E-cargo bikes for arts workers

In January 2024, SCAN acquired a fleet of four e-cargo bikes thanks to funding from Cycling UK’s Scotland’s Cycle Share Fund. The bikes are available to SCAN members, and affiliated artists and art workers, to hire and use in their day-to-day work for free, and come equipped with large capacity cargo boxes for safe storage of materials and artwork. The bikes will be based at four SCAN member organisations – The Briggait in Glasgow, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Forgan Art Centre in Fife and Hospitalfield in Arbroath – ensuring that they benefit arts communities across a large area of Scotland.

The scheme aims to provide a free, environmentally-friendly means of transporting work, at a time when artists and arts organisations across the country are in dire need of sustainable transport options. The bikes were purchased through the Cycle Share Fund: a Cycling UK project funded by Transport Scotland, which provides funding for organisations to purchase cycles and equipment for shared use. The scheme connects with one of SCAN’s strategic aims: to harness non-arts funding for the benefit of artists, arts workers and arts organisations across the country

“Artists and arts organisations across Scotland are working hard to meet the challenges of the climate emergency,” said Moira Jeffrey, Director of Scottish Contemporary Art Network, about the scheme. “We’re delighted that we can help them reach their goals by making the sustainable transport of materials and art works that little bit easier thanks to support from Cycling UK in Scotland’s Cycle Share Fund. We are thrilled that our four e-cargo bikes, which are free to book for SCAN members, will be available in both urban centres and rural areas. We want artists to feel supported in the huge effort they are already undertaking to make the word a better place for all of us.”

A booking system will be available soon for SCAN members looking to hire one of the cargo bikes.

Any questions about the scheme can be directed to Lydia Honeybone at [email protected].