As any self respecting Leither will tell you, the area’s renaissance continues. First the decent bars and restaurants took root, then the ever burgeoning Leith festival. This fortnight its cultural kudos gets another boost with the addition of a new gallery-space-cum-arts-venue. The brainchild of Susan Wilson, who already runs the Axolotl Gallery at 35 Dundas Street, sister gallery AXO has just opened at 59 Queen Charlotte Street, right in time for the festival.

‘It started as a small idea and just grew and grew,’ explains Wilson. ‘The area already has fabulous spaces like Out of the Blue and the Embassy Gallery, so it was really about building on that excitement.’

Situated opposite Leith Links, the space was once a warehouse and more recently an antique store. Wilson is hopeful artists from across the genres of visual art, poetry and theatre will want to capitalise on the space and encourage a renewed buzz for the arts, allowing as many people as possible to showcase their work on their website and gallery.

Moreover, says Wilson, it’s about putting the artist first with chosen exhibitors getting to keep 100% of the sale price on work sold during exhibitions.

‘It’s about giving people a chance and really getting that sense of community back with a roster of events,’ says Wilson. ‘We don’t want to know where you studied or whether you have a degree or not – we don’t care how old you are, all we want is your faith in your own ability.’

AXO’s current exhibition features new work by Ann Arnot, Jill Farquhar, Sarah Green, Gregor Laird, Gareth Sheridan and Jill Skulina. See www.axolotl.co.uk for more.