city centre – Page 65 – The NEN

Our City: West African women artists exhibited at Gleneagles Townhouse for International Women’s Day

Edinburgh’s Gleneagles Townhouse partners with Aya Editions to celebrate IWD
- New Exhibit Celebrating Scottish and West African female artist collective to open on International Women’s Day at the Townhouse

Throughout the month of March, West African female artists collective, Aya Editions, will be exhibiting ‘Our City’ at Gleneagles Townhouse’s Lobby 37 as its next exclusive cultural installation. The exhibition is available to view daily between 9am and 7pm for the public, and for members and hotel guests throughout their visit to Townhouse.

Aya Editions – a digital space that encourages and promotes West African female artists to showcase their work, combating inequalities in the creative industries – was co-founded by Carina Tenewaa Kanbi, an Edinburgh native of Scottish Ghanaian heritage, and Victoria Cooke in 2020.

Carina and Victoria recognised that women were underrepresented in West African visual arts so founded the collection to help female artists create, promote and sell their work. They believe women’s contribution to creating and safeguarding cultural heritage is so often obscured because of the social and institutional barriers they face to take part in creative industries. Carina and Victoria wanted to remove these barriers and encourage women to take part and continue to contribute to creative industries.

‘Our City’ captures the movements and moments of urban life across West African and Scottish cities and explores the real and imagined city through the lenses of seven young West African and Diasporan female photographers; Hady Barry, Keren Lasme, Clarissa Rötzel, ASK, Chantal Azari and Azumi. Final artist to be confirmed.

‘Our City’ follows each woman’s journey through their city and challenges the stories often told by men that came before them. In doing so, the images within the exhibit celebrate the female gaze, reminding us that among the chaos, there is calm. Through desperation, there is beauty; in mundanity, there is joy, play and patience.

Whilst firmly rooted in these women’s experiences, ‘Our City’ moves beyond representation to explore the varied and divergent photographic practices that take us through fashion, landscape, photojournalism and street photography, reminding us that cities are neither static nor linear and that they are as much imagined as they are real.

Gleneagles Townhouse is celebrating the exhibition’s opening and International Women’s Day on the 8^th of March with a special event exclusive to Townhouse Members.

Aya Editions will host a panel discussion on the role of cultural and creative industries in promoting gender-inclusive cities and what we can do together to make a difference, as well as a DJ set from Emma Korantema to finish the evening.

Eat Out Edinburgh returns, bringing exclusive offers to the city centre

Eat Out Edinburgh 2023 is set to make a tasty return to the capital for a second year for locals and visitors alike to enjoy amazing offers from Edinburgh city centre’s best eateries for two weeks – from 13^th to 26^th of March.

Restaurants, cafés, and bars from St James Quarter to Charlotte Square, George Street to Princes Street will be participating, with many returning after a fantastic turn out in 2022.

The capital’s dedicated Business Improvement District (BID) will be the setting for this foodie fortnight run by Essential Edinburgh. Celebrating the best of food, drink, and hospitality, over 30 participating venues are already confirmed for the campaign, including Edinburgh favourites Badger & Co, Lady Libertine, Hawksmoor, and Le Monde, and new favourites like Ka Pao, 63^rd + 1^st, and Duck & Waffle.

Confirmed venues to date include offers like:

Grazing by Mark Greenaway: Enjoy a delicious 5-course Tasting Menu for Two & a Bottle of Wine for £99
Baba: £25 per person for a 4-course set menu lunch
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar: For £29 per person, enjoy a welcome cocktail and a three-course set menu
Tigerlilly: 20% off food for city centre workers by quoting ‘EAT OUT’ when booking
Ka Pao: Set lunch menu for £17.50 per person featuring a small plate, curry, jasmine rice and a side

A full list of participating Edinburgh venues and offers is now live on Eat Out Edinburgh’s website, with special tasting menus, set menus, events and exclusive offers for city centre workers to attract bookings and increased footfall throughout the campaign period.

From business breakfasts to leisurely lunches and evening gatherings over dinner and cocktails, the Eat Out Edinburgh campaign has been designed to bring friends, family, and colleagues together and whilst supporting the city’s vibrant hospitality sector.

This year, the campaign is partnering with KidsOR – the Edinburgh-based charity provide lifesaving operations to children in need across the globe, allowing diners to support the charity through donation options at select participating venues.

Lothian Busses also returns as a partner for 2023 with city centre offers open to Lothian bus employees, and promotion for the event being shown on bus screens across the city throughout the campaign.

