What’s On In Edinburgh this week

Our list covers the period 28 September – 4 October 2015. If you have an event coming up then do tell us about it.

Festivals; just when you think they’re all over, along come another lot. SMHAFF, Luminate, Spanish Film Festival, Balerno Music Festival, World Justice Festival, Portobello Book Festival and Midlothian Science Festival are all staging events this week, so whatever your interests there’ll be plenty to keep you busy. Some very worthwhile charity events would appreciate your support too – from the Grassmarket Project to Mary’s Meals, Serenity Cafe, Cal-Aid and the Samaritans. Finally, don’t forget – it’s Dugs in Pubs this Saturday! Have a good week, and please do remember to check the details of all events with the organisers before setting out.

MONDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER 2015

Cut and Paste: a new exhibition of collages by Leonard Adams, Ingrid Nilsson, Catharine Jones, Emma Sutherland and Linda Lincoln. 9am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday), Bon Papillon, 15 Howe Street. Ends mid-October.

Lauriston Castle: National Trust for Scotland Case Studies. An assessment of the Trust’s walled gardens by Robert Grant, National Trust for Scotland Head of Gardens & Designed Lanscapes. Mr Grant has designed several new heritage gardens, including the model 17th century garden at Culross Palace, Fife and the Garden of Scottish Cultivated Fruits at Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire.  He has also redesigned the South Walled Garden at Culzean Castle, Ayrshire and has project-managed several historical garden restorations.  In 1991 he won a Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal for a model parterre garden based on the NTS Pitmedden Garden, Aberdeenshire and for four years he wrote a weekly gardening column for Scotland on Sunday newspaper. 10.30am, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £8 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Cameo Toddler Time: short screenings exclusively for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today’s film is Toot The Tiny Tug Boat Programme 6 (U): life on the high seas is a whirl of fun and adventure when you’re a little boat with big ideas. 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.

For Crying Out Loud: exclusive screenings for parents/carers (maximum of two adults per baby) and their babies under 12 months old. Baby changing, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is La Famille Belier (12A) (in French, French Sign Language and Spanish, with English subtitles): 16-year-old Paula Bélier is the only hearing member of her dairy-farming family, and acts as interpreter for her deaf parents on a daily basis. But on joining a school choir, Paula’s hitherto unknown talent for singing is discovered. As she devotes herself more and more to training her voice and decides to prepare for a prestigious Radio France Choir audition, the bonds between Paula and her previously close-knit family begin to fray. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 (babies admitted free) and may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person or by calling 0131 228 2688.

In Focus: William Turnbull. Art historian and curator Bill Hare (University of Edinburgh) will talk about the William Turnbull display, using the words of the artist as a guide. Dundee-born Turnbull was a major figure in post-war sculpture and painting; some of his works are shown as part of the 20th Century: Masterpieces of Scottish and European Art display on the second floor of the gallery. 12.45-1.15pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. No booking required: free and unticketed.

Portobello Community Council: agenda items include the Baileyfield development, a possible Christmas event and an SES Plan/MIR update. 7.30pm, Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street. All welcome.

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 The Royal Tenenbaums (15): Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary — all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father’s fault. The Royal Tenenbaums is the story of the family’s sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter. 8pm, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street. Free.

Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) James McNaught: Looking for Fernando Rey. McNaughts’s intriguing, illustrative paintings have received worldwide acclaim; the story behind each painting in this solo exhibition is hinted at through clever, evocative titles which allow viewers to make their own connotations about the buildings, street scenes and mysterious figures. The scenes can feel familiar yet fictional and are painstakingly created with tiny brushes, demanding close inspection; (2) Andrew Restall – New Prints: a selection of single edition monotypes from the last four years of Andrew Restall’s practice, during which time frequent visits to Biggar from his home in West Linton have provided great inspiration and stimulus for his work. The prints are mainly collagraphs with occasional etching; this combination creates textured and layered compositions which play with shape and form, allowing the colour to dictate the balance in each composition; (3) Rosalind Lawless – Transition: this selection of Lawless’s work builds on her continuing investigation into the notion of space and architecture, not as a container but as the contained. The origins of this body of work come from sketches created during a residency in Reims; these drawings prompted a new way of looking and creating work, moving from the split image to isolated objects viewed vertically. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, Abercromby Place. New Prints ends on 12th October 2015; Looking for Fernando Rey and Transition continue until 14th October 2015.

City of Edinburgh Council Parking Consultation and Drop-in Event. A consultation is under way on parking in Edinburgh; the draft parking action plan sets out a range of actions and was approved by the Transport and Environment Committee on 25 August. The main actions include the extension of parking controls to cover weekends/Sundays and into the evening, the roll-out of shared use parking places and the introduction of visitor permits in the city centre. The council wants to know what you think about the proposals; there is a link to a questionnaire for you to complete on the council’s dedicated website here and a Community Drop-in Event will be held today: 2-5pm, City Chambers, 253 High Street. A further event will be held at Morningside Library on Wednesday 30th September; see listing.

Over The Rainbow: SQIFF Shorts – Different Versions of Myself (18) (all films subtitled in English to make the event more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing). Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) has handpicked a selection of the best short films from its festival (held at CCA in Glasgow last week), all addressing the theme of uncertainty and/or defiance in presenting different versions of queer selves. Several of the filmmakers will take part in a Q & A session after the screening. 6.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.

Leith Links Community Council: 7pm, Leith Community Centre, 12a New Kirkgate. All local residents welcome.

Folk Music Jam Session: just turn up with your instrument and show everyone what you’ve got! 7.30pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

Cameo Culture Shock: ‘the best in cult and genre films’. Tonight’s film is The Thing (18): a team of scientists in the Arctic are infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien which has the ability to replicate the appearance of the people it kills. Arguably John Carpenter’s most effective film, creating a real sense of claustrophobic paranoia through its isolated location, Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, and the distrust shown among the men as they try to work out who is still human. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here; prices vary.

Edinburgh World Justice Festival Concert: David Rovics – peace poet and troubadour from Portland, Oregon. By the early 90’s Rovics was busking in the Boston subways and by the mid-90’s he was travelling the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser. These days he lives in Portland, Oregon and tours regularly on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable Who’s Who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch and elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. ‘Most importantly, he’s really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible’. Plus support: Calum Baird. 8-11pm, The Canon’s Gait, 232 Canongate. Admission £10/£6.

Asylum Seekers and Refugees; Biblical Understandings and Christian Responses. Presented by Rev. Aaron Janklow, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Edinburgh, with Professor Michael Northcott (Professor of Ethics, New College, University of Edinburgh) responding.  The Minister of the Cathedral will moderate the evening, which will also include responses from a small panel, a time for general questions, and a reception. 7pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. All welcome.

TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2015

Leith School of Art Foundation Course Open Day. The Foundation Course is unique in Scotland; with four full days in the studio and one day working on personal projects each week, it’s an intensive year, pushing students to pursue their talents in an immersive creative environment. The School has an extremely high success rate in helping students gain places on degree courses in Scotland, England and overseas, in Fine Art, Fashion, Film, Illustration, and a range more. Tour the School, see students and tutors in action, and ask questions. If you’d like a tutor to review your portfolio during the Open Day, please make an appointment in advance. 10am-3pm (drop-in), Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street.

Spanish Rhymetime – Sesiones de rimas en espanol. Here is a message from Sonia: Hola a todos!, Informaros que nuestra Spanish Rhymetime tendra lugar el martes dia 29 de septiembre, como es habitual en Portobello Library. Espero que disfrutarais mucho de el verano, y que empezarais el otonho con alegria!!! Con muchas ganas de veros y continuar cantando canciones tradicionales espanholas. Un saludo.) For children aged 0-4 and their parents and carers (Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking welcome). 10.30am, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue.

