MONDAY 27 APRIL 2015
Toddler Time: exclusive short screenings for pre-school children and their parents and carers (no adult will be admitted unaccompanied by a toddler). This week: Rastamouse Programme 16: Dis Mouse Got Style (U). Michael De Souza’s skateboarding, reggae-playing Rastamouse and his crime-fighting crew return in their vibrant, fun and engaging programmes. ‘Through understanding, love an’ respect, Rastamouse will always make a bad thing good.’ 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 for members of Toddler Time: membership is free, please ask at the Box Office.
The Japan Foundation, Indigo Rose Project and Asia Studies, University of Edinburgh Present Kabuku: Behind the Curtain of Contemporary Kabuki Theatre. A fascinating documentary offering a behind-the-scenes view of the unique theatrical genre of Japanese kabuki, showing the many backstage preparations involved in the production of the play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, a version of which was also performed at Sadler’s Wells in London in 2010. The film also follows the preparations by the play’s well-known and respected actor Kamejiro Ichikawa II, now inheritor of the prestigious stage name Ennosuke Ichikawa IV. 6-8pm, Screening Room G.04, School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, University of Edinburgh, 50 George Square. Free but please book your place via eventbrite here.
The Incredible Power of Light: light is essential to our life, it’s the way we see the world and we take it for granted – but can you imagine a world without light, or a world seen through a different light? Professor Daniele Faccio (Heriot-Watt University) will explain how new developments in modern technology allow us to capture light in a detail that has never been achieved before; one day – not far in the future – we will see objects hidden round corners or walls. For ages 15+. 6-7pm, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Booking is required: please call 0131 348 5200 or email sp.bookings@scottish.parliament.uk. The Incredible Power of Light Exhibition is at the Scottish Parliament until 30th April 2015 and forms part of Edinburgh International Science Festival.
For Crying Out Loud: screenings for carers and their babies under 12 months accompanied by a maximum of two adults. Baby-changing, bottle-warming and buggy-parking facilities are available. Today’s film is A Little Chaos (12A): renowned landscape architect Andre Le Notre is hired by King Louis XIV to design gardens of unparalleled splendour for the Palace of Versailles. When Le Notre interviews Sabine de Barra for a job assisting him, it’s an immediate clash of opposites. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 (babies free).
Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) Mick Manning Beasts of Scotland: unique pochoir prints individually made by hand using hand-cut stencils, stipple application and block printing, and featuring a variation of animal forms printed onto assorted papers (2) Sarah Carrington Islands: landscapes demonstrating the artist’s signature style and method – the incorporation of gold leaf within painting (3) Brita Granstrom Sea Salt and Sour Dough: paintings that capture intimate, everyday moments, revealing domestic interiors and seascapes inspired by the artist’s home life and the landscapes of the Scottish Borders. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, 34 Abercromby Place. Beasts of Scotland and Sea Salt and Sour Dough end on 11th May; Islands continues until 13th May 2015.
Lunchtime Concert: SINK. Danii Doumnov (accordion), Tim Vincent-Smith (violin) and Matt Wright (soprano sax) form this Edinburgh-based trio who explore the tactile air by means of vibrations. Influences include, among others, Beethoven, Cage, Zorn and Matt’s dog Daisy. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
A Piano Concert by Pawel Wakarecy: Chopin Nocturne Op 55 No 2, 4 Mazurkas Op 24, Prelude in C Sharp Minor Op 28 No 10, Polonaise in F Sharp Minor Op 44 and Schumann Carnaval Op 9. Pawel was awarded a Distinction in the 16th International F Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2010, together will a special award for the ‘most highly assessed Polish participant’. This concert has been arranged in conjunction with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: all welcome.
The Edinburgh Philosophy & Psychology Group: discussions are non-academic and group members come from a wide range of backgrounds, ages and nationalities. Attendance is usually around 20: non-members are welcome to attend meetings – and meetings are free, with free sandwiches! The topic for each month is chosen by members voting in advance. 8-9.30pm, The Links Hotel & Bar, 4 Alvanley Terrace. Please RSVP via the group’s website here if you would like to come along.
Broughton History Society: Patricia Wigston speaks on Gladstone’s Land. The Society is a friendly group, holding a wide-ranging programme of monthly lectures and organising a number of visits throughout the year to places of interest. 7pm (refreshments), 7.30pm (talk), Drummond Community High School, Bellevue Place. Visitors welcome at meetings; membership is £10 per year, renewable each September. For more information please contact Richard Love at wordsandwalls@blueyonder.co.uk or call 0131 556 1488.
LGBT: Mind, Body & Sexual Outercourse. A chance to get information about the different ways in which people express themselves sexually: find out about different options. Co-facilitated with a specialist psychologist. 6.30-7.30pm, (within weekly Drop In, which runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or email george@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Leith Links Community Council: 7pm, Persevere Room, Leith Community Centre, 12a Newkirkgate. All local residents welcome!
