Producers and venues have been awarded £1 million to support the safe return of live events at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe.
The Scottish Government funding will help to create outdoor performance spaces and mitigate the additional costs faced by producers due to the pandemic.
It has been distributed between the Edinburgh International Festival and nine Fringe producers alongside a further £300,000 from City of Edinburgh Council.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Edinburgh’s festivals are a highlight on the international cultural calendar and were sorely missed last summer. I am determined to do everything within my power to support the return of these globally significant events and the benefits they bring to Scotland in terms of tourism and trade.
“Although this is an important step towards normality, the huge impact of the pandemic is still widely felt across our festival and events sector as well as our cultural sector more widely.
“Recovery will take time, but this additional funding from the Scottish Government and Edinburgh City Council for a number of established Fringe producers and the Edinburgh International Festival will help organisers respond to some of the ongoing challenges they face.
“This is the latest in a wide-ranging package of support the Scottish Government has made available since the start of the pandemic across all of Edinburgh’s Festivals which now totals approximately £6.5 million.”
Councillor Donald Wilson, City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener, said: “Last year we pledged to continue our support for Edinburgh’s culture and events sectors, in particular through our funding programmes which have contributed to the retention and, as far as possible, stability of the sector.
“The resourcefulness and resilience displayed throughout the crisis to date by this sector has been amazing and through this additional funding we aim to further support their 2021 offering. The value to this city’s economy and the wellbeing of our citizens cannot be underestimated.”
Executive Director of Edinburgh International Festival Francesca Hegyi said: “This support is hugely appreciated in a year when the International Festival is pioneering the return to live performance in Scotland following the pandemic, which requires careful planning and places safety as a top priority.
“Three outdoor venues are core to those safety measures and this funding will go directly towards the costs of those pavilions which we hope will lift the spirits of a country ready to embrace culture and live performance.”
Oh behalf of Gilded Balloon, ZOO, Traverse Theatre and Dance Base, Katy Koren said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding to create a new festival hub celebrating the best of the Edinburgh Fringe and supporting local artists.
“After a fallow year for the Edinburgh Festivals in 2020, we are determined to bring safe events and performances back to the city centre this August in a unique new collaboration.
“We are all very grateful for the support of the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland – this project would not have been possible without them.”
The Scottish Government’s flagship events programme is supporting the return of internationally significant events. Previous flagship events include EURO 2020 and the British & Irish Lions v Japan test match for the 1888 Cup.
Funding proposals from Fringe producers were reviewed by the Scottish Government, EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council.
Funding awarded:
Operator (s)
Funding awarded
EIF
£300,000
Gilded Balloon, Zoo, Traverse Theatre, Dancebase
£230,696
Pleasance
£169,619
Summerhall
£166,780
Space UK
£106,681
Assembly
£162,962
Underbelly
£162,962
The Scottish Government has also provided:
£2 million to be invested in Edinburgh and Glasgow’s major arts festivals in 2021/22 through the continuation of the EXPO fund
£1 million in 2021/22 through the Edinburgh Festivals Platform for Creative Excellence Programme
a £1 million interest-free loan to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, as well as a further £81,000 grant, to ensure their resilience and develop their digital and ticketing platforms
funding for individual festival companies and producers through Scottish Government relief funds.
Sistema Scotland has announced that a new Big Noise programme will begin in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in spring 2022. The project will work in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and with Clovenstone, Canal View and Sighthill Primary and Nursery Schools.
Big Noise Wester Hailes will work initially with all children in Primary 1 and 2. Over the course of its first year, the programme will expand to reach all nursery to Primary 3 age children, approximately 400 participants in total across the community.
Big Noise will grow year on year, retaining the involvement of the children as they age, and introducing the next generations of nursery and Primary 1 children. It will ultimately work with babies through to school-leavers in Wester Hailes, as well as offering opportunities to stay involved in the programme as adults.
Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, where the symphony orchestra becomes a community which supports children and young people to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity and aspiration.
Through music and nurturing relationships, from infancy to adulthood, Big Noise supports participants’ wellbeing and helps them reach their full potential.
