Newly Relaunched Marriott Hotel supports Local Edinburgh charity with over £11,000 worth of recycled items following major refurbishment
The recent redevelopment of the former Holyrood Hotel to the new Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood has resulted in the property donating more than £11,000 worth of quality furniture, from armchairs and artwork to televisions and desks to Edinburgh-based charity Scottish Veterans Residences (SVR), following the completion of an extensive refurbishment.
The charity – a registered housing support service based at Whitefoord House, within the City’s UNESCO site in the Old Town – provides supported housing for former members of the UK Armed Forces and their services are available to anyone who has served in HM Forces, Reserve Forces or Merchant Marine, regardless of age or length of service, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The team have welcomed Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood’s donation as a vital contribution to their services.
Kirsty Smeaton Brown, SVR’s Residence Manager at Whitefoord House, said: “The donation is a welcome surprise and addition to the Whitefoord House site, which will enhance our communal and living areas.
“We are delighted to be able to make such good use of recycled high-quality furniture and our residents and staff are very grateful for this thoughtful and community-spirited donation.”
The hotel, also located in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic old town is now under new ownership and showcasing the renowned Marriott Hotel standards to their guests.
The hotel’s interiors have been refurbished to the tune of £10m and as a result, the existing furniture from the Holyrood property was recycled and donated to the Residences to support their community.
Michael Falla, General Manager of Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood, commented: “The relaunch of Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood marked a long and exciting development for the City and the Marriott brand.
“The hotel team’s hard work and commitment took the Hotel to the next stage of its journey, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to serve our local community.
“We are very proud to be able to play our part in the incredibly worthwhile mission Scottish Veterans Residences fulfil daily and the support they offer to former members of the UK Armed Forces by donating the furniture we replaced during the refurbishment.”
Scottish Veterans Residences also operate at Rosendael, Dundee and Bellrock Close, in the East End of Glasgow.
To learn more about Scottish Veterans Residences and to donate directly, visit https://www.svronline.org
For more information on the newly refurbished Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood, visit www.marriott.com/edimh
Would you like to contribute to the restoration of oysters in the Firth of Forth? Become an Oyster Volunteer!
Oyster Volunteers will get involved in oyster biosecurity, develop skills in citizen science and oyster monitoring and raise awareness of the cultural and environmental importance of oysters in the Firth of Forth.
If you would be interested in finding out more about the opportunities available, drop by the Heart of Newhaven (Anchor East 2 room) on 21st March any time between 12 – 2pm for a chat.
hubCAP Gallery is delighted to present “Nancy’s House,” a new thought-provoking exhibition by artist Megan Rudden.
The show features work produced during and after Megan’s tenure as an artist in residence at Edinburgh College’s Granton Campus, exploring the intersection of site-specific art, spiritualism, and metaphysical research.
Megan’s deep engagement with the location of the college, built on the grounds where her great grandparents once lived and worked, has resulted in a unique and collaborative body of work which reflects not only on the physical site, but delves into the realms of the unseen. Many of the works in this exhibition have been made in collaboration, with Megan’s family, with her peers in psychic training at Glasgow Spiritual Centre and with the spirit of her great gran Nancy.
During this residency, Megan immersed herself in the history and atmosphere of her great-grandparents’ home. From conducting a séance in a meeting room to contacting spirits in the college library, she utilised a variety of methods to connect with the past. The exhibition showcases a range of works, including sculptures, drawings, film and writing, which together navigate the tangible and intangible aspects of the place.
Megan Rudden is an artist, writer and psychic medium in training. Through an interdisciplinary practice her work attempts to create non-linear, trans-historical narratives that use place as a focal point to connect stories across time. With a background in sculpture, Megan is interested in how language can evoke materiality, resulting in a captivating and immersive experience for the audience.
The public is invited to the opening event on Thursday, 21st March, from 5pm to 8pm at hubCAP Gallery. The exhibition will be open to the public from Monday to Friday, 11 am to 4 pm, until 27th March.
Join us in experiencing “Nancy’s House,” where art, history, and the metaphysical converge in a captivating exploration of past and present.
