Art is everywhere this week, from the Abbeyhill Colonies to St Margaret’s House, WASPS and the Scottish National Gallery, with plenty in between. And if you’d rather watch a film there’s everything from Kind Hearts and Coronets to Rastamouse. For something a little more exotic, it might be hard to beat the Osiligi Maasai Warriors at Palmerston Place Church (an event with audience participation..), and look out if you’re near the Fort Community Centre on Saturday – the Vikings are coming! Whatever your choice of entertainment, have a great time – and remember to check details with the organisers before setting out.
MONDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Cameo Toddler Time: short screenings for pre-school children, their parents and carers. Today: Rastamouse Programme 18: Double Crossin’ Diva (U): the skateboarding, reggae playing mouse and his crime-fighting crew return in their vibrant, fun and engaging series, in which each programme carries the special Rastamouse message, ‘Through understanding, love an’ respect, Rastamouse will always make a bad thing good’. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child (accompanying adults free) and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
University of Edinburgh Undergraduate Open Day: for everyone interested in applying for undergraduate studies. Find out about subjects, accommodation, the careers service, libraries, sport, student disability service and lots more. Meet staff and students; advice sessions for parents too! The Open Day operates across several university sites; a shuttle bus service will be available. 9.30am-5pm, University of Edinburgh. Booking is required; full information and a link to the booking site may be found on the university’s website here. A second Open Day will be held on Saturday 26th September 2015.
For Crying Out Loud: special screenings for parents and carers (up to two adults per baby) and their babies under the age of 12 months. Babcychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Iris (12A), a documentary about the flamboyantly-dressed, quick-witted 93-year old style maven Iris Apfel. A presence on the New York fashion scene for decades, Iris is a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art and people reminds us that clothing – like life – is nothing but an experiment. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here: prices vary.
Talbot Rice Gallery: Visually-Impaired Tour and Workshop. Artist and educator Juliana Capes leads this workshop, derived from the themes of the gallery’s current exhibitions, for blind and visually-impaired visitors,. 10.30am-3pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Free: to book a place or for more information please call Clare McAllister on 0131 651 4540 or email clare.mcallister@ed.ac.uk.
The Monday Cafe @ Cramond Kirk: for people with dementia and their carers. A light lunch, tea, coffee, support, information and the chance for a chat. 1-3pm, Kirk Hall, Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road, Cramond. All welcome.
Craiglockhart Community Showcase Event: a community information evening with local organisations, clubs and businesses – come and find out about sports, nature and cultural groups in your area. All welcome! Refreshments available. 7pm, Craiglockhart Church Hall, Craiglockhart Drive North. Organised by Craiglockhart Community Council.
Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) Quarter Days – Tom Mabon: an exhibition coinciding with Kirkcaldy-born Tom Mabon’s 30th year of living on the Black Isle. The seasons and annual events have gradually become a fertile source of inspiration for Mabon’s rural landscapes. This show of new work has its base in Quarter Days, traditionally the four dates in each year on which reckonings had to be made, accounts were settled and educational terms began. Through referencing this annual cycle, Tom unites historical references with his current surroundings, inviting us to question how the documentation and categorizing of time has altered since our ancestors’ days (2) Transience – Angus McEwen: the watercolour artist documents everyday objects at the peak of decay; old doors, windows, walls and buildings – indeed anything which is transient in our environment. The fugitive nature of life and how everything is constantly in a state of flux is greatly significant to his work (3) Trees of the North – Ian Westacott: the Australian-born, Highlands-based artist’s debut exhibition at the gallery features etchings from the last 10 years of his practice, which has mainly evolved around historic trees in the UK and especially those in Scotland. They all have a story, a significance and a presence that has kindled Westacott’s desire to draw. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, Abercromby Place. Trees of the North ends on 21st September 2015; Transience and Quarter Days continue to 23rd September 2015.
New Town and Broughton Community Council: 7.30pm, Drummond Room, Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent. All local residents welcome. If you wish to raise an issue at the meeting please use the form in the community council’s website here to communicate the details beforehand.
