What’s on in Edinburgh this week – 87 Things To Do!

What do you want to do this week? Was Playfair out of his head? And just what is kamishibai? Read on, find out, and have a wonderful week – but please do check details of all events with the organisers before setting out.

MONDAY 4th JULY 2016

WHALE Arts Children’s Summer Programme starts today! Free art, crafts, dance, circus skills and films throughout the holidays – this week’s activities include a playday, a film day and a trip to Magic Fest. For more information and to book your place, click here, call 0131 4589 3267 or drop in to WHALE at 30 Westburn Grove, Wester Hailes.

BYOB – Bring Your Own Baby: Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2015. Join staff of the Portrait Gallery for a fun, relaxed morning planned especially with parents and carers of young children in mind. Enjoy special offers and family-friendly facilities in the café and sign up for one of the short buggy/baby-friendly art tours for adults. Gurgling, laughing, crying or screaming welcome as well as lots of informal chat. They’ll even bring some spare nappies! Places for tours limited, sign-up on the day. For babies under 12 months and their parents and carers. 10am-12 noon, Scottish National Portrait Gallery (enter through main entrance), 1 Queen Street. No booking required: free and unticketed.

Picturehouses Toddler Time: exclusive short screenings for pre-school children and their parents and carers. Today: Hopster Showtime Seaside Adventures (U). This special Hopster Showtime screening will feature Wanda and the Alien, Rupert Bear, Roary the Racing Car and more. Join Wanda and the Alien for a shell picking adventure on the seaside, help Roary build sandcastles and see Rupert Bear rescue a mermaid. There will be a lot of splash, water, sun and sand – don’t forget your flip flops! 11am, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets cost £3 per child, accompanying adult free.

For Crying Out Loud: special screenings exclusively for parents, carers and their babies under the age of 12 months, with a maximum of two adults per baby. Baby-changing, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is The Jungle Book (PG): in John Favreau’s stunning new imagining of the Disney classic adventure an orphan boy called Mowgli is raised in the wilderness by wolves, a bear and a panther. He sets out on a journey across the jungle, hunted by the fearsome Shere Khan, and encountering an array of recognisable characters along the way… 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult.

Plastic Colour: Edinburgh LoFi’s new exhibition returns the group to the techniques and technology which inspired its inception. Taking the most basic photographic equipment – a lightproof box and some colour sensitive film – the members have applied imagination and experience to produce a range of exciting new works which push the medium, moulding and modelling light. The Edinburgh LoFi photography group was started seven years ago to promote and explore film photography at its most amazing. The group meets once a month to share traditional, alternative and film photography experiences, run events, hold workshops and plan exhibitions. This show includes work by Olive Dean, Brittonie Fletcher, Mary Gordon, Alison Millar, Elaine Robson, Judith Rowan, John Sumpter, Graeme Pow, and Leigh Young. 10am-8pm Monday-Wednesday, 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, Art & Design Library (within Central Library), 7 George IV Bridge. Ends 29th July 2016.

National Museum of Scotland Summer Activities. The museum is offering lots of drop-in events during the holidays – today it’s Crafty Celts: handle some amazing Celtic objects, and make a carnyx hand puppet or some ancient accessories. 12 noon-4pm, Grand Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free, drop-in. Also at same times on 5th, 6th & 7th July and 1st-7th August.

The Monday Café @ Cramond Kirk: open to people with dementia & their carers. Come along for support, information, a light lunch, tea & a blether. 1-3pm, Kirk Hall, Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road. All welcome.

The Big Friendly Read – Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: events at Colinton Library throughout the summer holidays. Today (and every Monday & Friday): Roald Dahl Crafternoons – help build volcanoes, design your own fancy dress, create your own Mr or Mrs Twits’ beard and much, much more! For ages 4-12. 2.30pm, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road. Free, no booking required – just come along.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents The Monthly Book Quiz: if you know your Waugh from your Peace or your Meyer from your Heyer, try Blackwell’s monthly Book Quiz with questions on anything from classics to current bestsellers, Booker Prize winners and celebrity biographies. Teams of up to five people can take part. 6pm, Caffè Nero, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free entry, but seats are limited so please come early to secure your place.

Happy Birthday Olivia! Special screenings to celebrate the 100th birthday of the wonderful Olivia de Havilland – star of stage and the Hollywood Golden Age, whose outstanding career spanned over 50 years in some truly memorable and important roles. Today: The Snake Pit (12A): Virginia (de Havilland) finds herself in Juniper Hill State Hospital, with no memory of how she got there. A series of flashbacks show her battling with her condition during childhood, a blossoming romance with Robert (Mark Stevens), their marriage and later her treatment in the stiflingly bureaucratic hospital. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online.

Ragged University: Carbon Conscious Bicycling + Loving Yourself Inside and Out. Come along to People Know How at Ocean Terminal for two talks, some food and a chance to socialise. Hear about Simon Byron’s pedalling adventures in China, then after a break for food and chat, find out from Faith Canter how you can embrace the beauty of who you truly are. Ragged University is a project where the community creates events in social spaces and people get to learn from each other in relaxed ways. Everyone is invited to bring some food and drink (BYOB) to put on the table to share if they like, or to bring what they will enjoy themselves.  Everyone is also invited to help take away what is left, to make sure nothing goes to waste. 6.30-9.30pm, People Know How, First Floor (near Marks & Spencer), Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive. Free, all welcome. RSVP here. People Know How is a charitable organisation founded upon the principles of social innovation. ‘Here at People Know How we believe in the power of your ideas, in your potential to create innovative solutions to solve wider social issues’.

