Working across areas of experimental photo-arts, coastal ecology and medicinal health, Remedy is an exploratory based community project working with a number of participants from Access to Industry.

Led by photographer Zoe Hamill, and working in collaboration with herbalists from Herbal Scotland, a series of eight workshops have recently being held in Portobello.

Top image (Colin) – processed using plants collected from local Portobello sites.

The workshops involved learning about analogue as well as camera-less photography, along with expert knowledge of medicinal plant ecology and remedy-making, to include photo-walks, plant-based film processing, plant identification and seed collection.

The project culminated in a public event held in March 2026 to view some of the photographs created through the project as well as to launch the new Portobello Seed Share and a small printed publication illustrating the various images produced (available to view – clicking image below).

The Portobello Seed Share is now available at Portobello Library for visitors to browse, borrow or add seed to. The seed share supports sustainable growing with the aim of developing a seed bank of locally resilient seed to be saved and shared.

Zoe is a photographer from Co. Antrim, now living in Edinburgh. She is interested in the relationship between humans and the environment, as well as the systems of classification that we use to make sense of the world around us. She was recently a commissioned artist for Connecting Threads Watery Commons programme, and is currently carrying out a Darkroom Garden residency at CraigmillarNow.

Supported by funding from City of Edinburgh Council Event Fund.

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Friday 13 March

1200h-1300h  The Portobello Moonlight Revue! featuring Big Stew’s Tidal Circus and Marine Marvels with Portobello High School pupils, facilitated by visual theatre artist Gretchen Maynard-Hahn.
Leaves from Portobello High School at 1200h, arriving to Portobello Promenade by 1300h.

1200h-1530h  Tide & Seek An afternoon of diverse installations displayed across the beach, playing on the theme of Art Walk Porty’s Showground programme, created by third year Edinburgh College of Art students.
1400h Artist-led walk commencing from Nobles Amusements (by Beach Lane entrance).

Saturday 14 March

1400h-1530h Remedy Seed project and small publication launch coming through community photo-arts project with participants from Access to Industry, facilitated by artist Zoe Hamill. A new Portobello Seed Share to be located at Portobello Library will also be launched, with cyanotype demo from Zoe Hamill, and medicinal plant ecology walk and talk from Herbal Scotland.
Starts from Portobello Library at 1400h.

With thanks to partners Access to Industry,  Edinburgh College of Art, Herbal Scotland, Portobello High School, and Portobello Library in realising these projects.

Supported by funding from Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council Event Fund and National Lottery Awards for All.

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Students at Portobello High School have over the last few months been working with visiting artist and puppet maker, Gretchen Maynard-Hahn, to create a collection of large-scale parade puppets inspired by Portobello’s rich seaside and showground heritage.

Across a series of hands-on workshops, students explored character design, simple mechanisms, and sculptural making techniques using lightweight materials such as cane, tissue paper and recycled cardboard. Drawing inspiration from the history of seaside entertainment including variety theatre, circus acts and promenade culture, the group developed a playful “surreal seaside circus” where marine creatures and carnival performers merge into imaginative new forms.

As well as building the puppets, students have begun shaping a short performance structure for the parade, experimenting with movement, atmosphere and storytelling to bring their creations to life.

The project will culminate in a live parade performance at Portobello Promenade, celebrating creativity, collaboration and Portobello’s longstanding tradition of seaside spectacle.

Gretchen Maynard-Hahn is a visual theatre designer and maker with a background in puppetry, costume, and prop construction. She has worked across a wide range of creative environments, from large-scale West End productions to intimate and experimental projects. She has led puppet departments on productions such as War Horse and My Neighbour Totoro and worked as a puppet technician on The Lion King and Life of Pi. Her practice is rooted in visual storytelling and the emotional language of materials, with a hands-on approach that bridges fine art, performance, and craft.

Alongside her theatre work, Gretchen’s broader artistic practice explores themes of folk culture, post-human storytelling, and outsiderness – drawing on her American heritage to examine myth, ritual, and the blurred boundaries between human and non-human worlds. She creates work that blends the poetic and the uncanny, often through puppetry, analogue effects, and performative objects.

Gretchen is also developing research into sustainable theatre design and construction. She has contributed to the Theatre Green Book and the Society of British Theatre Designers’ Sustainable Materials Guidebook, and recently spoke at a Climate Crisis Theatre Action event. Her current focus is on exploring low-impact materials and processes that reimagine how theatre can be both creative and environmentally responsible.

This project is supported by funding from City of Edinburgh Council, Portobello High School and Creative Scotland.

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An afternoon of performances and installations is planned for Friday 13 March as part of our Spring Cluster of events, with a tour led by the students starting from Nobles Amusements at 1400h (meet by Beach Lane entrance).

No need to book.

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