WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS!
SATURDAY 4th MAY 11am – 2pm
The future is exciting for Granton Waterfront, we want to share plans and capture ideas for your heritage buildings.
Please share your ideas at our:
Drop-in event THIS SATURDAY 4th May
Granton Station, Waterfront Broadway
11am – 2pm
Or ONLINE from the 1-29 May
Proposals which will help to protect people against the threat of ticket touts at UEFA EURO 2028 are the focus of a new consultation launched today.
Glasgow is one of 10 host cities for EURO 2028 and an expected three million tickets will go on sale for the whole tournament, allowing more fans than ever before access to a UEFA EURO tournament.
As part of the consultation, stakeholders are invited to share their insights about how effective the measures implemented during UEFA EURO 2020, which took place in 2021, were for both supporters and local businesses.
Europe Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Glasgow has become one of the world’s top cities for staging major sporting events, and EURO 2028 will follow in the footsteps of the recent World Athletics Indoor Championships – these matches belong to everyone and it’s important we ensure tickets are accessible.
“This valuable consultation underlines our commitment to protecting Scottish people from the threat of ticket touts, ensuring fair and equitable access to EURO 2028 games in Scotland.
“I would encourage everybody with an interest in this eagerly awaited event to share their views and help to shape legislation ahead of EURO 2028 happening in Glasgow.”
The consultation period closes on 26 July and provides an opportunity for people to share their views to shape robust protection measures for those fans planning on attending the matches staged in Scotland.
National Galleries of Scotland has been shortlisted for Community Engagement Programme of the Year by the prestigious Museum + Heritage Awards for its work with Rowan Alba.
The nomination recognises an incredible collaborative initiative that supports people with alcohol addiction. The winners will be announced at a glittering live ceremony on Wednesday 15 May.
Beginning as a one-off photography project in 2013, the much-needed programme has since delivered 42 sessions in the last year in Edinburgh.
Developed in partnership with Rowan Alba as part of its befriending scheme, CARDS, it recognises the wellbeing benefits that art brings. Participants are welcomed into the gallery where they take part in creative activities, designed by the National Galleries of Scotland, Rowan Alba and artist Sam Rutherford.
The artist hosted sessions help people whose long-term alcohol addiction has led to poor health and social isolation, to feel more connected. Each month a different topic is discussed and participants are able to explore the collection and exhibitions of the galleries, as well as make their own art using photography, painting, collage, poetry and more.
The gatherings also support with emotional wellbeing, building friendships and assisting in recovery.
98% of participants reported anxiety, depression and low self-esteem while 25% have long-term mental health issues. However, after participating in the project 83% reported feeling less isolated, 95% felt less anxious and an amazing 95% felt their opinion mattered where they hadn’t before.
National Galleries of Scotland had the exciting opportunity to work with CARDS participants on exhibitions including co-creating audio content for Making Space | Photographs of Architecture and the current exhibition Conversations with the Collection in Modern One.
With one participant, sharing that this allowed them to feel a sense of pride and boost their self-esteem, saying: ‘I can’t believe the National Galleries asked for my opinion on the pictures, I took my grandchildren to hear the audio on the headphones.’
Creating the audio guide was an opportunity for National Galleries of Scotland to work in collaboration with participants to re-look at artworks in the collection and rethink their interpretation.
Following the spectacular success of CARDS, a new group and weekly programme ‘The Guided Self Discovery Group’ was also established after networking sessions for health and social care organisations, run by Rowan Alba at the Portrait.
Led by an NHS Occupational therapist, small groups meet at the Portrait gallery for 8 weeks. This supports people to transition from in-patient rehabilitation hospital, Milestone, back into the community. The sessions aim to ease the process, which can be stressful and isolating.
Both initiatives explore themes around identity and connectedness and the creative activities encourage reflection and self-expression. The groups have also come together for a joint session, helping participants connect with the longer-term support that is available.
The sessions are integral to supporting client’s mental health as they provide new ways to express issues they are facing. Shifting focus to artistic activity enables participants to converse freely, informally, and openly.
Siobhan McConnachie, National Galleries of Scotland Head of Learning and Engagement, said: “The feedback we get from participants is overwhelmingly positive, and we are thrilled that this has been recognised by the awards. The programmes create environments where individuals feel safe and encouraged to participate – something they do not always feel elsewhere.