Event Horizon: Edinburgh’s monthly evening of sci-fi entertainment! Poetry, short stories, live music, art, raffle, comics, bad jokes, chat and more! With music from Rose Fraser Ritchie & Michelle Hogg, Douglas, and Mark Toner, prose from Stephen Goodall, Ross McCleary and Olga Wojtas, and poetry from Aileen Ballantyne, Andrew Blair, Ruth Aylett and Kevin Cadwallender. 8pm (doors 7.30pm), The Blind Poet, West Nicolson Street. Free entry, all welcome! Brought to you by Shoreline of Infinity, a new sci-fi magazine from Scotland.

Edinburgh Inter Faith Association: Sharing the Iftar, Breaking the Fast. This special community meal is part of the ongoing initiative #Unite4Ramadan. Come and share the iftar meal, the traditional meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan, with EIFA’s neighbours at Edinburgh Central Mosque. Come at 9.15pm for a tour of the mosque, followed by the shared meal after sundown. 9.15pm, Edinburgh Central Mosque, 50 Potterow. All welcome, but please RSVP to aliya@eifa.org.uk if you would like to attend. The civic café community meals (usually held at EIFA) are held monthly and are an opportunity to meet others with a shared interest in promoting dialogue and awareness between faiths, and discuss current issues. You are very welcome to come and find out more; they are free and open to everyone. For more information see EIFA’s website here or Facebook page here.

TUESDAY 5th JULY 2016

Tiger Tales: stories and crafts for ages 4-7. 10.30am today and every Tuesday throughout the summer, Balerno Library, 1 Main Street. Free.

Odeon Silver Cinema: if you are 55+ come along to these special screenings for only £3 per person, and enjoy a free tea or coffee and biscuits before the show. Today’s film is The Man Who Knew Infinity (12A): Dev Patel stars as Srinivasa Ramanujan, an aspiring academic mathematician from a poor family in Madras. He applies to study at Cambridge University during World War I and is accepted. Srinivasa is soon shown to be a prodigal genius and is taken under the wing of Professor GH Hardy (Jeremy Irons), but he still faces challenges at Cambridge in the form of racism and prejudice. 11am (doors open 10.15am for refreshments), Odeon Lothian Road, 118 Lothian Road.

Was Playfair Out of His Head? Building the Architect’s Dream on the Mound. In the first half of the 19th century, architects everywhere, including Cockerell, Gandy, Schinkel, all dreamed the same dream. They fell asleep at their drawing boards, and found themselves standing before a vast assembly of all the great buildings of history, resurrected and united in a monumental day of rapture. It’s a vision best, perhaps, recorded in Thomas Cole’s masterpiece, The Architect’s Dream,in which an architect, drawings in hand, surveys a panorama that stretches all the way from the parlour curtain of the present to the great Pyramid. Did any of these architects ever build the dream? In this talk, architectural writer Ed Hollis will talk about the one place the dream became reality – on the Mound in Edinburgh, upon which the architect William Playfair constructed the entire History of Architecture, from ancient times to his own. What did the dream mean? What can it tell us about the Edinburgh of Playfair’s world, and the Edinburgh of today? 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Broomhouse Conversation Café: if English is your second language, come along to the café (run by a qualified TEFL volunteer); meet others, make new friends, find out about life in Edinburgh and have a chat in a relaxed environment. 1-2.30pm today and every Tuesday, The Broomhouse Centre, Broomhouse Crescent. Free, all welcome – tea and coffee provided! For more information please call 0131 455 7731 or email admin@broomhousecentre.org.uk.

Picturehouses Silver Screen: if you are over 60, join the Silver Screen Club (it’s free) for discounted tickets at these special weekly screenings, plus a free tea or coffee before the show. This week’s films are Adult Life Skills (15) (1.20pm), Elvis and Nixon (15) (3.45pm), When Marnie Was There (U) (4.05pm) and The Nice Guys (15) (1.30pm). Non-members are welcome at these screenings but pay standard prices. Cameo, Home Street.

In the Footsteps of Sheep. ‘What better medium to tell the tales of journeys than socks.’ One summer, Debbie Zawinski took her spinning, her knitting and her tent and set off around Scotland in search of a unique pair of Scottish socks. In words, pictures and socks, her book In the Footsteps of Sheep: Tales of a Journey through Scotland, Walking, Spinning, and Knitting Socks tells of her adventures: discovering rare sheep, remote communities and Scotland’s wildest places. 2pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or via Eventbrite here.

The Big Friendly Read – Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: events at Currie Library throughout the summer holidays. Today (and every Tuesday & Thursday): Roald Dahl Crafternoons – help build volcanoes, design your own fancy dress, create your own Mr or Mrs Twits’ beard and much, much more! For ages 4-12. 2.30pm, Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road. Free, no booking required – just come along!

The Big Friendly Read – Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: events at Corstorphine Library throughout the summer holidays. Today you can meet Edinburgh author Corinne Davies and find what what wonderful characters and worlds you can make with your imagination. For ages 5+. 3pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan. Free, no booking required – just come along! Next Tuesday at the same time: Summer Reading Frieze (ages 4+).

