Morningside United Kids’ Club: two hours of stories, games and crafts. 10am-12 noon today and every Saturday, Morningside United Church, 15 Chamberlain Road. £3 per child. All welcome!
Winter Guided Walk: join a Garden Guide for a leisurely afternoon walk around the Garden. Discover stunning seasonal highlights and learn about the history of the Garden and its plants. For ages 14+. 2pm, John Hope Gateway reception, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row. £5 per person, no advance booking required. Also at same time on Sunday 18th January 2015.
Introduction to Permaculture: a two-day introductory taster course taught by James Chapman of social enterprise NonStuff Industries. The course will provide an opportunity to learn about the principles of permaculture – healthy and sustainable ways to provide for our needs for food, energy, shelter and community, and will be lively and thought-provoking, with outdoor and indoor activities. 9.30am-5pm each day, Hermitage Market Garden, Cafe and Golf Course, 11 Braids Hill Drive. Fees are on a sliding scale from £40 to £120 depending on income and resources, and you are invited to bring lunch to share. For more information and to book contact Tracey Hay on 07561 883097 or James Chapman on 07790 265883, or email courses@jameschapman.org.uk. The Hermitage is a social venture developed by Autism Ventures Scotland.
Our Dynamic Earth – FREE entry! To celebrate its collaboration with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Dynamic earth is offering free entry today and tomorrow from 10am. It will not be possible to pre-book tickets for these days, and entrance may have to be limited to match the capacity of the building. 10am-4pm (last entry – though this may have to be brought forward if demand is high), Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Road. For more information call o131 550 7800 or click here. Also at same times on Sunday 18th January 2015.
HOPE Conference of Knowledge and Inspiration: Quran Explained. An opportunity for non-Muslims to find out more about Islam; general misconceptions and sensitive and controversial topics will be specifically addressed by eminent Muslim speakers. Talks, Q & A sessions, discussions, exhibitions, stalls, Arabic calligraphy artist, food stalls, networking. Main event: Islam, Not What You Think: 9.30am-4.30pm, (registration begins at 9am) Murrayfield Stadium, EH12 5PJ. Free for non-Muslims. This event will be followed by an evening dinner with speeches, for which tickets must be purchased – see website for more information.
Beyond the Veil: Stories of the Prophets. Monthly fun-filled event for children, with storytelling, crafts, art and refreshments. This month’s story is Adam: Peace Be Upon Him. 3-5pm or 6-8pm, President Suite Reception, Murrayfield Stadium, EH12 5PJ. £5 per child, or £3 per child for a family booking. For more information and to register contact beyondtheveil@hotmail.co.uk or call Nasim Asad on 0779 541 7030, giving full names of child, parent and child’s age.
Take a book, make a book: illustrator Alice Melvin will show you how to make your own mini-library of books. Learn different techniques and create your own books to be filled with stories and pictures. For children aged 6+; all children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-3.30pm, Central Children’s Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required via eventbrite.
The Basic Elements of Design: a seminar by Dave Cohen. Dave Cohen is an esteemed and active potter, and a former lecturer in Ceramics at Edinburgh College of Art; he currently works from Tantallon Studios near North Berwick, where his work is on display in the gallery and garden. Dave will present a slide show focusing on how the elements of visual vocabulary were applied to his art over the past 53 years. 11am-1pm, ground floor meeting room G5, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Free tickets can be booked via eventbrite.
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.
LGBT: T Time Edinburgh. An informal monthly social gathering open to all transgender people and supporters. Come along for tea/coffee and a chat in a friendly, relaxed environment. An optional event runs alongside each T Time, involving a range of interests, information and activities: today Art Therapy – find out more about what art therapy involves, with an opportunity to use the art materials. 1-4pm (art therapy 2-3.30pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information contact admin@lgbthealth.org.uk or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk, or call 0131 523 1104.
GENERATION Tours at Modern One: free. discussion-led tours of the GENERATION exhibition, focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am or 1-1.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free: no booking required.
Lunchtime Concert: The Darian Duo from Manchester play piano and violin. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free
Portrait Gallery Architecture Tour: monthly architecture tour of the magnificent Arts & Crafts building designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. 2-2.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but booking essential as places are limited: call 0131 624 6560.
Bookbug: rhymes and songs for young children and their parents/carers. 10.30-11am today and every Saturday, Corstorphine Library, 12 Kirk Loan. Free.
Family Storytelling with Lari Don. Lari is a children’s writer based in Edinburgh: this event will be aimed at children aged 5+, but younger children are still welcome to come along. 10.30am Area C Coffeehouse, 239-241 Leith Walk. This event is organised by Common Weal North Edinburgh & Leith.
From the 1970s to 2014: Tanzania in pictures: a slide presentation on life in Tanzania 1976-79 and 2014. John Frank, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, was a Canadian volunteer Medical Officer in Tanzania 1976-79, along with Eden Anderson, a volunteer teacher of African literature in English. Professor Frank recently revisited this beautiful country; he and Eden will share their very best pictures of the country, and of the wildlife and birds at two of East Africa’s most remote reserves, Selous and Ruaha. 8pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street. £8/children £4, to include wine and soft drinks: tickets available in advance from the church office or on the door. In aid of the St John’s Development Fund.
Jolomo (John Lowrie Morrison): Isles of Jura, Iona and Colonsay. 11am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10.30am-4pm Saturdays, until 7th February 2015, Torrance Gallery, 36 Dundas Street.
Scandinavian Weekend at Joseph Pearce’s: Scandi food and music all weekend, plus today, 12 noon-4pm, pop-up shop from food and grocery store Nordic Affair. Joseph Pearce’s, 23 Elm Row. Events continue on Sunday 18th January.
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch! Every year half a million people take part in the Birdwatch weekend; you can carry out your contribution to this survey of bird life anywhere in the UK – you don’t need to have your own garden (see event website here), and if you would like to participate in the Botanics, you can meet the RSPB there today and tomorrow: 12.30-3.30pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row.
FameLab: How do 3D glasses work? Why is wearing red an advantage in sport? How do cabbages keep warm in winter? These are some of the things you could learn at the Scottish final of FameLab UK. Witness the finest Scottish science communicators as they battle it out to win a place at the FameLab UK National Final. For ages 12+. 2.30-4.30pm, Auditorium, Level 1, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free, but booking is required, either in person at the NMS Reception Desk, by calling 0300 123 6789 or via the website here (processing fees apply to phone and online bookings).
Toy Sale at Hemma: if your children have too many toys and want to sell them to earn some money, they can book a table, have a clear-out and learn some entrepreneurship! 3-5pm, Hemma, 73 Holyrood Road. For information and to book, email anna@bodabar.com.
Epiphany Carol Service by Candlelight sung by the Royal School of Church Music Scottish Voices Choir, director Frikki Walker. 4pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. An optional light supper and ceilidh will follow: please contact Mirella Yandoll on 0131 225 1900 or administrator@greyfriarskirk.com if you would like to attend the supper and/or ceilidh, for which there is a suggested donation of £5 per person (children free). This service is part of Greyfriars Kirk’s Spark Festival, a year long celebration of worship and the arts, marking the 25th birthday of the Peter Collins organ and the 150th anniversary of the first pipe organ in the Kirk. For more information and a downloadable festival brochure, click here.
