SATURDAY 21st MAY 2016
Edinburgh Cares: Spare Some Time for Syria. Your help is needed today to load a container of essential goods leaving for Syria. Edinburgh Cares is a grassroots, volunteer-led humanitarian organisation, initially set up in September 2015 in response to the Syrian war crisis. Since then it has partnered with organisations like Well Foundation, ReAct, Hand in Hand in Syria and Sawa in Lebanon to deliver aid to Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia, Greece, Syria and Turkey. It provides urgent help wherever it is needed most. Edinburgh Cares operates a 100% donations policy. All of your donations are spent solely on what you donated for — to help the world’s neediest people. 10am onwards, 59 Lauriston Place. For more information please see Edinburgh Cares’ Facebook page here or contact Abdul on 07543 768 326.
French Family Saturdays: Les îles du Ponant. Summer is fast approaching! Put your sunglasses on as we are taking you on a journey through the western isles of France. 
For this Family Saturday children will be the painters of a great sea fresco; crabs, shells, mermaids… get your paintbrushes ready! Stories, drawings and a goûter are also part of the cruise. The presence of a parent is compulsory for children under 7. 1-3pm, Institut Français d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. £7 per child (members £4), accompanying parent free. Numbers are limited to 20 children; please book in advance by emailing info@ifecosse.org.uk.
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 Dinosaur (PG). Please note that all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), Saturday 14th May, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry. Next week’s film is The Wild (U).
Morningside Farmers’ Market: reducing food miles, keeping the foods fresh and keeping the pounds within the local economy – local produce is a great benefit to the local Morningside community, so come along, support Morningside farmers’ market at the Merlin and enjoy fresh, local seasonal goods direct from the producers! Refreshments available throughout the market and in The Merlin. 9.30am-3.30pm, The Merlin Roadhouse Car Park, 168 Morningside Road.
Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for ages 4-7. 11-11.30am today and every Saturday, Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road.
Holy Corner Christian Aid Week Book Sale – last day today! 10am-5pm, Morningside United Church, Chamberlain Road.
Portobello Timebank Open Day: promoting new initiatives for 2016. 
Come and find out about the ways you can be involved in your local community. Activities including bookbinding sessions, plant swap, sewing repairs and the intriguingly-named arm knitting. 2-4.30pm, Tribe Porty, Windsor Place, Portobello. All welcome.
Gaelic Bookbug: for children aged 0-4 and their parents and carers. 11-11.30am, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. All welcome – contact the library on 0131 529 5517 for more information.
Studio Ghibli Forever: Grave of the Fireflies (12A) (English language version*). Directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies is an indelible animé about a brother and sister trying to survive during the Second World War. Caught up in the firebombing of Kobe in 1945, Seita and his little sister Setsuko lose their mother and their home; unable to contact their father on the frontline, they flee to the country, stealing or begging for food. 
The societal breakdown that inevitably followed the razing of the cities means they are left truly alone to fend for themselves. Undeniably sad but stunningly rendered, this animation does not flinch from the true human tragedy of war. 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online. *A subtitled version of the film will be screened on Tuesday 25th May.
Scottish Parliament Literature Tour: Language and the Land. Language and writing associated with the Parliament and the landscape which inspired the design of the award-winning Parliament building are explored in this one hour guided tour. Selected pieces of prose, poetry and drama from Scottish writers past and present are included. The tour will visit the Dewar Room in the 17th century Queensberry House, the oldest building in the Parliament campus, where the book collection of the former First Minister Donald Dewar is on display, and will end in the Media Gallery of the Debating Chamber. For ages 16+. 12 noon, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Advance booking is essential and may be made by contacting Visitor Services on 0131 348 5200 or emailing visit@scottish.parliament.uk.
Theatre Skills Day: a day of workshops and games for adults and children, including Making Theatre, Voice, Dance, Circus Skills and intergenerational work, culminating in a sharing session. 11.30am-4.45pm, North Edinburgh Arts, Pennywell Court, Muirhouse. All welcome, free (donations gratefully accepted), but registration is required as places are limited; please call NEA on 0131 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk. The Theatre Skills Day is a partnership between North Edinburgh Arts Theatre Project and Edinburgh Festival and King’s Theatre. NEA Theatre Project is supported by Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. For more information about the Project click here.
