Pilton Community Health Project’s women’s Garden Cooking Club will be back tomorrow in #GrantonCommunityGarden at 12pm where we’ll #harvest #cook then serve up our famous and delicious #soup with crusty bread!
Rathbone Investment Management is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the opening concert, “’Neath the Gloamin Star”, at Celtic Connections this year.
With the first concert dating back to 1994, Celtic Connections is the UK’s premier celebration of Celtic music, held every January/February in Glasgow. The music festival is an integral element in showcasing the culture in Glasgow and attracts visitors from all parts of the world.
The title for opening night is an ode to the old Aberdeenshire love song popularised by the late great Tony Cuffe, “Neath the Gloamin’ Star”. The evening will showcase the generation of artists who have succeeded Cuffe and his peers as leaders of the Scots’ folk song revival.
With a line-up including Fiona Hunter, Steve Byrne, Paul McKenna, Ellie Beaton, Cameron Nixon and Jenny Sturgeon, plus joint musical directors Hannah Rarity and Innes White, the featured artists have researched and adapted material from archive recordings and other sources, crafting arrangements that highlight both the tradition’s enduring vitality and the performers’ contemporary creativity.
Rathbones’ sponsorship of Celtic Connections follows its support of the Scottish Ballet, Aye Write and Edinburgh International book festival last year in a continued effort to support creativity and wonder through applied craftmanship.
The past year has been a challenge for everyone working in the arts industry with losses to income, uncertainty of live performances and closed venues. Rathbones’ recent sponsorships aim to create awareness for the arts at a time when the industry is struggling the most, as well promoting Scotland’s pioneering spirit to champion creativity which chimes well with Rathbones’ own aim to Look Forward.
Angus Kerr, Head of Scotland at Rathbone Investment Management comments: “Celtic Connections is a true celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture and we are honoured to be a sponsor.
“It’s an eclectic yet traditional event that showcases the creativity and passion of the Scottish people, and we are delighted to be supporting it this this year, especially at a time when the arts in Scotland and elsewhere have been hard hit by the pandemic.
“Supporting the arts is particularly important as art facilitates a fundamental human need for expression, joy, and creativity. It also promotes an exploration and representation of cultural narratives and memory.
“Having both social and economic value, Rathbones is proud to support the industry and local communities. We are looking forward to attending and supporting more events in the coming year.”
The premier awards for forests and woods in Scotland are back for 2022 after a highly successful 2021 saw winners ranging from a tiny nursery school to the country’s largest landowner.
Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ are back for 2022 after a highly successful programme in 2021 saw worthy winners ranging from the country’s largest landowner Anders Holch Povlsen to a tiny nursery school.
Mr Povlsen and Wildland Ltd won the prize for New Native Woods in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2021, for Killiehuntly in the Cairngorms – while Perth Outdoor Playgroup won the award for an early years education provider instilling a love of woods in young children.
The 2022 Awards will see a renewed focus on climate change after forestry and wood played a central part in discussions at COP26. The first Climate Change Champion prize was handed out at the 2021 Awards, with Ayrshire estate owner Andrew Sinclair honoured for his work at Balbeg.
“The award was handed out just two months before COP26, where we saw the signing of a Leaders’ Declaration on Forestry and Land Use, and the launch of the Time for Timber global wood use manifesto,” said Angela Douglas, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods.
“The world is increasingly understanding that trees and wood are vital to tackling climate change and I’m so delighted that our Climate Change Champion Award is back.”
With 80% of the UK’s new woodland currently being planted in Scotland, and continued Scottish Government support for ambitious tree planting targets, organisers hope for another exceptional set of winners in 2022.
“Anyone with a genuinely high-quality project has a chance to win an award, whether that’s Scotland’s largest landowner or a small nursery school, or a farmer discovering the benefits of trees to an experienced forester creating a model woodland,” said Angela Douglas.
The Scottish Government showed its support for the awards last year, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announcing the Schools and Early Years Awards and Environment Minister Máiri McAllan – whose brief covers forestry – revealing the Community Woodlands winners.
