Art, drama, books, films – and lots of gardening – this week. If you see yourself as the next Jimmy Hendrix, The Voodoo Rooms have a big treat for you on Wednesday. And if you find that all a tad too noisy, what about yoga at the Eric Liddell Centre on Friday? We cater for all tastes here… Have a great week!
Please remember to check details with the organisers of any event before setting out.
MONDAY 6TH JULY 2015
Pioneering a New Art in Russia: in the first three decades of the 20th century, the Russian Avant-Garde made an outstanding contribution to Western sculpture and painting, especially in pioneering the move into abstraction. Curator and academic Professor Christina Lodder (University of Kent) will look at how artists working in Russia combined Western creative developments with their native traditions (the icon and the lubok) to produce distinctive works in the style of Neo-Primitivism, Cubo-Futurism, Suprematism and Constructivism. 12.45-1.15pm, Level Two, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
First Monday Lunchtime Concert: Iain Hood. Iain is one of Scotland’s foremost clarsach and harp players and performs with the Edinburgh Light Orchestra. 12.30pm, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road. £6 entry (includes a one course lunch after the concert, vegetarian option available).
Record Breakers: Board Games. Bring your favourite game, try some new ones and join in the fun with friends and family. 2-3pm, South Queensferry Library, Shore Road. All welcome!
The Monday Cafe @ Cramond Kirk: for people with dementia and their carers. Support, information, light lunch, teas and coffees – and a blether! 1-3pm, Kirk Hall, Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road.
Grassmarket Community Project Cinema: The Visitor (15). A multi-award winning drama telling the story of a college professor who travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome, free admission: donations very welcome! The Grassmarket Community Project is a charity providing mentoring, training and education to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable of Edinburgh’s citizens, in a nurturing environment. It operates a 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. 
To read about The Edinburgh Reporter’s afternoon at the Project, click here.
Fruitmarket Gallery Director’s Talk: Fiona Bradley discusses the coming together of Phyllida Barlow’s major new exhibition set, currently installed at the gallery. 6-7pm, Fruitmarket Gallery, 42 Market Street.
Summer! A new exhibition of works by Kirstie Hustler, Sarah Curtis, Ulla Hipkin and Linda Sheridan. 10am-4pm, Monday to Saturday, The Gallery Cafe, Penicuik Community Arts Association, West Street Arts Centre, 2-4 West Street, Penicuik. Meet the artists in person on Sunday 12th July, 2-4pm.
Picturehouses Toddler Time: short screenings exclusively for pre-school children and their parents and carers. This week: Q Pootle 5: Programme 5 (U) – join the stars of the hit CBeebies show as they tackle the everyday problems of the final frontier; with friendship at the heart of the series, Q Pootle 5 and his friends find fun and adventure wherever they go. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets for members of Toddler Time cost £3 (accompanying adults free) and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here. Membership of the Toddler Time club is free: please ask at the Box Office. No adult unaccompanied by a toddler will be admitted.
Edinburgh Inter Faith Association Talk + Community Meal. The Spiritual Pathways series of talks continues with Norman Crane considering the topic of Fasting. Norman is chairman of the Council of Sukkat Shalom (the Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community); he holds an MA in Jewish Studies from the University of Manchester and has a passionate interest in all things Jewish. The talk will be followed by a Q & A session and a shared vegetarian meal. 6-8pm, The Well Cafe, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square. All welcome: free, but donations much appreciated from those who wish to make them. If you would like to attend please email sakina@eifa.org.uk or leave a comment on the EIFA Facebook page here, to assist the organisers with catering.
Flavours’ Italian Book Week: call into the Flavours’ office to chat about Italian summer reads, see the pop-up book corner, and vote for your favourite. Each vote will also be entered into a prize draw to win one of the books. 10am-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-5pm Friday, 10am-6pm Saturday, Flavours of Italy, 67-69 Raeburn Place, Stockbridge. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about Italian Book Week here.
Discovering Family History at the National Library of Scotland: find out how the library can help you with your family history research. The workshop will include some practical information on how to get a library card (please bring evidence of identity with you if you plan to register) and use library resources. 10.30am, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required: call 0131 623 3734 or book online here. For more information please email enquiries@nls.uk.