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive & Director, Essential Edinburgh, said: “This years’ celebration of Edinburgh’s iconic food & drink scene stands to bring together an even greater array of venues with set menus, events, and special offers exclusively for city centre workers.

“Our hope is to bring people out to socialise, find new favourites and experience exciting meals created by some of the city’s best-known spots. Whether you’re a local, from the wider Lothians region or visiting from further afield, we know there will be something on offer to suit all tastes.”

For more information, a full list of offers, and to keep up to date with the campaign, visit: http://www.eatoutedinburgh.co.uk/

City Art Centre: Edinburgh Science Festival tickets now on sale

2023 programme in a PDF form here

Edinburgh Science Festival’s staple and the go-to family experience every Easter holiday, City Art Centre gare now on sale. Featuring five floors of hands-on science workshops and activities, CAC is the Festival’s premier family extravaganza, offering all-day educational fun for children between 3 and 12.

City Art Centre presents a mixture of bookable and drop-in activities, including the family-favourites such as E.R. Surgery where children perform a surgery of an abdomen, knee or brain, Splat-tastic – exploring the chemistry behind producing your own slime or Dig Up a Dinosaur, uncovering the mysteries of dinosaurs which roamed Earth millions of years ago.

This year’s offer includes 6 new fantastic workshops: engineering-focused Construction Challenges, all about the sound – Ella’s Wobble, problem-solving orientated Speedy Sails delving deep into the world of motion, Creative Coding, introducing the young sci-curious minds to Marty and robot coding, Tech Corner looking at how technology transforms our lives, from smartphones to home security, and LEGO® Build The Change, imagining the world without waste and fully embracing circular economy.

But don’t let the kids hog all the fun! For one night only, Edinburgh Science Festival transforms the family venue into a LateLab on 30 March, an adult-only science party.

Similar to previous years, City Art Centre becomes a home to several fantastic artworks. These include artist Robert Powell and philosopher Alasdair Richmond presenting Conference for Chrononauts, an installation exploring the philosophical questions behind time travel, Alan Brown’s Biological Clock looking at ideas around genetics and time by displaying twenty-four electric alarm clocks showing the genome sequence of human individuals, and Signal: Noise, a visual exhibit by radiologist Dr Michael Jackson showcasing the role computers have in generating and analysing medical images, and the human dimension of making sense of these pictures – occasionally resembling abstract art more than anatomical reality.

www.sciencefestival.co.uk

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Trees planted in Princes Street Gardens

Over 50 trees have been planted in Princes Street Gardens following donations from FLY Festival and the Edinburgh Million Tree City Project.

Organisers of FLY Open Air – which was last held in West Princes Street Gardens in 2021 – donated £5,000 towards trees for the community and this has been match-funded by the Million Tree City Project.

In 2021, Edinburgh officially launched its ambitious target to become a Million Tree City by 2030 as part of its commitment to be net zero by the end of the decade.

The Edinburgh Million Tree Forum is made up of representatives from relevant Council services, the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, the Woodland Trust and partners who are all working together on an updated vision for trees in Edinburgh and to find ways of planting more trees, more quickly.

City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker, joined Sam Joss, FLY Festival Director, to plant the final of 51 trees donated to the Gardens.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker, said: “We’re very proud that Edinburgh is already one of the UK’s greenest cities, with more trees than people and more green space and green flag parks than any other place in Scotland for people to enjoy. But we want to do even better, especially as we strive towards our hugely ambitious target of making the city net zero by 2030.

“I’m delighted to join Sam to plant the last of these donated trees. After years of successful events in our gardens it’s a fantastic way for the festival to give back to the community. These trees will be enjoyed for generations to come. It’s impossible to overstate the benefits trees bring to the urban landscape. They help clean our air, reduce the risk of flooding, keep us cool in the summer and warmer in winter while giving the wildlife in our city a home.

“We became the first local authority to sign the tree charter and in doing so we pledged to keep nurturing, planting, celebrating, cherishing and increasing Edinburgh’s trees and through our Million Tree City initiative. It is really important that we look after Edinburgh’s wonderful tree legacy for future generations.”

Sam Joss, Fly Festival Director, said: “We are very proud to call Princes Street Gardens our home so I am thrilled to be able to make this donation with funds raised through our music festival; FLY Open Air.

“We have a fantastic relationship with the council and hope to continue to work in partnership to bring improvements to green spaces in the city and show what a positive impact events can have.”

Brush up on your beauty skills and meet the experts, as Love Beauty returns to St James Quarter

Makeup brushes at the ready! St James Quarter is bringing back its iconic Love Beauty event this weekend (Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 February).

