Thursday in Edinburgh – What’s On Today

Willow Community Garden and Orchard Celebration Event: an afternoon  of free family activities and refreshments. 2.30-6.30pm, Calder’s Community Garden, (access from the canal or Wester Hailes Road) Calder Crescent. For more information call Fiona on 0131 453 9400 or email fional@whhealthagency.co.uk.

Scotland-Russia Forum: Yakety-Yak. Sparkling Russian/English conversation over tea and cakes; open to all, no need to book – you will receive a warm welcome. 11am, Summerhall Cafe, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. No charge apart from any food or drinks you may wish to purchase.

Jane Alexander: The Last Treasure Hunt. This debut novel is the story of Campbell Johnstone, who’s just turned thirty and feels he’s been left behind by life. He measures his failures against the achievements of his friends and family, and especially against his childhood friend Eve, who is now a rising Hollywood actor. The Last Treasure Hunt is about Campbell’s attempt to reconnect with Eve, and its dramatic consequences; it asks how far we might go, and what choices we might make, in pursuit of recognition. ‘A modern media morality tale’. 2.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.

Cameo Big Scream: screenings exclusively for parents and carers with babies under one year old. Membership of the Big Scream Club is free (ask at the Box Office) and lasts until your baby’s first birthday. Today’s film is Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (12A). In his fifth outing as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise find the ultra-secret agency disbanded. When a terrorist organisation known only as the Syndicate makes its malevolent presence felt, Hunt reassembles his crew to take them down. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets are at the usual matinee price (babies admitted free), and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here.

Live Music Now: Emma Versteeg (soprano) and Maryam Sherhan (piano) perform a programme of baroque songs and arias in celebration of the loan of Nicolas Poussin’s stunning Extreme Unction from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. The concert will include music by Purcell, Bach and Handel, and will travel from darkness to light, beginning with an unhappy view of approaching death, followed by stillness, through to joy at following in the Saviour’s footsteps and finishing with the celebration of eternal life. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Books In Focus: Marcel Duchamp. The ‘Books in Focus’ series focuses on artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. This session will look in detail at Marcel Duchamp’s La Mariee mise a nu par ses celibataires meme, also known as the Green Box, published by Editions Rose Selavy in 1934. The box contains facsimiles of tiny scraps of notes, diagrams and drawings relating to Duchamp’s major work The Large Glass, which he left ‘definitely unfinished’ in 1923. 11.30am-12.30pm, Reading Room, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free but places are limited and must be booked in advance by calling 0131 624 6268 or emailing gmainfo@nationalgalleries.org.

Art Walk Porty: a new four day art event celebrating the public space and artistic activity of Portobello. Open studios, designer-makers, site specific art in hidden and unfamiliar parts of the Prom and beach, free stone wall pointing workshop (registration required), exhibitions, installations, art in shops and cafes, and a makers’ market. Tonight’s preview will showcase the work of local artist Jemma Derbyshire, together with specially commissioned shorts about the locality and environment of Edinburgh’s seaside from artist-filmmakers Bill Millett and Ed Howells. Tonight (preview) 7-9pm, The Skylark, 241 Portobello High Street, then throughout the weekend at various locations around Portobello, see the event’s website here for full information. Ends Sunday 6th September 2015.

Hugh Buchanan paints the John Murray Archive: the artist discusses his recent work with the Archive, painting the archives, manuscripts and books of some of the iconic names in literature, including Jane Austen, Lord Byron and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Hugh’s watercolour paintings are on display at the library until Sunday 6th September 2015, after which they will move to the John Martin Gallery, Albermarle Street, London. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made in person, by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.

Beyond Borders Film Festival: featuring documentary-style films about individuals and communities caught in conflict and change, the festival explores some of the most crucial and immediate changes happening in the modern world, with a special focus on women and conflict, the changes brought by modern warfare and the changes experienced by those at the epicentre of conflict. Today’s film, shown as part of the Descent Into War series, is 7 Days in Syria (15). Newsweek Middle East editor Janine di Giovanni submitted a proposal to cover the war in Syria. The magazine denied the request on safety grounds, but di Giovanni decided to go anyway, putting herself and her crew in harm’s way to make sure the world would know about the suffering of the Syrian people. After this world premiere screening meet producer Scott M Rosenfelt and hear about the making of the film and the importance of journalists working in dangerous circumstances. 6.05pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 6382 or online here: prices vary.

Mayfield Salisbury Church Craft Moments: a group for people who enjoy knitting and other craft activities. If you would like to join the group to knit sweaters for Africa, tea cosies for home or squares for blankets, you will be most welcome – no expertise required! So far the group has sent three large packs of baby sweaters and hats to Malawi as well as supplying hats and scarves for the homeless through the Bethany Trust. Plenty of wool, needles and coffee can be provided! The group meets every second Thursday and starts its new session today. 10am, Church House, Mayfield Salisbury Church, 18 West Mayfield/1a Mayfield Road. For more information or dates of meetings please contact Hilary Watkinson on 0131 667 6360 or email hilary.watkinson@bt.com.

Future Heroes: superbly creative guitarist Aki Remally fronts this groove/funk 6-piece, with funky horn section of Johnny White (sax) and trumpet ace Chuck Dearness. 12 midnight (entry from 11.30pm)-3am, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £3/£2 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.