Please remember to check with the venue before setting out to any event, as last minute changes do happen!
MONDAY 25TH MAY 2015
Cameo Toddler Time: Rastamouse – Hot of Da Press (U). Short screenings for pre-school children, their parents and carers: no adult unaccompanied by a child will be admitted. Today another adventure with the skateboarding, reggae-playing Rastamouse and his crime-fighting crew; the stories focus on finding creative and positive solutions to problems and situations. ‘Through understanding, love an’ respect, Rastamouse will always make a bad thing good’. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Membership of the Toddler Time Club is free, please ask at the Box Office. Tickets for club members cost £3 (accompanying adults free) and may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Breathless: a new collection of work by Paul Charlton, comprising of a series of blind embossed prints produced at Edinburgh Printmakers. ‘Visually impressive yet remarkably subtle, these prints explore the fragile balance between the untouched emptiness and the precision of the detail’. 10am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Ends 27th June 2015.
Lunchtime Concert: Enebakk Blandakor (Norway). 1pm, Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate. Free.
Muirhouse Library Garden Club: a fee weekly activity suitable for children, teenagers and families. 3.30pm today and every Monday, Muirhouse Library and North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court.
Causey Development Trust AGM 2015 –Â with speakers Willy Roe, Chair of Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and Andrew Dalzell of Grays Ferry Triangle Project, Philapdelphia. 7pm, Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street. All welcome! The Causey Development Trust is a community organisation led by a steering group of volunteers, working to transform the public space at West Cross Causeway into a vibrant place for people to enjoy.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Beth Shapiro: How to Clone a Mammoth. Could extinct species like mammoths and carrier pigeons be brought back to life? In her new book Beth Shapiro, evolutionary biologist and pioneer in ‘ancient DNA’ research, takes readers through the astonishing and controversial process of ‘de-extinction’. From deciding which species should be restored, to sequencing their genomes, to anticipating how revived populations might be overseen in the wild, Shapiro vividly explores the extraordinary cutting-edge science that is being used – today – to resurrect the past. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from Blackwell’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
Lunchtime Concert: Trio Dionysus – Louder Than Words. Trio Dionysus are a leading ensemble from Winston Salem, North Carolina; Juliana Witt (piano), Alastair Wright (saxophone) and Dylan Ward (saxophone). 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
LGBT Spiritual Space: Maxwell Reay, NHS Mental Health Community Chaplain, offers a supportive space for people to discuss and develop ideas of spirituality and identity. Suitable for people of all faiths or none. 
Today there will be a group discussion Holidays on the Horizon, reflecting on journeying towards summer and the places we go when we want to experience our connections to the outside world – share memories of the past or talk about what you value in the present. 6.30-7.30pm (within weekly Drop-In, which runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Picturesque Panoramas: enjoy a relaxing visit to the gallery, exploring the expressive skies in some of NGS’s landscape paintings of Edinburgh and Rome and then creating your own painted panoramas, assisted by artists Katharine Aarrestad and Tessa Asquith-Lamb. These one-off workshops are suitable for community groups, including care homes and those with dementia. Wheelchair users are welcome; please note that there will be some moving about between the gallery and the workshop area. Groups can book a morning or afternoon workshop any day this week (Monday-Friday). 10am-12 noon or 2-4pm, Clore 1, Scottish National Gallery (Gardens Entrance), The Mound. Booking is essential and may be made by calling the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.
Filmhouse: For Crying Out Loud. Special screenings for parents/carers and their babies under the age of 12 months, accompanied by no more than two adults. Babychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Only Angels Have Wings (U) (1939): in a South American port city swathed in perpetual fog, a daredevil band of mail pilots led by Geoff Carter (Cary Grant) struggle daily to get their planes through a treacherous mountain pass – then Carter’s cool is tested by the arrival of a wisecracking blond (Jean Arthur) and an ex-mistress (Rita Hayworth). 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets for Crying Out Loud screenings cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult and may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Leith Links Community Council AGM:Â the Guest Speaker will be Lindsay Grant (Edinburgh City Council) who will give a presentation on Edinburgh Living Landscape. 7pm, Leith Community Education Centre, 12a New Kirkgate. All welcome.
Sofi’s Cult Movie Nights: popular classics on the silver screen in Sofi’s cosy, darkened back room – free popcorn too! This week’s film is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Free.
