Total Theatre and Arches Brick Award winners and Amnesty Internation Freedom of Expression Award nominees Sh!t Theatre return to this year’s Fringe with a new show all about women – that was commissioned by a man.

Now that gender inequality has been solved, they thought they might write a show about how great Dolly Parton is but Brian Logan of Camden People’s Theatre commissioned Louise Mothersole and Becca Biscuit to write a show about feminism for the Calm Down Dear Festival. Women’s Hour is all the things they could do or say about women in sixty minutes.

Women’s Hour is a show of giddy, freewheeling silliness about what happens when women are given just one hour a day to think about what it is to be a WOMAN. Feminist theatre for all genders.

Previous Sh!t Theatre shows have explored the benefit system (in Job Seekers Anonymous 2013) and the pharmaceutical industry (in Guinea Pigs on Trial), but Women’s Hour departs in form from these journalistic pieces. Women’s Hour is a mix of satire, song, clowning, movement and mess more akin to cabaret or sketch comedy. It is a mix of newly written sections and verbatim text taken from advertising, news media and pop culture.

It is constantly rewritten in response to current affairs. There’s loads of new sh!t happening to women all the time.

Sh!t Theatre are Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit. They are Associate Artists at Camden People’s Theatre. They have been advised many times by theatre professionals to change their name although their publicist tells us he’d leave them if they did. To make their shows affordable for un(der)waged people ticket prices are kept intentionally low (£6).

This show is very charming but it is really not suitable for children.

Women’s Hour
Summerhall, Anatomy Lecture Theatre Venue 26
5, 7, 9-10, 12, 14, 16-17, 19, 21, 23-24, 26, 28, 30 Aug (each Sun, Mon, Weds, Fri) 2pm

Submitted by Martin Mouth

2015 New act of the Year Michael Stranney and Laughing Horse New act of the year runner up Olaf Falafel bring you an hour of fun filled silly comedy. With a mixture of offbeat characters, one liners, outlandish tales and an irrelevant spinning wheel, they invite you into their wholly unique worlds.
MICHAEL STRANNEY is a character comedian from Northern Ireland. As well as winning the prestigious New Act of the year award (formerly Hackney Empire New act of the Year) in January, he has also won several other new act competitions including The Max turner Prize 2015, The Dave Leicester Comedy festival Toilet Duck award and the Tedfest New Irish Comedian of the year 2014.

Steve Bennett of Chortle described his set as the following: “Perfectly encapsulated fuzzy Irish whimsy in a compelling, nervous stream-of-consciousness that paints a detailed picture of peculiar small-town goings-on. There’s a cast of supporting characters any offbeat sitcom would relish. The sense of place is powerful, with his quirkily amusing descriptions wittily fleshing out the vivid situation”

OLAF FALAFEL may well hold the self proclaimed title of ‘Sweden’s eighth funniest comedian’ but he is quickly rising up the ranks of the UK comedy scene. His unique mixture of one-liners and Scandinavian-tinged stories earned him second place in this year’s Laughing Horse New Act of the Year. Other accolades include being crowned the 2013 Golden Jester and also being named Last Minute Comedy Club’s New Act of 2013.

EXPECT THE UNEXPORCUPINE is on 2.15pm (60mins), COWGATEHEAD
Up Two M (Venue 32) 65 Cowgate, EH1 1JW,
8-29TH AUGUST (except 18th August)

Submitted by Michael Stranney and Olaf Falafel

A surreal and immersive audio experience in complete darkness is set to create a unique theatrical experience at this year’s Fringe.

Conceived by David Rosenberg and Glen Neath Fiction is a surreal and immersive audio experience in complete darkness using binaural sound. This goes beyond stereo to create realistic yet otherworldly sound imagery via headphones that appears to moving around in 3D. The audience are transported into the sprawling architecture of their dreams, where little is as it seems. The Fiction experience is at once one of immersive isolation and an atmospheric group encounter, creating the eerie sensation of presence when no one is there.

Cocooned in total darkness with a surround sound experience of noises and voices the audience’s imagination runs free to create their own imagery. Despite hearing exactly the same thing, everyone will have a different and unique experience as they explore their dreams, dreams they have difficulty waking from…

Disorientating, immediate and thought provoking, Fiction is a unique theatrical experience that undermines common conventions of drama.

Fiction is the second collaboration between David Rosenberg and Glen Neath following the acclaimed Ring, which sold out runs at Battersea Arts Centre and the Fringe in 2013.

The show is produced by three time Herald Angel Award winners Fuel. Founded in 2004 by Louise Blackwell and Kate McGrath, Fuel produces fresh work for adventurous audiences by inspiring artists. Fuel is also presenting Portrait by Racheal Ofori and Tom Stuart’s I Am Not Myself These Days at this years Fringe and is Associate Producer on Clod Ensemble’s The Red Chair

Aug 5-16, 18-23, 25-30 at 12:00 at Pleasance Dome Venue 23

Tickets here

Submitted by Martin Mouth

‘To me, Edinburgh is a city equally at home in the worlds of fiction and of reality’

Director Sorcha Carey is launching her fifth – and the city’s twelfth – Edinburgh Art Festival at Dovecot Studios; it may be Edinburgh’s youngest, but it’s also now the largest annual festival of visual arts in the UK.

Over one hundred artists are involved, with exhibitions, events and commissions occupying over thirty city-wide venues; from Picasso and Escher to Dennis and Debbie Club, the Festival seeks to support artists at all stages of their careers – artists working in all sorts of media, from traditional painting to improvised vocal acoustics and street interventions.  Sorcha said: “We may be entering into our adult years, but we still have that bit of attitude and teenage energy that all good festivals should have.”

So where do fiction and reality come in? One of the Festival’s main themes is The Improbable City, which takes its inspiration from Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel, Invisible Cities. Calvino describes a fictional conversation between Kublai Khan, emperor of 13th century Mongolia, and Marco Polo – an exploration of the nature of cities, how they are formed and how they work. For The Improbable City, the Festival has commissioned seven artists, each of whom conjure up imaginary worlds, ‘worlds or spaces at the limits of the probable…Worlds which are distinctly ‘other’, yet sit in close relation to our own..’

Artist Charles Avery unveiled the first of these encounters this morning at Waverley Station; it’s a bronze sculpture of a rather unusual tree. Avery is best known for his project The Islanders, works from which were seen in the National Galleries of Scotland’s recent GENERATION exhibition – the project is dedicated to describing the inhabitants, flora and fauna of a fictional island, and that island’s park is filled with artificial trees and shrubs, an expression of the islanders’ refutation of nature. So Avery’s new tree, (which can be seen next to Platform 2) with its colourful dangling ‘branches’ reminiscent of a weeping willow, is part plant, part sculpture, part temple. New works in the Onomatopoeia project will also be on view at the Ingleby Gallery.

Other Improbable City participants include Quebecois video and installation artist Julie Favreau, Mexican illustrator and inventor Ariel Guzik, and vocal artist Hanna Tuulikki, whose SING SIGN: a close duet is a ‘vocal and gestural suite’, which she will perform in Gladstone’s Land and other closes of the Old Town.

Dovecot Studios themselves are hosting the work of two outstanding artists. In Kwang Young Chun’s fascinating AGGREGATIONS we see beautiful large scale sculptures constructed from tiny interlocking packages – these little parcels are made from traditional mulberry paper or Hanji and tied with mulberry string. In melding such a traditional Korean symbol with the Abstract Expressionism he studied in the US, Chun seeks to reconcile the divide between the ideals and the reality of the American dream. (The artist was represented at the launch by his son).