Cameo Culture Shock: bringing you the best in cult and genre films. Today’s film is An American Werewolf in London (15); while wandering the moors on vacation, American students David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happen upon a quaint pub, where the mysterious locals warn them not to leave the road when walking after dark. As heedless of such advice as characters in horror films always are, the two decide to find a short cut… 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here; prices vary.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Monthly Book Quiz: if you know your Waugh from your Peace and your Meyer from your Heyer, try the monthly book quiz – it covers everything from classics to current bestsellers, Booker Prize winners and celebrity biographies. Teams of up to five people are welcome. 6pm (please arrive early as space is limited), Caffe Nero, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free. For more information please email events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Grassmarket Community Cinema: Kind Hearts and Coronets (U). ‘Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) should be heir to a dukedom but his family, the snobbish D’Ascoynes, have cut Louis off because his mother married badly. Vengeful and hate-filled, he sets out to regain his rightful place by killing everyone in the way. Everyone in ‘the way’ is played by Alec Guinness. All of them. He’s every member of the D’Ascoyne family and while each role is quite small, Guinness makes them all memorable. He’s helped by Dennis Price’s Louis devising increasingly wild ways with each of Guinness’ deaths being a fresh and horribly funny thrill. Louis should be hateful: he’s one of the cinema’s first serial killers. But Kind Hearts and Coronets is a film where you want the murderer to escape.’ (BBCi films). Directed by Robert Hamer. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome; free – donations to the Project also very welcome. The cafe will be open – please use it!
Broughton History Society: Alistair McEwen will talk about Scottish Pipers in World War I. 7pm (refreshments – lecture starts at 7.30pm), Drummond Community High School, Bellevue Place. Annual membership of the society starts in September and costs £10; visitors are welcome at evening meetings. For further information and/or to join, please contact the Chairman, Richard Love, on 0131 556 1488 or wordsandwalls@blueyonder.co.uk, or the Membership Secretary, Helen Rorrison, on 0131 557 5973 or hec@st-andrews.ac.uk.
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 setting. 6.30-7.30pm (within weekly Drop-In, which runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information, for support around safety issues or to meet with the police outwith the police surgery contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or email george@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Tricolor: the National Library’s monthly night showcasing different poetry and spoken word talents. This month’s performers are Colin Will and Katherine McMahon. 6.30pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Sofi’s Cult Movies: popular classics on the silver screen in the cosy, darkened back room. Free popcorn! Tonight’s film is Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (12). 8pm, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street. Free.
The History of Brewing in Edinburgh: a night of tales, photographs and history with the Scottish Brewing Archive. 6.30pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. Free but please reserve your place by calling the library on 0131 529 5616 or emailing fountainbridge.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.
TUESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Emerging Artists Series: young Glasgow-based musicians Ainsley Hamill (song) and Alistair Paterson (piano) perform Gaelic and Scots songs. Ainsley and Alistair have been performing together for almost six years after first meeting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; they are both members of the critically acclaimed six-piece folk band Barluath and also perform extensively as a duo. Ainsley was a finalist in this year’s BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award. 11am, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £3 (students admitted free) and may be obtained from the Usher Hall Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.
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 Dope (15) showing at 1.20pm and 3.40pm, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (12A) showing at 2pm and 4.30pm, and 45 Years (15) showing at 2.20pm and 4.20pm. 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.
South Edinburgh Employment Fair: meet representatives of a range of organisations who can support you in looking for a job and advise you about training, volunteering, benefits and learning. 10am-2pm, Gilmerton Library, Newtoft Street.
Get Organised: Music with Royal Connections. On the eve of the day when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth becomes our longest-reigning monarch, John Kitchen plays a programme of music with royal connections, including The Sovereign’s Fanfare by Sir Arthur Bliss, Walton’s Coronation March ‘Orb and Sceptre’ and an extravagant set of organ variations on the National Anthem by the 19th-century composer Christian Heinrich Rinck. 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.
Filmosophy: Regeneration. The fifth season of Filmosophy is offered in association with the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, a world-leading research centre studying stem cells, disease and tissue repair to advance human health. The films screened will allow an opportunity to discuss the Centre’s groundbreaking research and will seek to distinguish between science fiction and science fact and to gain an invaluable insight into the lives of those touched by the diseases and injuries that regenerative medicine aims to treat. The screenings will be introduced by James Mooney, Short Courses lecturer and course organiser at the University of Edinburgh. Today’s film is Never Let Me Go (12A), based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel; a haunting story of children growing up in an idyllic-seeming boarding school who, as they grow older, learn that a dark secret hangs over their future. Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins and Andrew Garfield star. 5.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here: prices vary. The next film in this series will be I Am Breathing (15) on Tuesday 13th October 2015.