TUESDAY 26TH MAY 2015
Putting Pictures to Words: Jessica Stafford Cameron and Sir Roy Cameron. The father-in-law and daughter-in-law duo write and illustrate children’s books, including A Highland Boyhood in Ardnamurchan, I Once Had a Chimpanzee and The Tale of Jessie the Highland Cow. At this event they will discuss their collaboration, read from their books and show original examples of Jessica’s illustrations. 6.30-7.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite.
Druids, Knights and Fairy Folk: Scottish Art and the Celtic Revival. Dr Frances Fowle (University of Edinburgh/Scottish National Gallery) will give a talk focusing on artists such as EA Hornel, George Henry and John Duncan, who drew their inspiration from Celtic myths and legends, archaeological discoveries and stylised forms of insular manuscripts like the Book of Kells. For adults only. 10.30am, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £8 per person including a tour of the castle, coffee and cake; tickets must be purchased in advance from the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
LGBT Age: Hidden Gardens Tour. An easy walk with Greenyonder Tours in the Old Town; behind the historic buildings find hidden nooks and crannies, each with a story to tell. 6.30-8.15pm, starting at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. The tour costs £2 per person and booking is essential; please email lynda@lgbthealth.org.uk. LGBT Age is a project run by LGBT Health & Wellbeing for people aged 50+: it offers a befriending service, a social programme and information sessions.
Islamophobia, War and the Middle East in Chaos – the legacy of Bush and Blair: a public meeting with Lindsey German (Stop the War Coalition UK), Moazzam Begg, Aamer Anwar and Safeena Rashid from Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh. ‘A chance to hear some great speakers and participate in a discussion about the way forward’. 7.30pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. All welcome. Organised by Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition.
100 Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland: John Leighton, NGS Director General, discusses his new, lavishly illustrated, book containing one hundred of the NGS’s greatest and best-loved treasures. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery (Gardens Entrance), The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Cameo Silver Screen: if you are aged 60+, join the Silver Screen Club – it’s free to join (ask at the Box Office), and allows you to buy tickets for the special weekly screenings at just £5, with free tea/coffee and biscuits provided. 
Today’s screenings are: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (15) showing at 3.30pm, Moomins on the Riviera (U) showing at 1.30pm and The New Girlfriend (15) showing at 1.10pm and 3.40pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online.
Looking Glass Books Presents Gavin Francis: Adventures in Human Being. The Edinburgh-based GP and award-winning author takes you on a voyage of discovery through the human body as he discusses his latest book; drawing on his own professional experience, he blends first-hand case studies with reflections on the way the body has been imagined and portrayed over the millennia. ‘A sober and beautiful book about the landscape of the human body: thought-provoking and eloquent’. (Hilary Mantel). 7pm, Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile. Free tickets may be obtained in person from the shop, by calling 0131 229 2902, emailing hello@lookingglassbooks.com or via eventbrite here.
Leith Folk Club: Wendy Carle Taylor. Best known for her moving and beautiful interpretations of contemporary and traditional songs,Wendy performs through a range of languages and genres, from folk to chanson, jazz and blues. With support Reece Hillis. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £9 and may be purchased online here or via the club’s text booking line on 07502 024 852.
Edinburgh Napier University TV Graduate Show (15): Napier’s students display their much anticipated final projects on the big screen. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here. The Filmhouse is showing the best new work from film, TV, media and animation students at Edinburgh’s colleges and universities during May and June: work by Edinburgh College and Edinburgh College of Art students will follow, with the next event taking place on 2nd June – see listings.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Information Drop-In. Teresa Straczynski, Dementia Adviser with Alzheimer Scotland, will be available to offer advice, put you in touch with local sources of support, help you plan for the future and assist you in navigating health and social care. 11.30am-1.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace. All welcome: no booking required. The Drop-In will be followed at 2pm by a Dementia Awareness Workshop; again all are welcome but if you would like to attend the workshop, please call St Bride’s in advance on 0131 346 1405.
Edinburgh Napier University Photography Lecture Series: Laurence Winram. The Scottish photographer splits his time between commercial and personal projects, working for clients as far afield as New York and Singapore. 5.30pm, Lecture Theatre B2, Edinburgh Napier University Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road. Free, but if you are not part of the university and would like to attend, please RSVP to Sophie Gerrard, Lecturer in Photography, at s.gerrard@napier.ac.uk.