Ms McAllan said: “I was delighted to be involved in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards for the first time in 2021, and to celebrate an amazing collection of winners.
“The addition of the Climate Change Champion and Early Years Awards in 2021 illustrated the importance of woodland in supporting Scotland’s world-leading climate change ambitions – and engaging young people in trees and woods at a young age.
“All the winners were clearly passionate about high-quality woodlands, and I look forward to another year of exceptional entries to celebrate this new golden era of forestry in Scotland.”
The Climate Change Champion Award, sponsored by Carbon Store, is chosen by judges. Category entrants, including schools or nurseries, can choose to enter this award alone or enter more than one award category.
The Climate Change Champion Award has been developed in partnership with Forest Research, who will again provide expert judges in 2022.
Professor Chris Quine, Chief Scientist at Forest Research, led the team assessing the entries, and said the 2021 winner – Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill – “demonstrated an integrated approach to tackling climate change throughout its activities with actions relating to mitigation, adaptation and knowledge exchange” and “a strong commitment and a real consistency of vision”.
All the other popular categories return in the long-running Awards, which were held online in 2021 after a 2020 Covid-cancellation.
“We hope to return to a live event at our traditional venue, the Royal Highland Show, as it celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2022,” said Guy Watt, Chair of Scotland’s Finest Woods, the charity which operates the programme. “However, we need to keep our options open and that means planning for a possible hybrid, or entirely online, event, if circumstances dictate.”
Regular Award categories return, including the ever-popular Crown Estate Scotland Schools Award, won by Pitlochry High School in 2021. The Quality Timber Awards return too, with three different categories: new commercial wood, multi-purpose forest or whole estate, and a single stand/compartment or small wood.
The two Farm Woodland Awards are back – the Scottish Woodlands Ltd Trophy for Young People won in 2021 by Nikki and James Yoxall of Howemill near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, and the SAC Consulting-sponsored award for any farm woodland, won in 2021 by Wendy Seel and Anne Taylor, who run an organic vegetable business at Midmar, Aberdeenshire
Entries must be submitted by 31st March 2022.
For full details, criteria and entry forms. see: www.sfwa.co.uk
A stunning range of exhibitions for 2022 including a winter photographic season of three new displays has been announced for the City Art Centre.
All exhibitions will be free to attend. Further information on the individual shows, including an exciting and varied public events programme, will be announced later in the year.
National Treasure: The Scottish Modern Arts Association
21 May – 16 October 2022
The Scottish Modern Arts Association was founded in Edinburgh in 1907. Established by artists and their supporters, the organisation aimed to secure for the nation a representative collection of modern Scottish art. For more than fifty years, it actively acquired work by leading contemporary artists, building an outstanding collection of over 300 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. The majority of these artworks were transferred to the City of Edinburgh when the association disbanded in the 1960s, and they are now maintained by the City Art Centre.
National Treasure: The Scottish Modern Arts Association reveals the story of this unique collection, and the artists represented in it. Featuring work by the Glasgow Boys and the Scottish Colourists, as well as individuals such as William McTaggart, John Duncan, Anne Redpath and Joan Eardley, this major two-floor exhibition celebrates Scottish art at the dawn of modernism.
National Treasure is presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2022.
Will Maclean: Points of Departure
4 June – 2 October 2022
Will Maclean (b.1941) is one of the outstanding artists of his generation. His work is anchored in the history, archaeology, and literature of the Scottish Highlands and the Highland people, as well as his family background and personal associations with the sea.
Perhaps best known for his wall constructions, this major retrospective will span almost fifty years of work and embrace every facet of his practice – his constructions, drawings, prints, sculptures, artistic collaborations, video productions and outdoor installations. Combining exquisitely hand-made pieces with found or (on occasions) mass produced objects, his work balances between simplicity and complexity and invites the viewer to linger, to admire and to ponder the universal themes which he explores.
Accompanied by a new publication, the exhibition will be drawn from public and private collections, with many of the exhibits going on public display for the first time. The exhibition promises to be a rich visual feast for anyone with an interest in Scottish art and history.
