EXTREME TO HIGH WILDFIRE WARNING ACROSS SCOTLAND
Wildfire Warning – Scotland High to Extreme warning until 12 May.
A recent wildfire at Stac Pollaidh highlights the risks.
Enjoy Scotland’s outdoors:
2025 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME RUNS FROM 1–24 AUGUST 2025
eif.co.uk / @edintfest
This year the Edinburgh International Festival’s flagship workshop Art of Listening celebrates 25 years of bringing live classical music to schoolchildren across Edinburgh.
Across this quarter century, the workshop has been delivered to an approximate approximate 23,000 pupils, and so far in 2025 has reached an unprecedented 3,000 young people — its largest audience to date.
Designed for pupils aged 10-12, Art of Listening introduces children to the artforms of classical music and opera through an imaginative blend of live performance, songs and activities. Taking place at the International Festival’s home, The Hub, these two-hour workshops feature music ranging from Beethoven and Britten to the Harry Potter film scores and Taylor Swift.
Led by a facilitator, professional opera singer and pianist, the sessions encourage participants to engage their imaginations, strengthen listening skills and respond creatively to music. For many children, this is their first experience of live classical music.
The workshop has been delivered across every ward in Edinburgh, and are offered every year to every state primary school in the city, anchoring the International Festival’s strong commitment to culturally impacting the cultural and civic life of the city.
For the first time, Art of Listening for Families will also be open to the public as part of the International Festival’s 2025 programme, with an interactive workshop designed for children aged 7-11 and their accompanying adults to discover the joy of active listening together.
Back due to popular demand, the Family Concert is recommended for ages 7-11, but suitable for all ages. In a special interactive introduction to classical music, Scottish musical traditions are contrasted with the sounds of America, performed by the inspirational young musicians of the National Youth Orchestra 2 from New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall, with presenter Lucy Drever introducing the musicians and the music.
During the International Festival’s opening weekend, singing enthusiasts of all ages are also invited to Princes Street Gardens’ Ross Bandstand for The Big Singalong, a free event led by Stephen Deazley, artistic director of Edinburgh’s Love Music Community Choir.
Every year, the International Festival’s Young Musician’s Pass opens up opportunities for young people who live in Scotland and play a musical instrument or sing to discover a world of music for free.
With over 2000 tickets available, each budding musician can claim up to three pairs of free tickets for Festival performances from the world’s finest orchestras and ensembles. A free scheme that is open to anyone aged 8-18, the full details and range of performances will be released today and can be found at www.eif.co.uk/ymp.
Secondary school pupils are invited to performances and activities during August across music, theatre, opera and dance in the Discover series, an annual commitment to creating pathways to each artform and foster a lifelong love of the arts. This year, Discover Opera tours Edinburgh schools in June to introduce 1,000 students to the story and music of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as offering 500 tickets to students to attend the spectacular opera for free in August, enabling many to see opera on stage for the first time.
This summer will also see flagship projects that bring groups into the heart of August’s performances, developing long-term connections with Edinburgh’s communities to find ways to reflect the ideas, ambitions and creative interests of different groups within the International Festival’s year-round work.
In 2025, for the first time the International Festival has established a Youth Collective, inviting fifteen young people from across Edinburgh to co-create the youth experience of the 2025 Festival, such as a Youth Takeover Day for senior pupils from across Edinburgh.
Culture Clubs for community groups, and pop-up performances at NHS settings, with the NHS Lothian Charity, extend the joy of the International Festival beyond concert hall and theatres, into local communities.
The International Festival’s multi-year Community Connections Hub partnership with Space @ Broomhouse Hub also continues, creating work experience opportunities for young people, co-curated projects and inviting artists including Aga Khan Masters, London Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Ballet to connect with the Broomhouse community.
Nicola Benedetti, Edinburgh International Festival Director, said: “For a quarter of a century, Art of Listening has opened the doors of classical music to thousands of Edinburgh’s young people.
It’s a programme rooted in the belief that live performance should be accessible to everyone, and we’re thrilled to welcome a record number of eager schoolchildren in 2025. Expanding the workshops to families in our 2025 Festival marks a wonderful new chapter, inviting audiences across generations to connect with music in fresh and inspiring ways.”
Caroline Donald, Head of Discovery and Participation said: “Removing financial barriers and creating a welcoming space for families and schools are cornerstones of the year-round work we do.