Edinburgh All Comers Writers Club: local writers get together to share/read their work and get positive feedback and constructive advice. 7.30-10.30pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
#artcore LIVE: Edinburgh’s freshest young bands in a night of exciting unsigned acts from Verden Studios’ DEMO project. See performers from North Edinburgh Arts, WHALE Arts Agency and Verden Studios take to the stage as part of the Bongo Lives! Festival. Line-up: Zep-Tepi, The McRibs, Rachel Alice Johnson Arts, Pessimist, The Factory and Sugar Panthers. 7-10pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £3 and are available via eventbrite here or on the door (sta).
Cello in the Church: Tim Cais (cello) and Chris Harding (piano) play JS Bach Gamba Sonata No 1 and Mendelssohn Variations Concertantes Op 17 and Cello Sonata No 2. 1.45-2.45pm, St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. Free admission.
WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY 2015
The Art of the Classroom: an exhibition of work by pupils of Craigroyston Primary School. Paintings, models, pictures and drawings all reflecting the wide variety of study in the school. Opens tonight 6-7.30pm, then 10am-5pm Monday, 10am-7pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-5pm Thursday, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, Muirhouse.
Craigmillar Employment and Learning Fair. Find out more about real jobs, training and learning opportunities and meet representatives from a range of organisations; several employers with live vacancies will attend. 10.30am-1.30pm (drop-in), East Neighbourhood Centre, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Organised jointly by Craigmillar Library, Edinburgh College, DWP, Community Learning & Development, Third Sector and City of Edinburgh Council Employability & Skills Team.
Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and Christian Aid Rally for the Climate. Crafts, music and live performers as thousands of messages from across the country are handed to the First Minister, requesting strong political ambition on climate, both at home and internationally. All supporters welcome. 12 noon-2pm, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood.
Evenings of Enlightenment: join University of Edinburgh researchers on Wednesday evenings in May and June to celebrate the 2015 International Year of Light. Experts from various disciplines will explore this fascinating area – from historical discoveries to today’s cutting-edge research. Tonight Stefan Galander (Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology) will talk on You Light Up My Life: – how organisms sense light and what they can do about it. 6.30-7.30pm, Red Lecture Theatre, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets are free and may be booked via eventbrite here.
Nothing Ever Happens Here: Lost Map Records and Gold Flake Present Tuff Love. Hyper-infectious, fuzzed-up lo-fi pop from Glasgow-based Julie Eisenstein and Suse Bear, with support from Bruising and Alphabetical Order Orchestra. ‘Perfect pop music’ (BBC Radio Scotland). For over 18s only. 8pm-late, The Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £8 and may be booked online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 560 1581.
Edinburgh Gay Men’s Book Group: an inclusive group where you can meet new people and read and discuss interesting books. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact info@gaybookgroup.co.uk.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh and Sandstone Press Present Moira Forsyth: The Treacle Well.  David and Caroline are twins for whom the rest of the world is always distant. After the death of their mother and their father’s remarriage they are sent to separate boarding schools, then a dramatic accident when they are students divides them again. The repercussions last for years, as they cut themselves off from the relatives who raised them and the cousins who adore them. Underneath the stable family life their grandparents worked so hard to establish run currents of insecurity and restlessness, and a secret only one person is able to uncover. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from Blackwell’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
LGBT Icebreakers: if you want to meet new people, are just coming out or don’t feel confident going out on the ‘scene’, try this informal, fun and friendly social group for LGBT people and anyone questioning their sexuality or gender identity. For over 18s. 7.30-9.30pm, The Regent Bar, Montrose Terrace. For more information please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
The First World War in Cinema: Gallipoli/Gelibolu (PG) (in English and Turkish with English subtitles). More than 120,000 soldiers lost their lives in the deadly Gallipoli campaign in 1915. To capture the human spirit of the campaign through the experience of the soldiers, this film tells the story simultaneously from both sides, focusing on the diaries and letters of two British, three New Zealand, three Australian and two Turkish soldiers, ordinary men forced by history to do extraordinary things. Director: Tolga Ornek. 6.10pm, 3.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. 
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here. The First World War in Cinema is a four-year series of films, programmed in association with the University of Edinburgh. Peter Weir’s 1981 drama Gallipoli will screen in August 2015.
Sofi’s Clothes Swap: bring as many items as you wish and leave with the same number – freshen up your summer wardrobe at no extra cost! 7pm onwards, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
THURSDAY 28TH MAY 2015
Cameo Big Scream: special screenings for parents and carers and their babies under 12 months old. Membership of the Big Scream Club costs £5, lasts until your child’s first birthday and allows you to buy tickets at Picturehouse members’ rates. Only customers with babies will be admitted to these screenings. Today: Moomins on the Riviera (U). 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Lunchtime Concert: North Dakora State University, USA. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Ragged University: Littoral Art/Education for Sustainability. In the first talk of the evening Julia Barton shares the results of her beach litter findings, recorded within 18 littoral zones in Ross-shire over the past 18 months. At least one million seabirds and one hundred thousand sharks, turtles, dolphins and whales die from eating plastic every year. Julia explains how she wants to use contemporary art to highlight ways in which we can change our behaviour to reduce this environmental degradation and the loss of marine life. The second speaker is Susan Brown, who will talk on Fostering Vandalism of the Earth? Or Stewardship? Susan hopes to promote initial thinking about what ‘education for sustainability’ is, why it is important to engage with this question, and how people are working towards integrating sustainability into curricula. 7-10pm, The Counting House, West Nicolson Street. All welcome, free, no booking required.
Live Music Now: Granny Green. This recently formed trio of trumpet, tuba and accordion perform a mixed programme of classic Scottish and wartime tunes, brought up to date by the ensemble’s quirky arrangements. The programme will include It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, Herr Roloff’s Farewell and When the War is Over. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
Spotlight On: Pringle of Scotland. Join NMS experts as they discuss Pringle’s evolution from hosiery manufacturer to cutting-edge fashion brand. For ages 14+. 2-3pm (doors open 1.45pm), Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free tickets may be obtained in person from the Museum’s information desk, by calling 0300 123 6789 or online here.
UnCAPped: Edinburgh College HND Contemporary Art Practice Graduate Exhibition. Preview today 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm, Friday 29th and Saturday 30th May, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Hawthornvale.
Golden Hare Books and Vagabond Voices Present Peter Gilmour: Spring Manoeuvres. The Glaswegian writer launches his new novel, the tale of Douglas Low, a man who has reached the last slice of life. Recovering from a heart condition, he retires to a cottage on Holy Loch with his invalid wife Edith and visiting lover Helen. This new life, lived in the shadow of nuclear weapons, finds a gentle, clandestine rhythm, but this is complicated by the arrival of Douglas’s son, an unpredictable drifter who soon ruffles military feathers. 7-9pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. Free tickets are available via eventbrite here or by calling the shop on 0131 629 1396.
Spark Greyfriars Lunchtime Concerts: Italian Baroque Programme. Dr Anne Desler, Lecturer in Music Performance, Reid School of Music, (mezzo-soprano) and Gina Baker (piano). 12 noon-12.45pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free: no booking required.
Stockbridge and New Town Community Orchestra Spring Concert: Haydn Te Deum (with Stockbridge Parish Church Choir), Vaughan Williams The Wasps Overture, Walton Crown Imperial, Strauss Die Fledermaus Overture…and more. 7.30pm, Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe Coburg Street. Tickets £5 on the door.
Swim Teacher Open Evening:Â ever thought about becoming a swimming teacher? If you have a passion for swimming and would like to find out more about the work of Edinburgh Leisure’s friendly Aquatics and Learn to Swim Teams, the courses they offer and the employment opportunities available, come along to this open evening. 5.30-8pm, Portobello Swim Centre, 57 Promenade, Portobello. Please book your place by calling the Swim Centre reception on 0131 669 6888.
FRIDAY 29TH MAY 2015
One World Peace Ceilidh:  a fun night of dancing, entertainment, food and drink to raise funds for the One World Shop and Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre, both of which need to relocate while St John’s Church is redeveloped. With Clapshot Ceilidh Band, Protest in Harmony Choir and Voice Box Theatre; poetry, raffle with fabulous prizes, tombola and a bar. Delicious vegetarian and vegan food available to purchase until 9.30pm. All ages welcome! 7.30pm-12 midnight, Edinburgh Steiner School, 60 Spylaw Road. Tickets cost £10/£7 (children 0-5 years free) and are available online here or from Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, Terrace (underneath the church), St John’s Church, Princes Street. Last year’s ceilidh was sold out, so get your tickets early!
Fresh Start Sponsored Walk: a fun and social walk from Jubilee Gardens, Stockbridge, along the Water of Leith to Colinton Dell and back to Polwarth, where lunch will be served at Fresh Start’s Food Station. The walk is about 8 miles long and takes 2-3 hours at a leisurely pace, with a refreshment and toilet stop available at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre. Please wear appropriate footwear and carry water. Begins 10am, Jubilee Gardens, Stockbridge. All welcome: if you would like to take part, please email admin@freshstartweb.org.uk or call 0131 476 7741 to register. There is no registration fee but you are asked to raise a minimum of £25 per person. Fresh Start is an Edinburgh-based charity that helps people who have been homeless get established in their new home.
Lunchtime Concert: Selkorinn Choir, Seltjarnarnes, Iceland. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Edinburgh Palette – New Exhibitions, all on Third Floor, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road:
(1) Mad World: On Sane People in Insane Situations. From individuals interred for their homosexuality to women who wanted divorces, teenagers who wanted to write for a living, and malnutrition – discover the history and see if you can logically spot madness. This collaborative exhibition offers everyone the chance to contribute their own definitions of insanity, to come and see what is on view and decide who is ‘sane’ and who is ‘crazy’. Mad World is inspired by the emerging academic field of Mad Matters, the work of Mad People’s History, Oor Mad History, Asylum Magazine, Advocard and many other organisations. Preview from 6pm tonight, then 10am-6pm daily. Ends 21st June 2015.
(2) Memory and Imagination: An Unfolding Visual Process. An exhibition of painted works by Vittoria Grant and Jacqui Higgs, delving into memories of places of origin and places lived, including Italy, Africa and Scotland. Preview from 6.30pm tonight, then 10am-6pm daily. Ends 14th June 2015.
(3) The Curves on a Straight Line: an exhibition of drawings and life studies by local artist Amanda Atkinson. Private view from 6.30pm tonight, then 10am-6pm daily. Ends 21st June 2015.
Ratho Library Adult Colouring Group: come and try this new de-stresser! 11am-12.30pm, Ratho Library, School Wynd.
Interim: a two-day exhibition featuring work by first year students from the MFA/MA Contemporary Art Practice course at Edinburgh College of Art. Preview 7-9pm tonight, then 12 noon-5pm Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May, Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge.
Showcase 25: in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support this production celebrates 25 years of Showcase and features a cast of over one hundred, backed by a fourteen-piece orchestra. Songs from the great musicals – including Les Miserables, Wicked and Hairspray – along with some of the greatest songs of the last fifty years by Queen, Adele, Elbow, Oasis, the Beatles and many more, all performed with Showcase’s signature huge choral sound. 7.30pm, King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street. Tickets may be purchased online here, by calling the Box Office on 0131 529 6000 or in person at the King’s or Festival Theatre Box Offices: prices vary. Also at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 30th May 2015. To read The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of February’s  Amateur Showcase, at which Showcase 25 and other amateur companies previewed their productions, click here.
Nicolas Party: Boys and Pastel – Curator’s Tour. Curator Paul Nesbitt and Exhibitions Officer Chloe Reith lead an in-depth discussion on the work of Nicolas Party and his current exhibition. 2-3pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free: all welcome. Also at same time on 12th June 2015.
Guid Crack: Fifty Glorious Years of ‘Listen to This’. Scotland’s famed storyteller Michael Kerins entertains with hilarious tales from fifty years of storytelling. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling night: accompanied young adults welcome. 7.30-10pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Entry by suggested donation of £3.
Marathon Weekend at Joseph Pearce’s: lots of pasta on the menu – and just show your medal from any of the Edinburgh Marathon races to get a free starter or dessert with your meal. From 11am today until 9pm on Sunday 31st May. Joseph Pearce, Elm Row.
Invisible Lines: a new exhibition combining sculpture, paintings, installation and video performance. Cantabrian artists Ricardo Cavada, Jose Cobo, Ana Diez, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Daniel Gutierriez and Eloy Velazquez ‘delve into the meanings that affect our relationship with the body and its fractures, with the back of image, with the transient and perishable, with the flow of life and its disappearance’. Opening event tonight 6-8pm, then 2-7pm Wednesday to Friday, 11am-2pm Saturdays, Interview Room 11, 38 Castle Terrace. Ends 27th June 2015.
Four Corners: DJ Smoove. The Four Corners crew welcome Newcastle soul, jazz and funk renegade DJ Smoove – ‘another rapturous blend of soulful dancefloor music, new and old, from right across the map’. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £4 before midnight, £6 after midnight, and are available online here.
The Border Gaitherin: here’s this week’s first getaway opportunity – a traditional music festival weekend in the border town of Coldstream. Line-up includes Shetland superstar fiddler Ross Couper, flute and whistle player Tom Oakes, Scots singer Christine Kydd and the Kirsty Law Band. Concerts, workshops, masterclasses and a ceilidh. Bookings may be made online here or by calling 01835 862423. The Gaitherin continues until Sunday 31st May 2015: for full programme and more information (including advice re accommodation) see the Gaitherin’s website here.
SATURDAY 30TH MAY 2015
Once Upon a Time: weekly storytelling in the Book Bothy with BB the Bookshop Bunny and Hardy the Guinea-Pig! 11am, Far From the Madding Crowd, 20 High Street, Linlithgow. For more information please ask in the shop,  email sally@maddingcrowd.co.uk or call 01506 845321.
Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway: Mixed Traffic Gala. A special event featuring steam and heritage diesel-hauled trains. Special timetables and fares will apply. The Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Bo’ness Station, Union Street, Bo’ness. For more information please call 01506 822298 or email enquiries.railway@srps.co.uk. Also on Sunday 31st May 2015.
The Story Kist – Inclusive Storytelling with Ailie Finlay and Marie-Louise Cochrane. Summer is nearly here…pack up your backpacks and go over the hills and far away on some multi-sensory adventures! Sunny, fun stories and games, with props, tents and lots of joining in, in a session especially suitable for children with additional needs, their families, friends and carers. 11am, Storytelling Bothy, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 per child (transaction fee applies to online and telephone bookings) and may be purchased online here, by calling 0131 556 9579 or in person at the centre. Please remember to ask for a free adult’s ticket for yourself when you buy your child’s ticket.
Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for children aged 4-8 years. 3-4pm, 137Â Fountainbridge Library, Dundee Street. All welcome!
Jubilo Lunchtime Concert: Midday Musical Cocktails. An hour of attractive light choral and instrumental music (Bernstein, Lennon and McCartney, Pietro Mascagni, Robert Schumann and Juan de Anchieta) performed in aid of Enable Scotland.  John Willmett (piano); Lesley Bruce (soprano), conducted by Walter Thomson. 12 noon-1pm, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Tickets cost £8. Enable Scotland is a charity working for a better life for adults and children with learning disabilities.
St Bride’s Family Cinema – see your favourite films for free. Adventure, excitement, fun and laughs – they’re all here! Choc ices and juice for sale in the interval at 50p each. Please note that all children under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. This week’s film is Postman Pat – The Movie (U). 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace. Next week’s film is Rio 2 (U).
Bob Dylan Tribute Night: an annual celebration of classic Dylan tunes. Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello.
Canongate Concerts: Open Orchestra. Dvorak Carneval Overture, Crisp Trumpet Concerto (soloist Jasper Taylor) and Schubert Rosamunde Overture. Conductor: Andrew Lees. 7.30pm, Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate. Free: retiring collection.
Sofi’s Saturday Session feat. Pilgrims We, Small Feet Little Toes, Faith Elliot and Grayson King. 2pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Stills Taster: Cyanotypes. A hands-on taster session for young people aged 10-16, inspired by the current Anna Atkins exhibition. Using one of the first photographic techniques still widely practised today, the session will include an inspiring tour of the exhibition, and will guide you through the steps to making cyanotype prints. You will then be able to make your own prints to take away, and will also be given comprehensive instructions to make more prints at home. 2-4pm, Stills, Cockburn Street. £10 per person; booking is essential and may be made online here.
Victoria Bar Singles Night: a fun night with speed dating and postman game. 8pm, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk.
National Gallery Highlights Tours: an introduction to and tour of the gallery’s permanent collection, focusing on key paintings. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Bookbug: songs and rhymes for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 11-11.30am, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road.
Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show: a public showcase of the work of over four hundred graduating students from the Schools of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Art and Design. From Animation to Textiles, thirty-eight programmes will be exhibiting, all displaying the achievements of the College’s emerging creative talents. 11am-5pm today and every day until 7th June (late opening to 8pm on 3rd and 4th June), Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh, Lauriston Place. Free and open to all.
Out of the Blue Flea Market: over 45 stalls full to bursting with clothes, jewellery, small furniture, music, books, bric a brac and more. Delicious refreshments available to purchase from the Drill Hall Arts Cafe. 10am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street.
Lunchtime Concert: Lydian Singers, Dundee. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
French Family Saturdays: Je dessine au fusain. Introduce your children to a popular piece of French culture at these all-in-French Saturday sessions. Today the children will discover Akiko Miyakoshi’s beautiful book ‘Un gouter en foret‘ before getting the chance to have a go at drawing in charcoal (fusain) – and as usual, a gouter will be offered. For ages 3-10 years. 12 noon-2pm, Institut francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Tickets cost £5 per child (£3 for Institute members) and advance booking is highly recommended as places are limited; please email accueil@ifecosse.org.uk or call 0131 225 5366.
Ragged University: IT and Biscuits. If you have something you want to learn on your computer – or maybe you need basic instruction, want to access free (legal!) software, find out about computer security, learn about social media and WordPress or ask others about IT, come to this workshop for tutorials and person-to-person guidance. Relax in a social setting, enjoy a cup of tea and have your questions answered. You will need a laptop (but if you haven’t got one you can arrange to borrow one) and current membership of Edinburgh City libraries. People who already have computer skills are also very welcome to come along and share their knowledge. 1-4pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. All welcome: free. If you have any questions please contact Ragged University via their enquiry form here.
Ingleby Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) Craig Murray-Orr: Thirty Small Paintings. Craig’s fifty year career, as a sculptor of meticulously carved wooden forms and as a painter of intensely concentrated landscapes, has been shaped by a mix of childhood memories of New Zealand and more recent travels in Asia and North Africa. For the past three years he has worked exclusively on a series of small oil paintings, thirty of which will be the subject of this presentation. (2) Ben Cauchi: Echo Chamber. A solo presentation of new and recent work by the photographer, who uses long outmoded techniques to make unique photographs with a strange and spectral beauty. 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, Ingleby Gallery, Calton Road. Both exhibitions end 4th July 2015.
LGBT Rainbow Families at Dynamic Earth: a day of fun and exploration! The group will take part in an exclusive interactive workshop for all ages, followed by a tour of Dynamic Earth and an opportunity to watch a film in the Show Dome. 10.45am-3pm, Our Dynamic Earth, 112-116 Holyrood Gait. Booking is preferred and the event will cost £2.95 per person: for more information and to book, please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk. Rainbow Families offer LGBT parents the chance to meet other parents, enjoy family activities, share experiences and socialise in a family setting. If you would like to find out more or join the mailing list, please contact Jules.
#everyafternooninjune: artist Margaret Gilbertson drew every afternoon in June 2014. She found a new direction in her work and her drawing became a vital part of her day. Although the works in this exhibition are end products, she has strived to keep a sense of the uncontrolled freedom that sketchbooks offer. Preview today 3pm, then 11am-5pm, Coburg House Studios, 15 Coburg Street, until 11th June 2015.
A National Anthem for Scotland: join musician Bob Murray, who has been considering the topic of possible Scottish national anthems for 25 years – hear Bob’s observations, and at least eight of the songs which are seen as potential candidates. Do we need to make a choice? – and if so, how? 7.30pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 (transaction fee applies to online and telephone bookings) and may be purchased online here, by calling 0131 556 9579 or in person at the centre.
Edinburgh Society of Musicians:Â Steven Armstrong and Avril Evans Piano Duo play Beethoven, Schubert, Rachmaninov and Ravel. 7.30pm (prompt), Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. The Edinburgh Society of Musicians was founded in 1887; it promotes practical music-making in the city and arranges chamber music recitals every Saturday from October to June. Admission is free.
Scots Music Group Ceilidh with the Portobello Ceilidh Band. Licensed bar – no BYOB but water freely available. 7.30pm (dancing from 8pm)-12 midnight, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace. Tickets cost £8/£6 in advance and may be purchased from SMG on 0131 555 7668 or online here, or from the St Bride’s Box Office on 0131 346 1405. Tickets on the door will cost £10/£8 (sta).
3 Harbours Festival: your second chance to get out of the city this weekend is much closer to home, as the three East Lothian coastal communities of Prestonpans, Port Seton and Cockenzie host their annual festival. Art, music, workshops, tours, trails, literature, film, photography and drama in venues varying from tiny cottages to the soon-to-disappear Cockenzie Power Station. Exhibitors include Emma Mackenzie, Andrew Crummy, Sandy Moffat, Sheena Phillips, Karen Rogers, Liz Neilson, Esther Cohen, Janet McCrorie, Rona MacLean, Aileen Grant, Karen Shewan, Mel Shewan, Julie Galante and many more. The full programme can be viewed here, and paper copies are available at many Edinburgh outlets. The festival continues until 7th June, but please check the programme as not all venues are open every day.
