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About Us

Lyra has a transformative impact on the lives of children and teenagers living in the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland through engagement with a broad, rich programme of world-class performing arts.

Based in the extraordinary community of Greater Craigmillar (Edinburgh) since 2012, Lyra runs Artspace, Scotland's first and only performing arts venue exclusively for children and teenagers.

 

We overcome socio-economic disadvantage by empowering children and teenagers to access their cultural rights, engaging them in the arts as co-curators and collaborators.

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Our vision is that the same children and teenagers we work with today will be the ones to lead Lyra in the future.

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Founded and led by Artistic Director & CEO, Jo Timmins, Lyra strives for world-class artistic ambition and meaningful community engagement, fulfilling children and teenagers’ rights to ‘participate freely in cultural life and the arts’ as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Our child, teen and art-led model is underpinned by a whole-setting approach to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion, living the values of fair work and playing our part in achieving environmental sustainability. Lyra’s work is crucial to the Scottish cultural landscape: working locally with diverse communities historically left behind.

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Lyra’s ethos champions the voices of children and teenagers as ‘young artists’ in their own right, building a locally based, globally minded arts community through tried and tested approaches.

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