A Life in Colour, meanwhile, offers a retrospective of the career of the celebrated textile designer Bernat Klein; Klein’s fabrics were used by Chanel and Dior, but painting was always the driving process behind his designs, and in the 1970s he commissioned Dovecot to make ten tapestries based on his impasto technique. The pieces exhibited today exemplify Klein’s sumptuous and – for the 1950s – almost revolutionary use of bright colours and texture.

Historic art features just as much as the contemporary stuff in this festival – it’s not all installations and performances, wonderful though these may be. At The Queen’s Gallery Scottish Artists 1750-1900: From Caledonia to the Continent will bring together paintings, drawings and miniatures collected by monarchs from George III to Queen Victoria, whilst the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas showcases important pieces from its huge collection – which includes works by the Scottish Colourists, the Glasgow Boys, Joan Eardley and Alan Davie. Other partner exhibitions feature Roy Lichtenstein (Modern One), Lee Miller and Picasso (Portrait Gallery) and MS Escher (Modern Two) – and as Sorcha points out, the ups and the downs, the closes and the pends of the Old Town can feel very like an Escher print at times.

From Philippa Barlow’s major solo exhibition set at The Fruitmarket Gallery to Toby Paterson’s Thresholds at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop and John Chamberlain’s stunning metallic sculptures at the Botanics, the Festival spreads far and wide throughout the city – and beyond, to Jupiter Artland’s sculpture park in West Lothian, which will provide the backdrop to works by Tara Donovan and Samara Scott. Whilst some venues are well-known Edinburgh establishments – modern photography in the shape of Bailey’s Stardust is at the Scottish National Gallery, Photography: A Victorian Sensation at the National Museum of Scotland – many smaller galleries and pop-up spaces will be taking part too.

Edinburgh is an eminently walkable city, and to help you get around the Festival invites you to join a free walking tour; just turn up at its new central hub, The Kiosk in Blair Street, at 2pm any day Saturday to Thursday and off you go. On Fridays there are special Walking Lunch Tours – for £4 you get a brown bag lunch to snaffle as you see the sights (these tours must be booked 24 hours in advance). They’ve also got Explorers maps and guides specially for families with children.

Whisper it low, but there are a few other festivals going on in the city this summer… and Edinburgh Art Festival is keen to build conversations with them. The Festival Detours programme is a series of live performances in galleries by people like Carol Ann Duffy, Phill Jupitus and Man of Moon (who? only Edinburgh’s latest uber cool band, that’s who..). Meanwhile on 13th and 20th August, Art Late will see evening openings with live music, artist talks, tours and performances at venues such as Talbot Rice Gallery, Collective and Dovecot Studios. I’m slightly relieved to see that this festival’s idea of late closing is 10.30pm… you young things can party the night away in the Grassmarket all you like, I need to be home for Book at Bedtime.

But before I go, I’m sure you’re agog to know one thing…. just what is the Dennis and Debbie Club – can anyone join? All I can tell you is, it involves ‘despair, personal torment…and the absurd’. To find out more, you’ll need to get down to CodeBase in Lady Lawson Street. As Henri Matisse apparently said, ‘Creativity takes courage’.

The Edinburgh Art Festival starts today 30th July and ends 30th August 2015.

Most venues should have brochures, and you can also see the programme online here. For daily news, events and updates, visit The Kiosk, 9-11 Blair Street.

Comedian Omid Singh is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the first time! Singh is an American touring stand-up, based in Los Angeles.

A compilation of stories, relationship material and one liners mixed with audience interaction – My Favourite Words in the English Language is Omid’s comedy thesis.

Raised in a multicultural family (half Indian, half Iranian), he has lived in more than a dozen different cities across two continents. From the suburbs of Orange County to Texas to Dubai, his unique upbringing – and rapidly growing facial hair – have influenced his comedy, making him a diverse performer who enjoys connecting with every type of audience.

Venue: Just The Tonic at The Tron (Venue 51). 9 Hunter Square, EH1 1QW.

Dates: 6^th – 30^th August (No show on 18^th)

Time: 19:30 (1 hour)

Box Office

Tickets: £5 – £8.50

Continuing to defy the years, the nation’s favourite octogenarian Barry from Watford returns to Edinburgh this year with his Bingo Bonanza show in tow. Following his monthly residency at The 100 Club in London, he brings his one-of-a-kind variety night full of bingo, stand-up, and some very special guests to the Fringe.

From calling radio stations to give his opinion on the burning issues of the day, 82 year old Barry from Watford – created and performed by acclaimed actor and writer Alex Lowe – has since been forging a career in showbiz, making a name for himself through his radio chats on Iain Lee’s Absolute Radio show, BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright in the Afternoon, and in his very own series shortly broadcast for BBC Radio 4. For TV he has appeared on Channel 4’s ‘Feeling Nuts’ with Angelos Epithemiou, who he now has a weekly podcast with.

Thursday 13th, 20th, 27th / Friday 14th, 21st, 28th / Saturday 15th, 22nd, 29th August
Pleasance Courtyard, Above
10:20pm (60 mins)
Tickets £10 (£9 concessions) Thursdays, £12 (£11 concessions) Friday & Saturday
http://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/barry-watfords-bingo-bonanza

http://www.barryfromwatford.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/BarryFromWatford
http://www.twitter.com/barryfromwat

Submitted by Live Nation

A Fringe first timer is bringing his new, no holds barred adaptation of a best selling American autobiography to the Edinburgh stage.

I Am Not Myself These Days is set in 1990s New York where Aqua is an alcoholic drag queen desperately trying to make a relationship work with Jack, a high-class crack addicted rent boy.

The show is adapted and performed for the stage by Tom Stuart from Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s autobiography, a bestselling, darkly funny memoir of a young New Yorker’s daring dual life – advertising art director by day, glitter-dripping drag queen by night.

Directed by Nick Bagnall, this one-man show that is by turns brutal, funny and heartbreaking, a surprising tale of love and loss, set amidst the excesses of late 20th century New York.

Although the characters pride themselves on their unconventionality, their problems are universal. Tom Stuart was moved to adapt the novel for the stage to bring the personal journeys of marginalised members of society within LGBTQ communities – and those who live with addiction – into a wider context, seeking to help break down the barriers of prejudice.

Tom Stuart has worked extensively in theatre around the UK. His TV work includes Kathy Burke’s Walking and Talking, Psychobitches, Little Crackers and Law and Order. Films include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Michael Winterbottom’s The Look of Love’, and John Boorman’s Queen and Country.

Director Nick Bagnall has recently become Associate Director at Liverpool Everyman and has previously worked with both classics and musicals ranging from ‘Guys and Dolls’ to Joe Orton’s ‘Entertaining Mr Sloane’ He has created and led acting and directing workshops for the RSC, National Theatre, Liverpool Playhouse, and West Yorkshire Playhouse.

I Am Not Myself These Days is produced by Fuel, three time Herald Angel Award winners Fuel. Founded in 2004 and led by Louise Blackwell and Kate McGrath, Fuel produces fresh work for adventurous audiences by inspiring artists. Fuel is also presenting Fiction by David Rosenberg and Glen Neath and Racheal Ofori’s Portrait by at this years Fringe. Fuel is also Associate Producer on Clod Ensemble’s The Red Chair

I Am Not Myself These Days
Pleasance Beneath (Venue 33)
5-30 Aug (not 17, 24)
4.15pm (75 mins)
Tickets from http://www.pleasance.co.uk

Submitted by Martin Mouth

Annabelle’s Skirting Board Adventure is a brand new theatre show for young children and families produced, written and starring Howard Read, creator of the hugely successful CBBC and live theatre touring hit Little Howard. Uniquely for this Fringe, the show utilises live digital puppetry, innovatively combined with 6 video cameras, animation, film, comedy and live music, all created in real-time before the audience. It’s ideally suited for ages 3-6 and their big friends.