Lunchtime Concert: Hardin-Simmons University Concert Choir, Texas. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free
Edinburgh Haiku Circle: participants who have prepared a haiku will present it to the group for feedback, suggestions and appreciation. Ample time will be spent discussing each composition from both structural and semantic viewpoints. Time permitting, one or two Japanese haiku appropriate to the season will be presented, with explanations of the season words used. An English translation will be suggested; discussion will follow. Themes for May: longer days; spring melancholy; moonless spring night. 1-3pm, The Space, Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close. £5/£2; to book please contact Catherine Urquhart at catherine.urquhart102@gmail.com.
Bring the Dead to Life – Learn the Basics of Graveyard Research: Ken Nisbet, Secretary of the Scottish Geneaology Society, shows you to how uncover family and community history from tombstones. No experience necessary, beginners extremely welcome! 10am-12 noon, St Mark’s Church, 287 High Street, Portobello. Free.
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 and involving a range of interests, information and activities – this month: ‘Gender norms’ – Blending in or Standing out?’ A discussion looking at gender expression and our individual experiences of being out and about in society. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or by emailing jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.
The Edible Gardening Project: Gardener’s Kitchen. Gather round the kitchen table for cookery demonstrations of seasonal recipes. Using fresh garden produce where possible, the Community Gardener will show you how to cook the vegetables that can be grown in your own garden or allotment. For ages 16+. 2-4pm, Botanic Cottage (ask at Garden entrance for directions, and please note that the cottage is 5 minutes’ walk from the entrances – please arrive in good time), Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free but booking is essential and may be made via eventbrite here or at the Botanics’ reception desk.
Over The Rainbow: Sunday Bloody Sunday (15) (in English, Italian, Hebrew and French with English subtitles). Based on Penelope Gilliatt’s original screenplay and starring Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Murray Head and Peggy Ashcroft, John Schlesinger’s film and the words ‘ahead of its time’ are often spoken in the same breath. The London love triangle of a doctor in his forties, a divorced woman in her thirties and the young man they both love separately was certainly bold for its time, and remains a poignant, restrained drama now. 3.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. Also showing at 6pm on Sunday 22nd May. Over the Rainbow is Filmhouse’s monthly screening strand for new and classic queer cinema and events.
Food Matters: What is this healthy living anyway? As part of a project promoting sustainable and healthy living, North Merchiston Club community centre would like to encourage local people to eat healthier foods and be more active. This screening is a great opportunity to showcase that healthy living is crucial. Snacks and drinks will be available from Pingado Coffee Shop. 2-4pm, North Merchiston Club, 48 Watson Crescent. Free: all welcome. For more information please contact the club on 0131 622 1757 or email info@northmerchiston.co.uk.
New for Old Thailand – Thai Makers’ Workshop. New for Old is an exhibition showcasing the exchange and collaboration in craft and design between Scottish and Thai makers and designers, hosted by the Royal Botanic Garden. As part of this exchange process the Thai participants of the programme will be coming to Botanics to share their ideas and making techniques; today you can take part in basket weaving with Varni Weaving Community and Indigo Dyeing with Kaewanna Indigo Studios. For all ages. 2-4pm, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free and unticketed. New for Old continues until 22nd May 2016.
Christian Aid Coffee Morning & Plant Sale: cake and candy, books and toys, bazaar, tombola, wide range of plants, kids’ zone with face painting and games. 10am-12 noon, Queensferry Parish Church Centre, The Loan. Entry £2 (includes refreshments); accompanied children free.
New for Old – Creative Social Entrepreneurs in Thailand: a talk by Kaewanna Indigo Studios and Varni Southern Wickery about their social enterprises and the work they do with communities of makers and craftspeople, with the aim of preserving craft skills and cultural heritage while generating sustainable, environmentally conscious livelihoods for those communities. 
In this talk they will share their stories and inspirational journeys. The New for Old Programme, created and supported by The British Council and SACICT (Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand), has been running in Thailand since 2014; Andrew Glass, Director of British Council Thailand, Patcharawee Tunprawat, Head of Arts, British Council Thailand, and Project Curator Carol Sinclair will also share the background to and practical details about this exciting project. 11am-12.30pm, Lecture Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free but registration is required and may be made via eventbrite here. The New for Old exhibition continues until 22nd May 2016.
Have A Go Drop-in Session – May: Don’t just look, come and have a go with artist Rosie Lesso! Taking inspiration from a different artwork each session, Rosie will demonstrate, encourage and help. Limited capacity. 2-4pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE (ask at front door for exact location), Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Discover the Art of Parliament: in this one hour guided tour you will discover a selection from the Scottish Parliament Art Collection. The collection on display throughout the award-winning Parliament building includes artworks from over 40 Scottish contemporary artists, showcasing a variety of types of work and media – from oil paintings to sculptures, photography, textiles and installations. 2.30pm, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Free but advance booking is essential. To enquire about availability please telephone 0131 348 5200 or email visit@scottish.parliament.uk.
Spect-Act: a two-year project with the goal of developing a network of Theatre of the Oppressed companies in Edinburgh. The techniques of the Theatre of the Oppressed blur the lines between actor and audience and offer a space for dialogue and building knowledge. Active Enquiry has been working with groups from The Bethany Trust,
Shakti Women’s Aid and The Alma Project to create unique pieces of theatre exploring issues of relevance to the participants; having devised, rehearsed and shared work with each other, they are now ready to share with the wider public and involve you in the debates and dialogues that they have started together. Come and join them to see some unique pieces of Forum Theatre, join in with the live podcast and enjoy some delicious lunch from the 
Out of the Blue Drill Hall Café. 
Most importantly, join them in the search for finding ways forward to challenge oppression and make the world a better place. 12 noon-6pm Out of the Blue, 36 Dalmeny Street, Leith. Booking is essential (to facilitate catering) and can be made via eventbrite here. Entry by donation.
The Festival of Architecture: Magical Cities. Build models of fantastic buildings using a variety of exciting materials and textures – come along and work with artists and architects to build a fantasy city in the gallery, representing a new vision of the city of Edinburgh. Your design can be as off-the-wall as possible, and the emphasis is on creativity. You will also get the opportunity to create a diorama of present day Edinburgh to celebrate the heritage of existing buildings. For all ages. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, Market Street. Free (donations welcome), drop-in, no booking required.
Scotland’s Gardens: Dr Neil’s Garden. Wonderful secluded landscaped garden on the lower slopes of Arthur’s Seat, including conifers, heathers, alpines, physic garden, herbaceous borders and ponds, Thompson’s Tower with the Museum of Curling and beautiful views across Duddingston Loch. The gardener will be on hand for advice! Refreshments and plant sales. 2-5pm, Dr Neil’s Garden Trust, Old Church Lane, Duddingston Village, EH15 3PX. Admission £3 of which 40% goes to Dr Neil’s Garden Trust and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. Also at same times on Sunday 22nd May.
Fleeting Monument: inspired by Cornelia Parker’s sculpture Fleeting Monument, make a quirky 3D collage inspired by our very own Scott Monument in Edinburgh. For families. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, Market Street. Free (a donation of £2 would be appreciated), drop-in, no booking required; you can either come for the full two hours or just for a while.
FestivALE3: Summerhall’s Beer, Spirits and Food Festival– multiple bars inside & out and street food trucks; Barney’s, Williams Brothers, Fallen Brewing Co, six°north, The Bar of Unearthly Delights, Pickering’s Gin, The Rum Surgery, Cocktails & Drams, Thistly Cross Cider, Rost, Fresh Revolution, Jones & Son reBBQ, Shrimpwreck, Sweet. Meet the brewers, distillery and brewery tours, live music, DJ’s, beer tokens and merchandise from the Beer Bank. For over 18s only. 12 noon-5pm and 6pm-12 midnight, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets £5 per session from the Box Office on 0131 560 1580 or online here.
