can be rediscovered through sharing stories and engaging communities.