“Through Rowan Alba. we have succeeded in welcoming isolated people with addiction issues to the gallery and revisit. In 2023 we delivered 42 sessions with 517 attendances overall. Many are individuals who might not otherwise leave their homes, and have no other support or access to help.
“Being able to work hand in hand with Rowan Alba to accomplish this and highlight the importance art has in helping people is something we are incredibly proud of.”
A CARDS service user said: “I thought it was about art. It is in a way, but not in the way you would think. At first it was the only reason to turn over the months in the calendar other than to remember what day the blue bucket goes out.
“The best part for me is my own visits to the galleries, the solitary ones, where I can be around people and still be by myself. That bit creeped up on me and all of a sudden when things got bad at home, I thought, I’m going to the gallery.
“There is an art to that. Whether its deliberate or not. That is an art!”
NSPCC Scotland and The Young Women’s Movement have launched a national campaign this week to tackle peer sexual abuse and harassment across Scotland.
Young Women Know, is a youth-led campaign that began in Tayside with the ‘Oor Fierce Girls’, ‘Bold Girls Ken’, and ‘Brave Lassies Blether’ projects, which focussed on young women creating resources on healthy relationships, safe spaces, and consent.
Following the success over the past four years of these local campaigns, supported by Angus Council, Perth and Kinross Council and Dundee City Council, the Scottish Government’s ‘Delivering Equally Safe’ fund has been extended to roll-out the work nationally.
The young women involved have been at the heart of leading these campaigns over the past few years. Highlights have included hosting and speaking at many high-profile events including at the V&A in Dundee, Perth Art Gallery, Montrose Football Club and Angus Town and County Hall in Forfar and widespread media coverage by newspapers, TV, and radio.
Seven new Young Women Know ‘Champions’ have been appointed from across Scotland to lead the new national roll-out of the campaign, alongside some of the young women who led the Tayside campaigns. They will host workshops in schools, colleges, and youth groups to share the co-designed resources and raise awareness of what a healthy relationship looks and feels like.
In addition, a special event, sponsored by MSPs Maggie Chapman and Monica Lennon, was held at the Scottish Parliament this week (Tuesday, April 30) to celebrate the extension of Young Women Know from Tayside to the rest of Scotland.
Ashley Henderson, who has been involved with Oor Fierce Girls from the beginning, was thrilled to be chairing the Parliament event.
Ashley (19) from Dundee, who is now studying English and journalism at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, said: “I jumped at the chance to be involved in a campaign to encourage healthy relationships, it’s a cause that has always been and still is very close to my heart.
“It was such an honour to be asked to chair because I feel so passionately about this and can talk about it for hours.
“Being involved with Young Women Know and the NSPCC has made me to gain way more confidence and helped me to get into university.
“Before I joined, I was a terrible public speaker and now I can do TV interviews with journalists I’ve never met before and speak in front of large audiences!
“This has been such a big part of my life, so I plan to stay involved with the rollout of the national campaign in Glasgow.”
Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer, said: “We launched this during the pandemic, when everything was online, so it’s all changed dramatically since then.
“One thing that hasn’t changed is how confident and articulate the young people are and the high standard of their work. It has been incredible to see what they have achieved.
“Getting to this stage is amazing, it’s nice to see so many of the young people grow in confidence.
“I’ve been completely blown away by how much they have been able to do, how confident and knowledgeable they have been and how well they have worked together to go out and deliver change.
“They have never been frightened to have uncomfortable conversations within school settings and with politicians.
“It’s so exciting to see the campaign being rolled out nationally now. We have some strong messages from these young people and brilliant resources and this next stage will be about testing these and finding out what works best across Scotland.”
Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement (YWM), said: “Peer sexual abuse and harassment continues to harm young women and girls’ lives across Scotland. Working with young women to lead the campaign development and delivery has been pivotal to ensuring that the content is engaging, relevant and impactful.
“The roll-out of the campaign nationally by the Young Women Know Champions will enable us to reach a wider audience of young people, parents and educators to effectively tackle this issue and create a safer Scotland for young women and girls.”
For more information visit: https://www.youngwomenscot.org/young-women-know
Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is there for all young people up until their 19th birthday. Call the police on 999 if you suspect someone is in immediate danger.
Workshops and webinars are being offered to help anyone who wants to kickstart their journey in the food and drink sector.
THRIVE 2024 offers participants the chance to gain crucial entrepreneurial skills and meet industry experts who can help turn their ideas into reality.
Delivered by experts from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Queen Margaret University (QMU) the programme is now in its fourth year.
Aimed at students, graduates, and early-stage entrepreneurs, THRIVE offers the skills vital for concept development and business growth, as well as providing insight focused on legislation, marketing, and manufacturing.
Ceri Ritchie, Principal Consultant at SAC Consulting (part of SRUC), said: “THRIVE is about helping to create resilient start-up food & drink businesses – entrepreneurs with awareness of the need for pace and perseverance in their approach.
“It can help build a business where there is a real demand for its products, and that has adaptable strategies, equipped to scale over time.
“From the start we want to encourage entrepreneurs to be aware of the value they bring to customers and have a long-term view.
“This is our fourth year delivering THRIVE and it is a privilege to share our commercial experience and industry knowledge with Scotland’s embryonic food, drink, and rural entrepreneurs.
“I look forward to meeting the 2024 participants, the fantastic discussions we will have and to another successful programme.”
As well as being designed for students and graduates, THRIVE is also open to people in food & drink manufacturing, hospitality, diversified agriculture or food and farm shops who have ambitions to develop as entrepreneurs or even who just have an idea in the making.
Applications for the programme that will run from August to November are now open and can be made via Eventbrite.
Last year’s edition of THRIVE was a tremendous success attracting 53 participants from Shetland to Whithorn and Tighnabruaich to Crail.
One of those who participated, Katy Matsetse of The Wee Ginger Company was able to capitalise on her experience and kick start her business.
She said: “I absolutely loved THRIVE. The whole programme was exceptionally well organised, educative and very useful material.
“Networking with other food and drinks business owners/entrepreneurs was incredible too. Some of which have continued since THRIVE 2023 to date and will hopefully lead to collaborations.
“THRIVE is a definite “to go to” programme for all businesses regardless of the stage the business is. I highly recommend THRIVE to anyone thinking of starting a business, already started or those with well-established food and drink businesses.”
The programme is made up of two interactive sessions, supported by six industry-focused webinars.
On 21 September, an online session covering business skills will take place, followed by an in-person event at QMU on 2 November which will look at food product development.
Six optional evening webinars will take place between 28 August and 9 October. They will examine:
Catriona Liddle, Head of Scottish Centre for Food Development & Innovation at QMU, said: “THRIVE offers a terrific opportunity for businesses to get “real world” help from experts, help which is specifically focused on food and drink startup requirements.
“Whether you are a student with a food business idea, a graduate who is in the process of starting up a business, or someone who has already been actively running a food and drink enterprise for a couple of years but could benefit from specialist input, then THRIVE can help you confidently take things to the next level.
“The programme also offers delegates the chance to meet up with like-minded individuals, so you can build a supportive community and learn from each other as you progress your journeys.
“Every year THRIVE gets a little bigger and is broadened in scope which allows us to help more enterprising start-ups on the road to success in the food and drink industry.”
GRAHAM has started construction on a new £59m low-carbon development in Edinburgh which combines student flats, build-to-rent and affordable homes.
The Burnet Point scheme in Abbey Lane is the first-ever mixed-use residential development of its kind by Unite Students, one of the UK’s largest student accommodation providers.
The pioneering development will use low-carbon concrete and timber composite, an environmentally friendly alternative to natural wood. Carbon lifecycle assessments show Burnet Point will be Unite Students’ lowest-carbon new-build project.
As well as 298 student bedrooms across cluster and studio flats, with communal spaces and accessible landscaped roof areas, Burnet Point will also provide 66 one-, two- and three-bedroom flats for rent, including 17 affordable units managed by Hillcrest Homes.
Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director at Unite Students, said: “This is the company’s first combined development of purpose-built student accommodation, build-to-rent and affordable housing.
“We look forward to contributing positively to the student and private rental market in Edinburgh to help address the supply-demand imbalance in the city. This development reflects Unite Students’ ongoing commitment to provide high-standard, affordable student accommodation in locations where demand is greatest.
“We are excited to build our lowest carbon new-build property to date in our portfolio. The development will also contribute to the regeneration of the local area, which has seen significant investment in recent years.
