About Room 13
Room 13 is the only Highland-based visual arts organisation focused exclusively on making high quality, creative opportunities accessible to young people.
- Room 13 provides space for young people to explore the visual arts and grow as creative individuals.
- Room 13 enables young people to work alongside, be guided and be challenged by experienced artists.
- Room 13 empowers young people to shape it (as an organisation and creative community), with their ideas, skills and collective decision making.
“What have I learned about being creative? Well, not to be afraid.” – primary school pupil
Our activity is centred around our purpose-built studios in the village of Caol, on the outskirts of Fort William. Here, Room 13 offers a safe and welcoming space for young artists from ages 8-25 to work alongside a professional adult artist-in-residence, with free access to tools, equipment and materials. Arts and enterprise go hand-in-hand, with young people organising the space and helping meet its running costs.
“In the later years of primary school, I was given the job and title of managing director of the room 13 studio Caol, this was a big responsibility to step up to, this included making sure the studio was under control, people were tidying up, organising and holding meeting for the rest of the room 13 committee… my room 13 experience has been one I will not forget, I have gained skills that have helped me.” – young adult reflecting on attending Room 13 in primary school
By stepping into Room 13, you become part of a remarkable story; in 1994, a short-term artist residency blossomed into a fully fledged art studio run by pupils of Caol Primary School and their Artist-in-Residence, Rob Fairley. The spare classroom they based themselves in was… Room 13.
The idea was subsequently adopted by artists and young people around the globe. As a result, Room 13 became the centre of a movement promoting visual literacy, creativity and enterprise among young people in school and community spaces worldwide.
“My youngest son is a sculptor, ask him what he wants to be and he’ll tell you he’s a sculptor.” – parent
Today, in bright new premises, Room 13 remains rooted in the Highland community where it first began. While we continue to attract interest from all over the world, this is where we know we can be most effective. By focusing on what we do best, in the area we know well, we hope that Room 13 may continue to inspire local action, everywhere.
“I truly Believe I wouldn’t have had these amazing opportunities (including the placement trip to Slovakia) without the experience i gained with you guys in my time in room 13 i want to thank you guys again for that as it is still helping me out to this day” – young adult, former intern