Edinburgh Steiner School Bike Sale: second-hand adult and child bikes, trikes, scooters, bike seats, tag-a-longs, cycling accessories, etc. Come along to buy or sell: sellers can drop bikes off from 9-10am on the day. 80% profits to the sellers, 20% to fundraising for the school. 10am-12 noon, Steiner School of Edinburgh, 60 Spylaw Road.
Dina Campbell Solo Show: Lewis-born Dina trained under Sir Robert Philipson and Dame Elizabeth Blackadder at Edinburgh College of Art. Her unmistakable and magnetic paintings use looping strokes of pure colour to capture still life, flowers and landscapes with fluid freedom. Opens today, then 9am-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, Bon Papillon, 15 Howe Street. Ends mid-May.
CODA Music: Record Store Day. Live music from King Eider (on stage 1.30pm) and Malinky (on stage 2.30pm). Shop opens 8.30am. Coda, 12 Bank Street, The Mound.
Underground Solu’shn: Record Store Day. Live music from 2pm, with James Yorkston and Randolf’s Leap, vinyl DJ sets from Finitribe, Vic Galloway, Linkwood, and more. 8am-7pm, Underground Solu’shn, 9 Cockburn Street.
McAlister Matheson Music: Record Store Day. A reception with former Scottish Chamber Orchestra Principal Cello, David Watkin, who will illustrate a 30-minute talk about Bach with extracts from his new recording of the Cello Suites. Refreshments will be served. 5pm, McAlister Matheson Music, 1 Grindlay Street.
Historic Scotland: Celebrating World Heritage Day. A chance to find out about the five World Heritage Sites in Scotland in a fun family afternoon. Children will be able to try out lots of activities; dress up as an 18th century mill worker, make a Roman (cardboard!) sword, listen to magical stories and handle replica prehistoric artefacts, whilst for grown-ups there will be presentations on the recent laser scanning work by the Scottish Ten team (a ground-breaking international 3D scanning project) and the chance to talk to the coordinators for each of the sites. 12 noon-4pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free. For more information please contact the World Heritage Team on 0131 668 8763.
Linlithgow Union Canal Society: LUCS 40th Birthday Party! Join the festivities at the Canal Centre – free boat rides, folk music, steam boats, canal quiz trips, a school painting competition, and tea, coffee and cakes in the Tea Room. All those who bring proof of having been born in 1975 will receive a free family ticket for the Aquaduct Trip. NB: there is no Aquaduct Trip today. 1-4pm, Linlithgow Canal Centre, Manse Road Basin.
Muster: an open, free and informal engagement for artists of all disciplines – from drama to music, photography to board game design, or for anyone just looking for general inspiration for a new project; come along, meet potential collaborators, and work on whatever you like in the Centre’s halls and meeting rooms. 9.30am-4.30pm, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road. Please contact Helen Cloete at cloeteh@ericliddell.org to share plans you have for the day or for more information.
Morningside Farmers’ Market: a wide variety of quality goods – meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, baking, preserves, deli products, drinks, crafts, gifts and gourmet dog treats, with refreshments available throughout the market and from The Merlin Pub & Kitchen. 9.30am-3.30pm, The Merlin (rear car park), Morningside Road.
Rhymetime: songs and tunes for young children and their parents and carers. 11-11.30am today and every Saturday, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road.
Easter Fun & Games @ Oxgangs Library: Tiger Tales. For children aged 4-8 years. 2.30pm today and every second Saturday, Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North.
Edinburgh International Science Festival: Game City – Modern Playing. An afternoon of ideas, music, video and debate, with a chance to play the latest demos of innovative games from Scottish developers. For ages 14+. 3-4.30pm, Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 (concessions/members): to book please call 0300 123 6789, call in to the Museum’s reception, or book online here (transaction fee applies).
Hatching Bird Craft: for ages 5-11 years. 2-3pm, Wester Hailes Library, 1 Westside Plaza. Free.
Spring Break Activities at Craigmillar Library: today 1.30-2.30pm Crafts with Billie. All children welcome; any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over 12 years. Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Free.
Lunchtime Concert: NK Osterdalen, Norway. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Spring Edible Gardening Festival: join the Edible Gardening Project as the team get started in the vegetable patch for another year. From growing chillies on the windowsill to creating a vegetable garden with habitat for pollinators, there will be information and hands-on activities for all the family. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio and Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. No booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 19th April.
Serena Korda: Singing Workshop for The Hosts – Ectoplasmic Variations, a month long project by the artist. An army of ceramic warriors lies in wait, wounded, amputated and punctured, an itinerant group of mercenaries or a rabble of dissidents. These warriors are waiting to be activated by Serena Korda and the Rhubaba Choir: over the course of the exhibition there will be a call to arms combining voice and percussion, drawing on a rich history of jugs used as musical instruments, from country blues jug bands to the psychedelic rock of the 13th Floor Elevators. The Hosts: Ectoplasmic Variations will unfold as a sound experiment fusing sculpture and voice at Rhubaba. Exploring the materiality of object and sound, Korda will work with the choir during Saturday rehearsals to develop a musical score that will be performed on Saturday 2nd May 2015. The Rhubaba Choir is open to new members; if you enjoy singing and would like to be a part of this project and/or join the choir, come along to a workshop with Serena Korda today; this will form the starting point for the project. 11am-3pm, Rhubaba, 25 Arthur Street. Suggested donation £5 (includes lunch and refreshments): booking essential, please email info@rhubaba.org.
Easter Basket: for ages 4-11 years. 2-3pm, Sighthill Library, 55 Sighthill Road. Free.
Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North.
Nothing But The Poem – Rosemary Tonks: two reading sessions to read and discuss the poems of Rosemary Tonks. (1) With poet Kate Hendry at 11am and (2) with writer Jessica Johannesson Gaitan at 2.30pm, The Saltire Society, 9 Fountain Close. Tickets to either session cost £5/£4 and may be booked via eventbrite here. Please note Rosemary Tonks will be present on paper only.
St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available during the interval for 50p. Please note that all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Today: The Aristocats (U). 10.30am-12.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. All welcome!
Pretty Peacocks: for ages 4-11 years. 2-3pm, Ratho Library, 6 School Wynd. Free.
Martin Scorsese Presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema: a season of films curated by Scorsese, all screened in pristine digital restorations. Today: Innocent Sorcerers (Niewinni czarodzieje) (12A). (In Polish and English with subtitles). Newly qualified doctor and jazz fanatic Bazyli has so little time for emotional engagement that when he actually falls in love he doesn’t know how to handle it. 6.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688. This film will be shown again at 8.45pm on Monday 27th April 2015
LGBT – T Time in Edinburgh: an informal 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: this time a Write to Recovery taster session – an opportunity to take part in a session involving meeting with others to explore how writing can help with mental wellbeing. Find out how to get the best out of the Write To Recovery tool; there will be no pressure to read anything out, nor any marking or critique of anyone’s writing. 1-4pm (optional Write to Recovery session 2-3.30pm), LGBT Health and Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or at jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Boda’s Absolutely 80s Night! A fun night dedicated to the 80s, with pina coladas and 80s-style cocktails. From 8pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. To book a table call 0131 553 5900.
Brass for St John’s: featuring Edinburgh Brass Band and guests from North London Brass Network, and celebrating the recent twinning of the two organisations – the first twinning of two brass bands in Scotland! Expect musical magic, sonorous solos, a number of old favourites and new pieces in a night of music and entertainment from two respected ensembles. 7.30-9pm, St John’s Church, Princes Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 from eventbrite here (transaction fee applies) or on the door. All proceeds will go to the St John’s Development Project.
The Jazz Bar: ‘World Premiere’ Quintet. Every Saturday a hand-picked 5-piece of excellent jazz players is brought together for the first time. With a different selection of musicians each week, it’s always a surprise line-up – even for the players. Tonight: New York based star sax player Tim Armacost and locals Colin Steele (trumpet), Steve Hamilton (piano), Ed Kelly (bass) and Bill Kyle (drums). 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is CASH ONLY.
Puppet Animation Festival: Puppet Stew Presents Puppets! Puppets! Puppets! A puppet-making workshop – make your own rod puppet to take home. For ages 4+ – children under 8 must be accompanied. 10.30am, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court. £1/50p. To book please contact NEA on 0131 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk.
Guided Walk: Rhododendrons in the East. Join a garden guide and hear of rhododendrons that grow in the less favourable climate of this east coast garden. Enjoy the colours and scents of this genus and hear about the lives of the collectors and their journeys that resulted in the collections held by the Botanics today. For ages 14+. Meet at the John Hope Gateway reception, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. £5 per person: tickets may be purchased at the John Hope Gateway reception desk or by calling 0131 248 2944.
An Evening of Leider and Arias: Roxana Nite (soprano) and Ancuta Nite (piano) perform Schumann Dichterliebe, JM Geddes Lasses Love and Life, and a selection of famous arias. 7.30pm, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 on the door.
The People Are In The Streets: Scottish premiere of Joel Venet’s feature documentary on the Yes Campaign over the length of the Scottish Referendum year, as experienced by activists from the Radical Independence Campaign, young first-time voters, and anti-austerity groups. With reflection and inspiration from Lesley Riddoch, Gerry Hassan, Alex Bell, Tariq Ali, Cat Boyd, James Foley and Adam Jones, and music from Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai and a host of Yes artists at the Night for Scotland concert at the Usher Hall. Produced in close partnership with the Edinburgh Radical Indpendence Campaign, and providing a unique insight into a Referendum year of growing political action in Scotland. 6.30-9.30pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Tickets cost £2.50 and may be purchased via eventbrite here (transaction fee applies).
