What would you like to do this weekend? See a film? Admire some art? Enjoy some music?
We’ve lots of these for you to choose from, plus gardens to visit, storytelling sessions. book sales, coffee mornings – or how about Bollyfood at Leith Market?
Have a great time – but do please remember to check details with the organisers of all events before setting out.
Making Moving: an exhibition by Garvald artists. Garvald Edinburgh is a Scottish charity offering creative opportunities and support for people with learning disabilities. 
It is inspired by the ideas of the educator and philosopher Rudolf Steiner and has been operating in Edinburgh since 1969, providing creative working environments focusing mainly around craft, catering and artistic skills. It currently provides opportunities and support for over 200 people. Exhibition opens today then 9am-3pm daily, The Well Café, 25 Nicolson Square. Ends 10th June. The Well Café offers Fairtrade coffee and tea, beautiful cakes, wholesome snacks and lunches in a welcoming environment seven days a week.
The 200: William Douglas and Ruth Barrie recently found out their youngest son Sol was ill with a brain tumour. Sol has had surgery to remove the tumour but now faces radiotherapy and chemotherapy. ‘The 200’ fundraiser involves the continual performance of 200 songs, from memory, in one day. From Skellefteå in Sweden, Rossco Galloway will be attempting ‘The 200’ to help the family directly. Mike Kearney from Portobello will also be attempting ‘The 200’ to raise funds for The Edinburgh Sick Children’s Hospital where Sol is being cared for. 
These gigs will be played simultaneously, in a race to the finish, starting around 8/10am on Saturday 14th May, and ending around 12/2am on Sunday respectively (according to time zones). From Queens, New York,
Tica Douglas will be joining in (weather permitting) and performing 200 songs also. Mike’s stint will begin at 8am in his home in Portobello, then move round various venues in the area, ending in the Dalraida on the Promenade from 8pm. For full details of venues and times please see the event’s Facebook page here. If you are not able to attend but wish to donate to this appeal, you can do so via Just Giving here.
Christian Aid Booksale: since its beginnings in 1974, this legendary book sale has raised over £2 million for Christian Aid’s work. Expect around 100,000 books of every kind throughout and around the church – and there are pictures, music, toys and games, antiques and collectables, stamps and postcards and ephemera too. 10am-4pm Saturday 14th May, 10am-3.30pm Monday 16th-Wednesday 18th May, 10am-7pm Thursday 19th May, 10am-3.30pm Friday 20th May, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street.
Bollyfood Day: bringing a taste and feel of the East to Leith Market! Special guests Punjabi Junction with food and cookery demonstrations, plus dancing, henna tattoos and craft stalls. Punjabi Junction is a social enterprise community café based on Leith Walk working with and for Sikh and other minority ethnic women. All the usual traders will be at the market along with Bollyfood traders Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, Punjabi Junction, Barocco Tribal, Gecko Gallery & Gifts and Singh Beauty Parlour. 
Venture Scotland (a Scottish charity offering an outdoor-based personal development programme for young people aged 16-30 who face complex and difficult problems) will also be attending to sell secondhand outdoor clothing and equipment (jackets, boots, waterproofs, etc) to raise funds. 10am-5pm, Saturday 14th May, Leith Market, Dock Place.
Christian Aid Coffee Morning: baking for sale, a hamper raffle, quiz, and balloons for the kids! 10am-12 noon, Saturday 14th May, Marchmont St Giles Church, Kilgraston Road. Admission £2.50 (children free).
Christian Aid Holy Corner Book Sale. The Holy Corner Churches Christian Aid Group’s sale goes from strength to strength; last year’s sale of books, CDs, DVDs and music raised over £15,000. 10am-5pm Saturday 14th May, 11am-6pm Monday 16th-Friday 20th May, 10am-5pm Saturday 21st May, Morningside United Church, 15 Chamberlain Road.
Storytelling with Ink and Blot: in the Bothy with the menagerie! 11am, Saturday 14th May and every Saturday, Far From the Madding Crowd, 20 High Street, Linlithgow. Free: all welcome. For more information call the shop or email sally@maddingcrowdlinlithgow.co.uk.
Gaelic Bookbug: stories, songs and rhymes for children under 4 and their parents and carers. 11am, Saturday 14th May, Leith Library, 28 Ferry Road.