Annabelle’s Skirting Board Adventure is like no other kids show at the Fringe, and works on many levels. Children can immerse themselves in Annabelle’s adventures, parents can appreciate the charm and wit of the story, and the more curious in the audience can marvel at the technology and spend the rest of the summer wondering how on earth it was performed.

Howard Read is a stand-up comedian, animator, writer and lyricist and highly regarded in writing and production circles around children’s entertainment. The Perrier nominee has taken his cartoon creation Little Howard around the world, to the Royal Variety Performance, and beamed into millions of homes on CBBC. Steve Pretty is best known as bandleader of the Hackney Colliery Band. His own critically-acclaimed Edinburgh shows combining music, theatre and comedy have been described as ‘original, intelligent comedy delivered with commendable panache.’ Fest

Featuring:
Howard Read (Little Howard, CBBC)
Steve Pretty (Hackney Colliery Band)

http://www.skirtingboardadventures.com/

Annabelle’s Skirting Board Adventures
Just the Tonic at The Community Project (Venue 27)
11:30am 6-30th Aug (not 18th)

Submitted by Duncan Ballantyne

Four teenagers are due to appear before Edinburgh Sheriff Court today  in connection with a number of motorcycle thefts in the Capital.

The males, who are aged 16,17,17 and 18, are expected to face three charges of motorbike theft, one count of attempted motorbike theft and one count of housebreaking in which a car was stolen.

On Tuesday, July 28th, three motorcycles were taken from properties at Mayfield Gardens and Buchanan Street while later that same night a property on Orchardhead was broken into resulting in the theft of an Audi Q3. Meanwhile, in the early hours of Wednesday, July 29th, a thief or thieves attempted to steal a motorcycle from Mayfield Gardens but made off empty handed.

Each incident was thoroughly investigated by Police Scotland officers as part of Operation RAC, resulting in the arrest of the four suspects and the successful recovery of two stolen motorbikes and the car.

Detective Inspector Alan O’Brien of Police Scotland, said: “Following a thorough investigation into a number of thefts in Edinburgh officers successfully traced and arrested four males.

“Vehicle theft and housebreaking has a huge impact on victims and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure those who carry out these offences are brought to justice.

“Housebreaking and associated offences remains a priority for police in Edinburgh and Operation RAC is our response to this type of crime.

“Thanks to the hard work of local police officers we were able to successfully recover two of the stolen motorbikes as well as a stolen car.

“We will continue to target housebreakers and work alongside the public and our partner agencies to identify those who continue to engage in this unacceptable behaviour.”

Police are appealing for information following a serious assault  which  occurred yesterday  at around 3.50am when a 55-year-old man was assaulted on South Bridge, opposite Hunter Square.

The male suspect struck the 55-year-old to the face, causing him to fall back and strike his head on the pavement.  The suspect then fled the scene in a southerly direction down South Bridge.

The Scottish Ambulance Service took the 55-year-old to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.  He has since been released.

The suspect is described as a white man with a slim build.  He is in his mid-twenties and is around 5ft 9” in height.  He was wearing a black tracksuit and a white t-shirt.

Detective Constable Alison Wyllie said:  “This was a violent incident, which has resulted in the victim being hospitalised.

“We are eager to trace this suspect as soon as possible.  Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact police immediately.”

Those with information regarding this incident are asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Award-winning science-theatre writer-performer John Hinton comes to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with his new show, The Element In The Room, at Pleasance Courtyard – a musical comedy about the life and work of Marie Curie, which premieres at the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s the third in his ’Scientrilogy’ which has toured internationally and won several awards, and all three are playing in rep.

He performs with his partner Jo Eagle. They got together in 2013 and quickly decided to do a show together – his last, Albert Einstein: Relativitively Speaking. Jo played Einstein’s wife Elsa, and they ended up touring the world together with it and fell in love. They’re now working on the Marie Curie show, cross-dressing with John as Marie and Jo as her dedicated husband Pierre.

And now in a remarkable twist in the story John and Jo got engaged this year and – in a testament to the shows that brought them together – they got married on 26 July, on the same day that Marie and Pierre Curie were married 120 years ago (on 26 July 1985)!

Many congratulations to them (and we are assured that they got married in ‘normal’ wedding garb!)

Submitted by Will Young

Renowned production house Fuel are producing the work of a Fringe first timer at this year’s festival

Portrait by Racheal Ofori is a frank and funny look at modern life through the eyes of a young black woman.

Inspired by her own experiences, Racheal takes the audience on a frank and funny journey through cultural stereotypes to explore the lack of diverse role models available in today’s society. Portrait is a truly exceptional debut solo show from an authoritative new voice.

Straight talking yet endearing, Portrait is a candid and satirical look at the trials of modern existence through the eyes of a young black woman. This playfully compelling and engaging one-woman show asks: just how does a girl make it these days?

It’s an engaging and honestly authentic one-woman show with music, dance laughter and poetry and a succession of costume changes to challenge perceptions. Portrait is ballsy, funny and current – and an excellent opportunity to see this rising new talent.

Racheal Ofori is a London based writer, performer and rising talent. She trained at Italia Conti graduating in 2013. The first theatre production she performed in was a boisterous modern adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which attracted rave reviews. She went on to play Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare’s Globe and has performed her own poetry in London and New York.

Three time Herald Angel Award winners Fuel were founded in 2004 by Louise Blackwell and Kate McGrath. They produce fresh work for adventurous audiences by inspiring artists. At this years Fringe Fuel is also presenting Fiction by David Rosenberg and Glen Neath and Tom Stuart’s I Am Not Myself These Days and is Associate Producer on Clod Ensemble’s The Red Chair.

Portrait
Pleasance 10 Dome (Venue 23)
5-29 Aug (not 17, 24), 13.20 (60 mins)
Tickets here http://www.pleasance.co.uk

Submitted by Martin Mouth

After a sell-out run at the 2015 London International Mime Festival, Theatre Re (The Gambler, The Little Soldiers) presents a wordless tale about the power of imagination that blends together physical theatre, mime, sound, illusion and a beautifully lyrical live music score.

As an old blind man takes unsteady steps around a room, he recalls an encounter that triggers his memories and imagination and, a story of love, courage, hope and unquenchable vision unfolds.

Blind Man’s Song is a tale about one man’s rage against his world of darkness. Inspired by the paintings of René Magritte, the dead-end world of Samuel Beckett and interviews with blind and visually-impaired people, it witnesses the power of the body to communicate without words.

Director Guillaume Pigé comments: “With Blind Man’s Song we take that leap of the imagination to an extreme. We want to respond to the magical and emotional sparks that seep into us when the eyes are closed. Our main character is a blind musician who has never seen the light. As endless sensations distract, inform and amuse him, we follow his dreamlike journey to a place where some things become more visible in the dark.”

Established in 2009, Theatre Re is a London-based international ensemble that creates vibrant and emotional work on the edge of mime and theatre. Blind Man’s Song is funded by National Lottery through Arts Council England and supported by Haringey Council, The French Institute in London, The Greenwich Theatre and South Hill Park Arts Centre.

Tickets are available from www.pleasance.co.uk

Pleasance Dome (King Dome), 1 Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL

Thursday 6th – Sunday 30th August 2015, 3.30pm

Previews (6th, 7th): £6
Monday/Tuesday: £9 (£8) (10th, 11th Aug – £11 (£10))
Wednesday/Thursday: £11 (£10)
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: £12 (£11)
Suitable for ages 8+

35 Brookline Productions present a revival of: CATALPA By Donal’ O Kelly

Winner of the Fringe First, Donal O’Kelly’s epic one-man show returns to Edinburgh with a new cast and company.