In Focus: Robert Colquhoun Figures in a Farmyard (1953). Bill Hare (University of Edinburgh) will talk about Colquhoun’s important work in the context of post-war British art and society. 12.45-1.15pm, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free with admission to The Two Roberts exhibition, which costs £8/£6 (free for Friends of NGS).
The Cramond Association: a presentation by Dr David Forfar on the life of Edinburgh physicist James Clerk Maxwell, discoverer of electromagnetism. 7.30pm, Kirk Hall, Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road. All welcome. This is the last talk for the 2014/15 winter season.
An Evening of Tartan Noir: author and academic Len Wanner, writer and literary agent AL Guthrie and Freight Books publisher Adrian Searle discuss Scottish crime fiction to celebrate the launch of Tartan Noir, Len Wanner’s definitive guide. ‘A ground-breaking book’ (William McIlvaney). 6.30pm, Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile. Free but booking is required and may be made by emailing hello@lookingglassbooks.com or via eventbrite here.
Help for Heroes: a concert featuring a selection of music performed by Fionne McQue (soprano), Ernie Reynolds (tenor), Nicola Macrae (organist) and Mike Baillie (singer/songwriter) with the Edinburgh Post Office Pipe Band and Trinity Pipers Drums. Master of Ceremonies: Jim Napier. Production and musical direction by P/M David Black MBE BEM. 7.30pm, North Leith Parish Church, Madeira Street. Entry by donation.
TUESDAY 28TH APRIL 2015
Centipede Project: an informal free lunch to chat about ideas for the use of brownfield sites (eg the land near Pennywell Gardens and Muirhouse Avenue) in Muirhouse before they are redeveloped for housing. In partnership with Edinburgh City Council, Centipede is looking for ideas for temporary activities that will brighten up the community – such as community gardens. 12 noon, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court. All welcome; if you can’t attend the lunch, you can still contact Centipede at centipedeproject@outlook.com, call Joanne on 0131 315 2151 or just drop into NEA, where the project is based.
Scottish Poetry Library Workshop: poet and SPL programme manager Jennifer Williams facilitates this writing workshop, in which poems are read, discussed and written. Please bring paper and pen/pencil or the electronic device you use for writing. 6.30-8.30pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge (please note change of venue owing to building works at SPL). Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be purchased via eventbrite here. For further information please contact jennifer.williams@spl.org.uk.
Awesome Folk Primary Art Classes: for ages 5-11 years. Learn how to use different materials and creative techniques; each workshop will look at a different artist, and each participant will then make their own work of art. Snack provided. 4-5pm today and every Tuesday, Third Floor, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. £5 per week: booking is essential and may be made by contacting kate@awesomefolk.com.
Wordy Scribblers: a creative writing group for ages 10-12. Activities to fire your imagination! Come and learn about the nuts and bolts of writing stories and poems. 4-5pm today and every Tuesday until 23rd June 2015, Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road. To book your free place please call the library on 0131 529 5654 or email morningside.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.
David Roberts ‘A kindly, canny Scot, well-to-do and amazingly clever’. David Roberts came from a humble background and became a very successful artist; he had a remarkable eye for picturesque subjects, which he gathered in numerous sketchbooks on his many intrepid travels. Roberts’ pictures had wide appeal to buyers and he became one of a few internationally known British artists; copies of his pictures are still sold at Spanish tourist booths and used to advertise travel to Egypt and the Holy Land. In this talk, Roberts specialist Krystyna Matyjaszkiewicz will draw on the artist’s journals and correspondence to explore Roberts’ rise to success and his wide range of interests and networks in London, Edinburgh and abroad, from art and theatre to travel, politics and preservation of historic architecture. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Gillian Mather: an exhibition by the innovative figurative artist. Private view tonight 6-9pm, then 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, 1-5pm Sundays, Arusha Gallery, 13a Dundas Street. Ends 8th May 2015.
Leith Folk Club: Kirsty Law Band. The Borders-born singer grew up learning traditional songs, mainly in the Scots dialect. She returns to the club accompanied by Rona Wilkie and Marit Falt. With support Brandy McBrand. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be reserved online here or by texting 07502 024 852. Tickets must be collected by 7.30pm on the night.
WEDNESDAY 29TH APRIL 2015
Tradfest: the third annual showcase of traditional arts and culture starts today! A packed programme of folk arts; music, song, storytelling, dance, drama, crafts, film, seasonal customs and environmental arts, featuring local and international talent, at venues including the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Filmhouse, Pleasance, Queen’s Hall and Summerhall. For full details please see the festival brochure, which is available widely throughout the city, or visit the SSC’s website here. Tradfest continues until Sunday 10th May 2015.
