Community Wellbeing Collective (CWC) 2022-Present
The Community Wellbeing Collective (CWC) is a durational social art collective and grassroots group of people living in or connected to Wester Hailes, Edinburgh. We came together to practice what community wellbeing can be, expand public imagination, and take agency on common struggles and desires.
Jogob Saar, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022 
Susi O’rourke, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022 
Jj Fadaka, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022 
Ayó Akínwándé, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022 
Seona O’Flaherty, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022 
Lorna Baxter, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022 
Ruvimbo Heather Marufu, Offerings, film still by Rachel McBrinn, courtesy of Community Wellbeing Collective, 2022
Josie Tothill joined the collective and core artist team in 2022 shortly after its initiation by Bobby Sayers and Jeanne van Heeswijk, commissioned by Edinburgh Art Festival in partnership with WHALE Arts.
A durational community-embedded approach to understand the tensions, needs, and interests in the area, resulted in taking over an empty shopping unit in Westside Plaza and transforming it into a Community Wellbeing Space, designed by the collective and run by and for the people. Local members host the space and lead wellbeing activities that suspend the suffocation of intersecting oppressions, creating space to breathe and the possibility to dream together.
Josie Tothill programmes monthly Anchor Events in collaboration with members of the collective. At Anchor Events we work with other artists, organisations and activists to understand common struggles in current systems, resist, imagine beyond them, and live future ways of being together as if it were possible in the present.
Resisting Racism conversation, photo courtesy of CWC 2023 
Photo courtesy of CWC 2022 
Photo courtesy of CWC 2023 
Photo courtesy of CWC 2023 
Photo courtesy of CWC 2023 
Photo courtesy of CWC 2023 
Social care by and for the people, public forum, Photo courtesy of CWC 2023 
Mapping community timelines, workshop by Wacera Kamonji, photo courtesy of CWC 2022 
Creating community safety, workshop by jj Fadaka, photo courtesy of CWC 2022 
Revolutionary Care, workshop by CaSWO! and CWC, photo courtesy of CWC 2022 
Photo courtesy of CWC 2023
Care for self and community changes the world from inside out. You can read more about CWC and see programme updates on the website www.watchthisspace.online
Josie Tothill 