35 Brookline begins its international tour of Catalpa at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe before continuing on to the highly selective United Solo Fest in New York, performances in California and Oregon, and additional dates and locations to be announced.

After having bombed his first Hollywood pitch, an aspiring screenwriter, Matthew Kidd, reenacts his entire screenplay to his empty room in a final act of desperation. The screenplay is about the Catalpa rescue, a daring 18th century prison break from Australia. The story spans two continents and an ocean, featuring dozens of characters (and wildlife), all portrayed by one actor and a handful of props.

At its essence, Catalpa is about a young artist wrestling with his self-worth and rediscovering his passion. About a man fighting for his voice.

35 Brookline Productions is made up of recent Emerson College graduates. The team first mounted Catalpa at Emerson College in the spring of 2013 which opened to a sold out run.

http://www.catalpaplay.co.uk

Listings information:
Venue: Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29)
Preview: 8 Aug
Show: 10-15 Aug; 17-22 Aug
Time: 17:45 (1hr 05mins)
Tickets: £6
Box Office: 0131 510 0022

CATALPA Press Photos-2.jpegCATALPA Press Photos-3.jpegCATALPA Press Photos-5.jpeg

Submitted by Alexander Neher

Super Sedan Chairs. Sedan chairs carried people through the streets of Edinburgh, particularly in the Old Town. Take inspiration from the museum’s sedan chair to make and decorate your own miniature one, with Lauren Wayland. 2.30-4pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.

Festival Exhibition: Gordon Mitchell RSA. The acclaimed and prolific Edinburgh artist describes himself as an ‘abstract expressionist’, and intends his work to be thought-provoking. 11am-5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Scottish Arts Club, 24 Rutland Square. Ends 30th August 2015.

Hanne Darbovan: accepting anything among everything. German artist Darbovan (1941-2009) created a vast body of idiosyncratic works, documenting her attempt to index life as it is lived; amongst the weight of world history and culture. accepting anything among everything is centred on the work Life/Living (1997-98), a monumental installation of hundreds of framed works that form a systematic representation of the years 1900-1999. Darbovan was one of the last century’s most important conceptual artists; this exhibition will create a spectacular monument to an extraordinary individual. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturday & Sunday in August only, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays) in September and October, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Ends 3rd October 2015. There will be a curator’s talk about Hanne Darbovan at 4pm on Friday 31st July: booking is required – see listing. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Meet the Glasshouse Staff: find out more about this stunning collection of plants from the people who care for them. Every month meet a different member of the indoor horticulture team, each with different specialist knowledge. 1-2pm, Glasshouses, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free with Glasshouse entry (£5/£4, children under 5 and essential carers free).

Nordic House: an exhibition of art work from the five Nordic nations, featuring Arctic seascapes, Icelandic lava fields, Denmark’s oldest allotment gardens, women fishing on the Baltic and a subsidence-threatened Swedish mining town. For five weeks the Scottish Storytelling Centre will become a visible symbol of Nordic/Scottish cooperation,with all national flags flying together outside, and a model of the North Atlantic linking Scotland with all the regions depicted on the floor inside. Curated by Graham Hogg of Lateral North. Throughout the exhibition there will also be a children’s trail with Nordic soft toys, and the centre’s cafe will feature Nordic dishes. 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Ends 5th September 2015.

WHALE Arts Summer Festival: fun activities for children and families. Today: Street Arts Drums – fun rhythms and drumming! 10am-12 noon for ages 5+, 1-3pm for ages 8+, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free – just drop in.

Edinburgh Art Festival starts today! Founded in 2004, this is the UK’s largest annual festival of visual art, bringing together the capital’s leading galleries, museums and artist-run spaces, alongside new public art commissions by established and emerging artists, with an innovative programme of special events. Artists’ talks, theatre, children’s activities, music, guided tours, film screenings, plus Art Late – a special programme of late openings and live events. Featured artists include Charles Avery, Derek Michael Besant, Toby Patterson, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and Beatrice Gibson. There will be free guided tours of the venues at 2pm Saturday-Thursday, leaving from the Festival Kiosk, 9-11 Blair Street (no booking required, just turn up). The festival takes place throughout the city and also at Jupiter Artland in West Lothian; most events are free. Please see the festival’s website here for further information and to book for ticketed events. Ends 30th August 2015.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Ron Butlin: The Magicians of Scotland.  The themes of this new collection from Edinburgh’s former makar include Scotland’s past, present and future, its landscapes and people, its myths and politics, from Bannockburn to Donald Trump. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Tickets are free and may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.

Scrapheap Art: get creative with rubbish – including the scrapheap boat race! 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.

Fabienne Hess: Hits and Misses (from the archive). Swiss-born Hess explores the disorientation and bewilderment we feel in the face of the vast quantities of digital information surrounding us, questioning how we begin to navigate this maelstrom of images we produce, consume and distribute in everyday life. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturday & Sunday in August only, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays) in September and October, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Ends 3rd October 2015. The artist will be in conversation with University of Edinburgh Art Collections Curator Neil Lebeter at 6.30pm on Saturday 1st August: booking is required – see listing. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

An Evening with Gavin Francis: having won Scottish Book of the Year in 2013 with his outstanding travel narrative Empire Antarctica, Gavin Francis is back with Adventures in Human Being, a very different book – a cultural map of the human body. 6pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Please call 0131 226 2666 for further information.

Cafe Voices: Norse Myths & Legends. Join storyteller Calum Lykan, in full Viking dress, to be transported to the Norse lands in an evening of sagas surrounded by the dramatic Nordic House exhibition in the Storytelling Court. Plus an open-floor section for people to tell their own tales. 7pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and are available in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.

Maidan (12A): a special showing of Sergei Loznitsa’s film, which captures the trajectory of the Ukrainian civil uprising in 2013/2014, from peaceful rallies to bloody street battles. In a minimalist style and with still, long shots, the film depicts the point of view of the crowd, peeking into the organised chaos of a revolution. 6.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.

A Potter, A Painter and A Poet. Potter Paul Tebble, artist Anne Gilchrist and poet Elizabeth Burns have worked together over several years, exploring their shared creative processes. In this exhibition they will focus on the natural world and make connections between their work, showing crystal-glazed stonewear, porcelain and multi-textured golded pots, paintings, drawings and installations growing from a deep relationship with pottery and an ancient Perthshire landscape, and poetry exhibited and read around the galleries. The artists will work alongside invited projection artist Sophia Lindsay Burns, and the exhibition will take place over the entire third floor of the building. Opening preview tonight 6-9pm, then 10am-6pm daily, Third Floor (galleries 1,2 & 3), St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Ends 30th August 2015.

In Other Words…Derek Michael Besant: the highly acclaimed Canadian multi-media artist presents a dynamic new exhibition. In Other Words… explores our means of visual perception and the scientific resolution that the eye is a faulty mechanism and the brain compensates for this by assembling data we observe to construct what we see. Besant has researched the idea that one part of our brain ‘sees’ while another part ‘reads’. ‘Everyone has two selves. This exhibition will reveal both…..one we wear outward…the other, we wear inside’. Talk and tour by the artist tonight 6-7pm, launch follows 7-9pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Free; all welcome to both events, but tickets are required for the artist’s talk and may be obtained via eventbrite here. Derek Michael Besant will also give a lecture on 1st August about his concept for the exhibition and for the public art facade integration at Castle Mill Works, Fountainbridge (which will be launched on 31st July), along with four other related projects that draw from public collaboration in other cities.

