Campus consensus is that Edinburgh student flats are like none other. Marchmont has its bay windows, Newington is renowned for its high-ceilings and spiraling staircases, and Bruntsfield’s cornicing is second-to-none. But there’s one thing that ties them all together. Some say the heart of the home is the kitchen, but we’re here to sing the praise of the living room.
We’ve noticed a growing trend over the past few months. Culture is moving out of the galleries into spaces where it’s acceptable to show up in your pyjamas (not really, but here’s hoping). We’re talking about the living room arts. Maybe it all started with murder mystery dinners, which combined our love for (family) drama, horrendous charity-shop costumes, and your uncle’s borderline racist acting. Throw in a hearty dinner and it was always going to be a good night.
But from here this location-specific craze has flourished. We’re seeing pop-up art shows everywhere we look. Maybe it’s something about getting older, or our dislike of leaving the house (and social interaction), but these events are dominating an entire cross section of culture. Bands in your living room, crits in your kitchen, and dining-room supper clubs: this is the pulse of local culture.
What do we think of it all? Obviously it’s great. And free, most of the time. It’s a pretty cool thing to dream up an idea and then realise it a week later in your own house. The power to start things you’re interested in has always been a big student thing, but now we’re seeing the true potential growing exponentially. Social media and the joys of self-promotion are making this movement more successful than ever and it feels like this trend has more of a chance than ever of surviving.