There’s so much on in Edinburgh this week that you probably won’t have time to go to bed….from Girls Rock School to National Libraries Day, the Edinburgh Iranian Festival, Harry Potter Night, LGBT History Month and Craig Charles at the Bongo Club, there’s something for everyone – even your canine companions are catered for with the return of the inimitable Dugs In Pubs.
MONDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2015
For Crying Out Loud: A Night At The Opera (U). Special screenings for parents/carers and their babies under 12 months (up to two adults per baby). Bottle-warming, baby-changing and buggy parking facilities available. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 and can be booked by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 (tickets for these shows are not available online).
Hayter and Atelier 17: Printmaking in Paris in the 1930s. Kerry Watson, Librarian at the Gallery of Modern Art, discusses prints made by Hayter and other artists at Atelier 17 and now on show in the Keiller Library at Modern TWO. Stanley William Hayter (1901-1988) was of pivotal importance to printmaking in the 20th century. He set up Atelier 17 in Paris in 1927, establishing it as a space for teaching and collaboration. A trained scientist, Hayter’s approach to print processes was to test the boundaries, and he latterly developed a new method of colour printing that relied on the relative viscosities of the inks used. In his long career he also worked with artists as diverse as Pablo Picasso, Yves Tanguy, Joan Miro and Jackson Pollock. 12.45-1.30pm, Keiller Library, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Monthly Book Quiz: if you know your Waugh from your Peace and your Meyer from your Heyer, try Blackwell’s Book Quiz – teams of up to five people can take part. 6-7.15pm, Caffe Nero, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. No tickets are required but please arrive early as space is limited. Contact Ann Landmann on 0131 622 8216 for more information.
Edible Gardening: Seasonal Advice. Drop in to find out how to grow your own food, and take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project team. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Also at same time on Tuesday 3rd February.
Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland Winter Lecture Series: Craigievar – 50 Years in NTS Care. Ian Gow, National Trust for Scotland curator since 1988, will talk about this fine example of baronial architecture. 6.30-8.30pm, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George St. £5 (£students £2.50) payable on the door. Non-members warmly welcomed. Call 0131 557 0019 for more information.
Edinburgh CND: 6pm, ACE, 17 West Montgomery Place. All welcome.
LGBT Police Surgery: seek advice, raise concerns around safety issues, report incidents or discuss policing in your area with an officer from Police Scotland. 6.30-7.30pm (within Drop In, which runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. No appointment needed; for support around safety issues or to meet with the police outwith these times, contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or george@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Gilmerton Library Writers’ Group. Whether it is fiction or poetry you write or want to write, look no further! 6pm tonight and fortnightly, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street. Call the library on 0131 529 5628 for more information.
Humanist Society of Scotland: Dr Stuart Ritchie – Religion and Intelligence. Are atheists more or less intelligent than religious people? Can something as simple as an IQ test tell you anything about someone’s beliefs in the origin of the universe or the existence of God? Psychologists have carried out a great deal of research in an attempt to answer these questions; Stuart Ritchie (Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh) will discuss this research, and ask whether any conclusions can be drawn about the relation of IQ to religion. There will be a coffee break after the talk, followed by a Q & A session; discussions will continue in The Mitre in High Street. 7.30-9.30pm, Scotsman Hotel, North Bridge. For more information contact the Edinburgh Humanists’ secretary at edinburgh@humanism-scotland.org.uk.
Bridge 2 Business: Beauty and the Booking System – how new businesses in the hair and beauty sector handle customer engagement. Guest speakers Hayley Brown of Glam Candy and Leah Hutcheon of Appointedd will talk about how they became interested in enterprise, their differing approaches to customer interaction, and how they source and keep customers. There will be opportunities to network and ask lots of questions. 6-8pm, Boardroom, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking required via eventbrite. Organised by Young Enterprise Scotland.
Living Our LGBT Memories: The Living Memory Association and LGBT Youth Scotland will uncover your LGBT stories. Bring your photos to scan, your stories to share and your enthusiasm for a range of interactive activities. 10.30am-4pm, Ground Floor, Ocean Terminal, 5 Quayside Place. Continues 10am-4pm Monday to Friday until 27th February 2015. To learn more about LGBT History Month, read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article here.
TUESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY 2015
Kraftworks: the new adult art movement. Kraftworks is a new weekly drop-in session for adults who are interested in crafts and activism, or who would like the chance to relax and meet in an informal, friendly environment. Each session will be artist-led, with opportunities to learn new techniques and create your own products. The first session is today, when you can decorate and paint porcelain mugs and crockery. Different techniques will be demonstrated, and everyone can have a cup of tea, a cake and a blether whilst decorating! For ages 16+. 10am-12 noon, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Free: for more information just contact the NEA Box Office on 0131 315 2151. Next week: techniques and experimentation with clear resin.
Craigie Aitchison: A Life in Colour. Award-winning writer Cate Haste talks about her new, fully illustrated, study of the life and work of Scottish artist Craigie Aitchison (1926-2009). This is the first book to cover the entire oeuvre of a painter whose distinctive and powerfully evocative style has earned him widespread critical acclaim and public popularity. Haste draws on original documents, family archives, letters, published interviews with the painter, and new interviews with those who knew the artist to explore the relationship of his life to his work. A book signing will follow the talk. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Edible Gardening: Seasonal Advice. Drop in to find out how to grow your own food, and take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project team. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row.
Edge and Shore Artists’ Talk: visual artist Helen Carnac and dance artist Lailla Dialo in conversation with Dovecot weaver Jonathan Cleaver, chaired by Roanne Dods. At 5.30pm the artists will engage in a process of live making prior to the talk, which begins at 6pm for 6.30pm, South Gallery, Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. Free but please book via eventbrite. Edge and Shore: Acts of Doing is a new work exploring the edges and boundaries of making and working, performance and installation: it continues at Dovecot until 7th February.
LGBT Art Therapy: Doll Making. Facilitated by art therapists, be guided through techniques to make your own doll, in order to explore elements of self-expression in a therapeutic group setting. No experience or skill in art required. Please note this group will take place over two sessions – today and 10th February. 6.30-8.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Places are limited so booking is essential: contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Edinburgh Central Library Book Group: this month the group is discussing The Moon Field by Judith Allnatt. 6pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. All welcome, no booking required – just turn up!
Representing Muslims in Scotland and the North-East: a Series of Seminars with British Muslim Poets, Writers and Filmmakers. Tonight: Leila Aboulela. Born and raised in Sudan, Leila Aboulela is an award-winning writer who now lives in Aberdeen. She has written three renowned novels, The Translator, Minarets and Lyrics Alley, a collection of short stories Coloured Lights and a BBC Radio 4 commissioned play The Insider. Much of her work examines the ways in which religious belief, gender and class are ‘translated’ between cultures. 5.30pm, Project Room, 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh. There will be a Q & A session and refreshments after the talk. Everyone welcome.
Lunchtime Concert: Stewart Kempster (Bass) and Ingrid Sawers (Piano) perform Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel and songs by John Ireland, Frederick Keel, John Hearne, Michael Head and Peter Warlock. 1.10pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Free and unticketed.
Metamorphoses: Martin Parker, Adam Linson and Grey Area perform pieces exploring the boundaries between electronics and acoustic sound. Martin Parker ‘Vertebrae‘ for live electronics, Owen Green New work for cardboard box and live electronics, Adam Linson ‘Cryptogramic sporules I’ for double bass and electronics, Armin Sturm ‘Insects’ for ensemble and Stockhausen ‘Kontakte’ for 4-channel tape. Sound projection by Sean Williams. 7pm, Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place. Free but booking required via eventbrite. Supported by The Leverhulme Trust and the University of Edinburgh.
History in the Pub: a new monthly event looking at all aspects of history, with talks from academics, authors, journalists and interested laypersons. Open to everyone with an interest in the past. 7.30-9.30pm, The Counting House Bar, West Nicolson Street. Free.
WEDNESDAY 4TH FEBRUARY 2015
Centenary Choral Concert in aid of Poppy Scotland. Edinburgh Napier University Chamber Choir and soloists, directed by Michael Harris, present a re-creation of a charity concert originally given in 1915 by the Morningside Amateur Opera Company, including music by Sullivan, Stanford, Coleridge-Taylor and Elgar. 7.30-9.30pm, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George St. Admission by programme: £7/£5 on the door.