“The International Festival provides workshops like Art of Listening free of charge to all participating schools, including transport costs, ensuring children from all backgrounds can experience the power of live classical music — often for the very first time.
“Underpinning the International Festival is an ambition to build relationships and offer meaningful, valued, world-expanding experiences through the performing arts, and we’re excited to continue our work with the young people of Edinburgh and their communities.”
Tickets to experience the Art of Listening for Families and other performances at the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival are available at www.eif.co.uk.
For full information about the International Festival’s year-round work, visit www.eif.co.uk/social-impact.
ANNOUNCEMENT
We are changing the way we work with your donated preloved uniform. Instead of collecting and distributing preloved items ourselves, we are encouraging you to offer your good quality preloved uniform to your local school instead!
This big decision is a response to recent Scottish government guidelines to schools.
By supporting schools and groups to re-home preloved school uniform we are saving it from landfill, giving the clothing a new lease of life, and normalising the wearing of preloved items in schools.
Nearly half (49%) of employees said that people that are perceived not to be doing their job properly is the thing that makes them angriest at work, according to a new survey.
The YouGov survey, commissioned by workplace expert Acas, asked employees to consider what would make them the most angry while at work.
Over two-fifths (44%) of respondents said it would be others claiming credit for their work, followed by an over-demanding boss (39%) and rude customers or staff (37%).
Acas Head of Individual Dispute Resolution, Stewart Gee, said: “It’s clear from our poll that there’s a range of issues that make people angry at work. Anger over a lack of recognition, rudeness, their boss or a colleague seen as not pulling their weight can impact productivity and escalate to conflict if left unresolved at work.
“Unresolved emotions over things that seem unfair can have a detrimental effect at work and it is important for workplace conflict to be addressed at the earliest possible opportunity.
“An informal resolution through an initial chat or mediation can help organisations prevent the cost and stress of more formal procedures such as an employment tribunal.”
Dealing with conflict positively and quickly can build trust and improve relationships. If employees feel that their frustrations could cause conflict, they should check their workplace policy and see what support is available.
Employers should typically encourage employees to raise issues informally first, before going through set formal procedures. This will usually help resolve disputes more quickly which is beneficial for everyone involved.
Stewart added: “Conflict at work is estimated to cost UK organisations £30 billion each year and Acas is holding a special conference next week that will feature expert mediators, trade unions, academics and employers on how we can prevent, handle and resolve conflict at work.
“Getting the basics right plays a key part in helping to reduce conflict at work. Acas offers employers training in performance management and this can be a key ingredient alongside an effective conflict management strategy to help prevent conflict at work.”
Acas is hosting a conference around discussing and resolving conflict in the workplace. If you would like to attend and speak to any of our workplace conflict experts, please email sbarclay@acas.org.uk.
For more information about the Acas conference, please visit here.
There’s still time to take part in our survey about your experience of dealing with Social Security Scotland over the past year if you haven’t already done so.
The survey will close on Friday 16 May and takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
You can take part in the survey online.
A dark mode-friendly version of the survey is also available.
If you have already taken part please ignore this email and accept a huge thanks for your help.
Who can take part?
The survey is open to everyone who works with our clients or works in partnership with Social Security Scotland.
We would like to hear from as many people as possible. Please feel free to share the survey with others who deal with Social Security Scotland or work with our clients.
Confidentiality
Taking part is voluntary and your responses will be confidential. No one will be able to identify you in any of the reported results. Only people working in the research team will be able to see your responses.
What do we do with the results?
Your views are very important to us. They help us to understand if we are delivering the commitments of Our Charter and what improvements we can make.
After the survey closes, researchers will analyse the results and publish a research report.
We also survey our clients and our colleagues and all of this contributes to the Charter Measurement Framework results that we publish annually.
Further questions?
If there’s more we can do to help you take part, please let us know.
You can contact us by emailing research@socialsecurity.gov.scot or you can phone our research helpline for free on 0800 029 4974, Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.
Yours sincerely,
Charter Measurement and Client Panels Team
Social Security Scotland
Responding to the First Minister’s comments on Liam McArthur MSP’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Ally Thomson, Director of Dignity in Dying Scotland said: “I am disappointed that the First Minister will not be voting to progress Liam McArthur’s Bill.
“I know, and appreciate that he took the time to speak with dying people who are desperate for this choice, and to families who had watched someone suffer a painful death. I believe him when he says it was not an easy decision to reach.