Wordy Scribblers: a monthly creative writing group for ages 8-12, with activities, games and creativity with words! The new term starts today at 4pm, Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road. To book your place, please call 0131 529 5654 or email dana.mciver@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Cameo Discover Tuesdays: The Wonders (15). Set in Italy’s idyllic but impoverished Ligurian countryside, writer-director Alice Rohrwacher’s The Wonders focuses on a hard-pressed farming family presided over by a stern patriarch who’s bent on protecting his wife, aunt and four young daughters from the wicked world outside. A chance encounter between oldest daughter Gelsomina and a crew filming a tacky TV show – presented by a diva-ish Monica Bellucci – awakens something in her that will change everyone’s lives. 6pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Colinton Community Council: this meeting will include a Garden District presentation by PPS Scotland. Agendas and minutes may be found on the community council’s website here. 7pm, Colinton Bowling Club, 49a Redford Road. All local residents welcome.
MIDFEST: Beeslack Community High School Jazz Band and Rolling Hills Chorus. The story of two rebellions – the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and the 2014 Referendum – plus a mix of classic swing and jazz standards. 7.30pm, Beeslack High School, Edinburgh Road, Penicuik. Tickets cost £5 and may be purchased via eventbrite here.
Leith Folk Club: The Coal Porters + support John Hinchelwood. The Coal Porters claim to be the world’s first “alt-bluegrass” act, demonstrating the power of fiddle, mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar and doghouse bass matched with four-part harmonies and memorable melodies. ‘Firmly established on the UK and European touring circuits, the Coal Porters are an acoustic act with attitude. Their live show is polished yet passionate and second to none’. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £9 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.
The Old Chain Pier Pub Quiz: for teams of up to five. Prizes for first, second and third place! 9pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent. £5 entry fee per team.
Leith Walk By-Election Hustings: come and hear from the prospective councillors ahead of the by-election on Thursday 10th September. 7pm, Area C Coffeehouse, 239 Leith Walk.
WEDNESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Home (and Other Stories): a one-night only performance, developed and written by Crisis Skylight Edinburgh’s clients, with music and spoken word sessions that will give the audience an insight into the issues affecting single homeless people in the current political climate. The evening will include a director’s cut of scenes from Skylight’s award-winning play Home. 7.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 High Street. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.
Mischa Kuball: Artist’s Talk. Mischa Kuball is best known for his use of light as a medium – in installations and photography – to explore architectural spaces, their contexts and related social and political discourses. As well as gallery and museum exhibitions, he has developed large-scale participatory projects exploring the politics of private and public spaces and the relationship between artist, artwork and audience. Mischa will present a talk on some of his projects over the last 30 years, projects that have drawn upon photographic apparatus, imagery and theory. Mischa Kuball is based in Düsseldorf; since 2007 he has been a professor at the Academy of Media Arts, Cologne and Associate Professor for Media Art at Hochschule für Gestaltung/ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany. 6-7pm, Stills, Cockburn Street. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.
The History of the Union Canal: come and meet the Scottish Waterways Trust and hear about the part the canal played in this bustling part of Edinburgh. 6.30pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. Free but please reserve your place by calling the library on 0131 529 5616 or emailing fountainbridge.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Reputation Management in 18th Century Europe: Angelica Kauffman, the Women and the Men. Writer and broadcaster Professor Amanda Vickery (Queen Mary College, University of London) will consider the economic success and reputation management of one of the contemporaries of Jean-Etienne Liotard, Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807), focusing on her London career, 1766-81. 
Kauffman (pictured here in a self-portrait) was one of only two female artists admitted to the fledgling Royal Academy; she achieved unique recognition and spectacular commercial success, all the while sustaining a reputation for ingenuous innocence. Professor Vickery asks how Kauffman pulled this off. 6-7.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free but tickets are required and may be obtained from the gallery’s information desk, in person or by calling 0131 624 6560. The National Gallery’s Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition ends on 13th September 2015.
Poussin in Britain: currently on loan from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Nicolas Poussin’s Extreme Unction (c.1638-40) is one of a set of paintings representing the Seven Sacraments, painted for Cassiano dal Pozzo during the 1630s. In 1785 it was purchased by the Duke of Rutland and brought to Britain from Italy. Tamsin Foulkes, Poussin Research and Project Assistant, will provide an introduction to the taste for Poussin amongst British art collectors of the period. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Cafe des Artistes #13: Damien Hirst. Dave Hopkins (University of Glasgow) and Harry Weeks (University of Edinburgh) will lead a discussion about the English artist (reportedly the UK’s richest), entrepreneur and art collector. There will be special live streaming to the Pier Art Centre, Stromness, Orkney, where ARTIST ROOMS: Damien Hirst is currently on display. No prior knowledge required. Refreshments provided. 6-8pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free but please reserve your place via eventbrite here.
The Scottish Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) Willow Weaving – an insight into the creative world of contemporary baskets and sculptural objects. Willow weaving is a genre which has been in decline as a world craft due to increasing industrialisation, but in recent years it has enjoyed a renaissance as an art form in its own right. Each of the seven artists and craftsmen included in this exhibition contributes to this renaissance (2) Modern Masters – Metalwork and Jewellery. This exhibition coincides with the opening of The Silversmith’s Art at the National Museum of Scotland on 18th September. The museum exhibition will showcase 150 masterpieces made between 2000 -2015 by 66 contemporary silversmiths, the core collection coming from The Goldsmiths’Company, London. ‘Modern Masters’ includes a number of world class artists alongside emerging talent (3) David McClure – Works on Paper: selected by the artist’s son, Robin McClure. David McClure is from a group of highly regarded painters that included James Cumming, William Baillie, John Houston, Elizabeth Blackadder and David Michie, all of whom graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in the early 1950s (4) George Devlin – The Memorial Exhibition: a celebration of the life and work of the artist, who died last year. George Devlin’s approach to painting landscape was established by the Impressionists in the 1880s: to sit in front of the subject, en plein air and work until the picture was essentially complete. He studied at Glasgow School of Art 1955-60. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street. All four exhibitions end 3rd October 2015.
Linlithgow Folk Festival: your first opportunity to get out of the city this week is quite close at hand – the 17th Linlithgow Folk Festival starts today with a free concert, Kind Tae Strangers, and continues over the weekend with poetry, music, musical cruises on the Union Canal, children’s entertainment, fun singing sessions, outdoor performances, a craft fair, songwriting workshop, pub sessions and a family ceilidh. Performers include The Emily Smith Band, Ian Walker, The Mairs Family Band, Blue Dubh, The Tonkerers, Ewen McVicar and Christine Kydd. Many events are free, for others tickets may be purchased from the Burgh Halls Box Office, The Cross, in person or on 01506 282720, or online via yapsody here. The full festival programme may be seen here.
Discovering Family History at NLS: find out how the National Library can help you with your family history research. The workshop will include some practical information on how to get a library card and use library resources; if you plan to register for a library card when you visit, please bring evidence of identity – details of what is acceptable may be found on the NLS website here. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book your place by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Waterloo: The Aftermath. Paul O’Keeffe, author of Waterloo: The Aftermath and a new edition of Walter Scott’s writings on Waterloo, investigates the looting of the battlefield, the clearing of its dead and wounded and its invasion by sensation- and souvenir-seeking tourists. 6.30-8pm (doors open 6.15pm). Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland – enter via Lothian Street at rear of building. Tickets cost £6/£5 and may be purchased from the museum’s reception in person, by calling 0300 123 6789 or online here.
City Centre Voluntary Sector Forum: a meeting to discuss and gather local community activists’ views on the development of a forum for voluntary, community and third sector groups. Tea and biscuits provided! 12 noon-2pm, South Bridge Resource Centre, 6 Infirmary Street. For more information please contact June Dickson (EVOC) on 0131 555 9114. All welcome.
Osiligi Masaai Warriors: a seven-piece group from southern Kenya, performing authentic and exciting tribal song and dance along with the famed Maasai jumping. This entertaining and educational show includes audience participation (!), a Q & A session on the lives of the Maasai, and a Powerpoint and DVD presentation about the UK charity Osiligi Charity Projects, which the group supports and which has led to the transformation of their local community, with new water stations, a new church/community centre and a state-of-the-art primary school and medical centre. 7pm, Palmerston Place Church, Palmerston Place. Tickets cost £5 and may be purchased via Ticket Source here.
Boda 11th Birthday Quiz: a special themed quiz on the eve of Boda’s birthday. For teams of four. 8pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. Free to enter.
Wiff Waff Wednesday: a monthly ping pong night with music for all ages, and great food and drink available to purchase from the Drill Hall Arts Cafe. ‘Friendship first, competition second’. 6-10.30pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free entry.
THURSDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Cameo Big Scream: screenings exclusively for parents/carers and their babies under the age of one year. Today’s film is Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (12A). 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
The Drawing Room – September: informal artist-led drawing sessions, each developed by a contemporary artist and reflecting concerns within that artist’s work. The Drawing Room examines the range of possibilities within contemporary art practice. No experience needed: all materials supplied. 5.30-6.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. To book a place please call 0131 624 6410 or email education@nationalgalleries.org. Free.
Concrete Antenna Album Launch: new music reconfiguring sounds from the site-specific sound work, Concrete Antenna, by Simon Kirby (Professor of Language Evolution, University of Edinburgh), Tommy Perman (artist and designer) and Rob St John (musician, artist and writer), installed at ESW. Concrete Antenna was commissioned by ESW for the opening of its Creative Laboratories; it explores the past, present and future of the Workshop’s site. The album, released by Random Spectacular, is a limited edition deluxe package including the 12” vinyl album, printed artworks by Tommy Perman, a series of short essays and a specially designed tide table. This launch event will be the first opportunity to own a copy. 6-8pm, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 21 Hawthornvale. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here. The Concrete Antenna work can be experienced at ESW 11am-5pm Monday to Saturday until 31st December 2015.
Poetry and Coffee: Anne Hay, Pauline Prior-Pitt and Basil Du Toit will read from their work. 10.30-11.30am, Henderson’s Cafe, 94 Hanover Street. Free, drop-in, no booking required.
Portrait Gallery Curator’s Talk: Collecting Now. A chance to chat to Portrait Gallery curators about current exhibitions – this month Julie Lawson talks about recent acquisitions. 5.30-6pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.
Anthony Horowitz: Trigger Mortis. The bestselling author comes to Edinburgh to launch his new James Bond novel, in which Bond enters the high-octane world of motor racing, matching wits with deranged adversary Jai Seung Sin and his old friend Pussy Galore. 7pm, Assembly Roxy, Roxburgh Place. Tickets cost £8, or £20 including a copy of the book, and may be purchased online here. For further information please call Waterstones on 0131 226 2666.
Access All Areas: Feminism, Activism and the Queer Experience. All are welcome at this inclusive community discussion, which will be exploring the relationship between LGBTQI people and access to mainstream women’s support services. Co-hosted with Scottish Women’s Aid, this event will give you the opportunity to share your experiences and listen to others in a safe and supportive environment. A dynamic guest panel will be chaired by Emma Ritch from Engender, Scotland’s feminist organisation. 6.30 (doors open 6.15)-9.30pm, Serenity Cafe, The Tun, 8 Jackson’s Entry, Holyrood Road. Free but please book using the online form here, or contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk, to help the organisers with planning.
Leith Community Centre AGM: an opportunity to hear about the Centre’s progress over the past year, with refreshments, entertainment and a raffle! 7pm, Leith Community Education Centre, 12a New Kirkgate.
Rosy Blue: an evening of jazz and blues. 8.30pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
FRIDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Collective Satellites Programme – Scott Rogers: Endling. The Glasgow-based artist exhibits work developed as part of the Satellites Programme 2015. Endling is a term used to describe the last remaining member of a species that will soon become extinct. Incorporating sculpture and text, the exhibition is the culmination of research developed from Scott’s interest in processes of decay, mutation and disappearance. The artworks focus on ideas of extinction and the relationships and contradictions between preservation and collapse. Preview 6-8pm tonight, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday, Collective, City Observatory and City Dome, Calton Hill. Ends 1st November 2015 (gallery closed 4pm from 1st November onwards).
Norman McBeath: Imprints. A new folio of ten photogravures by photographer and printmaker Norman McBeath, commissioned by Edinburgh Printmakers as part of its programme of artworks responding to the significant social and industrial heritage of Castle Mill Works, the former North British Rubber Company HQ, Fountainbridge. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-6pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Ends 27th September 2015.
Abstracting from Architecture: an exhibition of new and recent works by four contemporary British artists, George Charman, Carla Scott Fullerton, Andrew MacKenzie and Bronwen Sleigh (curator), who display an interest in architectural structures, surfaces, materials and forms. The artists work between printmaking, drawing, sculpture and installation and look at the ways in which man-made structural forms can affect the way we function, and shape the way we see and experience space. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-6pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Ends 24th October 2015. Various related events are scheduled for the course of this exhibition, including a Gallery Discussion on Saturday 12th September (see listing) – full details on Edinburgh Printmakers’ website here.
