Groups opposing cuts gathering at council this morning
A meeting of the EIJB being held this morning at the City Chambers is likely to be lively with many deputations all asking to state their opposition to the cuts of £4.5 million to 60+ third sector bodies which the board proposed only last Friday.
Read our article here where we set out what that would mean for some of the organisations.
Remember Diwali is on Sunday
Edinburgh Diwali takes place on Sunday in the city centre with a parade beginning from St Andrew Square at 1pm
The 2024 Diwali celebration on Sunday, 3 November, will mark Edinburgh Diwali’s 10th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, Edinburgh Diwali held a special reception in the Scottish Parliament’s Holyrood Room on 30 October, kindly sponsored by Foysol Choudhury MSP, who welcomed attendees.
Distinguished guests included First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Anas Sarwar MSP, Minister for Equality Kaukab Stewart MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Neil Bibby MSP, and the Indian Consul General in Edinburgh, Mr Siddharth Malik.
The event brought together more than 100 guests, including representatives from community organisations, councillors, and long-time supporters of Edinburgh Diwali.
Dancers from Ahalya Dance Academy and Dance Ihayami showcased traditional and fusion performances, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Rajnish Singh, President of Edinburgh Diwali, extended a warm welcome and expressed gratitude to the sponsor, speakers, performers, attendees, photographers, decorators, and The Scottish Parliament events team on behalf of the Edinburgh Diwali Committee. Guests enjoyed an evening of celebration with refreshments.
Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Hosting cultural events in the Scottish Parliament, at the heart of Scottish democracy, serves as a powerful reminder that: Culture Matters.”
“It matters to Our Communities—by celebrating religious freedoms and cultural expression, strengthening community bonds, and promoting cooperation and unity within our diverse society.”
“It matters for Cross-Cultural understanding—encouraging us to engage with each other’s faiths, cultural practices, and customs, helping combat prejudice and fostering a more tolerant society.”
Thirty under 30
The Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women’s leadership and rights, has today announced this year’s 30 Under 30 – a list of young women and girls in Scotland who are leading change and excelling in their fields. The final awards will be made at an event on Friday evening.
The 30 Under 30 campaign is celebrating young women and girls’ impact in Scotland across a wide range of experiences. This year’s list includes young women and girls from age 13 to 30, from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, who are celebrated for their campaigning, community work, leadership and excellence in arts, sports, and leadership.
This year’s list includes six people from Edinburgh:
· Alanis McQuillen, a Scottish Parliament staffer who has advocated for better visibility and participation of women in Parliament
· Alice Cruickshank, a BBC journalist and producer whose content focuses on empowering and connecting with young people
· Alyssa Faulkner, a campaigner for better medical access, care and awareness for people living with diabetes
· Beth Davidson, 27-year-old CEO of mental health charity ‘Feeling Strong’
· Gemma Smith, advocate for rights and opportunities for care-experienced people
· Khadea Santi, an artist who led a Youth Art Takeover at the Fruitmarket and whose work explores diaspora, identity and memory.
Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement, said: “It’s a privilege to celebrate these inspiring and tenacious young women and girls, who are creating change in their communities, lives and across society in myriad ways. We know that this is a particularly challenging time for young women and girls in Scotland, as they are disproportionately affected by poor access to healthcare, the cost-of-living crisis, and a rise in misogynistic rhetoric. Reading this year’s nominations for 30 Under 30 and seeing the impact that young women and girls are having despite this was a moving experience, and we are delighted to celebrate their successes and courage for the ninth year.”
The full 30 Under 30 list can be viewed on The Young Women’s Movement’s website
The Old Edinburgh Club – grants available
The Old Edinburgh Club, the city’s history society, is offering small grants for projects and research which expand what we know about the city and bring our history to life.
The Club’s President, Edward Duvall said, “We are delighted to invite proposals which may feature original research or improved access to historical resources. Or they could present existing knowledge to interest new audiences or involve Edinburgh residents in other ways.”
The programme is open to local history and heritage organisations, schools and colleges and to individual researchers who may be independent or in the education sector. It builds on a successful round of grant awards made in 2023.
Project grants may be awarded of up to £3,500 and individual research grants of up to £500. A wide range of activities could be supported including publications, websites, events, exhibitions, podcasts and videos, subject guides and trails. Projects may involve making records more accessible, for example, through cataloguing and conservation and promoting their use.
