We are very happy to publicise most local events here for no charge, but please send the information to us in time! If we don’t receive the details by the previous Friday at the latest it is difficult for us to include them. And please remember to check with the organisers of an event before setting out, as there may have been last minute changes.
MONDAY 4TH MAY 2015
Re-Union Canal Boats History Cruise: find out more about the history of the Union Canal. How, why and when was it built, what was it used for and who was using it? An informative and enlightening 2 hour cruise which will include the history of the landmarks along the canal to Slateford Aquaduct, and the many changes that the canalside communities have seen. 3-5pm – begins at Edinburgh Quay; walk through to the canal from the junction of Fountainbridge and Gardner’s Crescent. The Lochrin Belle is the purple narrowboat – you can’t miss it! The cruise costs £10 per person: you can book through Re-Union’s website here or by calling them on 0131 261 8529. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about Re-Union and the many roles of the Lochrin Belle here.
Toddler Time: short screenings exclusively for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Membership of Toddler Time is free – please ask at the Box Office. Today: The Hive, Programme 3 (U) – join Buzzbee and friends in their fun-packed adventures in The Hive, where every day brings something new for the little bee as he explores the world around him with his best friends Barnabee, Debee, Jaspar the wasp and his sister Rubee. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child for Toddler Time members (accompanying adults free) and may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723. No adult unaccompanied by a toddler will be admitted.
Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association (EIFA): Grand Opening of New Premises! EIFA has moved from St John’s Church to the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church and will open its new premises today. 6pm – opening ceremony with entertainment, 7.15pm – light refreshments, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 15 Nicolson Square. All welcome!
The Play Talk Read Bus is in Edinburgh this week: enjoyable learning and fun for pre-school children and their parents and carers. There are games and activities downstairs and a Bookbug session upstairs, all facilitated by friendly Play Leaders. Today the bus will be at Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North from 10am to 12.15pm and Craigmillar Library, Niddrie Mains Road, from 1.45pm to 4pm. It’s free and all are welcome.
Lunchtime Concert: Alexander Thomson plays the Centre’s Bechstein Grand Piano. 12.30pm (concert will begin at 12.40pm), Robertson Suite, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road. Admission costs £6 per person and includes a light lunch. For more information contact the Centre on 0131 447 4520.
For Crying Out Loud: screenings for carers and their babies under 12 months (maximum of two adults per baby). Baby-changing, bottle-warming and buggy-parking facilities are available. Today’s film is A Pigeon Sat on a Branch….(12A): ‘an absurdist, surrealistic and shocking pitch-black comedy’. In Swedish and English with English subtitles. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 (babies free).
The Life and Songs of Bob Bertram: author Norma Allan, who has just published The Complete Works of Bob Bertram, talks about the life and works of the well-known Edinburgh folk singer and character, who performed at various venues around the Old Town, particularly at the Edinburgh Folk Club. Norma will also recite some of Bob’s poems, and folk singer Morag Dunbar will sing some of his songs. 6.30-7.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required via eventbrite here.
Concert: Nabillah Jabal (piano). Please check time with venue: St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
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 Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Tini zabutykh) (12) (in Ukrainian with English subtitles): ‘..a dizzying portrayal of the ancient people’s culture of the Carpathian mountains. The story of star-crossed lovers accounts for only half of the film….Costume, dance, song and gossip orality combine with some of 
the most spectacular imagery ever caught on camera’. Plus short The Fisherman’s Daughter by Tom Chick. 5.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Tricolour: monthly event showcasing three different poetry and spoken word talents. Three different voices, three different styles, three different takes on life. This month: Patricia McCaw, Alec Beattie and Katie Ailes. 6.30pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book via the NLS website here or by calling 0131 623 3734.
A Flute and Saxophone Recital: Laura Cioffi and Anna Wright play works by Godard, Creston, Daugherty, Debussy, Glazunov and Ibert. 7.30pm, Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate. Free.
The Trad Affair: an evening of fantastic energy, musicianship and smiles from young musicians from all over Scotland, Ireland, America and England who are now studying at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. ‘A vibrant, contemporary and unique blend of traditional Scottish, Irish and original music, featuring piano, accordion, bagpipes, whistle, flute, fiddle, percussion, voice and clarsach….musical performances full of fun, personality and spirit’. Over 18s only. 7pm, Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 in advance from eventbrite here (transaction fee applies).
TUESDAY 5TH MAY 2015
Leith School of Art Open Days: visit the school to hear about its courses and see the students in action. Short presentations will be given by course leaders and there will be a chance to ask questions. Today’s presentations will be on Critical and Professional Development (1pm), Figurative Course (1.30pm) and Painting Course (2pm), all at the North Junction Street Campus, and Foundation Course (1.30pm) at the St James Campus, and both campuses will be open to visitors 10am-3pm. Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street. The School has independent status; its courses are structured around set projects and personal work, with a high staff: student ratio. If you would like to arrange a portfolio review with a tutor, please contact the school in advance on 0131 554 5761. Also on Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th May and Friday 8th May 2015 (with different presentations each day).
The Play Talk Read Bus is in Edinburgh this week: enjoyable learning and fun for pre-school children and their parents and carers. There are games and activities downstairs and a Bookbug session upstairs, all facilitated by friendly Play Leaders. Today the bus will be at Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace 10am-1pm and 2-4pm. It’s free and all are welcome.
The Times They Are A-Changin’: Time, Economics and a Political Economy of Britain since 1945. Professor Martin Chick, Personal Chair of Economic History (University of Edinburgh) delivers his inaugural lecture. 5.15-6.15pm, Meadows Lecture Theatre, Old Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place. Free and open to all.
