How it started

AGITATE began as Filtr Collective Ltd, formed in summer 2021 by Christina Webber, Jaime Molina and Matteo Crawford. Filtr aimed to use the founders experience in the coffee scene to support artists to exhibit their work in hospitality spaces across the city. This ran for 6-months, before an exciting opportunity presented itself to take on premises at Haymarket Terrace. The tiny team decided to try and make it work. With no prior experience in renovation, running a business, buying and selling photography, or really any of the things that might have been useful, the Filtr team poured energy into AGITATE (then at 20 Haymarket Terrace), to create something that Edinburgh was lacking. It was always intended to be more than a shop: a welcoming creative hub, and a place for photographers and passers-by to buy, sell, discuss, discover and celebrate image-making in its many forms. See images from the renovation by clicking the ‘Set up/Install’ insta highlight.

In 2023 Matteo left the team to pursue a Freelance career in London, and AGITATE moved into 6 William Street, a new venue with Studies in Photography. The shared goal was to celebrate local practitioners and cultivate an appetite for photography in Scotland. In early 2024, Kat Gollock joined AGITATE as Co-Director, an esteemed Freelance Photographer and friend. Throughout 2024 Kat, Christina and Jaime worked to build this new venue as a welcoming space: operating a dynamic programme of events, exhibitions and workshops at 6WS. Unfortunately, at the close of 2024, due to persistent miscommunication and faced with an unworkable ultimatum from Studies in Photography, AGITATE was left no choice but to end their professional relationship, and for the first time was left without a base.

where it’s going

Moving into 2025, in in response to their unexpected circumstances, AGITATE launched Patreon as a way to connect directly with their extended community established over 3-years, running a series of focus groups with first members in order to inform their next steps. Fortunately, AGITATE secured a temporary home with EP Spaces at Saltire Court (20 Castle Terrace, EH1 2EE), moving existing stock to this new location and developing the space to operate as a shared studio.

The formal tiers of DIGITAL, MIXER, MAKER and HERO launched on March 1 2025, with a focus on providing opportunities for critical creative conversation and discovery. Looking forward, AGITATE intend to develop the Patreon community into a useful and meaningful photographic network, alongside continuing a public-facing programme of events, selling local photographers’ work at markets and pop-ups, and continuing to deliver affordable or free opportunities for artists.

Presently the Directorial team are working on an unpaid basis. Long-term, AGITATE hope that the membership model can develop into a robust, adaptable, and replicable business model. To support this, please consider joining as a member.

Stay tuned for more developments…

testimonies

“I think the main thing that made this such a positive experience was the relationship with the gallerists. They were genuinely enthusiastic advocates of my work online and in person. Their friendly and professional approach is key to a positive artist and visitor experience and the gallery is a very welcoming space in a great location. Crucially, they are tireless advocates for photography as art and a living.” - Julie Laing (exhibited Dec 2023 - Jan 2024)

“The agitate team was warm and welcoming and I would absolutely recommend exhibiting there. I felt supported in every way, whether it came to promoting the show through their social media channels or scheduling dates to set up the art works…” - Sophia Hembeck (May 2023)

“Help was always there if I needed it, with creative decisions, recommendations, and hanging, but I also felt that I had real artistic freedom. AGITATE put a lot of effort into marketing my work to their own large, engaged community, and beyond. No part of working with them felt transactional.” - Ellen Renton (May 2023)

I have always felt invigorated after visiting my favourite photography gallery in Edinburgh, whether for a carefully hung exhibition, to discover a zine, book, or print by an artist of whom I had been previously unaware, or simply to enjoy one of many ongoing chats with the staff, whose members I now consider my friends.” - Dr John Perivolaris (June 2023)