The programme also aims to strengthen the amazing communities where it is based; developing relationships with participants and their families based on mutual respect, trust and a commitment to work together and tackle inequalities for the long term.
While there are currently four Big Noise programmes, operating in Raploch (Stirling), Govanhill (Glasgow), Torry (Aberdeen) and Douglas (Dundee), this will be the first Big Noise programme to be based in Scotland’s capital city.
Independent evaluation of the Big Noise model by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health has shown that taking part in Big Noise helps children to improve their concentration and language skills, enhance their problem solving and decision making, increase their self-esteem and develop strong friendships and support networks.
Benny Higgins, Chairman of Sistema Scotland, said: “Sistema Scotland believes that all children and young people have great skills, talents and potential. We also know that many of Scotland’s communities face long-standing inequalities and challenges that make it extremely difficult for children to achieve their hopes, ambitions and dreams.
“The impact of Covid-19 has greatly exacerbated these inequalities. Now more than ever, we must think and act creatively to ensure Scotland’s children are given the opportunities and support that they deserve.
“Our charity is committed to ensuring that more children and communities across Scotland are able to take part in Big Noise and I am delighted that Wester Hailes will be the home of the next Big Noise programme.”
Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome Sistema Scotland to Edinburgh.
“I very much look forward to seeing the Big Noise programme in action, working with and supporting children, young people and families within the Wester Hailes community.”
Nicole Killean OBE, Chief Executive of Sistema Scotland,said: “We are greatly looking forward to starting a new Big Noise programme in Wester Hailes which will work in partnership with children, young people, families, schools and the community for many years to come.
” We also hope to work alongside local charities and community groups to bring additional support and value to Wester Hailes.”
Sam Laidlaw, mother of three from Wester Hailes, said: “Big Noise coming to Wester Hailes is such a great opportunity. Taking part in Big Noise will help the children grow their confidence.
“I’m excited to see the joy in the children’s faces as they explore music and movement. They will also come away from the programme with the ability to play a musical instrument by the time they leave high school which is great.
“I think Big Noise will help bring the community together and bring people together from different areas of Wester Hailes. I think it will bring a sense of pride to the community.”
Nicola Benedetti CBE, internationally-renowned violinist and official Big Sister to the participants of Big Noise, said: “Sistema Scotland’s consistent dedication to quality and expansion is an inspiration to all of us and I am so excited that they are finally in Edinburgh with this new Big Noise programme at Wester Hailes.”
British Ecological Society is presenting a new digital exhibition as part of this year’s Science Festival.
They teamed up an artist with a scientist and each pair was asked to imagine a greener future for Edinburgh and demonstrate how problems like carbon emissions, drought, heatwaves and even social justice can be tackled with nature-based solutions in our most familiar green spaces.
What they’ve come up with is very impressive – Leith on Sea (rising sea levels), tree-lined Nicolson Street (the most polluted street in Edinburgh and second-most in Scotland).
These visions – as well as audience’s own ideas – will directly inform the City of Edinburgh Council plans for Edinburgh’s future green spaces: Thriving Green Spaces project (see below).
As part of this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival, the British Ecological Society (BES), in collaboration with SMASH-UK, are presenting a virtual gallery of art created by local artists and ecologists, predicting the green future of Edinburgh – these visions will directly contribute to work by the City of Edinburgh Council in envisioning the future of the city’s green spaces.
This free event, running from 26 June to 11 July 2021 transports visitors to a fully explorable 3D virtual gallery overlooking the iconic Arthur’s Seat, displaying visions for Edinburgh’s future green spaces.
Exhibition artworks include a vision of Leith, successfully defending against sea level rises and extreme rain events (now ‘Leith-on-Sea’), to a resilient and renovated tree covered Nicolson St, known to the most polluted street in Edinburgh and second-most polluted in Scotland.
Local artists have collaborated with ecologists from Scottish Wildlife Trust, the City of Edinburgh Council, Nature Scot, Architecture & Design Scotland, Forest Research and Bangor University to imagine a greener future for Edinburgh and demonstrate how problems like carbon emissions, flooding, heatwaves and even social justice can be tackled with nature-based solutions in our most familiar greens spaces.
Visitors to the digital exhibition will also be able to contribute their own ideas for future green spaces, which will be displayed alongside the artwork in the gallery. Their visions will also inform the Council’s plans for the future of Edinburgh’s green spaces.
Dr Chris Jeffs, Senior Education & Engagement Officer at the British Ecological Society and curator of the exhibition said: “This cutting-edge exhibition is the first-time local artists and ecologists have been brought together to envisage the future of Edinburgh’s green spaces.
“It offers a way for the residents of Edinburgh and beyond to have their say on how green spaces should look like in future, and how they can tackle environmental challenges in their local area.
“Ecologists are on the front lines in our battle against climate change, and nature-based solutions in our green spaces, like those depicted in the exhibition, offer enormous hope. We want everyone to understand the climate crisis and the role ecology and nature-based solutions can play in a greener, sustainable future.”
On the interactive element of the exhibition, where visitors can contribute their own ideas, Chris Jeffs said: “It’s important that we give people a voice in shaping their green future, so we are delighted to be working with the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the City of Edinburgh Council, giving all our exhibition visitors the chance to share their ‘visions of future green spaces’ directly with the council to help them in their ‘Thriving Green Spaces’ project.”
Donya Davidson, Ecologist and Project Development Officer at Scottish Wildlife Trust for the ‘Thriving Green Spaces Project’ in Edinburgh’ said: “Working with local artists has been incredible.
“I think communicating through the medium of art is a really impactful way to demonstrate the work we are doing as ecologists. This exhibition has opened my eyes to how beneficial and exciting it can be to collaborate with artists and those outside of the environmental sector.
“Our work at the Scottish Wildlife Trust with the City of Edinburgh Council has shown that our existing green spaces already provide so many benefits to both people and wildlife and the right interventions in the right places can improve even more areas to provide these benefits.
“The artwork I collaborated on, Leith Walk on the Wild Side, shows Leith Walk, but not as people know it now! It is thriving with wildlife and residents are out enjoying all the new greenspace they now have on their doorsteps.
“The nationally scarce northern brown argus butterfly, previously only found in Holyrood Park, now moves freely down the street from planter to planter. Although it is an aspirational vision, I hope it is something we can see in the not-so-distant future, for a connected, biodiverse and sustainable Edinburgh.”
Sarah Hannis, illustrator of ‘Leith Walk on the Wild Side’ said: “It was great working with Donya and learning about all the green initiatives in Edinburgh. At a time when so much news is negative it has been really uplifting to be involved in this project – learning about connecting up habitats in urban areas, and the small but significant ways that local residents can contribute.
“Leith Walk is currently one of the least green parts of Edinburgh so I re-imagined it totally green! Green paths with wildflower areas lie to either side.
“Building eves are lined with swift nesting boxes and each window has its own planter with pollinator-friendly plants. Nest boxes and bug hotels hang on every wall and there’s even a small pond.
“The whole street becomes a thriving green wildlife corridor, boosting biodiversity and all the human wellness benefits that come from immersing ourselves in nature and coexisting alongside it.”
Diane Cassidy, Green Spaces Development Officer for Edinburgh’s Thriving Green Spaces Project at the City of Edinburgh Council said: “We’re excited to be part of this fantastic exhibition with the British Ecological Society.
“The artworks’ inspiring visions of nature-based solutions, combined with the voices of visitors to the exhibition will be incredibly valuable to us in our ongoing ‘Thriving Green Spaces’ project which aims to improve Edinburgh’s green spaces and ultimately the lives of local people.”
BES is planning to introduce the idea in other UK cities later this year and present the exhibition as part of COP26.
Other BES events at the Edinburgh Science Festival
Alongside the virtual gallery, the BES will be hosting five other online events and contributing to an outdoor photography exhibition, all completely free to attend.
12 June – 21 July. Human Nature exhibition. Experience giant images in the photography exhibition along the picturesque location of Edinburgh’s Portobello Promenade, featuring contributions from the BES ‘Capturing Ecology Competition’.