Picturehouses Discover Tuesdays: cult classics, art-house gems and riveting documentaries – there’s always a chance to see something different and brilliant in the Cameo’s weekly slot. Today’s film is Fire at Sea (12A) (in Italian with English subtitles). Winner of the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale, this devastating experimental documentary follows assorted residents of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. Director Gianfranco Rosi observes various locals, including a boy entering gleeful adolescence, a local DJ and harassed coastguards, and crosscuts these sequences with the experiences of migrants attempting to land on the island in grossly overcrowded boats or living out lives in makeshift camps on the shore. A haunting and powerful film, and an urgent plea for intervention. 6pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0871 902 5723 or online.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Games Night: come and play some bestselling games, from popular board games like Settlers of Catan to new miniature games like Star Wars X-Wing and classics like Backgammon – there’s something for everyone. A team of seasoned gamers will be on hand to explain all the games to you – try something new! When you book your free ticket for the evening, choose which game you would like to play first. Please just book one ticket for you and your group. When you arrive on the night, you will then be able to book your next game or games. Alternatively you can have a look around first. On your own? No problem! Just come along and the team will do its best to match you up. 6pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Please book via Eventbrite here.

Grassmarket Community Cinema: Ferret Films: The Haystack (12). The Ferret invites you to watch The Haystack documentary on the big screen at the Grassmarket Community Cinema. Put together by a team of four young journalists, the film seeks answers to both the simple and complex questions surrounding surveillance. After the film, an expert panel (including Olivia Cappuccini, Producer and Director of The Haystack, Professor Charles Raab (University of Edinburgh,Director of the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy), and Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group) will explain where we’re at now with the Investigatory Powers Bill, put it in a Scottish context and take questions from the floor. The event is for anyone interested in finding out more about proposed changes to privacy and surveillance laws; you do not need to be a member of The Ferret to come along. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. Tickets cost £5/£3 and may be purchased via Eventbrite here. Monies raised will be split between the Grassmarket Project and The Ferret, a co-operative in-depth investigative journalism platform for Scotland and beyond. For more information about The Ferret click here.

Golden Hare Book Group. The group is currently reading Limonov by award-winning author and film-maker Emmanuel Carrère. Eduard Limonov is not a fictional character but he could have been. He has lived a hundred lives. He was a hoodlum in Ukraine, an idol of the Soviet underground, punk-poet and valet to a billionaire in Manhattan, fashion writer in Paris, lost soldier in the Balkans, and now, in the chaos after the fall of communism, a charismatic party leader of a gang of political desperados. 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. All welcome. In August the group will discuss I Love Dick by Chris Krause.

Leith Folk Club: Ribbon Road. Ribbon Road sing beautifully crafted songs, drawing from folk music’s long tradition yet still relevant to our ever-changing modern times. Based on tight harmonies and simple instrumental arrangements, their sound has a powerful directness. ‘They delighted us the last time they were here and we’ve been looking forward to this night ever since’. With support: Blue Moon Travellers. 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.

The Old Chain Pier Quiz Night: free, just for fun – with a bottle of wine for the winners.  9pm, The Old Chain Pier, Trinity Cresecent.

WEDNESDAY 6th JULY 2016

Omoiyari – Where Stories Come From: an exhibition of original artwork, paintings and sculptures by Marie-Alice Harel, taking you on an imaginary journey and inviting quiet reflexion on the nature of stories and the wonder of storytelling. Enjoy a collection of sketches and portraits created during live storytelling events, accompanied by local storytellers’ own take on the question ‘where do stories come from?’ 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 45 High Street. Ends 27th July 2016. Please note that the Centre’s exhibition space is occasionally not accessible to the public because of a private function booking. Please call ahead to check.

Erin, Errol and The Earth Creatures – a workshop for children. Stories, songs, recycled craft activities and puppets! Meet the woman who lives by the dump; hear her strange tales of the earth and the people who live on it. If you help her to help the earth creatures, you might get to meet the rubbish dump pixies! This workshop explores the themes of Modest Predicament’s new show, which features in the Centre’s Fringe programme (4th, 8th & 9th August). For ages 5+. 11am, Library, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 45 High Street. Tickets cost £6 per child, accompanying adult free, and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here. Please remember to book a free adult ticket as well as a ticket for your child.

Festival of Architecture 2016 Cities Expo Pop-Up Talks. Cities from across the globe have been invited to design the pavilions now located in Mound Square; the exhibition builds on the universal success of temporary pavilions and the popularity of present-day pop-ups, and architects have risen to the challenge of creating innovative and engaging pop-up designs that capture the public’s imagination. This week you can enjoy hour-long presentations from each of the featured cities; today at 11am Jeroen de Bok, city planner at the Municipality of Rotterdam, will speak about his city, and at 1pm the talk on Dundee will be given by Jennifer Caswell, Team Leader for Economic Projects at Dundee City Council. Both talks take place at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free but places are limited so please book via Eventbrite here. Talks on Vilnius, Bergen and Edinburgh follow on Thursday 7th July (see below).

