Be United Presents: Bloom – A Live Music Experience
About This Event
Be United Presents: Bloom — a live music experience, bidding farewell to spring and welcoming new growth. The event is curated by the emerging creative producers of Producing the Future, Be United’s training programme for young people entering the events industry. “Bloom” will take place on Thursday, 22 May at Leith Arches. The night will bring together some of Scotland’s most exciting up-and-coming musical acts in an immersive celebration of growth, creativity, and community.
Date: 22 May 2025
Location: Leith Arches, 6 Manderston St, Edinburgh EH6 8LY
Event Theme
Be United Presents: Bloom offers a timely nod to this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Month – community. The emerging producers of Bloom aim to create an atmosphere where guests can enjoy live music and connect. We are celebrating both personal and creative resilience, transforming Leith Arches into a vibrant space where creativity and connection flourish.
Artist Lineup
We’re thrilled to introduce the talented artists bringing Bloom to life at Leith Arches. Each performer brings their own unique sound, style, and energy to the stage — promising a night full of unforgettable music.
Music Artists
VIV LATIFA
Viv Latifa is a singer-songwriter and dancer from Togo and Italy, based in Edinburgh. She found her love for music in church at the age of six, singing Gospel. After moving to Italy, where she grew up, she started performing in theatres and tuned her ears towards the R&B superstars on the radio, such as Destiny’s Child, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Usher, Alicia Keys and more.
Today, she is an artist that performed across Scotland’s well-known stages, with her music also featured on notable radio stations like BBC Introducing and 1Xtra. She’s currently working on her debut album — a bold new chapter in her career that you won’t want to miss unfold live at Leith Arches!
TAYOH
Tayoh is a genre-blending artist whose music seamlessly fuses elements of Blues, Soul, Hip-Hop, Dance, Country, Alternative, and Pop. Tayoh’s lyrics often explore themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. Known for his willingness to experiment and push musical boundaries, Tayoh continues to captivate listeners with his unique sound and heartfelt performances — whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering his music for the first time.
Visual Artist
Canan Işık
Canan Işık is a Glasgow-based artist and animator, originally from Turkiye, with a background in architecture and a deep-rooted passion for visual storytelling. Her practice moves fluidly across experimental animation, motion design, and illustration—often blending hand-drawn elements with digital techniques to explore themes of memory, space, and emotional transformation, such as metamorphosis.
Canan views animation as a meeting point of time and image. In her work, she focuses on transformation rather than movement, which brings her practice into a more experimental space. She frequently explores new techniques through time and imagery, continually seeking new ways to express transformation.
Her animation work has been featured on international platforms including the Sea Change Film Festival in Tiree, the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, and the ArchiShorts Architecture + Design Film Festival, where she received an Intricacy Prize. She has also exhibited at Studio-X Istanbul, contributing to global conversations around space, architecture, and visual narratives.
Influenced by her architectural training, Canan’s creative process is grounded in precision and a sensitivity to form. Whether animating frame by frame or working in stop motion, she approaches each piece as a carefully crafted visual experience. She works with tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Craft, and Procreate to deliver projects that speak to both artistic intention and audience engagement.
About Producing the Future
Be United’s Producing the Future programme is designed to equip young people (18-25) with essential event production skills. Over the course of 10 weeks, participants engage in hands-on learning in creative programming, technical production, project management, budgeting, talent management and marketing. Through mentorship, guest lectures, and collaboration, they gain invaluable industry insight, all of which has shaped the creation of this year’s live music experience.
Supported By
Be United is supported by Creative Scotland through their Multi-Year Funding Programme, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and The Robertson Trust, who directly support our Producing the Future programme and this event.
A special thank you to Fruitmarket for providing Producing the Future paticipants with the workshop space.
Accessibility & Travel
Accessibility
Leith Arches’ ground floor is wheelchair accessible, and an accessible toilet is available on-site. The venue is dog-friendly, with guide dogs especially welcome. However, please consider whether the event’s volume and lighting may be overwhelming for some pets. If you have specific access needs or questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Getting There
📍 Leith Arches, 6 Manderston Street, Edinburgh EH6 8LY
Located in Edinburgh’s vibrant Leith area, the venue sits just off Leith Walk — easily accessible by public transport and surrounded by local cafés, bars, and creative spaces.
By Bus:
Leith Arches is well-served by several Lothian Buses routes, including the 16, 21, 25, 49, 7, 14, N14, 1, 35, N35, 12, and 36. The nearest stop, ‘Foot of the Walk,’ is just a 2-minute walk from the venue.
By Tram:
The Edinburgh Trams’ T50 line stops nearby at ‘Foot of the Walk (Edinburgh Trams),’ providing easy access to the venue.
By Train:
Edinburgh Waverley Station is the closest major train station. From there, you can take a short bus or tram ride to reach Leith Arches.
By Car:
On-street parking near Leith Arches is limited and subject to controlled parking zones.