Back to Work 2015: if you would like some help in looking for work, come along to the library for the first of four sessions run by Community Learning & Development in association with Edinburgh Libraries. Today will be the opportunity for an informal chat over tea and biscuits to find out how the programme can help you; subsequent sessions will be held on 19th May (Build Up Your CV), 2nd June (How to Search for Jobs) and 16th June (Preparing for Interviews). You can come to all of the sessions or just one or two. 1-3pm, Kirkliston Library, 16 Station Road. For more information please contact Lawrence Arscott on 0131 334 9301 or Nicola Tonner on 0131 529 5510 – or just turn up at any of the sessions.
French Cinema: Gare du Nord. Claire Simon’s blend of documentary and fiction follows the everyday lives of dozens of passers-by in one of the largest stations in Europe. A focused and serious sociology student Ismael is leading a study in this fast-paced urban environment when he meets the elegant fifty-something Mathilde… ‘A calm but powerful film where motion and emotion are the cornerstones’. In French with English subtitles. 6-8pm, Institut Francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free. Also showing 1-3pm on Wednesday 6th May 2015.
Leith Folk Club: Fraser Bruce. The singer returns to Leith with a wealth of songs and stories from around the world. 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.
Cameo Discover Tuesdays: a weekly slot showing forgotten classics, art-house gems and riveting documentaries. Today’s film is German Concentration Camps Factual Survey (18): filmed by army and newsreel cameramen as the Allies liberated Nazi concentration camps, this harrowing but vitally important film is a stark reminder of humankind’s capacity for inhumanity. Assembled by a team led by Sidney Bernstein and including Alfred Hitchcock, the footage was shelved unfinished after the war, when Britain’s priorities for Germany had changed from de-Nazification to reconstruction; the Imperial War Museum has now restored and completed it, following the original filmmakers’ directions and drawing on seventeen hours of rushes. 6pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.
The Southside Association: a non-political amenity group with an interest in social, welfare, environmental, educational, planning, licensing and recreational matters as they affect the Southside area. Meetings often include guest speakers, plus a police officer and local councillor. 7pm today and every first Tuesday (except July & August), South Side Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street. New members very welcome. More information 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 Kaos (15) (in Italian with English subtitles): based on the short stories of Pirandello, Kaos marries Italian cinematic neorealism with the lyricism of folk tales, among them the story of the bride who discovers on her wedding night that her husband is a werewolf, and the hapless landlord who becomes stuck in an enormous clay pot. ‘A rich, kaleidoscopic work of folk cinema’. (No short today). 7.40pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Right Now: ‘It’s Abigail’s Party meets Rosemary’s Baby‘. Preview performances (as a full English-language production) of Quebecois writer Catherine-Anne Toupin’s thrilling modern comedy. As Alice and Ben settle into their new flat they realise that the family across the hall hope to be more than just friends…. ‘Right Now walks a delicate line between playful laughs and horrified gasps….one of the funniest and most terrifying things you’ll see this season’. Director: Emma Callander, translator: Chris Campbell. For ages 16+. 8pm, Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street. Tickets cost £10/£7 and may be purchased in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 1404. Also at same times on 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th May 2015.
Cameo Silver Screen: if you are 60+ join the Silver Screen Club for discounted tickets (usually £5) plus free tea, coffee and biscuits at the weekly Silver Screen shows. Membership is free – ask at the Box Office. Non-members are welcome to attend the screenings, but will need to pay standard ticket prices. Today’s films are Far From the Madding Crowd (12A), which is showing at 12 noon and 3pm, Avengers: Age of Ultron (12A), showing at 12.45 and 4pm, and The Falling (15), showing at 12.30 and 3.15pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Scotia Nova: Poems for the Early Days of a Better Nation. This anthology of poems, edited by Alasdair Finlay and Tessa Ransford, speaks to the questions, uncertainties and hopes of Scotland as a nation on the brink of change. Join the editors and contributing poets for an evening of poetry – and possibly a song or two – dedicated to Scotland’s future. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY 2015
Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North. Also at same times on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th May 2015.
The Play Talk Read Bus is in Edinburgh this week: enjoyable learning and fun for pre-school children and their parents and carers. There are games and activities downstairs and a Bookbug session upstairs, all facilitated by friendly Play Leaders. Today the bus will be at Drumbrae Library Hub, Drum Brae Drive 10am-1pm and 2-4pm. It’s free and all are welcome.
Lunchtime Concert: Will Pickvance Piano Speak. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
French Cinema: Gare du Nord. Claire Simon’s blend of documentary and fiction follows the everyday lives of dozens of passers-by in one of the largest stations in Europe. A focused and serious sociology student Ismael is leading a study in this fast-paced urban environment when he meets the elegant fifty-something Mathilde… ‘A calm but powerful film where motion and emotion are the cornerstones’. In French with English subtitles. 1-3pm, Institut Francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free.
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 or email albapolska@healthallround.org.uk or Maysoon at maysoon@healthallround.org.uk.
In Focus: George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal of Scotland, by Pierre Parrocel, about 1716. Susanna Kerr, former Senior Curator, Portrait Gallery, discusses this portrait of a committed Jacobite, his career in the 1715 and 1719 rebellions and his service under Frederick the Great of Prussia. 12.45-1.15pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
Game of Crowns Exhibition Tour for those with a hearing impairment (portable loop available). 2-3pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is essential: please email b.casebow@nls.uk or call 0131 623 3745.
Leith School of Art Open Days: visit the school to hear about its courses and see the students in action. Short presentations will be given by course leaders and there will be a chance to ask questions. Today’s presentations will be on Landscape (1pm), Printmaking (1.30pm) and Drawing Course (2pm), all at the North Junction Street Campus, and Foundation Course (1.30pm) at the St James Campus, and both campuses will be open to visitors 10am-3pm. Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street. The School has independent status; its courses are structured around set projects and personal work, with a high staff: student ratio. If you would like to arrange a portfolio review with a tutor, please contact the school in advance on 0131 554 5761. Also on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th May 2015 (with different presentations each day).