Alison Little: Artwork. Alison graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1999 and has trained in Art Therapy and Community and Youth Work; until recently she has worked extensively in the community, her art always being integral to her work with people of all ages. Alison’s work is often inspired by the textures and shapes of old buildings and abandoned objects plus the mystery of their past life. From these forgotten or outmoded objects she creates new works, and so looks back in order to move forward, which could be described as ‘recycling’. Coburg House Gallery, Coburg Street (please contact gallery for opening times). Ends 31st May 2016.
St Andrew’s Orchestra Spring Concert: Weber De Freihutze Overture, Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, Sibelius Violin Concerto (soloist Anne Luisa Kramb). Conductor: John Glenesk Mortimer. 7.30pm, Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe Coburg Street. Suggested donation £9/£6 (includes post concert refreshments).
Concrete Antenna Remix Album Launch: Simon Kirby, Tommy Perman and Rob St John launch their new book and CD Score Tae The Toor inspired by the Concrete Antenna sound installation which was commissioned by Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. The trio gave a set of musicians (including King Creosote, WOLF and Mark Lyken) access to their sound archive, tower instruments and compositions, and asked them to reimagine the sited material created for the installation. 
Seven writers including Hanna Tuulikki, Richard Williams and Nicola Meighan were asked to write works inspired by the tower and the installation, with pieces covering architecture, memory, archives, urban ecology and public art. Named after a phrase used by fishermen in the 
Firth of Forth using tall buildings on the Edinburgh skyline to orientate their sailing, Score Tae the Toor is a limited edition publication published by Random Spectacular, printed using a variety of techniques including risography, lithography, letterpress and computer controlled pen and knife plotters. The event will include a discussion with the artists, screenings of short films and the opportunity to purchase Score Tae The Toor. 2-4pm (artist talk 3pm), Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 21 Hawthornvale. Free admission.
Mad Jam Open Mic: anything goes at this friendly open mic night. Poets, comics, singers, songwriters: show us what you’ve got! Contact the centre to book a spot or just rock up on the night. BYOB. 7.30-11pm, Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street. 50p or alternative donation requested.
Edinburgh Society of Musicians: Laura Balboa (violin) and Nice Vikoso (piano) play Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven and de Falla. 7.30pm (prompt), Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. Free and open to all.
Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra Summer Concert: Stravinsky Petrushka (1947 version), Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 4 and Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Conductor Gerry Doherty, leader Fiona Coutts. 7.30pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Tickets £12/£9/£3 (children) on the door or from orchestra members.
Edinburgh’s Got Soul: 100 Degrees Soul. Led by soul powerhouse Maryam Ghaffari, Edinburgh’s premier soul choir brings you 100 Degrees Soul! Head into summer with their fever pitch, spine-tingling, foot-stomping and soul-soaring harmonies – they promise an infectious, uplifting and unforgettable night to set your soul on fire. 8pm, The Queen’s Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street. Tickets £15/£12 (booking fees apply) from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 668 2019 or online here.
Power Ballads Playlist Night: brilliant anthems and songs that make you want to dance and smile – join Boda for a night of ridiculously amazing power ballads to put your lighters in the air for. Feel free to sing along! 8pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk.
Revolution: Girl Style Now. A new band night for female-led bands and artists. Tonight: Zalu, Sinister Lamb, Lou McLean and The Polymorphs. Over 18s only. 7.30pm, Leith Depot, 138 Leith Walk. £4 on the door.
Boots for Dancing + The Trama Dolls + Paper Cloud + DJ Jo Malik & Son. Over 18s only. 7.30pm-1am, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets £7 on the door.