The one-of-a-kind event is the perfect opportunity for beauty aficionados to come together and celebrate their love for all things glam, with a range of inspiring makeup, skincare, and fragrance workshops, as well as consultations from world-renowned brands.

Guests are invited to visit St James Quarter’s Love Beauty Lounge over the weekend, located on Level 1 beside NEXT.

In this haven for beauty lovers, experts from some of the most loved brands in the Quarter including VIEVE, Charlotte Tilbury, Carolina Herrera, Clarins, Sunnamusk and Neom will be offering demonstrations, mini masterclasses and complimentary treatments as well as spilling the industry’s best kept beauty secrets.

Stylish Scottish eyewear brand Iolla will also partner with beauty experts to reveal top makeup tips and tricks for wearers of glasses. While enjoying refreshments and music from our resident DJ, guests can explore an interactive Beauty Bar play table with products to spritz, swatch, test and try from Dior, Body Shop, Neom and Kiehl’s among others.

In the Love Beauty Studio, on Level 1 in the Quarter’s SOOK space, guests can enjoy one-to-one consultations and mini treatments from skincare favourite, Kiehl’s, and get a Dyson hair styling experience with the brand’s experts, while learning about Dyson’s coveted styling tools. No need to book in advance, just pop along to enjoy a complimentary treatment and some well-deserved pamper time.

John Lewis will also be celebrating all things beauty, with a jam-packed schedule of workshops at its Beauty Society on Level 2, as well as mini makeovers, product demonstrations and gift with purchase offers from many brands including Elemis, Hermes, Bobbi Brown and Estee Lauder.

Once feeling their best, guests will be invited to step into the official Love Beauty photo and video booth to snap a selfie, reveal what beauty means to them and divulge their own top beauty secrets. Situated on Level 2, outside John Lewis, the booth features a special beauty filter to make each pose and pout insta-worthy.

Think you know all there is about beauty? St James Quarter is challenging beauty fanatics to take part in a beauty-themed treasure hunt across the Quarter this weekend.

Guests will be tasked with completing a beauty passport, filled with questions on some of St James Quarter’s most iconic brands, including Neom, Victoria’s Secret and John Lewis, all to be in with a chance of winning an exclusive St James Quarter Beauty hamper, full to the brim with 2023’s beauty must haves.

The beauty passports can be collected from the Love Beauty Lounge from 10am each day and must be returned to the Lounge by 5pm on Sunday 19^th February.

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “We’re incredibly lucky to host some of the world’s most exciting and innovative beauty brands within St James Quarter and this weekend gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate all things beauty.

“From skincare and make-up to haircare and fragrance, Love Beauty brings all the very best of our brands together to help our guests learn something new, stock up on their favourite brands and enjoy complimentary consultations and treatments.

“We’re sure every guest will leave St James Quarter looking and feeling their best, with their look too good not to capture in our pop-up Love Beauty photo and video booth!”

The Love Beauty Lounge and Love Beauty Studio will be open from 10am – 5pm on Saturday and 11am – 4pm on Sunday, with activities taking place throughout The Quarter across the whole weekend.

Keep up to date with the latest info via our Instagram page by following @StJamesQuarter or you can visit https://stjamesquarter.com/event/love-beauty

New Art Exhibition at Gleneagles Townhouse

Graeme Mortimer Evelyn brings ‘Relics from an Oasis of Good Luck’ to Lobby 37 at Gleneagles Townhouse.

The London artist’s first solo exhibition in Scotland will include pieces made over a 25-year period selected directly from the artist’s London home.

An exhibition featuring Graeme Mortimer Evelyn will run until the 27^th February at Gleneagles Townhouse. Made of up of pieces created over Graeme’s long and successful career, the exhibit is titled ‘Relics from an Oasis of Good Luck’.

Many of the works are completely realised studies created during many major commissions and artist-in-residence projects during Graeme’s expansive career, and range from collages, prints, paintings, graffiti stencils, drawings, and painted relief sculpture. Evelyn has exhibited his work across the world, but this will be his first solo exhibition in Scotland.

Graeme Mortimer Evelyn is a musician and curator as well as a multimedia artist. The art he creates comments on cultural social identity, politics, belief, and language. He has created work for major municipal buildings, sites of national memory, and places of worship – subverting the settings and their philosophies to attract new audiences and democratise public spaces by opening them up to more people.

His works have also been exhibited, collected, and displayed internationally by Princeton University Centre for African American Studies, Cornell University, Kensington Palace, The Royal Commonwealth Society, Museum in Docklands, Gloucester Cathedral, Bristol Museums, The Royal Collection Trust, The Church of England, and UNESCO.

