The EIS has announced that strikes in Scotland’s Further Education colleges, scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, have been suspended following significant progress after some meetings this morning involving EIS-FELA representatives, College Employers Scotland and the Scottish Government Minister for Further & Higher Education.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “EIS-FELA representatives met with representatives of Scotland’s Colleges after meeting the Minister responsible for Further Education, this morning.
“Significant progress was made at this meeting, with the result that EIS-FELA and the EIS have decided to suspend three days of strike action, scheduled for this week.
“This is intended as an act of good faith and in the interests of supporting students, and is on the understanding that an improved offer will be made formally by College Employers Scotland in the coming days.”
Ms Bradley continued, “While a final settlement has yet to be reached, EIS-FELA negotiators were significantly encouraged by today’s developments and believed it appropriate to suspend this week’s strikes.
“Based on discussions this morning, we remain hopeful that a resolution can be struck that will finally see a fair pay settlement that will allow lecturers to return to working as normal, and to do what they do best which is supporting their students in colleges across Scotland to learn and progress.”
Ms Bradley added, “Discussions will now continue to iron out final details. Once a revised offer is formally on the table, our intention is to put this to EIS-FELA members in a ballot.
“Today has brought us closer to an end to this long-running dispute, and we hope that discussions will now move quickly and smoothly towards a fair agreement for all parties and a return for students to the uninterrupted, quality learning and teaching that they need and deserve.”
Note – While strike action has been suspended for this week, the programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS) currently remains in place, including the ongoing resulting boycott.
Creative Scotland has taken the difficult decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals to new applications due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm release of £6.6m in Grant-in-Aid budget in the current financial year, 2024-25.
The Fund will close to new applications from 2pm on Friday 30th August 2024.
Creative Scotland planned to apply £3m of the £6.6m budget to support the Open Fund for Individuals in 2024-25, alongside £3m of National Lottery income.
Without confirmation of release of this budget, Creative Scotland does not have enough funds available to support all the funding routes that we currently provide, as set out in our Annual Plan for 2024-25.
All currently submitted Open Fund for Individuals applications will be processed as per the published Guidance. The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations remains open.
Iain Munro, CEO of Creative Scotland said: “The level of uncertainty regarding the provision of Grant-in-Aid budgets from the Scottish Government is creating critical problems for the ongoing support we can provide to Scotland’s culture sector.
“This decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals is not one we would have wanted to take but is unavoidable without the funding from the Scottish Government being available.
“Like everyone working in Scotland’s culture and creative sector, we understand the extreme pressures on public finances but want to see longer term budget certainty from the Scottish Government, including the additional £100m announced in October 2023, details of which have yet to emerge.”
ATTEMPT TO CLARIFY SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT POSITION ON ISRAEL
Following a meeting with the Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador, External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Two weeks ago, I met the new Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador at their request.
“We anticipated the Deputy Ambassador would raise concerns about antisemitism, as well as other issues.
“It was rightly for me to decide whether to take the meeting, however, as is normal practice, the First Minister was made aware before the meeting happened.
“My view was that given the Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador had requested a meeting it was an opportunity to express the Scottish Government’s clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and I did exactly that.
“No one intended that this meeting be presented as legitimatising the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza. The Scottish Government has been consistent in our unequivocal condemnation of the atrocities we have witnessed in Gaza.
“The reality, however, is that this meeting has been taken by many to represent a normalisation of relations between the Israeli and Scottish Governments.
“As such, it is clear that it would have been better to ensure that the meeting was strictly limited to the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the appalling loss of life in the region. I apologise for the fact that this did not happen.
“Going forward, it is clear that, having now spoken direct to the Israeli Government and making them aware of our position on an immediate ceasefire, it would not be appropriate to accept any invitation for a further meeting.
“This will remain our position until such time as real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel cooperates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes.
“The Scottish Government does not support any normalisation of its relations with the Israeli Government during this period.
“The Scottish Government will never hold back in expressing support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to UK arms being sent to Israel, and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within a two-state solution.”
Ring teams up with Scottish presenter Edith Bowman for its ‘Voice of the Nation’ search launching in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter to find the Scottish voice of its Ring Video Doorbell messages
It’s the first time Ring will include a member of the public’s voice on its devices
Launch celebrates the 76% of people from Edinburgh that are proud of how welcoming the Scottish accent sounds, with 44% in UK agreeing it’s one of the friendliest
Ring is on the hunt to find the first ever Scottish voice of its devices. The smart home security company is launching its Voice of the Nation casting search across Scotland in a first for the brand.
Ring is holding auditions at St James Quarter in Edinburgh’s city centre to find one lucky Scot who will record a set of audio messages, called ‘Quick Replies’, that will be available across all Ring Video Doorbells in the UK later this year.
Ring’s Quick Replies are available on all Ring Video Doorbells and act as an answering machine for the door. Once activated, and someone rings the doorbell, the visitor will hear a pre-selected greeting with the option to leave a message.
The search comes as new research from Ring reveals the Scottish accent is one of the most endearing in the UK, with 44% of people agreeing it’s one of the friendliest. Over three quarters (76%) of those from the capital are proud of how welcoming the Scottish accent sounds.
Edinburgh residents can audition by simply sharing a video of themselves saying a popular Ring Doorbell Quick Reply: “We can’t answer the door right now, but if you’d like to leave a message, you can do it now.”and post on TikTok or Instagram, share through their Ring device and Ring app, or attend an in-person audition held at St James Quarter on 31 August and 1 September.
The search will be judged by a panel which will include Scottish radio DJ and television presenter, Edith Bowman, who will help select Ring’s ‘Voice of the Nation’. It’s the first time Ring has worked with a member of the public to voice its Video Doorbell Quick Replies, and the first time a Scottish accent will be heard on Ring Video Doorbells.
Edith Bowman said: “I’m so excited to launch Ring’s ‘Voice of the Nation’, as I am fiercely proud of my accent and the Scottish accent generally. One of the things I love is the variety of regional identities.
“It has beautiful rhythm and personality and each has its own unique tone and quality – something I’m thrilled is being celebrated with Ring’s campaign.
!I can’t wait to judge the entries and would love to see lots of energy and enthusiasm from those auditioning!”
Ring’s recent survey of 2,000 UK consumers also found that Edinburgh locals prefer their own accent to anywhere else in the UK (25%), with almost a quarter feeling this way because it reminded them of home (24%).
If they had the choice of hearing a famous Scot on their smart devices, almost a quarter (24%) of people from Edinburgh would like Billy Connolly, with 16% opting for Ewan McGregor. Almost 15% of Edinburgh residents said David Tennant would be their top choice for voicing their Ring Video Doorbell.
The research also revealed the following opinions:
Edinburgh locals think their playful cheekiness wins them points, with 65% saying the Scottish accent sounds charming.
Half of the capital’s residents say the Scottish accent lends itself well to comedians, with over half saying it sounds humorous (53%).
Of the regional dialects in Scotland, the Lothian accent was voted the favourite accent to voice their smart home tech amongst people from Edinburgh (39%).
Dave Ward, Managing Director EU & International at Ring, said: “Ring’s Quick Replies are a much-loved feature on our Video Doorbells.
“Many customers use them to instruct delivery drivers where to leave packages, or inform visitors they need more time to answer the door.
“Given the importance of these messages, we wanted to ensure our Quick Replies featured familiar and local accents and celebrated regional dialects around the world. We’re thrilled to begin in Scotland and can’t wait to hear a Scot on our Video Doorbells across the nation.”
Auditions will officially open form Wednesday 21st August at 12 pm. Members of the public can share a video of their recorded audition on TikTok by posting their clip with #RingVoiceoftheNation, or on Instagram by sharing and tagging @RingUK alongside #RingVoiceoftheNation.