Tuesday 29 June. Flea Circus: the smallest show on Earth. Dr Tim Cockerill talks audiences through the history of flee circuses, a genuine spectacle, made up of live fleas pulling chariots, riding tricycles and even fighting duels with miniature swords.
Saturday 3 July. NatureCast. A family friendly interactive broadcast where participants can take part in fun activities, they can do at home or outside, while discovering fascinating connections between nature and people.
Sunday 4 July. The Big Ecology Draw-along. Join our presenter, zoologist and science communicator Sophie Pavelle, and nature-artists Hana Ayoob and Lauren Cook to learn how to draw incredible plants, fungi and animals, following their simple step-by-step tutorials.
Wednesday 7 July. ECOmedy night. An online comedy night where audiences can laugh and learn as you watch real scientists showcase their knowledge about animals, plants, and their interactions with our planet.
Thriving green spaces project
The City of Edinburgh Council is leading on a project to create a new vision for the city’s green spaces. This will be captured in a 30-year strategy which aligns with Edinburgh’s 2050 city vision.
The project is being achieved by a £899,500 grant from the Heritage Fund and the Natural Trust. They have joined together to provide funding to local authorities to develop bold, innovative and financial management solutions for their green spaces. You can read more about this on the Heritage Fund Website or see Future Parks Initiative or National Trust
What will we do
The project will run for two years until May 2021. The funding is being used to recruit a project team and buy in professional expertise to
carry out research and studies
start pilots
gather robust baseline information
which will create thriving green spaces 2050 vision and strategy for Edinburgh.
To deliver this project we are working with our project bid partners
greenspace Scotland
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh green spaces forum
who are the group for the city’s various Friends of Groups.
Our work will determine how our green spaces need to change so that they play an active role in delivering greater benefits in areas such as
Road users in Edinburgh are being asked to consider how safe they are as part of an initiative launched yesterday by road policing officers in the city.
Police Scotland is working with a number of partners, including Lothian Buses, Road Safety Scotland, David Philp Commercials, Cycling Scotland, and Cycle Law Scotland, to encourage everyone to be more aware.
As part of ongoing operational work, it is aimed at helping all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, and is focused on thinking about distances, blind spots and visibility.
Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick, of Police Scotland’s Road Policing Team in Edinburgh, said: “We are encouraging everyone to think about how visible and safe they are. I believe that many people are unaware just how much the driver of a large vehicle, such as a lorry or a bus, cannot see because of blind spots. Even a small vehicle has blind spots.
“Visibility is very important in terms of making our roads safer and I would like everyone, including pedestrians, to think about how they are seen, especially if a street is poorly lit after dark. From the cab of a lorry visibility is very different to that of a bus, car, motorbike or cycle.
“I cannot emphasise enough the need for all road users to look out for each other and give each other space. Unfortunately, when a collision happens it is often a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist who come off worse.”
Sarah Boyd, Operations Director, Lothian Buses, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Police Scotland and other key stakeholders to raise awareness around visibility and potential blind spots on our roads.
“Our driver training covers all aspects of road safety including the awareness of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users and we welcome the opportunity to be involved in this campaign.”
Jodi Gordon, Partner at specialist law firm, Cycle Law Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Police Scotland’s safer roads campaign. Every day we speak to individuals who have been injured as a result of a road traffic collision, often caused by drivers who have failed to observe the pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist at junctions.
“All road users should be looking out for each other at these pinch points and so anything we can do to help educate people has got to be a positive thing.”
Scottish Fire & Rescue Service Watch Commander David Morrison, said: “The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service welcomes the opportunity to support this initiative and work with partners to improve the safety of all road users in the Edinburgh area.
“By working to improve awareness and encouraging everyone to think about safe distances, blind spots, visibility when on or around our roads we can make our roads safer for everyone.”
Adoption UK in Scotland is warning of a mental health emergency amongst some of the country’s most vulnerable children, caused by failings in a system that is not set up to meet their needs.
This year’s Adoption Barometer report reveals that two-thirds (64%) of people in the UK aged 16+ have sought help with their mental health, and the numbers are rising. In Scotland, more than half (51%) of adopted people aged 16-25 were involved with mental health services in 2020. Yet most say they have been unable to access the support they need.