Portobello Film Club: Nick Cave in 20,000 Days on Earth (15). Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international cultural icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, the film examines what makes us who we are and celebrates the transformative power of the human spirit. 7.30pm, Skylark Cafe, 241 Portobello High Street.
The Scottish Gallery: four new exhibitions. Introducing: the work of three jewellers – Heather McDermott, Una Burke and Sarag Angold, David Eustace: Selected Works – a survey exhibition on the work of renowned photographer, including celebrity portraits, iconic fashion photographs from Vogue and images from Highland Heart, Lindean Mill Glass Showcase: a beautiful collection of glassware, and Modern Masters IV: unseen work of FCB Cadell and rediscovered groups of work by Denis Peploe and JD Fergusson. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm on Saturdays, The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street. Exhibitions close 28th February 2015.
Lunchtime Concert: flautists from Edinburgh Napier University, with Chris Harding (piano). 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Craigmillar Library Book Group. A new group starting tonight; come along and collect the first book, Stef Penney’s The Tenderness of Wolves. 6.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Coffee, tea and biscuits available!
The Colour of Emotion: Jenny Mason and Lynne Harkes. Jenny Mason is an Edinburgh-based painter using landscape as a starting point, a place of escape to ease the busy mind. Her current work concentrates more on formal aspects and fields of colour rather than direct representation of the landscape. Also from Edinburgh, Lynne Harkes finds her inspiration above all in nature, getting a special thrill from taking hidden blooms or faded leaves and giving them magnificent life on canvas. 9am-5pm, Wednesday-Sunday, Bon Papillon Gallery, 15 Howe Street.
Bi & Beyond Edinburgh: a fortnightly social gathering for those who identify as bisexual and non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever you label or lack of label, we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.
Adult Scrabble Club: pop in for a fun and relaxed game of Scrabble. 3.30pm today and fortnightly, Blackhall Library, 56 Hillhouse Road. For more information please call 0131 529 5595 or drop in to the library.
Heriot Watt University Postgraduate Open Day: an opportunity to meet academic staff and current postgraduate students. Explore the campus and facilities, and find out more about how postgraduate study can enhance your career prospects. 1.30-4.30pm, Heriot Watt University Edinburgh Campus, EH14 4AS. Please register your intention to attend via eventbrite here. If you cannot attend in person, the university is running a simultaneous live chat event, when you can join in online and put your questions to advisers.
Central Library Lego Night: for ages 7-11 accompanied by an adult (possibly an AFOL – Adult Fan of Lego!), Central Library, George IV Bridge. Contact the library for times.
Doing Politics: Professor Richard Freeman, Professor of Social Science and Public Policy, University of Edinburgh, delivers his inaugural lecture. 5.15-6.15, Main Lecture Theatre, 50 George Square. All welcome.
The Cramond Association History Section: AGM, after which Jenni Calder will speak on Scottish Emigration to North America. Tea and coffee are served after the meeting. 7.30pm, Millenium Room, Cramond Kirk Halls, Cramond Glebe Road. All welcome: visitors £1 per meeting.
Jazz Romantics: songs by Astrud Gilberto, Jamie Cullum, Ray Charles et al. 7pm, Hemma, 75 Holyrood Road.
THURSDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 2015
Live Music Now: Knox and Ion. A dynamic and exciting guitar duo, creating a mix of Latin, world and jazz music. Based in Glasgow, Knox and Ion’s pieces consist of Indian scales, African beats and Brubeck-style changes. Their live show is infectious and ever-evolving, capturing the very essence of improvised music. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
The Thursday Club: Duncan Currie will speak on Namibia and South Africa. 2pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Church, West Mayfield. All very welcome: contact Florence Smith on 0131 663 1234 for more information.
Ecumenical Friends at St Cuthbert’s: Swarup Bar – News From Kolkata. 12.30pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. All warmly welcome: £1.50 per person, tea and coffee provided, bring your own packed lunch.These events are organised by Edinburgh City Centre Churches TOGETHER.
Streetlife: an exhibition of latest works from Gallery favourites such as Patsy McArthur, Adam Kennedy and James Newton Adams and new artists Frank McNab and Lucy Jones, all drawing inspiration from the sights and sounds of the urban jungle. Public preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10.30am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday, 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Union Gallery, 45 Broughton Street. Ends 1st March 2015.
