The Binks Hub

Thursday 2nd April Day of Co-Creation Join us for a day of events celebrating collaboration and creativity - zine-making, creative writing and more! Browse and register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/day-of-co-creation-4808673

✨Join us for a Day of Co-Creation!✨

On 2nd April we're hosting a day of creative, participatory research events: climate‑anxiety writing, community archive zine‑making, and a book launch on artist‑researcher collaboration (4:30pm)

Join one session or the whole day! edin.ac/3Mx3Qly

We're supporting the youth work sector's vision for a Scotland where young people have:
⚖️A right to youth work
🏠Access to safe spaces
🪙Investment

Scottish elections are coming, help young people secure a #RightSpaceFuture by promoting the manifesto: https://bit.ly/4jRPvfA

Collage exploring friendship and love

📣New on our blog!

@aroeschmarsh.bsky.social explores why friendship matters and why care-experienced young people often face barriers to connection.

Read about her creative project, new resources and what’s coming next: edin.ac/4aRsvcK

Friendship is a lifeline 💛

FINAL DEADLINE THIS WEEK - If you're interested in submitting a piece of creative writing on #climatechange to help this @glasgow.ac.uk research, you have until 28th February 🌏✏️

#AcademicSky @uoe-sps.bsky.social @womenslibrary.bsky.social @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social @byleaveswelive.bsky.social

The Merging of Knowledge An inclusive methodology rooted in lived and living experience of poverty

Sharing this session happening later today - a webinar from All Together in Dignity (ATD) on a new approach to participatory research, built on lived experience of poverty. Great for anyone interested in inclusion, co‑research or community‑led work.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mergin...

Artistic image of a moon above standing stones

Thrilled to share that our Research Fellow, Jimmy Turner, has helped co‑curate a new exhibition with the INT-ACT team, 'Immersive Calanais'.

Discover the Calanais stones through AR, stories and tactile materials - now showing at @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social until 20 March.

More: edin.ac/4qPl6k8

"An incoming Scottish Government could make tackling poverty, inequality and Scotland's falling life expectancy the overarching mission of the next government's programme"

Political parties are being invited to “borrow” the policies ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election and return them to the people if elected.

Explore the full Policy Library here: socialaction.scot/policy-libra...

Poverty and inequality in Scotland - 1 million Scots are living in poverty, including 250,000 children - 7 in 10 children in poverty live in working households - 1 million Scots are food insecure - Mortality rates are twice as high in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared with the least deprived - Racism and anti immigrant sentiment is on the rise - Black and minority ethnic people are 60% more likely to live in the most deprived areas than white Scottish/British counterparts - Infants living in deprived areas are more likely to display development concerns - The Scottish Government has missed its child poverty targets - Educational Inequality shows no signs of narrowing - 1 in 10 school leavers living in the most deprived areas of Scotland remain unemployed nine months after school year, compared to 2.6% of young people in the least deprived areas

Happy World Day of Social Justice!

Launched today by our friends at Social Action Inquiry Scotland - the Policy Library. This community‑led library offers bold, practical ideas for a more compassionate Scotland.

Explore the Policy Library here: socialaction.scot/policy-libra...

Delighted to see this blog from one of our students in collaboration with @youthlinkscot.bsky.social - such vital research showing that youth work is as important as we believe.

Another powerful mural outside St John’s on Princes street

Great to see @aroeschmarsh.bsky.social's Transforming Friendship Focused Support project in the Community of Practice for Siblings newsletter! Catch up here: edin.ac/4aht13A

#AcademicSky @stafscot.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @stir.ac.uk @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social

This will be fantastic! I had the privilege to examine Tamsin’s PhD earlier this year and it was so insightful and grounded. Do join us if you can!

Epistemic injustice and mental health system survivor knowledge https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980994831869?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join us for a thought-provoking seminar titled 'Epistemic Injustice and Mental Health System Survivor Knowledge', led by Tamsin Oudney Walker of @unilancashire.bsky.social

27th March | 10-11am | @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social

Register and find out more here: edin.ac/45AY74G

Image of Lady Justice blindfolded

Insights from our Reframing Criminal Justice seminar - read our blog on this session exploring new possibilities for criminal justice, from co‑created prison theatre to community‑led justice in the Highlands.