Zoo Arts weekly workshops restart today: this term the group will be working towards Explore, Discover and Bronze Arts Awards. The group is for ages 9-14 years; if you are interested in the awards – which are available to people up to the age of 25 – but feel that this particular group may not be for you (eg if you are older), please still come along to the first session, and if there is enough interest Zoo Arts will try to set something up for you. 4-5.30pm (includes healthy snack), North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court.
Coffee Morning: 10am-11.30am today and every Wednesday, Church Hall, Morningside Parish Church, Braid Road/Cluny Gardens. All very welcome.
Edinburgh Reads: how to research your World War I family history. Garry Ketchen explains how you can uncover details about your family’s story and discover what local and web-based resources are available to help you in your research. Over the last ten years Garry has been researching and collating information regarding First World War casualties in all of Edinburgh’s Baptist Churches, numerous other church, school and sports club memorials, and in the old Lothian districts. 2.30-3.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required via eventbrite here.
Lunchtime Concert: Will Pickvance Piano Speak. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Dean Village Association 44th AGM: after the AGM Councillor Lesley Hinds will give a talk about Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership. 7.30pm, Dean Parish Church Hall, 65/67 Dean Path (corner of Dean Path and Ravelston Terrace). The Dean Village Association is a charity established in 1971 to represent the views and interests of Dean Village residents.
John Knox and Ministry: a Panel Discussion and Book Signing. Jane Dawson, author of John Knox, will be joined by Calum MacLeod, Richard Holloway and Rosalind Marshall to discuss Knox and his ministry at St Giles’. The discussion will be followed by psalm singing, a book signing and refreshments. 7-8.30pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: all welcome. Please register via eventbrite here if you plan to come along.
Health All Round Conversational English Coffee Mornings: meet people and practice your English at this friendly, informal gathering, facilitated by an ESOL teacher. A creche is available for which places must be booked in advance. 9.30-11am today and every Wednesday, Tynecastle Community Wing, Tynecastle High School, McLeod Street. All welcome. For more information please contact Magda on 0131 337 1376/email albapolska@healthallround.org.uk or Maysoon at maysoon@healthallround.org.uk.
Botanic Cottage Updates & Stories: an informal talk to tell you more about the Botanic Cottage as it is rebuilt stone-by-stone. For ages 10+. 1-1.30pm, Blue Shed, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. No booking required.
JD Fergusson’s Modern Scottish Painting: a new edition. In 1939 Scottish artist and sculptor JD Fergusson was commissioned to write a fully illustrated book on modern Scottish painting. The Second World War made this difficult and the first edition was published in 1943 without illustrations. Alexander Moffat and Alan Riach discuss the new edition of Fergusson’s work, which they have edited, introduced and annotated, and which finally brings the author’s project to fruition, illustrated with colour reproductions of Fergusson’s own work. Come along for an enlightening evening with two of Scotland’s most respected arts academics and practitioners, discussing issues of nationalism and Scottish identity in art which are as relevant to modern day Scotland as they were when the book was first published. 6.30pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. Free – all welcome: donations also welcome!
Make a Summer Hanging Basket with Bridgend Growing Communities. All materials supplied. 2-3pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street. Free but booking is essential as there are just 10 places: please call the library on 0131 529 5628.
Edward Hollis: How can storytelling change the places in which we live? Part of a series of events sponsored by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in support of the Evergreen Project, exploring the relationship between culture, narrative and how we think about the places in which we live. Edward Hollis is an architect and Reader in Interior Design at Edinburgh College of Art (University of Edinburgh); his books bring together understandings of place and place-making in the city with creative writing and storytelling. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book via the NLS website here or by calling 0131 623 3734.
An Introduction to Maps at the National Library: NLS is home to one of the largest map collections in the world – everything from town plans to world atlases, railway maps and star charts. Learn about the range of maps available and view some highlights from the collection. Includes an introduction to the Maps Reading Room. 2-3.30pm, Maps Reading Room, 159 Causewayside. Free but please book via the NLS website here or by calling 0131 623 3734. For more information about this workshop please email maps@nls.uk.
LGBT Good Death Workshop: Maxwell Reay, NHS Mental Health Community Chaplain, offers a unique opportunity to explore what makes a good death, with explorations around death, dying and the issues faced by LGBT people in particular. Discover ways of being involved in your own funeral and how your wishes, or the wishes of loved ones, can be honoured and celebrated. 6.30-8.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Booking is essential: please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
‘Back to the Future’: LGBT Film Nights Consultation. An informal evening to find out what type of film events people would like to see in the Centre’s programme. Everyone is welcome to come along and have a say, whether you’ve been to film nights before or not; Jules will lead a fun and creative workshop to help generate ideas for future LGBT film events. 6.30-8pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Please book online here or contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or at jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.