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 Just Jim (15) showing at 12.40pm, Life (15) showing at 2.40pm, 45 Years (15) showing at 1.40 and 4.05pm, Everest 2D (12A) showing at 1.30pm and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (12A) showing at 3.55pm. 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.

The Connected Baby: are human beings really able to connect at birth? That is the question explored in this documentary film, co-produced by developmental psychologist Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk and filmmaker Jonathan Robertson. ‘Long before we have the capability to tell stories in words of our own, we are co-creating them in interactions with others’. 7pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Free but tickets are required and may be obtained from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.

Bailey’s Stardust: Curator’s Talk. Christopher Baker, Director, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, discusses the Bailey’s Stardust exhibition, surveying Bailey’s remarkable, meteoric career which was launched in the 1960s and embraces the intersecting arenas of photography, fashion, portraiture and reportage. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. Bailey’s Stardust continues at the Scottish National Gallery until 18th October 2015.

Dolly, Art and Metadata Games: an introduction to the University of Edinburgh Library’s collections. Staff from Edinburgh University Library will take you on an online guided tour of its collections, featuring highlights from the Art Collection and an introduction to the Wellcome Trust-funded project Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics. Hear about new initiatives to open up the Library’s digital collections and get a chance to try out the new metadata image tagging game. 6.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Leith Folk Club: Wendy Weatherby + support Liz Jones. Wendy has worked and recorded with many top Scottish musicians including Hamish Moore, Billy Jackson, The Pearlfishers, Michael Marra and Phil Cunningham and has two solo albums to her credit. 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.

Perspectives: a new series of three autumn lectures – hear a new perspective and challenge your thinking on three fascinating subjects. Tonight John Mason MSP looks at  Faith & Politics – maintaining integrity in a political world. 7.30pm, Palmerston Place Church, Palmerston Place. All welcome; free. The next talk will be on 27th October, when Robin Taylor will discuss Death – The Last Taboo; talking about the subject that people don’t talk about.

Hey! Student! Welcome Reception: a chance for students to meet, have a drink, and find out about The Fruitmarket Gallery and the current Phyllida Barlow exhibition, set. 6-8pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free but please reserve your place via eventbrite here.

I Dream of Painting: new work by Ian Healy and Derek McGuire, two contemporary painters who deal with the figure in paint, working on the boundary of the abstract and representational divides. 12 noon-6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, Patriothall Gallery, 1D Patriothall, off Hamilton Place. Ends 7th October 2015.

Vibrational Healing and Essential Scents: a demonstration by Katya Campbell. 6.30pm, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Please book your free place by calling the library on 0131 529 5536.

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 the last of four being held during the consultation period. 6.30-8.30pm, St Peter’s RC School, 10 Falcon Road.

Grassmarket Community Project: International Guitar Night! Bringing together the world’s foremost acoustic guitarists to perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a concert setting. For this show IGN founder Brian Gore is joined by three of Europe’s finest acoustic guitarists: Gypsy Jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt, contemporary fingerstyle innovator Mike Dawes and multi-genre showman Andre Krengel. 8pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. Tickets cost £14/£12 (transaction fee applies) and may be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets here. The cafe will be open – please use it!

WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2015

Serenity Cafe Waverley Fundraising Cycle: Serenity Cafe members will take part in an all-day static cycle marathon at the station to ‘go the distance for poverty’. They will cycle in 20 minute slots all day from 7am to 7pm. Come along, support the cyclists and donate to help fund the work of this very worthwhile cause. 7am-7pm, Waverley Station, EH1 1BB. Serenity Cafe (8 Jackson’s Entry, The Tun, Holyrood Road) is Scotland’s first recovery cafe, run by people in recovery for people in recovery, and public customers who want good quality, good value food in a relaxed space. It also offers a wide range of activities for members. All events are drink and drugs free.

Join A Choir – Cadenza Open Rehearsal. Cadenza, ‘one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting amateur choirs’, is recruiting singers for all voices. Directed by Jenny Sumerling, the choir performs regularly throughout Scotland and beyond, with a wide-ranging repertoire including folk, jazz and popular songs as well as Renaissance church music, major choral works and contemporary classics. Rehearsals are in Edinburgh on Wednesday evenings – come along tonight and give it a go! This is your chance to join in singing a representative selection of the choir’s repertoire and see what they’re like – with no obligation. 7.30-9.45pm, Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent. A very warm welcome guaranteed; for more information please call 0131 662 8721 or visit the Cadenza website here.

Citizen Space: Edinburgh’s Parking Action Plan. A drop-in session, with council officials available to discuss proposals contained in the Draft Parking Action Plan approved by the Transport and Environment Committee on 25th August 2015. The main actions include the extension of parking controls to cover weekends/Sundays and into the evening, the roll-out of shared use parking spaces and the introduction of visitor permits in the city centre. If you have any questions about the proposed changes then come along. 10am-1pm, Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road.

Lunchtime Concert: The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, Melbourne, Australia. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Health All Round Project 5G: Lisa Martin. Join the retro singer for an afternoon of old time favourites – a sentimental journey back to the 1940s and 50s with The Andrews Sisters, Gracie Fields, Vera Lynn, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Sing along to Doris Day and Connie Francis; rock and roll with Elvis and Brenda Lee. Refreshments too! 1-4pm, Prison Officers Club, 22b MacLeod St, Gorgie (wheelchair accessible). All welcome – free tickets are available from Tynecastle High School Community Wing, McLeod Street or Catriona Windle at Health All Round (0131 337 1376/catriona@healthallround.org.uk).

Kirkliston Community Centre Youth Club: with tuck shop, pool table, ping pong, karaoke, loud music and much more! It’s a social space for everyone in S1-S4 to grow and learn, make new friends and join in with old ones. 7pm, Kirkliston Community Centre, Queensferry Road. For more information please contact the centre on 0131 333 4214.

Edinburgh Active Citizenship Group: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – Whit’s That Aw Aboot? A free public seminar with Gill Davies of Global Justice Now. 7-9pm, Edinburgh City Chambers, 253 High Street. All welcome, no booking required. For further information please call 0131 558 3545 or email ActiveCitizenshipGroup@gmail.com.

A Clearer Light: Lord Hailes and the Scottish Enlightenment. Mark McLean, Learning Officer for the National Trust for Scotland at Newhailes, discusses Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes. Hailes was very much a man of his time – but ‘his time’ was no ordinary time; he was born to an important Scottish family during a period when Scotland was just emerging as one of the most influential nations in Europe, and he became influential not through great political power or enormous wealth, but rather through the power of ideas. Mark McLean researched and co-curated the exhibition A Clearer Light: Lord Hailes and the Scottish Enlightenment which opened at Newhailes in 2013.  10.30am, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £8 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra: an open rehearsal by this excellent 17-piece student big band. 3-5pm, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. Free. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.

Mary’s Meals Charity Auction and Raffle: 6-8pm, Virgin Money Lounge, 28 St Andrew’s Square. For more information and tickets, please contact Rosalind Mackay on 0131 669 0003 or rcm2524@yahoo.co.uk. To find out more about Mary’s Meals, read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrows’ Edinburgh International Book Festival appearance here.

Portobello Book Festival 2015: Chiang Yee – The Silent Traveller in Edinburgh. An illustrated talk by Jim Gilchrist about the remarkable Chinese travel writer Chiang Yee. In Yee’s beautiful book about Edinburgh he describes coming to Portobello in 1943, and how his walk along the Promenade reminds him of his time on Hainan Island, off the Chinese mainland. 8-10pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. Some tickets may be available at the venue 15 minutes before the start of the event.

