MONDAY 11TH AUGUST 2014
Phill Jupitus: Sketch Comic. The National Galleries of Scotland are letting legendary stand-up, poet and roving sketchsmith Phill Jupitus loose in its rooms for three weeks during August. Each morning Phill will sketch a favourite of his from the gallery collection. Come and watch, or join in – bring your own ipad or drawing materials and make and share your own sketches. NGS will post Phill’s work on Facebook and Twitter each day, and will encourage you to post yours too. This week Phill will be at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. He and fellow stand-up and art lover Hannah Gadsby will also present a free talk every Thursday (6.30pm at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre) about the works they’ve seen that week. 10am-12noon every day until Friday, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
CeildihKids at the Fringe – Scottish dancing for all the family. Very simple, child-friendly dances to tradtional Scottish music. Bring Mum or Dad along to partner you! 2-2.45pm, Gorgie City Farm, Gorgie Road. Part of www.freefestival.co.uk 
Edinburgh Book Fringe presents Chrys Salt, Tessa Ransford and Alexander Hutchison, who will read their poetry with a dash of song. Chrys is artistic director of The Bakehouse and convenes BIG LIT, a strand of the Dumfries and Galloway Festival. Her work has been read on Radios 3 and 4 and she has performed at festivals internationally. Tessa is a poet, translator, editor and cultural activist on many fronts, and was the founder and first director of the Scottish Poetry Library. Her work is published by Luath, her most recent collection being Made in Edinburgh. Alexander is a poet and translator who has worked mainly as a university teacher; he writes in Scots and English. Alexander’s work was first published in the 1970s; his most recent collection Bones and Breath was published by Salt in 2013. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome!
Where Do I End and You Begin: Curator’s Tour. Jane Connarty, Project Manager, leads an informal tour to introduce the exhibition and its themes. 3pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street (meet at reception.) Free.
Hard Rock Monday: 11 kinds of nachos, hard rock DJs, bands (Dead White Males + Let Love Rule.) 12 noon till 1am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh presents Jordi Savall: one of the major figures in the field of Western early music, largely responsible for bringing instruments of the viol family (most notably the viola da gamba) back onto the stage. 11am-12 noon, Music Department, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Contact shop for more information: 0131 622 8218.
Lunchtime Concert: Andrew Forbes plays St Mary’s magnificent ‘Father’ Willis organ. 1.10-1.50pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free; retiring collection.
Words and Deeds: Women, Caregiving and Warfare: an exhibition in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and The Surgeons’ Hall Museum. Today until 5th September 2014, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. See The Edinburgh Reporter’s article on Chris Short’s recent talk about the exhibition, Dr Elsie Inglis and the Scottish Women’s Hospitals in World War One here. 
Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free.
Civil Strife and Defeat: a lecture exploring the strategies used by 5th century Athenians to make sense of civil war and military defeat and ‘restart’ the democratic memory of the city after the restoration of democracy in 403. How does a community come to terms with memories of war, conflict and civil strife? 1-2pm, University of Edinburgh, Meadows Lecture Theatre, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Doorway 4, Old Medical School, Teviot Place. Free but booking essential via eventbrite.
Nikola Kyosev ad Silviya Mihaylova: flute and piano. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
The Travelling Gallery: GENERATION TG. A group exhibition including five artists working in a range of media. The exhibition focuses on what it is like to be a contemporary visual artist in Scotland, and includes a film of artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, in collaboration with Screen Education Edinburgh. The Travelling Gallery will be at various Edinburgh locations this week: today, 10am-6pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Terrace. Free.
The Shape of Things to Come and Lichtspeil Opus I (1921): The Shape of Things to Come is a new Soundfilm composed by Richy Carey in collaboration with visual artists Printy Curry, Tom Varley and Tom Walker. There will also be a performance of Carey’s new score based on Walther Ruttman’s Lichtspeil Opus I (1921), the first of Ruttman’s pioneering ‘Light Plays’, first performed in Munich. Both works show film as a musical agency and question the role and potential of video in musical composition. 7.30pm, St Cecilia’s Hall, Niddry Street. Free entry.