One of Evelyn’s most notable works is The Eternal Engine for St Francis Church in Tottenham Hale. Completed in November 2017, it is the largest permanent hand-sculpted contemporary altarpiece in Europe.

St Francis Church sits adjacent to where Mark Duggan, a young black man, was fatally shot by armed police in 2011, triggering London-wide riots. The church was then built to aid to the community’s healing process. The Eternal Engine represents the unifying wonder of our vast Universe and the mystery of its Creator.

Evelyn currently works in his garden studio in South London, continuing to develop his varied and innovative body of works exploring automatic experimental drawing and sculpture informed by his synaesthesia reaction to music and sound, and how these responses then relate to contemporary religious and secular belief structures.

He has recently completed vinyl album cover commissions through this lens for world renowned Jazz Artists. In late March 2023, he will begin his six-week invited Artist Residency for the Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts in Charleston, South Carolina.

Graeme Mortimer Evelyn’s works will be available to view until February 27^th in Lobby 37 at Gleneagles Townhouse St Andrew Square to hotel guests, diners at The Spence and Townhouse members.

gleneaglestownhouse.com

Love around The Quarter!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for love?

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for that someone special, or you’re planning the ultimate date night, St James Quarter is your go to destination.

From heavenly scents at H Beauty, champagne truffles from Hotel Chocolat, jewellery to treasure at Beaverbrooks, premium beauty at Rituals and Aesop, luxury leather goods at Coach and Kate Spade, stylish homewares at John Lewis and new season fashions at Boss and Zara – there’s plenty of gift ideas that are sure to put you in your Valentine’s good books!

If it’s a memorable date night you’re after, you’ll be spoilt for choice with an array of enticing eating and drinking destinations. There are creative cocktails in The Alchemist, authentic Mediterranean sharing platters at The Real Greek and mouth-watering burgers at Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger.

For the early birds out there, EL&N are pulling out all the stops, providing the ideal date day with Insta-worthy shimmering mocktails and ruby pink hot chocolates, perfect for Cupid himself, alongside delicious cakes coated in lashings of heavenly buttered cream.

Guests looking to celebrate in style can visit Everyman Cinema to enjoy a first-class movie going experience and cosy up on a comfortable love seat. Those wanting to indulge in a little luxury can visit acclaimed restaurant Duck & Waffle to enjoy a specially curated Valentine’s Day set menu with champagne on arrival, snacks for the table, a choice of specially created dishes and delightful pink truffles to finish.

As part of St James Quarter’s Valentine’s celebrations, from Thursday, 9th February, guests are invited to visit the ‘Crazy in Love’ booth on Level 2, outside John Lewis, to record a video reciting the craziest thing they did for love to be in with a chance of winning an incredible date night experience at St James Quarter; to be enjoyed with your Valentine, Galentine, best buddy or favourite family member – the choice is yours!

On 11th and 14th February, St James Quarter will be sharing its own tokens of affection with guests by giving away a limited number of beautiful fresh red roses to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Those who are lucky enough to get their hands on one of these beautiful blooms will also be in with a chance to win a £50 gift card through an exclusive prize draw, redeemable at The Quarter.

Are you #CrazyInLove #LoveAroundTheQuarter

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “Love is truly around The Quarter this Spring. Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or your significant other this Valentine’s Day, St James Quarter is the go to destination for that perfect gift or date night with a difference.

“We are looking forward to hearing all the crazy in love stories and are inviting guests to vote for the winner via our YouTube channel.”

Valentine’s day activities and retailer events will be taking place at St James Quarter from 9^th – 14^th February.

Keep up to date with the latest info via the @StJamesQuarter Instagram page or by visiting the website: https://stjamesquarter.com/event/valentines-day

The Ivy on the Square celebrates the Six Nations Championship with new cocktail line up

As Edinburgh prepares to welcome back the Six Nations Championship at BT Murrayfield, The Ivy on the Square has launched the ultimate cocktail menu inspired by the participating teams to honour the occasion and support the fans this rugby season.

With the first Scotland match in Edinburgh just around the corner, guests are invited to tackle the tension and try the latest creations made by the experienced bar team in the heart of the capital.

