>>CITY LINK FESTIVAL _ FOUR CITIES, [EXTRA]ORDINARY PLACES
Hold Me Dear, a project curated by Edinburgh-based design studio HERE+NOW, were excited to partner with City Link Festival as part of their 2015 festival in Edinburgh from 24-27 September 2015.
People in each of the four City Link Festival cities - Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Hamburg or Istanbul were invited to celebrate their city by submitting a photograph and 50 word caption about the place they treasured. This exhibition is called Hold Me Dear: Four Cities, [Extra]Ordinary Places and saw individuals from around the world send in wonderful photos and touching stories of the places in their city they personally treasure.
Selected photographs were exhibited in an outdoor physical exhibition to transform Rodney St railway tunnel in Edinburgh for a month from 24 Sept - 20 October 2015. The exhibition and the workshops, design+build days and events leading up to it were organised by HERE+NOW as part of a 6 month process of community engagement and design with local volunteers and residents. This culminated in a launch event on 27 September as part of the City Link Festival programme of events in Edinburgh that weekend. The exhibition was subsequently displayed in the tunnel for a further month, transforming this space into an outdoor art gallery and venue for community events.
This project was curated, facilitated and managed by HERE+NOW and Hold Me Dear, and has since won two Scottish Design Awards and the Regional Award for Scotland as part of the UK-wide Planning and Placemaking Awards 2016. You can find out more and see photos from the event and exhibition here.
Many thanks to our Main Sponsor - Sustrans - as well as our Supporting Partners - the City of Edinburgh Council, City Link Festival, the Friends of King George V Park, and Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership for their support, as well as all those who contributed photographs, stories or their time in enabling this exhibition to happen.
![]() Porty BeachEdinburgh, my favourite place in the world, stretches from great institutions in the city centre all the way to this beautiful beach. There is nothing like an evening walk with the dog to remind me of how lucky I am to live here and represent the people of Edinburgh East. ___ Tommy Sheppard MP | ![]() Abandoned HospitalThis is a ward in an abandoned hospital in the Edinburgh district. I'm an urban explorer. This is one of my favourite places because I find it peaceful and containing. I love the rich history and scraps of humanity left behind. I don't think about anything while I'm documenting, just where I am right now. Its like a spa for the mind. I've been visiting for years monitoring its decay and I'm gutted that its going to be bulldozed for luxury living. Meh. | ![]() Edinburgh Cycle NetworkEdinburgh’s cycle path network joins up various city destinations with calm, tranquil routes. For me they provide a countryside escape within the city, allow for headspace between busier parts of the day, and are a valuable source for nature connections. I’ve tried to capture this with a unique perspective. ___ Katrina Martin | ![]() Braid AvenueIn the spring, for a month, I make a point of walking down this street as often as I can. I love how the blossom transforms the space and lifts the spirit from when the first buds appear to the piles of pink that accumulate on the roadside as the blossom fades. ___ Karen Esslemont | ![]() The Scott MonumentScott Monument, the morning after NYE. Each year I wake up early to see how the silence takes over what is probably the best night in Edinburgh. Welcoming the new year is one of my special moments. The clouds above the monument replace the noise traces that remained on Princes Street. ___ Inbal Drue |
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![]() The Botanic GardensMy favourite place is The Botanic Gardens, particularly in autumn. The festival crowds have gone home, the children are back at school and peace reigns once again! The tranquility, the solitude, the silence – save for the crunch of windblown leaves and the call of birds … magical! ___ David Pickering | ![]() Arthurs SeatArthurs Seat holds a special place in the heart of most Edinburgh dwellers. It's an escape from the bustle of the city and allows space for relaxation and contemplation. It's hard not to feel calm looking over the city you call home from the summit. ___ Alice Tomkins | ![]() Royal Botanic