Linlithgow Jazz Club: Jeff Barnhart. The internationally renowned pianist, vocalist, arranger, bandleader, recording artist, composer, educator and entertainer is in increasing demand as a participant in international jazz events as either a soloist or as pianist in All-Star Jazz ensembles. In addition to his widely acclaimed solo and band appearances, Jeff is enjoying great success performing with smaller groups, most notably Ivory&Gold®, a group he co-leads with his talented wife, flautist Anne Barnhart. 7.30pm (doors open 7pm), St Michael’s RC Church Hall (Queen Margaret’s Hall), Blackness Road, Linlithgow. Tickets £12. The club provides tea and coffee (donations welcomed) and you are free to bring your own drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), glasses and snacks. Bring your dancing feet and come prepared to quickstep, foxtrot, jive or swing or just do your own thing – or if you prefer, just relax and enjoy some great music.
SUNDAY 22ND MAY 2016
Heart and Soul: a celebration of the life and work of the Church of Scotland during its General Assembly week. This year’s theme is People of The Way. Singing, music, art, exhibitions, bands, youth zones, Fischy Music for children, refreshments – 65 exhibitors. 2-6pm, West Princes Street Gardens. Free. For more information please see the Heart & Soul website here.
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. This week: Kung Fu Panda 3 (PG): When Po’s (Jack Black) long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai (Bryan Cranston) begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible – learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small.
New for Old Thailand: Thai Makers’ Workshops. Take part in bamboo weaving with PATAPiAN Studios and Vassana Saima in the morning and indigo dyeing with Homlom Studios in the afternoon. New for Old is an exhibition showcasing the exchange and collaboration in craft and design between Scottish and 
Thai makers and designers, hosted by the Royal Botanic Garden. As
part of this exchange process the Thai participants of the programme will be coming to Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh to share their ideas and making techniques, with a talk and workshops. Weaving: 10.30am-12 noon, dyeing 2-3.30pm, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. For all ages, free and unticketed. New for Old ends today.
Scotland’s Gardens: Beech Lodge. Approximately one acre in size, concealed inside a high wall in Church Hill, Morningside, this garden – open for the first time in 2016 – contains a large lawn, white box garden and a large pond with bridge; there are also a Doocot and beehives. Refreshments and plant sales. 2-5pm, Beech Lodge, 10 Church Hill, EB10 4BQ. Admission £4, of which 20% goes to Place2Be, 20%, to PF Counselling and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries.
Picturehouses Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today: Ran (15), a welcome rerelease of the last epic by Japan’s greatest auteur, Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Yojimbo), bringing his inimitable style to a new generation of filmgoers. This is his Oscar-winning reworking of King Lear, in which an ailing warlord, played by the venerable 
Tatsuya Nakadai, decides to cede power to his three sons. Two of them (Jinpachi Nezu, Akira Terao) are selfish and feckless, and the youngest (Daisuke Ryu) warns of their impending treachery. For this he is banished by his father, with the consequence of the disintegration of a once-mighty empire as the sons battle each other to achieve control. Sweeping across majestic vistas, the battle scenes are truly breathtaking in this newly restored version, and the powerful moral narrative is a timely reflection on contemporary politics. 12 noon, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Kings and Queens of the Castle: go back in time at Lauriston Castle, hear stories about the Kings and Queens of old and create your very own jewel-encrusted crown and goblet. With Mike Durnan. 10.30am-12.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that children cannot be booked into events alone; at least one paying adult must accompany them.
The Notre Dame Folk Choir: an ecumenical service with this world renowned youth choir from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. 6pm, St Andrew’s Church, Clermiston View, EH4 7BS. The service will be followed by refreshments. All welcome.
St Giles’ at Six. Ayr Choral Union, with friends from Choeur du Pincerais of Ayr’s twinned town St Germain-en-Laye, perform music by Caccini, Faure, Gjeilo, Handel, Mozart, Pergolesi and Tavener. Conductors: Gerard Doherty and Maria Belen Martinez. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free; retiring collection.
Stormy Sunday Blues Showcase: monthly Blues event featuring resident band Piranha Blues, plus this month’s guest band The Simon Kennedy. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door (£3 EBC members): please note this venue is strictly cash only.