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 Planes: Fire and Rescue (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 Dinosaur (PG).
Echline Primary School Fun Day: with gladiator duel, tombola, games, beat the goalie, cakes, candy, mini zoo and lots more. 1-3pm, Saturday 14th May, Echline Primary School, Bo’ness Road, South Queensferry. Entry £1 (adult), 50p (child), £2 (family of 2 adults + 2 children).
Balerno Village Screen: The Good Dinosaur (U). What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While travelling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. 2.30pm (doors open 2pm), Saturday 14th May, Balerno Village Screen, St Joseph’s Centre, Balerno EH14 7DZ. Free but please reserve your tickets via eventbrite here. Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema, free to attend and funded by donations.
Inspiring Spaces Photography Exhibition: as part of the 2016 Festival of Architecture, the Edinburgh Architectural Association ran a photography competition to celebrate and share inspiring spaces within Edinburgh and surrounding areas. The competition asked for individuals to capture photographs of their favourite built spaces and submit them via Instagram; 
this exhibition shows the winning entries. 10am-6pm, Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays), Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 High Street. Ends June 4th 2016. Please note that the Centre’s exhibition space is occasionally inaccessible to the public because of a private function booking; please call ahead to check (0131 556 9579).
RNLI Race Night & Disco: a fun event organised by Queensferry Lifeboat Fundraising Branch to support the Queensferry Lifeboat Station. 8pm (first race), The Inchcolm Inn, Hopetoun Road, South Queensferry. Free entry.
Balerno Village Screen: Everest (12A). A climbing expedition on Mt. Everest is devastated by a severe snow storm. 7.30pm (doors open 7pm), Saturday 14th May, Balerno Village Screen, St Joseph’s Centre, Balerno EH14 7DZ. 
Free but please reserve your tickets via eventbrite here (tickets are also available from the Mill Café). Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema, free to attend and funded by donations.
Light and Shadow: Architecture On Screen. Architecture and design play an important part in our everyday lives, both consciously and subconsciously shaping, physically and visually, the towns and cities we live in and the everyday objects we use. 
Films have often used architecture as an integral character, setting the atmosphere and forming an essential backdrop to plot. As Part of the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, the Edinburgh Architectural Association in conjunction with Filmhouse have brought together a series of feature films and accompanying Scottish shorts that explore the role of architecture and design within film and beyond. 
Today’s opening film is Blade Runner: The Final Cut (15). Adapted from Philip K Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, 
Ridley Scott’s iconic dystopian classic is unquestionably one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. The year is 2019, and LA is playing unwitting host to a group of escaped synthetic humans called replicants. Bred for slavery on off-world colonies and outlawed on earth, these illegal immigrants are hunted by Blade Runners, and Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) has the task of ‘retiring’ them. What follows is a visually stunning and thematically dense future noir that delves deep into what it means to be human. 5.45pm, Saturday 14th May, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online.
The Festival of Architecture: Magical Cities. Drop-in family sessions to celebrate the Festival of Architecture; a chance to build models of fantastic buildings using a variety of exciting materials and textures. 
Come along and work with artists and architects to build a new 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, Saturday 14th May, City Art Centre, Market Street. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 15th May.
Wee Treasures – May: storytelling for early years children and their families, inspired by a different portrait each month – delve into the magic treasure chest to find out what the story will be! With fun rhymes and songs, puppet characters and lots of opportunities to join in. For children aged 2-4 and their parents and carers. 10.30am or 11.30am (30 minute sessions), Saturday 14th May, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free, but places are limited – sign up on the day.
The Story Kist: Inclusive Storytelling. Kettles and candle sticks! Wooden spoons and jelly! Come and hear some funny stories of everyday objects and what they get up to when we’re not looking… Multi-sensory adventures with storytellers Ailie Finlay and Marie Louise Cochrane. Stories, games and songs and lots of intriguing props to squish and rattle. Lots of fun for everyone, but particularly for children with additional needs, their families, friends and carers. 11am, Saturday 14th May, Storytelling Bothy, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 High Street. Tickets £5 per child, accompanying adult free; please book in advance by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here, and remember to book a free ticket for yourself when purchasing one for your child.