Those with a Ring device and Ring Protect can enter by recording themselves filming their greeting on a Ring device, pressing the ‘Share’ button on the Ring app and choosing ‘Share with Ring’.
In addition to St James Quarter in Edinburgh on 31 August and 1September from 10am-6pm, Ring’s Voice of the Nation pop-up auditions will visit:
Union Square in Aberdeen: Saturday 7 September and Sunday 8 September 10am-4pm
Silverburn Shopping Centre in Glasgow: Saturday 14 September and Sunday 15 September 10am-4pm
For full casting details please, check out this Ring blog.
MND Scotland is proud to announce a free interactive and educational research event taking place on 26 September 2024, 2pm at Bonnie and Wild Marketplace, St James’ Quarter, designed to bring together people affected by motor neuron disease (MND) and local MND Scotland researchers.
The Lived Experience and Researcher Network (LEARN) is a project first run by MND Scotland in 2023. The 2023 pilot invited people with MND to take tours of researcher’s labs and provided useful feedback to improve engagement events for people with MND and researchers.
This year, MND Scotland’s research team has organised a series of local events in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen to build relationships between researchers and people affected by MND and allow them to share knowledge and experiences.
At the Edinburgh event, there will be an opportunity to allow people with MND, carers, family and supporters to meet and engage with local MND researchers, to learn more about their work, and hear from presenting researchers Prof Tom Gillingwater, Dr Hannah Smith, Andrea Salzinger and Dr Marcus Keatinge.
Paul Jensen, research lead for MND Scotland, said: “As a charity that directly supports people living with this devastating disease, it’s so important to be able to provide these opportunities to allow researchers and people affected by MND to come together and get to know one another.
“People are so keen to hear about the fantastic MND research going on in Scotland and our events will provide that learning opportunity in a relaxed and personal environment.”
MND Scotland supports the idea that the input and viewpoints of those with lived experience is vital to help guide research.
Paul added:“MND Scotland is now at the forefront of involving those with lived experience in research funding calls. We know it is so important that both scientific merit and opinions of those with lived experience are used to help ensure we fund the best MND research.
“Our LEARN events will help build relationships between people affected by MND and researchers and allow them to share their opinions to help guide MND research in the future.”
The informative and engaging event will explore the latest developments in research for those affected by MND and hopes to build relationships between those with lived experience and researchers to make sure that research reflects the needs of people with or affected by MND.
MND Scotland invites those interested in th researceh learning event to hear more about their contribution in the fight against MND.
Event details:
Date: 26 September 2024, 2pm
Location: Bonnie and Wild Marketplace, St James’ Quarter Level 4, St James Cres, Edinburgh EH1 3AD
Organiser: MND Scotland
For more information or to register, please visit the MND Scotland website:
UK Space Command launches first military satellite
A UK satellite to support military operations successfully launched into space last night.
Named Tyche, the satellite is UK Space Command’s first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface.
The satellite will strengthen the UK’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
As the conflict in Ukraine has shown, the use of space is crucial to military operations. Tyche is the first satellite to be launched under the Ministry of Defence’s space-based ISR programme, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.
These satellites will not only support military operations, but also contribute to other government tasks, including natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and tracking the impact of climate change around the world.
Designed and built in the UK through a £22 million contract awarded by Defence Equipment & Support to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL), Tyche is the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence.
SSTL received the first signals from Tyche – which is comparable in size to a washing machine – a few hours after lift-off, confirming the successful launch.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle said: ““Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government.
“Tyche also shows the UK’s commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs in the UK.”
UK Space Commander, Major General Paul Tedman said: “This is a fabulous day for UK space.
“The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit.
“Tyche represents the first of a future constellation of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance satellites that we’ll launch over the coming years.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche and thank them for their support.”
Paul Russell, DE&S Space Team Leader, said: “Working closely with UK Space Command, Dstl and industry to understand how to deliver in a new, complex and critical environment has been an exciting journey.
