“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”
Grassroots, the Zimbabwean band, bring the festival spirit to Redbraes
“I keep smiling thinking about it,” says Becky and her pictures tell the rest of the story. After months of hard work Redbraes community garden opened to the public on Saturday with a party that even the sun enjoyed. Continue reading “The magic of Redbraes”
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”
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”
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…”
Natural Progression: 600 pieces of black bamboo set the scene for dance in the Botanics on midsummer night.
Poetry, politics and planting: we can look forward to a long hot summer, if events in this month’s newsletter are anything to go by. Get involved in environment politics through our Leith Open Space Opening Doors shadow scheme, and learn about an inspiring intercultural summer school. Don’t miss Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo midsummer’s event in the Botanics, look out for Poet’s Corner in Dalmeny Street, and watch Redbraes community garden grow. Come and help us plant some tatties in Persevere Garden on 21 June and relax in the Botanics on midsummer eve.
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”
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”
Francis Kahembwe meets Sarah Boyack MSP at the Scottish Parliament for the first of two days observing her work in environmental issues.
Welcome to Francis Kahembwe, the first person to take part in Opening Doors 2008, the Leith Open Space political ‘shadowing’ scheme. As Francis, a forestry expert from Uganda, is particularly interested in the politics of conservation and environmental management we began by introducing him to Sarah Boyack, Labour spokesman on the Environment and Rural Affairs in the Scottish Parliament. As luck had it we arrived the day of the Climate Change debate! Continue reading “Opening Doors to environmental action”
Jonathon Baxter unmissable in Guantanamo orange suit draws a crowd to Poets’ Corner which opened in the glorious sunshine of Parklife 2008. Another great success for Friends of Dalmeny Street Park. Continue reading “Poetry in motion in Dalmeny Street Park”