Will Maclean: Points of Departure is presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2022.
Early twentieth century women filmmakers and photographers in Scotland (working title)
12 November 2022 – 12 March 2023
This ground-breaking exhibition presents the work of fourteen pioneering women photographers and filmmakers working in Scotland during the early 20th century.
The women are Violet Banks (1886-1985), Helen Biggar (1909-1953), Isabella Bird (1831-1904), Christina Broom (1862-1939), M.E.M. Donaldson (1876-1958), Jenny Gilbertson (1902-1990), Isobel F Grant (1887–1983), Ruby Grierson (1904-1940), Marion Grierson (1907-1998), Isobel Wylie Hutchison (1889-1982), Johanna Kissling (1875-1961), Isabell Burton-MacKenzie (1872-1958), Margaret Fay Shaw (1903-2004) and Margaret Watkins (1884-1969).
These women present different accounts of Scotland, covering both rural and city places and communities. The exhibition will show the breadth of their photography and filmmaking, offering a critical analysis of their work.
It explores the ways in which their work differs from their better-known male contemporaries, considers their different motivations and how these informed the work they made, and the different narratives we see emerging from their work in Scotland.
It is the first time their work will have been seen together, and it uncovers a previously untold story within the history of Scottish photography. Exhibits will be drawn from a broad selection of private and public collections.
The exhibition is a partnership project with Jenny Brownrigg, Exhibitions Director at The Glasgow School of Art.
Ron O’Donnell
Edinburgh: A Lost World (working title)
19 November 2022 – 5 March 2023
Edinburgh: A Lost World features black and white and colour photographs of forgotten Edinburgh interiors by Scottish artist Ron O’Donnell. During the 1970s and 1980s O’Donnell focused on photographing shops, tea rooms, public toilets, prison cells and factories all over Edinburgh, many of which are no longer in existence. In 2010 he returned to photographing shop interiors. This time, he concentrated on barbers, pet shops, auto repair businesses, shoe repair shops and book shops, including the smallest shop in Edinburgh.
For many years O’Donnell has had a curious and insatiable desire to document the city. As a hunter of unusual interiors, he would cycle around Edinburgh with his camera, a flash gun in a cardboard box, strapped with bungees onto his bike rack, and a tripod slung round his neck.
He found his camera was a key to accessing interiors – hidden spots that many people never saw. As a result, O’Donnell has created an impressive photographic archive of these lost places. The exhibition displays a selection of his photographs, revealing and documenting the dramatic shifts that have taken place in the capital over the years.
Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone
26 November 2022 – 26 February 2023
The artist Paul Duke grew up in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh between the mid-1960s and early 1980s. In 2015 he returned to Muirhouse to develop No Ruined Stone, a photographic series exploring the built environment and its residents at a time of significant urban regeneration and social flux.
This exhibition presents a selection of photographs from the series; images that balance a documentary approach with highly personal insights. Duke embarked on this project determined to reconnect with his roots. While raising issues around social inequality and poverty, No Ruined Stone is underpinned by a message of human resilience and strength of character.
The exhibition is accompanied by the publication No Ruined Stone (Hartmann Books, 2018).
Auld Reekie Retold
3 December 2022 – 19 February 2023
This exhibition marks the culmination of Auld Reekie Retold, the largest collections inventory project ever undertaken in the organisation’s history. Over the past three years, this ambitious project has recorded, catalogued and revealed thousands of items housed in stores and venues across the City.
Auld Reekie Retold connects objects in the collection, which has been growing steadily since the 1870’s, with people and places in the city, uncovering new stories from Edinburgh and its residents. Perhaps you’ve seen some of the stories online, or joined one of our digital events; this exhibition will be a chance to see some of the highlight objects uncovered by the team, and also to find out about the behind the scenes work involved in maintaining the collection.
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh’s collections belong to the City, and Auld Reekie Retold aims to give every citizen of Edinburgh a sense of ownership of and connection to its objects and their stories.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “As we look ahead to 2022 at the City Art Centre it looks set to be a truly great year. The City Art Centre is one of the most accessible places in the Capital for art lovers and is home to Edinburgh’s art collection, one of the finest in the country.
