
The contract was to refurbish an existing shop unit on Northumberland Street in Edinburgh's New Town into a retail gallery with workspaces below in the basement areas.
The contract was won on the basis of a competitive tender against five other tenderers. The work was completed on time and on budget.
The gallery is likely to be the only inclusive art specific gallery in Scotland and will sell work by anyone who has a disability or has suffered from some sort of disadvantage in his or her life. Also up to a quarter of the employees at the gallery will have Autism Spectrum Condition. It is incredibly difficult for people with autism to secure employment, which is why they will be offered a mix of retail opportunities and apprenticeships in art. The aim is to have apprentices working and learning transferable skills to take with them to further education and/or mainstream employment. And their art could be for sale in the gallery. The gallery opened on the 23rd March 2010 and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
Completed March 2010