OpenStreetMap Foundation UK International Development Fair: a free public event concerning all aspects of international development. Thirty five stalls will showcase the work of members of NIDOS (Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland), DFID (The Department for International Development) and other international development groups and aid agencies. The Fair has been inspired by OpenStreetMap Foundation UK’s partners within Missing Maps, an initiative formed by the American and British Red Cross organisations, Medicins Sans Frontieres and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap team to map the most vulnerable places in the developing world so that international and local NGOs and individuals can use the maps and data to better respond to crises affecting the areas. 10am-4pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free. This event is part of State of the Map Scotland 2015, a five day conference centred around the ‘Wikipedia of Maps’. OpenStreetMap is an initiative to create and provide free geographic data, such as street maps, to anyone.

Interactive Jazz Masterclass with the Mike Janisch Group: come and see first hand how these master musicians put together their complex compositions, and learn how they approach ‘conventional’ modern jazz playing, improvising over chord changes and handling harmonic and rhythmic variety. 6.30-8pm, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.

Mike Janisch Paradigm Shift Sextet: fronted by ex-US, London-based, internationally recognised bassist Michael Janisch, the band has French pianist Cédric Henriot (also using synthesizer), sax player Paul Booth – also on flute and occasionally a lugubrious didgeridoo, London sax star Jason Yarde, and Alex Bonney, alternating between trumpet and laptop, which has a live feed from all of the acoustic instruments and the means to distort them, echo them, and to make purely electronic sounds too! All driven by ex-Edinburgh, now London-based, drummer Andrew Bain. ‘I can’t imagine a band which could give a composer more variety of timbre, pulse, pace and style … With expressive shifts of pace and of pulse, the mood transitions can be dramatic or organic, a series of surprises and sudden re-routings.’ (London Jazz News). 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £8/£6. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.

THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2015

Gathered Together – Cruinn Comhla: a new series of workshops to help parents from ethnic and cultural minorities who are new to Scotland to understand what happens in Scottish schools and how to get more involved in their children’s learning. The first session is today and it will focus on information about primary schools; how your child is taught in primary school, how you can support your child with homework and how to communicate with teachers and get the best out of parents’ evening. 10.30am-12.30pm, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace. To book your free place, please email gtevents@bemis.org.uk or call 0141 548 8047. Further sessions will follow on 8th, 22nd and 29th October and 5th and 12th November 2015; you can attend all of them or just the one(s) relevant to your situation. BEMIS is the national umbrella body supporting the development of the Ethnic Minorities Voluntary Sector in Scotland. For more information about the Gathered Together project, click here.

Mothers, Daughters, Fathers, Sons – Memories of Childhood. An inter-generational oral history exhibition focusing on the heritage of Chinese and South Asian older people and their British/Scottish born family members. Through photographs and interviews, this exhibition explores childhood and memories of growing up in different countries, cultures and decades. These wonderful personal histories create ‘conversations’ and foster understanding between generations. 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Organised by MECOPP (Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project) as part of Luminate – Scotland’s creative ageing festival.

Yakety Yak: sparkling Russian/English conversation over tea and cakes. Open to all – no need to book.  Just turn up; you will be warmly welcomed by the group. 11am, Summerhall Cafe, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. No charge apart from any drinks and cakes you choose to purchase.

Mayfield-Salisbury Thursday Club: the new season begins with a visit from a small Musselburgh choir. 2pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, 18 West Mayfield. The club meets weekly from October to May, with an attractive programme of music, slides, talks and demonstrations. New members warmly welcomed; annual membership costs £4 and there is a 50p charge for tea at each meeting. For more information please contact Florence Smith on 0131 663 1234.

Cal-Aid Edinburgh Volunteer Social Meeting. All volunteers, potential volunteers and members of other aid organisations are invited to a social meet & greet at Studio 24 this evening. The Cal-Aid lead committee will fully update all involved on current progress in fundraising, how donations are being spent and dispersed, the group’s trips to Calais, and its aims and objectives for moving forward and expanding. Anyone who wishes will have the chance to make suggestions as to how the project could grow; this is a chance to network and for everyone involved to have their say and meet one another in person. All are welcome and the group will take names and details from anyone wishing to volunteer their time, skills and efforts to Cal-Aid. Tea and biscuits will be served! 7.30-10pm, Studio 24, Calton Road. Please also see listings for details of Cal-Aid’s fundraiser, Sanctuary, on Saturday 3rd October at Studio 24.

Live Music Now: Svetlina Stoyonova and Kristina Yorgova. Svetlina (mezzo soprano) and Kristina (piano) are a young duo from Bulgaria, both currently students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The programme today will include French and Impressionist music which links with the collection of impressionist and landscape paintings in the permanent collection. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Auld Alliance Contemporary Exhibitions (AACE) 2015: nine visual artists are taking part in this two-centred Franco-Scottish show run conjointly at the Institut français and the E.D.S. Gallery. AACE exhibits the works of established French artists alongside works from young up-and-coming Scottish artists; this year the six Scottish artists, Flo Gordon, Jacob Kerray, Lauren Bowman, Matt Sloe, Megan Rea and Ross MacRae, will show their works alongside three successful 1980s graduates from Paris, Hélène Lhote, Margat and Paella Chimicos. 9.30am-6.30pm Monday to Friday, 10am-1pm Saturdays, E.D.S. Gallery, 13a Great King Street and Institut francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Ends 31st October 2015.

Get Online: if you are new to the internet, or can’t get to grips with your computing device, help is at hand! Bring your laptop/iPad/tablet along to this free 5-week course. 10.30am-12.30pm today and for the next four Thursdays, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Places are free but limited and must be booked by speaking to a member of staff in the library or calling 0131 529 5536.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: a multi-art exhibition featuring diverse work from artists with experience of mental health issues. This is one of a series of exhibitions taking place across the city as part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015: the exhibitions aim to get everyone thinking and talking about mental health, raising awareness and challenging preconceptions. 10am-8pm Monday-Wednesday, 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. Ends 31st October 2015. Further exhibitions will open later in the month at Space Artworks Gallery, Summerhall and the Edinburgh University Chaplaincy.

Spark Greyfriars Lunchtime Concert: 45 minutes of music-making from George Heriot’s School Chamber Choir. 12 noon, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free.

Cameo Big Scream: screenings exclusively for parents/carers and their babies under the age of one year. Today: Irrational Man (12A) – in Woody Allen’s latest film, Joaquin Phoenix plays troubled and famously hellraising philosophy professor Abe Lucas. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online here.

Passion In North Edinburgh: an exhibition of rag rugging, art projection, marbling and plenty more, created by members of user-led community mental health project Living Well. Living Well provides a range of group support activities designed to build confidence, unlock creativity and help people learn new ways of dealing with stress; its services are open to anyone aged 18+ living in North Edinburgh with mental health concerns. This exhibition is part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015. 10am-8pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am-1pm Saturdays, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Ends 29th October 2015.

Reid Memorial Church Thursday Club: a series of interesting talks in a friendly, informal gathering, followed by tea, coffee and chat. Today Eric Melvin looks at The Southside of Edinburgh. 2.30pm, Small Hall, Reid Memorial Church, West Savile Terrace at Blackford Avenue. All welcome! Membership subscription is £5; members then pay 50p per meeting. Non-members pay £1 per meeting.

Books in Focus: Max Ernst. The Books in Focus series looks at artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Today’s session will focus on Max Ernst’s Une Semaine de Bonté. Published in 1934 by Jeanne Bucher in Paris, it was partially financed by Roland Penrose, whose close relationship with Ernst earned him a gift of two of the original collages, also now in the gallery’s collection. 11.30am-12.30pm, Reading Room, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free but booking is required as places are limited: please call 0131 624 6268 or email gmainfo@nationalgalleries.org.

Passionate About: an impressive series of painted windows exploring the theme passionate about… and inviting passers-by to consider how pursuing our passions can keep us mentally healthy. Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Ends 31st October 2015. This exhibition is part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015.