THURSDAY 30TH APRIL 2015
Cameo Big Scream: screenings for parents and carers with babies under one year old (only customers with babies will be admitted). Today’s film is Dark Horse (PG): ‘an inspirational British underdog tale celebrating a working-class Welsh community and the horse they bred for glory’. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Membership of the Big Scream Club costs £5 and lasts until your baby’s first birthday; it enables you to buy tickets at Picturehouse Members’ prices (babies free) – please ask at the Box Office.
Lunchtime Concert: Spina-Benignetti Piano Duo from San Quentin (France) play Mozart, Schubert and Barber. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
A Floral Arrangement: a new joint exhibition by Janette Phillips and Susan Reid. 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Laurel Gallery, 58 St Stephen Street. Ends 30th May 2015.
Mayfield Salisbury Thursday Club: Gwyneth Young and the Ceilidh Band. 2pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, West Mayfield. Membership of the club costs £3 per year, but you don’t need to be a member to come along – all warmly welcomed. Tea 50p. Please contact Florence Smith on 0131 663 1234 for more information.
where language ends: Curator Tour. Join principal curator Pat Fisher for a special guided tour of Ross Birrell and David Harding’s acclaimed exhibition. The tour is a perfect opportunity to find out more about the exhibition and ask any questions you may have. 6-7pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, South Bridge. Book your free place on the tour via eventbrite here. where language ends closes on Saturday 2nd May 2015.
Campaign in Poetry: join the Emma Press for the Scottish launch of Campaign in Poetry, an anthology of political poems curated with passion and timed for the run-up to the UK General Election. Kirriemuir poet Stephanie Arsoska and Edinburgh poet Ellie Danak will be joined by special guest Alistair Findlay, and the evening will be introduced by Word Power owner Elaine Henry. 6.30pm (readings from 6.45pm), Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. No booking required – free entry and drinks – but lease RSVP to queries@theemmapress.com to give the organisers an idea of numbers for catering.
Alina Bzhezhinska: the critically-acclaimed harpist will be joined by award-winning young musicians from Edinburgh and master students from the RCS in a new musical collaboration. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Stuart McHardy: Scotland’s Future History. The writer, musician, folklorist, historian, poet, past president of the Pictish Arts Society and ex-Director of the Scots Language Resource Centre offers a new approach to history, looking at Scotland as the centre of the story. ‘In whose interest is it that we accept the classical/Christian version of history relayed to us by monks? The great centres of Orkney, Lewis and Kilmartin suggest an indigenous population much more sophisticated in terms of social ritual and communal rule than we have been led to believe’. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets are available from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
35th Shetland Folk Festival. This internationally renowned event starts today and is the UK’s most northerly festival; organised and run by volunteers, it prides itself on not only attracting famous names but also reaching out to even the most far flung areas of Shetland, with many community events. ‘Sleep ranks low on the Shetland priority list’ (Sue Wilson, music journalist), ‘A life-changing experience’ (Tim Hackett, Rory Ellis Duo). Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. The line-up can be seen here and tickets may be purchased online here; the festival continues until Sunday (3rd May).
FRIDAY 1ST MAY 2015
Folk Film Gathering: the world’s first folk film festival starts today! The inaugural programme explores the use of folk tale and storytelling in film, rhapsodic mixes of cinema and song and a particular focus on women’s stories and perspectives. Each feature will be preceded by a related short by a contemporary Scottish filmmaker. Today’s film is Play Me Something (15) ‘one of the great unsung gems of Scottish cinema. Beginning with the arrival of a mysterious stranger at Barra airport, Timothy Neat’s film stages a playful celebration of oral storytelling and international solidarity that roots Scottish folk tradition within a truly global perspective’. Tilda Swinton stars. Plus short When the Song Dies by Jamie Chambers. 8.40pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Lunchtime Concert: Hydrokoret (Hydro Choir) (Oslo). Hydrokoret is one of Norway’s leading company choirs, with a varied repertoire. Conductor and musical director: Trond Dahlen. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free. The choir will also perform at the Pleasance, 60 The Pleasance on Saturday 2nd May: tickets for this event cost £6/£4 and are available from the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North. Also at same time on Saturday 2nd May 2015.
Syn Festival Edinburgh starts today! A volunteer run multi-arts festival promoting Scottish-based Greek artists and artists exploring Greek themes. Today’s events: 7pm, Greek Dance Performance by the Edinburgh Greek Dance Group, 8.15pm, Workshop on Greek Dance – join the instructors as they teach you a simple Greek folk dance, 9.15pm Traditional Greek Live Music with Duo Hyperborea, Boozilia the Band and Niavent. Teviot Row House, 13 Bristo Square. Free admission. All events are open to the public; the festival continues until 9th May. For more information see the festival’s Facebook page here.