“We’re delighted to be playing our part in the Edinburgh Art Festival and hosting some fantastic exhibitions. There are many highlights throughout the year beginning in Spring with ‘National Treasure: The Scottish Modern Arts Association’. The major two-floor exhibition will tell visitors the story of the unique collection and the artists behind it including works by William McTaggart and Joan Eardley.
“And then later in the year we’ll host the fascinating findings from ‘Auld Reekie Retold’. This fantastic project is allowing us to develop a fuller understanding and appreciation of what we have right here in our collections.
“The project has helped to uncover their stories, broaden participation with our Museums & Galleries and ensure their long-term relevance. This is the story of our great city that we all love. It needs to be told and I look forward to visitors discovering it for themselves this autumn.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said: “The City Art Centre’s 2022 programme of free exhibitions will give visitors the opportunity to revisit enduring favourites such as Will Maclean, some of whose works will be on display for first time. They might also discover new favourites like Ron O’Donnell and Paul Duke, who both give us their unique views of Edinburgh.
“I’m very much looking forward to ‘Early twentieth century women filmmakers and photographers in Scotland’, where the works of 14 pioneering women will be brought together for the first time. This will offer visitors the chance to hear the previously untold story of women’s fascinating role within the history of Scottish photography.
“Whilst it’s fantastic to look ahead to a busy year in our City Art Centre, I’d like to reassure people that we will continue to take measures to ensure the safety of visitors and our staff, and will adhere to the latest public guidance.”
In keeping with Government advice to support the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre maintains a range of safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one-way system, screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing face coverings while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome. Visitors are asked to wear face coverings.
The Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee is detailing some of the short- and long-term changes it wants to see made in the Scottish justice sector in a new report.
Following a series of hearings looking at justice issues including:
• the impact of COVID on the sector,
• courts,
• prisons and prison reform,
• victims’ rights and support,
• violence against women and girls,
• youth offending, community justice solutions and alternatives to custody,
• legal aid, and
• the misuse of drugs and the criminal justice system,
the Committee is setting out the actions it wants to see taken to improve outcomes in these areas, and attempting to find solutions to some of the stubborn problems in the system.
Among the more than 60 actions it has set out for the Scottish Government and its partner agencies such as the prison service, courts and prosecutors are:
• Improving prisons and reducing reoffending, including by:
– reintroducing the Throughcare scheme for those leaving custody,
– Ensuring under-18s are in secure care rather than HMPYOI Polmont,
– tackling the high levels of drugs and the influence of serious and organised crime groups in jails, and
– giving more access to fresh air and purposeful activity for those in prison.
• Improving support for victims and witnesses, including by:
– Reviewing the Victim Notification Scheme, including assessing whether it may be inadvertently retraumatising victims with unexpected contact;
– Providing those alleging a sexual offence with of a single trauma-informed source of contact from reporting until the conclusion of legal proceedings;
– changing court buildings to make them less traumatising places for victims and witnesses (e.g. by unexpectedly encountering the accused).
• Taking action to tackle Scotland’s high drug deaths rate:
– rapidly implementing the recommendations of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce, some of which date from April 2020;
– Ensuring a co-ordinated approach from the justice, social justice and health sectors to fill the service gap between what is currently being provided to help those with a drug problem and what is needed.
The Committee has committed to regularly reviewing progress against these actions across the course of this Parliamentary session, and will ensure progress can be tracked publicly on the Committee’s web pages.
Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “Our inquiries into the Scottish justice sector have exposed once again many deep-rooted problems.
“We know these cannot be solved overnight and there are few easy solutions. However, our Committee is determined to see progress made in this parliamentary session.
“As a critical friend to the Scottish Government and its justice partners, we want them to use our recommendations to drive forward progress and implement changes.
“We believe we have set out a balanced and proportionate action plan which may go some way to improving the criminal justice sector.
“We’ll be taking stock of progress at regular intervals during the remainder of this parliamentary session.”
The full report, including the action plan, is attached.
