Crafty Books Time: The Sea. Crafts and stories for the under-10s; this week you can make a Stained Glass Sea Scene. 2.30-3.30pm, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. Free: no booking required. ‘You’ll have a WHALE of a time!’
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day: Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre and friends will hold a vigil to remember the Conscientious Objectors of all wars, past and present, and especially those of the First World War. With songs from the Protest in Harmony Choir, and stories of some of the Objectors; bring your reflections, songs, poems and photos. 5-6.30pm, The Mound. For more information please see the event’s Facebook page here.
What’s Your Poison? Arsenic, asbestos, mercury and lead – today we know these substances as dangerous – even deadly – but throughout history poisonous and fatal materials have been used in very surprising places. From poisonous make-up to deadly dyes and maddening materials, experts from Edinburgh University will explore these dangerous substances, from their origins in nature to their uses throughout history and today. 1.30-2.30pm, Anatomy Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 3, Medical School, Teviot Place. Free but booking is required via eventbrite here. The Anatomy Museum will remain open 2.30-8pm for those who hold tickets to What’s Your Poison? This event forms part of Scotland’s Festival of Museums 2015.
WHALE Mini Snappers: an exciting darkroom photography session for young people as part of Voluntary Arts Week. Learn from a tutor and the WHALE Snappers team; come and take photos, then develop them in the traditional way! For ages 8-16 years. 2-4pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free but booking is essential, in person or by calling WHALE on 0131 458 3267.
Steampunk Salvaged Jewellery Workshop: drawing inspiration from Victorian culture and technology, Steampunk is a growing trend in fashion, art and music. Join PhD student and resident Steampunk expert Shannon Rollins for a workshop on the history of this cultural phenomenon, and create your own Steampunk-inspired fashion accessory. This is a BYOB event so bring your favourite tipple! 6-7pm, Anatomy Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 3, Medical School, Teviot Place. Tickets cost £5 (to include all materials) and may be booked via eventbrite here. The Anatomy Museum will remain open 2.30-8pm for those who hold tickets to the workshop. This event forms part of Scotland’s Festival of Museums 2015.
Kidnapped: When Kilts were Banned. Discover Robert Louis Stevenson’s timeless tale in Donald Smith’s exhilarating, gutsy adaptation; let two actors, a chest and your imagination take you on an exciting, fast-moving and adventure-filled story for all the family as young Davie Balfour leaves home for the first time, only to be double-crossed by his devious uncle and find himself kidnapped. Directed by Gavin Paul. 7pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 and may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579. In association with Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust. Also at 2.30pm on Saturday 16th May 2015.
Capturing the Dark Side: Photography with Dark Edinburgh. A talk on how to create stunning images in Edinburgh, given by the man behind Dark Edinburgh Photography. Please note that the workshop that will follow this talk is now fully booked, but tickets are still available for the talk itself. 8pm, Anatomy Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 3, Medical School, Teviot Place. Tickets for the talk alone are free and may be booked via eventbrite here. The Anatomy Museum will remain open 2.30-8pm for those who hold tickets to this event, which forms part of Scotland’s Festival of Museums 2015.
Dwelling: Garry Fabian Miller. One of the most experimental and progressive figures in fine art photography, Garry Fabian Miller has created large scale camera-less photographs since the 1980s. With the coming of the digital age in photography and the discontinuation of Cibachrome paper, Fabian Miller has decided to reach out from photography and explore new ways of making work, in particular in this new, long-term, collaboration with Dovecot. This exhibition looks back at his influences and the conditions that led him to produce the body of work he has achieved in a lifetime of practice. Works in Dwelling highlight the importance of Fabian Miller’s home and its landscape, the work and life of Winifred Nicholson, and light in domestic spaces, often emanating from its heart – the fire and hearth. The exhibition will also feature two new gun-tufted hearth rugs created in collaboration with Fabian Miller; a large scale tapestry is also planned. 10.30am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays), Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. Exhibition closes 4th July 2015.
Bookbug: songs, rhymes and stories for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30am today and every Friday (and Tuesday), Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. All welcome: free.
Chesko and Karel: a sensational Spanish duo playing all different styles from Spain, South America and the Caribbean – covers including flamenco, fado, samba, son, salsa, rumba, reggae and world music. 9pm-1am, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk.
Waterloo: After the Battle. A new exhibition to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo; find out more about the impact of the battle within Scotland, from public celebrations to political unrest, the celebrity of veterans and the birth of battlefield tourism. 10am-5pm daily, Grand Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free. Ends 27th September 2015.
Ratho Adult Colouring Group – come and try the new stress reliever and anti-depressant! 11am-12.30pm today and every second Friday, Ratho Library, School Wynd.