Edward explained, “The programme has been made possible by the generosity of the late Jean Guild who was a senior librarian with the University of Edinburgh. We are enormously grateful to her, as we look forward to receiving lots of imaginative and exciting proposals.”
“Funds are limited, so we won’t be able to support everything. The more interesting the better. We want to enable activities that might not happen otherwise, will have an impact and bring lasting benefits.”
Further details will be found at www.oldedinburghclub.org.uk/grants, including information on our first Jean Guild Grant awards. Please send any enquiries to grants@oldedinburghclub.org.uk
At The National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, EH1 1JF
Open 10.00am – 5.00pm daily
Exhibitions & displays
Game On
Until 3 Nov 2024
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Get set for Game On – the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games. Game On, an exhibition conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, examines the creative and technological advances that have established a new medium and artform. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Mario, explore gaming’s rich history through over 100 playable games from the last five decades.
Find our more nms.ac.uk/game-on
Cold War Scotland
Until 26 Jan 2025
10:00 – 17:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free
Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War. Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling. The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. The exhibition will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/ColdWarScotland
Theravada Buddhism
Until 12 Jan 2025
Gallery 3, Level 1
Free
A thought-provoking display charts the history and influence of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition across the world, including its role in Scotland today. The display includes a Buddha on loan from The Dhammapadipa Temple in Edinburgh. The Buddha was designed and made in Thailand in 2013, then later gifted to Temple where it is now used in their garden meditation room.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/theravadabuddhism
Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Magic Carpet Minis
Block 3 (6, 13 & 20 Nov)
10:30–11:15 or 14:00–14:45
£15.00 per child for block of 3
£13.50 per Member child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/magic-carpet-minis
Friday Friends
8 & 22 November
Selected Friday afternoons
14:00 – 16:00
Free, pre-booking required
Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/friday-friends
Creative Workshop: An Introduction to Drawing Scottish Wildlife
9 Nov
11:00-16:00
£50, £44 Members & Concession
Booking required
This informal creative workshop will focus on better understanding and engaging with Scottish wildlife. Learn how to create various textures and marks to depict the animal world, using tone and contrast to achieve a three-dimensional effect with pencils. The focus will be on using creativity to improve your understanding of and appreciation for the animals being drawn, rather than depicting an accurate likeness.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/creative-workshop-an-introduction-to-drawing-scottish-wildlife
The Sunday Sketch
17 Nov
14:00-16:00
£15, £13 Members & Conc.
Book required
Join artist Sheena Russell to take a new look at our collections and be guided through a range of drawing activities within the museum’s galleries. In this session, we will be drawing the artworks in the Art of Living and Traditions in Sculpture galleries on level 5 of the National Museum of Scotland. Learn how to capture the varied qualities of faces and figures sculpted in clay, marble, plaster, terracotta and wood.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/the-sunday-sketch
Annual Open Evening
20 Nov
18:00
Free, booking required
Join National Museums Scotland Chair, Ian Russell, and Director, Dr Chris Breward, for a review of the year highlighting the extensive range of activity that has taken place across the organisation in 2024.
Curator Dr Adrian Maldonado will also present Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, which gives a fascinating update on the latest conservation and research discoveries from this Viking-age hoard.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/annual-open-evening
Curiosity Club: Animals in the Dark
23 Nov
10:30
Inspired by some of the museum’s most exciting collections, our Curiosity Clubs are a chance for kids to explore the museum without their adult helpers through games, activities, and gallery visits.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/curiosity-club
Drawn Together at the Museum
27 – 29 Dec
10:30-16:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop-in
Escape to the museum during the holidays and enjoy sketching around our galleries. Join us for this calming, creative activity in the heart of the busy holiday season. Meet our artist-in-residence then pick up a pencil and paper and explore the galleries.
Read more nms.ac.uk/events/drawn-together-at-the-museum
Sprogmanay
1 Jan 2025
14:00-17:00
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop in
Shimmy, sparkle, and sing your way into the New Year as Sprogmanay returns for 2025. Join us for an afternoon of fun for children of all ages with a programme of live music, dancing, and performances. You can also explore our galleries packed with inspiring objects and stories.
Read more nms.ac.uk/events/sprogmanay
BONUS
And as a bonus here is our November paper out today. Click on the image below.
Please do subscribe to have your own copy delivered – or buy us a croissant to help us keep going… Thank you if you do.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