Lunchtime Concert: Duo Canto y Piano: Camilla Garcia (soprano) and Jacqueline Urizar (piano). 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Scottish Waterways Trust: A Tale of Two Canals (Guided Walk). A fun, free tour around the Falkirk Wheel. Packed with quirky facts and fascinating stories, the tour will explore the history of the Union and Forth & Clyde Canals, and the building of the iconic Falkirk Wheel which rejoined the canals for the first time in 70 years. The tour lasts approximately 2 hours (3 miles) and includes a trip to the recently excavated historic lock flight – hidden to all but the most determined of visitors! There will be some walking on uneven ground involved, and unfortunately the tour may not be accessible for wheelchairs or those with mobility issues. Participants should wear sturdy boots/shoes and wear appropriate/waterproof clothing. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 1pm, Falkirk Wheel Visitor Centre, Lime Rd, Tamfourhill, Falkirk FK1 4RS. Free but booking is required and may be made via Eventbrite here. For more information please contact Gemma Wild at the Scottish Waterways Trust on 07795 315434 or gemma@scottishwaterwaystrust.org.uk. There will be further tours on 6th, 14th and 20th July.

Scott’s Last Expedition: the men who came back. The 1910-1914 British Antarctic Expedition is best remembered for its failure to reach the South Pole and for Captain Scott’s own heroic end. But it was not all a tragedy. Using their own published diaries and writings, Library Curator Paula Williams (Map, Mountaineering and Polar Collections) examines the amazing adventures of the men who came back. 2pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or via Eventbrite here.

Junior Knitting: if you are 7 or over, come and learn knitting skills with the Library staff. 2.30pm today and every Wednesday, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road. Free, no booking required – just come along.

The Big Friendly Read – Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: Roald Dahl Painting Party. Help paint a fabulous mural with all the good and not so good characters! For ages 5-12. 2pm, South Queensferry Library, Shore Road. Free, no booking required – just come along. The next event will be a Roald Dahl Scavenger Hunt on Wednesday 20^th July.

Get Online: free help with computing. Bring along your iPad: staff will cover all the basics and then help you get the most out of the internet. 2-4pm, Newington Library, Fountainhall Road. Free but please phone 0131 529 5336 to book a place.

Dazzle Design Workshop: come along and design your own patterns, build paper boats and help to create a dazzling display in the library. This event is aimed at 7 to 11 year olds – but there will be room for grown-ups too! 3.30pm, Piershill Library, Piershill Terrace. Free: all welcome.

LGBT Information Drop In: come and hear about events and services, meet LGBT Health’s administrator Alan, pick up information, leaflets and safe sex supplies and find out what LGBT Health can offer. 4.30-6.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact Alan Rodger on 0131 523 1100 or email alan@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents John Hunter: The Small Isles. Archaeologist John Hunter searches for the stories of the Small Isles (Rum, Eigg, Canna and Muck) in the evidence that survives – from the fragmentary physical remains of dwellings, defences, places of worship and monuments, to the records of early antiquarians, historians and travellers. This is a journey to rediscover communities that were erased by the mass migrations of the nineteenth century, and the rise of the Victorian sporting estate. Within a few generations cultural identity on the islands disappeared and a new order developed. Place names were changed, buildings and structures abandoned, and traditions forgotten. The Small Isles became islands without memories. John Hunter’s comprehensive guide – illustrated with a wealth of photographs, maps and drawings – takes readers on a tour of both place and time. Crisscrossing the landscapes of four fascinating and evocative islands, it reveals traces of a forgotten past in everything that has been left behind. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8222, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via Eventbrite here. Image: www.outdoorcapital.co.uk.

Tibet Scotland Connection: to commemorate the 81st Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, there will be a performance of traditional and modern Tibetan songs and music 6-8pm, followed by two short films on Tibet. The cafe will also be preparing Tibetan food, and people will then head off to Henry’s Cellar Bar (Morrison Street)to join the Monday open mic night. Your presence is all that is needed. BYOB. 6pm, Forest Café, 141 Lauriston Place.

Queer Tango Edinburgh. Queer Tango is Argentine Tango danced with open roles. The traditional gender-specific roles are rejected: everyone can lead and everyone can follow; anyone can dance with anyone else. Queer tango is for anyone who wants to play with all that tango can offer, for those who identify as LGBTQ and all friends and allies. All sexual identities and all genders are welcome. QTE founder Louise Tait will teach beginners’ classes today and 13th and 20th July, 12 noon-1pm, 1-2pm, 7-8pm and 8-9pm, Epworth Halls, City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square. Absolute beginners are welcome, and you can attend as many or as few classes as you wish. Your first one hour class is a free taster, then £6/£4 per hour or £10/£6 for a two hour session. For more information see Queer Tango’s website here or Facebook page here or email info@qte.dance.

Science on a Summer’s Evening: the University of Edinburgh College of Science and Engineering presents a special evening of lectures, music and hands-on science, showcasing exciting research at the University of Edinburgh. This year the focus is on the themes of robotics and automation in current research. Professor Sethu Vijayakumar will address Sharing Autonomy and Responsibility: The robots are ready, are you? and Dr Hille Tekotte will talk on The Edinburgh Genome Foundry: using robots to construct chromosomes. Live music from the Science Ceilidh Band, refreshments. 6-8.30pm (doors open 5.30pm), Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3BF. Free tickets are available from Eventbrite here.

Bi & 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 email biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.

Iskwe: downtempo electronic/triphop artist named in the ‘Top 10 Canadian Musicians You Need to Know’ (CBC Music), whose cross-cultural aesthetic is as striking as her tripped-out blend of soul. Over 18s only. 7.30pm, Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Ticket price to be confirmed; please contact the venue for details.

Mt Doubt: Alt. Rock/Dark-Pop from Edinburgh. ‘A massively distinctive new voice in Scottish Music’ (Roddy Hart). Over 18s only. 8pm, Ballroom, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Free.

