About the Barn
The Barn is a multi-arts organisation located in Banchory.
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We provide a year round programme of performing and visual arts, always keeping communities at our core and nature as our partner.
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The Barn is a charity run by a small team of dedicated staff and volunteers. If you'd like to support the work that we do, please head to our support us page.
Our Why
The Barn exists to nurture creativity and connection by enabling access to the arts. With communities at our core and nature as our partner, we create spaces that provide opportunities for shared experience, exploration and inspiration
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Our Why
The Barn exists to nurture creativity and connection by enabling access to the arts. With communities at our core and nature as our partner, we create spaces that provide opportunities for shared experience, exploration and inspiration
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Our Core Values
Openess
Open to collaboration, open to change, and open to exciting new concepts which challenge convention and spark imagination.
We see our communities not just as our audiences, but as co-creators, shaping the work we do here at the Barn, in partnership with professional artists.
Nature
Nature is central to our work: our gardens and our surroundings act as a creative partner, inspiring process, performance, innovation and learning.
Our spaces
The Barn
The Barn is a world-class multi-arts venue, and the only one of its’ kind in Aberdeenshire. We're proud to provide access to high quality arts for our rural communities.Â
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Within the Barn, we have our auditorium, gallery, box office, and bar. For private events, we also have a fully equipped kitchen. If you're interested in hiring the Barn for private events, you can find out more here.Â
Our auditorium is equipped to a high standard, suitable for almost any event. For our full tech spec, click here.ÂFOLD
FOLD is our dedicated retail space at the Barn, presenting the best in contemporary craft and design from established and emerging designer-makers. We represent over 70+ Scottish-based maker designers, and provide a space to shop local, support small makers, and opportunities to experience craft + making through learning opportunities. FOLD grew from the success of our annual craft and design fair, flock, which still runs each year in the lead up to the festive season.Â
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Visit FOLD's website.
Gallery
Our gallery showcases a diverse programme of local, national and international artists through exhibitions, residencies, and projects.Â
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Exhibitions are open Thursday - Saturday 12 - 4pm, and are always free. Sometimes the Gallery may be closed for private events. Please call to check before your visit -Â 01330 825431 to avoid disappointment.
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Exhibiting and need to know the Gallery Dimensions? Download the specs here
Wild Garden
Tucked away at the back of the Barn is our Wild Garden. Created as a haven for wildlife, a place for quiet contemplation and a learning resource, there's always something to enjoy here, whatever the season. Lots of time and effort from a group of dedicated volunteers goes into making this Wild Garden a place to enjoy, and for this we’re most grateful.
Walled Garden
The Walled Garden at the Barn is our newest space, and one that we're incredibly proud of. Designed in collaboration with our communities, the design of the garden was formalised by Christopher Palmer Associates, and brought to life by the team at Terra Forras.Â
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None of this would have been possible without the generous support of the UKSPF Fund and The JTPB Fund. Thank you.
Our neighbours
We're very lucky to be located next to one of the finest bistros in Banchory - Buchanan Bistro. For more information on Buchanan including their menu and opening hours, please head to their website.
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The Barn is surrounded by the wonderful Woodend Allotments - over 100 gardens tended to by folk in our local community.
Co-Director
Adam Pushkin
a.director@thebarnarts.co.uk
Giulia Montalbano
g.director@thebarnarts.co.uk
Co-Director
Head of Operations
Cath du Preez
venue@thebarnarts.co.uk
Victoria Layt
finance@thebarnarts.co.uk
Finance Manager
fundraising@thebarnarts.co.uk
Fundraising Manager
Lyndsey Leiper
Kirsty Fuller
marketing@thebarnarts.co.uk
Marketing & Communications Manager
Stephanie Fradette
craft@thebarnarts.co.uk
Craft & Retail Manager
Debbie Bouvaird
mail@thebarnarts.co.uk
Sales Manager
Volunteer Co-OrdinatorÂ
Sarah Benzie
volunteering@thebarnarts.co.uk
Venue Team
Alan Ritchie
dm@thebarnarts.co.uk
Duty Manager
Anna Phillips
Technical Manager
Kev Yule
technical@thebarnarts.co.uk
Mel Shand
Helen Needham
Helen Smith
Bill Griffin
Yi-pei Chou
Thomas Small
History
Back in the early 1990s, the Burnett family of Leys offered Woodend Barn as a rehearsal space for a play to celebrate 400 years of Crathes and community life in Banchory. Following the success of the play, a small group of local residents, artists and supporters took over the Barn, and began the journey of transforming the site into the Barn we know and love today. A detailed history of the Barn’s origins can be read in John Hargreave’s essay From Cattle Court to Community Arts, An Historical Memoir of the early years of Woodend Arts Association published in 2005 by Woodend Publishing.Â