Circus Artspace

13/04/2026

Easing back in ... Spring 2026 🌿
We have taken a break from Circus Artspace activities since late September 2025. Over the past 6 months we’ve individually and collectively reflected on our workload, capacity, ambitions and what is possible now.

Our reflections brought up thoughts on the way we work. We are all volunteers and the labour this entails often doesn’t allow us time to reflect on our collective creative practice.

We realised that we were heavily involved in admin, responding to others needs and demands, and engaging with social media. As a result of our reflections, we’d like to do less of that.

We found we miss collaborating and want our reflections to guide us. We want to be more considered, discerning, do less, be slower in our approach and prioritise our time together to do the things that we feel matter.

We cannot be all things to all people.

Going forward we will be working within our capacity. This means still encouraging dialogue and entering into conversations with other creatives. Not reacting, but allowing more time to plan and reflect.

We are excited to be back working together on things that better align with our shared values, and with a greater focus on what nourishes us creatively. We are in the process of coming out of hibernation and will have more on the horizon soon.

Love,
Circus x

Photos from our break 📸
1. Final Groundwork workshop, Oct ‘25
2. Circus Christmas night out, Dec ‘25
3. Studio Session with Rona, Nov ‘25
4. Studio Session with Lorna, Jan ‘26
5. Planning with Telford Artists Studio, Mar ‘26 .scotland

21/11/2025

📣 Calling all recent art & design graduates? 🧑‍🎨🧑‍💻

We are delighted to announce the return of the New Highland Graduates – an opportunity to take part in an exhibition at Inverness Museum & Art Gallery between 14th February - 28th March 2026. We encourage applications from imaginative contemporary artists and designers in all mediums, whose work engages with the culture and geography of the Highlands & Islands. Selected artists/designers will receive an exhibition fee of £250 plus transport/travel support.

Closing Date for Applications: Thursday 18 December 2025, midnight

🔗 For more info about eligibility and how to apply visit our website:
https://www.highlifehighland.com/inverness-museum-and-art-gallery/new-highland-graduates-2026/

14/09/2025

☕️ Circus are taking a break!
🗓️ September 2025 - March 2026

Circus Artspace is a collective of just five people; within the past year things have changed for us in many ways. At present, we are short on capacity; we have been feeling the pressure of juggling work, family and our voluntary commitment to Circus.

We love and are very proud of the work that we do with Circus; it is important to recognise that it is work and make visible the labour that goes into it. Although this is something we enjoy, it can take its toll as much as any other paid work or labour.

As a result of these changes, we’ve decided to take a break for six months, after the 15th September 2025. We won’t be taking on any further projects or commitments just now. We are committed to finish delivering current projects and our sole focus will be placed with those.

We want to take this time away to prioritise personal reflections, slowness, reconnecting with our own creativity and reflecting on those Circus values that we hold dear. Therefore, during this time we won’t be posting any updates on socials or monitoring our email inbox.

We aren’t disappearing; this period will allow us to recharge, refocus on our direction and we’re looking forward to re-engaging with you all when our break ends in mid-March 2026.

13/09/2025

🍎 Our third CaraVAN event - Fruits - was held in Thurso Community Cafe in July. Our group of Circus Associates from across Highland met up with Caithness-based artists and makers for any evening of food, conversation and exchange, celebrating the fruits of our collective and individual labours.

👏 Thanks to everyone who came along, a big thank you to Lyth Arts Centre for supporting the event and to Charlotte Mountford for speaking on the night!

🐪 This event was the third of three regional network meetings across the Highlands supported by the Create:Networks Fund and SCAN.

Creative Dundee

12/09/2025

The Highland Zine Bothy has two workshops this month at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery!

29/08/2025

There are FREE semester-long courses at Moray School of Art starting next week:

Workshop (print based)
Creative Practice (mainly self-directed, with tutorials and studio space)
Theory and Practice (online)

Sign up here: https://www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/clearing-2025/course-modules/

Get in quick as the first one starts on Tuesday 2nd September!

15/08/2025

Highland Zine Bothy at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery!
Zine making workshop today from 2-4pm

Beginning on Friday 8 August, Zine Through Time, is a four-part creative workshop series, hosted by Iona Gibson from the Highland Zine Bothy. Running weekly throughout August 2025, each session will delve into a different historical and cultural theme connected to our collections, culminating in a response to the upcoming William Gillies exhibition.

As part of Inverness Museum’s 200th-anniversary celebrations, Zine Through Time is a participatory and intergenerational arts programme that connects heritage with self-expression.

Book your place here:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/highlifehighland/1768453 to

Price: £10 per session

15/08/2025

20/07/2025

A last minute reminder to join us tomorrow, Monday 21st July at 6pm, for an EXCLUSIVE Highland Zine Bothy event blending live music and zine-making 👀

This will be hosted by : an ensemble by Scottish composers and musicians (Euphonium) and (Tuba).

They’ll start the evening with an exclusive live performance of a few songs from their album, so you can experience their unique sound first hand and be part of their musical journey.

Afterwards, you’ll be invited to ‘compose’ your own mini zine that reflects on and responds to the ways in which each track evoked your senses and memories.

We’re bringing this to you in collaboration with as part of a Highlands-wide tour.

It is free to attend & all materials provided, family-friendly, dog-friendly, and is suitable for all experience levels.

Venue: Circus Artspace @ Unit 8, Telford Street Retail Park, Carsegate Road, Inverness, IV3 8EX

Free, but reserve a spot here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/live-music-zine-workshop-tickets-1414164797979