IberoDocs: the second Scottish Ibero-American Documentary Film Festival, continues. Today’s films are:
(1) Alentejo, Alentejo (PG) (in Portugese with English subtitles). A journey into present-day Portugal, discovering Cante – traditional and new songs sung by dozens of amateur polyphonic choirs who gather regularly in Alentejo. Cante was born in the taverns and fields, sung buy miners and peasants, and transmitted through the generations: UNESCO has now recognised it as Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Plus short: Spaces of Time #2: Porto by David Hermandez. 6.05pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road.
(2) Arraianos (PG) (in Galician with English subtitles): a portrait of a small village trapped out of time and located on the Galician-Portugal border, in which moments of fiction stand alongside the daily life of the Arraianos, now ‘actors’ playing themselves. Reality, myths and dreams merge together in this film, freely inspired by the local play ‘O Bosque’. Plus short Mountain in the Shadow (Montana en sombra) by Lois Patino. This screening will be followed by a Q & A session with Arraianos producer Beli Martinez. 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road.
Tickets for Aelntejo Alentejo and Arraianos may be purchased from the Filmhouse Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online.
Additional films will be shown today at 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh: My Village Doesn’t Live Here Any More/A minha aldeia ja nao mora aqui will be screened at 11am and Through Shadows/Pelas Sombras at 12.15pm. These films will be followed by a masterclass delivered by filmmaker – and director of both films – Catarina Mourao, and the event will conclude with a reception at Tugas Amor, 161 Dundee Street. Please see the Festival’s brochure here for more details.
90s Night @ Boda: a theme night to embrace everything that was fantastic about the nineties – from pen trolls to Buffy the Vampire Slayer! 8pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk.
Old Chain Pier Friday Nights: soul, funk, motown and more with guest DJ ‘he’s fat, he’s old and he’s bald’ Lenny Love. 9pm-1am (food served until 10pm), Old Chain Pier, 32 Trinity Crescent.
Nobel Ambitions: Rethinking Capitalism II. The Buchanan Institute hosts an afternoon with Graciela Chichilnisky, lead author of Nobel Peace Prize winning intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr Chichilnisky appears regularly on CNN and BBC, speaking extensively on topics including globalisation, global economics and the environment; she is best known for her extensive work in the Kyoto Protocol process, and has served as special adviser to several UN organisations and heads of state. 4-6pm, George Square Lecture Theatre, 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh. All welcome: free but please register via eventbrite here.
Rally & Broad: Because the Night. To mark Rally & Broad’s 50th event since October 2012, a special partnership gig in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation and Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Because the Night will be a ‘sparkling line-up of utterly delicious lyrical delight’ and a celebration of using the arts to address stigma in mental health. Acts will include ‘prolific and multi-talented’ songwriter Aidan Moffat in a special spoken-word set, ‘prodigiously talented and criminally underrated’ singer Kathryn Joseph, author and ‘captivating live reader’ Anneliese Mackintosh, ‘heartbeaking and hilarious’ songwriter and lyricist Liz Cronin and poet and writer McGuire, whose first collection is entitled ‘As I sit quietly I begin to smell burning‘. 7-10pm, The Bongo Club, Cowgate. Tickets cost £5 and may be purchased via eventbrite here (transaction fee applies) or on the door sta.
Edinburgh University Music Society Summer Concert. Chorus (conductor Neil Metcalfe): Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music, Biebl Ave Maria and Stanford Te Deum in E Flat; Sinfonia (conductor Peter Keenan): Dvorak Slavonic Dances (7 & 8) and Weber Der Freischutz Overture; Symphony Orchestra (conductor Russell Cowieson): Britten Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. 7.30 (doors open 7pm)-9pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Tickets cost £10/£5 and may be purchased online here (booking fee applies) or on the door sta (please arrive early as this is a very popular event).
Nitekirk: a monthly, creative, drop-in experience of church. Come and go as you like, sit in stillness or join in quiet conversation, songs from the Taize and Iona communities, reading and art. This month’s theme is Wonder. 8-11pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. All welcome. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door’.
Isle of Arran Mountain Festival. Here’s your first chance to get away from it all this weekend: from wildlife watching coastal walks to airy scrambles on towering granite ridges, the Arran Mountain Festival offers a wide programme of graded walks over four days, all guided by experienced local leaders, plus talks, music and social gatherings. Meet like-minded people and discover a fascinating island with some of Scotland’s most amazing landscapes. Each walk can be booked separately, and there are discounts for multi-bookings. Full programme and booking details on the festival’s website here. Ends Monday 18th May. (For your second – and quite different – chance to escape, see Saturday’s listings…)