Drop-in Sessions Inspired by the Works of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: led by printmaker Sarah Gittins, learn about some printmaking techniques and try simple experiments to help in your understanding of the process. 2-4.30pm, Saturday 14th May, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Sunday 15th May. Supported by The Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Charitable Trust. Image: Summer (Yellow), Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, 1999 − © The Barns-Graham Charitable Trust.
Crafts in Architecture: a Festival of Architecture 2016 exhibition celebrating local craft skills which enrich the built environment in the five mediums of Wood, Glass, Metal, Stone and Earth. Craft skills bring to our culture much of what is beautiful, humane and delightful in architecture. The Craft in Architecture Project is conceived and presented by the Edinburgh Architectural Association. The intention is to show that, even in the digital age, architecture is nourished and enriched by vibrant craft traditions; the exhibition showcases thriving craft skills and production in Fife, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders. 
Today there will also be a talk by Graeme Murray and Lise Bratton of Real Wood Studios about the making of their display piece, Rhythms Through Time: Spirit of Palmyra, crafted in honour of Khaled al-Asaad,
the Syrian archaeologist and Head of Antiquities for the ancient Semitic city of Palmyra in present day Homs. He was publicly crucified and beheaded by terrorists in August 2015 for refusing to reveal the location of many of the city’s most precious architectural artifacts and artworks. 10am-4pm, Saturday 14th May, then daily until 24th May, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Talk: 2pm, Saturday 14th May.
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. 12 noon, Saturday 14th May, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Free but advance booking is essential. To enquire about availability please telephone 0131 348 5200 or email visit@scottish.parliament.uk.
Joan Eardley: A Private View. Join Stellar Quines and Heroica Theatre companies for two full cast performed readings of Joan Eardley: A Private View; a new play on the life and work of artist Joan Eardley. Writer Anna Carlisle, director Marilyn Imrie and the cast are inviting audience feedback on the play and will be discussing the development of the full production, which will be touring UK galleries in 2017. 6-7.30pm (doors open 5.30pm), Saturday 14th May, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Tickets £10 (transaction fee applies) from eventbrite here. Also at same time on Sunday 15th May. Image by Audrey Walker, courtesy of The Scottish Gallery.
Samuel Harriman: Colourimetry. a new exhibition of light installation and painting by the Oxford-based artist. Harriman’s work consists primarily of light but, by using painterly processes, he combines the media of light installation and painting to intonate the point that the use of light is a form of painting. He uses both white wall gallery spaces and sites such as sheds or residential settings to install his work. Open preview 7-9pm, Saturday 14th May, then 12 noon-6pm daily, Patriothall Gallery, 1 Patriothall, off Hamilton Place, Stockbridge. Exhibition ends 22nd May 2016. Image: Ben Harris.
Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours – May: monthly tours of the Gallery’s permanent collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Saturday 14th May, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE (meet at main entrance), Belford Road. Free and unticketed.
Davy Brown: New Works. From 1988 to 2002 Davy was Principal Teacher of Art at the Douglas-Ewart High School in Newton Stewart and continued to exhibit in one-man shows in Scotland and England. In 2002 he retired from teaching to become a full-time artist. Opening event 11am-1pm, Saturday 14th May, then 11am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10.30am-4pm Saturdays, The Torrance Gallery, 36 Dundas Street. Ends 28th May 2016.
Eurovision Song Contest Party! Sofi’s offers you a look back at previous Eurovision entries before showing the Grand Final Live form Stockholm. There will be complementary meze and plenty of ‘tacky Eurovision fun’, with prizes for those who dress up. 7pm, Saturday 14th May, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Advance booking is advised as space is limited.
Edinburgh Kevock Choir Annual Concert: a wide variety of music from the Kevock Choir as they prepare for their 50th Anniversary season in 2016 – 2017, with young tenor Glen Cunningham, and guests Chamberlain & Haywood playing music for accordion with saxophone, violin and whistle. Conductor: Graham Lovett. 7.30pm, Saturday 14th May, The Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street. Tickets £14/£10/£6 (concessions £12/£8/£6) from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 668 2019 or online here; transaction fees apply.
The Juggernaut Love Band: original funk/soul/disco from Newcastle-based 8-piece with double vocals and horn section, whose purpose is to ‘take you away from your daily grind and launch you into a funk-sphere of funk/soul/disco ecstasy’, as featured at Manchester Jazz Festival and Funk/Soul clubs throughout the North of England. Plus DJ Astrojazz. 12 midnight (band from 12.45am)-3am, Saturday 14th May, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.
Scotland’s Gardens: Redcroft. A walled garden surrounding an Arts and Crafts villa which provides an unexpected haven off a busy road, planted and maintained with shape and texture in mind. In early May there should be a fine display of flowering shrubs including rhododendrons, tulips and other bulbs. 2-5pm Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May, 23 Murrayfield Road, EH12 6EP. Admission £4 of which 40% goes to Horatio’s Garden at the Spinal Injuries Unit in the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. For directions and further information please click here or contact James and Anna Buxton on 0131 337 1747. Image © Sheila Sim.
Blackwell’s Edinburgh Teenage Book Group: if you love to read, or just want to read more, join this group to talk about the latest teenage fiction and your favourite books. The teen book group meets on the second Sunday of each month, and reads anything from classics to contemporary, dystopian to historical – in short, anything you fancy! Currently reading Rain Rowell’s Carry On. 2pm, Sunday 15th May, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join just email your details to schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.
Cramond Kirk Christian Aid Fair: with home baking, books, bedding plants grown by the Scouts, CDs, DVDs, toys, chocolate, Fair Trade stall, refreshments, tombola and raffle. 11am Sunday 15th May, Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road.
Hearing Impaired Tour – Scots in Italy: a free tour of the exhibition, with portable hearing loops, led by Tessa Asquith-Lamb. 11am-12 noon, Sunday 15th May, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. To book a place please contact the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. This week: The Iron Giant (PG): a young boy is obsessed with all things extra-terrestrial. He’s the only one in his small town to take seriously a fisherman’s reports of the landing of a metal giant in the forest, and the only one to go looking for it. The two meet and become unlikely friends, but all the while government agents are closing in… 11am, Sunday 15th May, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small.
Scotland’s Gardens: Tyninghame House and the Walled Garden. 17th century pink sandstone house; gardens include herbaceous border. formal rose garden, Lady Haddington’s Secret Garden, and extensive ‘wilderness’ spring garden, and a one mile beech avenue to the sea. The formal walled garden combines the lawn, sculpture and yew hedges, an ‘apple walk’, extensive herbaceous planting and an informal arboretum. Refreshments available. 1-5pm, Sunday 15th May, Tyninghame House, Tyninghame Village. Admission £5 (children free) of which 40% goes to The Lynton Centre (East Linton) and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. For more information and directions click here.
Scotland’s Gardens: Brighton Gardens. Brighton Place and East and West Brighton Crescent belong to a unified Georgian development around two parks. Five gardens will be open, ranging from small to over half an acre and from formal to intimate, all with interesting planting. In spring, magnolias, rhododendrons and bulbs are prominent. 2-5pm, Sunday 15th May, Brighton Place and Crescent, Portobello. Entry £5 (for all five gardens); all proceeds will go to SG beneficiaries. Tickets and a summary map to all gardens will be available from 14 East Brighton Crescent, at the corner of Brighton Place and Brighton Crescent. For more information and directions click here or contact The Gardeners of Brighton, 14 East Brighton Crescent, Portobello EH15 1LR.
Scotland’s Gardens; Roscullen. A fabulous spring garden with numerous varieties of tulips; there are also beautiful rhododendrons and azaleas. Plant stall run by Kevock Gardens. 2-5pm, Sunday 15th May, 1 Bonaly Road, EH13 0EA. Admission £4 of which 20% goes to Brooke Hospital for Animals, 20% to Friends of the Royal Botanic Garden, and the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. For directions and further information please click here. Image © Andrea Jones.
Poppies For Peace: Films For Freedom. A Tribute to Harry Patch; this film, made by local activist Simon about the last surviving World War One soldier, asks: ‘Has their sacrifice been betrayed by our failure to end war?’ 2-3.30pm, Sunday 15th May, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. For more information please see the event’s Facebook page here.
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day Vigil: ‘We will read the names and hear stories of First World War Conscientious Objectors from Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland, and stand in solidarity with all those who continue to refuse to take part in wars today, including contemporary COs from Eritrea, Sudan, Turkey, Israel, South Korea and elsewhere.’ 
