Guess what? It’s only two months till August…and we all know what happens then. In the meantime, there are plenty of things to keep you occupied – from films to music, books and art, and lots of summer fairs. If none of those float your boat, what about surveying birds at the crack of dawn in the Pentlands, or playing the ukulele in the Old Town? It’s the 2015 Refugee Festival too, with many events to choose from. And as ever, don’t forget to make your best friend’s day with Dugs n Pubs. Whoever said Nothing Happens Here?
Please always contact the venue to confirm details before setting off to an event; changes do happen.
MONDAY 1ST JUNE 2015
Refugee Festival 2015 Art Exhibition: an exhibition of visual art by multiple artists, around the themes of refugees, displacement, diaspora and acceptance. Launch tonight (with a free glass of wine!) at 7pm then 10am-11pm, Forest Cafe. 141 Lauriston Place. Ends 30th June 2015. Refugee Festival Scotland runs 3rd-21st June 2015. It is centered in Glasgow but includes events throughout the country; please see daily listings for other events in Edinburgh this week.
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 Far from the Madding Crowd (12A): Carey Mulligan stars as Bathesheba in Thomas Vinterberg’s new adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s famous novel. 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.
Elspeth J McKenzie: a new exhibition by the Leith based artist. Jeremiah’s Tap Room, 7-8 Elm Row. Please contact venue for opening hours.
Golden Hare Book Group: Nan Shepherd The Living Mountain. This month the group discusses Shepherd’s masterpiece, in which she describes her journeys into the Cairngorms; the book was composed during the Second World War but lay untouched until its publication over thirty years later. ‘A classic meditation on the magnificence of mountains and on our imaginative relationship with the wild world around us’; ‘A beautiful and quietly profound book’. 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. All welcome: for more information please call the shop on 0131 629 1396.
LGBT: Police Surgery. Seek advice, raise concerns around safety issues, report incidents or discuss policing in your area with an officer from Police Scotland. No appointment needed for this informal session. 6.30-7.30pm (within weekly Drop-In, which runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information, or if you would like support around safety issues or to meet with the police outwith these times, please contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or email george@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Grassmarket Picture House – see movies for free at the Grassmarket Community Project! Tonight’s film is the critically acclaimed and award-winning Birdman (15): a former cinema superhero (Michael Keaton) attempts an ambitious Broadway show that he hopes will breathe new life into his stagnant career. 7pm. Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. The Grassmarket Community Project creates community and provides sanctuary to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens, including the homeless and people with mental/physical health issues and learning support needs. It operates an excellent community cafe, woodwork and tartan social enterprises and a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at enhancing life skills and developing confidence. Although the films are shown for free, any donations you can offer will be much appreciated.
Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile: Unexpected Green Gems in Edinburgh’s Old Town. A talk by the author, Jean Bareham. 6.30pm, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Free but please call 0131 529 5536 to reserve your place.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Monthly Book Quiz: if you know your Waugh from your Peace and your Meyer from your Heyer, try this quiz, with questions on anything from classics to bestsellers, Booker Prize winners to celebrity biographies. Teams of up to five people welcome. 6-7.15pm, Caffe Nero, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free but please arrive early as space is limited.
Cameo Culture Shock: The Dark Crystal (U). ‘Jim Henson’s animatronic cult fantasy movie is visually stunning and a triumph of the imagination’. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Pentland Hills Regional Park Breeding Birds Survey: help survey for breeding birds on the heather moorland – a great survey for those who enjoy the early morning! Please bring sturdy footwear and waterproofs. 6.30-8.30am, Bonaly Country Park. Free. For more information please contact Pentland Hills Regional Park Service on 0131 529 2401 or email pentlandhills@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Stephanie Green: Flout. The poet and writer introduces her new pamphlet of poems (following a sell-out launch at StAnza Poetry Festival), inspired by Shetland landscape, folklore and culture. 6.30-8.30pm, Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.
Tinderbox Orchestra Open Rehearsal: watch and listen in as this massive 20-piece electric/acoustic youth ensemble gets its music together. 4-6.30pm, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. Free.
Sofi’s Cult Movie Nights: popular classics on the silver screen in Sofi’s cosy, darkened back room – free popcorn too! 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Free.
TUESDAY 2ND JUNE 2015
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lights, Camera, Action! An exhibition of work by Primary 5 pupils from Trinity and Victoria Primary Schools. 10am-4pm, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Hawthornvale. All welcome: free. Also on Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th, Friday 5th and Saturday 6th June at same times.
Cafe Ceilidh: Old Town Edinburgh. Join Linten Adie and friends from the Scots Music Group for an afternoon of songs and music celebrating Edinburgh’s Old Town. 2-4pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free and unticketed.
Let’s Glow: Edinburgh College Classical Music Degree Recitals. 
The College’s final year BA students perform on tuba, trombone, clarinet, piano and voice. From Sondheim and Gershwin to Mozart and Hindemith, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. 1-5.30pm, The Music Box, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh College, Bankhead Avenue. Free and open to all. Further recitals will take place on Thursday 4th June (see listing).
French Cinema: 9 Mois Ferme. An off-the-wall comedy starring Sandrine Kiberlain, who won a Cesar for her interpretation of Judge Ariane Felder. Directed by Albert Dupontel. ‘A disconcerting but hilarious film’. In French with English subtitles. 6-7.30pm, Institut francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free admission. Also showing 1-2.30pm on Wednesday 3rd June.
Golden Hare Books and Vagabond Voices Present Chris Dolan: Aliyyah. The multi award winning writer launches his new novel, a modern Arabian tale set in an unnamed war-torn country. Captain Robert Haldane awakes in a strange room in an old house, surrounded by a beautiful but ramshackle orchard miles from anywhere. The last thing he remembers is his helicopter being shot down over enemy territory. It appears that he is in a safe house, cared for by an elderly holy man and his niece, but how did Haldane get there? And who are these people really? ‘A Romeo and Juliet story, but one for an age where scientific materialism is crossing bloody swords with religion’. 7pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. Free tickets are available via eventbrite here or by calling the shop on 0131 629 1396.
St Andrew’s & St George’s West Summer Lecture Series – Professor Hugh Goddard: Building Stronger Communities. In this new series of talks, three noted speakers will explore the issues of building stronger communities from interfaith, academic, economic and practical perspectives. Hugh Goddard is Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World and the author of several books, including Christians and Muslims: From Double Standards to Mutual Understanding. 7.30-9.30pm, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free: all welcome.
Leith Folk Club: Scott Cook and Jez Hellard with support Ian Sclater. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be purchased online here or via the club’s text booking line on 07502 024 852.
Edinburgh College of Art Film and Television Degree Show (15): films from this year’s crop of graduate students from the award-winning Film Department at ECA. Subjects range from a sparky coming of age drama about a young gay teenager to experimental work on perception and a nature documentary gathered from a self-made hide on the Water of Leith. 6.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688. 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 (animation degree) students will follow, with the next event taking place on 10th June – see listings.
Waterstones West End Presents Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking. The influential performer and writer will sign copies of her new book. 12.30pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street.
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.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Livingston Information Day. Come for a chat with the Alzheimer Scotland West Lothian team. 10am-4pm, Livingston Designer Outlet, Almondvale Avenue.
WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE 2015
Let’s Glow: The Winter’s Tale. Edinburgh College HND Year One Acting and Performance students present Shakespeare’s great tale of love and loss. Can that which is lost be found? 2pm or 7pm, PASS Theatre, Edinburgh College Granton Campus, 350 West Granton Road. Tickets cost £10/£5 and may be purchased by emailing edward.mcgurn@edinburghcollege.ac.uk. Also at same times on Thursday 4th June 2015.
Craigmillar Library Book Group: currently reading The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson. Call in to the library in advance to pick up your copy, then come along on the night to talk about it. 6.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road.
Tartan Portraits: Scotland’s History. Art historian Jonathan Macdonald will tell the stories of five separate wearers of tartan from the 17th to the 19th centuries – stories that do not always match the romantic image of the typical Highlander. 12.15-12.45pm, Second Floor, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Making Musselburgh Dementia Friendly. Come and hear plans to make Musselburgh East Lothian’s first dementia-friendly town. 2.15-4pm, St Andrew’s High Parish Church, High Street, Musselburgh.
Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
French Cinema: 9 Mois Ferme. An off-the-wall comedy starring Sandrine Kiberlain, who won a Cesar for her interpretation of Judge Ariane Felder. Directed by Albert Dupontel. ‘A disconcerting but hilarious film’. In French with English subtitles. 1-2.30pm, Institut francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free admission.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Kristina Taylor: Women Garden Designers 1900 to the Present. The author looks at twenty-seven of the most important and influential female garden designers and their gardens from around the world, from Gertrude Jekyll to Vita Sackville West, Penelope Hobhouse, Rosemary Verey, Herta Hammerbacher, Rosemary Weisse, Haruko Seki and Isabel du Prat. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets are available from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.
Craigie’s Farm Shop & Cafe Recruitment Evening: a variety of positions are available for summer and weekend staff. If you’re interested come along to the farm tonight! Please RSVP and email your CV to rowland@craigies.co.uk. 6pm, Craigie’s Farm, West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry, EH30 9AR.
The Scottish Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) Artisan Leather: a solo exhibition of accessories by celebrated Irish designer Una Burke. Una uses traditional leather-working techniques to make both seasonal fashion accessory collections and sculptural art pieces. Her collections are concept based and often influenced by psychological, medical and military sources. (2) Enigmata: a rare collection of works on paper by the distinguished 20th century Scottish artist James Cowie, an admirer of Poussin and the Pre-Raphaelites, who believed that art was the product of thought and reason rather than a spontaneous reaction to the subject. (3) Duncan Shanks: Works on Paper 1957-2013. An exhibition to coincide with The Poetry of Place exhibition at the Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street. All three exhibitions close on 30th June 2015.
