Council meeting – Jack Kane Sports Centre hosting Sports Day today – National Hate Crime Conference in Edinburgh next week – Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place – Usher Hall Sunday concerts
Following the publication of the report into the Mortonhall Crematorium investigation there will be a full council meeting this morning. This will be streamed online, but there will be no discussion of the Mortonhall report at the meeting, although the council leader has mentioned it in his monthly report.
The papers for the meeting can be accessed here.
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Dozens of children with a disability are to enjoy a dedicated multi sports event designed to celebrate the Commonwealth Games.
Edinburgh Leisure, in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and Active Schools, will welcome 72 children with additional support needs to the Jack Kane Sports Centre for the High Flyers Multi Sports Day later today.
This multi sport taster event is a unique opportunity for children and young people with special education needs (SEN) to try out athletics, boccia and tennis to get into the spirit of the games.
With the support of ten SEN schools from in and around the Lothians, it is hoped the event will channel the excitement of Scotland’s ‘year of sport’ to inspire more children with a disability to enjoy physical activity and develop the healthy habits crucial for greater quality of life into adulthood.
High Flyers is an innovative project which enables greater access to sport for children with disabilities, in partnership with Scottish Disability Sport and Active Schools, and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council.
James Brandon, Community Inclusion Officer at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “This event is to inspire young people with limited opportunities to try new sports and to get involved in clubs in the local area. It is at events such as these that future Paralympian and ParaGames athletes start their journeys.”
Jude Salmon, Active Schools Manager, said: “This is a really worthwhile event which has been tailored to provide support and encouragement for young people with a disability in Edinburgh and beyond. High Flyers will offer the chance to try new sports including athletics and join in the excitement for the Commonwealth Games.”
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Scottish Alliance for Regional Equality Councils (SAREC) is hosting a National Conference on Hate Crime in Scotland on the theme “Tackling the Barriers to Reporting Prejudice Incidents/Hate Crime” on 7 May 2014 at 10am at Leith Academy, 20 Academy Park, EH6 8JQ.
The SAREC National Hate Crime Conference seeks to identify and address barriers to reporting hate crimes and discriminatory incidents by bringing in key stakeholders from communities and the public sector agencies to discuss the issue. The event will enable the four Regional Equality Councils (Central Scotland, Grampian, Edinburgh and Lothians and West of Scotland) along with other partners to share their expertise on the work around hate crime along with learning from participants of the event to take steps to addressing this important issue.
Victims often feel disillusioned in reporting hate crime due to the negative perceptions about agencies, their attitudes, negative media, lack of follow-up and resolution. SAREC aims to raise awareness amongst key policy makers and legal stakeholders for the enhanced need for reporting hate crime. More needs to be initiated to foster effective engagement between the community and police and other agency involved and encourage reporting thereby leading to a reduction in fear towards reporting hate crimes. SAREC is determined to do unrelenting work towards challenging all forms of racism and discrimination.
SAREC is delighted that Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon OBE has agreed to be the keynote speaker at the conference. Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE is the founder of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. She is also a writer and justice and human rights campaigner.
Doreen has led a campaign to reform the policing values of the UK after the grief of losing her 18-year-old son, Stephen Lawrence. Her struggle to bring a change in the country’s attitudes to policing and racism has had a profound effect on the legal system in the UK. The contribution she will make comes at a particularly important time when there is great focus upon Prejudice Incidents/Hate Crime, equality and justice.
SAREC Chair Dr Malcolm Green says, “Scotland is a multicultural society with people living here from all walks of life and backgrounds. However, differences and discrimination exists on the grounds of Race, Sexual orientation, Religion/faith, Disability or Transgender/gender identity and people transgress into the negative arena of hate crime.’’
‘‘We hope the conference will bring into attention the enhanced need for reporting hate crime and tackling the barriers that exist in reporting these incidents thereby fostering a culture of reporting incidents.’’
‘‘This conference will also highlight the need for having effective mechanisms at National level for resolution of hate crime incidents in Scotland.”
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From 9 May – 31 August 2014 on the Grand Gallery, Level 1 at the Museum there will be a free exhibit called ‘How do we express our Sense of Place?’
Since 2012, young people from across Scotland have worked with staff at National Museums Scotland and at four partner museums, to explore what they felt was important about where they come from. They chose objects from the National Museum of Scotland and their local museums, for exhibitions in 2013. This final exhibition, the culmination of their project, showcases their choices and ideas, expressed through art, music, dance and films. Find out more about the Scotland Creates project here.
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The Usher Hall, which is enjoying its centenary year, has announced their latest international concert season for 2014-15.
The coming season will feature six orchestras from around the globe: St Petersburg Philharmonic (2 Nov), Brussels Philharmonic (30 Nov), St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra (15 Feb), Camerata Salzburg (15 Mar), Czech Philharmonic (19 Apr), Warsaw Philharmonic (10 May).
The Usher Hall is continually presenting great programmes from some of the world’s leading orchestras, renowned conductors and brilliant guest soloists. This season features, amongst others, Yuri Termirkanov, Miloš Karadaglić, Natalie Clein, Nicola Benedetti and Jiří Bělohlávek.
As a bonus the venue has programmed Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (23 Oct), visiting as part of the National Arts Centre Orchestra’s Performance and Education Tour of the UK, in commemoration of the First World War centenary.
Also announced today is a concert entitled The 2014 Commonwealth Games Gala Concert – Edinburgh Raises the Baton. This concert features the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Edinburgh Royal Choral Union.
This season forms part of the Usher Hall’s core programme supported by The City of Edinburgh Council which owns and manages the venue.
Culture Convener Councillor Richard Lewis said:-“I eagerly await the new Autumn programme at the Usher Hall. The venue was designed and built with wonderful classical music in mind and the tradition of concert-going continues as strongly as ever. It’s a genuine pleasure to sit back in the auditorium and loose oneself in the music emanating from these first class orchestras from around the world.”
Tickets are available on Wednesday 30 April via usherhall.co.uk and 0131 228 1155.
£32 | £26 | £21 | £16 | £12 Limited number of early bird discounts available – £10 off top price ticket
Under 16’s go free
£10 tickets available for students / unwaged
20% off each ticket for groups of 6-10
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