Orson Welles Special Screening: to mark the 100th anniversary of Welles’ death, a one-off screening of Citizen Kane (U). This fictional biography of media magnate Charles Foster Kane – a thinly-veiled Randolph Hearst – recreates a life in flashback. ‘A startling cinematic debut by any standards…the fact that it was made by a 25-year old makes it nothing short of remarkable’. 2.30pm and 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Beyond Google: an introduction to Credo Reference and Oxford Reference Online. A basic introduction to the key features of two major online resources; learn how to access hundreds of quality reference books online. 2-4pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book via the NLS website here or by calling 0131 623 3734.
Craigmillar Library Book Group: currently reading Sarah Winman’s When God was a Rabbit. Call into the library in advance to borrow your copy, then come along this evening for the discussion. 6.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. All welcome!
Vera Chytilova Film Season: Vera Chytilova, the leading lady of 1960s Czech New Wave, died last year at the age of 85. A rebel, a feminist, a critic of contemporary society and an innovative filmmaker best known for her work Daisies, Chytilova focused on women rebelling against a male-dominated order, while consistently applying her own moral vision. She was banned from filming by the Czech government. Today’s film is The Fruit of Paradise (Ovoce stromu rajdkych jime) (15) (in Czech with English subtitles). Nominally based on a story of a murderer, the characters symbolise Eve, Adam and the devil against a background of the Garden of Eden. ‘Zdenek Liska’s music, Jaroslav Kucera’s cinematography and Ester Krumbachova’s design combine in a unique celebration of form.’ The screening will be introduced by Dr David Sorfa (University of Edinburgh), editor-in-chief of the journal Film-Philosophy. 6.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688. The next film in this series will be Prefab Story on Wednesday 13th May 2015.
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.
LGBT: Bi and Beyond Edinburgh. A fortnightly social gathering for people who identify as bisexual and non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever your label or lack of label, we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.
Greenpeace Edinburgh Film Night: Gasland Part II. The provocative follow-up to filmmaker Josh Fox’s award-winning documentary on fracking, Gasland II continues to explore the gas industry’s influence on public policy, and how the stakes have been raised on all sides. 7pm, Upstairs Room, Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket.
Nothing Ever Happens Here Presents RM Hubbert + Lypsync for a Lullaby + Tisso Lake. The Glaswegian guitarist, whose playing incorporates elements of flamenco, folk and samba, and who writes ‘music about love, death, friendship, mental illness and a dog called D Bone’, plus support from Edinburgh quartet Lypsync for a Lullaby and experimental Edinburgh band Tisso Lake. For over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Main Hall, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked here.
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop: Mario Caeiro. The curator and academic discusses his work, in particular GOFLANEUR, an urban community project which explores the possibilities art offers to the contemporary city. 6pm, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 21 Hawthornvale. For more information please call ESW on 0131 551 4490.
Crisis Skylight: Meet the Team. Crisis Skylight Edinburgh is a charity working with single homeless or vulnerably housed people. It offers structured 12-week courses, taster sessions and one-to-one support to help people learn, develop skills and improve their confidence, with the aim of supporting individuals on their journey out of homelessness and towards independence. Crisis has an extensive outreach service and delivers activities at a variety of locations in Edinburgh; many of the courses it offers can lead to SQA qualifications. Find out what Crisis does and what help you can get; hear about classes and events and meet Crisis staff, volunteers and other members. Refreshments provided. 1.30-2.30pm, Crisis, Crichton House, 4 Crichton’s Close. For more information please call Crisis on 0131 209 7700 or email edinburgh@crisis.org.uk.
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 Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari (15) (in Russian and Mari with English subtitles). ‘A series of cinematic folk tales, each focusing on a woman whose name begins with ‘O’. Equal parts absurd, hilarious, tragic and surreal…a joyous and profound celebration of the feminine as filtered through folk tale’. Plus short Cailleach by Rosie Reed Hillman. 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
THURSDAY 7TH MAY 2015
Plenty of events to take your mind off you-know-what today – but don’t forget to vote first!
The Wee One: writer/performer Philip Rainford’s first full length stage play focuses on an older couple, Marie and John, and their grown up son Danny, who persists in living with them. ‘A heartwarming and original story about the tragi-comic circumstances of their situation’. Director Alan Tomkins and a cast of five talented local performers have come on board to stage the play’s premiere performance in Edinburgh’s newest licensed studio theatre. 7.30pm (box office opens 7pm), DISCOVER 21, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Tickets cost £5 per person and may be purchased in advance from Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies), or on the night (sta). Also at same time on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th May 2015.
The Play Talk Read Bus is in Edinburgh this week: enjoyable learning and fun for pre-school children and their parents and carers. There are games and activities downstairs and a Bookbug session upstairs, all facilitated by friendly Play Leaders. Today the bus will be at Newington Library, Fountainhall Road 10am-1pm and 2-4pm. It’s free and all are welcome.
The Big Scream: special screenings exclusively for parents/carers and their babies under the age of 12 months. 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 (your baby is admitted free). Today’s film is Far From the Madding Crowd (12A), the new adaptation of Hardy’s famous novel, starring Carey Mulligan. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.
The Scotland-Russia Forum: sparkling Russian/English conversation over tea and cakes. Open to all; no need to book, just turn up – you will be warmly welcomed. 11am, Summerhall Cafe, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Free: the only cost will be for any drinks or food you wish to purchase from the cafe. For more information please contact info@scotlandrussiaforum.org or call 0131 560 1486.
Leith School of Art Open Days: visit the school to hear about its courses and see the students in action. Short presentations will be given by course leaders and there will be a chance to ask questions. Today’s presentations will be on Art & Spirituality (1pm) and One Day Painting Courses (1.30pm), both at the North Junction Street Campus, and Foundation Course (1.30pm) at the St James Campus, and both campuses will be open to visitors 10am-3pm. Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street. The School has independent status; its courses are structured around set projects and personal work, with a high staff: student ratio. If you would like to arrange a portfolio review with a tutor, please contact the school in advance on 0131 554 5761. Also on Friday 8th May 2015 (with different presentations each day).