SUNDAY 31ST MAY 2015
Water of Leith Conservation Trust: Art Walk from Belford to Canonmills. Discover the hidden art treasures – from industrial relics to stunnning wells – along the walkway from the Gallery of Modern Art to Canonmills. 2pm, starting at entrance to Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (near the buried Gormley statue), Belford Road. £4 per person (Trust members £2): advance booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: St James Centre Information Day. Come for a chat with the Alzheimer Scotland Edinburgh team. 10am-4pm, St James Centre, 1 Leith Street.
Friends of Harrison Park: come and get stuck into the herb garden! Planting and tidying up, harvesting herbs for your kitchen and sowing the new wildflower bed. Learn how to plant seeds and take cuttings. 10.30am-1pm, Community Herb Garden (at the dog-free zone, accessed from Harrison Road), Harrison Park, Polwarth, All welcome: gloves and tools provided. Please note that under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today’s film is The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (U). 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here.
Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway: Mixed Traffic Gala. A special event featuring steam and heritage diesel-hauled trains. Special timetables and fares will apply. The Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Bo’ness Station, Union Street, Bo’ness. For more information please call 01506 822298 or email enquiries.railway@srps.co.uk.
Cameo Vintage Sundays: Piccadilly (PG). One of the pinnacles of British silent cinema, Piccadilly is a sumptuous showbiz melodrama seething with sexual and racial tension. The Chinese-American screen goddess Anna May Wong stars as Shosho, a scullery maid in a fashionable London nightclub, whose sensuous tabletop dance catches the eye of suave club owner Valentine Wilmot. She rises to become the toast of London, and the object of his erotic obsession – to the bitter jealousy of Mabel, his former lover and star dancer. ‘One of the truly great films of the silent era’ (Martin Scorsese). 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Symphonic Praise: a full symphonic concert led by Origin’s Exile Choir and Chamber Orchestra. Origin is an Edingburgh-based evangelistic youth ministry. 8pm, St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free but booking is required and may be made here.
Shore Poets – May: poetry, music and a raffle for the famous lemon cake! 7.45pm, Henderson’s at St John’s, 3 Lothian Road. Admission £5/£3 on the door: all welcome – for more information contact publicity@shorepoets.org.uk.
#artcore Presents Create a Scene at Bongo Lives! An exciting day of #artcore activities as the #artcore team showcases a full programme from the ongoing Microprojects, a series of workshops for young people aged 13-25 years, featuring everything from animation to Zine-making. Hear some of the capital’s finest young bands and solo performers from Verden Studios’ Demo Lite project, get gaming with interactive demos from Freemachines, watch the animation showreel from Red Kite Animation, check out some guerilla art with Creative Electric, listen to Strangetown perform their new radio plays and make your own publication in the Create-a-Zine workshop. 2-6pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Free entry.
Ragged University Film and Curry Night: Ragged University believes that we learn through social means – these nights are about taking in a film, thinking about what you’ve seen, eating good (vegetarian) food and then discussing the film together. The film tonight is The Corporation: Part Two (PG). Some of the discussion will be recorded to share with those who are unable to attend. Although the food and venue are both provided free, Serenity is a social enterprise run by people in recovery for people in recovery, providing a social space without alcohol for people to meet (it is also a great cafe, open to the public and serving delicious food), so those who can afford a donation towards costs are invited to make one on the night. 6-8.30pm, Serenity Cafe, The Tun, 8 Jackson’s Entry, Holyrood Road. Please email info@raggeduniversity.com for more information. And please support Serenity; it’s open 9am-5pm every day.
Anyone Can Play Guitar feat.Lost Proclaimer. A new open music night for anyone who plays anything BUT guitar (whether or not they can sing). Hosted this time by local folk troubadour Lost Proclaimer. 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Marathon Party with DJ Joybox: shake your tired muscles to some groovy music. 6-9pm, Joseph Pearce, Elm Row.
Rock and Roll Ping Pong with DJ Ding and DJ Dong. A free monthly Sunday night social. 7-11pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate.
St Giles’ At Six: Matthew McAllister (guitar) plays an all French programme featuring music by Francois Couperin, Francis Kleynjans, Gustave Samazeuilh and Roland Dyens. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.
