Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Cast and musicians announced for new show “KELI” about Brass Bands

  • New cast, musicians, and creatives announced for KELI, the debut play from Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Martin Green (Lau).
  • Based on personal stories from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’

WORLD PREMIERE 

National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions present 

KELI 

A play by Martin Green

Written and music composed by Martin Green

Directed by Bryony Shanahan 

Cast: Liberty Black (Keli), Karen Fishwick (Jayne), Olivia Hemmati (Amy/Saskia), Billy Mack (Willie Knox)and Phil McKee (Brian). 

Performing Musical Director – Louis Abbott and small brass ensemble – 

Stacey Ghent, Flugelhorn; Hanna Mbuya, Tuba and Karen Fishwick, Euphonium 

Set and Costume Designer – Alisa Kalyanova, Sound Designer – George Dennis, Lighting Designer – Robbie Butler, Casting Director – Anna Dawson 

Touring Scotland from Saturday 10 May to Saturday 14 June 2025. 

Previews at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling before opening at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and touring to Dundee Rep Theatre; Perth Theatre and Tramway, Glasgow from May to June 2025.  

Opening performance at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Thursday 15 May 2025. 

Best known as the virtuoso accordionist in the visionary folk trio Lau, Martin Green has spent the past two years on an odyssey deep into the world of brass bands, culminating in this staging of KELI, marking its world premiere as a stage play. Making his professional debut as a playwright, Green was inspired by conversations he had for the BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’.  

KELI will feature brass band music from Green’s acclaimed album SPLIT THE AIR. Each performance will feature a live brass band performance from a leading Scottish brass band or ensemble of leading brass band players.

National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions are delighted that Whitburn band and Kingdom Brass will be part of this Scottish tour, sustaining ongoing relationships with Scottish brass bands and the communities they represent. 

Whitburn Band, one of Scotland’s leading brass bands, was formed in the heart of the coal mining area of West Lothian in 1870 originally serving as an outlet for members of the mining community to perform at local parades and gala days. The Band has been Scottish Champion 22 times, competes throughout the UK and Europe, and performs regularly at major Scottish events. Recent performances include Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Festival.  

Kingdom Brass was formed in 1999, after the amalgamation of the Cowdenbeath and the Kelty & Blairadam Bands. In the same year, the band competed for the first time at the Fife Championships and swept the boards. Since then, the band has competed locally and nationally winning numerous trophies and is established as one of Scotland’s top bands. The band performs at concerts, bandstand events, and local Gala days. 

Liberty Black will play the titular role of Keli in her professional theatre debut and Karen Fishwick plays her mother Jayne. They are joined by Phil McKee as band leader Brian, Billy Mack who plays 135-year-old ex-miner and town hero Willie Knox and Olivia Hemmati playing multiple roles. 

Liberty Black is in her final year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She performs and writes music and toured the UK with a band. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland credits include: The Cosmonauts Last Message…, Uncle Vanya and Romeo and Juliet.  

Karen Fishwick previously appeared in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre’s smash hit musical production which toured internationally and had a run in London’s West End. Theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company) and 101 Dalmations (Regents Park Open Air Theatre). Karen’s screen appearances include Outlander (Sony/Starz) and Call the Midwife (BBC).  

Billy Mack is an award-winning actor, previously appearing in The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil and The Enemy (National Theatre of Scotland). Recent theatre and TV/film credits include Men Don’t Talk (Genesis Theatre Company), Only Child (Happy Tramp/BBC) and On Falling (Sixteen Films).  

Phil McKee has worked extensively across theatre, film and TV. Previous work with National Theatre on Scotland includes Mary Stuart and Dunsinane (National Theatre of Scotland/RSC/Royal Lyceum Theatre). Screen credits include Clash of the Titans (Gorgon Films), The Rig (Amazon) and Deadwater Fell (Channel 4).  

Olivia Hemmati trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where she was a finalist for the Carleton and Hobbs Award 2024. Olivia is making her professional stage debut in KELI. 

The production features a brass ensemble of musicians led by Stacey Ghent on flugelhorn with Hanna Mbuya on tuba alongside Karen Fishwick on the euphonium. 

Stacey Ghent is a hard of hearing actress and musician raised in South Shields. Stacey’s TV/screen and theatre credits include a role as a teacher of the deaf in Coronation Street (ITV); A Thousand Blows (Disney+); Brassed Off and Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Octagon Bolton/Theatre by the Lake, Keswick/Stephen Joseph, Scarborough).  