GardensThe Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s poppy meadow is a perfect way to commemorate First World War. This was taken in August 2014, a couple of weeks later a summer storm would wreak havoc on this meadow but it is back in full flower this year. ___ Rhys Fullerton | ![]() Inverleith ParkInverleith Park was made for Sunday morning strolls. I love how the light in this photo is creeping through the trees and lighting up the path. The trees on either side are working in perfect symmetry to create a wonderful effect. ___ Rhys Fullerton | ![]() National Museum of ScotlandMerging traditional and modern architecture, the National Museum of Scotland was my inspiration all through school that took centre stage in my portfolio that got me into art-school. The roof terrace gives you 360* views of the old city and frames vistas in an inspiring and contemporary way. ___ Lucy Galloway |
![]() Water of Leith walkwayEdinburgh is my place. This is the Water of Leith walkway and is one of my many routes in and out of the city I use when out exploring. This traffic free green network along an old railway line transports me through the Dells and out into the Pentland Hills. ___ Alison Chisholm | ![]() Waverly BridgeSpring equinox today. I made it through my third winter in Scotland. The days are getting longer and that always feels like drugs coming on, a buzz in the air that you don’t get in southern countries, like electricity vibrating through wires overhead. ___ Zoë Lamonde | ![]() The Pond, Inverleith ParkPeace of mind whilst feeding the birds at the pond in Inverleith Park. I’ve been in Scotland for less than a year. ___ Richard, Inverleith Park | ![]() Calton Hill in the SnowCalton Hill is one of my favourite places in Edinburgh. Every time I visit I see something different. It might be the National Monument in a different light or from a different angle or an unknown building in the distance. You can never be bored when visiting Calton Hill. ___ Rhys Fullerton | ![]() The SnakeyIn the crook of Edinburgh's austere New Town this delightful corner offers a tree shadowed river, bridge for Pooh sticks, cliff face of fine Georgian houses, tiny community garden, Victorian artisanal upside-down dwellings, and a path, The Snakey, curving up to a perversely loved hulking great red sandstone Edwardian baths. ___ Judy Conn |
![]() Volcanic Fault LinesThe paths and volcanic fault lines on Arthur's Seat can appear like veins and scars marking out great folds of the city's natural skin. And running along one of these lines, with my dog Bonnie further ahead, I feel like I am feeling Edinburgh's pulse anew each time. ___ Jemma Neville | ![]() The National Monument of ScotlandCarlton Hill - The National Monument of Scotland. Unfinished but not unloved, this monument adds to Edinburgh's dramatic, historical and beautiful skyline. At the top you'll find peace and quiet among the chaos of city life, and a 360 degree view of Edinburgh. ___ Innes Shirreff | ![]() The Warburton GalleryThe Warburton Gallery is one of Edinburgh's hidden gems. A perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of life in the city, and to be alone with one's thoughts, stunning artwork and beautiful interiors. ___ Lucy Sheard | ![]() Broughton High SchoolI love Septemberfest at Broughton High School in Edinburgh. It is such a fun day with loads of outdoor and indoor activities and best of all it is free! Lots of smiling faces!___ Naomi Crowley | ![]() The Water of Leith - Anthony GormleyThe installation “6 Times” by Antony Gormley – consisting of six life-sized figures placed along the waters – inspired my poetry/photograph sequence “Walking on the Water." Sadly only two of the figures remain. From Figure IV: 'my Shadow on the murky surface; my Reflection in the water; and above it all, my Self.’ ___ J A Sutherland |
![]() Holyrood ParkHolyrood Park is a favourite spot of mine as it is steeped in history. The St Anthony Chapel ruin has a Gothic-like appearance that transforms a lovely park into an almost creepy place in certain conditions like bad weather or late at night. ___ Mark McDonald | ![]() View from Calton HillThis is a shot I have attempted to get many times, luckily this time the weather was with me. The iconic view from Calton Hill but with the added spectacle of the setting moon. ___ Stephen Hinde | ![]() My Secret GardenThe entrance to my secret garden, two floors underground from the street side. It is always surprising to anyone who has not been there before and always brings a smile to my face, and joy to my heart. A quiet, peaceful space in the middle of the city. ___ Joan Beattie | ![]() This Takeaway Shop WindowIn a city that isn't home, there are inviting words to be found. At the right place, at the right time, the sunlight shines through this window of a takeaway and projects this word beside the single table. I've never gone in, but I like to know it's a possibility. ___ Laura Waddell | ![]() View from Calton HillThe best way to spend an evening in Edinburgh is watching rays of light hit the famous buildings and looking onward in awe at the blossom pink sky above and waiting for the lights of the city to turn on and wondering what colour the castle will be tonight. ___ Greig Howitt |
![]() Footbridge Over the Train LineI love the footbridge over the train line in Princes Street Gardens. We used to take the kids there to watch the trains pass underneath and wave at the drivers. Not only kids and their parents/grant parents enjoy the view. I once overheard a bunch of teenagers reminisce being taken there. It's a place to enjoy a child's fascination of motion and technology. ___ Magnus Hagdorn | ![]() Calton HillCalton Hill offers one of the best and most iconic views in Edinburgh and as a photographer getting unique shot is no easy feat which is why this particular morning was so special for me, times like these remind me how lucky I am to live in Edinburgh. ___ Greig Howitt | ![]() A New AngleDespite having lived in Edinburgh all my life, there's still times when I see the city from a new angle, and it's always breathtaking. ___ Elaine Hutton | ![]() Holyrood Park ViewI just love the wide view of Edinburgh from the corner of the top road in Holyrood Park. ___ Jonathan Cruickshank | ![]() Cramond BeachCramond Beach is my favourite spot in Edinburgh and I walk there nearly every day. When the tide is out, as it is in this photograph, it exposes the walkway to Cramond Island. I love watching the varied bird life and, all summer long, enjoy the most spectacular sunsets there. ___ Sue Macnaughton |
![]() Arthur's SeatIt was the view out of my bedroom window in my very first flat in Edinburgh and now, every time I see Arthur's Seat, I'm reminded of why I love this city. It's so near and yet whenever I climb to the top, I feel so far away from material life. I connect with nature again and my perspective recalls how small a person I really am in this enormous, beautiful world. ___ Josephine Green | ![]() Inverleith ParkOn my morning dog walk - a peaceful start to the day, reminding me of of how lucky I am to be here. ___ Gillian Shaw | ![]() EdinburghThe mission to search for one place is difficult, because Edinburgh is impossible to define, a fascinating city, but this photo means the mystery, medieval spirit of this city. ___ Monica Crosa | ![]() Blackford HillBlackford Hill is a favourite place to take the kids for a sunset walk. We love sitting watching the light from the sky slowly subside as the city lights up underneath. Looking out over this scene, there's a great sense of being connected, rooted, to our wee corner of the planet. ___ Tom Duffin | ![]() Quiet StreetsEvery summer, I get up extremely early and wander around the quiet streets of Edinburgh. I take a deep breath and tell myself I'm incredibly lucky to call this amazing city my home. ___ Alison, Edinburgh Spotlight |
![]() TollcrossBeautiful carved bulls head on former meat market, just cast your eyes upwards to find gorgeous things in our beautiful city. Tollcross, Edinburgh. Restored 2009. ___ Shelagh Atkinson | ![]() Portobello beachThe beach at Portobello, now just a short walk from home. Somewhere to sit and watch the rowers setting out, big ships heading into the Forth, terns diving for fish close by and Gannets farther out. Or just watching the waves and listening to the surf breaking on the shore. ___ Jon Davey | ![]() Arthur's SeatWherever I am in Edinburgh if I look up and see the silhouettes of people at the top of Arthur’s Seat it makes me happy. It’s our cities backdrop that beckons to be climbed, it attracts everyone and caters for all. When you reach the top at 250.5 m above the city it’s like a party that never ends. The hill once a contentious host (we call it his antisocial Carboniferous phase) has mellowed. Today he welcomes all to look out over the city, there's no better place to roam, see or be. __ Gill White | ![]() The GroveThe Grove is a temporary allotment on a brownfield site by the canal. Whatever the weather, I love busying myself with all the constant little jobs - filling the water tanks, planting out seedlings, building new things. It's my favourite place in the city and all the more precious because it won't last forever. ___ Akiko Kobayashi | ![]() SummerhallSome love it. Some hate it. I have always found it fascinating to watch the city transform each summer for the Edinburgh Fringe. These rabbits were captured at Summerhall, where I have seen so many crazy, wonderful and inspiring things that will stay with me for many festivals to come. ___ Carol Hayes |
![]() Morning DewApril 2014, Edinburgh: I got out of bed at 5am just with the desire of seizing the day. The morning dew was everywhere, wispering about life, the life that was slipping away...A few hours later I received the news about my grandfather's death. It was a day and a place that I will always remember. ___ Marina Papagianni | ![]() Arthurs SeatArthur's Seat, a stunning area of green space right in the heart of Edinburgh, is my go-to place for a nice calm walk. On a sunny day, you can't beat the views both of it and from it. I'm honoured to have been wandering around it for 9 years and counting! ___ Mike Paul | ![]() Our Garden Deck, PortobelloSometimes I take a moment to sit with my dog and a cup of peppermint-and-licorice tea on this deck which took us far too long to build (perfectionists - and while juggling a three month old) I understand the meaning of the phrase 'fruits of your labour'! It’s a sweet reward to take a deep breath and listen to the birch trees sway and the garden birds sing. ___ Liz Thomas, Edinburgh | ![]() Our Roof Terrace, TollcrossThis rooftop at the top of our tenement flat is a place I treasure in Edinburgh. A beautiful spot with views across The Meadows toward Arthurs Seat and Edinburgh Castle. Happy memories of long summer days with friends. ___ Jenny Humberstone |
Edinburgh //
![]() The Jewish Northern CemeteryThe Jewish Northern Cemetery in Copenhagen is a beautiful oasis in a hectic neighbourhood. The place reminds me of Jewish immigration to Copenhagen in the past before my great grandparents arrived from Eastern Europe in the beginning of 20th century. The cemetery is like a manifesto for the city: Copenhagen will continue to be diverse and multicultural. ___ Esther Flytkjaer | ![]() RyparkenRyparken is between the four lane free way, the s-train to the west and the dense social housing to the north. Only a few dirt tracks and a single barbecue stand, disrupt the mere brushwood, forest pond and lively duck-life wilderness of my favourite breathing space of north central Copenhagen. ___ Nikolaj Callesen | ![]() TivoliI think almost every single child in Denmark knows Tivoli, the amusement park right in the center of Copenhagen. Memories of being greasy from candy floss, nausea from all the rides, up and down, side to side and all the light when it gets dark. Pure joy when you are a child. ___ Kiowa Rudolph | ![]() Nørrebro ParkenEvery day for the past nine years, I have walked my dog in Nørrebro Parken, Copenhagen. I see the small green leaves, becoming big and cover the branches, and then get yellow and brown to end up on the ground. One of the most important things in a city, is the recreative spaces. ___ Kiowa Rudolph | ![]() AmagerThis is from Amager. I love the small stories, that can be found in abandoned things and places around Copenhagen. This is also a tribute to the many trees around the city, I could not breathe here without you. ___ Morten Elting Eilersen |
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![]() Kastrup Sea BathThe week is already becoming too long and the weekend is so far away. Are you still alive? At least, I am breathing... It's Wednesday evening. You just went out from the office and called your best friends. "I´ll buy some beers, see you there". The wooden platform by southern Amager Strand couldn´t be a better scenery for a hyggelig spring sunset. ___ Alba Ortega | ![]() AmagerAmager: there is wind, much wind and solitude. There are long, bright and sparkiling nights in which you find treasures and shelter. You are sometimes the only one seeing it all, feeling it all. ___ Malwa Grabowska | ![]() RefshaleørnRefshaleørn is the last real industrial area in Copenhagen. The price is so high that no one buys it to build trendy condos. There´s tons of cool surfaces and hidden treasures to be found. And by night its transformed into a surreal landscape of edges and shadows. ___ Rasmus B. Lind | ![]() ØrestadØrestad is the windy part of Copenhagen and also my home. This part of the city seemed truly far away before the building of the metro system. On days of fog this place is unbelievably beautiful. ___ Emma Flokstra Nielsson | ![]() NørrebroNørrebro's got this certain magnet effect on me. This is where I go to relax, to play with my daughter, to have a coffee and enjoy this certain small village feel thats got the fresh breathe of people from all over the world. ___ Nikolaj Callesen |
![]() The Red SquareThe Red Square, Nørrebro is the embodiment of everything I love about Copenhagen. Here people of all kinds hang out. The brightly coloured square is known for its multi-ethnic visitors, and is a great place for hanging out with friends and family. Through it is also a bike-path that embodies the spirit of the Danish cyclists. ___ Emma Flokstra Nielsson | ![]() BryggenThis is "Bryggen" in Copenhagen. It is a cool place close to the city and the waterfront. This is a place where you can swim in the summer time and just a cross the bridge, you have Tivoli and the centre of Copenhagen. It is really cool with a place so close to the the city where you and enjoy the sun and water. There is also bars and live music in the summertime. A small oase in the heart of the city. ___ Thomas Øjerson | ![]() Øresund metro stationI live very close to this Øresund metro station, so almost everyday I will get around the city here. The very sight of it comforts and reminds me that I am home. ___ Viroj Jienwatcharamongkhol | ![]() The White HouseThis was part of my way to work in the city for quite a few years. I loved the atmosphere in the city in the morning. I've always loved city-mornings. Though Edinburgh from now on will be "my city" - and it is gorgeous - I'll always be a Copenhagener.... The white house has the city's most slanted windows. ___ Birgitte Gøtzsche | ![]() NyhavnNyhavn harbour is very special to me since it was the first place I visited in Copenhagen when I arrived here. There, on a chilly winter day, in a cosy café, I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate with my mom, and felt the pleasant welcome of the Little Mermaid's city. ___ Simona Todorova |
![]() The LakesI passed "the lakes" every day on my way to and from work in the city centre. Sometimes without noticing - sometimes enjoying the view. Now I'm moving to Scotland, a little south of Edinburgh. Maybe I'll miss crossing the bridge? ___ Birgitte Gøtzsche | ![]() Seasonal ChangeI wake up to the view of this wall every day. I see it from the window of my home. I love the perspective of time passing that I get from watching the leaves change color through seasons. ___ Sara Melson | ![]() Filips Kirke, KøbenhavnI can see Filips Kirke from my desk so I spend a lot of time looking at it. I watch all kinds of life pass through but my rule is if I see a christening, a wedding and a funeral then it's really time to get back to work. ___ Damhán McLaughlin | ![]() Amager StrandI grew up on a small island and crave the seaside on hot days. Now I've moved, my childhood memories are reality again with the beach only minutes away. Watching the waves crash on the shore and feeling the sand in my toes is something I'll never be bored by. ___ Carol Hayes | ![]() The Laundromat, NørrebroThis cosy cafe is my favourite spot in Copenhagen. Delicious Sunday breakfasts with friends, and long conversations over coffee watching people walk past in the street outside. ____ Jenny Humberstone |
Copenhagen //
![]() Galata bridge and towerGalata bridge and the Galata tower in İstanbul has so much meaning for me as I had my best memories with a guy who I love! ___ Deniz Eryılmaz | ![]() Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Pier.Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Pier. It is a great pleasure of living in Istanbul when the cat or me waited for someone at the Europe's edge, the ferry with passengers turns into light for a few seconds and lightens Bosphorus and the cat or me. ___ Gizem Savcı | ![]() Topkapi GardenOur most cherished place in Istanbul is the European terrace in the Topkapi Garden with an incredible view over Asia. Here we sipped Cay, the typical Turkish tea, and for a moment we really felt the rhythm of this city, made of small things like this. ___ Chiara Modolo & Antonio Burigo | ![]() Salt GalataThis place was bank in Ottoman Empire.Nowadays it is restored in 2011 as art gallery and library. It has beautiful Istanbul view. The photo is respect for history of this amazing city. ___ Selkan Solmaz | ![]() GülsuyuThis area that we see from the building name is Gülsuyu. Mostly Alevi's are living there and this area will be urban renewal. It has wonderful Istanbul view and traditional street culture. ___ Selkan Solmaz |
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![]() This Secret DomeFrom this secret point of the city, it is possible to feel old and historic İstanbul in a lovely way. This dome can give you various of feelings. Especially when you go there in sunset and hear the azan (call to the prayers). ___ Seda Yıldız | ![]() Princes Islands to ErenkoyLast summer, when we were seeing how rain came from Princes Islands to Erenkoy. 15 sec. later, my house's windows started shaking terribly because of the weather. Sorry for people outside. ___ Begum Sardan | ![]() Find The Sea in a Small FrameThe place is a tower on a small island. This is the story of a princess that lived long, long ago... This princess is so near and yet so far from the sea. It was the only place she could see this frame. Maiden's Tower, Istanbul. ___ Betül Toy | ![]() Haydarpaşa Railway StationWhen I took it, Haydarpaşa Railway Station was used as a train station. It was nearly three years ago. But now nobody knows how it will be used now. It was left alone. ____ Betül Toy | ![]() Old British JailThis is from The Old British Jail in Galata, Istanbul. Where once the time went by so slowly for those who waited. You can still read their hand writings on the walls. ___ Serap Gecu |
Istanbul //
Hamburg //
WHAT IS HOLD ME DEAR?
HOLD ME DEAR is a primarily online on-going project that invites any individual worldwide to contribute a photograph and 50 words about a place they treasure and the personal story behind why. Together these form a poignant online gallery collection of beautiful photographs and personal stories about the places that mean a lot to us, but which we rarely share with one another or reveal the reasons behind why.
The project reveals the importance of these seemingly ‘ordinary’ everyday places and how the hidden personal meaning, memories or nostalgia make them [extra]ordinary. If you would like to submit a place that you treasure from anywhere in the world (not just the Four Cities featured in City Link Festival), you are welcome to do this via the main Hold Me Dear gallery page.
WHO ARE HERE+NOW?
HERE+NOW are an Edinburgh-based co-design and landscape architecture studio, and whom manage the Hold Me Dear project. HERE+NOW were thrilled to have been invited by Givrum to participate in this year’s City Link Festival.
HERE+NOW offer an experienced team of place-makers, landscape architects, urban designers, photographers and film-makers, who work to put people at the heart of place and design.
Through co-design workshops, live design sessions, exhibitions and participatory events HERE+NOW work with local communities, matching their local knowledge with HERE+NOW's design expertise, to generate more resilient improved design outcomes.
WHAT IS CITY LINK FESTIVAL?
The Hold Me Dear: Four Cities, [Extra]Ordinary places exhibition launched on Sunday 27 September as part of City Link Festival 2015. City Link Festival 2015 is composed of symposiums, workshops, exhibitions, concerts and performances, embedding transnational and interdisciplinary relationships. In 2015 the Festival took place between Edinburgh and Copenhagen, hosted in Edinburgh from 24-27 September 2015.
This year’s theme was ‘Democratic Renewal’, a topic around which City Link Festival connected the cultural and artistic communities of Edinburgh and Copenhagen and formed a framework for co-creation.
The festival is composed of three elements to create unique, inspiring experiences and cultivate new perspectives on culture and cities; Cultural Exchanges in the run up to the Festival, a one-day Symposium during the Festival, and City-Wide Events including events, workshops, exhibitions, and debates.
Find out more about the broader City Link Festival.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
HERE+NOW, curators of the Hold Me Dear project would like to thank this exhibition's main sponsor Sustrans, and our supporting partners - The City of Edinburgh Council, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership, City Link Festival and the Friends of King George V Park for their support which has enabled this project and the exhibition in September to take place.




