93 Things To Do in Edinburgh This Week!

Edinburgh Play Rangers Week! Edinburgh Play Rangers (EPR) is a new and exciting collaboration across the City between four established organisations (Smart Play Network, Canongate Youth, North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Leisure) in the delivery of play services for children in Bingham and Magdalene, Dumbiedykes, Craigmillar, Pilton and Muirhouse. This week there will be free drop-in sessions at four locations – everyone is welcome, refreshments provided! Today’s session will take place 11am-3pm at Brunstane Primary School playground, 106 Magdalene Drive.

North Edinburgh Arts February Film Club – free films for half term! The films are for children aged 12 and younger; children under the age of 6 must be accompanied by someone over the age of 16. Today: The BFG (U): when little Sophie is taken from her orphanage bed one night, it’s just the beginning of a thrilling adventure with The Big Friendly Giant. As they catch dreams together in Dream Country and blow them into children’s bedrooms, trouble appears in the shape of The Bloodbottler and Fleshlumpeater – big, bad giants who like to gobble children up for breakfast! It’s up to Sophie and The BFG to persuade the Queen of England to help them stop the giants and thwart their fiendish plans. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl. You will need to register before the film starts, so please arrive 20 minutes early. 1.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court, Muirhouse. The Film Club is supported by Muirhouse Housing Association. Tomorrow’s film is Mr Peabody and Sherman (PG).

Ragged University AGM: inspired by the Ragged Schools movement, the Ragged University is where people come together to share their knowledge and skills in social spaces like pubs, cafes and libraries. Come and take part in a discussion about the project, where it has been and where it is going. Since its inception in 2010, Ragged University has organised hundreds of free events over several cities; now active in Edinburgh and Manchester, the project needs feedback and input from people who are interested in helping to ensure that more free social learning events go on. This is the launch of a collaborative project with People Know How (an Edinburgh based charity) where this year Ragged University will be working with the Social Innovation Academy. Today’s meeting will include a look back at the past five years of activities,  a question and answer session to help develop the FAQ section of the new website, the official launch of that website, an opportunity to test out the brand new mobile computer classroom which will be used this year, and an introduction to People Know How and the Social Innovation Academy. 2.30-4.30pm, Ground Floor 26, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. All welcome.

Picturehouses Toddler Time: exclusive short screenings for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today: The Hive Programme 7: join Buzzbee and friends in their fun-packed adventures in The Hive. Every day brings something new for the little bee as he explores the world around him with best friends Barnabee, Debee, Jasper the wasp and his sister, Rubee – whether they’re on a treasure hunt or camping out under the stars, building a den or training Grandpa and Grandma Bee’s pet flea, Jump, to do tricks, there’s always something to learn and share. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child, accompanying adult free.

LGBT Spiritual Space: Maxwell Reay, NHS Mental Health Community Chaplain, offers a supportive space for people to discuss and develop ideas of spirituality and identity. Suitable for people of all faiths or no faith at all. Tonight: ‘Puppy Love’ – a discussion about ‘Companionship and Love’. An opportunity to explore the spiritual value of caring for and loving our pets, dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, etc… Bring along a picture of your pet (past or present) and share your story. 6.30-7.30pm (within weekly Drop-In, which runs 5.30-8pm), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Meet the Edible Gardening Team: take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project volunteers. Find out what jobs need doing in your own garden now and have your vegetable growing questions answered. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free, drop-in, no booking required. Also at same times on Tuesday 2nd February.

For Crying Out Loud: screenings for parents and carers and their babies under the age of 12 months. (Maximum of two adults per baby). Babychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Casablanca (U) – the world’s favourite Hollywood love story, all the more romantic because it doesn’t exalt romantic love above all. Humphrey Bogart is at his best as Rick, an American opportunist in 1940 French Morocco with a gruffly cynical exterior that belies his wary idealism and wounded heart. Ingrid Bergman is luminous as Ilsa, who arrives in Casablanca with resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), but clearly has a history with Rick. Cynicism and self-interest contend with idealism and self-sacrifice as Rick and Ilsa’s past weighs against the world’s future. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Book Group: join the Blackwell’s Book Group for lively, friendly book chatter. No previous experience required! The group meets monthly to discuss a wide range of books – fiction and non-fiction, classic and contemporary, prizewinners and cult heroes – in short, whatever you fancy! Currently reading Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami; March’s book will be Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse and April’s The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. 6pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join just email your details to events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Living Our LGBT Memories: The Living Memory Association and LGBT Youth Scotland uncover LGBT histories throughout February 2016. Bring your photos to scan, your stories to share and your enthusiasm for a range of interactive events. Daily throughout February, Ground Floor, Ocean Terminal, 5 Quayside Place, Leith. This is LGBT History Month.

Grassmarket Picture House: Brokeback Mountain (15). A love story from director Ang Lee in which the taboo word ‘love’ is never spoken. Adapted from a piece of writing from 1997 by Annie Proulx – one that already bears the burdensome reputation of being the best short story ever to be published by the New Yorker – Brokeback Mountain is the tale of two itinerant ranch-hands in the early 1960s, Ennis and Jack (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal), who get a summer’s work shepherding on the eponymous mountain in Wyoming. Thrown together, lonely and frustrated, Ennis and Jack find that their relationship has grown deeper and fiercer than friendship; safe from society’s disapproval on that remote Arcadian spot they are at one with their own natures and with nature itself. And for the rest of their lives, unhappily married with children, meeting every few years as notional buddies for furtive ‘fishing trips’, they yearn to recapture that brief shining moment of happiness and truth. Screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana have developed and extrapolated the source material with flair, in particular giving a dramatic presence to the women in Ennis and Jack’s story. The wives are destined to be baffled and hurt, and crucially realise that it is they, and not their menfolk, who are expected to live out their lives in a state of denial. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome, free admission: donations very welcome! The Grassmarket Community Project is a charity providing mentoring, training and education to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable of Edinburgh’s citizens, in a nurturing environment. It operates a community cafe, woodwork and tartan social enterprises, and a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at enhancing life skills and developing confidence. To read about The Edinburgh Reporter’s afternoon at the Project, click here.