Powerful insights on care, creativity and collaboration:
edin.ac/3NNyxmH

Epistemic injustice and mental health system survivor knowledge https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980994831869?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join us for a thought-provoking seminar titled 'Epistemic Injustice and Mental Health System Survivor Knowledge', led by Tamsin Oudney Walker of @unilancashire.bsky.social

27th March | 10-11am | @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social

Register and find out more here: edin.ac/45AY74G

📣Job opportunity📣

In partnership with The Ripple Project, we're looking for a p/t Research Assistant to work with us.

➡️This role is open to University of Edinburgh staff/students and requires an EASE login to view the listing. If that’s you then we’d love you to take a look! More: edin.ac/4pVkUiO

Image of Lady Justice blindfolded

Insights from our Reframing Criminal Justice seminar - read our blog on this session exploring new possibilities for criminal justice, from co‑created prison theatre to community‑led justice in the Highlands.

Powerful insights on care, creativity and collaboration:
edin.ac/3NNyxmH

📣Job opportunity📣

In partnership with The Ripple Project, we're looking for a p/t Research Assistant to work with us.

➡️This role is open to University of Edinburgh staff/students and requires an EASE login to view the listing. If that’s you then we’d love you to take a look! More: edin.ac/4pVkUiO

Winter blooms are a lovely thing

Photo of a bird's eye view of the collage table materials: coloured paper, pens, scissors, sellotape, rulers, scalpels, and packets of material such as postcards and magazines to cut up. Credit: Clementine Carriere.

What happens when art meets research?

Last year we explored the art of collage through a series of workshops with artist Clementine Carriere, using creativity to map ideas, visualise data and reimagine research.

Read our blog and reflections on the journey here: edin.ac/4q6VeAC

Share your climate story Help research into climate emotions and mental health in Scotland through sharing your creative writing - fiction or non-fiction - about climate change. No climate expertise or writing experience needed. Deadline: 28th February 2026

📣Deadline for submission approaching📣

How do you feel about #climatechange?

Share your creative writing to help new @glasgow.ac.uk research on climate emotions and #mentalhealth in #Scotland 🌍✍️

Stories can be:
✔ Up to 1,000 words
✔ Fiction or nonfiction

Learn more: www.climatestories.co.uk

Photo of garden space decorated with gnomes and ornaments.

New on the blog: How can a simple garden transform life in Scottish care homes?

Zoey Wang reflects on her research into horticultural interventions, their impact on psychological well-being for older residents, and how gardens become spaces of connection.

Read the full post: edin.ac/4aVqKge

Our first reading group of 2026 is this Thursday morning - join us! 📚

@edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @uoe-sps.bsky.social @aroeschmarsh.bsky.social

"Poetry, multiple sclerosis and me": new on the IASH blog via @thebinkshub.bsky.social

www.iash.ed.ac.uk/news/poetry-...

When she was diagnosed with MS, Georgi felt the invisible symptoms were impossible to convey through everyday language - but poetry offered a space for uncertainty and the nature of chronic illness.

This is a powerful must‑read!

Full blog: edin.ac/4sJ8ptr

Photo of a lamp emerging through fog. Image credit: Vlad Bagacian

✨New on the Binks Hub blog✨

Dr Georgi Gill, Public Engagement Fellow at @iashedinburgh.bsky.social, has written about her project 'Poems on my Mind: poetry writing groups for people living with neurological illness.'

Full blog: edin.ac/4sJ8ptr

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland: Board Members - YTAS Youth Theatre Arts Scotland is a pioneering national youth arts development charity with a vision for universal access to quality youth theatre activity

Our friends at Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (@ytartsscot.bsky.social) are seeking new Board Members!

Help shape the future of youth theatre with vision, care and ambition. No previous experience needed, all backgrounds welcome. Apply by 26 Jan - find out more here: edin.ac/3NwVhaq

So wonderful to read this Blog about the research done by one of my wonderful students

Thinking about postgraduate study at Edinburgh Futures Institute? Join us online for our Postgraduate study: Alumni panel and Q&A! Our alumni share what it’s like to study with us.

🗓 29 Jan 2026
⏰ 1pm – 2pm GMT
📍 Online (Microsoft Teams)
🔗 https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/postgraduate-study-alumni-panel/

The Scots Language Publication Grant The Scots Language Publication Grant exists to support publishers to publish and promote work written in Scots.

The Scots Language Publication Grant is now open for applications! Apply for support with publishing new work, reprinting existing work and help with marketing existing and new work. Deadline: 25 February 2026.