Day: September 22, 2026

Woven Expressions: Free Weaving Classes at Granton Grows Greener

Some great news for all our weavers and crafters, we now have the dates for our FREE WEAVING CLASSES at Granton Parish Church, Edinburgh / Granton Goes Greener.

The sessions will all take place in the church session room, just walk to the green door of the West Hall and you will find us.

All the classes are ADULTS ONLY drop-ins with all the materials provided, so no need to book.

Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Theatre tackling knife crime returns to Edinburgh schools as Strange Town joins Knife Angel project

“Pupils voluntarily handed weapons in” – Council funds performances for local high schools

Leith-based charity Strange Town is taking its powerful knife-crime play BALISONG back into Edinburgh schools this autumn, as part of the Knife Angel project, with performances planned for pupils across 13 high schools.

The production, written by award-winning Scottish playwright Jennifer Adam and directed by Strange Town Artistic Director Steve Small, explores the consequences of carrying a knife through the story of a 15-year-old boy who brings a butterfly knife home after a school trip.

The tour comes at a time of growing concern about knife crime and youth violence in Edinburgh. Police Scotland figures show that crimes committed in a public place involving a knife rose by 29% between 2022/23 and 2024/25, from 178 offences to 250. 

Strange Town has seen first-hand the impact theatre can have in opening up difficult conversations with young people. When BALISONG previously toured schools, pupils voluntarily handed in weapons after seeing the production.

The play was originally commissioned by No Knives Better Lives and, between 2017 and 2019, toured schools in every local authority in Scotland. It has since been brought back to Edinburgh as part of Strange Town’s wider programme of high-quality theatre for young audiences.

The charity’s Touring Company has now delivered 62 free performances to more than 7,000 pupils across 25 Edinburgh schools, tackling issues including knife crime, consent, online bullying and climate anxiety.

Each performance is followed by teacher-led discussion, giving pupils the opportunity to reflect and talk openly about the issues raised.

Steve Small, Artistic Director and Joint Executive Director of Strange Town, said: “We know BALISONG works because we have seen what happens when young people encounter it. On our previous tour, pupils voluntarily handed in weapons. Teachers told us that the play opened up conversations they simply could not have started in the same way themselves.

“That is why we are so pleased to be taking BALISONG back into Edinburgh schools as part of the Knife Angel project. Theatre doesn’t lecture young people or tell them what to think. It allows them to see themselves, their friends and the consequences of choices in a different way, and then gives them the space to talk.

“We will be working with 13 high schools during this tour. At a time when concerns about knife crime and youth violence are so high, it is vital that we give young people opportunities to have these conversations before a crisis happens.

“We are incredibly grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for supporting this project and helping us bring this work to young people. We also want people to understand that organisations like Strange Town cannot deliver this work without ongoing support.

“If you believe young people deserve access to ambitious, high-quality theatre that can genuinely make a difference, please come and see BALISONG at the Traverse and consider supporting the future of Strange Town.”

That impact has also been recognised by teachers working directly with pupils. Head of Drama at Drummond Community High School said: “As a drama teacher, I see firsthand the transformative power of live professional theatre in shaping young minds.

“It allows for meaningful discussion and reflection on themes that are current to the society they live in.”

Martin Hutchison – The City of Edinburgh Council said: “Tackling knife crime and youth violence requires a partnership approach, with prevention and early intervention at its heart. We are pleased to support the return of BALISONG to Edinburgh schools as part of the wider Knife Angel project.

“Creative approaches can provide young people with a safe and engaging way to explore difficult issues, challenge perceptions and have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to start.

“Reaching pupils across 13 high schools gives this project an important opportunity to engage young people directly and encourage positive choices.

“We are grateful to Strange Town for the important work they continue to do with young people across Edinburgh and look forward to seeing the impact of this project.”

The Edinburgh tour forms part of the wider Knife Angel project, which aims to bring communities together to raise awareness of the devastating impact of knife crime and encourage prevention and positive action.

Strange Town believes that high-quality theatre has a unique role to play in this work. By putting young people at the centre of a compelling story, BALISONG creates space for empathy, debate and reflection rather than simply presenting statistics or warnings.

The charity is also inviting members of the public to support the project by attending a special performance of BALISONG at the Traverse Theatre at 7pm on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September.