Event Details:
Exhibition Dates: Monday – Friday, 11 am – 4 pm, until 27th March
Major package of reforms to support small businesses in PM’s first economic speech since the Spring Budget
£60 million new investment to enable up to 20,000 more apprenticeships, including for young people and small businesses
Unnecessary regulatory burdens to be slashed through Brexit freedoms saving around £150 million per year for thousands of small businesses
New taskforce to be established to boost private investment in women-led businesses and make the UK the best place in the world to be a female founder
In his first economic speech since the Spring Budget, the Prime Minister is expected to set out a major package of reforms to support businesses to deliver more apprenticeship places, cut red tape for SMEs and leverage more private investment in female founders at the Business Connect conference in Warwickshire today.
The UK Government will fully fund apprenticeships in small businesses from 1st April by paying the full cost of training for anyone up to the age of 21 – reducing costs and burdens for businesses and delivering more opportunities for young people to kick start their careers.
This will remove the need for small employers to meet some of the cost of training and saves time and costs for providers like further education colleges who currently need to source funding separately from the government and businesses.
The move is underpinned by an additional £60 million of new government funding for next year, guaranteeing that where there is demand for apprenticeships from businesses, the government will ensure there is enough funding to deliver them.
From the start of April, the government will also increase the amount of funding that employers who are paying the apprenticeship levy can pass onto other businesses. Apprenticeships can currently be funded by a levy paying employer transferring up to 25% of their unused levy to a different employer.
Under the new measures, large employers who pay the apprenticeship levy will be able to transfer up to 50% of their funds to support other businesses, including smaller firms, to take on apprentices. This will help SMEs hire more apprentices by reducing costs and enabling more employers to get the skilled workers they need while unlocking more opportunities for young people in a huge range of sectors, industries, and professions.
Hundreds of large levy-paying employers have already taken advantage of the opportunity to transfer their unused levy funds to other businesses. As of [December 2023], 530 employers including ASDA, HomeServe and BT Group have pledged to transfer over £35.39 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes since September 2021.
Taken together, these measures are expected to enable up to 20,000 more apprenticeships, primarily for young people, and is part of our plan to build a stronger economy and deliver a brighter future where hard work is rewarded and young people get the skills they need to succeed in life.
The Westminster government says this builds on their record of ‘transforming apprenticeships’ over the last decade. Since 2010, they have helped 5.7 million people start an apprenticeship, working with employers to develop almost 700 new high-quality standards and increasing the funding for apprenticeships to over £2.7 billion from next year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Growing up in my mum’s pharmacy, I know first-hand how important small businesses are. Not just for the economy, but as a driver for innovation and aspiration, and as the key to building a society where hard work is always recognised and rewarded.
“Whether it’s breaking down barriers and red tape for small businesses, helping businesses hire more young people into apprenticeships and skilled jobs or empowering women to start up their own businesses – this government is sticking to the plan and leaving no stone unturned to make the UK the best place to do business.
“Taken together, these measures will unlock a tidal wave of opportunity and make a real difference to businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.”
Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan said: “This Government has built a world-leading apprenticeship system from the ground-up – with apprenticeships now available in around 70 per cent of all occupations.
“Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for businesses to develop the skills they need, and these new measures will help more businesses and young people benefit from them.
“Our plan to deliver a high-growth, high-skilled economy is working, with more opportunities available to young people than ever before.”
This is the third Business Connect conference to take place since it was launched by the Prime Minister last year and is expected to convene over 150 SMEs, as well as government ministers to discuss how we can further support businesses to grow and thrive in the UK.
The Prime Minister is also expected to announce further deregulatory measures to simplify both non-financial and financial reporting for SMEs which is expected to save thousands of businesses across the UK around £150 million per year.
This includes increasing the number of companies which qualify as a smaller or medium sized business through a 50% uplift to the thresholds that determine a company’s size. This is expected to benefit up to 132,000 businesses who will be spared from burdensome form-filling and non-financial reporting requirements.
The existing onerous and outdated thresholds were previously set by the EU, but our Brexit freedoms mean we can now raise the thresholds to ensure they’re more proportionate and better reflect the needs of British businesses. This has also allowed us to go further than the EU, who recently raised its thresholds by 25%.
