Running from 18 July until 13 September 2026, Study for North Bridge is a new film by the artists Rachel McBrinn and Jonathan Webb.

Made during the bridge’s restoration, it provides a new perspective on one of Edinburgh’s widely-known landmarks, before its scheduled reopening next month.

As part of the North Bridge restoration programme, the film has been commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council. The film considers how the bridge has been repaired, but also how places are maintained and remembered. 

The film uses real-life footage with imagined scenes to ask how today’s events become history. 

By using the voice of a fictional art historian looking back from the future, it prompts visitors to think about how stories are recorded, preserved, and retold. 

The title, Study for North Bridge, is a reference to the sketches artists typically make while developing a final work. 

As such, the film focuses on the work in progress instead of the finished bridge.

Alongside the film, visitors can view original pieces removed from the bridge during restoration, exhibited with paintings and other artworks from the City of Edinburgh’s Fine Art Collection that show North Bridge over the last 300 years.

The exhibition comes with a programme of guided walking tours, delivered in partnership with Invisible Cities. Starting and ending at the City Art Centre, the tours look into the people, places and stories that have shaped North Bridge.

Councillor Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities convener, said: “North Bridge is one of Edinburgh’s most important civic landmarks and has connected communities across the city for more than 130 years.

“As we look forward to the bridge reopening this summer, this exhibition offers a fascinating opportunity to reflect not only on the engineering achievement of its restoration, but also on the stories, memories and meanings attached to the structure.”