Former hotel in centre of Elgin will become gallery and creative centre as part of £18 million Levelling Up project
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AN HISTORIC hotel in the heart of Elgin which is "soaked in heritage" is set to become a public gallery and creative space with support from an £18 million Levelling Up fund.
Arts charity M:ADE (Moray Arts Development Engagement) is spearheading the project with support from Moray Council.
Stacey Toner, founder of M:ADE, has been pushing for a gallery space to promote visual arts and the wider creative industry in the town since 2018.
And a project team identified the former Gordon Arms Hotel as an ideal building for this purpose.
Stacey said: "When we came to see this building, it was just soaked in heritage, and story and narrative, and for me that's a real opportunity to have community buy-in. People love the building and there is a lot of nostalgia which helps with getting people on board.
"We looked at South Street for a long time, and recently we became engaged with this project through the council.
"It will be great to breathe life back into a building which has been sat empty for 40 years."
"Once I was in and saw some of the original features, and even the view on to the High Street, it just makes sense to have a presence.
Despite the optimism and enthusiasm for the project, Stacey admits there is a "lot of work to do", however, with the support of the council and Robertsons as the main contractor for the work, she is confident it will take shape over the next couple of years.
She added: "It's important to start doing the public engagement now to start getting some momentum."
That saw Stacey and young volunteers on the High Street for three days on Saturday-Monday, February 10-12 outside the former M&Co retail premises, discussing the project with members of the public.
She said: "It was amazing. Over the three days we meaningfully engaged with about 120 people. People want to see the building utilised and things going on in the town centre. The support was overwhelming and people are excited at the prospect of it happening."
Many people turned up with old photographs and nostalgic memories of events and functions at the hotel.
And one woman, a Mrs Broadley, gifted an 1860 lithograph print of the hotel and a bustling town centre which she had bought for her late parents' ruby wedding.
"For someone to be kind enough to gift us a family possession is massive," said Stacey.
The plan will see the downstairs space (the former M&Co shop) utilised for a possible Victorian market style business outlet, with M:ADE taking over the top two floors for a creative centre, including a gallery and community workshop, with space possibly leased to other creative organisations.
This is one of four projects which are part of an Elgin City masterplan, using the Levelling Up cash.
The former sawmill site on Linkwood Road will be redeveloped as a space for new businesses.
The former Jailhouse Nightclub and Junners toyshop in the centre of Elgin are also being reimagined as centres for innovation and education.
The Cooper Park will undergo major improvements, including a return of boats to the pond.
The Gordon Arms closed in 1980 and the grand looking building has been empty since and is looking a little jaded from the outside, and needing more than a little TLC on the inside.
However, it still retains its historic charm and Stacey believes is the perfect setting for the project.
The working name for the project is 'The Pot Still', which is a nod to a former pub which was next door to the hotel.
"That kind of speaks to the idea of a melting pot of ideas," added Stacey.
M:ADE is about community development through creative activity and this will be the first time it has had a proper home.
Stacey had been overseeing the fine art division at UHI Moray in Elgin since 2018, until she left recently to go full-time with the M:ADE project to oversee its development.
She admits that felt "risky and exciting" at the same time.
"The idea for this came out of conversations with people who were wanting a creative space.
"I would like to think we have been engaging with people enough and listening to ideas that people will really feel ownership of this."
After studying art history and then gallery education in Newcastle, Stacey returned to her native Elgin in 2017.
She wants the creative centre to become a space where people can learn and develop locally.
"A lot of people do move away (from Moray), a lot of it out of choice but also because there is not enough opportunity on their doorstep. This, I would hope, provides that opportunity for those who don't want to move away, somewhere they can come to create and study."
She credits her granny Mary for being her sounding board for most of her creative ideas.
"I always kind of use my granny as a temperature gauge for things I am doing. I always feel if you have granny's permission and support it is going to work. She is the fountain of all knowledge and wise advice.
"She also cooks well and is a good grounder for a lot of things."
Stacey is passionate about arts and creativity being accessible for all, and is about "doing things differently".
Away from arts, she is a fitness instructor in her spare time which, she admits, gives her a release and different focus from the pressures of working in the creative industry, which has traditionally not always been the best supported financially.
However, with the Levelling Up money from the UK Government and the support of Moray Council, she is confident that this project will be a success.