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. Group contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.
David Talbot Rice Memorial Lecture 2015: an illustrated conversation between Pat Fisher, Chris Breward and Duncan Macmillan, discussing the past, present and future of Talbot Rice Gallery as it celebrates its 40th year. 6.30-7.30pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.
Get Organised Summer Recitals: John Kitchen presents a selection of favourites, including Lemare Carmen Fantasy, Waldteufel The Skater’s Waltz, Massenet Meditation from Thais and Eric Coates By the Sleepy Lagoon. 1.10-1.50pm, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 and may be purchased in person from the Box Office, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here (Phone & online bookings are subject to a transaction fee).
Automatronic: a concert by Michael Bonaventure and Huw Morgan, featuring organ and electronics combining to create a completely new tonal experience. Automatronic is a collective formed in 2013: it seeks to explore, commission, promote and perform new music for the unique combination of organ and electronics. 7.30pm, St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lutton Place. Free admission.
St Mark’s Festival 2015 – Music on a Summer Evening: Portobello High School. Portobello High School’s cello ensemble, directed by Mrs Aimee Horvath, will perform music from Bach to 21st century pop songs. Also from Portobello High, The Spurtle Ceilidh Band will play a mix of traditional music with an individual twist. 7pm, St Mark’s Church, 287 Portobello High Street. Tickets cost £5 (under 16s free) on the door or in advance from the church.
Nothing Ever Happens Here: Eagulls. The Leeds-based band offers ‘chaotic and confrontational live shows’; Eagulls have supported Jesus and The Mary Chain, Suede and Manic Street Preachers, and toured in their own right. ‘Demented riffs, pounding drums and vocals that scream with authenticity’ (Clash). Support tbc. For over 16 years only. 8pm-late, The Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £9 in advance (£10 on the door, sta) and may be booked online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 560 1581.
Opium Sessions: a new weekly open mic/jam night. Come and join in or just come and enjoy! 8-11pm, Opium, Cowgate.
Uke Hoot: a weekly ukulele jam and singalong. 7.30pm tonight and every Wednesday, Kilderkin, 65 Canongate. For more information contact ukehoot@gmail.com.
Sofi’s Lounge Act feat. Dog on a Swing, Tom Reed and Alex L Maxwell. A trio of talented local singer-songwriter/performers play ‘the cosiest venue in Edinburgh’. 7.30pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
THURSDAY 4TH JUNE 2015
Let’s Glow: Edinburgh College Classical Music Degree Recitals. The College’s final year BA students perform on tuba, trombone, clarinet, piano and voice. From Sondheim and Gershwin to Mozart and Hindemith, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. 10am-6.30pm, The Music Box, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh College, Bankhead Avenue. Free and open to all.
Books in Focus: Pablo Picasso. The Books in Focus sessions look at artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. This session will look in detail at some of the fine examples of classic livres d’artistes by Pablo Picasso. Many belonged to Roland Penrose, who wrote the first English language biography of Picasso in 1961, and contain unique original drawings and dedications to Penrose and Lee Miller. 11.30am-12.30pm, First Floor, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free but places are limited and must be booked in advance: please email gmainfo@nationalgalleries.org or call 0131 624 6253.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: today Alzheimer Scotland will be collecting Living Memories and there will also be an information and awareness table. 10am-4pm, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive.
Portobello Amenity Society AGM: Tom Parnell, Forth & Borders Cases Panel Convenor of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland will talk on Casework Challenges. 7.30pm, Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street. All welcome.
Evenings of Enlightenment: join University of Edinburgh researchers (normally on Wednesday evenings but this week on a Thursday) 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 Dr Joan Simon (School of Mathematics) will talk on Black Holes – the singular marriage between Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity through information. 6.30-7.30pm, Red Lecture Theatre, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets are free and may be booked via eventbrite here.
Where I Am: A Screening Programme in Three Acts. The concluding episode of LUX Scotland’s touring programme, featuring selected works from the Where I Am Project across Scotland alongside new selections spanning artists’ moving image from the 1930s to the present day. The screening will be introduced by artist and filmmaker Peter Todd (co-editor of Subjects and Sequences: A Margaret Tait Reader); Isla Leave Yap (Director of LUX) will also reflect on the programme and the progress of the tour. 6.30-9.30pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Become a Dementia Friend. PALM run a successful cafe for people with dementia and their carers. Come along for coffee, cake and a chat, and find out how to become a ‘dementia friend’ and contribute to the Pentland Dementia Friendly Communities Project. 10am-5pm, Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road.
