What’s On In Edinburgh this week
MONDAY 29TH DECEMBER 2014
The Case of the Curious Clock. The clock did not strike. Midnight was not marked. The New Year did not arrive. Join textile artist Sarah Reay and storyteller Allison Galbraith in a workshop of textile design and story creation. Choose a piece of reclaimed fabric, create your own stories and find out if New Year ever arrives. Drop in over the course of three afternoons: each day will culminate in a short performance. For adults and children aged 8+. 1-4pm (performance 3.30-4pm daily), Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free and unticketed. This event has been commissioned by Craft Scotland with support from Creative Scotland, as part of Tales In The Making.
National Museum of Scotland Christmas Art Competition: be inspired by the objects in the museum and get drawing! A popular annual event for all ages and abilities – basic materials and lots of encouragement provided. 10.30am-4.30pm (drop-in), National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Also at same times on Tuesday 30th December 2014.
The Snow Queen: a special performance of this classic winter tale. Let storyteller Grace Banks and glass artist Laura Reid take you on a journey as they bring the story to life using song and illustrations in glass (inspired by toy theatres). Laura will also demonstrate the various glass engraving methods, including the 16th century technique of copper wheel engraving, before each performance. For adults and children aged 8+. 11am-12 noon or 2-3pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and can be booked online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579. This event has been commissioned by Craft Scotland with support from Creative Scotland, as part of Tales In The Making.
Keith Edwards Quintet: ‘hard-bop’ swinging arrangements from Keith Edwards (sax) with Donald Corbett (trumpet/flugelhorn), plus Robert Pettigrew (piano), Jay Kilbride (bass) and Bill Kyle (drums). Their two sets include some original compositions by trumpeter Corbett, some rarely heard jazz tunes, and pieces by late, great heroes of British jazz, Londoner Tubby Hayes and Scots trumpet legend Jimmy Deuchar. 9pm, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door, cash only.
Movie Monday: From Scotland with Love. Made entirely of Scottish film archive, From Scotland with Love is a 75-minute film by award winning director Virginia Heath with a transcendent score by Scottish musician and composer King Creosote. ‘A journey into our collective past, the film explores the universal themes of love. loss, resistance, migration, work and play. 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, 65 Henderson Street. Free entry and free popcorn! First come, first served, so to reserve a seat either call 0131 555 7019 or send Sofi’s a Facebook message. See The Edinburgh Reporter’s article ‘Top 5 Films of 2014 – A Personal Selection‘ (of which list this film was top) here.
TUESDAY 30TH DECEMBER 2014
‘I Know Where I’m Going’ (U): the classic 1945 film in which a headstrong, rather proud young woman travels by train and ferry to the Hebrides to marry her wealthy fiancee – but on the way she falls under the spell of the Scottish landscape and encounters another man, with whom she falls suddenly and passionately in love. A film with ‘unique power…odd, dreamlike interludes, weird symbolism, a sense of ancient forces and the supernatural, and …alertness to the possibility of romantic love…a magical, unforgettable experience, a work of real and enduring genius’. 1pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 2688. Also showing at 6pm on Thursday 1st January. Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
The Death of the Fin King: Bryony Knox’s intricate metal creations will bring the ocean to life using puppetry techniques, while Erin Farley tells the tale of the struggle between fisherman Johnny Brass and the Fin King. Try out metal working and help to create the Fin King – or make something to take home – at the Fish or Fin workshops before the performance. Suitable for ages 12+ and adults. 11am-12 noon or 2-3pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and can be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579. This event has been commissioned by Craft Scotland with support from Creative Scotland, as part of Tales In The Making.
eBook Surgery: get help with downloading free eBooks, emagazines and audiobooks. 2-3.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. No appointment necessary – just drop in.
National Museum of Scotland Christmas Art Competition: be inspired by the objects in the museum and get drawing! A popular annual event for all ages and abilities – basic materials and lots of encouragement provided. 10.30am-4.30pm (drop-in), National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Last day today!
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (12A): the Oscar-winning Classic set in a private girls’ school in Edinburgh, where Maggie Smith’s headstrong teacher ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable young charges – her Creme de la Creme – with her over-romanticised world view. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 2688. Also showing at 1pm on Friday 2nd January. Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
WEDNESDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2014
Hogmanay Bookbug! Songs and rhymes for young children. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.
NMS Hogmany Ceilidh! Enjoy an afternoon of whirling and birling for all ages with the Canongate Cadjers Ceilidh Band. 2-3.30pm, Grand Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free. ‘It’s enthusiasm not experience that counts!’
Aerial View: A Guid New Year with STV (U). Go on a trip into STV’s past and open the archives to see how the broadcaster celebrated Hogmanay in 1957 and 1978. STV had been on the air for just four months when it screened its first Hogmanay Outside Broadcast in 1957, live from Glasgow Cross. Rai Purdy is your genial host for a look back at the year’s news, alongside comedy from Mike and Bernie Winters and interviews with members of the public – look out for a Glasgow tram! Fast-forward to Cowcaddens in 1978 for the astonishing, disco-infused, Out With The Old, In With The New. Hosted by former Saint Iain Ogilvy, this music and comedy extravaganza features some ‘wonderful Scottish girls’ – Beryl Reid, Amy MacDonald, Una McLean, Molly Weir and Lulu, while Rikki Fulton makes a cameo appearance. ‘When the girls start dancing, you won’t believe your eyes….’ The screening will be introduced by Jonathan Melville, Edinburgh arts journalist and curator of Aerial View, bringing TV programmes to the big screen. 1pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 2688. Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
Serenity Hogmanay with Nobby Clarke and Friends: bring in the New Year with ex-Bay City Roller Nobby and friends. Serenity Cafe, 8 Jackson’s Entry, The Tun, 111 Hollywood Road: call cafe for times. £5 per person. Serenity is Scotland’s first Recovery Cafe, run by people in recovery for people in recovery, and for public customers who want good value, good quality food in a relaxed space. All events are drink and drugs-free and are family friendly. For more information call the cafe on 0131 556 8765.
Masquerade Party at Sofi’s! Dress code: masked. 7pm-3am, Sofi’s Bar, 65 Henderson Street. Tickets cost £7 and can be pre-ordered (strongly advised) from Sofi’s, in person, by emailing sofis@bodabar.com or by calling 0131 555 7019.
Hogmanay Hat and Wig Party with DJs Nik Nak. 7pm(doors open – Nik Nak from 10pm)-3am, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk. Free tickets available from the bar: call 0131 555 1638 or email Victoria@bodabar.com.
New Year’s Eve Watchnight/Candlelight Service: inside for the service – outside in time to watch the fireworks! 11.15-11.55pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Lothian Road.
THURSDAY 1ST JANUARY 2015
Edinburgh’s Hogmany: Scot: Lands. Artists and musicians will welcome in the New Year at surprising and atmospheric venues in the Old Town and beyond. Begin your journey at the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street: discover exciting new worlds and enjoy the very best of music, art and theatre created and curated by Scotland’s most innovative artists and musicians. This event is part of Edinburgh’s Hogmany and is free, but was very popular in 2014 so advance registration is now required via eventbrite. There will be two departure points, and yours will be emailed to you when you have registered: the event will require walking between venues. At NMS, events will take place 12.30-3pm (museum open 12 noon-5pm). For more information see Edinburgh’s Hogmany website.
‘I Know Where I’m Going’ (U): the classic 1945 film in which a headstrong, rather proud young woman travels by train and ferry to the Hebrides to marry her wealthy fiancee – but on the way she falls under the spell of the Scottish landscape and encounters another man, with whom she falls suddenly and passionately in love. A film with ‘unique power…odd, dreamlike interludes, weird symbolism, a sense of ancient forces and the supernatural, and …alertness to the possibility of romantic love…a magical, unforgettable experience, a work of real and enduring genius’. 1pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 2688. Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
Sun Juice: Edinburgh bass legend Dave Ellis and ex-NZ sax player Doug Tiplady bring in their five-piece, playing original material. Funk, swing and bouncy Balkan/Klezmer sounds, featuring Rich Harrold (keys), blues guitar ace Neil Warden, and ‘driving funky drums’ from Willie Molleson. 9pm (entry from 8pm)-12 midnight, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door, cash only.
Granary Gigs: The Granary will be open all day, with breakfast served till 2pm and Granary Gigs starting at 8.30pm. The Granary, 32 The Shore.
Whisky Galore! (U) The classic 1949 film, based on Compton McKenzie’s story of a ship that runs aground carrying 50,000 cases of whisky, and of the fictional Todday islanders’ attempts to salvage and hang on to the cargo. 1pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 2688. Also showing at 6pm on Sunday 4th January. Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
FRIDAY 2ND JANUARY 2015
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (12A): the Oscar-winning Classic set in a private girls’ school in Edinburgh, where Maggie Smith’s headstrong teacher ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable young charges – her Creme de la Creme – with her over-romanticised world view. 1pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 26881 Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
Ali Affleck and Vieux Carre: Alison (Jazz Singer of the Year 2013) brings her six-piece purveyors of vintage swing jazz, with the whimsical and slightly cheeky attitude of the late 1920s Jazz Age, and more than a hint of Vaudeville. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 cash on the door only.
SATURDAY 3RD JANUARY 2015
Bookbug: songs and rhymes for young children. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.
GENERATION Tours at Modern One: free, discussion-led tours of the exhibition, focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am or 1-1.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: The Jacobites. Thematic, changing tours of the Portrait Gallery’s collection, led by Abbey Ingham. Explore the Gallery’s unparalleled collection of Jacobite art and hear about daring escapes, bloody battles and the struggle for power in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
Cats and Big Cats: New Year Art School with Damian Callan. For children and young people. First day: drawing in the Museum in the morning followed by beginning a sculpture in the studio in the afternoon, second day: in the studio, making a collograph print in the morning and finishing the sculpture in the afternoon. 10am-4pm today and Monday 5th January 2015, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street and WASPS Studios, West Park Place. £75 per person. For further details and to book call 07951 878560 or see website.
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 welcomed. Bring your own instruments,some percussion supplied. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. No need to book, just turn up. Group contact: biglgbtmusicjamedinburgh@gmail.com.
SUNDAY 4TH JANUARY 2015
Art Maker: January. If you are aged 4-12, join the Art Maker Club and make your own masterpieces with artists Tessa Asquith-Lamb and Louise Fraser. 2-4pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Belford Road. Free: no booking required. Supported by the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.
Edinburgh Living History and World War One: against the backdrop of the gallery’s iconic World War One paintings, meet some Edinburgh locals from 1916. They will be discussing the war, its progress, how their lives have been changed by it and how it has affected Edinburgh as a city. Come and eavesdrop on their conversations! The Living History team are award-winning performers. 2pm or 3pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Free: no booking required.
The Thrive Archive – Live Art Project: Away Being. A premier musical performance of Coming Home (composer Mike Vass) by Edinburgh Youth Gathering Band, with projections by Mettje Hunneman and contributed artworks, as part of curator and artist Jan Bee Brown’s Thrive Archive. Come along, get involved and contribute your own ideas about home, family and community, and in particular ‘what makes Scotland feel so homely’, to this heart-warming project. 2-4pm, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Free: all welcome.
Fellowship Lunch for Malawi: food and friendship to raise money for a good cause – this month, the church’s partners in Malawi. 12 noon-1.30pm, Undercroft Cafe, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. £3 minimum suggested donation. All welcome.
Whisky Galore! (U) The classic 1949 film, based on Compton McKenzie’s story of a ship that runs aground carrying 50,000 cases of whisky, and of the fictional Todday islanders’ attempts to salvage and hang on to the cargo. 1pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Book online or call the box office on 0131 228 2688. Part of the Filmhouse’s Scotland Galore! season.
St Giles’ At Six: Danny Miller and Alison Miller – violin music for two violins and piano by Telemann, Stamitz, Bach and Bartok. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile. Free admission: retiring collection.