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Neil Broadfoot’s The Storm. After his editor is murdered in front of him, crime reporter Doug McGregor’s world falls apart. As prime witness, he’s not allowed to investigate the case – and on top of that, his friendship with police contact DS Susie Drummond seems to be in a weird place. Doug leaps at the chance to take some time out with his old friend on Skye, but when another savage murder occurs, he realises that he is in the very eye of the storm. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article on the launch of Neil’s first novel Falling Fast, which was shortlisted for the Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2014, here.
Making Tracks: a solo exhibition by Crieff-based artist Janet Melrose RSW. Preview 6-8pm tonight, then 10.30am-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10.30am-5.30pm Saturdays, 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Union Gallery, 45 Broughton Street. Ends 7th June 2015.
Community Renewal Job Search Tool Kit Information Session: come and find out more about how and where to look for jobs, how to prepare a CV and how to write both covering and speculative letters to employers. 12 noon-3pm, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court. Free but please drop into the library in advance to register your interest or call Community Renewal on 0131 332 8773.
Edinburgh Reads: Jeffery Deaver in conversation with Ian Rankin. The best-selling American crime writer talks with Ian Rankin about his latest book Solitude Creek, the fourth in the Kathryn Dance series. 7-8pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required via eventbrite here.
Lunchtime Concert: Ohio University Choral Scholars from Athens, Ohio. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Possibilities of the Object Descriptive Tour: a tour of the current exhibition for visitors with a visual impairment. 6.30-8pm, Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free but booking is required: please call the gallery on 0131 225 2383 or email info@fruitmarket.co.uk.
Hot Tub Astronaut Launch: Hot Tub Astronaut publishes contemporary words, images and sounds, and is now expanding into other media, including photography, drawing and sound. This launch is to gather creative and art-minded people together to foster a community of artistic making and sharing in Edinburgh. There will be readings by Claire Askew and Colin McGuire and a live sound performance of ambient drone and jazz drumming by Brian Pokora and Chet King. The event is designed to get this relatively new forum known by people who would be keen to contribute and find a home for their work. 7pm, Sneaky Pete’s, 73 Cowgate. Tickets cost £2 and may be purchased online via eventbrite here (transaction fee applies) or on the door (sta).
Books In Focus: Kokoschka’s Die traumenden Knaben. The Books In Focus series focuses on artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; today’s session will consider a key publication designed by Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka as a young man in 1908 and later published by Kurt Wolff in 1917. ‘The dreaming boys’ tells the story of Kokoschka’s unrequited love for a fellow student, illustrated with jewel-like colours. 11.30am-12.30pm, Reading Room, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free but booking is required as places are limited: please call 0131 624 6268 or email gmainfo@nationalgalleries.org.
Folk Film Gathering: the world’s first folk film festival concludes 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 Letter from My Village (12A) (in Serere and French with English subtitles): focusing on the daily lives of community members from director Safi Faye’s home town Fad’jal, this first feature by a Sub-Saharan African woman to gain international distribution mounts a powerful critique on colonial administration, looking outwards from individual lives and livelihoods in Fad’jal to the wider issues which overshadow them. Plus short No Hope for Men Below by Adam Stafford: a powerful docudrama about the Redding pit disaster. 5.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Swedish Poetry: a translation workshop with Swedish writer and Scottish Poetry Library administrator Jessica Johannessen Gaitan. Jessica will share three short poems in Swedish with literal translations; participants will then (with Jessica’s help) work – individually or in pairs – on English translations, which will then be shared and discussed. The poets studied will be Tomas Transtromer, Jenny Wrangborg and Jessica herself. No previous knowledge of Swedish or translation experience required, although those who have either of these will be very welcome. 6.30-8.30pm, Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson’s Loan, Quartermile (please note change of venue owing to building works at SPL). Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be booked via eventbrite here.
Nothing Ever Happens Here Presents Randolph’s Leap + The Son(s) + Book Group. Glasgow-based musical project Randolph’s Leap have been hailed as ‘the next generation of witty Scottish indie pop’ (The Quietus); they are supported by Edinburgh acts The Son(s) and Book Group. Over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked here.
Special Screening: Bypass (15): Tim (George MacKay, Pride, Sunshine on Leith) is a young man pushed into responsibility after his older brother is sent to jail. With an absent father, a surly young sister and a pregnant girlfriend, Tim finds himself being dragged deep into the criminal underground in order to try to keep the pieces of his fragmented life together. Director Duane Hopkins ‘transcends the cliches often associated with social realism, bringing a number of effective stylistic touches to this portrait of a generation without hope’. The screening will be followed by a Q & A with producer Samm Haillay. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
FRIDAY 8TH MAY 2015
The Play Talk Read Bus is in Edinburgh this week: enjoyable learning and fun for pre-school children and their parents and carers. There are games and activities and a Bookbug session upstairs, all facilitated by friendly Play Leaders. Today the bus will be at Moredun Library, Moredun Park Road 10am-1pm and 2-4pm. It’s free and all are welcome.
Damian Callan Pop-Up Gallery: new drawings and paintings, framed and unframed work by the Edinburgh-based figurative artist and art teacher. Damian will give a demonstration of his drawing and painting techniques at 2pm daily, and his new book Paint Like Renoir will be available to purchase. There will also be a bargain box! 10am-6pm today, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May, with a private view 6-9pm tonight, The Art Club, Brandon Terrace (next to Coffee Angel), Canonmills. The exhibition will be available to view online here from 8th May.
Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom. Andrew Duff launches his new book about the tiny Buddhist kingdom that survived the British empire only to be annexed by India in 1975. The last king of Sikkim, Thondup Namgyal and his American wife, Hope Cooke, sought support for Sikkim’s independence, but as tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, the kingdom became a pawn in the Cold War in Asia in the 1960s and 70s. As the world’s major powers jostled for regional supremacy, Sikkim and its ruling family never stood a chance. Based on interviews and archive research, together with the re-tracing of a journey that the author’s grandfather made in 1922, this is ‘a thrilling, romantic and informative glimpse of a real-life Shangri-La’. 6.30pm, Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile. Free but please RSVP to events@birlinn.co.uk or call 0131 668 4371.
Running Under Bridges: a new exhibition arising from an ongoing collaboration between Professor Raymond MacDonald (Head of Reid School of Music) and Josephine Ganter (Lecturer, Edinburgh College of Art). By co-authoring a series of original prints and musical compositions, they test the possibilities of images as conductors of sound and sound as a compositional tool for images. Raymond and Josephine’s process starts with hand drawn ‘grids’ and photographs, which then form the basis for the development of more intricate images that will later become graphic scores for musicians to perform – as well as being artworks in their own right. Opens tonight with a live performance, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, South Bridge. Further live performances will take place throughout the exhibition; the next one will be on Saturday 16th May at 3pm. Exhibition ends 23rd May 2015.
Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North. Also at same time on Saturday 9th May 2015.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh and Mariscat Press Present Lindy Barbour Where You Start From and Eveline Pye Smoke that Thunders: the launch of two first collections of poems by new writers. Lindy Barbour was born in Orkney, grew up in Fife, now lives in rural Lanarkshire and teaches Counselling and Psychotherapy at Edinburgh University; Eveline Pye was born in Glasgow, worked in the Zambian copper industry, then taught statistics at Glasgow Caledonian University. Both writers have been encouraged by Liz Lochhead, who will introduce this event. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here
LGBT Women’s Wellbeing Group: an inclusive group offering the chance to meet other LGBT women in a relaxed environment. Chat, info and activities promoting health and wellbeing. The group is open to all LGBT women and also welcomes transgender people who identify primarily as women. Today: Goodness Gracious – a relaxed evening of health and nutrition tips and advice, including a Q & A session with a qualified nutritionist. 6-8.30pm – please contact Alison Wren at alison@lgbthealth.org.uk or on 0131 652 3283 for details of meeting place, and to be added to the group’s email list.
Leith School of Art Open Days: visit the school to hear about its courses and see the students in action. Short presentations will be given by course leaders and there will be a chance to ask questions. Today’s presentation will be on Contemporary Art Practice (1.30pm) at the St James Campus, and both campuses will be open to visitors 10am-3pm. Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street. The School has independent status; its courses are structured around set projects and personal work, with a high staff: student ratio. If you would like to arrange a portfolio review with a tutor, please contact the school in advance on 0131 554 5761.
Nothing Ever Happens Here Presents Withered Hand + Woodpigeon + Eyes of Others. Withered Hand, aka Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Dan Willson, released his second album New Gods (with contributors including Belle & Sebastian, Frightened Rabbit and The Vaselines) this year. Over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked here.
In Focus: Interior of St Bavo’s Church, Haarlem, 1648, by Pieter Saenredam. Saenredam specialised in painstakingly detailed views of the interiors of Dutch churches – his painting of St Bavo’s Church is the grandest he ever produced. Art historian Andrew Paterson explores the sophistication of the picture’s construction, and asks what meanings this depiction of virtually empty, whitewashed sacred space may have held for its 17th century viewers. 12.45-1.15pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Anomalies: abstract painter and printmaker Alan Chapman presents a new series of paintings, exploring disparate forms coming together and drifting apart. Private view tonight 7-8.30pm, then 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-5pm Sundays, Gallery 2, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Ends 24th May 2015.
Genesis/Group Show: curated by Steven Hood, Genesis will tease out connections between the natural world, scientific theorems and art practice. Private view tonight 7-8.30pm, then 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-5pm Sundays, Third Floor, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Ends 24th May 2015.
James Kelman: A Lean Third (Tangerine Press). The renowned author launches his latest short story collection, which contains stories that were originally published in Lean Tales (1985), alongside the work of Alasdair Gray and Agnes Owens. The majority of the eighteen stories have been substantially revised by the author, and in a ten page afterword written specially for this edition, Kelman gives revealing insights into the background of many of the stories, his lifestyle at the time, and his writing methods. ‘A slim book with the literary weight of an anchor’ (Phil Miller, The Herald). James Kelman has long been regarded as one of the finest fiction writers in the world; he has won numerous awards – including the Booker Prize – and continues to be a huge influence on Scottish literature. 6.30pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. Free; all welcome – donations also welcome!
We(e) Object/Jewellery Designers: this exhibition will celebrate the diversity of the art form of small objects and jewellery, with a particular focus on concept, experimentation and materiality – a diverse and experimental showcase of small-scale mixed media works by UK-based contemporary artists and jewellers. Private view tonight 7-8.30pm, then 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-5pm Sundays, Third Floor, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Ends 24th May 2015.
The Wee One: writer/performer Philip Rainford’s first full length stage play focuses on an older couple, Marie and John, and their grown up son Danny, who persists in living with them. ‘A heartwarming and original story about the tragi-comic circumstances of their situation’. Director Alan Tomkins and a cast of five talented local performers have come on board to stage the play’s premiere performance in Edinburgh’s newest licensed studio theatre. 7.30pm (box office opens 7pm), DISCOVER 21, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Tickets cost £5 per person and may be purchased in advance from Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies), or on the night (sta). Also at same time on Saturday 9th May 2015.