Nomad Fundraiser Party: Nomad is an annual self-funded travel publication produced by students from the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art. Live music from Blue Jester, Jambouree and Sugar, Sugar, prize draws and party fun. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.

Luminate Festival: Hip Hop-eration (12A). These New Zealander senior citizens may each be almost a century young, but for Kara (94), Maynie (95) and Terri (93), their visit to Las Vegas and the World Hip Hop Dance Championships is just the beginning of a life’s journey. Along the way we hear how these extraordinary characters contributed to New Zealand as we know it; their stories are a reminder of their history as a nation and the joy of living life to the fullest. Plus short: Directed by Tweedie. 1pm and 6.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.  Luminate is Scotland’s Creative Ageing Festival and runs 1st-31st October 2015 at venues throughout the country. The full programme is available here.

Arts Cafe: a space for coffee, cake and passionate conversation. Come along to hear crafted stories about using our passions to improve our mental wellbeing. All very welcome. 1.30-3pm,  Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Free: all very welcome. Part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015. Also at same times on 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th October 2015.

The Poetry Circus: Freak Circus. A night of spoken word to celebrate the launch of the Circus’s amazing new literary magazine, Freak Circus, a ‘stunningly-beautiful new book-format literary magazine of cutting-edge writing presented in eye-popping layouts…pitching famous names alongside new voices to bring you a selection that produces goose-bumps and shivers’. 8pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Free tickets are available from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. Presented in association with Portobello Book Festival.

Hullabaloo and Make Noise: The 2 Bears. The Make Noise Electronic Recycling Tour arrives in Edinburgh with special guest headliners The 2 Bears. Make Noise programmes cutting edge electronic music events in some of the country’s best clubs and makes entry 100% FREE in exchange for a piece of electrical recycling. Club-goers just need to bring something to hand over at the door: a broken mobile phone, hairdryer or laptop – anything with a plug or a battery! Since it began, Make Noise has packed out clubs and recycled tonnes of electronic waste.  Support from Hullabaloo residents Trendy Wendy & Steve Austin plus the Heavenly Jukebox DJs. 11pm-1am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. The Bongo Club is owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue; ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar and encouraging the community to get involved and use the space to do their own thing’.

FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2015

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival starts today! Films for all tastes (‘from the foodies to the fanatics!’), primary and secondary school screenings, gastronomic evening and opening and closing events. Today’s films, both showing at Filmhouse, Lothian Road, are;

(1) at 6pm: Sinsombrero (U) (in Spanish with English subtitles). The ‘generation of ’27’ and its most relevant figures – Dalí, Buñuel, Lorca… – are well known, but alongside the men there was a very talented,  creative and successful group of women who equalled their male counterparts throughout years of creative explosion and civil liberties that would transform Spain’s history forever. Gradually, however, these women were forgotten during Franco’s reign. Sinsombrero recovers their memory. This evening’s screening will be followed by The Forgotten Women of the Generation of ’27, a talk by director Tania Balló. Also showing at 12.45pm on Saturday 3rd October, when the screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Tania Balló and Serrana Torres;

(2) at 8.15pm: The Unexpected Life/La vida inesperada (12A): (in Spanish and English with English subtitles). Juanito is a Spanish actor living in New York. His career doesn’t take off; he is getting older and carries on performing in small Spanish plays whilst working as a waiter in a Spanish deli. When he receives a visit from his apparently successful cousin, Jorge, he will have to confront his reality. Followed by a Q&A with screenwriter Elvira Lindo. 

Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary.

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival Inauguration Party: a complimentary gin & tonic and tapa with your cinema ticket, courtesy of Valentia Gin and the Traverse bar. 10-11pm, Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street.

Priyanka: Limitless. Ageing in our society can often mean being ignored and seen as having nothing to give; for people ageing with severe learning disabilities this is often just more of what their whole life has been. This exhibition intends to challenge all our assumptions; the artists are using their gift of creativity to shout out loud and communicate to us all, ‘I am here, I am alive, I am special and there are no limits’. Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Ends 4th October 2015. Please contact venue for opening times.

Lunchtime Concert: La Honor de Miengo Choir, Spain.  12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

The Autumn Herbalist: Aromatic Remedies. Social sessions inspired by the Garden, for people affected by dementia, their friends, relatives and supporters. Sessions include sensory activities and informal chat with refreshments. 10.30am-12.30pm, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. To book please call 0131 248 2981. This event is part of the Garden Social Programme October 2015 – March 2016

After School Crafts: for children aged 0-12 (children under 8 years must be accompanied by an adult). 2pm today and every Friday, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. All welcome: for more information please speak to a member of staff, call 0131 529 5558 or email portobello.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.

The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh – Two New Exhibitions:

(1) Norman Ackroyd – St Kilda to Muckle Flugga. Over the past 40 years, Norman Ackroyd RA (Senior Fellow, Royal College of Art) has been repeatedly drawn to some of Scotland’s most magical, remote and rugged islands. Working on site, often in challenging weather conditions, the artist makes records of the seas, the rocks, the skies and the birds. This exhibition consists of watercolours from A Shetland Notebook and etchings from 3 different bodies of work produced over the last few years. Highlights from the show include images of the mysterious Flannan Islands; Sula Sgeir – an island where gannets are still harvested for food, and the fertile North Rona with its famous early St Ronan’s church. ‘St. Kilda to Muckle Flugga is roughly the same distance as Edinburgh to London – but is a road much less travelled by’ (Norman Ackroyd).

(2) The Glasgow Boys: a select exhibition of Glasgow Boy paintings by artists central to the group and others who, inspired by the vanguard’s daring and rejection of the establishment, followed them. Inspired by the painters of the Barbizon, the Hague School and French Impressionism, these artists worked in a modern European way. The show runs concurrently with the Scottish National Gallery’s exhibition, Arthur Melville: Adventures in Colour which The Fine Art Society is supporting.

Both shows open 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm Saturdays, The Fine Art Society, 6 Dundas Street. St Kilda to Muckle Flugga ends 31st October 2015, with The Glasgow Boys continuing until 14th November 2015.

Friends Electric: a magical story from Visible Fictions about a spark of connection between a human and a robot. Discover what makes you human, how our hearts can take over our brains and how our brains can do amazing things! For everyone aged 7 or over. 1.30-2.30pm, followed by a workshop at 3pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Advance booking is required: free tickets may be obtained from WHALE in person, by calling 0131 458 3267 or by emailing info@whalearts.co.uk. Glasgow-based Visible Fictions have been creating innovative and dynamic theatrical productions for young people of all ages and adults for 22 years.

Alison Turnbull: Another Green World. An exhibition of drawings and photographs by the acclaimed contemporary artist, celebrating the launch of her new publication: ‘Another Green World – Linn Botanic Gardens: Encounters with a Scottish Arcadia‘. 10am-4.45pm (closes 3.45pm November-January), Gateway Gallery, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Ends 31st January 2016.

The Last Yankee: to celebrate the centenary of Arthur Miller’s birth, Rapture Theatre presents one of the legendary writer’s last great plays. Leroy Hamilton is a descendant of one of America’s founding fathers but his modest life as a carpenter has left him estranged from his wife Patricia, who is in hospital and recovering from depression. Over the course of a single day, Leroy and Patricia attempt to come to terms with their situation and take a tentative step towards reconciliation. Depicting the devastating consequences of failing to live up to the American Dream, The Last Yankee is humorous and ultimately uplifting, classic Miller. 7.30-9pm, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 560 1580 or online here. Also at 3pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 3rd October. Part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015. 

Nuf Said: with a unique sound ranging from funk to jazz, soul, hip hop, R&B and more, this UK-touring, NYC-based electric 5-piece is fronted by vocals and sax and has performed across the US as well as China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4. Please note this venue is strictly cash only.

World War One Propaganda. At the outbreak of the war, the Government introduced censorship of newspapers under the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) 1914 and also established the War Propaganda Bureau. In this talk Yvonne McEwen will address the means by which the Government carried out the control of information and the public’s response to the restrictions. Yvonne is Project Director of Scotland’s War Project, which is a partnership of the University of Edinburgh, the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh City Libraries, the Scottish Military Research Group and 20 Councils throughout Scotland. She is also an Honorary Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Modern Conflict at the University of Edinburgh. 10.30am, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £5/£3.50 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Midlothian Science Festival starts today! A packed programme of events – many of them free – for all ages, including bats, bees, bubble shows, the science of the paranormal, book readings, jellyfish, drawing workshops, dancing sessions, a brewing tour, cycling, stargazing, medieval medicine, the famous Science Alive Gala Day, Park In The Dark, and lots more – don’t miss the science of cakes and Build A Biscuit City! For full details and to download the festival programme, click here. Events take place at venues throughout the area and the festival runs until 17th October 2015.

Portobello Book Festival 2015: On The Trail of John Muir. Drawing inspiration from local hero John Muir’s ability to capture a sense of place, storyteller Beth Cross explores stories and memories that convey this. 12.30-1.30pm, Portobello Library (upstairs), 14 Rosefield Avenue. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from the library in advance. Some tickets may be available 15 minutes before the start of the event.

Balerno Village Screen: Whiplash (15) A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school, one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness and the professor pushes him to do so. This screening forms part of the 2015 Balerno Music Festival; pre-film entertainment will be provided by dark folk band Holm who will be playing from 7pm, so please come early if you would like to hear their performance. 7.30pm, Ogston Hall, Balerno Parish Church, Main Street, Balerno. Free tickets are available from the Mill Cafe and Balerno Post Office or via eventbrite here. Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema, free to attend and funded by donations. If you can no longer attend after booking, please cancel your ticket to allow someone else to see the film.

Sea Bass Kid + Mickey 9s: Edinburgh band Sea Bass Kid launch their second album Like The Fish, showcasing their original take on reggae, blues, ska and funk, ‘bringing honest music back to honest people with their energetic and memorable live shows’. Supported by Glaswegians Mickey 9s (The Party Manifesto). Over 18s only. Doors open 7pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £7 (booking fee applies) and are available from Tickets Scotland here.

Lindsey Black + Alex Cornish + DJ Dolphin Boy: Edinburgh singer Lindsey launches her debut single, The Wonder of You, a re-recording from her acclaimed album, Raise A Storm, ‘…the sound of a pure Edinburgh talent: sinuous, singular melodies and soulful serenity, couched in the finest playing and clearest production’ (Eliza Carthy). Dunbar singer Alex Cornish has home-produced four critically acclaimed albums, ‘a voice to stand comparison to Thom Yorke’ (The Scotsman on Sunday), ‘..a beautiful album that has Mercury Music Prize nomination written all over it’ (The Sunday Times). Dolphin Boy is a well loved figure in festival circles and a well known face behind the decks at parties in odd and far-flung places. For over 18s  only. 7.30pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £5 (booking fee applies) and are available from Skiddle here.

RNT in association with Dead Sheep Comedy Present Scott Gibson: Life After Death. Gibson’s debut show, which sold out with rave reviews at this year’s Glasgow International Comedy Festival, explores the life-changing experience that put him on the path to comedy. It’s a story of pain, love, laughter and Blackpool. ‘Gibson mixes a conversational style with his own unique brand of dark humour, confidently leading his audience down a path few dare to tread’. For over 18s only. 8pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.

Changeling: a new exhibition of art and fashion illustration by Leith-based artist Ruth Marnie (aka Goat-boots). Launch 7pm tonight with nibbles and bubbly, then during usual opening hours, Sofi’s Bar, 65 Henderson Street. Ends 5th November 2015.

Portobello Book Festival 2015: Opening Event – Inheritance. Join host David Francis for the festival’s grand opening event, which includes performances of original and established writing in all shapes and forms. Special guest author and songwriter Doug Johnstone will be joined by local actress Sybil Bacica, The Blue Moon Travellers and the Lothian B-us Male Voice Choir. Refreshments will be available! 8-10.30pm, Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from the library in advance. Some tickets may be available 15 minutes before the start of the event.

Poor Things + Min Diesel + Andrew R Burns & The Tropicanas: indie rock, ‘mindie-rock’ and lo-fi dream-pop from Glasgow, Perth, Aberdeen and Livingston. 7pm, Henry’s Cellar Bar, 16a Morrison Street.

Substance 9th Birthday: Mono Junk (live) + Residents.  A rare live show from legendary Finnish Renaissance man Kimmo Rapatti aka Mono Junk. Rapatti helped pioneer raw, minimalistic techno from 1992 alongside Robert Hood, Daniel Bell and Basic Channel, going on to produce a diverse range of machine music across a number of styles, aliases and groups and recently making a storming comeback, with lots of new material in the pipeline. Substance opens its doors to all for a wide ranging night of classic and cutting edge dance music. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Admission £7/£6. The Bongo Club is owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue; ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar and encouraging the community to get involved and use the space to do their own thing’.

Alex Kolkowski and Grey Area. Aleks is a sound artist, violinist and composer with a special interest in early sound recording and reproduction technology; he was the first ever sound artist-in-residence at the Science Museum, London. He will perform Christian Wolff – For 1,2 or 3 People (1964), Aleks Kolkowski and Sean Williams – Test-Tone Battle, and group improvisation featuring Grey Area. 8pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Free and unticketed.

SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2015

Sofi’s Dug Day: a fun way to socialise your pup while you enjoy a weekend drink. Meet other local dogs and owners! 12 noon-5pm today and the first Saturday of every month, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street.

Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for children aged 4-8. 3-4pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. Free.

Monkey Drama: an adventure of the imagination, using drama, props, music and role-play to help children explore their worlds creatively. They might be pirates, animals, superheroes, dinosaurs, astronauts… with Monkey Drama the possibilities are endless! Each child will also receive a certificate to show what they have learned, imagined and explored. For ages 2-5. 10.30am or 11.45 am (45 minute sessions), Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.

The Balerno Music Festival continues today at various venues around the village, with a Young Musicians’ Concert, Fun Time Harmonies workshop, a Children’s Concert with Big Pete and the Richard Dennis Concert featuring The Tourie Band. For details and tickets please visit the festival’s website here.

Lunchtime Concert: Michael Walton (violin) and Jennifer Redmond (piano) play works by Beethoven and Tartini. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Money For Positive Change Conference: chaired by Rev Sally Foster Fulton, Convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland, this conference, organised by the Church’s Society, Religion and Technology Project as part of Good Money Week, features an address from Tessa Tennant, green investment pioneer. The Project hopes to provide you with an opportunity to consider how your faith, values and finances interact, and how you, and your church, can make positive decisions about how your money is used in the future; delegates are encouraged to participate in the workshops sessions and the Q&A panel discussion.Workshops topics: Financial capability skills for young people (Iona Bain), The Good Money App  (John Preston), Ethical Money Churches (Sabrina Groschel), Divestment (Adrian Shaw) and Community Shares Scotland (Kelly McIntyre). A buffet lunch will be provided. 9.30am-1.30pm, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free but please register via eventbrite here. Sponsored by Triodos Bank and ethicalfutures IFA. Good Money Week is an annual campaign in October to let people know that they have sustainable and ethical options in their financial decisions. 

Lunchtime Organ Recital: St Cuthbert’s Director of Music Jeremy Cull plays Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition. 12.30-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.

Scottish Waterways Trust Wildflower Survey: volunteer to become a ‘citizen scientist’ and help the Trust discover more about the plants growing on the canalside in Edinburgh. Join this free wildflower survey, develop your plant ID skills, make new friends and have fun. Surveys are led by Anna Canning of Floramedica. 10.30am-1pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. For more information please contact Anna on 07790 885969 or email anna.canning@blueyonder.co.uk.

Portobello Book Festival 2015: lots of bookish events today – sessions with Dolinda McLellan, Peter Ranscombe, RL McKinney, Grahame Howard, Stref (aka Stephen White) and Fin Cramb, Jo MacFarlane, Allan Beveridge, Max Scratchmann, Margaret Halliday,Catherine Simpson, Lucy Ribchester, Archie Foley, photographer Peter E Ross, restaurateur Carina Contini, Val McDermid, Catriona Child and James Spence, plus workshops in Book Folding and Writing & Yoga and a Book Quiz. Various venues around Portobello. All events are free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue in advance. Some tickets may be available at venues 15 minutes before the start of some events. The festival continues tomorrow. To see the full programme, with details of all venues, click here.

Many Mountains To Climb: Christian Aid’s 70th Anniversary Conference. Christian Aid partners from Bolivia, South Africa and India will be attending and speaking about their work, exploring the charity’s fight against the injustices of poverty along with directors from CA’a international and humanitarian teams, with an emphasis on gender, climate change and land. Refreshments will be provided. 10am-4.30pm, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square. The conference is free, but places are limited and registration is essential; please email Amy Menzies, Christian Aid Scotland events officer, at amenzies@christian-aid.org or call her on 0141 241 6138, with the following information: (1) your full name and address, or at least your town; (2) the church or Christian Aid Group you are associated with, if any; (3) the number of people in your party, if known.

Christian Aid 70th Anniversary Ceilidh: a ceilidh to celebrate the completion of the charity’s 70 Munro Challenge and the 70th anniversary of Christian Aid. Kindly hosted by the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, with music generously provided by the Fabulous Shire Boys. 7.30pm, Rainy Hall, New College, University of Edinburgh. Suggested donation on the door £7. Spaces are limited, so please register with wyoung@christian-aid.org to make sure your name is on the list.

The Vintage Kilo Sale: over 5 tonnes of quality mixed vintage fashion and accessories. Dresses, denim, menswear, jackets, jeans, jumpers, blouses, shirts, shorts, tees and more. Stock will be replenished throughout the day. £15 per kilo. Earlybird entry 11am-12 noon – £3, general entry 12 noon-4pm – £1.50, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street.

Fun Palaces are coming to Wester Hailes! An annual, free, nationwide celebration of arts and culture, driven by localism, innovation and engagement. Celebrating the life and work of Joan Littlewood, and in particular the vision she shared with Cedric Price for the creation of a ‘Fun Palace’ – a space where arts and sciences meet – Fun Palaces sees makers across the country create their own pop-up version of a Fun Palace. Free activities for children, young people and families in Wester Hailes, with scientists from Edinburgh Napier University and WHALE artists. 12 noon-4pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Also at same times on Sunday 4th October. No booking required, just come along!

A View of Fife and Beyond By Two Generations: an exhibition of work by Deborah Phillips and the late Douglas Phillips, with a solo exhibition of ceramics by Helen Foster. Preview (with wine and strawberries) 11am-1pm today, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Leith Gallery, 65 The Shore. Ends 31st October 2015.

Apple Festival: is the early ripening of apples this year a taste of things to come and should we be planning to use new varieties? Come to the Botanics to celebrate apples with displays of fruit, opportunities to taste unusual varieties and a chance to get your apples identified. 12 noon-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Also at same times on Sunday 4th October 2015.

Edinburgh Napier University Undergraduate Open Day: an opportunity for you and your family and friends to visit, chat with academic staff and students and get all the information you need about any aspect of studying at Edinburgh Napier, with presentations and activities on student life, UCAS, accommodation, SAAS, studying abroad, the transition process for those coming to Napier from college, and much more – plus a session for parents. The Open Day will take place 9.30am-3pm across all three campuses; Sighthill (Sighthill Court), Merchiston (Colinton Road) and Craiglockhart (Glenlockhart Road) – please check Napier’s website here to find out which site offers your subject(s). Registration is required; click here.

From Steam to Diesel: photographs of railway workers in and around Edinburgh in the 1950s and 60s. Local historian Archie Foley and photographer Peter E Ross talk about their new publication, a unique photographic record made during the 1950s and 1960s by an engine driver recording the changes on the railway as diesel replaced steam. 2pm, Portobello High School Library, 10 Duddingston Road. Free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue in advance. Some tickets may be available at the venue 15 minutes before the start of the event. Part of Portobello Book Festival 2015.

Changing Our Unequal World: Edinburgh World Justice Festival Conference. Exhibition, book sale, stalls, workshops, keynote speaker, panel discussion with Sarah Boyack MSP, Cllr Lewis Ritchie (chair), Professor Tim Hayward, Alberto Paloni (University of Glasgow), Anuj Kapilashrami (University of Edinburgh) and Pinar Aksu, breakout sessions on The refugee crisis, causes and responses (Refugee Survival Trust), Climate justice, to Paris and beyond (Friends of the Earth), Trade rules and TTIP (Global Justice Now), Land rights and investment treaties (Lorenzo Cotula, IIED), Better economics – better planet (Jubilee Scotland), Minerals and oil justice (War On Want) and Gender and rights in Central America (Mo Hume University of Glasgow) and more. 11am-5pm, St Thomas of Aquin’s School, Chalmers Street. Free but donations are invited and registration should be made via eventbrite here.

Cityscapes: celebrate The Big Draw at the Museum of Edinburgh. Bragela Hornal invites you to try out some unusual drawing techniques and create a visionary cityscape.  10am-12 noon or 1-3pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available in the interval for 50p. Today’s film is Toy Story 2 (U). Please note: all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Subtitles are available on request. 10.30am-12.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Next week’s film will be The Smurfs (U). All welcome.

Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: Perspectives of Scotland and Slavery. Historian Alastair Learmont draws on portraiture, sculpture and photographs in the Gallery’s collection to consider Scotland’s associations with slavery in the Caribbean. These tours are part of Black History Month 2015. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. No booking required: free, unticketed.

Sanctuary: a night of live music, spoken word and unity to raise funds for CalAid Edinburgh. Bands, DJs and poets will be appearing at Studio 24 in support of those stuck in Calais who are in need of medical aid and essential items; Studio 24 has very kindly offered its venue and staff time for free, and will also be donating profits from the bar to the cause. Over 14s welcome till 11pm, then over 18s only for the rest of the night. 7.30pm-3am, Studio 24, Calton Road. Tickets cost £7/£5 (booking fee applies) and may be purchased via eventbrite here.

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: films for all tastes (‘from the foodies to the fanatics!’), primary and secondary school screenings, gastronomic evening and opening and closing events. Today’s films, all showing at Filmhouse, Lothian Road, are;

(1) at 12.45pm: Sinsombrero (U) (see Thursday’s listing);

(2) at 2.45pm: Loreak/Flowers (PG) (in Basque with English subtitles). The tale of three women and three ordinary lives changed by nothing more than some flowers – flowers that make each one feel emotions they’d thought were long gone.. Plus short: Samina. Followed by a Q&A with director of Loreak José Mari Goenaga;

(3) at 5.45pm, Ocho apellidos vascos/Spanish Affair (12A) (in Spanish and Basque with English subtitles). Rafa, Andalusian to the bone, has never had to put a foot out of his beloved Seville to get the things he loves most in life: sherry, hair gel and women. That is until the day when his life gets turned upside down after his charm and romantic advances are rejected by a Basque girl called Amaia;

(4) 80 Egunean/80 Days (U) (in Basque with English subtitles). Where is the thin line that separates friendship from desire? Axun is in a hospital taking care of her daughter’s ex-husband, seriously injured in a car accident. To her surprise, the woman who takes care of the other patient in the same room turns out to be Maite, her best friend when they were teenagers and who is now openly lesbian. They have not seen each other for more than 50 years but that close relationship seems to be still alive. Tonight’s screening will be followed by a Q&A with director José Mari Goenaga. Also showing at 6pm on Monday 5th October, when the screening will be followed by a Q & A session with Professor Nuria Capdevila (University of Exeter). 

Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary.

Men With Coconuts: the Scottish musical comedy troupe presents ninety minutes of improvised games and scenes, culminating in an entirely improvised Broadway-style musical. Based in Edinburgh, Men With Coconuts are actors, singers and physical comedians accompanied by a virtuoso pianist. ‘Unplanned, unscripted and unbelievable!’ 8pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.

Postcards from The Line: an annual exhibition of small unframed pieces of work from a wide variety of artists from all over Scotland and beyond, with over 30 artists contributing 200+ pieces in all media, from photography to pencil drawing, linocut, collage and much more. Artists participating include Ruth Nicol, Ruth Brownlee, Angela Lawrence, Scott Taylor, Nikki Monaghan and Rhona Fairgrieve. 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 9am-5pm Saturdays, 1-4pm Sundays, The Line Gallery, 238 High Street, Linlithgow. Ends 27th October 2015.

The Skylark Presents The Woods: the music of Scottish singer-songwriter Johnny McFadzean. ‘A haunting voice that lays the soul bare, words that strip back the everyday to expose its raw beauty, these songs hook your ear around corners you didn’t see coming’. 9pm, The Skylark, 241-243 Portobello High Street.

Teresa Gordon: A Sense of Belonging. Teresa’s paintings explore her sense of place in both the east and west of Scotland, and the environments of Edinburgh and Portpatrick between which she divides her time. Preview today 2.30pm, then 11am-5pm daily, Coburg House Studios, 15 Coburg Street. Ends 9th October 2015.

The Meadows Chamber Orchestra: Vaughan Williams Symphony No 5 in D Major, Findlay Spence Perpetuum Mobile (Premiere of the winning work in this year’s MCO Composers’ Competition) and Sibelius Symphony No 5 in E flat major Op82. Conductor: Steven King MBE, SCO violinist and Director of Music, Heriot-Watt University. 7.45pm, Inverleith St Serf’s Church, 280 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £11/£9 (concessions)/£5 (students)/£1 (children) and may be purchased from The Queen’s Hall Box Office, Clerk Street, in person, by calling 0131 668 2019 or online here, or from orchestra members, or on the door (sta).

Of One and Many: a solo exhibition by artist and filmmaker Lin Li, originally from Hong Kong but now based in Glasgow. 10.30am-6pm (10am-3pm on 8th October), Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Ends 8th October 2015. For screenings of Lin Li’s film, Above Us, the Sky, see below.

Above Us, the Sky: a film by Lin Li about Brian Quail, a retired teacher in Glasgow who has campaigned for nuclear disarmament for decades. A portrait of Brian around his identity as a peace activist, through extracts of his conversations with Lin considering the meaning of his actions and what constitutes peace, footage of his direct action and of his home. Whilst focusing on an individual and his peace activism, the film touches on topics which have wider significance, such as the issue of nuclear disarmament, an individual citizen’s responsibility and ability in influencing state policies, and the question of what it means to be human. 2.30 or 6pm, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Free reservations may be made via eventbrite here (please note there is a separate eventbrite page for each screening).

Linda Park: the texture of light. Linda Park’s work focuses on audacious interpretations of landscape, showcasing her ability to suggest the mysteries that lie beneath the bare stone and turf of the scenes she paints. This latest collection of Linda’s work is also about the almost limitless spectrum of light and colour in which those landscapes are not so much bathed as drenched. 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place.

The Open Door Presents The Amazing Adventures of Fred and Rita Daniels: this month Fred and Rita will give two illustrated talks about their adventures in Tibet, Lebanon and Syria. Tonight: Tibet – The Abode of the God Kings; a spiritual and cultural journey through life in Tibet, against the backdrop of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas, crossing the Brahmaputra River and seeing monasteries and the Dalai Lama’s palace before dropping down onto the Friendship Highway via a series of steep switchbacks to the subtropical landscape of the Nepali border. 7.30pm, Centenary Hall, Greenbank Church, Braidburn Terrace. The second talk will be about Lebanon and Syria and will take place on Saturday October 24th. Admission: £10 per person for one talk or £15 for both – price includes refreshments and early booking is advised. Tickets are available from The Open Door, 420 Morningside Road (tel: 0131 447 9757).

LGBT: Edinburgh Trans Women. A support group aimed at transsexual women at any stage of transition, women who are transgender and live as women full-time or part-time or for those who are questioning their gender identity. We look forward to meeting you and prefer you to email us the first time you want to visit; this helps with security and helps us get ready to welcome you. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact info@edinburghtranswomen.org.

Edinburgh Society of Musicians: Gusztáv Fenyő (piano) plays Beethoven ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata. 7.30pm, Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. Free. The Edinburgh Society of Musicians has been promoting practical music-making in Edinburgh since 1887; chamber music recitals are given every Saturday evening from early October until the end of June. The Society attracts a variety of performers, from students in search of experience to accomplished amateurs and professionals, well known Scottish or international musicians; if you would like to perform for the Society, please contact John Bryden at jobryd2@aol.com and include your telephone number.

Samaritans Ceilidh with Ceilidh Caleerie: a fundraising ceilidh for Edinburgh & The Lothians Samaritans. 7.30 (dancing from 8)-11.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Place. Tickets cost £10 and are available from Caroline Gillespie  on 07752 869 088 or email mrsgillespie7@gmail.com.

Hanne Darboven: Requiem + The Moon Has Risen. To mark the closing of the Hanne Darboven exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery, Thomas Dahl (Director of Music and Principal Organist at St. Peter’s, Hamburg) will perform a live accompaniment to singular video The Moon Has Risen (1983), and a rare recital of Darboven’s Requiem. The Moon Has Risen is a rare and expansive reflection on the artist’s relationship to image-making, and is shown alongside live musical punctuations drawn from Handel’s Fireworks Music, diegetic sound from the amusement fair, and Darboven’s own sound compositions. 7pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here. This event is a collaboration between Talbot Rice Gallery, Goethe-Institut Glasgow, and LUX Scotland.

Naked Aye Art: Shapes That Shift Desire. A multi-arts exhibition with visual arts at its centre – a group show with works by Scotland-based artists, engaging and playing with the creative and subversive energies of desire connected to the human figure. Shapes That Shift Desire includes paintings and performance, installations, drawings, sculpture, photography and more. Opening event tonight, featuring live performances and installation, 7pm, Third Floor, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road, followed by after-party in The Safari Lounge, Cadzow Place; please contact venue for exhibition opening hours thereafter. There will be further events related to the exhibition on 9th, 10th, 14th and 16th October and the exhibition ends on 18th October 2015.

Debashish Sanyal and Vijay Kangutkar: a rare opportunity to hear the highest quality North Indian classical music in Edinburgh. 7.30pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Tickets cost £10 (students £5); please contact alejandrocooper1@hotmail.com.

Vegas! The 18th Birthday Party: an evening of cocktails and cool, showgirls and swing, roulette and romance. Scotland’s sensational swing combo The Loveboat Five invite you aboard the ultimate luxury musical cruise, plus the Princess of British Burlesque Kitty Bang Bang, Scotland’s sultry chanteuse Savannah Duvall, DJs Frankie Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Sam Jose, Nuno Endo, and Nikki Nevada and the Vegas Showgirls. For over 18s only. 8.30pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £6.95 (booking fee applies) and are available here.