The Bonzai Quartet: groovy instrumental jazz-fusion from guitarist Dan Abrahams and his eclectic band, with Rob Harrison (keys), Charlie Nash (electric bass) and Italian drummer Davide Rinaldi, playing a varied range of originals and catchy jazzy/funky tunes, with influences from all over the world. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Charles Avery: The People and Things of Onomatopoeia. This exhibition will include new drawings and sculptural works, all of which stem from the fictional port of Onomatopoeia, the main town in Avery’s epic project, The Islanders. 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-5pm Sundays in August only, Ingleby Gallery, 15 Calton Road. Ends 3rd October 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2015.

Hanna Tuulikki: Sing Sign: A Close Duet. An intimate performance devised for the closes of the Old Town. Composed by Hanna Tuulikki and performed with Daniel Padden, the work combines music and gestures drawn from British Sign Language to reflect on how our experience of the city is inseparable from the languages that we speak. 5pm or 6.30pm, Fountain Close, 22 High Street. Free: please contact Edinburgh Art Festival for booking information. Also on various dates throughout August – see Edinburgh Art Festival programme for details.

Ragged University: Psychology of Obedience and Authority and An Ancient Syrian All-Girl Band. The first talk this evening, by Professor Ray Miller, will look at what we can really learn from psychology about the extent to which we are controlled or are in control – are we really open to manipulation against our better judgement? After a break for refreshments, in the second part of the evening, Warwick Ball will focus on the Maryamin Mosaic (from Maryamin, Near Hama in Syria), one of the most extraordinary works of art to have survived from the ancient world. The mosaic represents a snapshot of an actual event – a live musical performance – and is an important source of information on the development of music and musical instruments, their spread from the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean to Medieval Europe, and also on ancient costume. 7-10pm, The Counting House, West Nicolson Street. Free, no booking required, just drop in. Please bring an item of food to put on the table to share if you can.

Ariel Guzik: Holoturian. For the last ten years, Mexican artist, musician, illustrator and inventor Ariel Guzik has searched for a way to communicate with whales and dolphins. His new work, commissioned by The Arts Catalyst, brings him closer to this goal; for his first UK exhibition, Guzik is constructing a beautiful capsule, the Holoturian, designed to send a living plant and a string instrument into the depths of the sea for a period of time. Imagined and re-imagined by Guzik in a series of extraordinary drawings made over the past decade, this ship has instrumentation, which expresses life, space, harmony and brightness as primary messages, and is dedicated to sperm whales and other deep ocean creatures. 10am-6pm daily, Trinity Apse, Chalmers Close, High Street. Ends 30th August 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Southern Fried: your first chance to get away this weekend isn’t too far from home – it’s Perth’s festival of American Roots music, featuring country, Americana, rockabilly, blues, soul, bluegrass, gospel, funk, cajun and folk. Acts include Punch Brothers, Rhiannon Giddens, McCray Sisters, the Fairfield Four, and many more – there’s even an all-women celebration of the songs of Dolly Parton. There’ll also be a free daytime outdoor stage, open mic session, ‘country-oke’, free gigs, a cinema programme, a hot rod and custom cars meet, and plenty of Southern Fried soul food. Most events are held inside at various venues around Perth, so this is one where you don’t have to worry so much about the weather. Launch party tonight (sold out), then various acts and events throughout Friday 31st July, Saturday 1st August and Sunday 2nd August. For more information and tickets, see www.horsecross.co.uk here or the festival’s Facebook page here.

Man of Moon: the Edinburgh two-piece rock band have supported We Were Promised Jetpacks, Phantom Band and The Subways. 7pm, The Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. For over 18s only. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased online here (transaction fee applies).

Tesco coming to Dundas Street

High Street telephone boxes redundant

At the Grassmarket Community Project 

Hidden Door live auction

Gin and Tin crafternoon

Tesco are apparently still coming to Dundas Street to the shop units previously occupied by And So to Bed and Emma Bridgewater.

Signs are that the supermarket has applied for their name to go up in lights above the door. You can see the details of this here.

This is what the frontage might look like:

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The advent of the mobile phone has proved overwhelming in many areas, particularly in making phone calls! Given that most people now have a mobile phone there is now a formal admission that telephone boxes on the High Street are redundant. An application has been made for the ‘Installation of 6 LCD advertising screens in 3 redundant telephone boxes’ there. The boxes just down the street from the City Chambers will be developed by a company called Thinking outside the box who will use them for advertising instead. Click here to see the drawings of what the boxes might look like.

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Grassmarket Community Project – FREE SCREENING: CRASH MONDAY 3RD AUGUST – 7PM – FREE (certificate 15)

Crash, co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis tells the powerful story of Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives colliding in an interweaving story of race, loss and redemption.  Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon among others make up this incredible ensemble cast with some almost uncomfortably brave performances of bigotry and racism. Described as a “A raw and unsettling morality piece on modern angst and urban disconnect, Crash examines the dangers of bigotry and xenophobia in the lives of interconnected Angelenos”, Rotten Tomatoes, while Roger Ebert gave the film four-out-of-four stars and described it as “a movie of intense fascination”, listing it as the best film of 2005. The film also ranks at #460 in Empire‍ ’​s poll of the “500 Greatest Films of All Time”. Rating: 15

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Hidden Door the organisation behind last year’s art and music extravaganza on Market Street, and this year’s on King’s Stables Road,  is aiming to raise some money by selling off some art. There is a silent auction and a Live Auction at Lyon & Turnbull on Tuesday 4 August. More information here.

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Edinburgh Gin invite you to join them for a crafternoon of gin and craft workshops at Coburg Studios!

They have paired up with the artists at Coburg Studios to bring you the inaugural in a series of Edinburgh Gin & Craft Socials.

The first of these workshops will be a Gin & Tin workshop, led by resident artist Bryony Knox.

Let your imagination run wild as you create colourful objects from recycled tin. From a brooch to a picture frame, Bryony will guide you through the techniques of forming and riveting this fascinating material.

If you like, you can bring along your favourite drinks cans or painted tins if you want to incorporate them into a more personal project- perfect for a 10th wedding anniversary gift!

All materials and Edinburgh Gin refreshments will be provided, all you have to bring is a little imagination a spot of creativity!

Over 18s only, T&Cs apply.
Please contact the Edinburgh Gin Distillery on 0131 656 2810 for more information.

More information and to buy tickets click here.

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Following a number of offensive tweets directed toward Hibs’ midfielder Scott Allan who yesterday submitted a transfer request, the club have issued a statement urging supporters to be respectful when commenting on club matters.

The statement which was printed on the club website reads:

Hibernian FC today asked Hibernian supporters to ensure they are respectful when commenting on any Club matters on Twitter or any other form of social media.

This follows unacceptable Tweets posted following the news that our player, Scott Allan, had handed in a transfer request.

The Club have been in contact with Police Scotland regarding the recent Tweets and will support any subsequent police investigation.

Police  have arrested a 19-year-old man following an assault and robbery in Hanover Street, Edinburgh last month when a 24-year-old man was assaulted and his watch and other personal effects stolen on 25th June.

He will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Thursday).

In a second unconnected incident Police in Edinburgh arrested a 27-year-old man following a serious assault in Hanover Street on 24th July.

He was bailed and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date. Meanwhile he will be subject to ‘Think Twice’ bail conditions that he does not enter licensed premises in the city centre between 6pm and 6am.

Chief Inspector Bob Paris, local area commander for the city centre said: “Edinburgh has a vibrant night time economy and we want everyone to enjoy their night out without becoming involved in, or falling victim to, alcohol-related crime.

“The Think Twice initiative aims to keep people safe by excluding those charged with a relevant offence from city centre night time drinking venues until court proceedings are concluded.

“We also anticipate that public awareness of Think Twice will act as a deterrent.

“A night time ban on entering the city centre’s drinking venues will have a significant impact on a person’s social life.