Tuba player Hanna Mbuya is a member of Mercury-nominated 10-piece seed, Chineke! Orchestra and Nu Civilisation. Other collaborations have included those with artists  

Anna Meredith, Jon Batiste and Soweto Kinch, in addition to appearances with horn sections alongside artists including Solange, Joy Anonymous and Arlo Parks. Recent work in theatre includes Richard III (2024) & Hansel and Gretel (2024) at Shakespeare’s Globe.   

Performing Musical Director for KELI, Louis Abbott, is a multi-instrumentalist and singer and the songwriter for the chamber-pop band Admiral Fallow. Recent theatre work includes his role as co-musical director on the award-winning A Giant on the Bridge (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024). As a musician, drummer, engineer and producer Louis has collaborated with some of Scotland’s finest musicians including King Creosote, Camera Obscura and Eddi Reader. 

“The skill, the craft, is in controlling the pressure.” 

KELI tells the story of a fiery, sharp-witted teenager in a former mining town. Coal means little to Keli, but the mines left music in the blood of this place.  

As the best player her brass band has ever had, music is easy. Everything else is a fight. Feeling trapped in small-town life, pressure mounts.  

When the chance to change everything arises, can Keli keep a lid on it all?  

Marking 40 years since the miners’ strikes and featuring a sharp, hilarious script and live brass score by Ivor Novello winner Martin Green, KELI is a gripping show about community, creativity, and the power of music.  

Touring Scotland in 2025, the show will reach audiences across the country who belong to communities that were hugely affected by the miners’ strike of 1984-85. 

Green’s journey began by chance near his home in Midlothian. Following a poster advertising ‘BRASS IN THE PARK’, he discovered a self-sustaining world of music-making that – like the folk tradition – had retained its social function and was part of the warp and weft of the communities that performed it.  

The fictional play has evolved from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series Love, Spit and Valve Oil which explored the phenomenon of modern brass banding and featured interviews with members of brass bands. These interviews have inspired aspects of the characters in the play. In 2022 KELI was commissioned by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh as a three-part audio drama. 

“KELI is a hard story about the limitations placed on working-class lives, capturing teenage desperation, depression and fulfilment through music…forces of dialogue, music and folklore harmonise to a riveting final episode.”  The Guardian (on the audio drama, KELI) 

Martin Green is a multi-award-winning musician and Ivor Novello winning composer. As a member of Lau, he has won four BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Group an unprecedented four times. In 2014 he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists in recognition of his talent as a composer. In 2019 he won the Ivor Novello award for his large-scale installation Aeons that was part of The Great Exhibition of the North. 

Most recently Martin has gone on to create critically acclaimed work for BBC Radio 4 exploring different communities all over the UK and their relationship with music. These have reached millions of listeners and been highly commended by Association of International Broadcasters. 

Martin shared the stage with Whitburn Band as part of Celtic Connections at Tramway in early 2024 – “a profoundly moving affair” ***** The Scotsman. 

Martin is the Artistic Director of Lepus Productions, who are co-producing KELI with National Theatre of Scotland, marking the first time the companies have collaborated.  

Bryony Shanahan directs, marking her NTS debut. Previously Bryony was Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and most recently directed the acclaimed, Same Team – A Street Soccer Story for the Traverse Theatre. Other notable productions include Bloody Elle (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Soho Theatre and West End) and also for the Royal Exchange Theatre, No Pay? No Way! Beginning, Let The Right One In, Nora: A Doll’s House, Wuthering Heights, Queens of the Coal Age, Weald, and Nothing.   

Martin Green, writer and composer, said: “To be making KELI with National Theatre of Scotland and Bryony Shanahan forty years on from the Miners’ Strike, feels absolutely right; an incredible team of visionary people. Perfect.” 

Bryony Shanahan, director, said: “My introduction to this project was that it was about a 17-year-old called Keli – foul-mouthed, hilarious and a virtuoso flugelhorn player – who finds herself in a disused coal mine with a 150-year-old Marxist miner after the strangest night of her life.

“Oh, and that it features a live brass band. I was in! I am so thrilled to be working with National Theatre of Scotland, Lepus and Martin Green to bring KELI to life.

“It’s a story about community, legacy and above all, music and I can’t wait to invite audiences into Keli’s remarkable world and heart.” 

KELI was developed with National Theatre of Scotland and The National Theatre, London’s Generate programme and was originally commissioned as an audio drama by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Both KELI and SPLIT THE AIRwere developed with the support of Creative Scotland and The Space.Development of KELI was also supported by Freedom Festival, Hull. The music for KELI, Split the Air, was originally commissioned by PRS Foundation for the New Music Biennial at The Southbank Centre, and UK City of Culture. 

Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (preview Sat 10 May); Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (previews Tues 13 to Wed 14 May) Thurs 15 to Sat 17 May; Dundee Rep Thurs 22 to Sat 24 May; Perth Theatre Wed 4 to Sat 7 June; Tramway, Glasgow Wed 11 to Sat 14 June 2025. 

On social: #KELI 

Access info: There will be audio described, captioned performances and touch tours in Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and Glasgow. There will also be integrated BSL interpreted and chilled performances on offer. All performances will be autism-friendly.  

Theatre for a Fiver tickets are also available for 14-to-26 years and those on low-income benefits at the venues above. 

Full access info here. 

Full performance information and creative biogs here. 

Letter: Green Freeports are a threat to Scotland’s sovereignty and workers’ rights

Dear Editor,

I, Dhruva Kumar, former MP Candidate for the ALBA Party, write with grave concerns to your readers regarding the profound risks posed by Green Freeports to Scotland’s economy, society, workers’ rights, and national sovereignty.

As Scotland stands at a crossroads between Westminster’s economic impositions and the promise of independence, the establishment of so-called “Green Freeports” demands urgent scrutiny.

The ALBA Party, alongside trade unions and communities, raises profound concerns about this deeply flawed policy that risks entrenching corporate exploitation, undermining devolved powers, and jeopardising Scotland’s future within the European Union.

The Scottish Government initially rejected the UK’s Freeport model, rightly wary of its historical links to tax avoidance and weakened labour protections. Yet under pressure from Westminster, Holyrood capitulated, rebranding these zones as “Green Freeports” with aspirational net-zero and fair work pledges.

The reality, however, is stark: these “green” labels are little more than cosmetic. As SPICe researchers note, the Scottish Government’s requirements for living wages and decarbonisation lack enforceability, leaving compliance to the “whim of corporations”.

Freeports create a two-tier workforce. While the Scottish Government “hopes” employers will adhere to fair work principles, the UK retains control over reserved employment laws. Trade unions warn of a “dangerous unregulated backdoor” diluting protections, with no guarantees on union recognition or health and safety standards. The Teesport Freeport scandal-a litany of environmental and labour abuses- offers a grim precedent.

Promises of 75,000 jobs and £10 billion in investment are illusory. As Peter Henderson, a customs expert, highlights, Freeports globally displace jobs rather than create them, siphoning economic activity from surrounding areas. Local authorities, already stripped of business rates revenue, face infrastructure strain without recourse.

The £52 million seed funding pales against the long-term fiscal cost. Tax exemptions-including employer NICs and stamp duty-deprive public coffers while enabling profit-hoarding by multinationals. This is not “levelling up”; it is a race to the bottom.

The European Parliament has condemned Freeports as hubs for illicit trade and tax evasion. For an independent Scotland seeking EU membership, these zones could prove a fatal liability.

Despite claims of “net-zero hubs,” the Forth and Cromarty Firth bids prioritise industries like fossil fuel logistics and hydrogen-a fig leaf for continued carbon dependency. The lack of binding environmental safeguards, coupled with Westminster’s control over regulations, renders “green” branding a cynical farce.

The ALBA Party condemns this collaboration between Holyrood and Westminster as a betrayal of Scotland’s economic sovereignty. The SNP’s acceptance of Freeports, a policy omitted from the Bute House Agreement, highlights a lack of coherent industrial strategy for coastal communities.

We urge the Scottish Government to: Halt all Freeport development pending independent impact assessments, Reject UK-imposed tax havens that undermine devolved powers, and Champion an industrial strategy rooted in fair work, local democracy, and renewable energy—not corporate handouts.

Independence requires foresight. By entangling Scotland with Westminster’s Freeport agenda, we shackle our nation to a legacy of exploitation. The time to resist is now.

Yours sincerely,

Dhruva Kumar

Former Glasgow South MP Candidate

Media Co-Ordinator, Alba Party Glasgow

Humza Yousaf visits the Tape Letters exhibition at Museum of Edinburgh

Former First Minister and current MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Humza Yousaf met with members of the Tape Letters Scotland team to look round the Tape Letters exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Created by Modus Arts, Tape Letters Scotland is a social history project which shines a light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in Scotland between 1960-1980.

Running until Feb 23rd, the exhibition platformed the experiences of members of Edinburgh’s Pakistani community, drawing directly from both first-hand interviews gathered as part of the project, and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassette tapes themselves.

Tape Letters Scotland was made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Artistic Director of Modus Arts and Tape Letters Scotland Project Director Wajid Yaseen said: “Since launching the project in Scotland in 2022 it has been our immense privilege to work with Scottish-Pakistani families across the central belt who have taken the time to share their personal stories and cassette tapes with us.

“In collaboration with our partner organisations and venues, we have launched a series of creative outputs including three exhibitions, a digital exhibition, educational resources, a podcast series, and a physical cassette tape archive at the National Library of Scotland which not only helps to raise awareness but also cements a lasting legacy.

“As the project draws to a close, we were delighted to welcome Humza Yousaf to the exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh, to share these insightful, personal accounts from this important period of Scottish-Pakistani social history.” 

Former First Minister and current MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Humza Yousaf said: “Can I thank the brilliant team involved in putting together the Tape Letters Scotland project. As someone whose parents came to this country in the 1960s from Pakistan, I found this exhibition to be deeply moving.

!For those of us who are second, third or fourth generation immigrants, we often forget the sacrifices of the first generation who arrived here, and how hard it must have been for them to leave behind family, friends and a whole community.

“The tape letters were a wonderful insight into how the first generation of immigrants from Pakistan used their ingenuity to keep a close bond with those they had left behind, as they started a new life here in Scotland.

“I want to thank all those who worked hard to ensure these tapes could be exhibited at the Museum of Edinburgh.”

https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/tape-letters

Children in Scottish hospitals deprived of mental health support

Charity Starlight highlights the need for play to reduce healthcare-induced trauma

Only one in four (25%) health boards in Scotland report having budgets for essential mental health play services for seriously ill children, according to a freedom of information request carried out by Starlight, the national charity for children’s play in healthcare. 

Areas with the most children living in areas of highest deprivation tended to have less or no resourcing. As noted in Starlight’s recent report2, these children are most at risk of trauma.     

Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Starlight said: “Play services, which include evidence-based activities, games and toys, are one of the most effective ways to reduce trauma in children undergoing healthcare treatment.

“It can explain complex procedures in child-friendly ways, distract children from pain and help professionals do their jobs by reducing children’s stress. 

“The lack of budget for this vital support in Scotland is as shocking as it is sad, with so many children facing incredibly harrowing circumstances without support.” 

Starlight’s research also revealed that even those trusts with budget for play services did not extend support to evenings and weekends – quiet periods that can be hardest of all for children to face. 

Claire’s daughter Lucy, 12, has had a rare condition affecting her oesophagus and trachea since birth. Claire said: “We live two hours away from Aberdeen and Lucy’s dad is in the RAF, so it’s hard for him and Lucy’s two siblings to visit when we are staying there, and other family are five hours away.

“This means it’s usually just me there, so having the play workers in hospital organising fun things to do, for example face painting and having visits from exotic animals, means that Lucy can have some fun, and I can do things such as have a shower, and not have to worry about her being alone in hospital, as I know she is with the play workers and having fun.” 

Heather Beattie, play service manager at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, said: “I genuinely believe that a paediatric hospital couldn’t function properly without a solid, well-trained play team.

“Play is such a vital component of creating a positive experience for both the child and their family and is an inseparable part of their treatment journey. 

“You can’t separate children from play, it’s inherent to who they are. But it’s crucial that this play is appropriate and provided by trained professionals who understand the unique needs of these young patients.” 

In October 2024, Heather’s team won Play Team of the Year award at Starlight’s annual Play in Healthcare Awards. 

Community Councils: Time’s running out to submit your Nomination Form

Nominations opened for Community Council elections on 6 February 2025.  Noominations close at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

If you choose to return by hand or by post please ensure you allow sufficient time for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.  

Example completed nomination forms are attached to this email. All sections that must be completed are highlighted in yellow.

Attached is a breakdown of every valid nomination received for each individual Community Council as of 20 February 2025.

For each individual Community Council, you will also note the column with the minimum number of nominations required to establish the Community Council. We have highlighted in green the Community Councils that have already met the minimum elected members threshold.

Nomination form – further clarification

  1. We being persons residing in and appearing on the electoral register for the area of’ – ‘area’ means the community council area that you are being nominated for. Please ensure that you include the correct name of the Community Council and not the constituency or ward information. You can check the name of your community council on our website.
  1. An individual can be both a single proposer and a single seconder, e.g.  They could propose Individual A and second Individual B. They cannot propose or second any other individuals.
  1. A nominees family member (e.g. Wife, husband, brother etc.) can propose or second them in compliance with the point above.
  1. Please only submit 1 nomination form via 1 method of submission e.g. via email OR by hand OR by post. Please do not send multiple copies of nomination forms to the Governance Team as this creates additional administrative pressures. The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Since nominations opened we have received a number of nominations which have been assessed as not valid.  All candidates have been provided with advice on how to rectify and re-submit by the closing date of 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

Common ‘not valid’ reasons

Below are common reasons why nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

  • The nomination form does not detail the name of the Community Council area that the candidate has been nominated for.
  • The nomination form has not been signed in ink by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
  • The nomination form has not been dated by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
  • Photo of nomination form and signatures must be legible.

Below are common reasons why Local Interest Group nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

  • The LIG nomination form has not been signed in ink by the President/Chairperson and Secretary/Treasurer.
  • A copy of the LIGs constitution has not been supplied.
  • The LIG nomination does not include the name(s) of the Community Council.

If you need any assistance with completing a nomination form then please do not hesitate to contact us at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Regards

Governance Team

New quotes to feature on the Scottish Parliament building to be chosen by people across Scotland

People in Scotland are being asked to choose which three quotes, from some of the nation’s most well-known poets, should feature on the Scottish Parliament’s Canongate Wall, to commemorate the building’s 20th year.

Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay and Kathleen Jamie, who have all held the role of Scots Makar or National Poet of Scotland, have two quotes from their work for people to choose between.  Each Makar’s quote which receives the most public votes will then be featured on a new letter-cut stone on the Wall.

Designed by artist Soraya Smithson with architects EMBT, the Canongate Wall, which is on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, was partly conceived of as a tribute to the design ideas of Enric Miralles. Soraya’s designs also incorporated the idea to feature quotations from Scottish writers and thinkers as well as popular proverbs and poems, letter-cut into stones sourced from across Scotland.  These new additions will take the total number of quotations from 26 to 29 and there is currently only one woman writer represented – Mary Brooksbank.

Presiding Officer Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “The Canongate Wall is a piece of living public sculpture which celebrates different parts of Scotland – our people, our land and our rich cultural heritage. 

“It is both a celebration and reminder of the powerful words of some of Scotland’s most talented writers, thinkers and poets.

“It’s an honour to have the words of these three incredible women writers carved onto our building as a permanent reminder of their contribution to public life in Scotland.

“As always, when it comes to the Scottish Parliament, I strongly encourage people to vote!”

People can make their selection on our website and via our social media channels using www.parliament.scot/canongate. 

The winning options will then be sent to Perthshire-based stone carver Gillian Forbes, who will carry out the letter-cutting process assisted by Cameron Wallace.  The new quotations will be unveiled later in the year.

Liz Lochhead, Makar from 2011 to 2016, said: “I can’t believe it, my words are going to be, not graffiti on a wall, but in stone on the wall of the Parliament. 

“It is something that has meant a great deal to me in my lifetime, that we have a Parliament in Scotland. 

“Speaking poetry out loud is very important to me and if someone stands outside the wall of the Parliament and mouths these words out loud to themselves, that’s a great thing to feel that I’ve been the innocent originator of these things.”

Jackie Kay, Makar from 2016 to 2021, said: “It’s a huge honour and so extraordinary to be carved into stone. 

“It’s so strange to think of your words surviving you – but in a sense, that’s every writer’s dream.”

Kathleen Jamie, Makar from 2021 to 2024, said: “The fact that words of mine will be joining those that are already there and adding to this wreathing of poetry around the Parliament building, that wall of truth, that wall of integrity that surrounds us here. 