Barbara A Morton: White Porcelain Bowls. A limited edition of twenty-four pieces of poetic text written by the artist, with individual chapters (screen-printed on fine monochrome sheets) connecting and interweaving to create a thematic whole that is inseparable from its physical representation – the texture and colour of paper, the elegant white type, the beautiful Japanese style binding. Barbara A Morton is a writer and artist whose work has been widely published in journals and anthologies; her haiku are published frequently by both The British Haiku Society and The Irish Haiku Society, and her writing is also published on the Government Art Collection website. Morton’s poetic response to the artwork of Christopher Orr was included in his show The Beguiled Eye at Talbot Rice Gallery; most recently her work was part of the Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, McNaughtan’s Bookshop and Gallery, 3a & 4a Haddington Place. Ends 9th April 2016.

The Skylark Kids’ Movie: this week The Jungle Book (U): in Disney’s jumpin’ jungle classic, with probably the best soundtrack every recorded, Bagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear have a difficult time trying to convince a boy called Mowgli to leave the jungle for human civilization. 3.45pm, The Skylark, 241/243 Portobello High Street.

Susan Tomes and Eric Höbarth Play Schubert. Austrian violinist Erich Höbarth is the leader of the Quatuor Mosaïques and concertmaster of Concentus Musicus Wien; Scottish pianist Susan Tomes is the pianist of the Florestan Trio, Domus and the Gaudier Ensemble. Following their acclaimed performance of an all-Schubert programme at the Wigmore Hall in 2015, Tomes and Höbarth bring their programme to The Queen’s Hall. Schubert is shown in many different moods, from intimate to extrovert: the delicate A minor Sonatina, the serene Grand Duo in A major, three lovely Moments Musicaux  for solo piano, and the legendary three-movement Fantasy for violin and piano, where Schubert’s soaring imagination expresses itself in astonishing flights of virtuosity. 7.30pm, The Queen’s Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street. Tickets cost £20/£15, concessions £15/£12, students £5 and are available from The Queen’s Hall Box Office in person, by calling 0131 668 2019 or online here (transaction fee applies).

TUESDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2016

Books In Focus: Matisse’s Jazz. The series of Books in Focus sessions focuses on artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and is usually held in the Reading Room at Modern Two. This special one-off session in the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre will look in detail at Henri Matisse’s livre d’artiste, Jazz, which was published by Tériade in 1947. As fresh as the day it was printed, the book is a meditation on colour and what it is to be an artist by one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed. Image Le Clown [The Clown], Henri Matisse, 1947, © Succession H. Matisse / DACS 2015.

Edinburgh Play Rangers Week! Edinburgh Play Rangers (EPR) is a new and exciting collaboration across the City between four established organisations (Smart Play Network, Canongate Youth, North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Leisure) in the delivery of play services for children in Bingham and Magdalene, Dumbiedykes, Craigmillar, Pilton and Muirhouse. This week there will be free drop-in sessions at four locations – everyone is welcome, refreshments provided! Today’s session will take place 10.30am-1.30pm at North Edinburgh Arts Garden, Pennywell Court, Muirhouse.

North Edinburgh Arts February Film Club – free films for half term! The films are for children aged 12 and younger; children under the age of 6 must be accompanied by someone over the age of 16. Today: Mr Peabody and Sherman(PG): Mr Peabody has the achievements to support claims that he is the smartest being on Earth. An influential and highly successful scientist, inventor, businessman and all round polymath, he also happens to be a dog who, in a somewhat unusual turn of events, has adopted a human boy, Sherman, to look after. However, when the curious Sherman creates havoc with Mr Peabody’s latest invention, the WABAC time-travelling machine, the boy and dog team must embark on an adventure through history to try and put things right, meeting figures including Leonardo Da Vinci and Sigmund Freud along the way. You will need to register before the film starts, so please arrive 20 minutes early. 1.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court, Muirhouse. The Film Club is supported by Muirhouse Housing Association. There is no film on Wednesday: Thursday’s film is Home (PG).

Innovation Architecture: InnovationNation is the Edinburgh International Conference Centre’s series of free public lectures, designed to celebrate innovation in Edinburgh and Scotland. In recognition of Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, the theme for February’s talk is Innovation Architecture. Professor Sue Roaf (School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure & Society, Heriot-Watt University) will discuss future-proofing your buildings and lifestyles against climate change. Speaking alongside Professor Roaf will be Karen Cunningham of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and Director for the 2016 Festival of Architecture. 6-8pm, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, The Exchange. Free but registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Lunchtime Concert: Calum Robertson (clarinet) and John Bryden (piano) play Tomasi Nocturne,  Challan Flirt, Loucheur Volière, Noël-Gallon Cantabile, EP Stekel Polichinelle, Howells A Near Minuet, Howells Sonata and Francaix Theme and Variations. 1.10pm, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square. Admission free. Part of the Concerts at the University Spring – Summer 2016 series.

Bookbug: for children aged 0-4 and their parents and carers. 10.30am today and every Tuesday and Friday, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court. Free.

Screening Europe: a new season curated by Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh, introducing a varied selection of past and contemporary European films to celebrate and interrogate the history and aesthetics of cinema in Europe. Both members of the public and students are invited to an exciting series of introduced screenings that will chart the development of film across Europe. Tonight’s film is The Last Mistress/Une vieille maîtresse (15) (In French with English subtitles). Director Catherine Breillat unexpectedly moves beyond the exaggerated sexually violent provocations of her earlier brutalist films to produce a period drama set amongst the upper classes of 19th century Paris. Asia Argento plays the titular mistress who refuses to be relegated to second place by the whims of her lover, who quickly becomes irrelevant as the relationship between mistress and wife begins to take precedence. The screening will be introduced by Dr David Sorfa, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies (University of Edinburgh). 5.55pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. The next film in the series will be The Draughtsman’s Contract (15), showing on Tuesday 23rd February.

Leith Folk Club: Sandy Brechin & Ewan Wilkinson. Sandy and Ewan have been playing together for almost ten years. They regularly tour Britain and the world, playing a mixture of Scottish, Irish and English traditional songs and tunes, together with contemporary folk songs and original compositions. ‘They’re astonishingly good and we can’t wait to see them again’. Support: Nancy Nicholson. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £8 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.

• 7.30pm tonight and Wednesday 17th February, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry;
• 7.30pm Thursday 18th February, South Leith Parish Halls, 6 Henderson Street;
• 5pm and 8pm, Friday 19th February, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square.

Tickets cost £11/£9 (transaction fee applies) and are available via the A Team’s website here.

WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2016

Visually Impaired Tour and Workshop: Costume at the Portrait Gallery. A free descriptive tour and practical workshop for the visually impaired. 10am-3.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (meet at the Information Desk), 1 Queen Street. Free but booking is required: please contact the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.

Edinburgh Play Rangers Week! Edinburgh Play Rangers (EPR) is a new and exciting collaboration across the City between four established organisations (Smart Play Network, Canongate Youth, North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Leisure) in the delivery of play services for children in Bingham and Magdalene, Dumbiedykes, Craigmillar, Pilton and Muirhouse. This week there will be free drop-in sessions at four locations – everyone is welcome, refreshments provided! Today’s session will take place 12-3pm at Dumbiedykes Park, Holyrood.

Let’s Play Live! – Minecraft Story Mode Half Term Special. At 2pm you can adventure through Redstonia with Olivia to find Ellegaard the Engineer, or at 4pm you can help Axel ward off the griefers and find Magnus the Rogue in Boom Town. For ages 9+. Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road. Places are limited so please ask library staff for details.

Edinburgh Active Citizenship Group: Who Owns Scotland? Who Owns Edinburgh? Why Land Reform Matters. A seminar with writer and researcher Andy Wightman, looking at how land ownership affects us, who the current winners – and losers – are, what a fair system of land ownership might look like and how people can influence change. 7-9pm, South Bridge Resource Centre, Infirmary Street. No booking required, just come along – for any specific requirements and/or more information please contact 0131 558 3545.

Sunflower Café: this new monthly café offers a welcoming and caring environment for those struggling with issues of memory loss, and for their carers, to enjoy companionship and stimulating activity. If you would like to register to attend or to find out more information, please contact the church office at admin@palmerstonplacechurch.com or call 0131 220 1690. 2-3.30pm, Palmerston Place Church, Palmerston Place. The next café will be on 16th March.

Let’s Talk About Health: Multiple Sclerosis: success, challenges and hope. Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder that has a particularly high prevalence in Scotland; over the past decade wonderful progress has been made in suppressing the immune system attacks that occur in MS, and a host of life-changing treatments are now available to sufferers; the next goal is to help repair the damage that occurs to myelin and to prevent degeneration of nerves. Come and learn more about MS, the challenges that have been overcome, the challenges that remain and the exciting research now taking place, offering hope for treatment of this disease. Speakers will be Dr Anna Williams, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, and Dr Dave Lyons, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Neuroregeneration (both University of Edinburgh). 5.30-6.30pm (doors open at 4.30pm, with tea/coffee available; refreshments will also be available after the event), Queen’s Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent. Free but registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here. The Let’s Talk About Health: Understanding Disease series is all about advancing our knowledge of health and what goes wrong in disease. Hear about new research in the University that is increasing understanding of diseases and providing new advances in treatment. Guests will be able to talk to young scientists about their research and will have an opportunity to tour the labs before the talks.

Horticulture Careers Day: short presentations and seminars by a range of horticulturists, covering a broad variety of careers areas, experience and advice. Aimed at anybody who is interested in a career, or further developing their career, in horticulture. The day will include talks by leading members of the horticulture industry and seminar sessions on Professional Gardening, Landscaping, Arboriculture, Commercial Plant Production, Garden Design and Horticultural Science, plus an opportunity to speak to industry representatives on trade stands and a talk by special guest Mark Gregory on My career and award winning gardens at Chelsea. 10am-4pm, Lecture Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Bookings may be made via Scotland’s Rural College here.