“We are working closely with the community and later this year will offer a dedicated space for use by a local charity which is aligned with our purpose of creating a Home for Success.”’
David Milton, Hillcrest Head of Development, added: “This is an exciting project, and a fantastic example of true tenure blind community of a variety of housing and tenure types.
“These low-carbon homes will also contribute greatly towards achieving lower emissions and energy bills for tenants.”
Gary Holmes, Regional Managing Director at GRAHAM Building North, said: “Burnet Point is a unique project which prioritises sustainable construction.
“The demand for student accommodation continues to grow and the build-to-rent market remains buoyant, giving us a strong pipeline of projects in the coming years.”
GRAHAM has extensive experience of major build-to-rent and student accommodation schemes including Solasta Riverside in Glasgow and is currently on site at Bonnington Road in Edinburgh.
Burnet Point is scheduled to be completed in September next year, ready for the 2025/26 academic term.
During UK National Coaching Week (29 April – 5 May), Edinburgh Leisure, the leading sport and leisure provider in Edinburgh is on the hunt for young people to gain valuable coaching qualifications and gain new skills for the job market.
The Coaching Academy 2024 is targeted at young people aged 16-24 years and fully funded through Edinburgh Leisure’s Sports Development and Active Communities. It will provide nationally recognised qualifications that enable successful learners to lead safe, purposeful, and enjoyable sport/physical activity within our programmes.
Gary Hocknull, Sports Development Officer at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “The Coaching Academy will assist young people to learn new skills for the job market, using the capacity of sport coaching to help transform their lives, increase motivation, encourage learning and support their personal development.”
The course is limited to 16 candidates with learning focussed on studying for a sport leadership qualification and sports specific coaching course qualifications.
Candidates will gain the SCQF Sports Leaders Level 5 qualification starting Monday 1 – Friday, 5 July at Meadowbank Sports Centre delivered by Edinburgh Leisure staff.
The Sports Leaders sessions uses sport to deliver fun and engaging physical activities with other attendees. Candidates will plan, lead, and evaluate sports/physical activity sessions over several tutored hours and then demonstrate their leadership skills as part of an assessment.
In Week 2, Monday 8th – Thursday 11th July, candidates will include National Governing Body Coach Education qualifications in Badminton, Netball, Athletics and Football. All dates must be attended.
After the end of the course, participants will be signposted to volunteering opportunities within sports venues and holiday programme provision, where they will be immersed in all aspects of the sport and leisure coaching environment and potentially future employment opportunities within Edinburgh Leisure, with all course candidates offered the opportunity of interview.
Registration is now open and interested candidates should apply by using the online registration form by 31st May 2024 at 5 pm. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the recruitment session on Friday, 14th June, with successful candidates confirmed bon Monday, 17th June 2024.
National Coaching Week (29 April – 5 May) celebrates the vital role coaches play in helping to inspire, support and develop athletes and runners of all abilities, age groups and backgrounds to fulfil their potential.
To apply: https://rb.gy/kdejt7
Assembly Festival has announced a further 90 plus shows for its 2024 programme, bringing its Fringe season to 222 shows to be presented from Wednesday 31 July to Monday 26 August.
Performances will take place on 28 stages around eight venues across Edinburgh city centre.
Assembly’s popular festival hubs will return at Assembly Rooms and Assembly George Square Gardens and Studios, headline acts return to Assembly Hall, plus performances at Assembly Checkpoint and the festival’s year-round home of Assembly Roxy.
Bridging the gap between Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, Assembly Festival will have a new stage at Assembly @ Virgin Hotel, alongside last year’s partnership with Scotland’s Centre for Dance featuring two stages in the Grassmarket venue Assembly @ Dance Base.
Paradisium, Recirquel Cirque Danse
Internationally renowned Recirquel Cirque Danse, the company behind Fringe-hits IMA (2023) and My Land (2018), returns with a new show directed by Bence Vági; Paradisium, where the body is the medium and movement is the common language.
A bevy of international circus comes from Colombia with Circolombia: Corazón, a fun-fuelled circus concert with a beating Latin heart; Canadian acrobats Agathe and Adrien redefine gender roles in N.Ormes; and from Australia comes the return of hit grown up circus by Highwire, Rouge, a circus for grown-ups, and three contemporary Australian circus artists hope to re-discover the connection we once had with the earth in Na Djinang circus’ Of the Land on Which We Meet as part of the House of Oz programme.