Spark Greyfriars Lunchtime Concerts: music students from St Aloyisius’ College, Glasgow perform excerpts from Gluck Orfeo and Gilbert & Sullivan Trial by Jury. Directed by Ann Archibald (soprano). 12 noon-12.45pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free: no booking required.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: come and meet members of Alzheimer Scotland West Lothian team on board the Memory Bus. 10am-4pm, Dobbies Garden Centre, Beughburn, Houston Mains, Livingston.
2015 Arbuthnott Lecture: After Independence – The Strange Power of Continuity. In the context of continuing discussions about Scottish independence and the reframing of the relationship between Ireland and the UK, Fintan O’Toole (Irish Times) distinguished writer and arguably Ireland’s leading public intellectual, explores how continuity shaped the evolution of modern Ireland after independence in 1922, drawing out lessons for the contemporary political situation. 5.15-6.15pm, Lecture Theatre G.03, 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh. Free and open to all; please register via eventbrite here.
Let’s Glow: The Winter’s Tale. Edinburgh College HND Year One Acting and Performance students present Shakespeare’s great tale of love and loss. Can that which is lost be found? 2pm or 7pm, PASS Theatre, Edinburgh College Granton Campus, 350 West Granton Road. Tickets cost £10/£5 and may be purchased by emailing edward.mcgurn@edinburghcollege.ac.uk.
The Edinburgh Bookshop Presents Sarah Winman: A Year of Marvellous Ways. The actress and author of When God was a Rabbit talks about her new book, the story of a ninety-year old woman who wears a battered old yellow oilskin coat and lives in a caravan, and a young soldier washed up and broken by war at the age of twenty-six. 7pm, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road. Tickets cost £5, redeemable against the price of the book, and are available from The Edinburgh Bookshop, 219 Bruntsfield Place, in person, by calling 0131 447 1917 or by emailing mail@edinburghbookshop.com.
Nothing Ever Happens Here: Yorkston, Thorne and Khan. An experimental collaborative group consisting of James Yorkston, one of the most influential singer/songwriters on the Scottish folk scene, Suhail Yusuf Khan, award-winning sarangi player and classical singer from New Delhi, and Jon Thorne, best known as jazz double bass player with electro outfit Lamb. For over 18 years only. 8pm-late, The Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be booked online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 560 1581.
The Dark Horse 20th Anniversary Celebration Event. The Dark Horse is an international literary magazine committed to British, Irish and American poetry; it was founded in 1995 by Scottish poet Gerry Cambridge, who will introduce the evening. Readings by Alasdair Grey, Douglas Dunn, Vicky Feaver and Claire Askew, with music from Findlay Napier. 7pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 (plus transaction fee) and may be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets here.
Rosy Blue: live acoustic session. 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Ryan Van Winkle and Matthew Siegel. Edinburgh-based poet, tutor, podcaster and Edinburgh Libraries’ Poet in Residence Ryan Van Winkle launches his new collection The Good Dark, which includes poems from his acclaimed one-on-one poetry performance Red, Like Our Room Used to Feel (Edinburgh Fringe 2012) and cements his reputation as one of the most evocative poets writing today. Matthew Siegel is an award-winning poet and essayist living in San Francisco; his debut collection Blood Work reveals what happens to the self when the body is compromised by illness. His poems explore the struggle to remain whole in the shadow of Crohn’s disease and to make a home for oneself in the body and in the world. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets are available from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here. Following this event there will be an after party at The Forest Cafe, Lauriston Place, featuring musical guests Supermoon, Faith Eliot, and more.
Angus Glens Walking Festival: here’s your first chance to get away this weekend! A four-day festival of walks guided by experienced mountain leaders, enhanced by the knowledge of local countryside rangers and estate managers, with stunning scenery, beautiful landscapes and fantastic wildlife-watching opportunities. Walks are graded to suit all abilities, and include Glen Isla to Glen Doll, a ‘Coastal Crawl’, Glen Prosa Circular and Airlie Ridge – Minister’s Path – and there’s even a Forfar Lochs Wild Food Forage, and an evening talk rather worryingly entitled Ticks and Tales…. You can book and pay for your places here. For more information (including accommodation and transport advice) see the Festival’s website here. Angus Glens Walking Festival continues until Sunday 7th June 2015.
FRIDAY 5TH JUNE 2015
Damian Callan: Paint Like Renoir. The Edinburgh artist launches his new book, in which he explains and deconstructs Renoir’s methods of handling oils, and demonstrates some of the techniques illustrated in the book. 12.45-1.30pm, Clore Education Suite, Gardens Level, Gardens Entrance, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Researching Your World War One Family: The Museum of Edinburgh presents the Reverend Garry Ketchen, Scottish Baptist Minister and Great War historian, who has written biographical accounts of names mentioned on numerous Great War Memorials. Rev Ketchen will look at what resources are available to help discover military service details about those who served in the First World War, including personal family history, military material available on web-based resources, local libraries and newspapers. 10.30am, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £5/£3.30 and may be purchased in person from the Box Office, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here (Phone & online bookings are subject to a transaction fee).
