The Steeple is an award-winning arts facility in Newburgh, a picturesque town in north east Fife, Scotland. We renovated the former town hall, town house and corn exchange in 2008 to provide six studios spaces, a project space and a flat and studio for visiting artists.
The renovation of The Steeple blends the historic fabric of the building with contemporary design, creating an inspiring place for artists to work. Newburgh is home to a vibrant arts community who provide a warm welcome for visiting artists. Four visiting artists have loved it so much they have moved to the town permanently!
Project Space
There is a large project space within The Steeple suitable for meetings, events, gigs, exhibitions, talks, and workshops. Please get in touch for more information. Please email info@waspsstudios.org.uk if you wish to receive an enquiry hire form.
Visiting Artists' Flat and Studio
The living accommodation and studio for visiting artists are available for rent from between one to six months. It provides the perfect opportunity for artists to devote time to and develop their practice in a new environment. The Steeple has hosted artists from all over the world and we welcome applications from artists working across all disciplines.
There is availability in 2018 at The Steeple monthly rent for The Steeple is £500 plus a deposit of £100 which is refunded after your stay pending a property inspection. The rent includes all utilities.
Accommodation
The Steeple has a fully furnished self-contained flat located on the ground floor which provides a living space / bedroom with bed settee, clothes storage space, TV, fully fitted kitchen, washing machine/tumble drier and bathroom with fully accessible shower. Bedding and towels are also provided.
If you are interested in booking, please email lois@waspsstudios.org.uk
Studio
The studio is 260 sq ft (24 sq m) in size, is located on the ground floor next to the flat and has excellent light, heating, a desk, a chair, and plenty of wall space.
The Local Area
Newburgh is situated just within the boundary of the Kingdom of Fife, 5 miles from Perth and 15 miles from Dundee. It is a Royal Burgh with a population of around 2000 and climbs the hillside overlooking Mugdrum Island and the south shore of the Firth of Tay.
The ruins of Lindores Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey founded in 1178, lie close to Newburgh. The monks were noted agriculturists, and their orchards were famous. Many of the houses in Newburgh's High Street have orchards with trees descended from the original plantings, which have given Newburgh its distinctive long gardens.
Traditional industries in Newburgh included fishing, making linen and floor-cloth, malting, and quarrying. The harbour was at one time busy with the transshipment of cargoes of Perth-bound vessels of over 200 tons. As with so many small Scottish towns, most of the traditional industries, with the exception of quarrying, have now gone.
These days Newburgh has reinvented itself as an artists’ town. It is home to a very strong cultural community with lots of artists and makers living and working in the town. The Steeple is right at the heart of this community, hosting classes, events and exhibitions to engage local people in the arts while acting as a focal point for artists from Newburgh and the surrounding areas to get together.