Edinburgh Tales: Trainspotting At Twenty. It’s twenty years this month since Danny Boyle’s raucous, flamboyant film based on Irvine Welsh’s book was launched, immediately becoming a cultural hit and a box office fireball. How did an everyday story of heroin abuse in Leith and the schemes go world-wide? What made it so special? Has it lasted? Tim Bell has conducted Trainspotting tours of Leith for ten years, sharing insights on the book and the film with visitors from around the world . He is in the late stages of writing his own book, provisionally titled Love Life, Love Leith: A Trainspotter’s Guide. 2.30-3.30pm, George Washington Browne Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Musselburgh Race Meeting: extend your passion for racing from on-screen to on course! Enjoy a more relaxed day where the focus is on exciting jumps racing, position yourself close to one of the hurdles or fences and get a real sense of the energy and power of the horses as they speed past. 11.30am (doors open), 1.40pm (first race), Musselburgh Racecourse, Linkfield Road, Musselburgh. Tickets cost £20/£15 and are available online here; children 17 years and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Alison Demarco: The Signature From Tibet. Local author Alison will be discussing her new novel, ‘a thrilling adventure of epic proportions spanning decades and continents, seen through the eyes of four pivotal characters: The Soldier, Pembuti, Anne, and Palden. Based on a true story, this captivating saga takes readers deep inside the worlds of traditional Scottish culture and Tibetan Buddhism, interconnecting the characters in a most profound and unexpected way’. 6.30pm, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road.

Jammin at Voodoo: a monthly live jam session with some of Scotland’s leading musicians playing lounge grooves from many genres – Blues, Soul, Funk, Ska, Rock and Reggae, Jazz & Country. Musicians play by invitation to set a good standard; tonight’s special guests are Edinburgh band Cow Cow Boogie, who play their own brand of 1940s/1950s R&B, Western Swing/Country & Jump Blues. The sessions are arranged by Rod Kennard, who plays bass with The River Devils & Blues in Trouble, and Ash Gupta, guitarist & leader of KoolVibration, Scotland’s top Roots Reggae ensemble featuring Trav ‘Hedkandi’ Panesar on sax. For over 18s only. 9pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Free.

Bi and Beyond Edinburgh: a fortnightly social gathering for people who identify as bisexual and non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever your label or lack of label we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.

Seven Pieces of Silver: Manchester bassist Paul Baxter is on UK tour with this great 7-piece, playing the music of famous jazz legend Horace Silver, here with James Lancaster (trumpet), Stuart Macdonald and John Mckillup (saxes), Matt Ball (trombone), Andrzej Baranek (piano) and Paul Smith (drums). 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £7/£5 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.

THURSDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2016

Edinburgh Play Rangers Week! Edinburgh Play Rangers (EPR) is a new and exciting collaboration across the City between four established organisations (Smart Play Network, Canongate Youth, North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Leisure) in the delivery of play services for children in Bingham and Magdalene, Dumbiedykes, Craigmillar, Pilton and Muirhouse. This week there will be free drop-in sessions at four locations, everyone is welcome, refreshments provided! Today’s session will take place 12-3pm at Jack Kane Sports Centre, 208 Niddrie Mains Road.

North Edinburgh Arts February Film Club – free films for half term! The films are for children aged 12 and younger, and children under the age of 6 must be accompanied by someone over the age of 16. Today: Home (PG): an alien race invades Earth and uses it as a hideout from their mortal enemy, but when one lowly alien accidentally notifies the enemies of his whereabouts, he is forced to go on the run with a teenage girl. The two become unlikely buddies and embark on a comical globe-trotting adventure to right his wrongs, in which our alien hero learns what it really means to be human. Based on the critically acclaimed book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. You will need to register before the film starts, so please arrive 20 minutes early. 1.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court, Muirhouse. The Film Club is supported by Muirhouse Housing Association. Tomorrow’s film is Minions (PG).

Easel Sketching in the Gallery – February: led by artist Damian Callan. A different subject each month and sometimes with a model. All materials supplied. 2-4pm,Scottish National Gallery (main floor), The Mound. Free and unticketed. Also at same times on Friday 19th February.

LGBT Learning Difficulties: Social Circle. A social group for people with learning difficulties or learning disabilities to meet other people, have fun and discuss sexuality and gender identity. Today: Online Dating. 2-4pm (arrive from 1.55pm), Lifecare Centre, Cheyne Street. For more information please contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or email george@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Secrets of Gilmerton Cove: come and learn the secrets of this series of hand carved passageways and chambers that lie below ground to the south of Gilmerton crossroads. Were they a drinking den for the gentry? A refuge for persecuted Covenantors? A smugglers’ lair? Hear about this archaeological mystery, one that has baffled investigators for over 300 years. 2.30-3pm, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Free but please reserve your place by calling 0131 529 5636 or emailing newington.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Beyond Art School: are you worried about your next step after leaving art school? Edinburgh Printmakers’ free 3-hour professional development event for students and graduates will offer advice and knowledge about negotiating the tricky and often confusing period between graduation and building a sustainable art practice. This event will consist of print demonstrations, tours, and talks by artists and staff, and will focus on the opportunities Edinburgh Printmakers can offer artists, not least to practice printmaking, but also to access expertise and further training from its Master Printers. Refreshments will be served. The evening is part of Edinburgh Student Arts Festival, which runs 12th-19th February 2016 and is Scotland’s first ever student-run arts festival, bringing together five higher education and further education institutions across the city. 6-9pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Free but places are limited so booking is essential: priority will be given to students and graduates. Booking may be made via eventbrite here.

Muirhouse Community Litter Pick Up: come and help clean up Muirhouse Linear Park! Litter pickers and gloves provided. Children welcome but must be supervised. 10am-12 noon (meet at the noticeboard, Muirhouse Drive entrance), Muirhouse Park, Muirhouse Drive.

Christine de Luca – Edinburgh’s Makar: come and hear the Makar/Poet Laureate for Edinburgh talking about her post and her poetry. A Scottish poet and novelist who writes in English and in Shetland Dialect, (a blend of Old Scots with much Norse influence) Christine has published five collections of poetry in English and Shetlandic and has read at festivals in Norway, Finland, France, Italy and India. Her poetry has been translated into other languages and in 2011 she was a guest poet at the Trois-Rivières International Festival in Canada. In turn she enjoys translating other poets into Shetlandic. Christine has had fruitful collaborations across the arts and has been an active member of Shore Poets in Edinburgh for many years; her first novel And then Forever came out in 2011. She is one of the founders of Hansel Co-operative Press which was established to promote literary and artistic work in Shetland and Orkney, and active in promoting work with Shetland children, having written dialect stories for different age groups. Christine has also taken part in poetry readings and discussions on BBC Radio 4. 7-8pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

LGBT Age Edinburgh visits Living With...: a gallery gander to this LGBT art exhibition in the company of other older LGBT people, with the option to stay for lunch in the café. 10am-12 noon, Out of the Blue, 36 Dalmeny Street. Booking is preferred; please contact Kelly Minio-Paluello on 0141 271 2330 or email kelly@lgbthealth.org.uk. LGBT Age is a project run by LGBT Health and Wellbeing for LGBT people aged 50 and over in Greater Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Lothians. The project aims to promote health and wellbeing and create social opportunities; it offers a befriending service, a social programme and information sessions. To receive updates or for more information, please contact lgbtage@lgbthealth.org.uk or call 0141 271 2330.

My Life in Poetry with Agnes Török: one of the artists featured in this year’s Edinburgh Student Arts Festival tells the story of her life through her favourite poems. Agnes Török is an award-winning bilingual spoken word poet and poetry event organiser. Her two one-woman shows, acclaimed TED talk and YouTube sensation Worthless combine biting social commentary with hopefulness in a complete love of the art form. 6.30pm, Mezzanine, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Live Music Now: Morag Brown and Lewis Powell-Reid. Morag and Lewis have a rich and expanding repertoire of music from a number of folk traditions. On fiddle and bouzouki or accordion, they are at home performing traditional music from Scotland, Ireland and England as well as from further afield. This performance will include repertoire from the Scottish Borders to complement images of the region’s Common Riding traditions, which are presented as part of the Document Scotland exhibition. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

#SDXloft – Launch: The Scottish Design Exchange is a new concept retail space for artists and designers working and manufacturing in Scotland, showcasing the best of modern, contemporary Scottish design. The store is brimming with fantastic products all designed and made in Scotland; jewellery, leather products, clothing, skin care, furniture, artwork, homeware… and more coming in every day. No commission is added to products so you pay a fair price for the goods and what you pay goes directly to the artist or designer. This venture is also helping to support local community projects by donating profits at the end of the financial year. Come and enjoy drinks and nibbles tonight, as the Exchange’s new Fashion House is launched – support local makers and designers, bag yourself something unique and ultimately help local community projects. 6.30pm, The Scottish Design Exchange, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive.

Mayfield Salisbury Thursday Club: a weekly programme of music, visual presentations, films, talks and demonstrations. Although mainly for retired people, visitors of any age are always welcome. This week: Geoff Smith will tell Some Stories of South & East Africa. 2-4pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, 1a Mayfield Road. Annual membership costs £4 per year and 50p a week is charged for tea; new members are most welcome, but you don’t have to be a member to come along. For more information please contact Florence Smith on 0131 663 1234.

Picturehouses Big Scream: exclusively for babies under the age of twelve months and their parents and carers. Today’s film is The Walk (PG): French tightrope artist Philippe Petit’s extraordinary journey across a wire suspended between the World Trade Centre’s twin towers in 1974 was celebrated in James Marsh’s Oscar-winning documentary Man On Wire. Here writer-director Robert Zemeckis delves further into the background of his daring and indeed illegal escapade. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Petit, Charlotte Le Bon as his girlfriend Annie and Ben Kingsley as his trusted mentor Papa Rudy. The film relives the extensive preparations and subterfuge behind Petit’s spectacular achievement, which is shot with all the technical skill and imagination Zemeckis is famed for. 10.30am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets are at usual matinee prices: babies admitted free.

Tintin’s Adventures in Scots: Of Princes and Partans. Translator Susan Rennie discusses her most recent Scots Tintin translation The Partan wi the Gowden Taes. The book features the first appearance of Captain Haddie and his endlessly inventive Scots oaths. Rennie contrasts this with her new translation of a very different work, the much-loved classic story Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. 6-7pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but registration is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or via eventbrite here.

FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY 2016

North Edinburgh Arts February Film Club – free films for half term! The films are for children aged 12 and younger, and children under the age of 6 must be accompanied by someone over the age of 16. Today: Minions (PG): Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world. You will need to register before the film starts, so please arrive 20 minutes early. 1,30pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court, Muirhouse. The Film Club is supported by Muirhouse Housing Association. 

Alyn Cosker Electric Band: one of Scotland’s top drummers, Alyn Cosker is regularly featured with the SNJO, Tommy Smith’s groups and many other top names. His spectacular soloing and outstanding brand new band promise an exceptional evening, with Davie Dunsmuir (guitar), Steve Hamilton (piano, now touring with US drums legend Billy Cobham), and electric bassist Colin Cunningham, playing new original compositions plus music from Alyn’s album Lyn’s Une. A groove based electric band with challenging yet accessible time signatures, the music conveys Alyn’s love of the likes of Steely Dan, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Jaco Pastorius, and Celtic music star Michael McGoldrick. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.

Katie Schwab: Together in a Room. An exhibition of new work by Katie Schwab, developed through her time as Associate Producer, part of Satellites Programme 2016. Katie’s practice incorporates textiles, video, ceramics and functional furniture brought together in installations. Together in a Room is concerned with the potential relationships built between people, shapes, colours and histories within an interior environment. During her time with Collective, Katie has developed her interest in the politics of, and relationships between, craft, design, housing and education. As part of her research, she has visited spaces associated with forms of 20th and 21st century domestic design and craft education, including homes, museums, showrooms, schools and colleges. Preview tonight 7-8pm, then 10am-4pm Tuesday to Sunday, Collective Observatory and Dome, 38 Calton Hill. Ends 24th April 2016. Image: Katie Schwab, Dedicated to my great teachers, production film still, 2016. Courtesy the artist.

Alison Demarco: The Signature From Tibet. Local author Alison will be discussing her new novel, ‘a thrilling adventure of epic proportions spanning decades and continents, seen through the eyes of four pivotal characters: The Soldier, Pembuti, Anne, and Palden. Based on a true story, this captivating saga takes readers deep inside the worlds of traditional Scottish culture and Tibetan Buddhism, interconnecting the characters in a most profound and unexpected way’. 3.30pm, Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road.

Snowdrop and Early Spring Interest Walks: join a Garden Guide on a walk to discover the Garden’s wonderful collection of specialist snowdrops, and discover other early flowering plants that herald the onset of Spring. For ages 14+. 11am-12.30pm, (meet at) John Hope Gateway reception, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. £5 per person, no booking required. Also at same times on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st February.

The BBC Big Debate: would you like to be part of The Big Debate in Edinburgh? Former Newsnight presenter Gordon Brewer is the programme’s host, but the producers want you – the audience – to pose the questions. Questions should be brief and to the point, and should be on something that’s been reported in the news. As the programme broadcasts to a Scotland-wide audience, it looks for issues that raise matters of genuine national and international interest (remember to keep an eye on the newspapers). Once you know what you want to ask, email your question to bigdebate@bbc.co.uk by 5.30pm on Thursday 18th February. Please be aware that the programme can’t guarantee that all questions will be used. 12 noon-1pm (doors open at 11.15am, on air from 12), St Kentigern’s Church Hall, 26-28 Parkgrove Avenue. Booking is required to attend the recording, and may be made online here; call 0141 422 7773 for more information.

Bookbug: for children aged 0-4 and their parents and carers. 10.30am today and every Friday and Tuesday, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court. Free.

Edinburgh Wolves Women’s American Football Pub Quiz: the first ever women’s kitted American Football team in the country invites you to test your quizzing skills! This is a fundraiser to help the team pay for travel to its upcoming tournament; raffle tickets will also be sold on the night – prizes include PT sessions, gym passes, shopping vouchers, hair cuts, wolves merchandise, a tattoo voucher and much more! 8pm, Hemma, 73 Holyrood Road. Entry £5 – includes buffet. Teams and individuals all welcome.

Rally & Broad: The Ampersand Sessions. To celebrate all things double and duo, Rachel McCrum and Jenny Lindsay are bringing together some of Scotland (and beyond)’s finest in existing and brand new collaborations for their February shows. The Edinburgh bill is ‘packed fuller than a glut of damson jam’, from supergroups to multilingual performers; this month sees Bella & The Bear and Miracle Glass Company bookending a night of one-off collaborations between top singers and poets, authors and musicians in specially commissioned performances from Hailey Beavis, Faith Elliott, Jonathan Lamy, Russell Jones, and Atzi Muramatsu. 7-10pm, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £5 in advance from The Bongo Club here or £6 on the door, sta. The Bongo Club is a nightclub, live venue and all-round artistic hub with a street-level-headed attitude and an international reputation, owned by local arts charity Out of The Blue – ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar’.

Friday Recital: Diotima Quartet. Yun-Pen Zhao (violin), Constance Ronzatti (violin) Franck Chevalier (viola) and Pierre Morlet (cello) perform Pesson Farrago and Beethoven String Quartet No.16 Op.135. 1.10-1.40pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free. Part of the Concerts at the University Spring – Summer 2016 series.

Collective Hush: Keep meaning to put some time aside for reading and writing poetry each week? Bring your lunch if you like and join this silent drop-in group, reading/writing/making time every Friday in The Space. Sharing the silence, everyone can work together to achieve their artistic and poetic goals. 12 noon-2pm, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. No booking required, just drop in. Free: donations welcome.

Freeze Frame Film Club: Frank (15). ‘It’s funny, it’s irreverent, it’s sad, and there’s a man in a papier-mâché head!’ Come along as yourself, or your own alter ego – or as Frank (best Frank wins a prize) and meet other Franks who enjoy the film as much as you do. Come early to nab a comfy sofa and indulge in a movie meal – £15 for three courses. Or simply come for the film and enjoy a beverage, beer or a cinematic snack in a friendly environment. 7pm (film starts 8.30pm), Out of the Blue, 36 Dalmeny Street. Film only: £3 in advance from the café or on the door; dinner £15, advance booking essential – please call 0131 555 7100 or email stephanie.haigh@outoftheblue.org.uk.

Undercurrent: Amy Boulton: an exhibition of new work developed by the artist during her residency at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. Amy has been the recipient of this year’s ECA/ESW graduate bursary award, which provides studio space for three months and funding to one graduate of Edinburgh College of Art each year. Amy primarily works in digital media and has been making new moving image work while on residency. In this work semi-transparent figures inhabit an incomplete urban landscape whose development has been abandoned due to economic decline, walking along paths intended to connect housing developments to the wider city but now left incomplete, leading to nowhere. During her residency Amy has also produced a series of wax casts of mass produced crockery and storage containers of a type that are ubiquitous in the catering industry; the casts form the installation Back Store, a glimpse behind the scenes of hospitality, an industry synonymous with generosity, conviviality and welcome.  Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 11am-5pm Monday to Saturday, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Hawthornvale. Ends 19th March 2016. Image: Amy Boulton, The Waterfront (still), 2016.

SATURDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2016

St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Adventure, excitement, fun and laughs – everyone welcome. Juice and choc ices are available to purchase in the interval at 50p each. This week’s film is Big Hero 6 (PG). Please note that all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Next week’s film is Shrek Forever After (U).

Scotland’s Gardens: Shepherd House Snowdrop Festival. Shepherd House and its one acre garden form a walled triangle in the middle of the 18th century village of Inveresk. There is a growing collection of specialist snowdrops, mainly in beds and borders. The garden has been featured in many magazines and in 2015 appeared on ITV in Alan Titchmarsh’s Britain’s Best Back Gardens. The owners, Sir Charles and Lady Ann Fraser, have also published a book Shepherd House Garden. 11am-4pm, Shepherd House, Crookston Road, Inveresk, Musselburgh EH21 7TH. Admission £5 (children free), of which 40% goes to Horatio’s Garden (a charity creating and caring for accessible gardens in NHS spinal injury centres) and the net remainder to Scotland’s Gardens’ beneficiaries. Cards will be on sale but there will be no teas served. Also at same times on Sunday 21st February. Image: Augustus snowdrop – www.shepherdhousegarden.co.uk.

Rannagan na chloinne: Seinn comhla rinn! Gaelic Rhymetime! Come and enjoy Gaelic songs and rhymes at these special Seinn sessions. 11am, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. Free: all welcome. The next sessions will be at Leith Library on 25th February and Blackhall Library on 10th March – please contact libraries for times.

The One in Five Campaign: Access to Politics Photocall. ONE IN FIVE is a campaign to encourage, empower and increase political participation amongst disabled people in Scotland. The aim of this photocall is to celebrate the group’s first anniversary and to remind all political parties of their commitment to break down the barriers facing disabled people in politics. Members of all political parties, and none, are welcome to show their support in a massive group photo! 2.30pm, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. For more information please see the group’s Facebook page here and its website here.

British Art Shows: free discussion-led tours of the British Art Show. Focus and content will change weekly. 2-2.30pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE (meet at the main entrance), Belford Road. No booking required. Image: Rachel Maclean Feed Me 2015 − courtesy of the artist and Film and Video Umbrella, © Rachel Maclean, 2015.

Once Upon A Time: weekly storytelling sessions for children in the Book Bothy. 11am, Far From the Madding Crowd, 20 High Street, Linlithgow. Free.

Morningside Farmers’ Market: fresh, local seasonal goods direct from the producers. Meat, fish, vegetables, baking, preserves, gifts and lots more, with hot refreshments available throughout the market and also from The Merlin Pub & Kitchen. 9.30am-3.30pm, The Merlin, 168 Morningside Road.

Nothing But The Poem: Buson and Haiku. A session to read and talk about haiku and a selection of poems by the 18th century Japanese poet Yosa Buson. 11am-12.30pm, The Space, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be purchased via eventbrite here.

Filmhouse Over The Rainbow: My Own Private Idaho (18) (In English and Italian with English subtitles). Gus Van Sant’s 1991 cult classic exemplifies some of the aesthetic difficulties, as well as the creative opportunities, that Shakespeare presents to the modern cinema. Starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves as two street hustlers wandering through the seedy underworld of contemporary America, the film both charts and makes sense of their personal and familial journeys through a series of detailed allusions to, and quotations from, Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts One and Two, and Henry V. 3.10pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. Also showing at 5.45pm on Sunday 21st February. Over The Rainbow is Filmhouse’s monthly screening strand for new and classic queer cinema and events.

Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home Ceilidh: dance the night away to live ceilidh band The Canongate Cadjers, meet like-minded animal lovers and take part in an exciting raffle packed full of prizes, all the while showing your support for the worthwhile work at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. While EDCH have moved this year’s Ceilidh to a larger venue, they recommend you book tickets online in advance as they reached capacity in the venue last year very quickly, and they would hate to turn anyone away at the door! 7-11pm, Lauriston Hall, Lauriston Street. Tickets cost £8 + booking fee in advance from eventbrite here, or £12 on the door, subject to availability.

Black Cat Bone + Norman Silver & The Gold + Logan’s Close: this 4 piece British Blues Rock band comes equipped with a pounding rhythm section, layered vocals, catchy guitar riffs, heavy distortion and hollering harmonica. Black Cat Bone’s single Peace of Mind appeared at the beginning of May 2015; the band has appeared on STV and on BBC Radio Scotland’s Janice Forsyth Show, and has just released its debut album Growl, available from iTunes and Bandcamp. Supported by Edinburgh punk country band Norman Silver & The Gold and Dunbar-based Logan’s Close (rock ‘n’ roll/rhythm & blues). For over 18s only. 7pm, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £7 (plus booking fee) and may be purchased from The Voodoo Room, Ripping Records and band members.

Groovetrain: groove-laden ‘tight but loose’ funk/soul/rock from Geordie visitors, with keys, guitars, sax, and multiple layers of soulful vocals, presenting an eclectic set of slick originals and choice covers. This vastly experienced line-up of touring and session musicians, including British Blues & Soul Award nominees, rock royalty, and jazz/fusion chartbotherers, will rock the joint! Plus DJ. 12 midnight-3am (entry from 11.30pm, band 12.45am), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.

