The Woodend Arts Association is a Scottish registered charity set up in 1994 to promote the arts and artistic activity on Deeside in North-East Scotland. It has a sixty-year lease on the Woodend Barn Arts Centre, Banchory. A major fund-raising campaign in 1996/7 allowed WAA to develop the Woodend Barn into a community arts venue.

The Woodend Barn is generally a receiving venue, although occasionally a community play or event is put on. They also organise their own workshops. Several different events are put on by different affiliates, and globally the breakdown is as follows: 5 or 6 classical concerts each year (organised by WMS). WAA itself adds to this programme by promoting additional events on an opportunistic basis (for example, tours by Scottish Opera Go Round and/or other chamber groups). It holds monthly Folk Music Session Nights with eight to 12 performances by celebrated traditional musicians and groups, presents 3 touring theatre productions from both local and national theatre companies annually, and 1 to 2 dance performances and workshops. A number of storytelling, poetry and writing events are also held. There are usually 5 or 6 visual art exhibitions each year in the Lang Byre Gallery. (These include collaborations with local schools, art colleges and artists associations). Arts and crafts of all sorts are promoted at the Woodend Barn through both specialised workshops, and mixed workshops combining two or more different skills (e.g. combining art/storytelling and dance/abstract art).