Viva La Shambles: join anarchic makers of madness Viva La Shambles for their monthly night of chaotic live comedy. A collective of Edinburgh’s top comics joins forces to provide an evening’s worth of entertainment, with the emphasis on the alternative. A creative playground for comedians to try the weird, strange and downright silly. A night like no other. 8.30pm (doors 7.30pm), The Stand, 5 York Place. Tickets £5/£4 here or on the door, sta. For more information call 0131 558 7272.

Portobello Film Club Presents Tangerine (15): ‘the biggest transgender revenge film you’re ever likely to see’. 8pm, The Skylark, 241 Portobello High Street. Free, but advance booking highly recommended if you wish to dine; call 0131 629 3037.

Nick Gould’s Jazzmain: accomplished Edinburgh sax player Nick Gould brings in his quartet for an evening of cool swinging jazz with some Latin tinges, with Steve Grossart (piano), Iain Harkness (bass) and Kevin Dorrian (drums). 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4; please note that this venue is strictly cash only.

Swampfog: fat horns and heavy riffs, with a healthy serving of New Orleans grooves, from 6-piece with sax, trumpet, trombone horn section plus guitar/vocals, electric bass and drums; a mix of originals, classics and a few unexpected covers. 12 midnight (entry from 11.30pm)-3am, The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £3/£2; please note that this venue is strictly cash only.

THURSDAY 7^TH JULY 2016

Scotland-Russia Forum: Chai & Chat. Sparkling Russian/English conversation over tea and cakes. No charge apart from any drinks and cakes you choose to purchase. Open to all – no need to book.  Just turn up – you will be warmly welcomed by the group. 11am, Summerhall Café, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. For more information please contact info@scotlandrussiaforum.org (tel: 0131 560 1486).

Festival of Architecture 2016 Cities Expo Pop-Up Talks. Cities from across the globe have been invited to design the pavilions now located in Mound Square; the exhibition builds on the universal success of temporary pavilions and the popularity of present-day pop-ups, and architects have risen to the challenge of creating innovative and engaging pop-up designs that capture the public’s imagination. This week you can enjoy hour-long presentations from each of the featured cities; today at 11am architectural curator, critic, publicist, writer and lecturer Rūta Leitanaitė  will speak about Vilnius, at 1pm Paul Lawrence, Director of Place, the City of Edinburgh Council and Hugh Rutherford, Chair of the Edinburgh Business Forum, will discuss Edinburgh, and at 3pm the talk on Bergen will be given by historian Anna Elisa Tryti, Commissioner for Urban Development of the City of Bergen, and Petter Bergerud, an architect, professor at Bergen Academy of Art and Design and partner in Fortunen AS – architecture, landscape and design. All talks take place at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free but places are limited so please book via Eventbrite here.

Scotland’s Gardens: Humbie Dean. A two acre ornamental and woodland garden at 600 feet, under single-handed renovation and major extension since 2008. The aim is to provide interest throughout a long season. A limited palette of plants with hosta, primula, meconopsis and spring bulbs; herbaceous and shrubaceous planting; bluebell meadow; mature and recent azalea and rhododendron planting.  A short woodland walk has been created. 2-6pm, Humbie Dean, Humbie, East Lothian EH36 5PW (for detailed directions click here). Admission £5, of which 40% goes to the Trellis Scotland, a charity supporting therapeutic gardening through a range of easy to access services, and the net remainder to SG charities.

Water of Leith Visitor Centre Children’s Summer Events. Today: River Dipping – join staff IN the river for this favourite activity! Children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free: booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk. For details of the centre’s summer and autumn programme – which includes events for all ages – click here.

The Big Friendly Read – Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: events at Currie Library throughout the summer holidays. Today (and every Thursday & Tuesday): Roald Dahl Crafternoons – help build volcanoes, design your own fancy dress, create your own Mr or Mrs Twits’ beard and much, much more! For ages 4-12. 2.30pm, Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road. Free, no booking required – just come along.

LGBT Age Fare & Share: LGBT Age invites you to bring along a wee dish to share, a poem to read, a reading you enjoy, a game to play or a song to sing. The event will be a relaxed and informal opportunity to share time and interests with other community members. 5.30-7.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Booking is essential and may be made by calling Jean Monaghan on 0131 523 1100 or emailing jean@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. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what LGBT Age can offer, please contact lgbtage@lgbthealth.org.uk  or call 0141 271 2330.

Shelley Day: The Confessions of Stella Moon. The Edinburgh-based author launches her new book on the day of publication, in conversation with Peggy Hughes. Stella Moon is a murderess. Upon her release from prison in 1977, she returns ‘home’ – a decaying, deserted boarding house choked with weeds and foreboding. Memories of strange rituals, gruesome secrets and shame hang heavy in the air, exerting a brooding power over young Stella Moon. She is eager to restart her life, but first she must confront the ghosts of her macabre family history and her own shocking crime. Guilt, paranoia and manipulation have woven a tangled web of truth and lies. All is ambiguous. Of only one thing is she certain…Stella Moon killed her own mother. 6.30-8pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Free tickets are available from the store.

Live Music Now: Marco Ramelli. Taking inspiration from Bartolini’s Campbell Sisters Dancing a Waltz (1821 – 1822) classical guitarist Marco Ramelli performs the colourful Waltz Virtuoso by Augustin Barrios Mangorè. Born in Milan and now based in Scotland, Marco performs music by Spanish composers and a new work of his own composition, Blue, in homage to the great painter Vincent Van Gogh. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Fresh Fruit: this group for young people aged 16–25 works together and with artists to explore new ideas and make and share artwork. Using The Fruitmarket Gallery’s exhibitions as a starting point, you’ll be supported to shape the direction and content of projects by working with artists and peers in a unique gallery space. Come along to the next meeting and say hi! 6-8pm, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Market Street. Free but please book via Eventbrite here. The next meeting (after today’s) will be on 4th August.

Alicia Savage Photography: a first UK solo exhibition for this Boston-based fine art photographer. Alicia Savage’s self-portraiture has been featured in galleries and publications across the USA and also in Columbia, Japan and England. In artwork that is both highly personal and universal, Alice documents herself while travelling. Often alone on these trips, she draws inspiration from the places she encounters and the experiences she goes through; while some of her images are conceptualized and thought through beforehand, others are created on the spur of the moment. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, 1-5pm Sundays, Arusha Gallery, 13a Dundas Street. Ends 22^nd July.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Cheryl Smith: Being Mrs Smith. When the horror of cancer touched the Smiths, they embarked on a journey to ultimate healing and peace. This is the story of their journey. Faced with heart-rending decisions, they accept unmissable opportunities with a courageousness they never knew they had. In the deepest jungle regions of the Amazon, they encounter charlatans and shamans and learn to distinguish between them. Surrendering to the path that is theirs to take, they embrace ancient teachings and strange medicines, and grasp the opportunity to dance with the spirits of sacred plants, including that of Ayahuasca. Far from home, the Smiths learn the true value of family and community as they place their trust in the wisdom of the indigenous elders, in themselves and in each other, and ultimately in Nature herself. Here is a rare story of healing that tells of the melding of souls as Mr and Mrs Smith walk each other home 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8222, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via Eventbrite here.

Laptop Lounge: Edinburgh’s alternative electronic music event returns, bringing live electronic music and visual performances together to create an evening of multimedia entertainment, with music ranging from experimental through ambient to electro and techno. Laptop Lounge uses machines and computers to generate sounds and images manipulated by artists at the controls. This event is in aid of Save the Children – Syria. Over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Admission £5.

Cats Protection West Lothian Pub Quiz Night. Platform 3 hosts a charity quiz night every month with resident quizmaster Davie Deep Sea Paterson; this one is a fundraiser for CP West Lothian, a group of volunteers doing many different tasks to help cats in West Lothian & Edinburgh (volunteers always welcome – see the group’s Facebook page here).  8pm (it is advisable to arrive by 7.30pm), Platform 3, 1a High Street, Linlithgow. £10 entry fee for a team of four.

The Red Sessions Open Mic + Special Guests DMS. Arrive early to sign up for open mic, which will start at 9pm; full backline is provided, drummers bring their own breakables etc and performers get a drink for playing! 8pm, Leith Depot, 138 Leith Walk.

Queen Margaret University Film & Media Degree Show: showcasing the best short drama and documentary films from QMU students. Representing a wide variety of styles and genres, all these works will compete for best film and the Audience Choice award. Students from previous years have gone on to win Scottish BAFTAs and awards in major festivals so please come along and enjoy the work from these auteurs of the future! 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online.

Ali Affleck’s Bedlam Swing: vintage New Orleans jazz and blues from award-winning vocalist Alison Affleck, back with her mix of renowned local musicians Cameron Jay (trumpet), Campbell Normand (piano), Ed Kelly (bass) and Jack Wilson (drums). With passionate handling of the lyrics (‘stunningly expressive’ – San Diego Tribune) coupled with a light-hearted, mischievous stage presence,  Bedlam Swing offers up a fresh interpretation of early jazz and blues whilst remaining faithful to the meaning behind the songs. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4; please note that this venue is strictly cash only. Image: Mariebeth Kilbride.

 FRIDAY 8^TH JULY 2016

National Museum of Scotland New Galleries Opening Day: this summer NMS unveils ten new galleries, dedicated to excellence and innovation in decorative art, design, fashion, science and technology. From the oldest aircraft in Britain and ceramic works by Picasso, to a 3D print of a human brain and a metal dress by Paco Rabanne, the new galleries will showcase NMS’s extraordinary collections. Come along from 9.30am today, when guest DJ Mark Martin from Forth 1 will be opening the Museum with a bang. Help NMS celebrate in style with live music and entertainment and be amongst the first to discover the transformed Museum. Have a go at designing your own catwalk creation, power a lightbulb on the giant hamster wheel, and enjoy the thrills and spills of driving a racing car! For details of today’s programme click here. 9.30am-5pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free, drop-in. For information about children’s summer activities at the Museum see History Happenings and Sci-Art Summer, below.

Lunchtime Concert: The Waterbury Chorale (Connecticut, USA) visits Edinburgh on its tour of Ireland and Scotland. Musical Director: Joseph Jacovino Jr. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Architecture Fringe: the Architecture Fringe is an independent, contributor-led series of events and projects across the arts which will explore architecture and how it makes a difference to our lives. Inspired by the Year of Innovation, Architecture & Design this new fringe festival has been initiated by a group of architects, photographers, engineers, visual artists, curators and musicians. Complementing the Festival of Architecture 2016, the Architecture Fringe will host a number of events, exhibitions, talks and a community self-build, with activity taking place in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Beith in North Ayrshire and Farr south of Inverness. The intention is to establish the Architecture Fringe as an annual event across Scotland. Gayfield Creative Spaces will host exhibitions by Robb Mcrae, Tamsin Cunningham, Ffion and Steven Blench, and Calum Ross and Andy Hodgkinson of Leith experimental band Hans Klammer. Opening tonight 6.30-9pm, with a live performance premier of Palimpsest by Hans Klammer, then 10am-6pm on Saturday 9th July (with a talk The Neoliberal City, by Anna Minton and Andy Wightman at 11am) and 10am-4pm Sunday 10th July, Gayfield Creative Spaces, Gayfield Square.