The Friendship Club: a friendly meeting place for senior citizens – all very welcome, with or without any church connection, and whether you would like to attend every week or just occasionally. Tea, home baking, board games, card games, sometimes live music – and lots of chat! The club’s aim is to provide a relaxed friendly and welcoming meeting place for senior citizens: ‘There is always a smiling face waiting to welcome you’. 2-3.30pm, Ground Floor, Annan House, 10 Palmerston Place. Contact Palmerston Place Church for more information.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Owen Dudley Edwards: How David Cameron Saved Scotland. David Cameron was PM throughout the campaign for Scottish independence. Many thought that if Scotland voted Yes he may lose his job, but Scotland voted No, so where does that leave him? In this new book, Owen Dudley Edwards explains to Mr Cameron what the wilder psychiatric shores of premiership involve, whether he knows it or not, what sort of people he recruited to gain his victory and whether they knew they were recruits, what his opponents were like and why they opposed him, how Scotland reversed the UK fall in voter interest, and why. He also looks at how far the victory was won on the playing fields of Eton. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets can be obtained via eventbrite or from the shop’s front desk, or by calling 0131 622 8218 or emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Harry Potter Book Night: come and celebrate JK Rowling’s wonderful stories of everyone’s favourite wizard with an evening of games and activities, including a (fairly) fiendish quiz with prizes. Dress code: wizard, witch or best muggle attire, with a prize for the best outfit. Sorting Hat Ceremony begins at 6pm (evening ends at 7.30pm), Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. For more information call 0131 226 2666….AND
Another Harry Potter Book Night! (Except that this is an afternoon – so you could go to both!) Crafts, games and quizes, all related to the Boy Wizard, with a prize for the best costume. 2.30-4pm, Moredun Library, 92 Moredun Park Road.
LGBT History Month Community Discussion: Role Models. The theme of this year’s LGBT History Month is Education. A huge influence on our learning throughout life, whether at school, at work or elsewhere, are the role models we have. This evening will be a chance for the LGBT community to come together to discuss what role models mean to us. 6.30-8.30pm, LGBT Youth Scotland, 40 Commercial Street. Booking is preferred and can be made online here or by contacting Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk. For more about LGBT History Month, read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article here.
The Jonathan Mills Lectures: A Potted History of Festivals and Festival-Making. They become more popular by the day, but what do we even mean when we use the word ‘festival’? Jonathan Mills, composer, festival director and Visiting Professor at the University of Edinburgh, explores aspects of the complex relationships between ritual and place, habit and space that have come to define the elusive phenomenon of the festival. 5.15pm, Lecture Room 1, Minto House, University of Edinburgh, Chambers Street. This is the first in a series of lectures: the next one Curating In Time will take place on 12th February 2015.
Kitten On The Keys: Jam Circle – improvisations, exercises, jam. 7pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk.
FRIDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2015
Edinburgh Iranian Festival Opening Ceremony: a non-political showcase for world-class Iranian culture, for musicians and artists working both in and outside Iran. Tonight’s event will include an introduction to the 2015 programme, a poetry reading by Rab Wilson of his Scots translation of the Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam alongside a reading in the original Persian, live music from Arezoo Symphony Orchestra and a drinks reception. 8-10pm (doors open at 8, event begins at 8.30), St John’s Church, Princes Street. Tickets cost £5 (under 10s are free but must be kept under parental supervision at all times) and are available from the Traverse Theatre Box Office on 0131 228 1404 or online here.
Harry Potter Party: calling all Muggles, Witches and Wizards! Come and make a wand with Mr Ollivander, brush up on your potions and try a treat from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes Skiving Snackbox! Award for the best costume. 2-4pm, South Queensferry Library, 9 Shore Road.
Faith Eliott Exhibition Launch: Edinburgh based Faith Eliott is a maker of puppets, drawings, sculptures, songs, poems and ‘other such debris’. Come and be the first to see some of Faith’s work and get first dibs on unique pieces. 7.30-10.30pm, Sofi’s Bar, 63 Henderson Street.