The six delicious cocktails include Scotts on the Rocks, (£10.50) featuring Plymouth gin, Chivas 12 year, ginger juice, lemon juice and clear honey, The Emerald Isle, (£12.00) consisting of Jameson, Lillet Rouge, Cointreau, lime juice, and a dash of whiskey barrel bitters, The G.O.A.T, (£10.50) a mix of Plymouth gin, Plymouth sloe gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup, garnished with a lavender sprig, Le Coqs, (£12.75) which includes, Beefeater gin, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice, sugar syrup and topped with The Ivy Champagne, English Rose, (£10.50) featuring Beefeater gin, Pimm’s and Elderflower cordial, topped with Fever Tree lemonade and garnished with a mint sprig, and finally the Zesty Italian, (£10.95) a tantalising mix of Malfy Arancia gin, Barolo Chinato, Campari and a dash of whisky barrel bitters.

To complete the game day offering, The Ivy has introduced a new limited-edition dessert Over The Line, a chocolate ganache with mint mousse, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce – perfect for those rugby fans with a sweet tooth.

Guests are invited to try the limited-edition menu at The Ivy on the Square from today until 18 March (weekends only). To book a table, visit TheIvyEdinburgh.com.

Lights out for Lantern Led Tours at The Real Mary King’s Close

Calling all brave and curious explorers, this February The Real Mary King’s Close is shining a light (or lack of) onto Edinburgh’s history, illuminating the lives of former residents and unravelling truths about their deaths with Lantern Led Tours.

The new Lantern Led Tours are available for a limited time only during Half Term, where guests will descend into complete darkness with the only light source being the flicker of their lanterns, as they explore Edinburgh’s history.

Hidden beneath the Capital’s iconic Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s best underground experience is ready to send those daring to on a time-traveling adventure. The one hour guided tour will transport customers to another era, with eerie interactions from two insidious characters that used to strike terror into people’s hearts at their very sight.

Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “The Real Mary King’s Close is a place filled with excitement and mystery, where strange revelations of Edinburgh’s ominous past come to life.

“We are so excited to launch our Lantern Led Tours and elevate the experience to a whole new level. This is a great activity to do with family and friends over the February holidays, so come along and find out who is the bravest of the bunch.”

The Real Mary King’s Close stands as an important part of Edinburgh’s history. It teaches following generations about the incredible struggles people faced during the plague, the extreme living conditions, and the punishing impact of social hierarchy.

The tours will be running Friday 10th to Sunday 12th February and Friday 17th to Sunday 19th February from 7pm-9pm every 15 minutes. Prices are £25 per adult / £19 per child (5 to 15yo – no under 5 allowed).

For more information and bookings please visit:

https://bookings.realmarykingsclose.com/book/lantern-led-tours/123

Eat Out Edinburgh returns: businesses urged to register now!

Businesses in Edinburgh city centre are being encouraged to note their interest for Eat Out Edinburgh 2023; a tasty restaurant campaign returning to the capital for a second year.

Following the success of the inaugural Eat Out Edinburgh in 2022, Essential Edinburgh – the capital’s dedicated Business Improvement District (BID) – has announced that its two-week celebration of all things food, drink and hospitality will be back to help support the wider sector as it slowly recovers from the challenges from the past few years.

The BID comprises those businesses located from St James Quarter to St Andrew Square, to George Street and Princes Street and as far as the Johnnie Walker Whisky Experience. Essential Edinburgh is urging those interested businesses within the BID area to sign up soon, whether they participated in 2022 or would like to be a part of the 2023 campaign for the first time.

Celebrating the best of food, drink and hospitality, and with over 20 participating venues already confirmed, the Eat Out Edinburgh 2023 campaign will run for two weeks from 13^th to 26^th March.

A bumper list of participating Edinburgh venues will be announced in the coming weeks, promoting special tasting menus, set menus, events and exclusive offers to attract bookings and increased footfall throughout the campaign period.

From business breakfasts to leisurely lunches and evening gatherings over dinner and cocktails, the Eat Out Edinburgh campaign has been designed to bring friends, family and colleagues together whilst helping to support the city’s vibrant hospitality sector.

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive & Director, Essential Edinburgh, said: “Following the success of last year’s campaign, we are bringing back Eat Out Edinburgh for 2023 – with the help of our partner businesses in the hospitality industry, we want it to be bigger and better than 2022.

“This unique celebration of food and drink enables our residents, visitors and office workers to enjoy what’s on offer with special menus, events and offers for city centre workers.

“After the challenges of the past few years, there is a real appetite for people to come and enjoy all that our city centre has to offer. So whether you’re a local, from the wider Lothians region or visiting from further afield, we know there will be something on offer to suit all tastes.”

Business can register interest before Friday 10^th February by contacting:

markfarvis@essentialedinburgh.co.uk

For more information and to keep up to date with the campaign, visit: