Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Vision Mechanics Present Twitawoo Puppet Show. A host of fabulous Scottish woodland creatures are brought to life – come and share their fun and mischievous adventures and help them look after their home. For ages 4-8 years and their parents/carers. 1.30-2.15pm, Gilmerton Community Centre, 4 Drum Street. £3 per person; please call 0131 664 2335 to book your places.
Explore Learning: Strange Events and Peculiar Happenings. A young writers’ workshop for ages 7-10 years: all welcome, from reluctant writers to accomplished authors! 2-3pm, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road. Free but booking is required as places are limited; please call 0131 337 7401 to reserve your place.
Easter Holidays @ Gilmerton: Yummy Chocolate Nest Making. For all ages. 2.30pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street.
Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Lens on Legs – Life On Mars Animation Workshop. Uncover extraterrestrial life in this two-day event – explore storytelling, model making and camera handling techniques to build your own stop-motion film. For ages 10+. 11am-3.30pm, Gilmerton Community Centre, 4 Drum Street. £3 per person for the two days; booking is essential as there are just 10 places – call Pauline on 0131 664 2220. Part Two is at same times on Thursday 9th April.
Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Craft with Sooz. 1.30-2.30pm,  Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.
Bookbug: for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11.15am, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.
Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Minecraft with Joe C. 4-5 pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.
Making Bird Feeders; make a dinner venue for birds who might visit the new library garden. For ages 5-12. 2.30-3.30pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.
Jack and the Land Without Music: Storywalk and Come & Try Harp Sessions. Heather Yule, storyteller and harpist, leads a storywalk around the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Follow Jack through stories, riddles and rhymes as he seeks his fortune and unlocks the mystery of the kingdom that has no music; solve the puzzle to find the lost magical harps and help Jack bring music back to the land. The storywalk will end with a come-and-try session, when you will have the chance to try the harps and learn a simple tune. There are two sessions: the 10am performance is suitable for 5-8 year olds and the 2pm performance is for 9-14 year olds. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9 per child, accompanying adult free. Bookings may be made in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings. Please remember to book a free adult ticket in addition to your child’s ticket. This event is part of the Edinburgh International Harp Festival.
Red Kite Animation Workshops: create an animation of anything you can imagine! Red Kite is a Leith-based award-winning production company, specialising in the development and production of children’s animated content; these workshops are for primary school age children. 2-4pm today and Thursday 9th April, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. You can sign up for both sessions or just one, and some drop-in places may be available on the day. To book call 0131 529 5517 or email leith.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Edinburgh International Science Festival: Games for Everyone, by Everyone. An exploration of the diversity in games, and stories of successful women in the gaming industry. Dr Jo Twist, CEO of the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, will discuss diversity in games and share stories of some of the industry’s most successful women. She will also take an in depth look at the UK computing curriculum and the measures that need to be put in  place to attract more women into STEAM subjects like computer science and coding. 8-9.30pm (doors open 7.45pm), Auditorium, Level 1, National Museum of Scotland (entry via Lothian Street). Tickets cost £8/£6 and may be booked online here.
Spring Bulb Planting: for ages 5-12. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court.
Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Angus Arts Magical Miniature Marvels Puppet Making Workshop. Using a fabulous array of materials and methods, create delightful, daring, charming and champion, amazing, astonishing miniature puppets. Create your own scenery, sound effects, music and lighting, and help your puppets perform stunning short shows in magical mini theatres. For all ages – children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.  10.30am,  WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Please call WHALE on 0131 458 3267 for tickets.
Joanna Trollope: Remember Me – A Novelist’s View of Portraiture. Joanna Trollope served as a judge for the BP Portrait Award 2014; she has been writing for over 30 years and several of her novels have been televised. She is also the author of Britannia’s Daughters, a non-fiction study of women in the British Empire, and many historical novels written under the pen name of Caroline Harvey. Joanna Trollope was awarded the OBE in 1996. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Tickets cost £8/£6 and can be purchased in advance from the Information Desk at the National Gallery or by calling 0131 624 6560 with a credit/debit card.
Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Charity Concert: in aid of Drake Music Scotland, with Westfield High School Choir, New Jersey, USA and InChorus, Peebles. 7.30pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Admission free: donations welcomed to Drake Music Scotland, a charity creating opportunities across Scotland for over 7,000 children and adults with disabilities to learn, compose and perform music independently.
Get Organised Spring 2015: John Kitchen presents a selection of joyous music to celebrate Easter week, including the Easter Hymn from Mascagni’s Cavallaria Rusticana, Guilmant’s Paraphrase on ‘See the conquering hero comes’, Handel’s I know that my redeemer liveth, and works by Boely, Healey Willan and others. 1.10-1.50pm, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £3 per person and can be booked online here (transaction fee applies) or purchased on the door.
Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Games Tournament. 6-7Â pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.
eBook Surgery: find out how to borrow eBooks, audiobooks and emagazines using your smartphone, iPad or tablet. Bring your device along with you. 3-5pm (drop-in), Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.
Hamjambo: Music and Verse in Edinburgh’s Other Languages. Understand little but celebrate all with the city’s performers in languages from across the world. This session’s acts: Sylvain Ayite – Wolof, (Senegal) French and Portuguese Creole, Elyssa Vulpes – Italian, Chesko Gonzales – Spanish, Sam Gillespie – Gaelic, and Valeria Efremova – Russian. 7.30-10pm, Area C Coffee House, 239-241 Leith Walk. Hosted by The Common Weal Edinburgh North & Leith. Please note venue is cash only. BYOB (corkage applies).
Edinburgh International Science Festival: The Incredible Power of Light – Plant Vision. How do plants sense the environment? How do they see each other, and react to their neighbours? A talk by Dr Karen Halliday, Director of Edinburgh Plant Science, University of Edinburgh. For ages 15+. 6-7pm, The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Free: to book a place please call 0131 348 5200 or email spbookings@scottish.parliament.uk.
LGBT: Just for Men. A relaxed social opportunity for men who want to meet other gay, bisexual or transgender men in one of Edinburgh’s LGBT-friendly bars. For over-18s. 6.30-8.30pm, Woodland Creatures, 260-262 Leith Walk. For more information please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