Christian Aid Art Sale: paintings, photography, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics and embroidery. 7.30-10pm tonight and 10am-12 noon tomorrow (Saturday 2nd May), Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, West Mayfield. Tickets for tonight’s evening event cost £10 and include refreshments; tickets for Saturday morning’s viewing are £5 and include coffee & cake. For tickets, or for more information about submitting items to the sale, please contact David Ewans on 0131 667 3598 or email david.ewans31@btinternet.com.
The Scottish Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) Derrick Guild Mother Figures (2) Angie Lewin A Natural Selection – new watercolours from the Scottish designer and printmaker (3) Nel Linssen at 80 – a showcase of works by the pioneer of paper jewellery, each piece of which is ‘a complex mathematical puzzle’ (4) Tsubusa Kato A World of White – a solo exhibition by the Japanese potter, in collaboration with Sokyo Gallery, Kyoto. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street. All exhibitions end 30th May 2015.
International Glaucoma Association/SIGN Glaucoma Patient Guidelines: speakers include Dr Roshini Sanders (Chair, Guideline Development Group), Russell Young (CEO International Glaucoma Association), Karen Graham (SIGN Patient Co-ordinator) and Ian Clement (Patient Rep, Guideline Development Group). 1.30-4pm, Edinburgh Methodist Church Hall, 25 Nicolson Square. All very welcome – tea and coffee provided. For more information or advice please contact John Hughes, IGA Scottish Manager, on 07875 31 29 45 or Sightline on 01223 64 81 70.
Neu! Reekie! #UntitledOne: the launch of the Neu! Reekie! inaugural poetry anthology and double compilation album, featuring Liz Lochhead, William Letford, Jenni Fagan, Kirsty Logan, Miriam Gamble, Aidan Moffat, Kevin Williamson and Michael Pedersen. 6-10pm, La Belle Angele, 11 Hasties Close, off Guthrie Street. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be booked via Brown Paper Tickets here.
Health In Mind Social Group: a new drop-in group for everyone aged 65+ in the Colinton Area. Come along for tea, chat and a different topic each fortnight, meet new people and enjoy a fun activity – today: learn how to work your mobile phone. 10am-12.45pm, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road. For more information ask the library staff, call Natasha on 0131 225 8508 or email cc@health-in-mind.org.
Boys and Pastel: the Brussels-based Swiss artist Nicolas Party presents his first major solo exhibition in a UK public gallery. The formal Georgian interior of Inverleith House will be transformed into a contemporary gesamkunstwerk with the most expansive installation of Party’s decorative wall paintings to date; a selection of short films will also be screened within a specially designed space. Open preview tonight 6-8pm, all welcome (access to the preview will be via West gate/John Hope Gateway), then 10am-5.30pm Tuesday to Sunday, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Ends 21st June 2015. There will be a talk and tour by the artist at 2pm on Sunday 3rd May 2015.
Nothing Ever Happens Here, Lost Map Records and Tradfest Present Rozi Plain + eagleowl + Supermoon: alt/folk singer-songwriter Rozi Plain launches her third album Friends, with support from two Edinburgh acts and DJ-ing from Pictish Trail. For over 18s only. 9pm-3am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked here.
Gerry Smith: Text-Based Artist. A new exhibition by Gerry Smith, whose influences include OULIPO and the Fluxus artists. 2-7pm Wednesday-Friday, 11am-2pm Saturdays, Interview Room 11, 38 Castle Terrace. Ends 16th May 2015. Interview Room 11 is an artist-run gallery and project space located in the centre of Edinburgh; it is part of ForestCentre+.
North Edinburgh Theatre Project Presents Friday Night Cafe Cabaret. A pop-up fundraising event, with acts including human puppets, poetry, stage combat and comedy! 7.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court. Tickets cost a suggested minimum of at least £2, and may be obtained from NEA on 0131 315 2151.
28th International Isle of Bute Jazz Festival! Want to get away this holiday weekend? The Isle of Bute Jazz festival has been running since 1988, and features a strong focus on New Orleans and traditional jazz, with a sprinkling of more modern styles. There is a train service from Glasgow to the ferry, all venues are within walking distance of Rothesay (where the ferry docks on the island), and there is camping available. Tickets may be purchased online here; prices vary.
SATURDAY 2ND MAY 2015
Edinburgh Steiner School: Roman Holiday. Class 6 brings you a fundraising evening of Italian food and entertainment – featuring daring acts, musical delights, songs to enchant and very special guests. Ticket price includes bruschetta, antipasti and lasagne, with gelato available for a small extra charge. BYOB. 5.30pm (dinner served from 6pm), Edinburgh Steiner School, 60 Spylaw Road. Tickets cost £10/£5 (child), family ticket (2 + 2) £28.