Most adopted young people suffered abuse, neglect or violence in their early years, with lasting impacts on relationships, learning and health, leaving their adoptive families to pick up the pieces when professional support is not provided.
Fiona Aitken, Adoption UK Director of Scotland, said: “For the third year running, over two-thirds of Scottish Barometer respondents said they face an ongoing struggle for support.
“Scottish children and families are being failed by a system that does not provide the ongoing help and support children need to overcome early experiences, and the lifelong impact that adoption has then fades into the background.
“We owe it to these children and their families to provide ongoing support throughout their lives, to help them to achieve the best possible outcomes that they deserve.”
The survey results highlight the consequences of failure to provide early and consistent support for adopted young people.
More than a third (38%) of adopted 16-25-year-olds in Scotland were not in positive destinations (education, employment or training) at the end of 2020. Involvement in high-risk and criminal activities has steadily increased since the first Adoption Barometer in 2019.
Problems are often compounded by children falling through the cracks between child and adult services. Almost three-quarters of parents in the UK said their child’s support reduced or ceased when they aged out of services for adolescents.
Julian Thomson, aged 29, said: “When I was 13 I was diagnosed with mild depression, but my GP was unwilling to prescribe antidepressants due to my age.
“There were a very narrow range of options available at that time, and it didn’t help that my medical records weren’t passed on after I was adopted. Because of that, a whole host of things were missed – it was like I didn’t have a life before adoption.
“Neither I nor my adoptive family were offered any real mental health support after that. I did have some sessions with an NHS counsellor, but that didn’t get to the root of the problem and I feel the sessions were not focused on trauma. It was only when I was 27 that I was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from historical abuse.
“I am currently going through the process of being diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. Had this been picked up when I was in care it may not have impacted upon my life the way it did. I believe there is a real need for psychological assessment for all adopted children.”
The Barometer survey also shows that contact with birth family often looms large during adolescence and early adulthood.
In Scotland, 28% of 13-18-year-olds had direct contact with a birth family member outside of any formal agreement. For some, this has devastating consequences for mental health and family stability.
When families do get support, their assessments of its quality and the impact on their family have increased on all indicators since last year - a considerable achievement considering the pandemic.
In Scotland, parents who had accessed Adoption UK services said the support they received had been crucial to their wellbeing. Adopter experiences in Wales have improved at both approvals and matching stage, and among families with older children, due to investment in adoption services in 2019.
The emergency Covid adoption support fund in England has been widely praised by families.
Fiona Aitken added: “This year presents real opportunities to re-set support for adoptive families.
“The Promise to Scotland’s Care Experienced children as a result of the Independent Care Review and the debate about Covid recovery are real opportunities to improve our systems and services for families to ensure our more vulnerable children receive an equal chance in life.”
Adoption UK is setting out a six-point plan to improve the life chances of adopted young people. It includes multi-disciplinary assessments and support plans for every child placed for adoption and the extension of adoption services to at least age 26.
COVID delayed has delayed decisions about university
COVID has caused many young people to delay thinking about their future. But as the prospect of freedom slowly returns, they are starting to get serious about what happens next.
Exams were cancelled this year making way for teachers to determine students’ grades, so, if you’ve left it until now to think about university, we’ve got some top tips.
Many people think that university clearing is only open on results day and for a few weeks afterwards – it’s not the case!
Dr Lisette Johnston, Head of School at ScreenSpace, part of MetFilm School explains what Clearing is all about and urges young people to plan now!
This year, clearing opens on the 5th July, and universities are already advertising courses available through Clearing.
What isClearing?
Clearing is the process that students use to access university AFTER they’ve received their A-level level results (or A-level equivalents).
Is it justfor those who didn’t get their expected grades?
No, COVID-19 has really affected the way people are thinking about university. Historically, it was widely recognised that schools and colleges didn’t always get predicted exam grades right, and this year with teachers effectively awarding students’ their predicted grades, universities are expecting lots of lastminute applications.
Last year’s results were affected by the pandemic, but that didn’t put young people off from going to university, and the number of students given university places rose nearly 3%. 2020 was also a record year for students applying through clearing: 70,000, people, including those who had applied earlier in the year, were accepted through Clearing.