“That words of mine, whichever are chosen, will be inscribed there also. That’s okay, I can go out with that!”

The quotations that will form part of the public vote are as follows:

Liz Lochhead

Option 1

this
our one small country… 
our one, wondrous, spinning, dear green place. 
What shall we build of it, together 
in this our one small time and space? 
– from Grace, A Handsel, New & Collected Poems, 2012

Option 2

Love surprises us. It’s like when sunlight flings 
A sudden shaft that lights up glamourous the rain 
Across a Glasgow street
– from Epithalamium, A Handsel, New & Collected Poems

Jackie Kay

Option 1

The dead don’t go till you do, loved ones. 
The dead are still here, holding our hands. 
– from Darling, the title poem in Darling: New & Selected Poems, 2007

Option 2

Where do you come from? 
‘Here,’ I said, ‘Here. These parts.’
– from In my country, Darling: New & Selected Poems, 2007

Kathleen Jamie

Option 1

Be brave: 
by the weird-song in the dark you’ll find your way. 
– from The Storm, The Bonniest Companie, 2015

Option 2

And the wild ways we think we walk 
Just bring us here again. 
– from The Tradition, The Bonniest Companie, 2015

A brief history of the Canongate Wall

The Canongate Wall was designed by artist Soraya Smithson, working with architects EMBT.  The wall contains a range of Scottish stones, letter-cut by Gillian Forbes and Martin Reilly, with a variety of quotations. The design pays tribute to the creative ideas and imagination of the Scottish Parliament’s lead architect, Enric Miralles.

At the lower end of the wall is a townscape based around sketches by Miralles of Edinburgh’s Old Town, as viewed from the Balmoral Hotel.

The 26 quotations, of relevance to Scotland and the Parliament, range from well-loved pieces of poetry to proverbs and psalms.  There are quotations in English, Gaelic and Scots and many of Scotland’s leading writers are represented.

The original 24 quotations were chosen from a selection of material made available to an Art Steering Group, including previous MSPs – Jamie Stone, Kenneth Macintosh and Michael Russell.  The material considered included submissions from members of the public.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the Scottish Parliament and ten years of devolution, the SPCB agreed that two new quotations should be added to the Canongate Wall. 

Public suggestions were invited via the Parliament website and via postcards distributed to book festivals and libraries across Scotland, and almost 300 suggestions were received. 

A panel of MSPs and external experts met to consider these suggestions. 

The panel selected two new quotations, one by Mary Brooksbank, the first woman to be represented on the Wall, and Norman MacCaig, bringing the total number of quotations to 26.

See the full list of quotations and images

Broughton High School Parent Council: Bakers needed!

CALLING ALL BAKERS! 🧁🍰🍪

We need home-made savoury/sweet bakes & soup for our BHSA fundraising community Chess Cafe next Saturday 1 March♟️☕️🧁🍵➡️💰🫴🏻🏫🥰

Our popular café provides refreshments for the young competitors taking part the Lothian Junior Chess Championships & their families. We only had one donation last time which sold out in minutes! Homebakes really boost our profits 😁

Can you help? Let us know via this form:

https://forms.gle/PL8gYHeoZgER5ip57

NB: 🚫🥜🌰 NO NUTS please – this includes nut oils, nut flours, nut butters & nut milks. Soup must be vegan. Anything suitable for those with allergens or on special diets is very welcome.

Donations can be dropped off in the Hub from 8:30am on Saturday morning.

All money raised by the event goes back into school via our charity funds.

BHSA have recently funded:

A pop up sensory den for the Wellbeing Hub 🥰

Young Carer’s Wellbeing Gardening Project 🌱

refreshments & decorations for the S6 Winter Ball ❄️

site licence renewals for Modern Languages digital resources 🇫🇷💻🇪🇸

& 10 chess sets & boards for House Chess ♟️

BHSA is YOUR school charity 🫶🏻 Every pupil at Broughton High benefits from our funding during their time at school, making us a worthy cause to support & get involved with! 🙌🏻

Pioneering tech for independent living recognised

Major award for team offering transformative model for care closer to home

A DIGITAL team improving the health and wellbeing of adults across Scotland has been recognised at a major awards ceremony for technology in health and care.

Blackwood Homes and Care has won the Technology Enabled Independent Living category at the prestigious Holyrood Digital Health and Care Awards.

