News just in from Francis Kahembwe, our Opening Doors participant, who is beginning a two month placement with Scottish Environment Link. That means (apart from climbing a lot of stairs to the office in the wonderful tower building on the Royal Mile) a fascinating glimpse of what it is like to be an environmental lobbyist. As Francis explains in his email, the first week started with the hottest issue of the moment, Climate Change… Continue reading “Opening Doors: an autumn of hot debate”
Category: Leith Open Space Events
High (and dry) in Ocean Terminal
He’s done it again. Following the spectacular show in the Botanics on that cold, wet midsummer night, Kimho Ip (that’s him on the right) brought music and dance to another unconventional venue as part of this year’s Mela festival. But this time it could rain as much as it liked because the performance took place in the shelter of Ocean Terminal. And, no, you are not imagining things, Louise Martin the cellist is enormously tall. With a little help from stilts hidden beneath that dress. Continue reading “High (and dry) in Ocean Terminal”
Red Eye opens on Friday
Definitely not racist, FOUND loving music at Cabaret Voltaire
Red Eye is the great name for a new film club opening in Leith on Friday 5 September (great whether you are suffering from four long weeks of festival or not). Don’t miss the first night’s screening of Who Shot the Sheriff with fantastic footage of the Clash, Misty in Roots, Estelle, Ms Dynamite and Hard-Fi among others. This history of Rock against Racism (now Love Music Hate Racism) kicks off at 7pm in Pilmeny Youth Club, 44 Buchanan Street. It’s just off Leith Walk and it’s free! Continue reading “Red Eye opens on Friday”
It’s a wrap: Return of the Soul needs a helping hand
It took a lot of helping hands to install Edinburgh’s most powerful festival exhibition, Return of the Soul: the Nakbah project by Jane Frere. Now more volunteers are needed for the massive task of unhooking more than 3,000 wax figures from the Patriothall Gallery in Stockbridge when the show ends on Monday. “That will involve bubblewrapping the figures and sending them on their way to Lebanon,” says Nick Gardner, one of the volunteers (read his review on Leith and North).
If you would like to help email returnofthesoul@gmail.com or call in at the gallery.
Return of the soul
“This isn’t political, it’s humanitarian.” Jane Frere.
Each one is different. You can’t be sure of course, it would take a long time to study each of the 3,000 figures suspended from the ceiling of Patriothall Gallery. But although it’s the mass of humanity that you notice when you first walk into the gallery, I think it is the individuality of each small figure that makes Return of the Soul so very moving. Continue reading “Return of the soul”
Police raid Botanics for Redbraes Open Day
Caught greenhanded! PC Simon Daley (that’s him on the right), raids the nursery of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – with a lot of help from nursery supervisor Pete Brownless (that’s him in the middle) and PC Ian Penicuik. Continue reading “Police raid Botanics for Redbraes Open Day”
Spoilt for choice in the Festival of Politics
Pop stars, pundits and politicians – with events featuring Annie Lennox, Dennis Healey and Evan Davies, we are tempted to book tickets for everything in this year’s Festival of Politics programme. As many events are free, that would not break the bank. And even the celebrity spots cost just £6 which compares favourably with Fringe events. Continue reading “Spoilt for choice in the Festival of Politics”
Not just singing in the rain…
A week later, it is still hard to believe that last Saturday’s event in the Botanics was such a wonderful experience for audience and performers alike. If the morning forecast was bad the evening weather was much worse. This was no midsummer magic. Yet people queued patiently in the downpour to get into the Temperate Palmhouse for the opening improvisation between FOUND, Shanghai Jazz and Korphai, and then out again (maybe a little reluctantly) to follow a watery trail to the Chinese Hillside. Continue reading “Not just singing in the rain…”
Midsummer magic: a life changing experience in the Botanics
Susie Brown puts finishing touches to 600 bamboo poles: her sculpture Natural Progression becomes a stage setting for dance in the Botanics on midsummer night.
There’s a serious theme rippling beneath the music but right now enjoy the sheer, mad fun of it all. Listen to robots playing Chinese instruments in the Palm House and watch Tai Chi dancers on the lawn while Bamboo percussionists from Thailand beat out a trail of discovery to the Chinese Hillside. Fay Young reports from behind the scenes… Continue reading “Midsummer magic: a life changing experience in the Botanics”
Cold but welcoming, a refugee’s view of Scotland
To celebrate National Refugee Week here is an extract from a poem by Sifiso from Zimbabwe, written during poetry workshops involving Scots, refugees and poets.
Scotland
Scotland here I come –
To my surprise you are different
From what I have heard.
Cold but welcoming
Drunkards, racists, unemployed, yes,
But just like any other country… Continue reading “Cold but welcoming, a refugee’s view of Scotland”