Welcoming a Greener Future Project Launch: a new and exciting project to help you save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. There will be refreshments, with live music from Rise Kagona and Andy. Come along to this free event to learn more and find out about ways to get involved. 3-6pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street (corner of Lothian Road). The Welcoming Association brings together refugees, asylum seekers and people from Scottish and local minority ethnic communities. It aims to be a one-stop gateway for people who are seeking to settle, integrate and contribute to the culture, heritage and economy of Edinburgh and its local communities.
Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.
Soul Space at St Cuthbert’s: come when you can, leave when you must – stay as long as you wish, or just drop in for a look. Soul Space seeks to provide a sacred space in the heart of the city; a space to explore, to reflect, to pray, to find peace, stillness and refreshment. 10.30am-12 noon, Memorial Chapel, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. All welcome.
St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available for 50p in the interval. Please note all children under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. Today’s film is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG). 10.30am-12.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road.
Storytime in the Book Bothy. Stories will be chosen to suit the ages of children attending. 11am today and every Saturday, Far From the Madding Crowd, 20 The High Street, Linlithgow.
The Bold and the Beautiful: a new exhibition by Elspeth J Mackenzie, whose colourful, affordable artworks range in subject matter from local Leith scenes, flowers, still life and the human figure to paintings inspired by Elspeth’s travels in the Caribbean, South Africa and Europe. 11am-5pm daily, The Gallery, Coburg House Art Studios, 15 Coburg Street. Ends 7th May 2015.
Edinburgh and Lothians May Day March followed by rally at Pleasance Theatre: 11.30am (assemble), Middle Meadow Walk, The Meadows, 12.30pm, Pleasance, 60 Pleasance. All welcome.
Syn Festival Edinburgh: a volunteer run multi-arts festival promoting Scottish-based Greek artists and artists exploring Greek themes. Today’s events: children’s workshops ‘Drama Games with Mela in Greek’– at 3.30pm Theseus and the Minotaur, for ages 3-5 years, and at 4.30pm Aristophanes Birds for ages 6-8 years, both at Pleasance, 48a Upper. Booking is required: please contact synfestivaledinburgh@gmail.com. All events are open to the public, and there will be more events every day until 9th May. For more information about the workshops email em.theodoratou@gmail.com; for more information about the festival see its Facebook page here.
Boys and Pastel: a tour of the new exhibition with artist Nicolas Party, focusing on the themes and motifs presented in the works. 2pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free but booking is essential and may be made via eventbrite here.
Organ Recital: Director of Music Dr Jeremy Cull plays twentieth century organ music, including William Harris’s turbulent Sonata and Colin Hand’s In Nomine IV. 12.30-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.
Gardner Muirhead: Leitmotif. The Glasgow-based artist shows Japanese woodblock prints, lino prints and mixed media collages exploring modernism, typography, German cinema and Cold War aesthetics. Open preview with refreshments today 4-6pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Sutton Gallery, 18a Dundas Street. Ends 30th May 2015.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Harps of Their Own Sort. Leading contemporary performer, and one of the few players today to develop the old style of fingernail playing, Karen Marshalsay will play both gut and wire-strung clarsachs in this programme of Scottish music from the Gaelic harp and piping traditions. 2-3pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets are available from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
Folk Film Gathering: the world’s first folk film festival. The inaugural programme explores the use of folk tale and storytelling in film, rhapsodic mixes of cinema and song and a particular focus on women’s stories and perspectives. Each feature will be preceded by a related short by a contemporary Scottish filmmaker. Today’s film is Up The Junction (12A) Ken Loach’s ‘”breathless” celebration of working class culture old and new, set in 1960s Clapham…the film places the lives of a group of young women within the stories of their wider community, amidst an exuberant evocation of oral culture and popular music’. Plus short The Shutdown by Adam Stafford. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Save the Children: War Child. A classical concert in aid of the children of Syria. Simone Sahyouni (soprano), Sophie Askew (harp), Lindsay Martindale (cello), David Turner (organ) and Lyrica Girls’ Choir perform works by Mozart, Hans Gal, Bantock, Morricone & Komitas. 7pm, St John’s Church, Princes Street. Tickets cost £11/£8 on the door or in advance from skiddle.com here, school children free.
Dads Rock: the first free musical playgroup for Dads and their kids (aged 0-5) in Scotland. 10-11.30am, Gate 55, 55 Sighthill Road and The Prentice Centre, 1 Granton Mains Avenue. For more information please call David on 07511 533 432 or Thomas on 07807 498 709.
The Drop In: for families with a child with a disability or additional support needs. If you struggle to find suitable activities for your child locally, come along to this weekly session. 2-4pm, Northfield Community Centre, 10 Northfield Road. For more information please call 0131 661 5723.