Rising star of Australian dance, choreographer-director Lewis Major brings two new dance shows to Assembly @ Dance Base as part of the House of Oz programme; a unique collaboration with the legendary Russell Maliphant OBE in Lewis Major: Triptych, and an intimate one-on-one performance between one audience member and one dancer for an encounter never to be repeated in Lewis Major: Lien.
Dance Base’s in-house companies Lothian Youth Dance Company and PRIME come together in Timeless, featuring dancers aged 14 to 80+ in one life-affirming showcase; a double-bill performance by two Hong Kong artists in It’s not my body chapter 3.5 / This Is; and READY weaves around a series of Beethoven piano sonatas purposely selected for each performance.
Fringe Fragments is a new platform showcasing dance talent from around the world produced by Dance Base; Fault Lines pulls at the tension in our relationship with nature; READY is a solo piece celebrating over half a century of dance practice; and Impasse presents an attempt to understand the politics of the Black body in a contemporary western society.
Through dance, drums and electronic music a duo embarks on a journey of chaos, calm and collaborative climax in CRAWLER; blending dance, mime, and aerial acrobatics, The Weight of Shadow depicts mental health deterioration; Man & Board is an unlikely pairing of a dancer’s moving body with a ritualised wooden board; and Transhumanist is a popping male duet to an electronic soundscape.
Award winning choreographer Mathieu Geffré presents What songs may do…, shining a light on our deep-rooted connection to memory through music; Scotland based seminal choreographer Alan Greig looks at the ageing body and plays with gender, identity and LGBTQ+ icons in Within Reach; and desires and fears collide in two explosive but intimate physical poems by Charles Pas and Courtney May Robertson in Victory Boogie Woogie / the pleasure of stepping off a horse when it’s moving at full speed.
Beats on Pointe, Masters of Choreography
The whole family can enjoy non-stop five-star entertainment as Beats on Pointe returns to Assembly Festival, where ballet meets modern street dance in Australia’s hottest commercial dance theatre production.
The street meets the elite in 360 Allstars, a supercharged urban circus; and as seen as part of the Tokyo Olympic Opening Ceremony, GABEZ bring their international award-winning physical comedy, LIVE MANGA.
For younger families, the world-famous unicycle acrobatics show Cartoooon!! takes audiences on a magical journey to the big top; when Doctor Tuneless threatens the planet, only Granny Norbag can save the day – can she complete her quest in time for tonight’s Emmerdale? And the riotous, gratuitous and possibly hazardous, kids’ comedy duo The Listies return to the Fringe as part of the House of Oz programme, taking on the torturous subject of bedtime in The Listies ROFL.
Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer winner 2023 Urooj Ashfaq returns for a limited run of her award-wining show, Urooj Ashfaq: Oh No! Plus, a mix of stories and observations in a new work in progress Urooj Ashfaq: It’s Funny To Me (Work in Progress). Hoping to follow in her footsteps with their Edinburgh debuts are Kate Dolan: A Different Kind of Unhinged, exploring the bizarre expectations put on women; the camp and chaotic world of Alex Hines: Putting On A Show; Alexandra Hudson explores her experiences as disabled woman in Making Lemonade; a glittering hour of fastidiously-curated spontaneity from Will Owen: Like, Nobody’s Watching; the world’s youngest, smallest, most normal comedian, Sarah Roberts: Silkworm; and a darkly funny comedy set within the world of two co-dependent sisters and their cow in The Sisters Fig.
2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer, Urooj Ashfaq
Britain’s Got Talent star Nurse Georgie Carroll: Sista Flo 2.0 returns to Assembly Festival after a sell-out debut season; Australia’s favourite comedy duo return with their banger show The Umbilical Brothers: The Distraction; Superstore star Chris Grace brings his homage the greatest living Asian actor in Chris Grace as Scarlett Johansson; and returning to Assembly Festival for its third year, Liars & Clowns: A Late Night Comedy Show is a jam session for comedians showcasing the best alternative comedy from around the festival.