The government is also removing several duplicative and bureaucratic EU reporting requirements, including for what companies must set out in their annual reports, whilst also making it easier for companies to share digitalised annual reports rather than paper copies – ensuring businesses practices are fit for the modern age.
Taken together, these changes are expected to deliver around £150 million of savings for SMEs per year and save small businesses at least 1 million hours per year in total.
The Government will also consult on further changes later this year including exempting medium-sized companies from producing strategic reports, which could save them a further £148 million a year and raising the employee size threshold from 250 to 500 employees, which will mean around 1,000 more large companies could become SMEs.
Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch said: “Almost every job in the UK is owed to what is, or what previously was, an SME. They are the engines of economic growth for this country.
“Whether it’s through cutting red tape, unlocking investment or lowering business costs, today’s announcements show that this government is committed to doing all it can to turbo-charge SMEs so that they can go further and faster than ever before.”
Speaking directly to businesses and delegates at the event, the Prime Minister will underline the government’s plan to create the economic conditions to encourage entrepreneurship and drive growth.
As part of this, the Prime Minister is expected to announce a new industry led Invest in Women Taskforce to unlock private investment in female business leaders and make the UK the best place in the world to be a female founder.
For too long, innovative, women-led start-ups have been held back due to a lack of finance and the proportion of equity capital investment going to all-female founder teams has been stuck at around 2% in the UK for the past decade.
The core aim of the Taskforce is to raise a bespoke funding pot for female-founded businesses through private capital and address the wider challenges that female entrepreneurs specifically face to help unlock their potential to establish and grow their enterprises.
The new taskforce will be industry led and co-chaired by entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow and Barclay’s Hannah Bernard, with Small Business Minister, Kevin Hollinrake, representing the government. The membership of the taskforce will be set out in due course.
Hannah Bernard OBE, Co-Chair of the Invest in Women taskforce and Head of Business Banking, Barclays UK said: “This is an area I am incredibly passionate about, so it is a privilege to be offered this position.
“I believe that the key to the UK’s growth will be enabling every single entrepreneur in this country to thrive; female entrepreneurs face significantly higher barriers to get their businesses the support and investment they need, from seed funding for start-ups, through to the challenges of gaining scale-up investment.
“I’m really excited to be working with Debbie who is an ideal partner given her entrepreneurial credentials and I believe together, we can make a real difference.
Debbie Wosskow OBE, Co-Chair of the Invest in Women taskforce and multi exit entrepreneur said: “Women leading businesses shouldn’t have to face funding challenges to build and grow their business, because of their gender.
“As an experienced entrepreneur, who founded her first business 25 years ago, I know first-hand the importance of breaking down barriers and making meaningful change for female led businesses.
“By putting funding front and centre of this Taskforce, we aim to make the UK the best place in the world to be a female founder.”
In 2024, the year of the SME, the UK government continues to back small businesses as the lifeblood of the economy:
‘The single biggest way we are backing businesses is by the economic conditions for them to thrive, which is why the government has worked hard to deliver on our priorities to halve inflation, grow the economy and cut debt.
‘We have made good progress on our plan. Inflation has fallen from 11.1% to 4.0%, the economy has performed better than forecast, wages are rising, mortgage rates are starting to come down, the economy has outperformed European neighbours and debt is on track to fall as a share of the economy.
‘Because of the progress we have made, the economy is turning a corner and we have been able to afford tax cuts as part of our plan to reward work and grow the economy. But we know there is more to do which is why we’re sticking to the plan to keep building an even stronger economy to support businesses to establish and grow their roots in the UK.’
Martin McTague, National Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We welcome these very important announcements on apprenticeships, as well as other action including helping more women start up in business.The Prime Minister is right to take decisive steps to support small employers do what they do best, providing jobs and opportunities in their local communities.
“We have campaigned for more levy-paying businesses to be able to transfer their funds to small businesses in their supply chain, and for crucial support on costs, so we’re pleased to see the Prime Minister make this intervention today.
“Time and resources are in short supply for small businesses and so increasing the amount of funding for training costs will help to improve the number of small firms entering the apprenticeship system.
“Apprenticeships are an effective way of allowing small firms to recruit and up-skill talented people and these measures are a positive way to bolster the number of businesses taking on apprentices.”
Anthony Impey, Chief Executive of Be The Business and Chair of Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, said: “Small businesses are run by some of the country’s most impressive and resilient people, but they are time poor and need a simple, straight-forward skills offer to access the talent they need to grow their businesses.
“These changes will make a real difference in opening up apprenticeships for young people to kick start their careers at a time when small businesses are pushing forward to boost their productivity.”
Marginalised groups in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia to benefit
Support to make quality education accessible to all in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia has been strengthened with funding of £356,000 from Scottish Government for the Inclusive Education Policy Academy.
The Academy forms part of the World Bank’s Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) programme and is a hands-on professional development programme designed to improve access to education for some of these countries’ most marginalised groups, such as learners with additional support needs and women.
The launch marks the Scottish Government’s first participation in a World Bank programme and underlines the Programme for Government commitment to fostering inclusive education practices globally and supporting its partner countries in achieving equitable access to quality education.
International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “We’re committed to supporting inclusive education worldwide and the World Bank’s FLC programme will help us take a significant step towards providing quality education for all in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia, including marginalised groups.
“By providing resources into this transformative initiative, we will empower educators in our Global South partner countries to create environments where every learner can thrive.
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Academy will have on the lives of millions of people across the world, and particularly in our partner countries through our new partnership and funding.
“The support fits with our broader commitment to education programming as we strive towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with increasing access for marginalised groups, which include girls and learners with additional support needs.”
Luis Benveniste, World Bank Global Director for Education, said: “We are thrilled that the FLC is the first World Bank fund to receive support from the Scottish Government.
“Children everywhere will welcome this new ally in the fight to strengthen and improve inclusive access to quality education. We look forward to working with our Scottish partners on this critical initiative.”
Do you know a councillor whose unwavering dedication deserves national recognition? Nominations are now open for the 2024 Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) and CCLA Cllr Awards – the only ceremony that celebrates the outstanding contributions of councillors across England, Wales, and Scotland.
The Cllr Awards shine a light on the achievements of local elected representatives who have made a tangible impact in their communities. Winners in England & Wales will be announced at the illustrious Guildhall in London while winners in Scotland will be revealed at the esteemed City Chambers in Edinburgh this winter.
The 2024 Cllr Awards feature five categories: Community Champion, Leader of the Year, Young Councillor of the Year, Innovator of the Year and Lifetime Legend.
Nominations are open to anyone – whether you’re a member of the public, a fellow councillor, or a council officer – who wishes to acknowledge a councillor’s exceptional commitment to improving their community and achieving remarkable results over the past year.
Submitting a nomination is free and takes just seven minutes. Applicants must provide details about the nominated councillor, outlining why they deserve recognition and how their initiatives have positively impacted the community.
Nominations close on Friday 13 September 2024, and the shortlisted candidates will be announced in the autumn.
Once again this year, the awards will also shine a spotlight on the remarkable contributions of councillors from around the world through the Global Local Cllr Showcase. This special presentation celebrates councillors worldwide whose projects, engagement, and representation have made a significant difference in the communities they serve.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU, said: “The LGIU is proud to once again host the annual Cllr Awards, paying tribute to our locally elected representatives and sharing examples of the innovation and dedication our councillors demonstrate day in day out.
“Local communities rely on councillors, whose positive contributions impact our daily lives in many ways, from maintaining streets to funding community projects, shaping the character of our towns.
“Often working tirelessly behind the scenes, elected members frequently go unnoticed by many, making the Cllr Awards essential in highlighting their invaluable work in 2024.
“We eagerly anticipate a wave of nominations this year and look forward to hearing the remarkable stories behind them. These awards are made possible through the generous support of founding partners, CCLA.”
How should the UK Government tackle the security threats posed by climate change?
Today the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched a new inquiry, ‘Climate change and security’. The inquiry will explore the UK Government’s approach to anticipating, preventing and responding to the threats climate change poses to national security.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in 2021 that the global threat level posed by climate change was “a code red for humanity”. Climate change is a major source of global instability, causing and heightening tensions, prolonging conflicts, and polarising nations.
Extreme weather caused by climate change can generate insecurity in food, water and housing, potentially leading to mass displacement within and across borders. It can also threaten physical infrastructure, from naval bases to transport hubs.
EAC is keen to explore the scale of the challenge that climate change poses to UK security. It is likely to consider how climate change will affect the UK’s national security, including access to natural resources and how the UK should respond to extreme weather events, as well as how the risks to the UK compare to those facing other countries.
The Committee will also consider possible solutions. Members will consider whether the Government’s current plans do enough to mitigate the dangers of insecurity caused by climate change.
They will also consider how the UK Government can cultivate cooperation on climate security issues, how funding can be targeted towards adaptation, and the role of technology in addressing potential security issues caused by climate change.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: “February was the ninth consecutive month that global temperature records were broken; record breaking temperatures are now a regular part of our lives. At the same time, the world is also growing ever more unstable. Regional conflicts are having knock-on effects across the rest of the world.
“Many might not realise that these two trends are deeply linked. Climate change can prolong instability, and in turn, instability can stifle efforts to address climate change.
“In its next inquiry, the Environmental Audit Committee is examining the true extent of the challenge climate change poses to our national security, and how the UK should best respond. I encourage anyone with views or expertise to give evidence.”
The Committee invites written submissions addressing any or all of the issues raised in the following terms of reference, by 17:00 on Monday 29th April 2024:
Understanding the challenge
What challenges to UK national and human security are posed by climate change in the next five, ten, and twenty years? In particular:
What is the relationship between climate change and population growth, and what are the effects of this relationship on displacement and population flows, both within the UK and across borders?
How might climate change and its effects affect the UK’s access to natural resources such as water, food, and energy?
How does climate change affect UK infrastructure and land use, including military assets, in ways that create and exacerbate insecurities?
How well prepared is the UK to respond to extreme weather events, such as wildfires and flooding?
How do the risks to the UK compare to those facing other countries?
Potential solutions
What is the UK Government’s current approach to anticipating, preventing and responding to the threats in part 1? How could that approach be strengthened? In particular:
Which solutions would have the largest impact across the widest range of areas for the UK?
What updates to Government policy and strategy documents, such as the National Adaptation Programme, the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, and the Defence Command Paper, would improve the UK’s ability to address the security implications of climate change?
How can the UK Government fully embed mitigation of security risks in its plans to achieve its targets for climate and the environment?
What technological innovations could strengthen the UK Government’s approach to addressing the security implications of climate change?
How best can funding be targeted towards climate adaptation and emergency response solutions?
What more can the UK Government do to encourage global co-operation on climate security issues?
Full cast and creatives announced for the tour of Maggie & Me, the first stage adaptation of Damian Barr’s award-winning memoir touring UK in May and June 2024
Gary Lamont as DB leads an ensemble cast with Sam Angell as Wee DB and Beth Marshall as Margaret Thatcher
WORLD PREMIERE
National Theatre of Scotland presents
Maggie & Me
Written by Damian Barr and James Ley, adapted from the memoir by Damian Barr
Directed by Suba Das
Set and Costume Design – Kenneth MacLeod, Lighting Design – Katharine Williams, Sound Designer – Susan Bear, Video Designer – Tim Reid, Movement Director – Struan Leslie, Casting Director – Orla O’Connor
Cast – Sam Angell, Nicola Jo Cully, Gary Lamont, Beth Marshall, Grant McIntyre, Douglas Rankine, and Joanne Thomson
Opening at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow (sold out), and touring to Eden Court, Inverness; Perth Theatre; Lanternhouse, Cumbernauld; Dundee Rep Theatre; Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Maggie & Me, Damian Barr’s award-winning and darkly witty memoir about growing up gay in Thatcher’s Britain is coming to stages across the UK, in a bold and explosive new production led by a queer creative team.
Damian Barr is adapting his memoir for the stage, teaming up with Scottish playwright James Ley and directed by Suba Das.
This new production from National Theatre of Scotland premieres at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow in May 2024 before touring to Inverness, Perth, Cumbernauld, Dundee, Northampton and Edinburgh.
“Don’t you worry. I’ll always love you. Love doesn’t run out. It’s not like the gas meter. I’ll find extra love.”
Brighton, 2008: Damian Barr celebrates getting a deal to write a memoir about his chaotic childhood in 1980s Lanarkshire. But as soon as he opens the door to his troubled past, everybody comes rushing through, including his younger self and the woman who forever changes his family, community and country: Maggie Thatcher.
Soon, revisiting his past turns into reliving it – the fear and the joy. From the furnaces of the Ravenscraig Steelworks to the sanctuary of Carfin Grotto, there’s trauma and triumph, coming of age and coming out. It’s about friendship and family, finding your voice and fighting to tell your story. Can Damian survive his past again?
Past and present collide, endangering the future, in an explosive quest that tells the story of a particular place and time through Damian’s childhood. Before you can move forwards, you have to go back…
In Maggie & Me, Damian will come face to face with his past. DB will be played by Gary Lamont, who will be familiar to Scottish audiences from his role as Robbie Fraser in River City, and most recently seen in Boiling Point, both the Netflix film and BBC television continuation. Wee DB will be played by Sam Angell, who is making his National Theatre of Scotland debut. He started his career playing Billy Elliot in Stephen Daldry’s West End production in 2008.
Beth Marshall will be taking on the titular Maggie Thatcher, who finds herself pulled into Damian’s world. Recent stage credits include Fleg, The Spark, and Mary and Ada Set The World to Rights (A Play, a Pie and a Pint) and Mrs Puntilla and his Man Matti (Royal Lyceum Theatre), and television credits include Still Game, Shetland and River City. Last year, Beth worked with National Theatre of Scotland in Hannah Lavery’s radio play Finding Seaglass (co-prod with Almost Tangible for BBC Radio 4).
Both making their National Theatre of Scotland debut, Nicola Jo Cully will be playing Mum, and Douglas Rankine will be playing Dad. Nicola Jo Cully has appeared on screen in Doctors, Outlander, Waterloo Road, River City and Casualty. Stage credits include Welcome to Bannockburn (A Play, a Pie and a Pint) and Prism (Scottish Theatre Producers).
Douglas Rankine is returning to Scottish stages for the first time since 2006, where he appeared in Faust (Royal Lyceum Theatre). His film credits include The Death & of John F. Donovan and Sunset Song, and television credits includes The Pigeon Tunnel (Apple TV+), Traces, Casualty, River City, Peaky Blinders and The Dumping Ground (BBC).
Completing the cast are Grant McIntyre as Mark and Joanne Thomson as Heather. Grant McIntyre’s recent stage credits include Scots (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), The Addams Family UK tour and Oor Wullie (Dundee Rep). Joanne Thomson is an actor, writer and director,
She was nominated twice for Best Actress categories at the IARA Awards for her role in In Plain Sight (ITV) and will be familiar to audiences from her role in Outlander as Amy McCallum. Stage credits as an actress include The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Royal Exchange Manchester), and Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic, Royal Lyceum Theatre).
A creative team including Kenneth MacLeod, Set and Costume Designer (Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning for National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts, and Battery Park for Sleeping Warrior Theatre); Struan Leslie, Movement Director, (founding Head of Movement at the Royal Shakespeare Company) and Tim Reid, Video Designer (Quiz – Chichester Festival Theatre, 1984 – West End and Broadway and The Grand Old Opera House Hotel – Traverse Theatre) will create a kaleidoscope of memory spanning two decades, weaving in use of iconic 80s archive footage and live onstage camera work.
Published in 2013, Maggie & Me was named Sunday Times Memoir of the Year, awarded the Paddy Power Political Satire Award and Barr was named Stonewall Writer of the Year.
There will be a chance for audiences to hear more about bringing the memoir to the stage from Damian at two special events in Edinburgh and Motherwell, and from Damian and co-writer James together in Glasgow. More details about these events will be available soon.
The National Theatre of Scotland will be collaborating with film and video students from New College Lanarkshire to create a short documentary about the making of the production.
Maggie & Me was highly acclaimed upon publication and has established itself as a Scottish classic memoir. This is the first time it has been adapted for the stage.
‘Funny, tender, and heartbreaking.’ The Independent
‘Certain memoirs catch a moment and seem to define it, bottle it… Hugely entertaining.’ The Sunday Times
‘A memoir which is both personally moving and a valuable historical document.’ Literary Review
Author Damian Barr and Playwright James Ley photographed here at Carfin Grotto, Carfin, Motherwell.
9/11/2023
Kirsty Anderson
Born in Bellshill and now living in Brighton, Damian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. His debut novel, You Will Be Safe Here, was Book of the Year in the Observer, Guardian and Mail in 2019.
He has written several plays for radio, with Maggie & Me marking his first stage play. In 2019, Damian brought books back to television with the BBC’s Big Scottish Book Club, now in its fifth series. He regularly appears on Radio 4.
James Ley is an award-winning writer living in Glasgow.
‘One of Scotland’s most exciting, early-career writers.’ Exeunt.
James wrote and directed Ode to Joy (How Gordon got to go to the nasty pig party), winner of a Scotsman Fringe First in 2022, nominated for a Critics Award for Theatre Scotland Award 2023 for Best New Play and recently enjoyed a run at the Sydney Festival.
His other plays include Wilf (Traverse Theatre) and Love Song to Lavender Menace (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Summerhall, SoHo Playhouse, New York). James is currently under commission with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, and is an alumnus of the BBC Writersroom Scottish Voices 2022/2023 and Edinburgh Film Festival Talent Lab.
Suba Das is an award-winning theatremaker from the Northeast of England. Previously Creative Director at the Liverpool Everyman; and Artistic Director/CEO of the internationally acclaimed new writing company HighTide; Suba trained at Cambridge and on the prestigious Birkbeck MFA in Theatre Directing. He is a 2023 graduate of the National Film and Television School’s Directors Series.
His directing credits include major revivals of Top Girls (Liverpool Everyman), East Is East (Northern Stage and Nottingham Playhouse) and The Importance of Being Earnest (Bolton Octagon); in addition to the world premieres of Ravi Shankar’s Sukanya (with The Royal Opera and London Philharmonic Orchestra), Pink Sari Revolution by Purva Naresh, and Wipers by Ishy Din (all as Associate Director at Leicester Curve). This is his first time working with the National Theatre of Scotland.
Touring to Tron Theatre, Glasgow Tues 7 to Sat 11 May; One Touch, Eden Court Tues 14 May to Wed 15 May; Perth Theatre Fri 17 May to Sat 18 May; Cumbernauld Theatre Thurs 23 May to Sat 25 May; Dundee Rep Theatre Thurs 30 May to Sat 1 June; Royal & Derngate, Northampton Thurs 6 June to Sat 8 June; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Tues 11 June to Sat 15 June
Full creative team: Assistant Director – Matt McBrier, Set and Costume Design – Kenneth MacLeod, Lighting Design – Katharine Williams, Sound Designer – Susan Bear, Video Designer – Tim Reid, Movement Director/Associate Director – Struan Leslie, Casting Director – Orla O’Connor
Access providers: Integrated BSL interpreters Amy Cheskin & Sarah Forrester, Captioner – Alison Pendlowski, and Audio Describer – Emma-Jane McHenry
Access – full information on accessible performance can be found here.
The National Theatre of Scotland’s popular Theatre for a Fiver scheme will be available for 14- to 16-year-olds and those on Universal Credit.
Full tour information and cast and creative biogs here.
Following several incidents across the city Police in Edinburgh ask that vehicle owners take note of the following simple prevention measures that could stop your vehicle being stolen –
• Use a steering lock – a visible deterrent to thieves.
• If your vehicle has keyless entry use a Faraday pouch / metal tin to prevent relay theft.
• Do not leave keys close to windows / doors – this aids relay theft and physical theft of the keys.
• If you have a private driveway / parking space, consider fitting a parking bollard.
• Fit a lock to the vehicles On Board Diagnostic (OBD) port to prevent thieves easily re-programming a new key.
• Use a pedal box – these specially designed boxes fit over the drive pedals and lock in place when the vehicle is not in use.
• Physically check doors are locked before leaving your vehicle and don’t leave valuables within.
• Trackers can assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles – check if your vehicle has one and how to obtain information if it is required.
If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person or vehicle involved.
Please call 999 if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police.
A new exhibition inspired by Scottish fishing communities and seascapes of the North East will go on display at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the TRACS programme during Edinburgh Tradfest from 3 May to 15 June 2024.
Artist Stephanïe Vandëm imaginatively combines oils and mixed media materials salvaged from harbours, beaches and shipyards to create large-scale works that evoke the linkages between the communities of the North East of Scotland and their fishing heritage.
Drawing from the rich traditions of Renaissance and Latin American art, FISHING will present 13 semi-sculptural works that explore the pressing environmental and identity concerns of our time.
Rubber gloves, ropes, nets, buoys, and crab shells are used to give tri dimensionality and texture to the works. Plastic sushi fish drained of their soy lifeforce cling to the surfaces making us ponder their infinite life expectancy and the material’s detriment to all sea and land-living creatures.
Screws, nails, and other metal bits left by the artist’s late husband populate the paintings’ surfaces recreating the colours and textures of a busy shipyard. Pinecones turned into lobster tails; twigs turned into crab’s eyes all used to create compositions that connect us emotionally to Time, Identity, Heritage, and the Environment.
Artist Stephanie Vandëm explains: “My work is firmly rooted in classical principles, merging time-tested oil painting techniques and semi-abstraction, to pressing contemporary themes and universal human struggles, resulting in monumental semi-sculptural paintings.
“The pieces resemble an archaeological find sedimented in cement, sand, metal and found objects. They create puzzles, connecting the personal, political, and spiritual elements of my own life and practice. Aberdeenshire’s motto, ‘from mountain to sea’ inspired me throughout this collection.”
Sculptural pieces in the exhibition include boxes encased in sand, cement and the ‘bones’ of a metal creel looking like they have been hauled from the sea depths, bearing witness to the many lives lost across generations and continents.
The tactile and playful nature of the work invites audiences to interact with it by moving the ropes and nets, to create new images and build stories within stories to explore beneath the surface layers leaving space for personal interpretations.
Steve Byrne, Director of TRACS said: “As someone who grew up on Scotland’s east coast, I was immediately struck by the familiarity and strong imagery of Stephanie’s work.
“It resonated with me and the sense of place I feel about that part of the world. I recognised the shapes and colours of the kind of work taking place in harbours up and down the coast that have been a key part of local communities for decades.
“In celebrating the contribution of fisher folk, the exhibition gives voice to those involved in a precarious industry that has so much heritage, tradition and craft to explore, which often mean a great deal to fisher folk and their families.
“The works also challenge us to think about our impact on the environment through the inclusion of shore finds, opening up conversations around sustainability.
“At TRACS we look forward to helping safeguard that living heritage and lore, the traditions and customs of fisher communities through our developing work with Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland.”
The exhibition will also be complemented by information panels on traditional craftwork related to fishing communities, in partnership with the Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther.
About the artist
Brazilian by birth and educated in Paris, London, New York, and Florence Stephanïe Vandëm worked extensively abroad before settling in the Northeast of Scotland. Her style lies between realism and abstraction, painting and sculpture with a strong sense of narrative derived from the artist’s Latin American roots.
The artist’s creative practice is a fusion of videography, soundscapes, installations, social media participation and mixed-media that creates engaging and powerful contemporary pieces.
With some awards under her belt, Stephanïe Vandëm works in her studio between the mountains and the sea in the idyllic Scottish countryside. The artist’s strong background in the world of portraiture also sees her work on many private commissions, including painting the formal portrait of the Bishop of Aberdeen.
Her pieces can be found in many national and international private collections such as the luxury Fife Arms Hotel, owned by international art dealer Iwan Wirth.
FISHING is part of TRACS’ (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) programme of events showcasing Scotland’s traditional arts and cultural heritage.
TRACS has been recently appointed as an advisor to UNESCO on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland and this exhibition showcases ICH in practice through highlighting the unique ways of life, practices, and rich folklore of fishing communities on the east coast of Scotland.
