MORAY Arts Development Engagement (M:ADE) has been announced as Moray Council‘s creative partner for the redevelopment of Elgin’s former Gordon Arms Hotel and M&Co premises.
The local authority said the appointment marks a major step in delivering a ‘bold and inclusive’ cultural vision for the city centre, and follows a competitive process to find a partner capable of bringing community-led imagination and sustainability to the project.
M:ADE’s proposal stood out for its deep local roots, commitment to inclusion, and a strong track record of delivering impactful arts programming, the council added. The organisation will lead the redevelopment of the upper floors – establishing a creative hub that supports artists, delivers cultural programming, and invites the wider community to engage with artistic and creative activity.
The future of the ground floor is still under development, with plans to create a flexible space that could include retail, hospitality, or cultural uses. The council and M:ADE will continue to explore options in collaboration with local stakeholders to ensure the ground floor offering meets the needs of the community and supports Elgin’s wider regeneration goals.
Chair of Moray Council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee, councillor Marc Macrae, said, “We’re excited to be working with M:ADE on this landmark project. Their collaborative and place-based approach offers the right foundation to create a space that is rooted in community and has the potential to become a cornerstone of Elgin’s cultural identity.”
M:ADE creative director, Stacey Toner, added, “M:ADE is delighted to be involved with the imminent redevelopment of the M&Co and Gordon Arms Hotel space. We believe that Moray will benefit greatly from a creative making and showing space as there is currently nothing of this proposed scale or nature in the region.
“As a place for people to come together and as a functional facility, we hope it becomes loved and well used by local communities and artists; MADE is keen to chat with anyone who holds an interest in the redevelopment, to ensure our input to the project from this early stage provides a vision that is as true as possible to what people need and want locally.”