Collective Hush: if you 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. Free, drop-in, donations welcome.

National Museum of Scotland Summer Activities: History Happenings. The museum is offering lots of drop-in events during the holidays – today (and every day to 31^st July) it’s History Happenings: step back in time and encounter everyday characters from history, inspired by the new galleries. A suffragette with her invaluable bicycle, a weaver getting to grips with new technology in 1816 and a 1960s department store worker who dreams of designer fashion – who will you meet? 11am-1pm or 2-4pm today, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July, then every Thursday, Friday and Sunday in July, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free, drop-in. See also Sci-Art Summer (below).

Musselburgh Racecourse Bicentenary Celebration Raceday. Come and mark 200 years of horse racing history at Musselburgh Racecourse. Her Majesty The Queen will visit to mark the course’s 200th year celebrations; the racecourse will be transformed into a garden party with all ages encouraged to bring their picnics, enjoy the family entertainments and watch the seven live races featuring the Bi-Centenary Cup. Doors open 12 noon, first race 2.10pm, Musselburgh Racecourse, Linkfield Road, Musselburgh. Tickets £20/£15 (various catering packages are also available) in advance here, £25 on the day; children 17 and under admitted free.

National Museum of Scotland Summer Activities: Sci-Art Summer. The museum is offering lots of drop-in events during the holidays – today (and every day to 31st July) it’s Sci-Art Summer: come and explore the fantastic new Science and Technology and Art, Design and Fashion galleries! Take part in craft activities, enjoy live demonstrations and displays and meet some interesting characters. 12 noon-4pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free, drop-in. Also at same times 9th-31st July. See also History Happenings (above).

Scotland’s Gardens: National Trust for Scotland – Newhailes. An 18th century designed landscape surrounds the main house and includes a raised walkway, the enchanting and mysterious shell grotto, tea house, a water garden and a number of different walks and paths. In 2015 the Trust embarked upon a major project to restore several areas of the landscape including the Flower Garden, ha-ha and the Walled Kitchen Garden. House open 12 noon-5pm (Visitor Centre and Café 11am-5pm, grounds open all day), Scotland’s Gardens guided walk 2-3pm. Normal NTS admission prices & parking fees apply (members free), plus £2 per person for the walk. NTS will make a donation to SG charities.

The Big Friendly Read – Summer Reading Challenge Scotland: events at Colinton Library throughout the summer holidays. Today (and every Friday & Monday): Roald Dahl Crafternoons – help build volcanoes, design your own fancy dress, create your own Mr or Mrs Twits’ beard and much, much more! For ages 4-12. 2.30pm, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road. Free, no booking required – just come along.

Lego Club: a new club for all Lego enthusiasts, big or small. 2-3pm today and every Friday, Kirkliston Library, Station Road. Free: all welcome.

Kamishibai: Craft & Stories: Kamishibai storytelling is a form of Japanese storyboard theatre where the tale is told by changing illustrated panels. Join Fergus McNicol and Mio Shapley for a fun afternoon of stories and the chance to create your own illustrations with artist Marie-Alice Harel. Ticket price includes craft materials. For ages 3+. 2pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 45 High Street. Tickets cost £8 per child, accompanying adult free (adult without child £8), and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here. Please remember to book a free adult ticket as well as a ticket for your child.

Lego Club: for ages 5+. 2.30pm today and every Friday, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan. Free.

Adapting Miss Highsmith: described by Graham Greene as the ‘poet of apprehension’, Patricia Highsmith specialised in tightly plotted thrillers exploring the fear, jealousy, guilt and violence bubbling under the surface of outwardly civilised characters. Neurotic men dominate her fiction, antiheroes with a plethora of dark secrets and obsessions, though she was equally capable of studies of great sensitivity and tenderness, as evidenced by one of her few forays outside the thriller genre, Carol. The artistry and intelligence of her work is widely considered to have transcended the thriller genre and rival that of mainstream literature, and has made for much compelling cinema. Today’s film is Strangers on a Train (PG); often referred to as Alfred Hitchcock’s return to form after a series of critical and commercial disappointments and co-written by Raymond Chandler, Strangers On A Train was adapted from Highsmith’s debut novel. Robert Walker and Farley Granger play Bruno and Guy, two young men whose chance meeting on a train journey leads to a supposedly foolproof murder swap (Bruno agrees to kill Guy’s wife if Guy disposes of Bruno’s father). 1.15pm and 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online. Also showing on Saturday 9th July at 3.30pm and 5.50pm. The next film in this series is Plein Soliel (PG), screening 15th-17th July.

Damián Ortega: the Mexican artist, whose new exhibition opens at the Fruitmarket tonight, will be in conversation with the Gallery’s Director Fiona Bradley. 5-6pm, Fruitmarket Gallery, Market Street. Free but please book via Eventbrite here. The talk will be followed at 6pm by a preview of the exhibition, which showcases new sculptures focusing on how the forces of nature – wind, water, earth and fire – act on the earth both independently of and in relationship to humankind. All welcome – no booking required for preview.

Matthew Todd: Straight Jacket. The editor of the UK’s bestselling gay magazine Attitude will be talking about his polemic memoir, Straight Jacket, a revolutionary clarion call for gay men, the wider LGBT community, their friends and families. It looks beneath the shiny facade of contemporary gay culture and asks if gay people are as happy as they could be – and if not, why not? Matthew Todd explores why statistics show a large number of gay people suffer from mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, addiction, suicidal thoughts and behaviour, and why significant numbers experience difficulty in sustaining meaningful relationships. Bracingly honest, and drawing on his own experience, he breaks the silence surrounding a number of painful issues. Meticulously researched, courageous and life-affirming, Straight Jacket offers invaluable practical advice on how to overcome a range of difficult issues. It also recognizes that this is a watershed moment, a piercing wake-up-call-to-arms for the gay and wider community to acknowledge the importance of supporting all young people – and helping older people to transform their experience and finally get the lives they really want. 6pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Free tickets are available from the store.

Friday Night Mixer: Surreal Encounters: an evening of short ‘taster’ talks and discussions exploring some of the themes in the Surreal Encounters exhibition. Speakers include artist and writer  Laurence Figgis discussing Dalí and Disney; journalist Joanna Moorhead (The Guardian) talking about Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington; collaborative artists Julie Duffy and Hayley Mathers on Lee Miller’s surreal dinner parties and poet Colin McGuire. 6.30pm (doors open 6pm), Café, Scottish National Portrait Gallery 1 Queen Street. Tickets £5/£4 from Eventbrite here. A pay-bar will be serving drinks and snacks.

Mapping Remembrance: ‘Where, Minister, is my consolation?’ A tribute in textiles by Alison King. This new work by artist Alison King reflects on the experiences of McCrae’s Battalion and the role of James Black, Chaplain to the Battalion during the First World War conflict. Tonight is an open evening to view the artwork and hear words and music reflecting on the Somme. 7pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street.

Over to EU: whilst the world around it may be changing, theatre today remains a space for collaboration, inclusion and creation without borders. Over to EU is an open mic event for those with thoughts, ideas and reflections on where we are, and where we may be heading, hosted by the Traverse’s Artistic Director Orla O’Loughlin. Open to poetry, dialogue, music, thoughts and impressions, this is an opportunity for anyone with any viewpoint who would like to explore and express their hopes and concerns in a safe, open and respectful environment. Performance slots will be 5 minutes long. If you’d be interested in participating, please send your name and a short note on how you’d like to contribute to info@traverse.co.uk by 6pm on Tuesday 5 July. (Please note that whilst a small stage and two mics will be available, the theatre won’t be able to offer any additional technical, production, casting or literary support.) For ages 14+. 8.30pm, Traverse Bar Café, Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street. Free.

The Shiverin Sheiks: high-energy, dancefloor-filling Glasgow 4-piece with guitars, double bass and drums plus 3-part vocals, delivering pumping 50s/60s RnB, Rockabilly, Gospel, and Doo Wop – with a touch of Gypsy Swing. Plus Funk DJ. 12 midnight-3am (entry from 11.30pm, band 12.45am), The Jazz Bar, 1a Chambers Street. £5/£4; please note that this venue is strictly cash only.

*Want to get away this weekend?* Here are two suggestions:

Stonehaven Folk Festival: where else could you find the World Paper’n’Comb Championship and an Aqua Ceilidh? Stonehaven has one of the few remaining open air (and heated) pools in Scotland, so it’s worth visiting just for that – but this weekend you can also enjoy music from Blazin’ Fiddles, The Jellyman’s Daughter, Saltfishforty, Daimh, The Scott Wood Band and many others, plus ceilidhs (wet and dry), singing sessions, fringe sessions, family concerts, and workshops in everything from ukulele to whistle. There are lots of child-friendly possibilities – storytelling, Artie’s Tartan Tales, ’10 Minute Burns Suppers, ‘Hands-On Clarsach’ and more – and many events are free. For details of tickets for the main concerts, plus travel information (Stonehaven is on the main Edinburgh-Aberdeen train line) and local accommodation options, see the festival’s website here or its Facebook page here. Opening session 8.30pm Thursday 7th July, last concert 7pm Sunday 10th July, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.

Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music Festival 2016: a little further away but well worth the trip, this festival set in the heart of the Galloway hills began life as a family garden party and has only been going since 2014 but it’s already well established. Concerts, Tune & Song sessions, Highland Dance, music workshops in everything from Bodhran to pipes and sound engineering, films, Gaelic lessons. Acts this weekend include Robyn Stapelton, Rachel Newton Trio, Rhins of Galloway Pipes & Drums, Darcy Dasilva, The Cracked Man, Late Bloomers, Alan McClure, Hope London, Buille, Jim Malcolm, Fay Norris & David Ward (Dragonfly) and Paula Herries School of Highland Dancing. First concert 5.45pm Thursday 7th July, Finale Concert 7.30pm Saturday 9th July (sessions likely to continue quite a bit later…). Newton Stewart Traditional and Acoustic Music Festival, Waulkmill House, Minnigaff, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire. DG8 6AF. For tickets, travel directions and accommodation options, see the festival’s website here or its Facebook page here or call 01671 404924.