After the Revolution Who Will Clean Up the Mess? Artist Ellie Harrison, whose work was co-commissioned with Edinburgh Art Festival as part of Counterpoint, discusses her work and practice with journalist and human rights activist Ewa Jasiewicz. 6.30-7.30pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge. Free but tickets must be booked via eventbrite. See The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of Counterpoint here.
TUESDAY 12TH AUGUST 2014
The Lost Fleet Beyond the Frontier: Steadfast. Meet Jack Campbell, author of the Lost Fleet series. 12.30pm, Waterstones West End (Princes Street.) More information on 0131 226 2666.
The Travelling Gallery: GENERATION TG. A group exhibition including five artists working in a range of media. The exhibition focuses on what it is like to be a contemporary visual artist in Scotland, and includes a film of artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, in collaboration with Screen Education Edinburgh. The Travelling Gallery will be at various Edinburgh locations this week: today, 11am-5pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Road. Free.
Lunchtime Concert: Viola Ensemble, Korea. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh presents Haruki Murakami Early Opening Launch: to celebrate the publication in English of Murakami’s new book Colorless Tsukuru Tasaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Blackwell’s will open an hour and a half early today to enable you to get your copy before anyone else. There will also be a prize draw for a signed first edition (the shop has one all of its own) – and free orange juice and croissants until 9am! 7.30am -9am, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Please check Blackwell’s Facebook page to let them know if you wish to attend. And please note, Haruki Murakami will NOT be in attendance.
Rua MacMillan and Suzanne Houston: fiddle, vocals and piano. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
The Great War and Modern Scotland: debates around the Independence Referendum have suggested that the history and memory of the Great War remains a contested aspect of contemporary Scottish politics. This lecture will highlight some of the effects of this event of global significance on Scotland and the Scots, and look at ways in which competing interpretations of the war have coloured our view of it over the last century. 1-2pm, University of Edinburgh, Meadows Lecture Theatre, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Doorway 4, Old Medical School, Teviot Place. Free but booking essential via eventbrite.
eBook Surgery: Get help with downloading free eBooks, audiobooks and emagazines. 2-3.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. No appointment necessary.
Psychomanteum: seance with bands. The Violent Mood Swings and Black Cat Bones entertain dead celebrities in a spooky basement. 8pm-1am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
Michelle Hannah and Shona Macnaughton in Conversation: Counterpoint and Edinburgh Festival artists discuss their work and practice with writer and artist John Beagles. 6.30-7.30pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge. Free but tickets must be booked via eventbrite. See The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of Counterpoint here.
Medal Ceremony and Monster Poetry Slam: with Ryan van Winkle. For ages 5-11. 2-3pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Road. Part of the Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge.
Lunchtime Concert: Charlotte Rowan (violin) and Charlotte Stevenson (piano.) 1.10-1.50pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free; retiring collection.
Harry Potter quiz and Dragon on a Plate: for under-12s. 2.30-3.30pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street. Part of the Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge.
The Visible Appearance of Shadows: the Prodigious Portrait of Obscurity – Whistler in France. Margaret Macdonald, Professor of History of Art, University of Glasgow, demonstrates how from student days onwards James McNeill Whistler had close contacts with French artists including Fantin Letour and Monet, and how he also had a profound influence on individual artists and wider art movements, becoming a significant link between the art worlds of Europe and America. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Occupy: Critical Theory and Radical Democracy – a series of public talks and discussions (opening forum.) Speakers Robert C Smith and Richard Gunn will discuss Occupy and its implications: radical alternative democracy and the struggle for social change, with anyone who comes along. More information here. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Mindfulness at Lunchtime: come and find peace and mindfulness with a guided sitting and walking meditation. Enjoy food together, mindfully in silence, and end with a short, silent meditation before returning to the world refreshed. Bring your own lunch. A regular Community of Interbeing meeting in collaboration with Unitarians of Edinburgh. 12.15-2pm, St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace. Free but please register here. Part of the just Festival.
Create A Three-Dimensional Story: enjoy an afternoon in the Glasshouse working with artists Anneli Holmstrom, Emma Pratt and Kadie Salmon, creating works inspired by the current exhibition, Captain Lightfoot Presents…explore real and imagined stories through the use of three-dimensional collage. Family event. 12 noon-3pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Free but booking essential – contact Lauriston Castle on 0131 336 2060 or email lauristoncastle@edinburgh.gov.uk
WEDNESDAY 13TH AUGUST 2014
Aonach Mor: fiddle, guitar, accordion,vocals and piano. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
The Travelling Gallery: GENERATION TG. A group exhibition including five artists working in a range of media. The exhibition focuses on what it is like to be a contemporary visual artist in Scotland, and includes a film of artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, in collaboration with Screen Education Edinburgh. The Travelling Gallery will be at various Edinburgh locations this week: today, 10am-5pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street . Free.
Reminiscence Day: looking back through time to Victorian Edinburgh with the help of reminiscence boxes from the museum. For children. 1-8pm, Moredun Library, 92 Moredun Park Road.
Lunchtime Concert: Viola Ensemble, Korea. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free.
The Plebs League and independent working class education: Colin Waugh, researcher and author, will tell the fascinating story of the Oxford trade unionists who set up the Plebs League over a hundred years ago, and will spark a discussion on what the Plebs League means for us today. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Titian in Ten: ten minute pop-up talks given by NGS staff. Gain an exclusive insight as staff from across the galleries offer different perspectives on Titian’s masterpieces. 2pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
A (Pre-) History of Violence: the world is becoming an increasingly violent place, or so the media would have us believe. Does that mean earlier periods of history saw more peaceful days? This lecture examines the evidence for violence and conflict in pre-history: focusing on skeletal evidence for cranial trauma, it will show how analysis has revealed not only endemic rates of violence, but also that a high number of women and children were affected. 1-2pm, University of Edinburgh, Meadows Lecture Theatre, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Doorway 4, Old Medical School, Teviot Place. Free but booking essential via eventbrite.
Free the Technics: 45s played on turntables. 4-7pm, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
Wonderfuk! Live music: Daniel Sage (N Carolina), Sister Chain and Brother John (Berlin), Small Feet Little Toes (Edinburgh) and Felt Tip Pen. 8pm-1am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
Storytelling with Babette Cole: Babette’s hilarious stories and wonderful illustrations have been charming and enchanting children for nearly 40 years. The author of the Princess Smartypants and Fetlocks Hall series and the million-selling Mummy Laid an Egg will read from her latest book, The Wildest West Country Tale of James Rabbit and the Giggleberries. 2pm, Golden Hare Books, 102 West Bow. Free tickets must be booked via eventbrite.
Turner’s Champion: Ruskin and his favourite modern painter. Ruskin knew Turner in the last decade of his life, and was able to acquire some of the greatest works produced in this final flourish of the artist’s career. Ian Warrell, art historian,, explores his passionate defence of the great landscape painter, as well as exploring how Ruskin’s enthusiasm was changed by discoveries he made after Ruskin’s death. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Occupy: Critical Theory and Radical Democracy – a series of public talks and discussions (second forum: critical theory and egalitarian democracy). Speakers Robert C Smith and Richard Gunn will discuss Occupy and its implications: radical alternative democracy and the struggle for social change, with anyone who comes along. More information here. 6pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
THURSDAY 14TH AUGUST 2014
INSPIRED! The 2014 Edinburgh Macmillan Art Exhibition and Sale starts today. Art and jewellery for sale in a beautiful venue: proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Support. 10am-5pm today and Friday, 10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday, Bonhams, 22 Queen Street. Free admission.
Aquillos Ensemble: the Aquillos Ensemble perform an arrangement of Ave Maris Stella from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. This work was originallly composed for performance in the famous St Mark’s Basilica, Venice. It is also hoped to include works by Ibert, Arnold and Dance Suite by Hallam. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. The Aquillos Ensemble will also play on Sunday 17th August at St Giles At Six, 6pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile.
‘Germany Wants This War’: the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War also marks one hundred years of dispute and disagreement. Central to this has been the apportioning of ‘blame’, and attention has recently shifted onto the role that Britain played in the crisis. This lecture will examine the decision-making process in Britain from a broader European perspective. 1-2pm, University of Edinburgh, Meadows Lecture Theatre, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Doorway 4, Old Medical School, Teviot Place. Free but booking essential via eventbrite.
Growing Underground: open stage. If you want to play email events@theforest.org.uk or sign up in the cafe. 8pm-1am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
Gayfield Twilight Talks: Too Much Stuff – The Ecology of Design. The second in a series of six conversations between contemporary designers, curators and researchers, to explore the role and context for design in contemporary Scottish cultural life. Leading Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek talks about the way that design thinking can create a more sustainable model of living. 6-8pm, Lyon & Turnbull, 33 Broughton Place. Free, but places must be booked via eventbrite.
Pass on a Poem: ‘A chance to explore poetry in a beautifully bookish though wonderfully informal setting.’ Read a favourite published poem aloud or just come along to listen. No previous experience of poetry or reading live required! If you know what you want to read, email the shop with details to book your slot. 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, 102 West Bow.
Lunchtime Concert: Katrina Nimmo (soprano) and Seho Lee (piano.) 1.10-1.50pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free; retiring collection.
Portrait Gallery Insights: GENERATION – Luke Fowler. Anne Lyden, International Photography Curator at NGS, introduces Luke Fowler’s The Poor Stockinger, the Luddite Cropper and the Deluded Followers of Joanna Southcott (2012), part of GENERATION. 5.30-6pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but places are limited and must be booked by calling 0131 624 6560.
Silverbirch: flute and guitar. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh presents Writers at the Fringe: every Thursday during the Festival Blackwell’s invites a selection of Scottish performers to give a taste of their work. New and unpublished works of literary art stand alongside established authors, with any and all genres free to be expressed. This week: Sarah Maine, Ajay Close, Margaret Halliday, Lesley Glaister and Andrew Greig. 5.45-7.45pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets available from the shop’s front desk or by phoning 0131 622 8218, or from The Fringe box office.
The Drawing Room: an informal, artist-led drawing session. Each session is developed by a contemporary artist and is inspired by the GENERATION exhibition, also reflecting concerns in the artist’s own work. All materials supplied, no experience necessary. This session’s artist is Catherine Street. 5.30-6.45pm, Royal Scottish Academy, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed, no booking required. Part of GENERATION By Night.
The Glass Half Full: Moving Beyond Scottish Miserablism. Film director Eleanor Yule and academic and novelist David Manderson discuss their new book. ‘Cultural miserablism: the power of the negative story with no redemption and no escape, that wallows in its own bleakness.’ Scotland is a small and immensely creative country. The role of the arts and culture is one that many are rightly proud of – but do we portray Scotland in the light we should? The Glass Half Full confronts the negative Scotland we portray not only to the world but more importantly to ourselves. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Phill Jupitus: Sketch Comic Lectures. Phill Jupitus and Hannah Gadsby present a talk about the works they’ve seen this week, the work that Phill has created and any sketches the public have shared. Expect a passionate, irreverent, personal look at art, with the occasional surprise guest. 6.30-7.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Occupy: Critical Theory and Radical Democracy – a series of public talks and discussions (third forum: Occupy and its critics). Speakers Robert C Smith and Richard Gunn will discuss Occupy and its implications: radical alternative democracy and the struggle for social change, with anyone who comes along. More information here. 6pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
The Generator! By Night: unleash your childlike, creative side at the crazy art lab and have fun imagining the art of the future. Take inspiration from art works on display in the GENERATION exhibition and jump into a world of experimentation, exploration and invention. Special evening opening of the children’s Generator! activities for adults only. 5-7pm, Royal Scottish Academy, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed, no booking required. Part of GENERATION By Night.
Artist Talk: Laura Aldridge. Laura Aldridge discusses her work creating ceramics and textiles for the interior of the most recent bothy in The Bothy Project, on site at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE until 31st October 2014. 6pm, Modern ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed, no booking required. Part of GENERATION By Night. See The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about the new bothy here.
GENERATION Live Music: Norman Shaw. As an artist, musician and writer, Norman Shaw explores the interface between art and music. His DJ-ing has taken him from playing Detroit techno to experimental noise, and his live performances range from vocal improvisation to guitar-driven experimentation, together with remixing Gaelic psalms and re-appropriating black metal sonics. Norman will be improvising on the sonorous nature of the GENERATION exhibition using guitar, voice and electronics. 6pm, Modern ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed, no booking required. Part of GENERATION By Night.
WordPlay: Title and Narrative. Creative gallery-based writing sessions inspired by GENERATION. Explore the power of words in contemporary art using Graham Fagan’s Peek-a-Jobby as a starting point. Through informal group discussion and practical exercises, Session 1 of WordPlay takes a closer look at the use of titles in GENERATION art works and how they can imply a narrative that reaches far beyond the confines of the art gallery. 5.30-6.45pm, Modern ONE, Belford Road. To book a free place call 0131 624 6410 or email education@nationalgalleries.org Part of GENERATION By Night.
The Travelling Gallery: GENERATION TG. A group exhibition including five artists working in a range of media. The exhibition focuses on what it is like to be a contemporary visual artist in Scotland, and includes a film of artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, in collaboration with Screen Education Edinburgh. The Travelling Gallery will be at various Edinburgh locations this week: today, 10am-8pm (as part of Art Late North), City Art Centre, 2 Market Street . Free.
FRIDAY 15TH AUGUST 2014
Snap It Up! Charity Photography Sale and Auction. Edinburgh Photographers and Edinburgh Museums and Galleries showcase work from some of Edinburgh’s most talented photographers, with all proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. See the works on display in the spectacular setting of the Lauriston Castle Glasshouse, place your bids and buy! 6.30-9pm (preview 6-6.30pm) Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Free but booking essential (only 100 places available) via eventbrite. Guests will receive a complimentary drink and a cupcake. Catalogue available to view here.
Dactyl Issue 2: Launch Party: launch of the second issue of ‘one of Scotland’s premier literary zines.’ Dactyl 2 features original poetry, prose, photography and illustration on the theme of ‘Time and Space.’ An evening of blether, cake, readings, fizz and nonsense. 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, 102 West Bow.
Mythical Maze Dragon Collage: craft event for ages 7-11. 2-3pm, Central Children’s Library, George IV Bridge. Part of the Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge.
Slide Too Far: trombone quartet. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
The Travelling Gallery: GENERATION TG. A group exhibition including five artists working in a range of media. The exhibition focuses on what it is like to be a contemporary visual artist in Scotland, and includes a film of artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, in collaboration with Screen Education Edinburgh. The Travelling Gallery will be at various Edinburgh locations this week: today, 10am-5pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street . Free.
Pin the Horn on the Unicorn: can you pin your designer horn on the unicorn with your eyes closed? For ages 4-12. 2-3pm, South Neighbourhood Office and Library, 40 Captain’s Road. Part of the Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge.
Zoolab: Mythical Creatures Hiding in a Maze. Come and help to make a host of mythical and mysterious characters. For ages 4-11. All children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-3pm, McDonald Road Library, 2-4 McDonald Road. Free but booking essential via eventbrite.
Lunchtime Concert: Kingston University Twist Choir. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free.
Occupy: Critical Theory and Radical Democracy – a series of public talks and discussions (fourth forum – Occupy: routes forward?). Speakers Robert C Smith and Richard Gunn will discuss Occupy and its implications: radical alternative democracy and the struggle for social change, with anyone who comes along. More information here. 6pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Give the Ball to the Poet: a new anthology of Caribbean poetry: meet the editors and illustrator of this new anthology. 6-8pm, Waterstones, George Street. Free tickets available from the store. Drinks and nibbles provided! Further details on 0131 225 3436.
DIVE: an eclectic anything-goes queer party/cabaret: ‘for, by and of the people.’ 8pm-3am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
The Vagenda: A Zero Tolerance Guide to the Media. Freelance journalist and regular contributor to The Guardian and New Statesman Holly Baxter and Guardian Student Media Columnist 2011 Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett discuss their book, a funny, hard-hitting examination of women and the media ‘for anyone who has ever had any niggling doubts about the sidebar of shame.’ Baxter and Cosslett founded The Vagenda Blog in 2012, when they stopped laughing at ridiculous magazine articles and started to feel a bit uneasy. The Vagenda asks real women everywhere to demand a media that reflects who they actually are. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Lunchtime Concert: Dan Smith ‘a serious challenger to Jools Holland’ (Blues in Britain) plays boogie-woogie piano. 1.10-1.50pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free; retiring collection. Dan Smith will also play in a concert, Cathedral Blues, with his band at 10pm tonight in the Cathedral: tickets £12/£10 on the door or from the Edinburgh Fringe Box Office.
Innerleithen (Celtic) Music Festival: want to get away from it all this weekend? The Innerleithen Music Festival begins today in the Borders, just 30 miles from Edinburgh on the banks of the Tweed. Concerts featuring national and local stars, plus workshops, sessions and other events. Guests include Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham, Boys of the Lough, The Shee and Fiona Hunter. Begins 4pm, ends Sunday evening. For details of acts, ticket prices, accommodation, etc see website.
SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014
Huggers! Child-friendly show for all ages, featuring comedy, magic, music and more. A huge success in Adelaide, Melbourne and Edinburgh for the past 3 years. 12 noon-1pm, Gorgie City Farm, Gorgie Road. Part of www.freefestival.co.uk
Edinburgh College of Art Masters Festival: exhibition and series of events by postgraduate students from the Schools of Art, Design, Architecture and Landscape Architecture. The ECA Sculpture Court will be turned into a events space featuring talks, performances and exhibitions from a variety of ECA programmes. 11am-5pm, (with late openings on 20th and 21st August) from today until 24th August 2014. Edinburgh College of Art Main Building, Lauriston Place. Free but some events require booking – see website for details. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.
The Artists’ Writing Room at Edinburgh College of Art: an exhibition featuring a collection of over a hundred artists’ books to browse through, prints for sale and a workshop space. If you are interested in writing or publishing as part of your art practice, the free and informal workshops and talks will give you the opportunity to hear artists and writers speak about how and why they choose to publish as part of their practice. Also free ‘Edits-While-U-Wait’ service on certain days. Hosted by Claire Walsh and Kalopsia. 11am-5pm from today until 24th August 2014.
Little Artists: Illustrator and watercolour artist Jackie Morris hosts storytime and gets creative with the wee ones. Jackie’s books include East of the Sun, West of the Moon, The Cat and the Fiddle, and I am Cat. For ages 4-7. All supplies provided. 11-11.45am, Golden Hare Books, 102 West Bow. Free and open to all but booking recommended (via the shop, twitter or email) as space is limited. Children must be accompanied: parents/carers can enjoy a cup of tea while the children get colouring!
Lunchtime Concert: Priory Singers and Jesmond Choral Group from Newcastle Upon Tyne. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free.
Deception in High Places: A History of Bribery in Britain’s Arms Trade. Nicholas Gilby, whose research has featured in The Guardian and on Al-Jezeera and Newsnight, discusses his new book ‘a devastating portrait of the UK government’s complicity in arms deals corruption over many decades.’ (Andrew Feinstein.) Deception in High Places reveals the corruption endemic in Britain’s biggest arms deals over the last fifty years. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Close-Up Cities: drop-in workshop for families, taking inspiration from the Where Do I End and You Begin exhibition. See the city differently by looking at it close up, then create your own print inspired by Gavin Hipkins’ images of the city of Changdigarh in India. Suitable for the whole family. 1.30-.3.30pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street (meet at reception.) Free, no booking required.
Forest’s 14th Birthday Party! DJs, presents, dancing, cake, and live music from The Phlegm, Jen and the Gents and Lake Montgomery. 8pm-3am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
Portrait Gallery Architecture Tours: monthly architecture tours of the magnificent arts and crafts building designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. 2-2.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but places are limited and must be booked by calling 0131 624 6560.
Lunchtime Concert: The Murray Duo. 1.10-1.50pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free; retiring collection.
GENERATION Tours at Modern ONE: free, discussion-led tours of the GENERATION exhibition. focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am and 1-1.45pm, Modern ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed, no booking required.
Knox and Ion: Latin jazz guitar duo. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
Scottish Independence: A Feminist Response. Trade union activist and co-founder of the Radical Independence Campaign Cat Boyd and University of Glasgow doctoral student Jenny Morrison launch their ‘accessible and daring’ new book. There have been numerous high-profile books for and against independence, but so far none has focused directly on the question of gender. ‘Timely and tightly argued..a serious contribution both to the referendum debate and to the literature of ‘fourthwave’ feminism.’ (Neil Davidson) 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Ken a bit Mair: follow up drop-in sessions to the family history workshops. 2.30-3.30pm, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.
SUNDAY 17TH AUGUST 2014
Art in the Healing Environment: celebrate and reflect on this year’s exhibition in a lively discussion with a panel of experts and artists. Chaired by Dr Donnie Ross, former Chairman of Grampian Hospitals Art Trust. Part of INSPIRED! 2014 Edinburgh Macmillan Art Exhibition and Sale. 1.30-2.30pm, Princes Room, Bonhams, 22 Queen Street. Free admission. More information on the Macmillan Art Show website.
GENERATION Tours at the Academy Building: free, discussion-led tours of the GENERATION exhibition. focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am and 1-1.45pm, Royal Scottish Academy, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed, no booking required.
Putin and the Oligarch: The Khodorkovsky-Yukos Affair. Author and Professor of Russian and European Politics Richard Sakwa discusses the rise, fall and regeneration of one of Russia’s richest men and his confrontation with the country’s leader. The arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, head of the Yukos oil company, in 2003, was a key turning point in modern Russian history. In this book Sakwa considers the relationship between Putin’s state and big business, and Russia’s emergence as an energy superpower. 1pm, Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street. Free – donations welcome! Part of the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014.
Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller: fiddle, piano, vocals and step-dance. 2-2.40pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.
Bryan Lee O’Malley signs Seconds: A Graphic Novel. Canadian cartoonist O’Malley, best known for his Scott Pilgrim series, signs copies of his new book. 12 noon-1pm, Forbidden Planet, 40/41 South Bridge.
Organ Recital on St Mary’s magnificent ‘Father’ Willis organ: Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster. 4.45-5.45pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free; retiring collection.
Non-Stuff: Acoustic Music. Unplugged magic from The Forgotten Works and Jemima Thewes, ahead of the Non-Stuff Festival in Biggar in September. Come and rest those weekend blues with songs of murder, death and lost love. 8pm-1am, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.
St Giles At Six: The Aquillos Ensemble. Ravel (arr Mason Jones) Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ibert Trois Pieces Breves, Pilss Wind Serenade, Hallam Dance Suite. 6pm, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free: retiring collection.
