What started life as an experimental life drawing event has blossomed into a community-based venue welcoming all-comers. After a crowdfunding appeal, Sketchy Beats Cafe opened in Leith, Edinburgh in 2015 and since then has hosted a range of events, from Hip Hop nights to music jams, open mic sessions to stand-up comedy nights, with the ‘Sad Song Club’ a regular fixture and ‘Stitchy Beats’ craft sessions starting soon. 

The Sketchy Beats Cafe has always been available for anyone in the community to organise their own events and workshops, but it now also has a practice room downstairs and operates a pay-as-you-feel system for everything that takes place in the venue. The space is run entirely by volunteers, who fulfil admin duties and supervise workshops and events.

“The space is designed to be affordable and accessible to everyone - people who have never organised events before, musicians who have never played outside their own bedroom, artists who have never exhibited before. The space aims to be a place where creativity brings the community together, without money being an obstacle.” Cosima Canneti, Sketchy Beats Cafe

Learn more:

• www.sketchybeatscafe.com 
• Facebook www.facebook.com/sketchybeatscafe 
• Instagram www.instagram.com/sketchybeats