Creative Coathanger started life as a project to help reenergise the town centre in Galashiels. Its inaugural Everything Festival in 2016 attracted contributions from artists all over the Borders, as well as support and funding from organisations including Creative Scotland, Being Human Festival, VisitScotland, Historic Scotland, Borders Community Rail Partnership, Arts & Business Scotland, Moving Image Makers Collective, Alchemy Film Festival, The National Galleries, Live Borders and Heriot-Watt University, as well as many local businesses.