What if my grades are higher than I expected?
If your results are better than expected and you’ve accepted a place at a university based on lower grades, you can ‘trade up’ to a different course or university that required higher grades, this is called Adjustment.
I’m getting my A-level results in August – I’ve put off deciding whether to go to university because of COVID-19, but… what can I do now?
Here are Dr Lisette’s 6 top tips
1.Get Cracking: the sooner you apply the better! Some courses cap the number of students they will take, so apply early and that way you are more likely to get a conditional offer, which is better than missing the boat if you leave it to phone on results day.
2. Be informed. Don’t wait until results day to look around universities and get a taste of what’s on offer, there are lots of campus tours (real and virtual) between now and August, so as well as looking at course content online it’s a real bonus if you can actually go to a university and see what it is really like. That way you can hit the ground running.
3. What do you really want? If you haven’t got the grades you expected, you might not get into your first choice, but that doesn’t mean going through Clearing to get in just anywhere. If staying at home is important to you, find out what the options are available locally. If you are passionate about a specific topic, find out where the next best place on the list is and what grades they expect currently. It’s also acceptable to ask how many people they took through Clearing last year. They might not be able to tell you on a course by course basis, but you should be able to get a breakdown across the university.
4. Be realistic. Oxford and Cambridge may be out of reach. Decide what is a priority for you. If you haven’t got the results you expected, what is more important – the course, the location, or a degree in general? The last thing you want is to get on a course and find out it’s not what you want. And don’t just go somewhere ‘cos all your mates are going there!
5. Be open minded. Within a university there are often opportunities to transfer courses to take electives more closely linked to your original choices. See who offers this. Also Clearing gives a chance to go to a place you might not have thought about before.
6. Remember, you’re not stuck – if you start at a university and you realise it’s the wrong course or the wrong place – you can change!
At ScreenSpace we had students who came through Clearing last year, some after the course started; they’re actually much happier than they were with their original choice.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Gardening for Good Health
Gardens and greenspaces have been hugely important to many people during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people finding their refuge through gardening.
Here we explore some of the health and mental wellbeing benefits of gardening:
Stress relief
Gardening is a fantastic stress reliever and can cultivate feelings of empowerment, connection, and calm. Being in touch with nature and the great outdoors can help you feel more removed from the daily stressors of life.
Work out
Gardening is exercise and working in a garden can use every major muscle group in the body. While activities such as raking and cutting the grass may be light exercise, shovelling and digging can be counted as vigorous exercise.
Grow your own
There is nothing quite like eating your own fresh home grown produce! Not only are many fruits and vegetables very easy to grow, but they are also more nutrient-dense, free of pesticides and tasty. By growing your own, you are also helping to preserve the environment.
Get the kids involved
It can sometimes be a challenge to get children to eat healthy foods and enjoy them. Growing vegetables not only teaches children valuable lessons about the work that it takes to grow them, but it can also help them to gain a keen interest in eating them too.
Work with what you have
Whether your patch is large or small, a raised bed, a community garden or window box – make the most of it by researching the best plants for your space and sunlight exposure. You can grow a range of things with very little space and maintenance, whilst still reaping the benefits.
Edinburgh Filmhouse has announced exciting plans to expand its popular online programme of screenings for over 60s.
Back in February, they began a pilot programme called Senior Selections at Home, where people were invited to get together on Zoom to discuss a film they had all watched on BBC iPlayer.
Since then Filmhouse has developed its very own online movie platform, called Filmhouse at Home – and this will let the team of senior volunteers handpick the films to show for future Senior Selections at Home events.
The first season includes Minari, Breathless, Bait and starts with a screening of The Rider, by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao. As part of its ongoing commitment to access, all films chosen for Senior Selections at Home will have captions available and attendees will receive a discount code to access the film, making the whole event FREE to access.
The Filmhouse team will also be offering some simple digital training in how to participate in Senior Selections at Home, so that everyone who wants to join can have a chance to do so.