LGBT Women’s Wellbeing Group: Pure Shores. An inclusive group that offers the opportunity to meet other women in a relaxed environment, with the chance to chat, pick up information and take part in activities promoting health and wellbeing. The group is open to all LGBT women and to transgender people who primarily identify as women. Today’s event is a walk along Cramond Beach followed by coffee. Dress for the weather! 1-5pm – for information regarding meeting place and also to be added to the email list for future events, please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.
Russian Popular Music and Song Today: Sounds Beyond the Mainstream. David MacFadyen, Professor of Comparative Literature and Musicology, (University of California, Los Angeles), and editor of the Far From Moscow music website, will offer a quick guide to the Russian web, in terms of song and music. An opportunity to understand a culturally vital yet complex realm of activity – one that’s becoming increasingly important as TV audiences grow older, and entertainment moves online. The talk will be followed by a drinks reception. 6pm, Princess Dashkova Centre, University of Edinburgh, 14 Buccleuch Place. Free but registration is essential and should be made by emailing info@scotlandrussiaforum.org. This event has been organised jointly by the Scottish Russia Forum and the Princess Dashkova Centre.
An Evening with Matthew Fox: the internationally acclaimed theologian and spiritual maverick will be in conversation with Neil Douglas-Klotz. Matthew Fox is the author of over thirty books and is known for pioneering a unique approach to spirituality as a powerful force to transform religion, education and culture. 7pm (registration from 6.30pm), St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13-17 George Street. Tickets cost £10/£8; to reserve your place please contact Neill Walker on 0131 331 4469 or at mesp2015@hotmail.com.
SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Wee Treasures: a brand new regular storytelling programme for early years children and their families. Delve into the magic treasure chest to find out what this month’s story will be – each one will be inspired by a different portrait. Fun rhymes, songs, puppet characters and lots of opportunities to join in. 10.30-11am or 11.30am-12pm, Great Hall, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but please sign up on the day as places are limited.
Stockfest starts today! A week-long festival celebrating Stockbridge and the local community. Flea market, dog show, Stockdish, guided walks, zumba and swing dancing taster sessions, prose and poetry readings, local history talk, live music, shopping discount evening and a World War Two themed community celebration. For full details see the Stockfest website here or its Facebook page here.
St Bride’s Family Cinema – see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available during the interval at 50p each. Today’s film is The Rescuers (U). 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace. Please note that all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Next week: Penguins of Madagascar (U).
The Hidden Library: this year’s Hidden Library event celebrates Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink 2015. Drop-in sessions on the Library’s connection with Sir Alexander Grant and his digestive biscuits, rationing and what people cooked during the Second World War, plus an afternoon of story-telling and drawing activities for younger visitors and their teddy bears. At 2pm and 3.15pm there will also be tours of the ‘Lifting the lid’ exhibitions. 2-4.30pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but please book your place on the exhibition tours by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Portobello Collection for CalAid Edinburgh. Portobello Community Council is supporting this collection for CalAid; donations will be taken to Calais and distributed to the people there who have fled violence and are now living in the camp known as ‘the Jungle’. Please read the list of items needed first; it can be found on the Community Council website here. 11am-2pm, Portobello Town Hall, 147 Portobello High Street.
Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours – September: monthly tours of the gallery’s permanent collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
The Bride of Lammermoor: Scottish Romantic Guitar. James Akers has worked with musicians as diverse as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ex Cathedra, Alison Balsom, Damon Albarn and El Festino. Today he presents a programme of arrangements for guitar of Scottish tunes from the Scots Musical Museum, including Coming through the Rye, the Bluebells of Scotland, a set of variations on Ye Banks and Braes and an alternative Fingal’s Cave, all played on an original instrument from the 1820s. 2pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Free and unticketed.
Creative Writing Workshop: a lively and informal 90-minute session, held as part of Stockfest. No experience necessary; tea and biscuits provided! For over-16s only. 2-3.30pm, Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place. Free but places are limited, so please book via Word Perfect Workshops’ website here.
Abstracting from Architecture: Gallery Discussion. Curator Bronwen Sleigh leads a discussion with fellow contributing artists George Charman and Andrew MacKenzie about the work in their new exhibition. The artists work between printmaking, drawing, sculpture and installation and look at the ways in which man-made structural forms can affect the way we function, and shape the way we see and experience space. 2-3pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Free but tickets are required and may be obtained via eventbrite here. Abstracting from Architecture is at Edinburgh Printmakers until 24th October 2015. Various other events are scheduled for the course of this exhibition – full details on Edinburgh Printmakers’ website here.