“Anyone who finds themselves in a situation that could lead to police involvement is encouraged to think of the consequences and make the correct decision.”

Police  are appealing for information following a robbery which occurred on Sunday, July 26, at around 10.30pm when two men followed then approached a 27-year-old woman when she was walking down Easter Road.

The men threatened the woman and demanded that she hand over her mobile phone.  One man grabbed her phone and, along with the other man, ran away down Easter Road.  The victim was not injured as a result of the incident.

Police are eager to trace the two men responsible for this attack and are appealing to the public for information.

The first suspect was described as a white man with a slim build.  He was approximately 17-years-old, around 5ft 8″ in height and had an unkempt appearance.  He had a pockmarked face, short dark hair and spoke with a Scottish accent. He was wearing a navy blue top, blue jeans and white trainers.

The second suspect was also a white man who was around 17-years-old.  He was around 6ft in height, had a medium build and short dark brown hair.  He also spoke with a Scottish accent.  He was wearing a striped jumper and jeans.

Detective Constable Christopher Harding said:  “This was a frightening experience for the woman who was attacked and we are eager to trace the people responsible as soon as possible.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police immediately.”

Those with information regarding this incident can contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

After storming to the SPFL Championship last season – easily swatting aside the challenges from city rivals Hibernian and the club that fell from grace i.e. Rangers – Hearts will find another challenge to overcome in their return to top flight Scottish football in season 2015/16 – expectancy.

A year ago, Hearts had undergone major changes following their demotion at the end of season 2013/14. The 15 point deduction imposed on the Gorgie club at the beginning of that season as a consequence of entering administration in the summer of 2013 was always going to prove to an obstacle too high for then manager Gary Locke. The former Hearts captain was thrown into the deep end as a rookie manager but he had both hands tied behind his back as Hearts battled not only a points deduction but a ban on signing players. Locke had no choice but to throw in many of Hearts promising youngsters and they didn’t let anyone down with their efforts.

Sadly, Hearts didn’t quite manage to pull off the great escape although they made a valiant effort. Indeed, had it not been for the 15 point deduction they would have finished above Hibernian and taken their place in the dreaded play-offs.

When the Hibees joined Hearts ‘downstairs’ and were met with a resurgent Rangers moving ‘upstairs’ from League One, many observers thought the best Hearts could hope for was taking their chances in the aforementioned play-offs. With another rookie manager in Robbie Neilson and another summer of upheaval, the Maroons weren’t really thought of as automatic promotion contenders by many people outside Gorgie. But, oh how the Gorgie boys proved so many people wrong. With a mix of youth and experience – Neilson having brought in players such as Morgaro Gomis, Prince Buaben and Neil Alexander – they romped to the Championship title. Hearts never looked back from their opening day win over Rangers at Ibrox and, in truth, the title was all but secured by Christmas with the Gers and Hibs trailing in the wake of the marauding Maroons.

Now there has been another summer of significant change at Tynecastle. Championship winning captain Danny Wilson has opted to remain in that division by returning to his first club Rangers. He has been joined at Ibrox by Jason Holt whose departure from Tynecastle last season surprised many. Equally surprising were the departures of James Keatings – who, for the second year in succession chose not to go with his promoted team and has instead signed for Hibernian – and Brad McKay who was snapped up by St. Johnstone.

Robbie Neilson has brought fresh faces in. Forwards Juanma Delgado and Gavin Reilly and defenders Blazej Augustyn, Juwon Oshininiwa – subject to international clearance – and Igor Rossi Branco will all be wearing maroon in the new season. Now it’s a well-worn cliché that having these new faces will mean the team will take time to gel and on the evidence of some of Hearts pre-season results – defeats from Stirling Albion, Dumbarton, Preston North End and Everton for example – this is proving to be the case. However, it’s another cliché that the serious stuff starts when the competitive season begins. For Hearts, this is this Thursday when Arbroath visit Tynecastle in the Scottish League Cup.

Hearts supporters will need to accept that their team won’t get things anywhere near as easy this season. Their team will lose more games and after a year of winning games at will this may take a bit of adjusting to. That said, there is much for the Maroon Army to look forward to. More than 13,000 season ticket holders will ensure the renowned Tynecastle atmosphere is cranked up for most games, even if city neighbours Hibernian won’t be among those visiting Gorgie.

Most newly-promoted teams look at avoiding relegation as their first target. But it’s not unreasonable to suggest Hearts should be aiming at not only avoiding demotion but securing a top six place come the tail end of the season. I expect Celtic to run away with the league again with Aberdeen likely to be their nearest challengers. Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St. Johnstone should also be in the top half and I have a hunch that Kilmarnock, with former Jambos Jamie MacDonald, Dale Carrick and Scott Robinson now on board, will also be pushing for a top six place.

If they can avoid injury – and striker El Hassnaoui has already been ruled out until November – Hearts can also contend for a top six place which would be a commendable achievement given where the club were a little over a year ago.

Robbie Neilson and Hearts Director of Football Craig Levein have never been ones to shout from the rooftops. Levein’s naturally cautious approach to the game, particularly when he was Scotland manager, has brought its critics. And there have been some Hearts supporters who have questioned the decision to let the likes of Jason Holt, Adam Eckersley and James Keatings leave Tynecastle. All three played their part in Hearts romp to the Championship last season and it remains to be seen if those players brought in during the summer will be able to improve the team.

For now, the Hearts fans have put their trust in Robbie Neilson. The new season in the Ladbrokes Premiership will be a challenging one for Edinburgh’s finest and something of a contrast to last season.

Re-establishing Hearts in the top flight of Scottish football has to be the club’s priority. They should be capable of achieving that and, perhaps, a run in one of the cup competitions. Hearts haven’t scored a goal, never mind win a game in the Scottish Cup since they lifted the trophy after the hammering of Hibernian in 2012. Those who look at omens will note next year ends in 6 which means there’s a fair chance the Maroons will reach the Scottish Cup Final, having done so in 1896, 1906, 1956, 1976, 1986, 1996 and 2006. Given that my youngest daughter has foolishly arranged her wedding for May 21 next year, you can bet your rent money on it happening…

It should be another eventful season in Gorgie. The Jam Tarts are back in the big time. And Hearts supporters can hardly wait.

Hibs’ fans were today given a huge boost when Head Coach Alan Stubbs and his coaching staff John Doolan and Andy “Taff” Holden  agreed contract extensions that will see them at Easter Road until the end of the 2016/17 season.

Stubbs said: “I am very happy to continue with the work in progress. I think supporters would agree that they have seen a lot of positive changes over the past year, and I know there is a lot more to come.

“I think most supporters would agree that whatever disappointments they have suffered in recent seasons are behind us, we are on the right track now, we’re trying to play a winning and exciting brand of football that they want to see and be part of.

“I believe in what we are all trying to achieve, and if there is one thing supporters can do to help me it is to get themselves along to Easter Road to support our team. To put it simply, we need you.

“I’m grateful to all of those who have supported the team, especially all of those who have put up their hard-earned money – all of that has helped me get players in – but we need more supporters to come back to their Club if we are to continue to get stronger.

“We made decent progress last year, this season we all know we need to get promoted. We need to be as strong as we can to achieve that, and while I know that the Board are giving me all the support they can, I also know that if we can get more people coming to games, I’ll be able to do more.

“This is football, so there will be setbacks along the way. It’s how we react to those setbacks that will eventually determine how successful we are. If we buckle and fight amongst ourselves we will lose. If we stick together and show our collective commitment, we will win. I’m confident that we can win.”

Chief Executive Leeann Dempster was delighted to announce the news and said: “This is a tremendous demonstration of our ambition at this Club. We have a really talented management team, and their desire to stick with us shows that they understand we are determined to get this Club back to the top.