LGBT Swimming:exclusive swimming for the LGBT community is back!  Enjoy the use of Warrender Swim Centre’s fantastic 25 metre pool, sauna and gym. Join friendly staff from both LGBT Health and the Swim Centre and meet other LGBT people in a safe and supportive environment. 5-7pm, Warrender Swim Centre, 55 Thirlestane Road. If you would like to attend, please register online here or contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104/email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk. Free but a donation of £3 per session is suggested.

Messenger Sound System: Bob Marley’s Birthday. Rather than celebrate its own (29th) birthday, with characteristic humility tonight Messenger celebrates the birthday of the original reggae don, Robert Nesta Marley, instead. The custom-built, bass-heavy rig, Scotland’s original (and biggest) roots and culture rasta reggae sound system, keeps the fires burning.  Expect an essential Bob Marley & The Wailers selection, start to finish, tonight – a sweet celebration of the king of reggae music. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £7 (£6 before 12 midnight).

T Time Edinburgh: an informal monthly social gathering open to all transgender people, their friends, families and supporters. Come along for tea/coffee and a chat in a friendly, relaxed environment. An optional event runs alongside each T time, starting usually at 2pm, involving a range of interests, information and activities – today: ‘Trans Community Groups Mini Market’ – meet group leaders from a range of trans social and support groups in Edinburgh, pick up information and find out how to get involved. For over 16s only (the first T Time event of each quarter is family friendly). 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Jules on 0131 523 1104 or email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Maggie’s Centre Ceilidh with the Off Centre Ceilidh Band: Maggie’s Edinburgh provides free, practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer, their families and friends in Edinburgh, Lothians, Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. Built in the grounds of the Western General Hospital, the centre is a warm and welcoming place with professional staff on hand to offer the support people need to find their way through cancer. Maggie’s Edinburgh is a place to find practical advice about benefits and eating well; a place where qualified experts provide emotional support; a place to meet other people or simply to sit quietly with a cup of tea. This ceilidh is a fundraiser for the Centre. 8-11pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Tickets cost £10 and may be purchased from ceilidh4maggies@gmail.com.

The Skylark Presents Les Frites Petites: a loose collective of musicians, artists & songwriters based in West Lothian & a wee bit beyond. Tonight they take over the Skylark for a label showcase. 8pm, The Skylark, 241/243 Portobello High Street.

SUNDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2016

Beyond the Veil – February: National Museum of Scotland. A story session at this family-friendly museum, where children will be able to see displays of everything from dinosaurs to rockets! The story this month is about Prophet Dhul Kifl (AS). Beyond the Veil is a Muslim Women’s Group based in Edinburgh and founded in 2006; the group aims to promote a better understanding of Islam on a basic level and believes it is through integration and partnership that understanding on a reciprocal basis can be achieved. Please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult on these outings. 2-5pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free (please bring your own snacks/lunch) but registration is essential; please email beyondtheveil@hotmail.co.uk with the name of your child, the name of the adult who will accompany him/her, and a mobile contact number.  

Hearing Impaired Tour: BP Portrait Award 2015. A free tour of the exhibition with portable hearing loops, led by Tessa Asquith-Lamb. 11am-12 noon, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but booking is required: please contact the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560. Image: Portrait of Sam Goldofsky, Survivor of Auschwitz, David Jon Kassan− © David Jon Kassan.

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

Boda’s Harry Potter Quiz. Think you and your team have what is takes? Then come and prove it tonight! Boda’s very own self-proclaimed Harry Potter geek Ellie will be writing the quiz and she reckons its going to be the hardest Harry Potter quiz ever….come and find out for yourself. The quiz is totally free – with prizes; if you would like to secure a table for yourself and your team call or email Boda or pop in to the bar. 8pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk.

Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. This week: Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie(U). Remaining faithful to the look and vision of Charles M Schulz, The Peanuts Movie is set to demonstrate that there’s hope for everyone, even beloved underdog Charlie Brown and his faithful beagle Snoopy. In this big-screen adventure, Charlie Brown embarks on an epic quest, while Snoopy takes to the skies in pursuit of his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small.

Filmhouse: The Hollywood Blacklist. To tie in with screenings of Trumbo (15) Filmhouse is showing two films (Spartacus and Roman Holiday) scripted by Dalton Trumbo, (one of the ‘Hollywood Ten’ arrested for refusing to name names during the anti-Communist witchhunts which plagued postwar America) plus Martin Ritt’s darkly comic 1976 film The Front, which was inspired by the techniques that those in Trumbo’s position used to outmanoeuvre the blacklist bans. Today’s film is Spartacus (PG): although not a Stanley Kubrick project (he took over direction from Anthony Mann, and had no hand in Dalton Trumbo’s script), this epic account of the abortive slave revolt in Ancient Rome emerges as a surprisingly apt companion piece to Paths of Glory in its consideration of the mechanisms of power. Kirk Douglas, who also served as executive producer, stars as the title character, a man born of a slave woman and a slave master who has known nothing but chains his entire life. After being forced to put on a gladiator show – one that almost leads to his death – for wealthy Romans (including a marvellously conniving Laurence Olivier as the power-hungry Crassus), Spartacus leads a slave revolt across Italy that soon has thousands marching on Rome. The film is often credited as having ‘broken’ the Hollywood blacklist, as it was the first to be openly credited to a blacklisted writer. 3.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. Roman Holiday (U) will be screened on 29th February and 1st March; The Front (12A) on 2nd and 3rd March.

St Giles At Six: Sinfonia Excelsior. The orchestra of Heriot Watt University performs Mozart Overture to Don Giovanni and Mozart Symphony No.41 ‘The Jupiter’; conducted by Steve King. 6pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.