Yvonne Gordon, Head of Community Engagement and Learning at Filmhouse said: “I am really proud to launch Senior Selections at Home on Filmhouse at Home. We have all missed welcoming our older audience members to the cinema and were delighted to see so many of them engage with us when we trialled online events earlier in the year.
“We also attracted newcomers, who hadn’t been to any of our cinema based sessions. I am very keen to continue to offer a service to this online community and recognise that not everyone is able to come to us – so we can come to them!
“Now we’ve all got used to Zoom, break out rooms, chat boxes and watching films from home, we hope to continue to build our online audience for Senior Selections at Home.
“I am confident that using Filmhouse at Home will let us share films that are full of surprise and delight – and give us plenty to talk about after the movie, over our favourite beverage!
“I am grateful to our supporters and funders who allow us to offer this programme for free. Access is at the heart of all we do and Senior Selections is an excellent example of this.”
Senior Selections at Home is free to attend, but places are limited so booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
Sign up links will be released monthly on our website:
Training sessions will be held on Zoom on Wednesday 7 July and Thursday 8 July at 2pm. To join one of the sessions please email education@cmi-scotland.co.uk .
We will walk you through the process, from signing up on Eventbrite to creating an account and using Filmhouse at Home.
Thank you to our supporters who make Senior Selections possible: The Foyle Foundation, JTH Charitable Trust and all those who wish to remain anonymous.
Filmhouse at Home is supported by the Weston Culture Fund.
NHS Lothian are opening a drop-in vaccination clinic for people aged 18-39. The new clinic opens tomorrow at 8.30am – 5.30pm at the RBS Younger Building at the Gyle.
You don’t need to be registered with a GP to get your vaccine at a drop-in clinic.
You can get your 1st dose, or your 2nd dose if it’s been more than 8 weeks since your first.
Meanwhile clinics for over 40s are still running as normal.
The news comes as the latest grim figures were released. 3285 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the past 24 hours – another new record – representing 12.6% of the total tests that reported results.
For more information, including how to get there, visit :
One of the country’s biggest rocket companies has urged the UK to continue investing in its space capabilities in order to establish itself as a bona fide space nation.
Volodymyr Levykin of Edinburgh-based Skyrora, believes continued government commitment is crucial if the industry is not to fall behind other countries and private companies, following the successful rocket launches of the Space X payload and the Chinese manned mission last week.
It comes after the Space industry regulations 2021 were laid before Parliament on 24th May for ratification, promoting its ambition to building spaceports and launch capabilities across the country.
However, Volodymyr believes more needs to be done to keep the UK ahead of the curve in a revamped international space race.
He said: “Last week’s successful launches proved other nations, and private companies are continuing to break ground and develop their launch capabilities. While the new legislative news is welcoming to our industry, more needs to be done to propel the UK as a space nation superpower.
“The possibilities are endless, from developing cutting edge technologies that can produce huge environmental benefits; to boosting an already thriving sector in tourism with investment in rural areas around the country.
“Nevertheless, we are competing against a number of countries and companies abroad, and without continued investment we risk falling behind the competition.”
The new legislation will come into effect this summer, enabling the UK to develop its commercial spaceflight technologies through traditional rockets to high-altitude balloons and spaceplanes.
By 2030 it is estimated more than 17,000 small satellites will be launched by various countries from around the world – which is considerably more than what has been previously launched.
Volodymyr, said: “The UK’s goal is to capture 10% of the global space market by 2030 and this target will create 80,000 new skilled jobs in the UK Space Industry.
“In order to achieve these targets we need to be encouraging and educating our future generations. We all have a profound responsibility to make this happen, however, government backing can help improve awareness that the space industry is a legitimate sector in which young professionals can thrive in.”
The Edinburgh-based firm intends to test launch its Skyrora XL rocket from the UK in 2022. Skyrora XL is a 23-metre, 56-tonne, three-stage rocket capable of carrying up to 315kg into orbit.
The vehicle is on course to be test launched in 2022 from a UK spaceport and the project is set to generate 170 high-skilled jobs.
The company recently secured €3M funding from the European Space Agency, which will be used to complete Skyrora’s XL programme to deliver consistent orbital launches from the UK.