“To see Tyche – the first of a new generation of UK military capabilities – delivered into orbit is an incredibly proud moment and a tribute to everyone’s commitment to this key project.”
Operating in Low Earth Orbit over a five-year lifespan, Tyche will provide timely space-based imagery in support of the UK Armed Forces. The design and build of the 150-kilogramme satellite has supported around 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022.
Tyche was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, by SpaceX, on their re-usable Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the ‘Transporter 11’ mission.
This is great opportunity to chat about local issues, share your thoughts. Whether you are looking to discuss specific concerns or just want to stop by and say hello.
Feel free to drop-in anytime during this session – no appointment necessary.
Katherina Radeva’s life-affirming performance piece, 40/40, has been specially selected to showcase at the world’s most prestigious international contemporary dance industry gathering, internationale tanzmesse nrw, taking place in Dusseldorf from 28 – 31 August.
The critically acclaimed 40/40 from Two Destination Language (a collaboration between Katherina & Alister Lownie) is one of a small number of full-length, tour-ready productions invited from across the world (and the only one from the UK from 900 proposals) for the event’s revered Performance programme.
Designed to showcase the latest ‘originality of movement and choreographic practice, relevant topics and aesthetics, a wide geographic spread, and a diversity of backgrounds’, the Programme is keenly anticipated by international artists, promoters and programmers.
Described as ‘dancing joy in defiance of convention’, in 40/40, Katherina celebrates her 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist.
Katherina says: “The production is the result of 40 years of joy, migrancy and hardship, laughter and tears, super tunes and super moves.”
Audiences are invited to ‘join the middle-aged woman revolution by dancing, claiming and reclaiming the beautiful, glorious and messy complexities of womanhood. From the little girl dancing at her parents’ student parties, to the teenage rhythm gymnast who was body-shamed, to the creative who refuses to be categorised, 40/40 comprises all the joys and sorrows of 40 years.’
Katherina added: “40/40 is a work which pushes at so many boundaries with humour and joy and for us it is a real privilege to be a part of the current dialogues and critical thinking in dance.”
40/40 received research and development funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and support from Tramway Glasgow and Dance Base Scotland.
Alongside 40/40, Scotland-based artist, Dr Aby Watson has been selected to present their work Back and Forth and Forth and Back – a new work in development as part of the event’s Insights programme.
Commissioned by Unlimited, with funding from Creative Scotland and support from The Work Room, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Level Centre, Aby’s emerging piece is an immersive, experimental choreography of rhythm, repetition and sensorial play that centres neurodivergent adult audiences, with the performance embodying Aby’s innovative practice research in neuroqueer choreography.
Ahead of the gathering, Aby says: “I hope to connect with delegates who share my values with radical access and inclusion, and make connections with producers, venues, festivals, and other artists to support the development of my work, whilst experiencing exciting international dance work to nourish myself creatively.”
In addition to the artists who will be performing, The Work Room (supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland) is supporting a delegation of independent dance artists and choreographers from across Scotland to attend including Mark Bleakley, Mele Broomes, Salma Faraji, Bridie Gane, Dorine Mugisha, Skye Reynolds and Kathryn Spence.
For full information about our delegates, take a look at our dedicated Tanzmesse 2024 webpages on the Creative Scotland website.
Anita Clark, Director at The Work Room said: “International collaboration and exchange expands our perspective and understanding.
“Through the Dance from Scotland presence at International Tanzmesse nrw 2024, dance artists from Scotland will have the opportunity to meet with peers from across the world and develop vital international connections to further their work.”
Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland said: “We are excited to be spotlighting the incredible talents of Scottish artists at this most important of international platforms for contemporary dance and performance.
“Scotland rightly has a strong reputation for both showcasing and creating world-class dance, with Scottish companies regularly touring the globe, or welcoming exceptional international artists to our shores.
“The event has an unparalleled potential to support delegations from Scotland to develop their networks and unlock a range of international opportunities.”