“Supporters wanted to see that commitment, and Alan, John and Taff have all shown their own determination to restore this Club to the upper end of Scottish football, where it belongs.”

Police Scotland has today released an image of a woman that officers wish to trace in order to assist in their investigations into a number of dishonesty offences which took place between October 2006 and April 2013 when a number of frauds and similar crimes were committed across Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Central Belt and North of Scotland.

Large sums of cash and other items have been stolen or fraudulently obtained during these incidents.

Pauline Flett, 31, is described as being around 5ft 6 inches tall, of medium build, with blonde hair and she has a distinctive tattoo of a bat on her upper left arm.

She is also known to use the name Pauline Campbell and to alter her appearance and has travelled around Scotland, residing in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Grampian.

Officers are now asking anyone who can assist with their ongoing investigation to come forward.

Constable Chris Campbell from Leith Police Station said: “We are working closely with our partner agencies in an effort to trace this woman and I would urge anyone who can help us establish her current whereabouts to contact police immediately.

“Similarly, anyone with any further information relevant to our investigation can contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, information can be passed anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

The 2015 Edinburgh Art Festival launched today with the – metaphorical – unveiling of Charles Avery’s fantastical tree at Waverley Station and two exhibitions  – a Bernat Klein retrospective, A Life in Colour, and Korean artist, Kwang Young Chun’s first solo Scottish exhibition, Aggregations – at the Dovecot Gallery in Infirmary Street. Both are open to the public from 31st July to 26th September.

Tuesday 11 August is the first anniversary of Robin Williams’ passing. He is much missed. By way of tipping their hats to his memory, and raising money for mental health charities, comedy promoters Dec Munro [Test Tube Comedy] and Isabelle Adam [ACMS, Comedy Club 4 Kids] are putting on a big old benefit gig with the fizziest and funniest stand-ups around. At least one of whom got to gig with the man himself!

Line-up confirmed so far includes: Nish Kumar (MC), Tony Law, Trygve Wakenshaw, Tiernan Douieb, Alex Edelman, Sofie Hagen, ACMS in the guise of Thom Tuck and John-Luke Roberts, and the Weirdos collective (whose 2012 Christmas shows saw them perform Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ live on stage, with the award-winning John Kearns in Williams’ role of Peter Pan).

The money raised will be split 50/50 between Mind, and SAMH (the Scottish Association for Mental Health). Both charities provide advice and support for those experiencing a mental health problem, or caring for those who are.

Both groups campaign to improve metal health services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

A spokesman for the event said: “Both organisations are vital, and we are proud to support their work.”

Venue: The Liquid Room, 9C Victoria Street EH1 2HE | Tel: 0131 225 2564

Date: Tuesday 11 August | Time: 23.45-01.30 | Running Time: 105mins

Tickets: £7.50 advance (plus 75p booking fee), or £10 on the door (subject to availability)

Bookings: www.wegottickets.com/event/327491

Venue website: www.liquidroom.com | Venue Twitter: @LIQUIDROOMS

Edinburgh’s Playday: lots of free activities for children and families! 12.30-4.30pm, Grassmarket. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Record Breakers Record Smashers: will you be able to set a library record? Lots of fun and sporty activities. 2-3pm, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drum Brae Drive. Free.

Summer Fun In The Courtyard: free family activities every week in July. Today Angela Grant brings a favourite Bible story to life, exploring Noah’s Ark through Godly Play. 11.30am, Courtyard, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free: participants will also receive a voucher for use in the Undercroft Cafe.

Meet the Author: Jenny Harper. Jenny will read from her new book, People We Love, the fourth in the popular Heartland series of romantic novels set in the fictional Scottish town of Hailesbank. 2.30-3.30pm, Morningside Library, Morningside Road. Free but please book via eventbrite here or call the library on 0131 529 5654.

A Tale of Two Canals: explore the history of the Union and the Forth & Clyde Canals and the building of the Falkirk Wheel with the Scottish Waterways Trust – free walking tours packed with quirky facts and fascinating stories! Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult; please wear sturdy boots or shoes and waterproof clothing. 1-3pm, The Falkirk Wheel, Lime Road, Tamfourhill. Book your free place via eventbrite here. Also at same time on 5th August 2015.

The International Chorale: popular and sacred tunes. The International Chorale is based in Dunedin, Florida. Director/organist/pianist: JoAnn Metropoulos. 10am, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street.

Dr Book’s Surgery. Stuck for something to read? Looking for new and exciting authors to explore? Dr Book will dispense reading advice and suggestions to cure all of your reading ailments. For ages 7+. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.

New Pattern and Possibility: Eastern Influence in 18th Century Western European Dress. Georgina Ripley, Curator of Fashion and Textiles at the National Museum of Scotland, explores some of the garments represented in Jean-Etienne Liotard’s portraits and considers the seductive charms of the East and its impact on European style. Liotard’s work documents the increasing cultural interchange between the Near East and Western Europe and the consequent influence on informal fashionable clothing. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Go Set A Watchman: if you are bursting to share what you think of Harper Lee’s newly published work, Waterstones are hosting various get-togethers tonight –  discuss the book and enjoy nibbles, treats and games! 6pm, Waterstones Cameron Toll, Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road, 6.30pm, Waterstones Fort Kinnaird, 26 Kinnaird Park, 6.30pm, Waterstones George Street, 83 George Street (please note that booking is required for this event – call the store on 0131 229 3436 or call in) and 6pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street.

The Campbell Normand Trio: the swinging pianist promises a hugely enjoyable set, with backing from bassist Ed Kelly and drummer Bill Kyle. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

WHALE Arts Summer Festival: fun activities for children and families. Today: Mini Band – form a band, write lyrics and perform live! For ages 5+. Please bring a packed lunch. 10am-3pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free but please book by calling 0131 458 3267 or emailing info@whalearts.co.uk – or ask in the Centre.

Mary Queen of Scots Afternoon: on this day 450 years ago, Lord Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots were married in the Chapel-Royal of Holyroodhouse. Come along to this family-friendly event to discover how they danced, what food they ate and what clothes they wore. Original Mary Queen of Scots documents will be on display. 2-4pm (drop-in), National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Douglas Watt: Pilgrim of Slaughter. The Edinburgh author launches his much awaited new novel, which continues the adventures of Gaelic speaking lawyer John MacKenzie, and his sidekick Davie Scougall. On the eve of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, John and Davie discover a series of gory murders; drawn into a world of papist plots, Presbyterian secret societies and religious and political upheaval, the pair follow a trail of clues left by a self-proclaimed ‘Messenger of God’. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Tickets are free and may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218 or emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Celebrity Organ Recital: Daniel Cook (Westminster Abbey) plays Bruhns Praeludium in E Minor, Whitlock Sonata in C Minor (ii) Canzona (iii) Scherzetto, Alain Suite pour orgue, Anton Heiller Tanz-Tocata and Schumann Six Fugues on the name B-A-C-H. 8pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Tickets cost £8/£5 (students), accompanied children free, and may be purchased from the Cathedral shop (0131 226 0673) or on the door (sta).