Scotland’s Gardens: 41 Hermitage Gardens. A relatively large city garden, at its best in spring with its rock garden, rhododendrons, camellias, acers, tulips and mature trees. Refreshments and a plant stall run by Binny Plants. 2-5pm, 41 Hermitage Gardens, EH10 6AZ. Admission £4, of which 40% will go to Chest, Heart & Stroke, and the net remainder to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries. For more information please email toft41@hotmail.com. Also at same times on Sunday 3rd May.
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 welcome. No need to book, just turn up – bring your own instruments, some percussion supplied. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biglgbtmusicedinburgh@gmail.com.
LGBT Edinburgh Trans Women: support group aimed at trans women at any stage of transition, women who are transgender and live as women full-time or part-time and those who are questioning their gender identity. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Please email before your first visit, as this helps with security and allows the group to get ready to welcome you: info@edinburghtranswomen.org.uk.
Out of the Blue Arts Market and Music Fair: over 40 artists and makers selling paintings, photography, fashion, textiles, furniture and design, together with a small Music Fair organised by local labels selling their own releases and with their DJ collective playing throughout the day. The Drill Hall Arts Cafe will be open all day, offering delicious food and drinks. 11am-5pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Admission £1.
GrownUps: an exclusive vinyl nightclub for ‘the more fully-fledged music fan’. DJs Kinghorror and The Spotlight Kid play rock ‘n’ roll, soul, hip hop, indie, punk and disco. ‘Cool vibes and a friendly crowd’. Over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £6 in advance, £10 on the door; they may be booked here.
Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: Fashion. Monthly thematic tours of the Gallery’s collection: this month artist Katharine Aarrestad considers style and fashion. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
Scots Music Group Ceilidh with the Canongate Cadgers: 7.30pm (dancing from 8pm) – 12 midnight, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road. Tickets cost £8/£6 in advance from St Bride’s Box Office on 0131 346 1405 and online from the Scots Music Group here, or £10/£8 on the door, sta. Please note that there will be a licensed bar and only alcohol bought from that bar may be consumed on the premises: water will be freely available. This event forms part of Tradfest 2015.
Cuernavaca: A Journey in Search of Malcolm Lowry. Talbot Rice Gallery presents Ross Birrell and David Harding’s film, a poetic meditation on Lowry’s novel Under the Volcano. The screening will be introduced by Ros Birrell and followed by a live recital by the Da Vinci Trio of two movements from Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet from the End of Time (1941), a composition which inspired work by Birrell and Harding, currently featured in their exhibition where language ends at Talbot Rice Gallery. The Da Vinci Trio are Tony Moffat (violin – Scottish Opera), Robert Irvine (cello – Royal Conservatoire) and Mario Montore (piano – Avos Quartet, Rome). where language ends is at Talbot Rice until 2nd May 2015. 4pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Performing the Hosts: Ectoplasmic Variations. A new performance based on a collaboration between artist Serena Korda and the Rhubaba Choir. Serena and the choir have developed a musical score with the Witches Bottles, an army of ceramic vessels inspired by 16th century Bellarmine jugs used during the Witch Hunts to ward off evil. The music made using the Witches Bottles fuses together soldiers’ songs, incantations and the testimonial of Isobel Gowdie, the most detailed and well documented confession of the Witch Hunts in Scotland. 7pm, Rhubaba, 25 Arthur Street.
Music on a Summer’s Evening: the first concert in the 2015 series will be an organ recital by Aki Ippolito and Jean Smithson. 7pm, St Mark’s Episcopal Church, Portobello. Tickets cost £5 (under 16s free) on the door.
Open Studios North Fife: if you’d like to get away for the day this weekend, 74 artists, designers and makers will welcome you to visit them in their work spaces in North Fife. From St Andrew’s to Falkland and Newport-on-Tay to Ceres, see weavers, jewellers, painters, textile and glass artists, photographers and more. Full details of each studio and its opening times can be found on the Open Studios’ website here or in the free 40-page brochure, which should be available from Waterstones, 83 George Street. Open Studios continues on Sunday 3rd May and Monday 4th May 2015.
SUNDAY 3RD MAY 2015
SEStran (South East of Scotland Transport Partnership) Megacycle: the Lothians’ biggest all abilities cycling event. Last year over 400 people took part in this fun and non-competitive ride for everyone over the age of 10 years, on quiet roads and traffic-free paths from Penicuik to Musselburgh – and the organisers are hoping for even more in 2015! Starts 1pm, with registration from 12 noon at Penicuik Leisure Centre, Carlops Road. (Advance registration is now closed but you should be able to register on the day – please contact the organisers at info@sestran-megacycle.co.uk to confirm this if in doubt). Registration on the day will cost £15 (children under 16 free), all participants will receive an information pack and goody bag, and all money raised from entry fees is donated to charity. There is transport available (cost: £10 per person) at 10.30am from Musselburgh Racecourse to Penicuik if you wish to leave your car in Musselburgh; there will be limited parking at the racecourse and NO parking at the start of the ride. For more information please see the Megacycle website here. Powered by Grease Monkey Cycles.