Morrisons has launched a new vegan range, Plant Revolution, to help make vegan food tastier and more accessible than ever before this January.
The 50-strong range features a wide variety of products that offer bold flavours, vibrant colours and are loaded with plant-based goodness. Plant Revolution will include everything from fresh ready meals and on-the-go sandwich options to luxurious starters and decadent sweet treats.
The range was developed by Morrisons own chefs in response to feedback from customers who said they were looking for easier ways to adopt a vegan diet. It’s designed to appeal to both vegan and non-vegan customers looking to include more plant-based options in their diet.
Highlight products include:
· Plant Revolution Caramelised Onion and Arancini Bites, 200g – £2.50
· Plant Revolution No Duck Pancakes, 250g – £3.50
· Plant Revolution Firecracker Udon Cauliflower, 385g – £3.50
· Plant Revolution Butternut Penang Curry, 385g – £3.50
· Plant Revolution Beefless Wellington, 560g – £3
· Plant Revolution No Chicken Shawarma Flatbread, 179g – £2.75
Prices start from as little as £1, making it easier than ever for those on a budget to shop vegan.
According to The Food Standards Agency, over 1 in 10 people in the UK now follow a vegan or vegetarian diet* including celebrities like Lewis Hamilton, Ellie Goulding, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gemma Atkinson and Ricky Gervais. Others like Laura Whitmore have been outspoken on trying to cut down on meat and incorporate more plant-based options into their diet.
Since its inception in 2014, over 2 million people have signed up to take part in Veganuary. Of the 582,000 who signed up to the campaign in 2021, it is estimated that 30% were still eating a fully vegan diet six months on from the campaign and more than half (52%) were eating at least 50% less meat and animal products than the previous year**.
Emily Bell, Plant Revolution Brand Manager at Morrisons, said: “We want our customers to enjoy eating well, no matter what diet they choose to follow.
“For part-time plant eaters, fully fledged flexitarians and the purely plant-based, our new Plant Revolution range delivers the bold and exciting flavours we know they’re looking for, and we’re excited to hear what people think of it.”
Toni Vernelli, International Head of Communications and Marketing at Veganuary, said: “We’re thrilled to see Morrisons adding so many exciting options to their vegan range and helping to make delicious plant-based eating accessible and affordable for everyone.”
Morrisons Plant Revolution range is available in stores nationwide now.
Crews of up to nine were routinely being mobilised in two fire appliances to an average 28,479 false alarms each year – equating to around 57,000 unnecessary blue light journeys.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recently held a 12-week public consultation which provided communities and partners with three options to safely reduce these numbers.
The consultation identified that most stakeholders supported Option A which means that the SFRS will establish if Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs) in workplaces have been triggered by an actual fire before sending any appliances.
This change, which will reduce attendance rates by up to 57 per cent, will come into effect in April 2023 and will bring Scotland into line with most other UK Fire and Rescue Services.
Hospitals, residential care homes and sleeping risk premises will remain exempt and appliances will continue to be mobilised automatically to any fire alarm activations within these facilities.
It is anticipated that 37,524 hours could now be released each year for firefighters to enhance their training – and carry out community safety work, including supporting the most vulnerable to stay safe from fires within the home.
SFRS Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We are grateful to the public and our partners for sharing their views on our proposals.
“False alarms account for almost one third of fire and rescue activity across Scotland. They place a drain on front line services, increase risk to road users and cause interruption to the business sector and communities.
“The advantages of call challenging workplaces to reduce these callouts are clear,” said ACO Stevens.
“Making this change means we can carry out more training, community safety and fire prevention activity, as well as improving road safety and reducing our carbon impact.
“These unnecessary blue light journeys bring risks to our crews, other road users and pedestrians as well as impacting the environment with an estimated 575 tonnes of carbon emissions produced – the equivalent of heating 230 homes a year.
“Businesses will also experience less disruption as they no longer need to wait for us to attend to give the all clear after a false alarm.
“The legal responsibility for dealing with an AFA alert lies with the duty holder of a property and most UK fire and rescue services now seek confirmation of a fire before attending. Now the SFRS is making this change too.”