Lunchtime Concert: Valdosta State University Choir, Valdosta, Georgia USA. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Information Day at Cameron Toll. Come and meet the Alzheimer Scotland team and Dementia Adviser. 10am-4pm, Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, Lady Road.
Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE: a new exhibition by one of Scotland’s most cherished artists. The core of Gunn Cairns’ practice is expressive figurative work, including portraits and wildlife studies. ‘Joyce Gunn Cairns’ remarkable paintings demonstrate how many different kinds of visual truths there are’ (Duncan Macmillan, The Scotsman). Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Sutton Gallery, 18a Dundas Street. Ends 4th July 2015.
Music in the Gallery: students from Edinburgh College play a selection of classical, jazz and folk music. 1pm and 3pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Free: no booking required.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Information Day at Linlithgow Cross. Come and meet the Alzheimer Scotland team aboard the Memory Bus. 10am-4pm, Linlithgow Cross, High Street.
St Mark’s Festival 2015 – Music on a Summer Evening: Dalkeith and Monktonhall Colliery Brass Band. One of the UK’s top brass bands will play an evening of music for all ages and tastes…Latin, classical, rock, pop, traditional and modern. Conductor: James Chamberlain. 7.30pm, St Mark’s Church, 287 Portobello High Street. Tickets cost £5 (under 16s free) on the door or in advance from the church.
Art of the Storyteller: Grace Banks and Jean Edmiston. A new series of regular storytelling performances, featuring traditional storyteller Grace Banks and Jean Edmiston, who has a lifelong love of landscape and rural life. 7.30pm, Netherbow Theatre, 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.
A Quick Decision Can Be Made – a story of the Detained Fast-Track procedure for asylum seekers. Claiming asylum in the UK, like thousands of refugees each year, Mariam is put into the Detained Fast-Track procedure. An endless questioning begins, one that will strip down her whole life. Is she telling the truth? Can she? A cruel tale written and directed by Marie Yan for Refugee Festival Scotland, to scrutinise the absurdity of a system as it ‘celebrates’ its twelfth birthday. 7.30pm, Discovery 21, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Tickets cost £5 and may be purchased in advance via Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies) or on the door, sta (theatre has 35 seats). Also at same time on Saturday 6th June and at 2pm on Sunday 7th June 2015. Discovery 21 is a new studio theatre run by local companies Tightlaced Theatre and Black Dingo Productions. Refugee Festival Scotland runs 3rd-21st June 2015: it is centered in Glasgow but includes events throughout the country.
If you could only see yourself: The Odd Work a new exhibition by Edinburgh-based freelance artist, illustrator and writer Alice B Spicer, whose working practice stems from ‘a love of line-making, visual and textual documentation, and the sheer joy of making things up’. Preview tonight at 8pm, then during normal opening hours throughout June, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk.
Jill MacLeod: Extending the Line. A new exhibition by the Fife-born, Edinburgh-based, artist whose mainly abstract painting is influenced by nature, landscape and organic materials. Preview tonight 5.30-9pm, then 11am-5pm Monday to Wednesday, 5-7pm Thursday and 1-5pm Friday to Sunday, Patriothall Gallery, 1D Patriothall, off Hamilton Place. Ends 14th June 2015.
SATURDAY 6TH JUNE 2015
Sofi’s Dug Day: bring your dug to Sofi’s for a fun way to socialise your pup and meet other local dugs and owners. 12 noon-5pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Grassmarket Picture House – see movies for free at the Grassmarket Community Project! Today’s film is School of Rock (PG) in which Jack Black stars as struggling musician Dewey Finn. Finding himself out of work, Finn decides to take over his roommate’s job as an elementary school supply teacher – and turns the class into a rock band. 11am, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. The Grassmarket Community Project creates community and provides sanctuary to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens, including the homeless and people with mental/physical health issues and learning support needs. It operates an excellent community cafe, woodwork and tartan social enterprises and a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at enhancing life skills and developing confidence. Although the films are shown for free, any donations you can offer will be much appreciated.
Broughton Primary School Summer Fair: stalls, sausages, have-a-go challenges, noise and fun! A community event to which all are welcome. 12 noon-2.30pm, Broughton Primary School, Broughton Road.
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 Rio 2 (U). 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace. Next week’s film is Peter Pan (U) (1959).
Crossreach Queen’s Bay Lodge Summer Fair: teas, ice creams, burgers, children’s games, face painting, bric a brac, plants, bottle stall, books, home baking, live music, dance display and lots more in the lovely grounds of Charis House. 2-4pm, Charis House, 49 Milton Road East. Free admission. For more information please call 0131 669 2828 or email queensbay@crossreach.org.uk.