This is an annual event, but has special significance this year as we mark the centenary of conscription in the First World War. Descendants of First World War COs will read accounts of their grandparents’ resistance to war, and at least one Second World War Conscientious Objector will speak. 
All welcome to bring a poem, reflection or story to share; if you would like to contribute please contact Brian at the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre (visit the Centre at 5 Upper Bow, or call 0131 629 1058). There will be music from Protest in Harmony. 4-5pm, Sunday 15th May, foot of The Mound. For more information please see the event’s Facebook page here.
Picturehouses Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today’s film is Cinema Paradiso (PG). Told in flashback as successful film director Salvatore returns to his native Sicilian village, Cinema Paradiso centres on the friendship between the young Salvatore and the irascible projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), who preserves a collection of footage censored from the local cinema programme by the priest. Salvatore inherits from Alfredo not only a love of film, 
but also his job, as the Nuovo Cinema Paradiso enjoys a brief term of glory as the hub of the community before the days of TV and pop. Romantic, nostalgic, funny and exuberant, Cinema Paradiso is all the more memorable for the winning performances by the great Philippe Noiret and ten-year-old Salvatore Cascio. 1pm, Sunday 15th May, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.
Light and Shadow: Architecture On Screen. 
Today’s first film, showing at 3.40pm, is Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (U). The third (and final) pairing of Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House is an entertaining screwball comedy set during the post-war rush to suburbia. 
Keen to escape the confines of their apartment in busy New York, advertising executive Jim Blandings and his wife Muriel set to work on fixing up an old house in rural Connecticut, which turns out to be rather more dilapidated than first thought… The film will be introduced by Dr Glyn Davis (Edinburgh College of Art). Plus short The Banana Republic. Today’s second film, showing at 6.05pm, is Manufactured Landscapes (12A) in which, in a series of extraordinary visual portraits, renowned artist Edward Burtynsky travels through China photographing the evidence and effects of its massive industrial revolution and the implicit impact on the environment. This film will be introduced by 
Dr Craig Martin (Edinburgh College of Art). Plus short Multi Story . Sunday 15th May, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. The Light and Shadow series continues on Monday 16th May with Helvetica.
Bags of Art – May: cool and creative fun for ages 4-12 with artists Tessa Asquith-Lamb and Louise Fraser. 2-4pm (drop-in), Sunday 15th May, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Supported by the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland. Image © Alicia Bruce.
The Secret Garden: a day of creative events around the theme of gardens and woodland and all things magical. There will be a children’s animal handling session and craft workshop from Zoo Lab, storytelling, a magician, a woodland trail, face painting and circus performers who will not only be performing but will also teach visitors some basic circus skills on a drop-in basis. Plus a brass band and a ukulele band from Edinburgh University to create the feel of an old fashioned family gala day. Bring a picnic and Lauriston will provide cakes, strawberries and squash and lots of other delicious summer picnic treats. 11am-2pm, Sunday 15th May, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. Entry is free (donations welcome!) but please book in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online, to allow the organisers to monitor numbers.
Music for a Summer’s Evening (Afternoon!): Treble Entendre and The Linties. A folk trio and a singing trio – come for music and tea! 3pm, Sunday 15th May, St Mark’s Church, 287 Portobello High Street. Tickets £6 (under 16s free) on the door or in advance from the church.
St Giles At Six: Coro Edina. The Edinburgh chamber choir present an a capella concert of music chosen especially for the wonderful acoustic of St Giles’ Cathedral, with works by Purcell, Stanford, MacMillan, and Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G minor. This concert is hosted by the St Giles’ Neighbourhood Group. 6pm, Sunday 15th May, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Admission is free, and all donations will go to Cunningham House for the homeless.
Weill At Heart: Kurt Weill by Bremner Duthie. Acclaimed US-based cabaret singer Bremner Duthie brought this fantastic Kurt Weill show to the Fringe last year, to wide acclaim. Backed by a swinging 5-piece band with beautifully atmospheric arrangements by pianist David Patrick, the sonorous, deep-voiced New Orleans-based singer celebrates the dark, decadent (check out his absolutely amazing Mack the Knife!), and always lovely music of Kurt Weill. ‘It was seedy, stirring, thrilling – and utterly memorable’ (Sunday Times). 9pm (entry from 8pm), Sunday 15th May, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £7/£5 on the door: please note this venue is strictly cash only.