Edinburgh College of Art Friday Lecture Series: Agata Pyzik. Polish writer and critic Agata Pyzik writes for various magazines including Frieze, The Wire, The Guardian, New Statesman, Calvert Journal, Icon and New Humanist. In her book Poor But Sexy: Culture Clashes in Europe East and West she looks at the abandoned scenes of history in Eastern Europe, its relationship with the West through historical and political movements, and the development of popular cultural forms. 11.30am, Main Lecture Theatre E22, Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place. Free and open to all.
Lunchtime Concert: Artisan Trio with Jean Johnson. Aisling O’Dea (violin), Clea Friend (cello), Ed Cohen (piano) and Jean Johnson (clarinet) play Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time. 1.10pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Free and unticketed.
A New International: an evening of songs, stories and cabaret as A New International celebrate the release of their debut album Come to the Fabulon at a gig hosted by Rally & Broad, with Caro Bridges and Mr Twonkey. 7-10pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £6 on the door/£5 in advance, and can be booked online here. The Bongo Club is a nightclub, live venue and all-round artistic hub owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue, putting ‘the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar’.
Four Corners Tenth Birthday Party: Craig Charles (6 Music). Four Corners is one of Scotland’s longest running clubnights, providing a top drawer soundtrack of deep funk, soul, afro beat, latin, disco, rare groove, jazz, hip hop and reggae: tonight it celebrates its tenth birthday with top funk ambassador Craig Charles. ‘Craig Charles’ BBC Radio 6 show is the most popular on the network, and behind the decks he knows how to work a room’. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Advance tickets sold out: 200 will be available on the door (£10) from 11pm, first come, first served.
Balerno Village Screen: Boyhood (15), 7.30-10.15pm, St Joseph’s Centre, Johnsburn Road, Balerno. This month’s screenings will all be preceded by Danny MacAskill’s brilliant new video The Ridge, in which – for the first time in one of his films – Danny climbs aboard a mountain bike and returns to Skye, his native home, to take on a death-defying ride along the notorious Cuillin Ridgeline. Come along and enjoy it on the big screen in all its glory – much better than watching it online! Please register your intention to attend either via BVS’s online booking page (no fees) or by picking up a ticket in Balerno Post Office or the Mill Cafe. Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema offering free admission: it is funded by donations.
SATURDAY 7TH FEBRUARY 2015
Balerno Village Screen: 2.30-4pm, Mr Peabody and Sherman (U), and 7.30-9pm,What We Did On Our Holiday (12A), St Joseph’s Centre, Johnsburn Road, Balerno. This month’s screenings will all be preceded by Danny MacAskill’s brilliant new video The Ridge, in which – for the first time in one of his films – Danny climbs aboard a mountain bike and returns to Skye, his native home, to take on a death-defying ride along the notorious Cuillin Ridgeline. Come along and enjoy it on the big screen in all its glory – much better than watching it online! Please register your intention to attend either via BVS’s online booking page (no fees) or by picking up a ticket in Balerno Post Office or the Mill Cafe. Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema offering free admission: it is funded by donations.
Lunchtime Organ Recital: Andrew Caskie (Palmerston Place Church) plays Mendelssohn Overture to St Paul, Hollins Concert Toccata and works by Durufle, Griveau and John Gardner. 12.20-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.
Sofi’s Dugs in Pubs: the first canine event for 2015! Bring your dug to meet with his pals and have a tail wag. 12 noon, Sofi’s Bar, 63 Henderson Street.
Girls Rock School Launch Party with The Twistettes, MiaouMix, The Megaphone Choir and Rhubaba. Think bands are just for boys? WRONG! Ever thought about taking up an instrument and starting a band? What’s stopping you – think you can’t sing or play? We don’t care – wanting to try something new and having a positive rock attitude is more important than perfect pitch, and instruments can be learned! From 16th February Girls Rock will be running six free/by donation weekly workshops, led by experienced musicians, in vocals, electric guitar, bass and drums for women (trans inclusive) for over 18s. The workshops will take place on Monday evenings at St Margaret’s House, 152 London Road; the launch party is tonight, 7-10pm, Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art – enter via Lady Lawson Street. £5/£3 per person. To reserve your place in the workshops, email girlsrockschool@gmail.com or go to www.girlsrockschool.wordpress.com. See Facebook event page for more information.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Perception Opening Night. The Perception multi-artform exhibition showcases the work of forty Iranian and non-Iranian artists from all over the world, inspired by Iran, who responded to an open call for submissions. Disciplines included photography, video, installation, multi-media, painting and sculpture, and over 200 submissions were received, of which those on show were selected by a judging panel. Tonight singer and songwriter Azadeh will give a musical performance, accompanied by Nourbakhsh (percussion), Nicole Robson (cello) and Chris Jerome (keyboard). This will be followed by a prize giving ceremony, drinks reception and a preview of the exhibition. 8.30-10pm, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Free admission. Perception continues at Summerhall until 16th February 2015.