The Gruffalo’s Picnic: the Gruffalo’s coming to Linlithgow – and he’s hungry! Come and join him at his picnic, organised by Far From the Madding Crowd bookshop. Please note that children must be accompanied by an adult. 1-3pm, The Town Marquee, Linlithgow Rugby Club, Mains Park, Mains Road. Tickets cost £4/£2: please drop into the shop, call 01506 845509 or email sally@maddingcrowdlinlithgow.co.uk for more information and to book.
Bookbug: songs and rhymes for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 11-11.30am, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road.
Braid Bowling Club Annual Summer Fair: produce, books, plants, bric a brac, games, home baking, tombola and competitions, plus the chance to try your hand at various activities on the green or the boules pitch! 10am-12 noon, Braid Bowling Club, Midmar Avenue. Adults £2, children 50p (includes tea/coffee/juice and cake).
Craigie’s Farm Shop & Cafe Open Weekend: tractor rides, trailer rides, meet the farmer, milk the cow, games, food and lots more! 11am-3pm Craigie’s Farm, West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry, EH30 9AR. All welcome: free. Also at same times on Sunday 7th June 2015.
The Power and Beauty of Nature with Frame and Williams: a new exhibition by Jack Frame and Huw Williams, two very distinctive artists who are joined by ceramicist Pierre Williams. Preview today 11am-1pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Leith Gallery, The Shore, Leith. Ends 27th June 2015.
Piershill Library Creative Writing Classes: weekly classes throughout June to help you write a short story. No experience necessary! 2-4pm today and each Saturday in June, Piershill Library, Piersfield Terrace. Free, but places are limited so please contact the library staff if you would like to attend.
Bruntsfield Primary School Summer Fete: crafts, tombola, sponge the teacher, beat the goalie, stalls selling food, toys, clothes, uniform, bikes and much more! 11am-2pm, Bruntsfield Primary School, Montpelier
Stuart Herd: a solo exhibition of more than sixty new paintings by the Tarbert-based artist. 11am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10.30am-4pm Saturdays, The Torrance Gallery, 36 Dundas Street. Ends 20th June 2015.
Refugee Festival Scotland 2015: Wildlife Women’s Choir Presents Children’s Songs from Around the World. A family-friendly workshop for men, women and children to learn songs from rainforests and rivers, lullabies and silly songs. Bring and share songs from your own experience – snacks provided. Facilitated by Penny Stone. No previous singing experience necessary! 10.30am-12.30pm, McDonald Road Library, 2 McDonald Road. Free: all welcome. Refugee Festival Scotland runs 3rd-21st June 2015: it is centered in Glasgow but includes events throughout the country.
J David Simons: The Land Agent. Working as a land agent for one of the richest men in the world, Polish-Jewish immigrant Lev Sela stumbles on a strategic area of land that doesn’t appear on any map. The resultant struggle for ownership involves the Jews, Arabs, Zionists, British, an ambitious Russian engineer and the local Bedouin, whilst Lev is also drawn into a relationship with a beautiful Scottish pioneer living on a nearby kibbutz. J David Simons is Scotland’s pre-eminent Jewish writer, the author of short stories, essays and four novels. The Land Agent is the third title in his Scottish-Jewish magnum opus, the Glasgow to Galilee Trilogy (following The Credit Draper and The Liberation of Celia Kahn) – but it can also be read as a brilliant stand-alone novel. 2.30-3.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.
Cafe Society: a new exhibition by the Ayrshire-based artist Michael G Clark PAI RSW. 12 noon-5pm today then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, South East Circus Place. Ends 4th July 2015.
The Parish Church of St Cuthbert First Saturday Organ Recitals – Jeremy Cull (St Cuthbert’s Director of Music): L’Orgue Mystique. Music influenced by liturgical and spiritual themes, including works by Tournemire, Hakim and Arvo Part. 12.30-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.
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.
St Cuthbert’s Coffee Morning: 10.30am-12 noon today and every first Saturday of the month, St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road.
Meadows Festival: Edinburgh’s free, volunteer-run, music and community festival is this weekend! The line-up will include Eliza Carthy, Tinderbox Orchestra, Sea Bass Kid, Urvanovic, Miracle Glass Company, Monosapiens, Danny Mullins Band, Matatunes, Portnawak and the Woo, Jemima Thewes and Big Fat Panda. Children’s entertainments, Forest Cafe stage and bar, stalls, refreshments, Dogs Trust area, community councils’ information and lots more. 10am-6pm today and tomorrow, The Meadows, Melville Drive.
The Big LGBT Music Jam: a creative and supportive space for making music. Play, sing your own song or just be an appreciative listener; all music tastes welcome. No need to book, just come along. Bring your own instruments, some percussion supplied. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biglgbtmusicjamedinburgh@gmail.com.
Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh Summer Fete: stalls, face painting, live music, lucky dip and refreshments. 10am-12.30pm, Marie Curie Hospice, 45 Frogston Road West.
A Quick Decision Can Be Made – a story of the Detained Fast-Track procedure for asylum seekers. Claiming asylum in the UK, like thousands of refugees each year, Mariam is put into the Detained Fast-Track procedure. An endless questioning begins, one that will strip down her whole life. Is she telling the truth? Can she? A cruel tale written and directed by Marie Yan for Refugee Festival Scotland, to scrutinise the absurdity of a system as it ‘celebrates’ its twelfth birthday. 7.30pm, Discovery 21, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Tickets cost £5 and may be purchased in advance via Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies) or on the door, sta (theatre has 35 seats). Also at 2pm on Sunday 7th June 2015. Discovery 21 is a new studio theatre run by local companies Tightlaced Theatre and Black Dingo Productions. Refugee Festival Scotland runs 3rd-21st June 2015: it is centered in Glasgow but includes events throughout the country.
Fraser Urquhart – Solo Jazz Piano: the fast rising young Edinburgh pianist plays a repertoire of neatly arranged jazz standards. 3-5.30pm, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. Free.
Quadrilles and Contradanses: A Regency Ball. Napoleon may have lost the war, but French dances conquered the world! Throughout the 19th century the quadrille was the queen of all fashionable ballrooms. You are invited to a Regency Ball, accompanied by live music of the period. The ball follows on from a day of workshops exploring the origins of dance, but you do not have to attended to workshops to go to the ball (for details of the workshops, please see the centre’s website). 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 Trans Women: a support group aimed at transsexual women at any stage of transition, women who are transgender and live as women full-time or part-time, and those who are questioning their gender identity. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Please email the group before attending for the first time, as this assists with security and also allows the group to get ready to welcome you: info@edinburghtranswomen.org.uk.
Leith Jazz and Blues Festival: an afternoon slot for jazz fans of all ages, young and old! 4pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Also at same time on Sunday 7th June 2015.
Shetland JAWS: no, it’s not a sealife centre…it’s your second chance to escape the capital this weekend. Shetland Jazz Festival has reinvented itself as Shetland Jazz and World Sounds, and it starts today. Gigs all over Shetland, from the Sumburgh lighthouse to the far north of Saxa Vord; highlights will include Tommy Smith premiering a new piece developed in collaboration with Christine De Luca and Alex Cluness, The Drums Explosion, Eddi Reader, Mousa Sound Stompers and Hayden Hook and his Trio Tarot, workshops, food and plenty more. The festival continues until 14th June 2015. For more information please contact Jeff Merrifield, Da Cutts, Sandwick/jeff@playbackarts.co.uk.
SUNDAY 7TH JUNE 2015
Gorgie City Farm: Open Farm Sunday. Get hands-on at the farm with free interactive tours, animal feeding, lamb walking and other farm-based fun. 10.30am, Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road. Gorgie City Farm is a community-owned initiative aiming to educate inner-city children and adults about farming and food production; it also promotes social inclusion by offering volunteering opportunities to all. ‘A rustic oasis in the middle of the city’.
The Girotondo Italian Children’s Club Presents La grotta vicino alla scogliera: a show to celebrate the cultural links between Italy and Scotland. The performance, by children aged 3 to 10 years old, will give an Italian twist to traditional Scottish fairy tales. Directed by Elena Masoero, with music by Michela Furin. Please note this performance is in Italian. 3pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free but ticketed; please email girotondo.edi@gmail.com to book. Supported by the Italian Cultural Institute and the Consulate General of Italy in Edinburgh.
Kids Splash & Dash Aquathon: come and take part in Pentland Triathletes’ fun swim-run event. Suitable for ages 8-16 years (all abilities) and a great introduction to triathlon. From 8.30am, Forrester High School, 212 Broomhouse Road. £12.50 per child. Advance registration is essential; you can find out how to do this, and also get lots more information, on the club’s website here and on the event’s Facebook page here, or email nialldarroch@hotmail.com with any queries.
Refugee Survival Trust Picnic: come and meet the Trust’s volunteers and supporters at a picnic to celebrate Refugee Festival Scotland. 12.30pm, Arthur’s Seat/Holyrood Park – meet at Holyrood Palace Car Park, Queen’s Drive. EH8 8HG. Please bring international snacks to share. Booking is essential and may be made by emailing fundraising_volunteer@rst.org.uk or calling 0141 353 3602. Refugee Survival Trust is a volunteer-led charity that makes grants to alleviate destitution experienced by asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland.
Muslim Women’s Association Fun Day: 12 noon-4pm, Livingston Islamic Centre, Main Street, Deans. All welcome.
Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today’s film is Tarzan (U) (2013). 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.
Craigie’s Farm Shop & Cafe Open Weekend: tractor rides, trailer rides, meet the farmer, milk the cow, games, food and lots more! 11am-3pm Craigie’s Farm, West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry, EH30 9AR. All welcome: free.
Art Maker – June: join the Art Maker club and make your own masterpieces with artists Tessa Asquith-Lamb and Louise Fraser. 2-4pm (drop-in), Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free: supported by the Friends of NGS.
Scotland’s Open Gardens: Hopefield. A pantiled farmhouse built round a courtyard whose walls feature rambling roses, plum trees and wisteria. Herbaceous borders by the house are enclosed with pergolas covered with roses, wisteria and clematis. The garden has been extended over 18 years, with ‘rooms’ created from reclaimed fields. A lochan has been planted to encourage wildlife, creating a wonderful backdrop to the house and garden, with stunning views over the Lammermuirs. Cream teas will be provided in the barn by Save the Children. 2-6pm, Hopefield, Gladsmuir, EH33 2AL (off the A199 at Gladsmuir). £5 per person (children free) of which 40% goes to Save the Children and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries.
Leith Jazz and Blues Festival: an afternoon slot for jazz fans of all ages, young and old! 4pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Word Power Books and Interaktywny Salon Piszacych w Szkocji Present Tomasz Rozycki. Award-winning Rozycki is considered one of the most remarkable Polish poets; this event, chaired by Ryan van Winkle, will include readings in both Polish and English, plus conversation with the author. 1pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. Free; please indicate your intention to attend via the event’s Facebook page here. All welcome: donations also welcome!
Edinburgh School of Music Showcase: ESM Director Kira Emslie presents some of her top music students in a monthly showcase of their vocal and instrumental talent. 3-5.30pm, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £3 on the door: please note that this venue is cash only.
Serenity Cafe Daffodil Tea: 2.30-4.30pm, Serenity Cafe, Jackson’s Entry, The Tun, Holyrood Road. All welcome. Serenity is run by people in recovery for people in recovery, and for public customers who would like good value, good quality food in a relaxed, family-friendly, space.
Dementia Awareness Week 2015: Tranent. Come and meet Alzheimer Scotland’s Dementia Adviser on board the Memory Bus. 10am-4pm, Ross High School, Well Wynd, Tranent.
Filmhouse Special Screening: When I Saw You/Lamma Shoftak (12A) (in Arabic and English with English subtitles). In 1967 the world is alive and ripe with possibility – new music, style, hope – but in Jordan thousands of refugees from Palestine are waiting for their right to return to their homeland. Among them, a young boy secretly sets out on his own and attaches himself to a group of freedom fighters, who take him under their wing; together they embark on a journey of adventure, driven by an unshakeable resolve to be free. ‘This heartfelt and moving film, Palestine’s entry for the 2013 Academy Awards, is suffused with a distinct sense of this revolutionary time and place’. Director: Annemarie Jacir. 3.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here. This screening is part of Refugee Week Scotland, which runs 3-21st June 2015: for more information please click here.
Cameo Vintage Sundays: The Ipcress File (PG). ‘Reluctant British spy Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) has to deal with bureaucracy, brainwashing and lots of really cool camera angles while on a mission to rescue kidnapped scientist Dr Radcliffe‘ (Rotten Tomatoes). 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Jeremiah’s Quiz Night: 8pm tonight and every Sunday – all welcome. 8pm, Jeremiah’s Tap Room, 7-8 Elm Row.
Nitekirk: A time of reflection, gentle music and places of (optional) activity – pictures to consider, Scripture, prayers, poems and art supplies to focus your creativity. Come and go as you please, join in or just sit in silence. 5-8pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door’.
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 donations collected for a relevant cause.
QUIZ-MAN-DU: A Night for Nepal. An action-packed and prize-riddled quiz night to raise funds for aid relief in the most affected areas of Nepal – come along and have fun whilst raising money for this devastated country. £3 per person, teams of any size welcome. 7pm, Kilderkin, 65 Canongate.
A Quick Decision Can Be Made – a story of the Detained Fast-Track procedure for asylum seekers. Claiming asylum in the UK, like thousands of refugees each year, Mariam is put into the Detained Fast-Track procedure. An endless questioning begins, one that will strip down her whole life. Is she telling the truth? Can she? A cruel tale written and directed by Marie Yan for Refugee Festival Scotland, to scrutinise the absurdity of a system as it ‘celebrates’ its twelfth birthday. 2pm, Discovery 21, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Tickets cost £5 and may be purchased in advance via Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies) or on the door, sta (theatre has 35 seats). Discovery 21 is a new studio theatre run by local companies Tightlaced Theatre and Black Dingo Productions. Refugee Festival Scotland runs 3rd-21st June 2015: it is centered in Glasgow but includes events throughout the country.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Teenage Book Group: if you love to read, or just want to read more, join this monthly group to talk about the latest teenage fiction and your own favourite books. Currently reading The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie. 2pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. If you would like to join the group (it’s free!) just email your details to schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
St Giles’ At Six: Organ recital by Nicholas Wearne. JS Bach/Vivaldi Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593, Sweelinck Est-ce Mars, Couperin Offertoire, Messiaen Alleluias sereins; Transports de joie. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.
