Tiny Tales: Hills and Glens. In a wee little house way up in the glens lives Janie Mells, with her cat and her hen… Ailie Finlay shares stories about Janie Mells and her animal friends, including Marjory the snow-hare. Come and listen to cosy tales and old rhymes from the hills and glens. Lots of toys, puppets and joining-in! For children aged 1-3. 10am or 11.30am (40 minute sessions), Storytelling Bothy, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 per child, accompanying adult free, and may be booked in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. Please remember to book a free adult ticket for yourself in addition to purchasing your child’s ticket.
Leith Conversation Cafes: a new initiative for you to meet others from all over the world while learning more about what’s going on in your local community. Today’s topic, chosen by volunteers, is ‘If you could meet the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, for five minutes, what would you tell her?‘ 3-4.30pm, Punjabi Junction, 122-124 Leith Walk. Everyone welcome!
Fact and Fiction in the World of Art: A Conversation between Philip Miller and Sir John Leighton. Philip Miller, writer, poet and award-winning Arts Correspondent for The Herald, has recently published his first novel, The Blue Horse, an acclaimed literary noir set in the contemporary art world. John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, has just published his selection of 100 Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland. The two authors interview each other about their recent books and reflect on issues of truth, fiction and the imagination in writing about art. 6-7.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
How Do We Create A Fairer Scotland? The Scottish government wants people to have conversations about how we make Scotland a fairer place to live. What are the issues that concern you? Work, health, community, jobs, safety – what changes can the government, local councils and we ourselves make in our communities? Come along and have your say – your opinions and ideas will be fed back to the Scottish government. Coffee, tea and cake in the morning and lunch at 12.00pm when the event finishes! 10am-12.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. All welcome but please RSVP via the event’s Facebook page here to assist North Edinburgh Time Bank with catering numbers.
Cameo Silver Screen: if you are over 60, join the Silver Screen Club (it’s free to join – ask at the Box Office) and get tickets for just £5, plus free tea, coffee and biscuits, at these special weekly screenings. Today’s films are Everest 2D (12A) showing at 1.40 and 3.40pm, Legend (18) showing at 1pm and 4.15pm, and 45 Years (15) showing at 1.30 and 3.50pm. Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online. Non-members are also welcome at these screenings but will be charged standard ticket prices.
Get Organised: Music by Elgar. This programme is totally devoted to music by Elgar, the main work being his colourful Severn Suite in an organ arrangement by Edinburgh-based musician Jeremy Cull. The concert will also include the Chanson de Matin, Chanson de Nuit, the exquisite slow movement from the Serenade for Strings and ‘Nimrod’ from the Enigma Variations. 1.10pm, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 and may be obtained from the Usher Hall Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
Take One Action! Film Festival: ‘connecting people, world-class cinema and creative action for a better world’. Twelve days of screenings and discussions, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, on issues as diverse as environmental activism, LGBT rights in African countries, cycling, the value (or not) of university degrees, the Arab Spring, literacy, the global financial system, food chains and much more. Today’s film is Food Chains (15): in a story whose after-taste is global, producers Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Eva Longoria chart the inspirational fight by migrant US farmworkers to bring supermarket giants to the table over fair wages. Supermarkets have tremendous power over the agricultural system, reaping $4 trillion globally every year, yet countless farmworkers in the EU and US continue to live in poverty and are forced to work in subhuman conditions. Focusing on an intrepid group of tomato pickers, this is a powerful story of justice trumping greed. Plus short: Nasi Lemak. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary. Presented in association with Unison Scotland. The screenings will be followed by conversations and opportunities for effective personal action with discussion guests, including author and journalist Joanna Blythman (Swallow This: Serving Up the Food Industry’s Darkest Secrets, Shopped: the Shocking Power of British Supermarkets).
Scrum Down Scotland: a workshop to mark the 2015 Rugby World Cup. See a selection of the many items on Scottish rugby held in the National Library’s collections; subjects covered include the Calcutta Cup, the Five Nations, club rugby, women’s rugby and great Scottish players. Among the highlights is ‘The rugby football internationals roll of honour’, which includes biographies and portraits of the Scottish rugby players who died in the First World War. 10.30-11.30am, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here. Free. Also 2.30-3.30pm on Thursday 24th September 2015.