The Board paper, full consultation report and associated documents can be accessed online at:
https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/media/2383437/20211216_bsfrs_board_all_papers.pdf
Police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery at a shop in Tollcross.
At around 10.45pm on Thursday, 6 January 2022, a 24-year-old man was walking on Spey Street, having finished his shift at the Scotmid store in Leven Street at 10pm.
He was then approached by two men who forced him into a blue Volkswagen Tiguan car and drove him back to the store, where they threatened him and made him open the premises.
The suspects then stole a four-figure sum of cash from the store and drove off at around 11.25pm.
Officers investigating the incident found the Tiguan, which was bearing registration number SF08 WPU, alight within Lochend Park, next to the basketball court.
It has been established that the vehicle was stolen from a break-in at the Maybury Car Sales in Turnhouse Road on 12 December 2021.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait from Edinburgh Division CID, said: “We believe that this was a targeted attack and that those responsible had been following the victim prior to approaching him and forcing him to allow them entry to his place of work.
“While this was a very frightening experience for him, thankfully he was uninjured and we are now pursuing a number of lines of inquiry to trace the suspects.
“If you recognise their description, or believe you have seen the Volkswagen Tiguan, either in the hours surrounding this incident, or in the last few weeks, then please contact police immediately.
“Similarly, anyone with any other information is also asked to come forward.”
Those with information can contact Edinburgh CID via 101 and quote incident number 3131 of 6 January 2022. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Funded by Creative Scotland, The Flourish Jewellery Project is an exciting craft jewellery project. Working in partnership with North Edinburgh Arts and Four-Square’s Womanzone, Jewellery Artists, Lisa Arnott and Jessica Howarth have enabled women who are recovering from trauma from domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, social isolation, and economic hardship to develop new skills in jewellery design and making.
Working with a variety of organisations who support women, Lisa and Jessica created a series of outreach jewellery sessions introducing and enabling the women to make rings, pendants and bangles from silver. For these participants, being part of this project has provided a space for them to dare to dream and have a moment in their week where their creativity is realised.
From the outreach session, 12 women then went on to engage with the project on more intensive weekly jewellery and metalwork sessions. During this time, they learnt the foundations of metal and jewellery work which included saw piercing, soldering, texturing and shaping metal.
Despite the various challenges the women experienced, the project has provided materials, travel and childcare alongside safe and high-quality jewellery workshops.
Having never made any jewellery out of metal at the start of the project, the women from the Flourish Jewellery Project have now produced a small collection of silver jewellery which will be on display at the project’s exhibition, which takes place from 22nd until the 25th January at Custom House in Leith.
The exhibition, which is sponsored by fine jeweller, Hamilton & Inches, with support from the Scottish Goldsmith Trust and Scottish Historic Building Trust, will display beautifully handcrafted items.
Lisa Arnott (above) and Jessica Howarth said: “We were both delighted to have received funding from Creative Scotland for the Flourish Jewellery Project.
“By working in partnership with Foursquare’s, Womenzone project and North Edinburgh Arts in Muirhouse we have been providing jewellery making opportunities for women from across the city.
“This project has enabled women who have experienced trauma, social isolation and/or economic challenges to develop traditional jewellery making skills.”
A Flourish participant said: “The Flourish Jewellery Project has made me find myself. I’m shocked at who I was when I first started coming as to who I am now”.
Earlier this Autumn the Flourish Jewellery Project was featured at The New York Jewellery Week 2021’s the ‘Power of Jewellery’ and was shortlisted for a Creative Edinburgh Award for Best in Collaboration.
Lisa and Jess (above) have also taken part in research undertaken by University College London and Birmingham City University and collaborated with a host of local artists and designers.
This has included Professor Sandra Wilson from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, furniture designer Colin Parker, web designers Erin Smith and Zena Walczynska, illustrations by Kinship Press, Photographer Shannon Tofts and Media Scotland who are co-producing a film reflecting the women’s experience of the project.
The project is now becoming a community interest company and has secured further funding to enable six women to continue to develop their jewellery training further.