Simone Weil: A Visionary for our Time. A talk and forum about the life and thought of the French philosopher, mystic and political activist. The talk will be followed on Saturday 9th May by a conference about Weil. The facilitators of these events will be Dr Timothy Baker, Professor Zenon Bankowski, Elizabeth Drummond Young, Dr David Levy and Professor James Williams, and the Chair will be Brian Smith, former Scottish Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh. 7-9pm (registration 6.30-7pm), Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Admission to the talk/forum only costs £5/£3 (concessions)/£1 (students). For more information please contact Neil Walker on 0131 331 4469 or at mesp2015@hotmail.com, These events form part of The Edinburgh International Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace Festival 2015.
Moniaive Folk Festival: here’s the first of this week’s chances to get away for a day – or even three! The Moniaive Folk Festival offers a rolling programme of performers at various venues, plus workshops, concerts, cabaret, a ceilidh, singarounds and (free) children’s events. Moniaive is in Dumfries and Galloway, 16 miles from Dumfries and ‘One of the coolest villages in Britain’ according to The Times. Tickets may be purchased for the whole weekend or individual events: more information, line-up and booking options may be found here. The festival ends on the evening of Sunday 10th May 2015.
Ullapool Book Festival: …and here’s the second, though this one is definitely more of a weekend trip! This volunteer-run festival brings together writers from the local area, Scotland and further afield – this year’s line up includes John Glenday, Jen Hadfield, Val McDermid, Louise Welsh and Christopher Brookmyre. Ullapool Village Hall (a few sessions take place at another venue – see programme), Market Street, IV26 2XE. Tickets may be purchased online here or in person at Ullapool Bookshop, Quay Street and The Ceilidh Place Bookshop, West Argyle Street, all subject to availability. For more information please email info@ullapoolbookfestival.co.uk or call 07754 83 59 35. The festival continues on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May 2015. ‘The Ullapool Book Festival is marked in my diary with a gold star’ (Louise Welsh, Honorary President).
SATURDAY 9TH MAY 2015
Turtles in Trouble: come and find out what you can do to help Scotland’s rare turtles – from satellite tagging programmes to reducing harmful marine litter. Say hello to Lola the life-sized Leatherback turtle model, or make your own turtle or jellyfish finger puppet! With the Marine Conservation Society. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. For all ages: free, no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 10th May.
Edinburgh Ballet Circle: Paquita, Death in Venice and Popular Dances. A triple bill by this company of non-professional adult ballet students from around Edinburgh: Marius Pepita’s Paquita is a glittering showcase of Russian classical dance with music by Alexander Minkus, Death in Venice is a new production based on Thomas Mann’s famous novella, with music by Benjamin Britten, and a suite of Popular Dances is set to the music of Leroy Anderson, the king of American light orchestral pieces. Directed by Jonathan Burnett. 2.45pm and 7.45pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from St Bride’s Box Office on 0131 346 1405.
Zoo Arts Extra: Beach Day – food, fire, sea, sky, sand and art! The group will leave North Edinburgh Arts at 12.30pm to walk to the beach at the Granton end of Silverknowes promenade, where there will be lunch beside a fire, with hot chocolate and marshmallows, followed by play and creative activities. At 4.30pm the group will walk back to NEA, to be collected by parents at 5pm (unless you have previously advised that your child is to make his/her own way home). Full details are on Zoo Arts Extra’s Facebook page here. 12.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court. This trip is free, although donations are very welcome towards costs. Booking (and completion of permission slips) is essential; call into NEA, email zooarts.nea@gmail.com or call 0131 315 2151. Participants over the age of 10 years may wish to achieve an Arts Award at this event; if so, please inform Zoo Arts when you book – you will then need to arrive at 10am for research and ideas in Zoo Arts’ new Creative Space.
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.
Damian Callan Pop-Up Gallery: new drawings and paintings, framed and unframed work by the Edinburgh-based figurative artist and art teacher. Damian will give a demonstration of his drawing and painting techniques at 2pm daily, and his new book Paint Like Renoir will be available to purchase. There will also be a bargain box! 10am-6pm today and Sunday 10th May, The Art Club, Brandon Terrace (next to Coffee Angel), Canonmills. The exhibition will be available to view online here from 8th May.
Fresh Start Fundraising Sale: an opportunity to browse some of the many quality donated goods, have a coffee, try some home baking and have a go on the tombola. 10am-12 noon, the Food Station, 1 Harrison Place, Polwarth EH11 1SF. Fresh Start is an Edinburgh charity that helps people who have been homeless get established in their new home. It is Lothian Buses’ Charity of the Year 2015.
Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for ages 4-8 years. 3-4pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. Free.
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 Toy Story (PG). 10.30am-12.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road.
Madelvic House Open Day: Madelvic House dates back to 1898 and was the first custom-built car factory in Britain. A Granton community group is now developing ideas for the building to offer local people somewhere to come together and relax. The current plan is to develop a creative hub with resident artists on the upper floor and gallery/event space below, plus a cafe and craft area with activities for the community. Today the group invites you to attend its first open day, which will include presentations on what the building could become, a craft workshop for children, a raffle and light refreshments – come along, see for yourself, learn about the history of the area, see artists at work, hear from the leaders of other successful projects from across Scotland, and discuss ideas with the group. 11am, Madelvic House, Granton Park Avenue. If you can’t make this date but would like to find out more, please contact Wendy Wager, chair of the group, at madeleviccommunity@gmail.com.
Christian Aid Week Coffee Morning – including a home baking stall. 10am-12 noon, St James Episcopal Church, 57b Inverleith Row. Tickets cost £2.50 on the door.
Water of Leith Conservation Trust Plant Sale: pick up a bargain at the famous annual plant sale! Doors open 10am, Water of Leith Vistor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. Admission by donation of 50p.
Elspeth Hart and the School for Show-offs: author Sarah Forbes and illustrator James Brown launch the first book in their new series for children aged 7-9 years. Come and hear stories about disgusting dinner ladies, see some caricature drawing, ask questions and get your book signed. 3pm, Waterstones West End, Princes Street. For more information please call 0131 226 2666.
Key Ideas in Simone Weil’s Life and Thought: Force, Affliction and Attention. A one-day conference about the life and thought of the French philosopher, mystic and political activist. The conference facilitators will be Dr Timothy Baker, Professor Zenon Bankowski, Elizabeth Drummond Young, Dr David Levy and Professor James Williams, and the Chair will be Brian Smith, former Scottish Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh. 10am-5.15pm (registration 9.30-10am), Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Admission costs £25/£20 (concessions)/£10 (students). For more information please contact Neil Walker on 0131 331 4469 or at mesp2015@hotmail.com, This event forms part of The Edinburgh International Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace Festival 2015.
Christian Aid Week Coffee Morning: a warm welcome awaits you at this annual event. 10am-12 noon, Marchmont St Giles Parish Church Centre, 1a Kilgraston Road.
Alan James McLeod: a new exhibition. 12 noon-5pm today, then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place. Ends 30th May 2015.
Bruncheon featuring The Sound of Muesli: original songs – from melodious, dark and dreamy to quirky and silly – from Fish to Fry, supported by Tom Kane with folk tunes and tales. The Drill Hall Arts Cafe will be offering delicious food and drinks, including breakfast dishes on a fishy theme! 11.30am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Admission free.
Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.
The 42nd Annual Christian Aid Book Sale starts today: books of every kind (including antiquarian and out of print), paintings, drawings, prints, antiques, printed ephemera, sheet music, stamps, postcards, vinyl, CDs, DVDs, toys and baking, all at one of the biggest charity book sales in the world. 10am-4pm today, then 10am-3.30pm Monday to Friday, with late opening until 7pm on Thursday 14th May, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Undercroft Cafe open all day.
The Holy Corner Christian Aid Book Sale also starts today! A wide variety of books, antiquarian items, CDs, DVDs, musical scores and much more. This year the sale will be offering a number of Alexander McCall Smith’s books, specially signed by the author for the sale. Donations of books (including any Alexander McCall Smith books for signature in advance), maps, photographs, music, etc are still needed and can be handed in at the side door of Morningside United Church during church office opening hours – or call 0131 447 3152 to arrange collection. 10am-5pm today, 11am-6pm Monday 11th to Friday 15th May and 10am-5pm on Saturday 16th May, Morningside United Church, 15 Chamberlain Road (Holy Corner). Coffee will be available today and on Saturday 16th May.
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.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Scottish Lute: Eric Thomas plays a selection of Scottish music from some of the earliest sources, including the Rowallan, Straloch and Panmur 5 manuscript. Eric is currently studying for a Masters in Historically Informed Performance Practice at Glasgow University and RCS. 2pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours: monthly tours of the Gallery’s permanent collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE (meet at main entrance), Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Linlithgow Street Fair: a fundraising event for local organisations and charities, taking place around The Cross. A large variety of goods for sale, plus raffles, tombolas and other games. Any charitable organisation can take a stall for a nominal fee – email the clerk, rosswmcintosh@btopenworld.com, for more information. From 1pm, The Cross, Linlithgow. Organised by Linlithgow Marches and Deacons’ Court.
The Wee One: writer/performer Philip Rainford’s first full length stage play focuses on an older couple, Marie and John, and their grown up son Danny, who persists in living with them. ‘A heartwarming and original story about the tragi-comic circumstances of their situation’. Director Alan Tomkins and a cast of five talented local performers have come on board to stage the play’s premiere performance in Edinburgh’s newest licensed studio theatre. 7.30pm (box office opens 7pm), DISCOVER 21, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Tickets cost £5 per person and may be purchased in advance from Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies), or on the night (sta).
Portobello Open Door Film Night: Birdman (15). 7pm, The Wash House Community Centre, 3 Adelphi Grove. Tickets costs £5/£3 and may be purchased from Popeye’s Sandwich Bar, 132 Portobello High Street. Bring your beanbag; tea/coffee and snacks are available to purchase at very reasonable prices, but feel free to bring your own food and drink if you wish.
Culture Shock: dedicated to bringing you the best in cult and genre films. Today a double bill, Mad Max 1 and 2, both films directed by George Miller and starring a much younger Mel Gibson. In Mad Max (18), an Australian policeman sets out to avenge his partner, his wife and his son, murdered by a motorcycle gang in retaliation for the death of their leader. Mad Max 2:The Road Warrior (18) is set in a post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, where a cynical drifter agrees to help a small gasoline-rich community escape a gang of bandits. ‘Oil-black humour and superbly choreographed chase sequences make for an unforgettably thrilling joyride’. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.
Sex, War and Painting or The Bible is Not Enough: a two-part exploration of Christian Revelation in the Bible, Human Reason and Sacred Art. Two lectures: When the Bible gets it wrong: Sex and War, and When the Bible isn’t enough: Crib, Cross and Paintings – with discussion plus lunch with wine or soft drinks. The event will be led by Professor David Brown FBA FRSE (Professorial Fellow, Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts, St Andrew’s University). 10am-4pm, St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. Free but registration is required: for more information or to book, please email Dr Stephen Holmes at stephen_holmes@stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk.
Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair: the biggest vintage fair in the UK, with over one hundred stalls selling vintage men’s and women’s clothing, accessories, homewares, collectibles, knick knacks, furniture, jewellery and more. 11am-4pm, Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street. Admission £2 (children under 12 years free).
A Scandinavian Ceilidh featuring The Flaming Heathers! The Scottish Swedish Society and the Danish Scottish Society invite all Scandis and friends to this fun event. Over 18 years only. 8-11pm, Lauriston Hall, Lauriston Street. Tickets cost £10 in advance via the Scottish Swedish Society’s website here or £12 on the door.
Nothing Ever Happens Here: TeenCanteen Presents The Girl Effect: a fundraiser for Scottish Women’s Aid. Over ten acts will perform covers of songs by girl groups past and present. Over 18s only. 7-10pm, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked here. Arranged with support from Tape Studio.
Cadenza in Concert: Mary & Motets, Madrigals & Moderns. The Cadenza Choir performs some of its lighter repertoire of a cappella and accompanied part songs: classical, contemporary, folk and jazz arrangements – Gibbons to Greig Rogers, Hart, Macmillan, Pentatonix and more. 7.30pm, Polwarth Parish Church, Polwarth Terrace. Tickets cost £10/£8 (concessions)/£2 (children) from Cadenza’s Concert Manager on 07985 091 714, from choir members or on the door (sta). Refreshments will be available in the interval.
SUNDAY 10TH MAY 2015
Portrait Detectives: collect your kit, follow clues and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12. 2-4pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed. Supported by the Friends of NGS.
Turtles in Trouble: come and find out what you can do to help Scotland’s rare turtles – from satellite tagging programmes to reducing harmful marine litter. Say hello to Lola the life-sized Leatherback turtle model, or make your own turtle or jellyfish finger puppet! With the Marine Conservation Society. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. For all ages: free, no booking required.
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. Today: Home (U) Tip must learn to fend for herself after her mother is abducted during the invasion of Earth by aliens calling themselves the Boov, but when she meets a Boov called Oh, they form an unlikely friendship. 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.
Pond Secrets with Mike Durnan. Come along to the pond in the beautiful Japanese garden at Lauriston and discover the creatures that live there; record your findings, then return to the Glasshouse to make your own wooden sailing boat to launch back in the pond. 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. £4 per person. Booking must be made in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office – in person, by phone (0131 228 1155) or online here.
Uptown Abbey: Lauriston above and below stairs: award-winning troupe Edinburgh Living History offers a unique chance to observe life in an Edwardian house. Meet the Reids, their staff and some of their guests as they go about their daily lives. 3pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £5 (adults), £3 (children), £12.50 (family ticket) or £6.50/£4.50/£17 to include afternoon tea . Booking must be made in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office – in person, by phone (0131 228 1155) or online here.
Damian Callan Pop-Up Gallery: new drawings and paintings, framed and unframed work by the Edinburgh-based figurative artist and art teacher. Damian will give a demonstration of his drawing and painting techniques at 2pm, and his new book Paint Like Renoir will be available to purchase. There will also be a bargain box! 10am-6pm, The Art Club, Brandon Terrace (next to Coffee Angel), Canonmills. The exhibition will be available to view online here from 8th May.
Friends of the Botanics Plant Sale: your annual chance to purchase from an enviable collection of plants at wonderful prices, plus the Connoisseur’s Collection and Home Baking Stall. 2-4pm, RBGE Nursery, Inverleith Avenue South. Admission £3 (RBGE members free).
Scotland’s Gardens: Dean Gardens. Nine acres of semi-woodland garden with spring bulbs, on the steep banks of the Water of Leith in central Edinburgh. Founded in the 1860s by local residents and containing part of the great structure of the Dean Bridge, a Thomas Telford masterpiece. Lawns, paths, trees and shrubs, lovely views, children’s play area. 2-5pm, Dean Gardens (enter from Eton Terrace or Ann Street), Admission £3 (children free) for Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries.
Cameo Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen where they belong. Today a celebration of the life of the late, great Robert Altman with a double bill: Altman (15) is a documentary about the director’s life and work, and The Long Goodbye (18) is his ‘brilliant post-hippy Raymond Chandler crime thriller’. 12 noon, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.
Radical Voices: a monthly gathering to listen to singers of radical songs, and to share songs, stories and poems on a different theme each time. 6.30-9.30pm, The Constitution Bar, Constitution Street, Leith. All welcome; free entry, with a raffle and donations collected for a relevant cause. For more information please email radicalvoices@gmail.com.
Filmhouse Film Quiz: the ‘phenomenally successful (and rather tricky) monthly quiz’. Free to enter: teams of up to 8 people should be seated in the Cafe Bar by 9pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road.
Colinton Amateur Orchestral Society Concert: Around the World. Music by Arnold, Geddes, Borodin, Sibellius and Bizet. Conductor: Julian Appleyard. 7.30pm, Polwarth Parish Church, Polwarth Terrace. Tickets cost £6/£3 (students) on the door, children admitted free.
The Feast of Life: a Musical of Hope from Christian Aid. 7.30pm, Portobello & Joppa Parish Church, 1 Brunstane Road North. Tickets costs £5 (accompanied children free) and are available from Ian Warwick on 0131 669 4906. All proceeds will go to Christian Aid.
Nothing Ever Happens Here and Tradfest Present Khartoum Heroes + Adam Stafford + C Duncan. Khartoum Heroes are ‘an elusive, seldom seen, ramshackle band of saggy misshapen superheroes who’ve recently come out of retirement to no applause whatsoever’. They include King Creosote, ‘Uncle’ Vic Galloway, Captain Geeko the Dead Aviator, Uncle Beesly and Broken He-Rory; expect psychedelia, folk, punk, ska, indie, pop and bluegrass ‘played by paunchy men in tights and ill-fitting outfits’. 9pm-3am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked here.
Strings, Wires, Threads and Guts: Emma Lloyd and Matthew Whiteside. An evening viewing of the current exhibition Possibilities of the Object, with music for viola d’amore, viola and electronics, including Prologue by Gerard Grisey and the premiere of Glasgow-based composer Matthew Whiteside’s new work. 7-8.30pm, Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Tickets cost £6 and may be booked via eventbrite here (transaction fee applies).
St Giles’ at Six: George Heriot’s School Chamber Choir, featuring the Brass Ensemble and others. Rutter This is the Day and What Sweeter Music, Poston Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, Finzi God is gone up, Parry I was Glad, Durufle Ubi Caritas, Tallis If ye love me and Whitacre Sleep. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