“The sad truth is that if MSPs were to vote against extending safe and compassionate choice to dying Scots many more terminally ill people will suffer and the harm created by the blanket ban on assisted dying will persist.
“Doing nothing is the worst thing Parliament can do here. With people going to Switzerland, stopping eating and drinking and taking matters into their own hands its clear that assisted dying is happening in Scotland right now – but in unsafe, unregulated and unkind ways.
“I value the First Ministers comments that his vote is on a personal basis, and he does not seek to influence others decision on this.
“I am optimistic that Tuesday’s vote will bring a breakthrough for terminally ill Scots who are desperate for more choice. The mood of the Parliament seems to have caught up with the views of the vast majority of Scottish people – that it is time for a more compassionate and safe law.”
Your Art World
FREE
National Galleries Scotland: National
10 May – 2 November 2025
A colourful exhibition, showcasing the artwork of 3–18-year-olds from across Scotland opens this Saturday [10 May] at National Galleries Scotland: National and is free to visit.
The nationwide call for the Your Art World exhibition has inspired nearly 500 incredible young artists from across the country to get involved, with the opportunity to have their work displayed in Scotland’s National gallery.
Their creations will be on show in the same building as iconic works such as The Monarch of the Glen and The Skating Minister aka Reverend Robert Walker (1755 – 1808) Skating on Duddingston Loch, as well as works by Scottish artists including William McTaggart and Phoebe Anna Traquair.
In the National you can discover over 20 works created by community and school groups who have been collaborating with the National Galleries of Scotland over the last few months.
The talented artists include young people from Redhall School in Edinburgh, Victoria Primary and Nursery in Falkirk, Oban High School and North Edinburgh’s LIFT Kids’ Club (Low Income Families Together).
Separated into four installations, the groups worked to create extraordinary displays ranging from drawings and embroideries engaging with social issues, to 3D sculptures, sensory works and vibrant abstract paintings.
Displayed on screens in the exhibition you can also explore the works of nearly 300 children from across the country who submitted their art digitally.
The young people were invited to be as imaginative as they liked and use any type of materials for their creations. From drawings, paintings, 3-D sculptures or video – there were no limitations on what they could make.
Plus, there is still time for young people to submit their works for display! All 3-18 year olds living in Scotland are invited to send their art for inclusion in the digital exhibition.
All you need to do is photograph their work and upload it to the National Galleries of Scotland’s online gallery, then come along to the exhibition and see their creations featured proudly on digital screens at the National.
New entries will be accepted throughout the exhibition and added to the rolling display on the digital screens every month until the end of September.
Your Art World is a celebration of what happens when young people are encouraged to be wildly imaginative, so why not see what’s possible.
Siobhan McConnachie, Head of Learning and Engagement, National Galleries of Scotland, said: “I’m so excited and proud to be showcasing the artwork of the talented young artists of Scotland. The response so far has been truly inspiring, and we have been so impressed with everyone’s creativity.
“We can’t wait to see what else is still to come! Your Art World is incredibly important to us at the National Galleries of Scotland as it hands over the creative process to young people and celebrates their work.
“Art has its place in every school, home and young person’s life, whether that be encouraging people to think creatively, use it as an expressive outlet or simply for some fun. This project and exhibition truly celebrates that art really is for everyone.”
The exhibition is part of a wider Your Art World project, designed to inspire and engage young people in art. With online resources available for teachers and families, the project supports children in creative activities.
By providing tools and guidance, Your Art World demystifies the creative process and invites everyone to explore and enjoy art.
Find out more here Your Art World | National Galleries of Scotland.
The exhibition is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
First Minister John Swinney has written to the Conveners of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party groups on India and Pakistan to express his support in light of the recent tensions between the two countries, following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
In his letter, the First Minister said: “For many in the community, this may be a worrying time, and my thoughts are with those who have family and friends in the region. Scotland’s Indian and Pakistani communities enrich Scotland socially, culturally, and economically.
“I have called upon leaders in the region to choose dialogue, diplomacy, and shared humanity ahead of force and bloodshed. There can be no winners from further military escalation. Protecting civilians is urgent and paramount.
“My officials are in contact with various stakeholders in the communities, as well as with Police Scotland, Universities Scotland, and diplomatic missions. I would urge you to support that dialogue and bring to us any concerns you hear from Scotland’s Indian and Pakistani communities.”