The masters of improv Spark Creative return with their two smash hit shows, Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton! The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical; a magical adventure awaits in Spontaneous Potter: The Unofficial Improvised Parody; and the ground-breaking fusion of improv comedy and live jazz of Giant Steps comes to the Fringe after sell-out London shows.
Dancefloor Conversion Therapy presents the history of dance floors and joyful regret as part of the House of Oz programme; BAFTA-nominated comedian Rachel Parris brings a dazzling new hour of stand-up and songs in Rachel Parris: Poise; and for one night only NZ Taskmaster star Paul Williams Plays the Hits in a special late-night gig, featuring the best of Surf Music and his brand-new album.
The rise of the clowns continues as Trygve Wakenshaw disciple Tom Greaves: FUDGEY, an award-winning comedy about privilege; solo Edinburgh debutante, Aussie Yozi is adamant about the rules in Yozi: No Babies In The Sauna as part of the House of Oz programme; there’s ‘very funny stand-up’ from I am Claire Parry (very funny stand-up); and you become the orchestra led by the virtuosic Boorish Trumpson.
There’s more interactive fun as pictionary meets pub quiz in the adult gameshow Laser Kiwi’s Sketch Game; comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh guide you through tasting five wines, using at least five jokes in In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience; and a healing ceremony unlike any you’ve ever experienced with Namaste Bae: Blessings & Kombucha.
Comedy meets cabaret in actress, comedian and content-creator Dylan Mulvaney’s Fringe debut, Dylan Mulvaney: F*G HAG; the obscenely intelligent, rib-crackingly funny Reuben Kaye returns to the Fringe with The Kaye Hole Hosted by Reuben Kaye and the UK debut of Reuben Kaye: Live and Intimidating; and the legendary Ghost-Whisperer returns in Séayoncé: She Must Be Hung!
More LGBTQ+ stories are told as Ricky Sim brings back his stand-up/storytelling show An Asian Queer Story: Coming Out to Dead People; and Andrew White is Young, Gay and a Third Thing in a hilarious hour of new material tackling identity, authenticity, and Musical Theatre themed weddings.
The cult cabaret, idiots… GAY idiots makes its Edinburgh debut with vaudevillian variety ranging from weird to very weird; fresh from their acclaimed Australian Tour MESSY FRIENDS explore the world of enchanting glamour; vocalist Victoria Mature pays homage to one of the most popular leading men of Hollywood’s Golden Age in Victor’s Victoria; and Australia’s reigning Queen of comedy cabaret makes her way to Assembly Festival as part of the House of Oz programme in The Unburdening of Dolly Diamond.
Camille O’Sullivan: Loveletter
The celebrated “Queen of the Fringe” (BBC) returns to Edinburgh for her 20th Festival. Camille O’Sullivan: Loveletter pays tribute to those loved and missed, a heartfelt show celebrating Shane McGowan, Sinead O’Connor, Leonard Cohen, and David Bowie.
The multi-award-winning live music sensation makes its Edinburgh debut with a celebration of Aussie hit-makers in Down Under: The Songs That Shaped Australia as part of the House of Oz programme; witness mind-blowing sounds and vocal agility with The Beatbox Collective: What’s Your Sound?; and dance through the decades as the Fringe‘s newest Saturday night entertainment takes over Assembly @ Virgin Hotel with DecaDance Silent Disco.
Get your boogie shoes ready for the official KC & the Sunshine Band musical, Who Do Ya Love?; or take a magic carpet ride into an enchanted castle of adult fantasies and fairytale follies as The Hairy Godmothers present Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody and Villains: A Dizney in Drag Parody.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland bring two musicals to Assembly Festival for the Fringe, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and the pop-infused score and gore of Fountain of You; and history’s most mysterious ruler is uncovered in House of Cleopatra, an immersive musical with an original high-octane pop score.
Music is the catalyst for a trip down memory lane in The Imitator, the journey of one man’s dream of becoming an artist; and award-winning theatre maker Liam Hurley teams up with songwriter Jo Mango to present A Giant on the Bridge, unflinching gig theatre as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase 2024.
There’s more Scottish theatre with an a-typical love story in Love Beyond, also presented as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase 2024; and The Old Queen’s Head in which only one Queen can prevail. Plus, a score of plays from across the world.
Finland’s most decorated touring theatre company, Red Nose Company return to Assembly Festival with their acclaimed Don Quixote; Japanese comedian Akira Ishida teams up with actors to present a non-verbal comedy show with traditional Japanese sword fighting in CHALLENGE; from the USA 3 Chickens Confront Existence at the Edinburgh Fringe; and as part of the House of Oz season, two actors present three short plays in Summer of Harold, a trio of comedies about clinging on and letting go.
In new writing, award-winning artist Michaela Burger explores the legacy of a high-class sex worked in a brand-new one-woman show, The State of Grace as part of the House of Oz programme; new play DEADHEADS looks at the complexity and joy of loving someone while also allowing them to grow and change; a new queer love story in Conversations We Never Had, As People We’ll Never Be; an ode to young Belfast student life in Float; anda soul-searching, delightfully human roller-coaster ride through music and the Artist formerly known as Prince in K. Lorrel Manning’s Lost…Found.
Lost…Found, The Barrow Group
A traveller is rescued from the surging seas to the devout fishing village in physical theatre piece Plenty of Fish in the Sea as part of the House of Oz programme; ‘The Thick of It’ meets NHS A&E in In The Sick of It, a satirical state of the nation dissection; a one-man reimagining of Hamlet, told entirely from the perspective of the Dane in Sam Blythe: Method in my Madness (A one-man Hamlet); and Olivier winning Guy Masterson directs Clara Francesca in Making Marx, a look at the formidable woman behind Karl Marx.
Assembly Festival begins its season with the opening of Assembly George Square Gardens on Friday 12 July for the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, closely followed by the tenth anniversary of the Edinburgh Food Festival, Friday 19 – Sunday 28 July.
Assembly Festival’s Fringe season will begin on Wednesday 31 July and run through to Monday 26 August.
For tickets and further information about this year’s programme, and to sign up to receive news from Assembly Festival, visit www.assemblyfestival.com.
A joint community venture by Pilmeny Development Project and FENIKS has received a major funding boost from Harbour Homes via the National Lottery’s Community Fund. This will allow its weekly Multi-Cultural Cook Along to continue until at least March 2025.
Harbour Homes’ social enterprise subsidiary, Harbour Connections, offered £14,225 funding to Pilmeny Development Project as part of its local placemaking work.
These cook alongs provide a welcoming and safe space for older members of the Leith community to meet, cook, eat and spend time together. This helps to reduce social isolation, loneliness and food poverty in a collaborative way. Some group members have also benefitted from activities at the cook alongs which have helped to improve their English language skills.
Mary O’Connell who runs the project said: “It’s an amazing group of people.
“To see how they all come together while cooking, playing bingo and getting competitive during Play Your Cards Right after the meal is brilliant.”
One attendee, aged 83, has been attending the events for several months now. He said: “Just look around the table, I’m English, there are Scots, Canadians, Polish and Irish here and we all get on really well.”
The funding will also help provide transport allowing group members to attend the cook-alongs at the Pilmeny Development Project Youth Centre.
In addition to the Multi-Cultural Community Meals, the funding will go towards supporting Older People’s Meals and Pilmeny Development Project Youth Centre community food provisions for their youth clubs.
John Murray, Placemaking Manager at Harbour Homes said: “There’s a genuine warmth and togetherness about the group which speaks volumes about the work being done here.
“It’s a privilege for Harbour Homes to be in a position to help support projects like this.”
LOCAL PARENTS LAUNCH DAMNING REPORT ON HOUSING CRISIS
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group has launched an exhibition and publication highlighting the horrific housing conditions local people are being forced to live in.
The group also screened a new film about the lived experience of a local woman’s heart-breaking attempts to secure a decent home for her children.
North Edinburgh Parents Group hope that the event held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre yesterday will draw attention to the significant impact that poor housing is having on local families’ physical and mental health and will send a clear message to politicians at all levels of government that urgent action is required to tackle North Edinburgh’s housing crisis.
Guests were welcomed by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre chairperson Billy Fitzpatrick and the event was launched by Forth SNP councillor Stuart Dobbin, who has been taking a particular interest and holding surgeries on the issue:
“Living in a home safe from Damp and Mould should be a basic right that all Council and Private tenants should enjoy.
“This important event was made all the more powerful and moving by hearing the testimony of women who, with their families, have to live with Damp and Mould and the exhibition showing pictures from inside their homes.