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. Today: Bugsy Malone (U). Alan Parker’s spoof gangster movie; in 1929 New York, Bugsy Malone’s life gets complicated when he becomes involved in a turf war between rival gangsters Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. A young Jodie Foster stars. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Art Maker – May: join the Art Maker club and make your own masterpieces with artists Tessa Asquith-Lamb and Louise Fraser. For ages 4-12 years. 2-4pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. Supported by the Friends of NGS.
Springtime Flowerpots: decorate some terracotta pots with Michael Craik, sow some herbs for your garden or windowsill, and make some stylish labels so you don’t forget what you’ve sown! Please note that these workshops are designed for families – at least one paying adult should accompany a child; children must not be booked into workshops alone. 10.30am-12.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £5 per person. Booking must be made in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office – in person, by phone (0131 228 1155) or online here.
Open Studios North Fife: if you’d like to get away for the day this weekend, 74 artists, designers and makers will welcome you to visit them in their work spaces in North Fife. From St Andrew’s to Falkland and Newport-on-Tay to Ceres, see weavers, jewellers, painters, textile and glass artists, photographers and more. Full details of each studio and its opening times can be found on the Open Studios’ website here or in the free 40-page brochure, which should be available from Waterstones, 83 George Street. Open Studios continues on Monday 4th May 2015.
Folk Film Gathering: the world’s first folk film festival. The inaugural programme explores the use of folk tale and storytelling in film, rhapsodic mixes of cinema and song and a particular focus on women’s stories and perspectives. Each feature will be preceded by a related short by a contemporary Scottish filmmaker. Today’s film is Dream On (15): combining aspects of magical-realism and fantasy with documentary realism, the film charts the fortunes of three women on a pub darts team in North Shields, and the shake-up that occurs when a mysterious stranger comes to town. Plus short Copycat by Sumaiya Alim, Viktoria Karbowniczek and Megan Thomson. The screening will be followed by a Q & A session with Ellin Hare (director) and Peter Roberts (cinematographer), members of Tyneside’s Amber Collective (the makers of Dream On). Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Cameo Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today, to commemorate the late Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (12A). Admiral Kirk (Shatner) escapes the tedium of a desk job to join Mr Spock (Nimoy) and Dr Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Kelley) on another space mission, in a film which is fondly regarded as being the closest in spirit to the original TV series. 12 noon, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be obtained online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.
Scotland’s Gardens: 41 Hermitage Gardens. A relatively large city garden, at its best in spring with its rock garden, rhododendrons, camellias, acers, tulips and mature trees. Refreshments and a plant stall run by Binny Plants. 2-5pm, 41 Hermitage Gardens, EH10 6AZ. Admission £4, of which 40% will go to Chest, Heart & Stroke, and the net remainder to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries. For more information please email toft41@hotmail.com.
Hawthornvale Clean Up Event: a community-led event to clean up all the litter and rubbish left along the Hawthornvale bike path near Lindsay Road in Newhaven/Leith. Everyone very welcome! Meet at 11am at the bike path at Lindsay Road. For more information please contact leithcleanup@gmail.com. Clean Up Scotland is a mass engagement litter campaign working to make Scotland the cleanest country in Europe.
Syn Festival Edinburgh: a volunteer run multi-arts festival promoting Scottish-based Greek artists and artists exploring Greek themes. Today’s events: 5pm – Art Exhibition Opening: an exciting variety of works by over 20 artists – painting, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, photography and video installation, 7.30pm Live Music from PiKeFi (Andreas and Stephanos), Meteora and Stray days. Teviot Row House, 13 Bristo Square. All events are open to the public, and there will be more events every day until 9th May. For more information see the festival’s Facebook page here.
The Beautiful House: Emma Anderson’s play about love, death and modern-day mummification. Following the traditional wishes of her Egyptian grandmother, Frankie Fisher runs the world’s last and highly illegal Beautiful House in the remote Highlands of Scotland. The play follows the relationship between the professional perfectionist mummifier and her latest client, who happens to be not only her adored high school teacher but also her sister’s husband. Using collected memoirs and interviews with the public, including a forensic artist, nurse, philosophy student and heart surgeon, The Beautiful House explores death with fresh eyes by taking us back to the most ancient customs in history. ‘Beautifully choreographed..profound, funny, cleverly written and passionately presented’ (Highland News). Please note this play contains strong language and partial nudity. 7.30pm, Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place. Presented by Gunshow Theatre in association with Wildbird Theatre.
St Giles’ at Six: an organ recital by Chris Bragg (University of St Andrew’s). 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