National Libraries Day: Art with Susan Dalgliesh. Come and meet the artist, who will spend the day in the Fine Art Library making art and explaining her techniques. Join in with a project if you wish! There will also be an exhibition of art by children attending Susan’s art club. 10am-5pm, Fine Art Library (Central Library), George IV Bridge.
National Libraries Day: Treasures of the Library. A rare chance to see some of the rare jewels in the Library’s historic collections. 1.30-2.30pm, Boardroom, Central Library, George IV Bridge.
Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: A Few of My Favourite Things. Monthly thematic tours of the Portrait Gallery’s collection, Not ‘raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens’ but Susanna Kerr’s personal collection of some of the most mysterious, moving, quirky or enchanting works in the collection! 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
National Libraries Day: Edinburgh: Celebrity City Guide. Writer Joanna Soroka talks about her book, which connects Edinburgh’s most notable people to its streets. Edinburgh: Celebrity City Guide details the lives of one hundred of the city’s most famous people, along with illustrations and maps of the places where they lived, worked or dallied. 2-3pm, Stockbridge Library, 11 Hamilton Place. To book call 0131 529 5665 or email stockbridge.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.
National Libraries Day Monster Workshop! Let your imagination go wild as you design and draw monsters with illustrator Cate James. For ages 6-8. 10.30-11.30am, Children’s Library (next to Central Library), George IV Bridge. Free but please book via eventbrite here.
FebFest Coffee Morning and Sale: home baking, bacon rolls, cards, children’s activities, raffle, books and gifts. 11am-1pm, St Mark’s Church, 287 Portobello High Street.
National Libraries Day: Help Make A Book Tree. Help make the library’s Book Tree with leaves made from your reader recommendations; tell us about your favourite books and maybe pick up someone else’s favourite. 10am-2pm, Colinton Library, 14 Thorburn Road.
Darkness Visible: a series of feature films selected to accompany Christopher Orr’s exhibition The Beguiled Eye at the University of Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery. Each film reflects different elements in Orr’s work, from the enchantment and terror of the Ozark mountains in Winter’s Bone to the barren, ominous desolation of Tarkovsky’s ‘Zone’ in Stalker, and the unearthly mystery and sense of adventure in Super 8. Each film will be introduced by an assistant curator from Talbot Rice. Today: Super 8 (12A). 3.40pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets can be booked online or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688: prices vary. Series continues on Sunday 8th and Monday 9th February 2015. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of The Beguiled Eye here.
Guess How Much I Love You Activity Weekend: balloons, activities and prizes to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this much-loved picture book – and while you’re in the store, you can make a Valentine’s Day card for the person you love ‘to the moon and back’. 10am-2pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. For more information call 0131 226 2666.
The Art of Hassan Meshkinfam: the first exhibition in Scotland of this renowned Iranian artist. A chance to see a wide selection of Hassan Meshkinfam’s work, from figurative paintings and watercolour landscapes to a new series of collages produced around the work of the Persian poet Nima Yushij, (whose life and work will be celebrated at the gallery on 14th February). Open preview 5-7pm tonight, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Sutton Gallery, 18a Dundas Street. Exhibition closes 28th February 2015.
National Libraries Day: Tiger Tales. A special book-themed Tiger Tales for children. 10am, Colinton Library, 14 Thorburn Road. Please call library on 0131 529 5603 to check times.
Drawing From Nature: design and print greetings cards with a springtime theme, using handmade paper and plant-based inks. For all ages. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 8th February 2015.
National Libraries Day Mini Video Games Fest: join in the competitive fun with a big-screen FIFA tournament, take a trip through gaming history with some retro game machines, plus Minecraft and fun multiplayer action. For ages 8+. 1.30-4.30pm, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drum Brae Drive.