Its 24/7 digital responder service, which supports more than 200 adults – many with disabilities and mental health challenges – allows users to manage their care remotely. This reduces the need for scheduled in-person visits by providing flexible, on-demand support at the touch of a button.

Underpinning the service is Blackwood’s CleverCogs digital system, a tablet device that ensures customers receive timely assistance, whether for medication reminders, NHS virtual GP access, wellbeing check-ins, or emergency support. The CleverCogs system provides a central hub for care management, communication, health monitoring, and home automation, enhancing accessibility and digital inclusion.

Jason MacGilp, Chief Executive Officer at Blackwood Homes and Care, said:“From the ongoing design right through to support our 24/7 digital responder service is a huge team effort.

“This award is a testament to that and our shared desire to improve the lives of people throughout the country.”

Since launching as a pilot in 2016, the 24/7 responder service has grown significantly providing 3,500 hours of digital care across six supported living services to more than 350 customers each week. The innovation ensures an emergency response within 20 minutes, delivered by locally based SSSC registered staff.

Diane Allan, Head of Care at Blackwood Homes and Care added: “It’s wonderful to receive this award and highlight the fantastic work of our 24/7 responder team.

“Most importantly for us is that we see the impact the team has on our customer base on a daily basis. I look forward to working with the team to grow and evolve the service, helping individuals across Scotland to live their lives to the full.”

The service’s impact has been life-changing for customers. Individuals who previously relied heavily on emergency services now have instant access to dedicated support, reducing unnecessary interventions and improving their overall wellbeing.

One Blackwood staff member highlighted the transformative impact by saying: “Technology-enabled care is not about gadgets—it’s about improving lives. Our customers feel more secure, more independent, and more connected, knowing support is available at any time.”

The organisation’s approach aligns with Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy, demonstrating how technology can revolutionise care provision and support individuals to live independently in their own homes.

With its award-winning digital care model, Blackwood is setting the benchmark for technology-enabled independent living in Scotland’s housing and care sectors.

For more information about Blackwood Homes and Care, visit:

https://www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk

Independent Review of sentencing and penal policy

Commission to consider improvements to deal with offending behaviour

A new independent Commission has been established to review sentencing and penal policy and identify the most effective ways to address offending behaviour to help reduce crime and lower the number of victims.

The Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission will be chaired by Martyn Evans, former Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, supported by five expert commissioners. The Commission will examine how imprisonment and community-based interventions are currently used in Scotland.

The independent Commission will, as part of its work, engage with victims and others with experience of the justice system, and make detailed recommendations for improvements in how offending behaviour can be dealt with effectively and proportionately.

Initially focusing on community sentencing, bail and remand, and release from custody, the Commission will be able to consider other areas it deems necessary. A final report and recommendations are to be presented to the Scottish Government before the end of the year.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “I am grateful to Martyn Evans and the Commissioners, who will bring their considerable knowledge and experience to bear in taking on this vital task.

“Prison will always be necessary for those who pose the greatest risk of harm, and protecting victims and the public is my absolute priority.

“However, evidence shows that short prison sentences are often not the best way to reduce reoffending, with those released from short custodial sentences reconvicted nearly twice as often as those sentenced to a community payback order. While crime is at one of its lowest levels in 50 years, we all want to keep crime down and communities safe, and effective rehabilitation to reduce reoffending is a key part of that.

“So we need careful consideration of the best balance between imprisonment and community justice, while protecting the public. The Commission will examine how and when custodial sentences and community interventions are used, how effective these are, and what more can be done to reduce reoffending. I look forward to their report.”

Mr Evans said: “I am honoured to be appointed by the Scottish Government to chair the Commission on Sentencing and Penal Policy.

“Scotland’s criminal justice system faces significant challenges. This Commission will take a thorough and independent look at how sentencing policy aligns with Scotland’s ambition for a modern, proportionate, and rehabilitative justice system. We will engage widely, listen carefully, and base our recommendations on the best available evidence and insights.

“I look forward to working with colleagues across the justice sector, victims and their families, and communities across Scotland to develop proposals that serve the public interest and contribute to a safer and more just society.”

 Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission

MPs to hold a debate on the Third anniversary of the war in Ukraine

On Thursday 27th February, MPs will hold a debate on the Third anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

A full transcript of the debate which be available three hours after the debate on Commons Hansard. 

Backbench Business Committee 

The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject. 

The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal.