Friday in Edinburgh – What’s On Today

David Lemm: Debris and Phenomena. The first solo exhibition by David Lemm, presenting a new body of printed works produced at Edinburgh Printmakers and whilst on an artist’s residence on Eigg; the works continue and develop David’s practice of building layered compositions, printed onto found sea charts. Tonight David will give a talk about his latest works, and the themes and ideas he explores in the exhibition; the talk will be followed by an open preview. Talk: 6.30-7.30pm (free but tickets required: these can be booked via eventbrite), preview: 7.30-9pm, then 10am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday until 7th March 2015, Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street.

WEA and Citadel Arts Group present When The War Came Home: a new play about World War One and its impact on Edinburgh.When The War Came Home gives voice to the part played by local people caught up in Zeppelin raids, working in munitions, and fighting on the Front. Historical figures include Edinburgh doctor Elsie Inglis, Sir George McRae who led the Hearts players into battle, Wilfred Owen teaching at Tynecastle High, and Chrystal Macmillan, who courageously opposed the war. 7-9pm, Tynecastle High School, 2 McLeod Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 and can be obtained from Fiona Tennick: call 01875 340717 or email ftennick@hotmail.com.

Wendelien van Oldenborgh: Beauty and the Right to the Ugly. A cinematic experience set in Het Karregat, a multifunctional community centre in Eindhoven designed by Frank van Klingeren, who sought to propitiate communal forms of habitation. Wendelien van Oldenborgh examines the ambition – and failure – of utopian architecture. Wendelien is based in Rotterdam and has recently been awarded the prestigious Dr AH Heineken prize for art: she has exhibited widely. Open preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Sunday until 29th March 2015, Collective Gallery, City Observatory and City Dome, 38 Calton Hill. Free.

Easel Sketching in the Gallery – January: sketching in the gallery, led by artist Damian Callan.  A different subject each month, sometimes with a model. All materials supplied. 2-4pm, Scottish National Gallery (main gallery floor), The Mound. Free: no booking required.

Story time: 9.30-10.30am today and every Friday (and Thursday!), Edinburgh Bookshop, 219 Bruntsfield Place.

A Singing Practice by Gerard ter Borch: art historian Ola Wojtkiewitz considers the iconography in Gerard ter Borch’s A Singing Practice (1655) and will compare the National Gallery’s version with others, whilst discussing ter Borch’s style in the context of Dutch Baroque. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Create: make great arts and crafts using different techniques and materials. This term: mosaic, textiles, sculpture and more. For ages 7-14. 2.15-4pm today and every Friday until 27th February 2015, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Contact WHALE for more information: call 0131 458 3267 or email info@whalearts.co.uk. Free.

Edinburgh College of Art Friday Lecture Series: Mark McGowan. Mark McGowan, otherwise known as The Artist Taxi Driver, is a prominent public protester. activist and social commentator. He is a London taxi driver known internationally for his street and performance art and his online video blogs. 11.30am, Main Lecture Theatre (E22), Edinburgh College of Art  Lauriston Place. Free and open to all.

North Edinburgh Arts Theatre Project: 1d Tenement Opera. A story based on the lives of people who lived in an Edinburgh tenement over two centuries: the tenement eventually became part of Edinburgh Corporation’s Slum Clearance Programme, some of the tenements were sold for just 1d, and in 1959 one of the last tenements collapsed and a little boy was killed. This was known as the Penny Tenement Collapse; local people told stories of being in the bath and the end of the room falling away, others spoke of desperately trying to save their babies and children as floorboards started to slope away from under them.  The 1d Tenement Opera has been devised with the people of North Edinburgh (some of whose families were living in the city centre before the Slum Clearance Programme) working with various artists and director Stephanie Knight.  7pm, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Free: donations very welcome. Please contact the Box Office to reserve your tickets: call 0131  315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk. Also at same time Saturday 17th January 2015.

Kalopsia Collective: Space – a new exhibition of contemporary art, curated by Danny Lamb. Kalopsia, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive. 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-5pm Sundays, until 7th February 2015. Kalopsia is a social enterprise.

Doorways to the Divine: curated by Basia Mindewicz, Doorways to the Divine features the work of six artists who are each exploring the idea of art as a spiritual path. Some of the works on show are inspired by the traditions of Christian or Buddhist iconography, others explore the possibility of directly channelling imagery from a universal spiritual source. By showing their work together, the artists aim to create a reflective, sacred space in which visitors may find a sense of sanctuary – and their own doorways to the divine. Open preview 7pm tonight, then 10am-6pm daily until 8th February 2014, Gallery 3, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Free: all welcome.

Somewhere in this Song: an exhibition of new work by Alan McGowan.’Featuring richly-layered figure paintings and unfinished works, each portrait offers a fleeting glimpse of the intimacy the artist establishes with his models.’ Open preview 7pm tonight, then 10am-6pm daily until 8th February 2014, Gallery 1, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Free: all welcome.

Food Co-Op: buy cheap, good quality food from Green City. The Scottish Wholefoods Collective Warehouse (t/a Green City) is a workers’ co-operative aiming to create a non-exploitative workplace that takes into consideration the interests of the workers, the environment and the community as a whole. They are committed to encouraging local producers and buy organic wherever possible. They do not sell any products tested on animals, and all of their stock is suitable for vegetarians. 3-6pm, Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place.

Acme Dance Club: ‘five fabulous hours of music for dancers of all ages in the classic surroundings of The Counting House’. A diverse selection of musical genres, including jazz, pop, disco, country, latin and swing, plus tunes from film scores, TV programmes and advertisements. ‘Dress up or dress down, but be prepared to dance…’ 8pm-1am tonight and monthly, The Counting House Bar, 36 West Nicolson Street. £2 on the door.

Building Echoes: an exhibition analysing the relationship between architecture and art. Artists Alberto Condotta and Colin Lindsay will give their own vision of the meaning of architecture, also playing with the concepts of ‘body’ and ‘sculpture’. Opening tonight 6-8pm, then Wednesday to Friday 2-7pm, Saturdays 11am-2pm, Interview Room 11, 38 Castle Terrace. Alberto Condotta will give a talk at 4pm on 19th January 2015 and Colin Lindsay will give a talk at 6pm on 28th January 2015. Interview Room 11 is an artist-run gallery and project space: it is part of Forest Centre+.

Nitekirk: a monthly ministry aiming to create a welcoming sacred space for all. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door.’  This month with the Scottish Plainsong Choir. 8pm-11pm (drop-in), Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. More information here. Nitekirk is rooted in Greyfriars Kirk and supported by its local ecumenical partners: venues vary from month to month – see website.