Bruncheon! Feat. The Sound of Muesli: brunch and live music at the Drill Hall, with local musicians creating a chilled out atmosphere. This month’s acts include mellow jazzy guitar and loop-pedal sounds from Ralph Turner. Delicious food and drink available to purchase from the Arts Cafe. 11.30am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free entry.
Edinburgh Palette Open Studios Weekend: the artists, designers and charities based in St Margaret’s House welcome the public in a special weekend event. Since 2008 Edinburgh Palette has been steadily transforming the brown office space of St Margaret’s House into a vibrant art centre, which today offers exhibition, studio and project spaces to local artists and creative businesses. This weekend, for the first time, Edinburgh Palette will be delivering a joint programme of creative events in partnership with Wasps and Process Studios (formerly Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts), as part of LeithLate15. Free workshops, drop-in drawing seminars with the Academy of Realist Art, and a unique life drawing experience with contemporary artists Vinella & Krupa in collaboration with Wasps taxidermist Drew Bain, plus inventive workshops for children from The Thrive Archive, Le Petit Monde Puppet Theatre and Awesome Folk, and screenings of animations by resident animators & illustrators Claire Lamond & Kate Charter to entertain and inspire your offspring. A pop-up café and one-off performances will also take place across all eight storeys of St Margaret’s House. 12 noon-6pm, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Also at same times on Sunday 13th September 2015.
WASPS Open Studios: a rare opportunity to see inside the artists’ working spaces, talk to them about their work and see the tools of their trade. Workshops, children’s treasure hunt and refreshments. 12 noon-6pm, WASPS, 78 Albion Road, Leith. Also on Sunday 13th September 2015, when there will be a Buon Fresco painting demonstration – see listing. Part of LeithLate15.
Far From The Madding Crowd and Birlinn Books Present Scotland Forever! The Scots Greys At Waterloo: author, art critic and journalist Iain Gale in conversation with Tam Dalyell. 11am, Queen Margaret Hall, Linlithgow. For more information please call into Far From The Madding Crowd at 20, High Street, Linlithgow, call 01506 845231 or email sally@maddingcrowdlinlithgow.co.uk.
Fort Viking Festival: craft stalls, saga telling, Pestaurant with free mini-bug buffet including Mexican spiced mealworms and ant lollipops, games, crafts, falconry, birds of prey, refreshment stalls and lots more! 10am-4pm, Fort Community Centre, 25 North Fort Street. Tickets cost £2 (adult), £1 (child) or £5 (family) and may be purchased from the centre office or by emailing fortvikings@gmail.com.
LGBT Trans Activity Day: build confidence, get active, meet new people and try a range of activities at this inclusive afternoon of fun and socialising for the trans community. Table tennis, badminton, beginners’ dance fitness class (12 noon-1pm) and beginners’ yoga (3-3.30pm). 11am-4pm, Meadowbank Sports Centre, 139-143 London Road. Please book using the online form here or contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.
LGBT Age: Meet the Kelpies. A day trip bringing together Edinburgh and Glasgow members; visit Falkirk’s celebrated sculptures or have a blether beside the Forth & Clyde Canal. 9.45am, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street (minibus will depart at 10am sharp, return approximately 3pm). Booking is essential; please contact lynda@lgbthealth.org.uk. £6 per person: bring your own lunch.
Colony of Artists: a varied collection of work on display in the artisan community of Abbeyhill Colonies. More than thirty artists in twenty venues will open their homes to show painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, music, readings by Aileen Paterson (Maisie Comes to Morningside), a talk on The Foundation and Significance of Edinburgh’s Colonies by Richard Rodger, and much more. 1-5pm, Abbeyhill Colonies, junction of Easter Road and London Road. Also at same times on Sunday 13th September 2015.
From Bach to Britten: John Bailey and Paul Lakin play classical guitar music. The programme will include Bach, Weiss, Tarrega, Villa-Lobos, Malcolm Arnold, Brouwer, Britten and De Falla. 12 noon-2.30pm, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13-17 George Street. Admission £7.50.