Beatrice Gibson: taking American author William Gaddis’ epic modernist masterpiece JR (1975) as its departure point, Crippled Symmetries is a new film by Beatrice Gibson. An eerily prescient, biting social satire that turns the American Dream on its head, JR tells the story of a precocious 11 year old capitalist who inadvertently creates the single greatest financial empire the decade has seen, spun largely from the invisible confines of the school payphone. Using the novel as a score for its production, and orientated around an experimental workshop for children, the film also draws on the work of radical educators and composers Brian Dennis and John Paynter, who infamously took the work of Cornelius Cardew, John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen into primary and secondary schools and were at the forefront of radical post-war utopian shifts towards child-centered pedagogy. Preview tonight 5-7pm, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday (10am-6pm Monday to Sunday in August only), City Dome, Collective Gallery, 38 Calton Hill, Ends 4th October 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

David Sinclair Four with Lorna Reid: London rock & roll group David Sinclair Four join forces with jazz singer Lorna Reid for a special show to launch their new single Coming Out of the Rain, ‘a bittersweet harmony duet located at the emotional crossroads between love and loss and the cultural intersection between rock and country – a London barroom ballad transported to a windswept stretch of the Scottish Borders’. The song is the standout track on the David Sinclair Four’s acclaimed new album 4, which was launched earlier this year. For over 18s only. 7.30pm, The Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased online here (transaction fee applies).

Girls’ Night In: gossip, mags, quizzes, snacks and wi-fi. For ages 12-14 (P7+), 5-7pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. Free: all welcome!

Lord Provost’s Community Garden Party

Hermitage Garden

Royal Edinburgh Summer Fete

Colinton Library will be making a volcano today!

Charge your phone at the new bus shelters

If you haven’t got your garden party invitation from the Lord Provost by now then sadly you are probably not on the list. But there are many others invited to his Community Garden Party on Friday afternoon at Lauriston Castle. The Lord Provost will use the event to present some awards.

He will present the Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service to Lifecare Edinburgh and Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club.

The guest list will feature dedicated workers from the city’s third sector, some community council members and those who have received the British Empire Medal. The idea is to say thank you to all for the work they do to help communities across Edinburgh.

The event is sponsored by Virgin Money and over 400 people will be entertained with afternoon tea, live music from local groups and choirs, and tours of the castle led by Lauriston Castle Living History Group. Mark Kirkham the Edinburgh Sketcher will be sketching away and local worthies like Sir Tom Farmer, Lynne McNicoll OBE and Gordon Aikman BEM are all expected.

The Lord Provost first held his Community Garden Party in 2013 when Anna McLuckie entertained guests. She has since appeared on The Voice on the BBC.

Here is the programme of events

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Last week, the Hermitage Garden, a horticulture project for autistic young people and adults, based at the Hermitage Golf Course, Braid Hills Drive and run by Autism Initiatives, was vandalised for a second time this month. Ian Murray MP has visited the site and offered help to clear the mess up.

Read more here.

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Wednesday the 29th at 2:30-3:30 we will be making our very own volcano in Colinton library, come along and see if you can survive the fizzy fury!

Posted by Colinton Library on Monday, 27 July 2015

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Did you know that you can now charge your phone at the new bus shelters on Princes Street provided by advertising company JCDecaux in a deal with The City of Edinburgh Council.

Now you no longer need to run out of power on the move. Just sit down in the shelter and plug in to one of the USB ports you will find there.

USB charging points are available on 11 of the stops along the north side of Princes Street, and one outside Waverley Station, which have been upgraded as part of a 10-year partnership with advertising company JCDecaux.

On Princes Street they will feature digital advertising screens providing tourism, local and Council information, forming part of the first network of interactive ‘LiveTouch’ screens in the city. (The Edinburgh Reporter features on one of these advertising The Life of Barney Thomson!)

Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “These shelters are being installed free of charge to the Council as part of the advertising contract with JCDecaux, who are also carrying out a cleaning programme across many of the city’s bus stops.

“One of the great things about the new bus shelters on Princes Street is the phone charging points, which will help those travelling around or visiting the city to stay connected all the time. This will be particularly useful during the Festival, when more people than ever will be passing through Edinburgh.”

Find out more about the bus shelter replacement programme here.

 

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If you are reading this article on paper and would like to visit the website then scan the QR code above with a smartphone or tablet and you will be taken straight there.

Despite the fact that the recommendation to the planning committee tomorrow is for the building at 1-6 Canonmills Bridge to be demolished, that decision may be deferred according to the campaigners fighting against it.

In the report before the committee tomorrow there is a condition attached to the recommendation for approval that the matter be referred to Scottish Ministers. That coupled with some support from local councillors may affect the decision.

The Edinburgh Reporter met the campaigners tonight in a local pub where they were meeting to discuss tactics to be used before tomorrow morning’s Development Management Sub Committee at the City Chambers.

Their campaign has gathered almost 4000 signatures on an online petition, and this along with their activities on Facebook and other social media has brought the site to public attention.

The shop which is occupied by Earthy at this time is not listed, although it does lie in a conservation area. But the planners believe that the demolition would not ‘have an adverse impact on the character or appearance of the conservation area.’ In fact the campaigners are not too worried about retaining the building, but they are worried about what might replace it.

Planning permission was already granted in 2009 for the replacement building which is planned to be an L- shape including 2 restaurants, 6 flats and 3 town houses, but now the site owners need permission to demolish the existing structure.

A total of 117 representations were made to the application to demolish 1-6 Canonmills Bridge including representations from Councillors Hinds and Gardner, although the local community councils did not voice any objections.

Here is what the campaigners had to say:

[vimeo 134770317 w=500 h=281]

The Edinburgh Reporter NEWS from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

Campaigners who are against the demolition of 1-6 Canonmills Bridge met us on the eve of the decision by the City of Edinburgh Development Management Committee as to whether it may be demolished or not. Planning permission for its replacement already exists, but the campaigners feel it is too big for the site and is out of keeping with the buildings around it.

Scott Allan has handed in a written transfer request but Hibs have issued a statement insisting that he will not be sold to Championship rivals Rangers.

The statement which appeared on the club website just after 6pm reads: “In the face of continued media interest, Hibernian Football Club can confirm that Scott Allan has today handed in a written transfer request.

“This comes on the back of two unwelcome and uninvited approaches from Rangers FC regarding Scott, the first for £175,000 and the second for £225,000.

“Hibernian FC has refused both bids because the Club has no wish to transfer a valuable player to strengthen a major rival in the battle to win the Championship and gain promotion to the Premiership.

“Hibernian’s position has not changed. The player will not be sold to Rangers.”

Susan Rae is the Green Party candidate for the Leith Walk Ward at the upcoming by-election in September.

She is a newish member of the political party but is a local person who feels she will be able to help others.

Although there has been a Green councillor in the ward before she recognises that there is everything to fight for here. She said: During the Independence campaign I worked with the Greens and I enjoyed my politics again.

“Here on the ground through my work and through living there I have come to recognise the kind of problems people experience and I think I can help with these. I tend to get things done!

“I think the Walk needs to be more open to cyclists and pedestrians and not as much to heavy traffic.” Susan believes that if the tram project is to come down Leith Walk the council have to ensure that all the traders and residents will gain from that and not endure too much more pain.

Here is our interview with her:

[vimeo 134727482 w=500 h=281]

The Edinburgh Reporter NEWS from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

Voting will take place on 10 September 2015 from 7:00am till 10:00pm. In 2012 the turnout in this ward was only 36.2%. The four councillors elected were Angela Blacklock (Scottish Labour), Deidre Brock (SNP) Maggie Chapman (Greens) and Nick Gardner (Scottish Labour).

The by-election has been called as a result of two resignations. Councillor Deidre Brock has recently been elected to Westminster as MP for Edinburgh North & Leith and Councillor Maggie Chapman will be standing in next year’s Scottish Parliamentary elections in the North East of Scotland.

When the Development Management committee meet tomorrow morning it looks likely that they will grant permission to the owner of 1-6 Canonmills Bridge to demolish it and replace it with a block of flats. Certainly the report before the committee recommends that the application to demolish Earthy is granted.

This decision has saddened the people behind the Save 1-6 Canonmills Bridge campaign. They have gathered almost 4000 signatures on a petition set up here and have other support which they will present in person to the committee on Wednesday morning.