Resurrection (Stone Roses Tribute): over a dozen years since their last gigs, this widely acclaimed Stone Roses tribute act is back on the road. With support from Edinburgh bands Snide Rhythms and Frantic Chant. 7pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £7 in advance from The Bongo Club, Ripping Records and Tickets Scotland, £9 on the door (sta). The Bongo Club is owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue; ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar and encouraging the community to get involved and use the space to do their own thing’.

What’s The Noise: live local talent. Rock & roll from The Jacarandas and The Oooh La Las, shoegaze and post-punk from Kitch, plus singer/songwriter/guitarist Lewis Kennedy. For ages 14+. 7-10pm, Cabaret Voltaire, Blair Street. Tickets cost £6 and are available from all performers or from Tickets Scotland (transaction fee applies) here.

S

SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2015

In the Lauriston Castle Kitchen with Mrs Mash: join Mrs Mash the Storytelling Cook for stories, songs, games and food fun for all the family. Hear tales in the kitchen, make some homemade butter and add your own creative input to some very special fairy cakes … 10.30am-12.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Tickets cost £6 per person and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these sessions are intended for families working together: at least one paying adult must accompany your child, and no child should be booked into a session alone.

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. Today’s film is Inside Out (U) – the latest film from Disney-Pixar. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here.

Space for Reflection: Living with Environmental Challenge. Organised by the Environmental Physics Group of the Institute of Physics, this exhibition will look at the use of satellite imagery to reflect upon man’s impact on the earth, considered in the light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report, as well as presenting stunning earth images, and digital artistic interpretations. Today’s launch event will include a preview of the exhibition plus the opportunity to try your hand at analysing some images and to hear from scientists working in the field of environmental satellite imagery, with a talk by postgraduate student Xu Teo at 2.30pm. 11am-3pm today, then during normal opening hours, Penicuik Community Arts, West Street Arts Centre, 2-4 West Street, Penicuik. Free. The exhibition, which is part of the Midlothian Science Festival, will be open until the end of October.

The Balerno Music Festival continues today, when Purves Puppets present Pips and Panda and the Magic Egg. Pips and Panda are camping on the beach and Panda has built a big sand castle. They are about to have their tea when something odd happens and they notice something strange up in the sky. Find out what happens next! Please note all children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-4pm, St Joseph’s Hall, Balerno Parish Church. Tickets cost £7 (adult), £5 (child) or £15 (group of 3). For full details and tickets please visit the festival’s website here. The final part of this year’s festival will take place 6th-11th October; full details may be found on the website.

Greenpeace Edinburgh Eco Fair: come along to the Eco Fair and discover Edinburgh’s green companies and services. Stroll among over 25 stalls of planet-friendly gifts, treats and food – including East Coast Organics, RSPB, Creative Carbon Scotland, Remade in Edinburgh, Stop Climate Chaos, New Caledonian Woodlands, Tiphereth Camphill Edinburgh and Green Gift Company – plus crafts for children, all gathered under one roof. The Drill Hall Cafe will be open for delicious food and drink. 10am-4pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Admission free.

Portobello Book Festival 2015: lots more bookish events today – sessions with Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, Glasgow Women’s Library, Paul Burgess, Jim Crumley, Kay Sexton, Dennis Canavan, Fiona Ritchie, Sanjeev Singh Kohli and Billy Kay. Various venues around Portobello. All events are free but tickets are required and may be collected from Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue in advance. Some tickets may be available at venues 15 minutes before the start of some events. To see the full programme, with details of all venues, click here.

Gen Verde – Upfront and Unplugged: a concert of contemporary acoustic music to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Action of Churches Together in Scotland. Gen Verde is the international music group of the Folocare Movement. 6pm, Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe Coburg Street. Tickets £7 on the door.

Fresh Fruit: Art Taster Workshops.  Fresh Fruit is a programme of workshops designed with and for young people and based on current exhibitions. These drawing and sculpture workshops are led by trained young people and artist Louise Fraser. For ages 11-15. No experience is required. 4-6pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street. Free: to reserve your place please text or phone Caitlin on 07527 927 916 or 0131 226 8186 or email caitlin@fruitmarket.co.uk. For more information visit the Fresh Fruit blog here.

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: films for all tastes (‘from the foodies to the fanatics!’), primary and secondary school screenings, gastronomic evening and opening and closing events. Today’s films, all showing at Filmhouse, Lothian Road, are;

(1) at 1.05pm: 5 Days to Dance/5 Dias para bailar (U) (in Spanish with English subtitles). A fascinating insight into two choreographers, Wilfried Van Poppel and Amaya Lubeigt. Based in Germany, they travel to Spain to run a dance workshop with Spanish children. The challenge: to turn a class of self-conscious teenagers into dancers with a performance on stage at the end. Also showing at 6pm on Thursday 8th October. Plus short: The Violinist;

(2) at 3pm: My Dearest Senorita/Mi querida senorita (PG) (in Spanish with English subtitles). Adela is a spinster in her forties who lives alone. She is aware that she is not a normal woman as she needs to shave every day and is attracted to her maid. This was the first Spanish film to talk about sexual orientation, which was a taboo subject during Franco’s regime. Followed by a talk, How Could This Film Pass Censorship? by Professor Nuria Capdevila (University of Exeter);

(3) at 5.45pm, Living is Easy with Eyes Closed/Vivir es facile con los ojos cerrados (15) (in Spanish and Basque with English subtitles). This tale, inspired by true events, takes place in 1966. As John Lennon heads to Almeria to work on Richard Lester’s anti-war film: How I Won the War. Antonio, an English teacher, decides to set out and meet him. On the way he meets two runaways and the three share an adventure that becomes the expression of a country desperate for a better future in the beautiful and backward Almeria of the ’60s. Also showing at 5.45pm on Friday 10th October. Today’s screening will be followed by a Q& A session with Dr Antonio Sánchez (University of Stirling);

(4) at 8pm: Magical Girl (18) (in Spanish with English subtitles). Alicia is an ailing child who dreams of the dress in the Japanese series Magical Girl Yukiko. She soon becomes trapped in a net of obscure blackmailing where instincts and reason spar with one another in a tragic struggle. Today’s screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Dr Antonio Sánchez (University of Stirling). Also showing at 8.30pm on Friday 9th October.

Tickets may be purchased from the Filmhouse box office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online; prices vary.

St John’s Open Rehearsal and Choral Evensong: if you might like to join this fantastic choir, come along this evening and give it a try. A high level of commitment and good sight-reading ability is essential – but they also have a great social life! 5pm, St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street. For more information, use the contact form on the choir’s own website here.

St Giles’ at Six: Organ Recital. Thomas Nipp Liechtenstein, Rheinberger Entrata, Intermezzo, Tema variato Op 167, Buxtehude Praeludium in E minor, Nipp Alma redemptoris mater, Schmidt Prelude and Fugue in D, JL Krebs Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele and Nipp Ave maris stella. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.

Sofi’s Nocturnes: an open stage every Sunday evening, hosted by Matt Norris and Arno Blok. Unplugged and intimate, all acts welcome – music, spoken-word or anything else – and a free drink for performing! 8-10pm, Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street.

Sarah Jones in Concert: Sarah Jones shares stories of her life as a vicar near Gloucester and as a transwoman. A passionate singer/songwriter, Sarah has performed with her collection of guitars in folk clubs all over the UK.  7.30pm, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Tickets cost £8/£5 on the door. For more information please call 0131 220 1677. Part of SMHAFF – the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 2015. 

Nitekirk: a monthly, creative drop-in experience of church. A time of reflection, gentle music, candlelight and, throughout the sanctuary, places of optional activity such as poetry, art and prayers. Come and go as you like, join in as much or as little as you wish. The theme this month is The Changing Seasons. 5-8pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. All welcome. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door’.

Rosemary Kaye

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