BOWFest 2015: you need to travel a bit further for your second chance to escape Edinburgh this weekend – this two day celebration of local music, food and whisky takes place in the grounds of Inveraray Castle, Argyll. Headline acts include Peatbog Faeries, Skipinnish, Little Fire and Skerryvore, with food from Loch Fyne Oysters, Winston Churchill Venison, Inverawe Smokehouse and lots more, whilst The Loch Fyne Whisky marquee will offer uisge beathe from a wide range of distillieries – plus West Coast Gin. The Kidz Marquee will include castles, assault courses, face painting, art and circus routines. 11am onwards, Inveraray Castle, Inveraray, Argyll. Festival + bus tickets are available for those requiring transport. To buy tickets and for programme details, information about accommodation, etc, see the BOWFest website here. Remaining tickets will be sold on the door, subject to availability.
Dave Arcari + support The JJs: the Glaswegian slide guitarist and songwriter plays ‘real messed up’ alt-blues. ‘Dave plays like he’s got his skin turned inside out…and it was all good’ (Seasick Sid). Followed by an open mic session. 7.30pm, Kirkliston Community Centre, Queensferry Road, Kirkliston. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased in advance by calling 0131 333 4214, or on the door, sta – early arrival advised. BYOB.
SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Portrait Detectives – September: collect your kit, follow clues, and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12. 2-4pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free, drop-in: supoported by the Friends of NGS.
Plant Patterns in Porcelain: a clay workshop with artist Lorna Fraser, who will show you how to apply a range of different textures onto porcelain, using just leaves and plants gathered from the Garden. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. £3 per person, payable on the door. This event coincides with the exhibition Lorna Fraser: The Herbarium, An Artist’s View.
Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today’s film is Arrietty (U): beneath the floorboards of a sprawling mansion in a magical, overgrown Tokyo garden lives tiny Arrietty and her equally tiny parents. When Arrietty meets a 12 year old boy, the two begin to confide in one another and before long a friendship starts to blossom. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online.
Radical Voices: Justice for Indigenous People. Come and listen to singers of radical songs – share stories, songs and poems on a different theme each month. Free entry, with raffle and donations collected for a relevant cause. 6.30-9.30pm, Constitution Bar, Constitution Street. All welcome. For more information please contact radicalvoices@gmail.com.
WASPS Open Studios: a rare opportunity to see inside the artists’ working spaces, talk to them about their work and see the tools of their trade. Workshops, children’s treasure hunt and refreshments, plus a demonstration of the technique of Buon Fresco by fresco painter Julia Alexandra Mee (4-4.30pm, Studio 104, adults only). 12 noon-6pm, WASPS, 78 Albion Road, Leith. Part of LeithLate15.
Edinburgh Riding of the Marches: 250 horses and riders will complete the Riding by making their way up the Royal Mile to the Mercat Cross. For more information see the Edinburgh March Riding Association’s Facebook page here.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Teenage Book Group: if you love to read, or just want to read more, try the monthly book group to talk about the latest teenage fiction and your favourite books. Currently reading Rachel Caine’s Ink and Bone. 2-3pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free. If you would like to join, please email your details to schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Cameo Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today: The Misfits (PG) starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift, directed by John Huston and written by Arthur Miller. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.
Process Studios (formerly Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts) Open Studios: Process Studios’ resident designer-makers will be at work in their workshops, providing a fascinating insight into their unique and skilled practice. Demonstrations will include cast and wheel thrown ceramics, engraved and cast glass jewellery with precious metals, enamel and bone, woven textiles, printed textiles, upholstery, luthiery and fashion. 11am-5pm, Process Studios, Abbeymount Techbase, 2 Easter Road. Part of LeithLate15.
Scotland’s Gardens: 61 Fountainhall Road. A large walled town garden in which trees and shrubs form an architectural backdrop to a wide range of flowering plants. Hellebores, triliums and a large variety of late blooming flowers, plus several alpine beds and a large collection of Sempervivums. Three ponds, with and without fish, have attracted a lively population of frogs. Refreshments available; plant sales. 2-5pm, 61 Fountainhall Road, EH9 2LH. Admission £4, of which 40% will go to Froglife and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. For more information please contact Mrs Annemarie Hammond on 0131 667 6146 or email froglady@blueyonder.co.uk.
Filmhouse Quiz: the ‘phenomenally successful (and rather tricky)’ monthly quiz. For teams of up to eight. 9pm, Filmhouse Cafe Bar, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Free to enter.
St Giles’ At Six: Schola Cantorum of Oxford. Director: Jamie Burton. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