Cafe Ceilidh: Changing Seasons. Join Linten Adie and friends from the Scots Music Group for a free afternoon of songs and music in the Storytelling Court. 2-4pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free and unticketed.
Future Options for Primary Schools in South Edinburgh: the number of children in south Edinburgh’s primary schools is now higher than it has been for 30 years. Local schools are under pressure to find space for all of their pupils. The biggest problem is at South Morningside Primary where pupils are split across three sites, but this consultation looks at options that could ease problems at schools in the wider area. A summary paper with general information about each of the options, plus more detailed information in the full consultation paper, can be accessed via Edinburgh City Council’s website here. Tonight’s meeting is one of four being held during the consultation period. 6.30-8.30pm, Bruntsfield Primary School, 12 Montpelier. The final meeting will be held at St Peter’s RC School on 29th September 2015.
The Stand Comedy Club Gorgie City Farm Benefit Gig: a night of comedy with Keir McAllister, Gus Lymburn, Daisy Earl, Gareth Waugh and host Liam Withnail, in support of this brilliant local charity. Gorgie City Farm is a free entry community resource supporting young people and adults with additional support needs while educating the public about farming and food production. 8.30pm (doors open 7.30pm), The Stand Comedy Club, 5 York Place. Admission £5 on the door, or book in advance by calling the Box Office on 0131 558 7272.
Strengthening Connection: One School’s Story. Headteacher Jennifer Knussen tells the inspiring story of one school’s journey, which grew out of their understanding of the science of connection. In 2013, the staff at Pitteuchar East Primary School in Fife found themselves changing the way they talked about children. They altered one simple phrase in their vocabulary, replacing the common term ‘challenging behaviour’ with that of ‘distressed behaviour’. This single change allowed mindsets to open, empathy to grow, and trust to flourish. Come and hear their story. 7pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free but tickets are required and may be booked in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Passionate Windows: get together to colour three stained glass windows in these preparatory workshops for the 2015 Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. 1-4pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. All welcome. Also at same times on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th September. For more information please contact Maxwell Reay, NHS Mental Health Chaplain, on 0131 537 6734.
Leith Folk Club: Sheena Wellington. Scotland’s leading traditional singer, Sheena Wellington was born in Dundee into a family of singers and factory weavers. Sheena’s repertoire covers everything from Burns to ballads to the best of contemporary songwriting, drawing from the rich Scottish tradition passed from musician to musician through the ages. She also sang at the opening of the Scottish Parliament. ‘..she can lay fair claim to being chiefly responsible for the seriousness with which her branch of the arts is now taken ..’ (The Herald). 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be reserved by completing the online form here or texting the club’s dedicated booking line on 07502 024 852. Reserved tickets must be collected by 7.30pm on the night.
Blackout Productions Presents Proof: Catherine has sacrificed her education and social life to care for her brilliant but unstable father, Robert, during the worst of his mental degeneration. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine must deal not only with the arrival of her estranged sister Claire, but also with the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father who hopes to find valuable work in Robert’s 103 notebooks. As Catherine confronts Hal’s affections and Claire’s plans for her life, she struggles to solve the most perplexing problem of all: how much of her father’s madness or genius will she inherit? Proof explores the unknowability of love, the mysteries of mathematics, the elusive nature of truth and the fine line between genius and mental illness. Gabrielle Pavone-Clark plays Catherine; Nick Hayes directs. The David Auburn script was winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and the 2001 Tony Award for Best New Play. 7.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Tickets cost £10 and are available from Blackout Productions: blackoutproductions@live.co.uk. Also at same time on 23rd, 24th and 25th September 2015.
Old Chain Pier Quiz Night: with prizes! 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent. £5 entry for a team of up to 5.
Henry’s Cellar Bar Folk Club: the third instalment of Edinburgh’s monthly showcasing of folk, roots, trad, and songwriting talent. This Month: Newcastle-based progressively folky sextet Pons Aelius (winners of the Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award) plus Siannie Moodie, Note to Self and Gillespie & Wolfe. 8-11pm, followed by jam session 11pm onwards, Henry’s Cellar Bar, 16 Morrison Street. £3 on the door.