Tickets for the Traverse performance are available here: https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/balisong 

The public can also help Strange Town continue its work with young people by making a donation to support future productions, school tours and accessible creative opportunities.

To support Strange Town: https://strangetown.org.uk 

Strange Town is a Leith-based charity that has spent more than 18 years creating accessible, high-quality theatre and creative opportunities for young people.

Its Touring Company works with professional emerging artists to create original productions specifically for young audiences, bringing theatre directly into schools and creating opportunities for pupils to engage with challenging issues in a safe and accessible environment.

The Balisong Theatre production is funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and  Forth Ports, and is part of a wider programme of events whilst the Knife Angel Sculpture is in Edinburgh –  supported by Places for People Scotland and Police Scotland.

Local governance reform in Scotland

Empowered Communities? Proposals outlined to shape consultation

Initial proposals designed to deliver fundamental reform of local governance have been set out to help shape the debate on improving public services.

The possible changes, if implemented, could help achieve a better balance of decision-making powers across the public sector to ensure investment is focused on delivering improved services.

Initial proposals – which have been shared with COSLA and Holyrood Committees – include:

  • Replacing current local government arrangements with a smaller number of regional authorities to focus on strategic decision-making alongside a substantial number of community authorities with a focus on local decision-making
  • Separate arrangements for island communities have been suggested in recognition of their particular needs  
  • Councillors sitting on both community authority and the associated regional authority to remove the need for a further layer of elections or additional tiers of bureaucracy
  • Ensuring regional administrative corporate structures support both regional and community authorities

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Reforming Scotland’s public sector is about delivering the best public services for people across Scotland.

“We need to ensure investment is focused on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to empower communities and deliver real improvements in public services.

“Some decision making is best delivered at national level and regional level while others better sit closer to communities and we must get that balance right. Existing local government responsibilities could also be extended, including enhanced roles in economic development and business support so that individual areas can reflect local strengths and ambitions.

“These proposals are intended to provide a starting point to facilitate debate and discussion as we work to deliver reforms that strengthen public services and improve outcomes for the people and communities we serve.”

Commenting on the Scottish Government’s public sector reform proposals for local governance, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “Whilst the Scottish Government have the laudable ambition to strengthen local democracy, it’s absolutely for the birds to think the sheer scale of this local government reform can be achieved without the initial and substantial investment required to bring about change in our communities.

“There is an argument that community authorities can improve decision making but only if the funding exists to deliver these services. The Scottish Government must be clear that, in the short-term, this will cost money – not save it.

“You cannot credibly claim to empower communities whilst looking set to cull 20,000 public servants who would, in reality, be required to get these reforms off the ground in the first place.

“Unions will continue to monitor the government’s proposals and will engage in good faith. However, we must be clear that any reforms forthcoming must not be a mere smokescreen for brutal cuts cosplaying as progress.

“Real progress means ending the £3 billion outsourcing within the public sector, delivering sectoral bargaining within social care and properly funding our public services through progressive taxation that builds, not bulldozes, our local government and public services.”

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), said: “Today’s proposals for reform of local governance are ill-advised and entirely impractical. Expecting councils to engage in meaningful discussions and reach an agreement based on this within a mere 10 weeks is entirely unrealistic.

“The plan is clearly half-baked and raises numerous unanswered questions, such as what exactly will the new regions be and how will the geographies of community authorities be decided and by whom?

Crucial service sectors are similarly glossed over without practical detail. On education, suggesting that certain responsibilities be devolved locally to community authorities while empowering headteachers effectively strips local councils of education oversight.

“Transitioning to these regional and community tiers will also incur significant financial costs that remain totally uncalculated. Meanwhile, the statement provides zero clarity on social care: is it destined for nationalisation, takeover by two new NHS Boards, absorption into the new regional authorities, or some confusing hybrid of all three?

“Scottish Government must learn from England’s failings on reorganisation and understand how notoriously complex, costly, and difficult it is. It consumes immense energy and attention, distracting everyone from core priorities. If you are going to attempt it, you need absolute clarity on geographies rather than rushing straight to structural fixes.

“Real regional collaboration and stronger community engagement can easily be achieved within existing local authority structures—it doesn’t demand structural change. Substituting structural upheaval for real progress simply reflects a lack of imagination, a reluctance to put in the hard yards of true collaboration, and the vanity of chasing a political legacy.”

COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has responded to Scottish Government’s proposals for Local Government reform: “Today’s statement gives some clarity to the Scottish Government’s intentions around the future of local government and public service reform.

“COSLA has been clear that public service reform will only succeed if it is rooted in communities and that any changes to our governance landscape must enhance local democracy and bring decisions closer to communities.

“Councils will engage with Ministers to shape the future of local democracy. We will not support reforms that dilute local democracy or remove accountability from the people we serve.

“COSLA’s membership will consider these proposals from Scottish Government and continue constructive dialogue on what may be a fundamental restructuring of governance in Scotland.”

COSLA Leaders will meet on Friday to discuss public service reform proposals.

Earlier this month (11 September) COSLA confirmed that Local Government will engage constructively in the Scottish Government’s proposed three-month dialogue on public service reform, but participation must not be mistaken for agreement to any predetermined structure or transfer of responsibilities.

Councillors are elected by their communities to represent their interests. It is therefore vital to public trust that engagement is meaningful and truly informs any change to public services.

Council Leaders are clear: public service reform must be developed jointly by Local Government and Scottish Government, grounded in evidence, focused on outcomes, and shaped by the communities and workforce who will be most affected.

COSLA President, Cllr Shona Morrison, stated clearly: “Public service reform will only succeed if it is rooted in communities, not organisational charts. Local Government will engage with Scottish Government, but we will not support reforms that dilute local democracy, centralise decision-making or remove accountability from the people we serve.

“Decisions around public service reform must be made in agreement between Local Government and the Scottish Government and have the endorsement of councils on any issue affecting them.”

There will be no “one size fits all” approach

Public services should be designed with the focus being on outcomes, not organisational structures.

Services should remain local and closest to communities by default, work regionally where scale adds value, and operate nationally only where there is a clear benefit. Protecting local accountability of our public services is essential. Councils already have practical proposals for greater collaboration, shared services and stronger partnership working across the public sector.

Social care must remain local

Council Leaders have once again reaffirmed that social care and social work services must remain within Local Government and be accountable to local communities.

Social care and social work should be an equal partner to the NHS not subordinated to it.

Any approach to social care reform must recognise that it is not simply about meeting individual needs, but about removing societal and structural barriers, advancing inclusion, and supporting people have choice, control, and be able to participate in their communities. Local Government must be an equal partner in shaping future arrangements.

Communities and Staff Must Be Heard

COSLA is seeking assurance that communities, the workforce and their Trade Unions will be fully involved, and that evidence is not sidelined by a compressed timetable. Scotland already has a strong foundation for reform through years of work on local democracy and democratic literacy.

The Financial Case for Public Service Reform

Councils need clarity on expected costs, savings, risks and the investment required to make any change successful. Public Service Reform cannot become a vehicle for cutting the Local Government settlement, and we cannot afford to put our communities at risk like that. Sustainable reform requires funding certainty, investment in prevention and resources that match responsibilities.

Looking at the Whole System

A debate on local governance must not focus solely on councils. COSLA believes there is a strong case for considering whether some functions currently delivered nationally could benefit from local democratic accountability. Councils recognise and have been progressing opportunities for greater collaboration across the wider public sector – but these should be underpinned by local knowledge and understanding of needs.

Key Messages from COSLA Leaders

  • A planned approach to Public Service Reform must be agreed jointly between Local Government and Scottish Government, be flexible and asymmetric recognising the different geographies, demographics and needs across Scotland.
  • Consideration should be given to a range of services not currently within the remit of local government that should be brought closer to local democratic accountability, such as public health, transport and further and higher education;
  • Council Tax reform must be delivered on – Local Government has been seeking this for over a decade and the analysis published today shows public support for the case for change.
  • Social care and social work services must remain within Local Government and not be over-medicalised.
  • Communities, staff and trade unions must have a meaningful role in shaping Public Service Reform.
  • Public Service Reform must respect the Verity House Agreement, the European Charter on Local Self Government, and local democratic mandates.
  • Local government elections in May 2027 should not be affected by Public Service Reform proposals, and the election timeline should be considered in this process.
  • The workforce impacts must be carefully considered and addressed, prior to any agreement on change.
  • Greater clarity is needed on the financial implications of Public Service Reform.

Scotland’s public services will be strengthened not by imposing structures from the top down, but by working with councils, communities and the workforce to deliver better outcomes for people.

A Proposal For Reform of Local Governance