For Crying Out Loud: screenings for carers and their babies under 12 months old (maximum 2 adults per baby). Babychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Mr Holmes (PG). 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult, and may be purchased in person or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Breathing Space: Allan JH McGregor presents an exhibition of 72 photographs taken in Craigmillar, Niddrie, Greendykes and Newcraighall in the 1980s and 1990s – from play parks and shop shutters to housing schemes and murals. The images date from a time just after riots had taken place in Craigmillar to protest about a lack of public facilities. ‘The project is really about two things. It’s about the state of one of the capital city’s catchment areas, which was in a dreadful state of disrepair, but it also looks at the people within it, who had this ‘breathing space’, and celebrates the fact that they survived through that’. 10am-4pm Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm Saturdays, The White House Kitchen Galleries, 70 Niddrie Mains Road. Ends 29th August 2015. The White House Kitchen is a community cafe and venue run by the Community Alliance Trust for the benefit of the Greater Craigmillar neighbourhoods. It also offers an outside catering service.
Guided Tour of the National Library: a tour of the building and an introduction to the Library’s collections and history. 2pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but, as numbers are limited, booking is essential; call 0131 623 3734 or book online here.
Meet the Edible Gardening Team: take a look round the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project volunteers – find out what needs doing in your own garden just now and have your vegetable growing questions answered, then have a go at sowing seeds and take them home to watch them grow. For all ages. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Tuesday 7th July 2015.
Singing for Fun: a new daytime choir. Sing, chat, make friends, improve your voice and have an enjoyable morning. The choir will neither perform nor learn complex harmonies – it’s purely for fun! Singing delivers a host of benefits, including increased aerobic exercise, improved breathing, posture, mindset, confidence and self esteem. 10am-12 noon today and every Monday until 27th July, Pilrig Church, Pilrig Street. £5 per session, £3 for carers. To find out more or to book a place, email hello.singinthecity@choiredinburgh.co.uk or call 0131 552 3149.
Sofi’s Cult Movie Mondays: free screenings of popular classics – with popcorn – in Sofi’s cosy back room. This week’s film is Monty Python and the Holy Grail (15). 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Tricolour: a monthly night showcasing three different poetry and spoken word talents. Three different voices, three different styles, three different takes on life. This month’s performers are Kevin Cadwallender, Rachel Amey and Colin McGuire. 6.30pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required; call 0131 623 3734 or book online here.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Monthly Book Quiz: if you know your Waugh from your Peace and your Meyer from your Heyer, try Blackwell’s quiz and answer questions on anything from classics to current bestsellers, Booker Prize winners to celebrity biographies. Teams of up to 5 people can take part. 6pm, Caffe Nero, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free; no booking required, but please arrive early as space is limited.
Picturehouses Culture Shock: the best in cult and genre films. Tonight: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (15) – Ferris is a boy who gets everything he wants….gathering his best friend and his best girlfriend, he skips school for the day in Chicago. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.
TUESDAY 7TH JULY 2015
Turquerie: An 18th Century European Fantasy. As part of the Liotard series of talks, Haydn Williams, an expert on the decorative arts and former Director of the Objects of Vertu department at Sotheby’s, explores the artistic phenomenon known as Turquerie, which captured the imagination of the courts of Europe in the 18th century. Travellers’ accounts of the Ottoman lands, translations of works such as One Thousand and One Nights, and the magnificent spectacle of Ottoman ambassadors and their retinues were among the catalysts that inspired this whimsical fantasy. Haydn Williams will discuss how turquerie manifested itself in the arts – from painting, architecture, and interiors to the theatre – across Europe. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. The Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition opened at the National Gallery on 4th July 2015, and Mary-Ann Stevens’ Opening Lecture will take place on Thursday 9th July: see listing.
Traditional Tales: a summer season of traditional tales from Scotland. Authentic entertainment and insight, bringing you the truths, the myths and the legends of Scottish folklore, past and present; this week’s storyteller is Calum Lykan. For ages 12+. 3-4pm, Library, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6.50/£4.50 and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here. Also at same time on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th July 2015, and Tuesday-Thursday each subsequent week in July. Next week’s storyteller will be Senga Munro.
Mist, Mud and Midges: an exhibition featuring a collection of new works from four gallery artists, Newton Ross, Jean Gillespie, Lee Ritchie and Erik Petrie, who have taken inspiration from locations across the country. 11am-5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, The Gallery on the Corner, Northumberland Street. Ends 30th July 2015. The Gallery on the Corner is a commercial art gallery and studio providing a platform to exhibit and sell artwork produced by artists who have a physical or mental health condition: it was the first social firm developed by Autism Ventures Scotland.
Minibeast Magic: 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Conservation Trust, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling the Visitor Centre on 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.
Picturehouses Silver Screen: if you are over 60, join the Silver Screen club for discounted tickets and free tea, coffee and biscuits at these special screenings. Today’s films are Amy (15) showing at 1pm and 3.45pm, Slow West (15) showing at 1.30pm and 4pm, The Third Man (PG) showing at 1.15pm and Mr Holmes (PG) showing at 3.35pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £5 for members of the club and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online: please ask at the Box Office for details of how to join the club (it’s free). Others are welcome to attend these screenings, but will pay standard ticket prices.
Last of the Privateers + Monticule: Edinburgh-based indie-folk band Last of the Privateers bring a unique mix of soaring brass solos, chunky electric guitar riffs and huge multi-part harmonies to the Cellar Bar. Supported by Monticule, who blend their contemporary songs and direction with the old blues heritage. (Plus third act TBC). 7.30pm-1am, Henry’s Cellar Bar, 16 Morrison Street. Admission £5 on the door.
Golden Hare Book Group: this month the group will read one of the most highly praised books of the last 12 months, Ali Smith’s multi-award winning How To Be Both. 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. All welcome. Next month’s book will be All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld.
Picturehouse Discover Tuesdays: the best in new and topical documentaries covering issues from around the world. This week’s film is Into the Clouds We Gaze (15), ‘a beautifully shot observational film from established Czech documentarian Martin Dusek, this riveting study of a proud petrolhead living in Bohemia, and the culture of aimless Czech youth around him, combines shrewd observation and haunting imagery to paint a portrait of a very specific lifestyle and place in time’. 6pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.
Leith Folk Club: Mount Juliet. Edinburgh musicians Hannah O’Reilly and Roy Henderson, with support from Caro Bridges. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be purchased online here or by texting the club’s reservation number: 07502 024 852.
WEDNESDAY 8TH JULY 2015
Grassmarket Community Project Celebration and Open Evening. Come and see work from the Project’s classes and groups including the Greyfriars’ Tartan Group and the Grassmarket Furniture Project, original art and photography – plus live music, drama and a boogie! Canapes, coffee and tea will be served at 6pm, tours of this amazing building will be on offer, and the evening will end with a celebration from 8 to 9pm. 6-9pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. Everyone is welcome; if you would like to attend please email sarah@grassmarket.org or call 0131 225 3626 to assist the organisers with catering numbers. Read about The Edinburgh Reporter’s afternoon at the Project here.
Quiz: Record Breaking Animals – guess the fastest! For ages 5-12 years. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. All welcome.
Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Radio Workshop: a workshop for small groups of children aged approximately 10 years, organised in partnership with Edinburgh International Science Festival. 3pm, Blackhall Library, 56 Hillhouse Road. Booking is essential as numbers are limited: ask in the library or call 0131 529 5595. Please note that bookings cannot be made by email.
Royal Opening of the Kelpies: HRH Princess Anne officially opens the world’s largest pair of equine sculptures and the new canal extension over which they stand guard! HRH The Princess Royal will lead a flotilla of about forty boats along the Forth & Clyde Canal to the sculptures, before meeting some of the groups and individuals involved in the project. Sculptor Andy Scott and Clydesdale horses Duke (one of the models for the Kelpies) and Dan will be in attendance. 11am-2pm, The Helix, Falkirk. All welcome!
Future-proofing Your Global Media Career: a training toolkit for 21st century freelance journalists and filmmakers. A special three-day lecture series by expert journalists and filmmakers from around the world. This event will provide essential practical skills; how to stand out from the crowd, how to produce great work – and how to make money – with lectures covering a broad range of subjects, from how to succeed as a 21st century documentary filmmaker to how to become a ‘journopreneur’ and how reporters can expand their skills across different platforms and sell their work across the globe. There will also be practical sessions discussing the latest innovations in mobile journalism. Â The speakers include some of the biggest names in the industry: full details can be found on the university’s website here. 9.30am-5.30pm today, Thursday 9th July and Friday 10th July, Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh Napier University Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road. All lectures are free and open to the public, but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here (you can book for all three days or just one or two).
Summer Fun in the Courtyard: free family activities for children of all ages. Today Frances Cooper will run a fun singing workshop – everyone welcome! 11.30am-1pm, Courtyard, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street.
Chorophyll Printing Workshop: did you know you can print a photograph on a plant? A one hour demonstration covering the basics of chorophyll printing – how and why it works, which plants are best to use, how to make a print and how to preserve the image. 12.30-1.30pm, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. There is no charge but a donation is invited to cover costs. Registration is required and may be made here.
Fastest Finger Knitter! It’s easy to learn and make something fun. For ages 5-12 years. 3.30-4.30pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome.
Wiff Waff Wednesday: a monthly ping pong night for all ages with music, and great food and drink available to purchase from the Drill Hall Arts Cafe. 6-10.30pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free, no booking required, all welcome! ‘Friendship first, competition second’.
Sunflower Superstars: design and create a funky plant pot, then plant a sunflower – will yours grow to be a record breaker? For children aged 5-12 years: children under 8 must be supervised by someone over 12. 2-3pm, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drumbrae Drive. All welcome!
Fender Presents The American Standard Tour: a celebration of the sounds, heritage and evolution of the world’s greatest electric guitars and basses. Experience at first hand the ideas that became icons (like the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision and Jazz Bass), through demonstrations, live performances, Q & As with the team and the opportunity to try out a range of Fender USA handcrafted instruments. Plus a guest performance by one of Fender’s affiliated artists and the Fender All-Star Band. For over 18s only. 7pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Free but tickets are required and may be booked here.
Otters: Return to the River. Multi-award winning wildlife photographer Laurie Campbell celebrates the return of the otter to our rivers and freshwater wetlands, after a drastic decline in the last century. Campbell has documented an intimate portrait of the lives of otters through the changing seasons for more than two decades. 2pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required; call 0131 623 3734 or book online here.
Pink and Orange: an exhibition of new paintings by Mark Connolly. Opens tonight at 6pm (with refreshments), then during normal opening hours, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk.
THURSDAY 9TH JULY 2015
Old Town Acoustic Festival: a full day of acoustic, showcasing local artists. Aspiring song writers are invited to come and perform at an open mic session from 3-7pm, after which Bannermans Live Hall will host sets from Tom Coyne, Annie Booth, Ekobirds, Maisie Hutt and Bleys Dunlop. For over 18s only. 3pm onwards, Bannermans Bar, 212 Cowgate. Tickets cost £5 and are available from Tickets Scotland here (transaction fee applies).
Queen Margaret University Degree Show: ten short films made by QMU’s Film & Media students, covering a diverse range of subjects and genres. The documentaries profile an award winning artist, take you on a musical journey to the streets of Morocco and show you how to build an Earthship; the dramas feature characters dealing with the effects of grief, poverty, illness…and junk mail. 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here: prices vary.
Opening Lecture: The Brilliant and Eccentric M Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702-1789). Mary-Ann Stevens, art historian and curator, will introduce the work of the Genevois artist. Travelling across Europe to Constantinople, patronised by rulers, aristocrats and the professional middle class, Liotard was internationally acclaimed for his mastery of pastel and his unflinching observation of reality, which he brought to his portraits, genre scenes and exceptional trompe-l’oeil compositions. 6-7pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. The Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition opened at the National Gallery on 4th July 2015.
Live Music Now: Erskine String Quartet. One of Scotland’s leading string groups will play the ‘Biscay’ Quartet (1913), a musical portrait of the South of France by Scottish composer JB McEwen, and Thomas Alexander Erskine’s Quartet in A Major. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Play a Library Game with Carson and Miller: the artists present their current collaboration with the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Archive, ‘Archive Games’ in the Keiller Library. Drop-in and play along! 10.30am-12.30pm, Keiller Library, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Portrait Gallery Curator’s Talk: Lee Miller and Picasso. A chance to discuss the current exhibition with Dr Anne Lydon, NGS International Curator of Photography. 5.30-6pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
The Drawing Room – July: informal, artist-led drawing sessions developed by contemporary artists and reflecting concerns within each artist’s work. The sessions seek to examine the range of possibilities within contemporary drawing practice. All materials are supplied and no experience is necessary. 5.30-6.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free but booking is required: please call the Education Department on 0131 624 6410 or email education@nationalgalleries.org.
Spotlight on Photography: A Victorian Sensation. Curator Dr Alison Morrison Low will introduce the pioneers of photography and discuss the influence of this Victorian craze on photography today. For ages 14+. 2-3pm, Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required and may be made in person at the reception desk, by calling 0300 123 6789 or online here.
Portraiture. Bragela Hornel invites you to try out a range of fun portraiture, taking inspiration from pictures in the gallery; learn all about expression and how to create your own unique self-portrait. 2.30-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
Pop-Up Cities: Lauren Wayland invites you to choose from a selection of famous Edinburgh landmarks to make your own pop-up city in a card. You might choose the Scott Monument, Edinburgh Castle or even Greyfriars Bobby! 2.30-4pm, Museum of Edinburgh, 142 Canongate. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
Cafe Voices: (In)humanity. Join storyteller Sarah Agnew for stories of courage in the face of persecution, execution and war. ‘We tell stories to keep moving from fear towards love, from inhumanity towards humanity’.  This is the Centre’s monthly storytelling session, with an open-floor section for storytellers to tell their own tales. 7pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Golden Hare Books Presents Cathy Rentzenbrink: The Last Act of Love. The author launches her new ‘powerful, timely and incredibly moving’ memoir, in conversation with Peggy Hughes. In the summer of 1990, Cathy’s brother Matty was knocked down by a car on his way home from a night out…Cathy and her parents willed him to survive. They did not know then that there are many and various fates worse than death. ‘A triumph of love’ (Matt Haig), ‘This lovely, painful, tender books speaks for anyone who has suffered loss…’ (Deborah Moggach). 7pm, St Stephen’s Centre, St Stephen Street. Free tickets may be booked via eventbrite here.
Derek Smith Blues Duo: a night of acoustic blues. 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
FRIDAY 10TH JULY 2015
Emergence 2015: an exhibition of work from last year’s Sculpture Courses programme, which included Stone Carving, Clay Portrait and Figure, Metal Sculpture, Sculptural Ceramics, Glass Pate de Verre, Lino Prints, Mould Making and Paper Casting, and Wood Carving. Preview tonight 6-8pm (with refreshments), then 12 noon-4pm on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 21 Hawthornvale. On Sunday there will be a range of demonstration workshops (in Wood Carving, Lino Cuts and Prints and Clay Modelling) with tutors from the ESW Courses programme demonstrating processes, and the opportunity for visitors to have a go.
#artcore Fanzine Day: a day of free Riso printing for anyone aged 13-25 years to produce their own zines, comics, prints and posters. If you’re a budding author, keen comic designer or emerging artist or illustrator, bring in your own work, get help if you need it – or start from scratch on the day: no experience necessary! 2-5pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free, no booking required, just drop in. Organised by Out of the Blueprint, #artcore’s new enterprise set up to support you in self-publishing your own creative projects.
The Retina Scottish International Photography Festival:  Retina 2015 puts emerging and established international talent firmly in the frame, showcasing the best from the world of photography in a range of venues across Edinburgh throughout July. At Gayfield, renowned UK photographer Tim Flach will exhibit a series of his animal portraits; crossing the divide between a commercial photographer and a fine artist, his work often examines the anthropomorphism of creatures in an abstract way. Opens today, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square; please contact the venue for times. Ends 30th July 2015.
Sun Juice: Edinburgh-based legend Dave Ellis and ex-NZ sax player Doug Tiplady’s 5-piece band, playing fresh, original material, with ‘funky, groovy, swing and bouncy, appealing Balkan/Klezmer sounds, featuring Rich Harrold (keys), blues guitar ace Neil Warden and and ‘driving funky drums’ from Willy Molleson. 9pm-12 midnight (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.
Scottish Paintings 1660-1860: a summer exhibition of Scottish art from the 17th to the 19th century, featuring works by William Gouw Ferguson, Henry Ferguson, James Norie Senior, Archibald Skirving, Rev John Thomson of Duddingston, David Roberts, James Giles, Horatio McCulloch and David Scott. The gallery will also show a collection of eight photographs by Australian contemporary artist Joseph McGlennon, Skyestags. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 11am-2pm Saturdays, The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh, 6 Dundas Street.
Summer Yoga: 10.30am-12 noon today and every Friday until 14th August, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road. £6/£5 (mats provided). For more information please contact fiona@ericliddell.org or call 0131 446 3321.
France-Lise McGurn: 3am. France-Lise’s works, often depicting a cast of rebel characters, explore the potential connotations of gender and sexuality in the written word, letter or drawn line. Open preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday (also 10am-6pm Mondays in August only), Collective, City Observatory and City Dome, 38 Calton Hill. Ends 30th August 2015. This exhibition forms part of Edinburgh Art Festival.
Union Gallery Summer Cocktail: an annual mixed exhibition offering gallery artists the chance to showcase their talents. New work from Sophie McKay Knight, Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE, Jenny Matthews, Lucy Jones, Frank McNab, Drummond Mayo and Graham Flack. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10.30am-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10.30am-5.30pm Saturdays and 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Union Gallery, 45 Broughton Street. Ends 2nd August 2015.
UnstFest: your first chance to get out of the city this weekend may require a bit of advance planning – it’s the most northerly festival in Britain! This is a real family affair, with 10 day programme that includes everything from sandcastle competitions and pool parties to traditional music and rock concerts – in between there are arts, crafts, stories, games, a Casino & Cocktail night, circus acts, guided walks, the Where’s Wally UnstFest Half Marathon – and lots, lots more. Begins at 7am (!) today, ends at 7pm on Sunday 19th July, Unst, Shetland. For full details of the programme and travel and accommodation information, see UnstFest’s website here.
SATURDAY 11TH JULY 2015
Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for children aged 4-8 years. 3-4pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. All welcome!
Bruncheon! Featuring the Sound of Muesli. This month’s music comes from Portnawak and the Woo ‘a musical ensemble playing a unique blend of gypsy folk hop, psychedelic tribal bounce music and organic punk…with the added element of Woo’. Kippers and full breakfast menu available to purchase from the Drill Hall Arts Cafe. 11.30am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free admission.
Sixteen String Jack and Peter Pan: an exhibition of illustration by Ian Andrew and Stephen White. To coincide with the reopening of Moat Brae House, where JM Barrie played as a child, and which formed the inspiration for Peter Pan, Birlinn has published two new, visually stunning books under a new imprint, BC Books, reclaiming Peter Pan for Scotland and bringing one of the greatest stories ever told back to its roots. Sixteen String Jack and the Garden of Adventure by Tom Pow is illustrated by Ian Andrew; Peter Pan by JM Barrie is illustrated by Stephen White (Stref) and coloured by Fin Cramb. 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place. Ends 25th July 2015.
Gardening for Health: gardening joy for the over-60s! 10am-1pm, Dr Neil’s Garden, Old Church Lane, Duddingston Village. £10 per session. Also on Saturdays 18th and 25th July and 1st August 2015.
Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours: monthly tours of the collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Please note temporary access is through the cafe entrance at the rear of the gallery.
Leith Farmers’ Market Launch: grand opening by Mary Moriarty, who will ‘open the doors’ to a new market for independent small traders –  lots of food stalls, arts and crafts and street snacks. 10am-5pm, Dock Place, EH6 6LU (next to the Water of Leith and the Custom House).
Botanics Family Garden Party. Take part in fun activities including vegetable printing and seed sowing and find out more about the Edible Garden and School Garden areas. The team will be on hand with advice and garden produce tasters. 1-4pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 12th July 2015.
Building the Landscape: Lauren Wayland invites you to take inspiration from landscapes in the gallery, have fun exploring textures and make colourful 3D models. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
 
Forth Under Threat: the Firth of Forth has outstanding wildlife and great opportunities to see it up close in boats and at the beach. The Marine Conservation Society is working to turn the tide on the threats our oceans face: come and find out how you could help. 1-4pm, Atrium, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 12th July 2015.
Lunchtime Concert: The Choir of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Mike & Paul’s Acoustic Showcase: two of Edinburgh’s finest singer/songwriters, Mike MacFarlane and Paul Montague, present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic) musical entertainment, featuring specially invited guests each week. 7-8.30pm, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. Free before 8pm.
Black Cat Bone + Lo Bird + The Draynes + Triptych & Flo: British Blues Rock band Black Cat Bone offers ‘a pounding rhythm section, percussion, layered vocals, catchy guitar riffs, heavy distortion and hollering harmonica’. Lo Bird is ‘the best of indie-pop, taking influence from bands such as The Cat Empire’. Edinburgh duo The Draynes play garage/punk; soul band Tryptych & Flo are Alana Carew (vocals), Ruairidh Morrison (bass), Joe Catterson (guitar) and Reece Braid (drums/percussion). For over 18s only. 7.30pm, The Ballroom, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £6 in advance (transaction fee applies) from Skiddle, Ripping Records and Tickets Scotland, or £8 on the door (sta).
159th Alva Games: your second opportunity to flee the city this weekend is a little bit nearer home…  the last surviving sports and games to be held in Clackmannanshire feature the full range of traditional events, including athletics, cycling, highland dancing, heavyweight events and four hill races, plus ‘fun’ races for visiting children and adults, and a funfair. 12.30pm onwards, Cochrane Park, Alva. £6/£4 per person, children under 5 free. Car parking £2. Full details of all events and directions to the ground may be found on the Games’ website here.
SUNDAY 12TH JULY 2015
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. Today: Enchanted (PG), a classic Disney fairytale collides with modern-day New York City; can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world? 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here.
Botanics Family Garden Party. Take part in fun activities including vegetable printing and seed sowing and find out more about the Edible Garden and School Garden areas. The team will be on hand with advice and garden produce tasters. 1-4pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required.
Meet Joe Abercrombie: the fantasy superstar author of the stunning, richly-imagined Shattered Sea series will sign copies of his new book, Half A War, which brings the series to a close. 12.30pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Free and unticketed.
Portrait Detectives: collect your kit, follow clues and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12 years. 2-4pm (drop-in), Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed. Supported by the Friends of NGS.
Emergence 2015: an exhibition of work from last year’s Sculpture Courses programme, which included Stone Carving, Clay Portrait and Figure, Metal Sculpture, Sculptural Ceramics, Glass Pate de Verre, Lino Prints, Mould Making and Paper Casting, and Wood Carving. Today there will be a range of demonstration workshops (in Wood Carving, Lino Cuts and Prints and Clay Modelling) with tutors from the ESW Courses programme demonstrating processes, and the opportunity for visitors to have a go. 12 noon-4pm, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 21 Hawthornvale.
Forth Under Threat: the Firth of Forth has outstanding wildlife and great opportunities to see it up close in boats and at the beach. The Marine Conservation Society is working to turn the tide on the threats our oceans face: come and find out how you could help. 1-4pm, Atrium, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required.
Picturehouse Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today: Blade Runner: The Final Cut (15). In Ridley Scott’s brooding, doom-laden thriller, set in a spectacularly imagined future Los Angeles, a hired killer named Deckard (Harrison Ford) tracks down a group of renegade androids who have escaped from slavery on a colonised planet. This ‘final cut’ is the only version of the film over which Ridley Scott had full artistic control – ‘an unforgettable big screen experience’. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.
Amy Hawthorn: the West Lothian jazz singer returns to OCP, this time accompanied by acoustic guitar. 8pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
Filmhouse Quiz: the ‘phenomenally successful (and rather tricky) monthly quiz. Teams of up to eight people should be seated in the cafe bar by 9pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Free to enter.
St Giles’ At Six: Organ Recital. Robert Harris will play JS Bach, Franck, Guilmant and Langlais. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
PJ Bond: the singer-songwriter from Philadelphia plays the only Scottish show of his 2015 tour, with special guests The Lion & The Wolf, Lovers Turn to Monsters and Paper Rifles. 7pm, Banshee Labyrinth, Niddry Street. Tickets cost £5 in advance (£6 on the door, sta) and are available here.