Tours for National Libraries Day: take this opportunity to learn more about the National Library, the collections, services, exhibitions and events, and see behind the scenes. 10am or 12 noon (11am tour already full), National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Places are limited so booking is essential, either online here or by calling 0131 623 3734.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival at the National Museum: a day of music, fashion and debate inspired by Iran. Events will include a Persian Chic Fashion Show and panel discussion on contemporary Iranian fashion, a performance by Persian folk singer and songwriter Azadeh, and a curator-led viewing of a display of ancient Iranian garments. 1-4pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free. For details of times and locations within the museum, please see the NMS website.
National Libraries Day: Music with the Clarsach Society. Members of the Edinburgh branch of the Clarsach Society perform solos, songs, duets and ensembles. 2-2.20pm and 2.35-2.55pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge.
Gallery Ten: new exhibitions. Robert Powell: artist in print, Liam Flynn: vessels in wood, Stephen Nolan: paintings, and Emma Mogridge: jewellery collection. Preview today 2-4.30pm, then 10.30am-5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, Gallery Ten, 10 Stafford Street. Exhibitions end 14th March 2015.
Leap In Time: an exhibition of work by two German photographers, Erich Salomon (1886-1944) and Barbara Klemm (born 1939). Working primarily as photojournalists, both have produced unique documentary images of their time, including photographs of many of the most important people, places and moments of the 20th century and early 21st century history in Germany and elsewhere. 11am-6pm daily, Stills, 23 Cockburn Street until 5th April 2015. An exhibition of the Institute for Cultural Relations, Germany in cooperation with the Goethe Institute, Glasgow.
St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite film for free! Juice and choc ices available to buy in the interval at 50p each. This week: Madagascar Escape 2 Africa (PG). 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Place, Dalry. Please note all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Next week: Shrek 2 (U).
National Libraries Day: Mystery Book Lucky Dip. Don’t know which book to start, or looking for something a little bit different? Try Balerno Library’s Mystery Book Challenge, with books handpicked by library staff. Balerno Library, 1 Main Street. Contact library for more details.
National Libraries Day: Redesign Your Library! Let your imagination run wild with the library’s Art Club and show us what you would have in your ideal library. For ages 5-12. 2-3pm, Muirhouse Library, 15a Pennywell Road. #strongernorth
The Big LGBT Music Jam: a creative and supportive space for making music. Play, sing your own song or just be an appreciative listener, all music tastes welcome. Bring your own instruments, some percussion supplied. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information contact biglgbtmusicjamedinburgh@gmail.com.
National Libraries Day: Read and Remember World War I. Sing along to the songs of World War I, browse a selection of books and have a cuppa. 10.30-11.30am, Central Library, George IV Bridge.
Edinburgh Trans Women: support group aimed at transsexual women at any stage of transition – women who are transgender and live as women full or part-time, and those who are questioning their gender identity. We will look forward to meeting you and prefer you to email us the first time you want to visit. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Contact: info@edinburghtranswomen.org.uk.
National Libraries Day: Bags of Love. Decorate a bag to carry your library books in. 10.30-11.30am, Sighthill Library, 55 Sighthill Road.
Greener Leith Annual Pruning Workshop Day: learn how to prune fruit trees at this free workshop run by Ben Dell from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Soup and sandwiches provided! To keep warm the group will also be carrying out general maintenance and a litter pick. 11am-2pm, Children’s Orchard, Leith Links. Booking required: contact charlotte@greenerleith.org. Please note that places are limited to 15 and priority will be given to people from Leith. Please dress appropriately for the cold weather and bring a pair of sharp secateurs if you have them. Children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult at all times.
National Libraries Day Bake Sale: come along and celebrate with a cake and a coffee. Corstorphine Library, 12 Kirk Loan: contact library for times.
National Libraries Day: Murakami Bingo. Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road. Please contact the library for details.
National Libraries Day: Polish Bookbug. A new Polish Bookbug session with songs, rhymes and fun – and today with tea and biscuits for the whole community, to celebrate National Libraries Day. 10.30-11.30am, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome!
SUNDAY 8TH FEBRUARY 2015
2015 Iranian Film Festival: a season of classic and contemporary films from Iran, including a number of Scottish premieres, shown as part of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival. Today: The Desert Fish (12A): a young boy wants to unravel the mystery of his dead mother, who comes to him in dreams. He undertakes an incredible journey to find out where he came from and the secrets his father never told him. The screening will be followed by a Q & A session with the director, arts director and editor. There will also be a drinks reception and live music from Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin at the Traverse Theatre Bar, Cambridge Street, 8.30-9.30pm (after the film). 6.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets can be booked online here or by calling the box office on 0131 228 2688. Prices vary: there are deals for purchasing multiple tickets for this season. The 2015 Iranian Film Festival is curated by Dr Nacim Pak-Shiraz and sponsored by The Sutton Gallery, Arts & Business Scotland, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies of the University of Edinburgh, and the Filmhouse.
Portrait Detectives: Collect your kit, follow clues and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12 years. 2-4pm (drop-in), Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed. Supported by the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Persian Calligraphy. Meet painter and printmaker Jila Peacock whose work, based on the elegant and dynamic forms of Persian calligraphy, creates a beautiful fusion of art and language. Listen to Jila talk about her work and create your own calligraphic art. 2-3pm, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place. Free admission.
Darkness Visible: a series of feature films selected to accompany Christopher Orr’s exhibition The Beguiled Eye at the University of Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery. Each film reflects different elements in Orr’s work, from the enchantment and terror of the Ozark mountains in Winter’s Bone to the barren, ominous desolation of Tarkovsky’s ‘Zone’ in Stalker, and the unearthly mystery and sense of adventure in Super 8. Each film will be introduced by an assistant curator from Talbot Rice. Today: Stalker (PG). 2.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets can be booked online or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688: prices vary. Series concludes on Monday 9th February 2015. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of The Beguiled Eye here.
Filmhouse Junior: The Wind Rises (PG). A decades-spanning epic from master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Jiro dreams of flying and designing aeroplanes; he studies hard and joins a Japanese engineering company in 1927. His bright intelligence and dedication will lead him to create the Zero fighter, a bomber put into service just as Japan is contemplating war with the US. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and can be booked online or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Teenage Book Group: if you love to read or just want to read more, join the group to talk about the latest teenage fiction and your favourite books. The group reads anything from classics to contemporary and historical to dystopian, and is currently reading Alex Bell’s Frozen Charlotte. 2-3pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join (it’s free!) just email your details to schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Fashion Sale. A second chance to see the pieces displayed at the Persian Chic Fashion Show at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday, with an opportunity to purchase. 10am-5pm, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Beyond the Chador – Iranian Dress for Women. Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood talks about Iran’s centuries-old production of intriguing textiles and beautiful garments, especially for women, and how urban and regional dress have responded to each other over time. 11am-12 noon, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place.
Drawing From Nature: design and print greetings cards with a springtime theme, using handmade paper and plant-based inks. For all ages. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free: no booking required.
Heriot Watt University Anniversary Service: a Town and Gown event to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the granting of the university’s charter. Excelsior Per Cantum, the university’s chamber choir, will perform at the service. 10am, Currie Kirk, 156 Lanark Road West.
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Iran and Tourism. If you have ever wondered about travelling to Iran, this is your opportunity to learn about the country’s history and cultural heritage from the experts, and to find out more about where to go and how to get there. Dr Laurent Galbrun (Heriot Watt University) will give an insight into the people, culture, art and architecture of Iran from a European perspective, illustrated by his photographs of the architectural gems of Esfahan, Shiraz, Kashan Qazvin, Qom and Tehran. Dr Masood Khodadadi (University of West Scotland) specialises in cultural tourism, tourism marketing, destination branding and destination image formation process; his recent research has focused on how institutional/popular discourses of Iran/Persia are constructed and perceived in Britain. Warwick Ball has 20 years of experience in operating tours to Iran and over 40 years of personal travel in the country as an archaeologist and historian; he will take the audience through an amazing journey. UK-based tour operators Persian Voyage will also attend to provide visa and travel advice. 3.30-5pm, Nomad’s Tent, 21 St Leonard’s Place. Free admission.
St Giles’ At Six: Edinburgh Napier University Composers Concert with The Edinburgh Quartet. New compositions for string quartet by student composers Jason Sweeney, David Paton, Linyi Tam, Jonathan Grant, Ian Sutherland, Robin McLeish and Alexander Vella Gregory. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