“Dampness creates a risk to our physical health and our mental health. It impacts on the future life chances of our children. And if not addressed, it places additional burdens on our doctors and the wider NHS services.
“This is the issue that I am most passionate about addressing as a Councillor. By my estimate about one quarter of all Council dampness cases in Edinburgh are in North Edinburgh.
“I have been raising cases and campaigning within the Council for faster action to be taken to eradicate damp from tenants homes, and as a result, the Council has now set up a dedicated, skilled team to do just that. Early days and a lot to do.
“I want to hear from residents who have damp and mould, or are having difficulty getting the problems addressed.
“I will be at Pilton Community Health Project tomorrow morning (Friday) from 09.15-11.00 if anyone needs to discuss this or any other matter that I can help with. Or you can email me – cllr.stuart.dobbin@edinburgh.gov.uk”
Few who attended the event could fail to have been moved by the heart-rending stories of local woman struggling to be heard. The women, for many of whom English is not their first language, bravely shared their dreadful experiences to a packed room.
As one said after the event: “Speaking to a big crowd made me very nervous and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it.
“But we all did do it – we had to do it. We want people to hear how we are living.”
A spokesperson for the group said: “We understand that there are no simple solutions or easy fixes to Edinburgh’s current housing emergency.
“However, Edinburgh is one of the richest cities in the country and it is time that all levels of government – Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and the UK government – come together and prioritise spending on improving housing conditions in this city.
“We are serious about our demands and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure a decent place to live. We hope that we do not have to resort to a class action which is the route that over 50 tenants from various local authorities have taken in order to secure a warm, safe home.
“However, nothing is off the table. Enough is enough!”
Sara, who spoke at the event, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to tell our stories and have our voices heard.
“We’re fed up of nobody listening to us and being blamed for causing the problem. It’s not our fault. It’s well documented that people have been having problems with dampness and mould down here for decades and its time that something was done about it for once and for all”.
Susan, another member of the group, added: “We are really disappointed that the ‘high heid yins’ didn’t come to our event to hear our stories and see for themselves the conditions that people are having to put up with.
“We will be making sure that they all get a copy of our report and we will be expecting to hear from them soon about how they are going to respond to our demands. They need to understand that we’re not going away.”
Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Disease at Edinburgh University, also spoke at the event.
Thanking the women for their moving testimonies, Olivia’s presentation explained how homes are much more than just physical structures and made clear that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life”.
Sara says this is an extremely worrying fact for those of us with young children who have been living in mouldy homes for most of their young lives.
Dawn Anderson, Director of Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), who attended the event along with members of her Board, including former Leith MP/MSP and Holyrood Health Secretary Malcolm Chisholm, said: “We are very concerned about the problems the parents group has raised.
“PCHP has been supporting people to get help for some time. One parent has been working with Media Education on a new film featuring the nine year battle of Anita, a local women, desperately trying to escape her damp house”.
Dawn explained how it was fitting that the parents action group had called their exhibition ‘Home Sweet Home’: “It’s 40 years since PCHP was established in North Edinburgh and dampness and ill-health was one of the first issues the campaigners worked on. Meetings with local parents led to a womens’ group forming.
“They produced a slide show called “Home Sweet Home” and presented it to health professionals in the area. This resulted in The Scottish Executive backing a research project conducted by the University of Edinburgh who established a direct link between dampness and ill-health all those years ago.
“There have been countless studies on this issue over the years which have drawn the same conclusions. Sadly, we can see from Anita’s film and from the parents stories and photographs, little has changed and family’s in the area are still faced with health threatening living conditions.”
The Group is already planning a follow-up event to build on the momentum created by yesterday’s launch.
The perfect home is
dry and warm
and doesn’t have mould or furniture on clothes.
It doesn’t
smell of dampness or chemicals or bleach
and there’s even
a drying area to dry your wet stuff.
It’s comfortable and safe and
doesn’t make you ill.
It isn’t overcrowded and
there’s plenty of room
for the kids to study and play
or just be alone.
In the perfect home
we’ve all got a bedroom
and there’s even a separate living room.
The perfect home doesn’t need lots of repairs
everything has been fixed and
is shiny and new.
But the best thing about it
and this we agree
our home is permanent
and is perfect for you and me.
The report:
