POLICE are appealing for information following a robbery at an address on Saxe Coburg Street in Edinburgh.
Around 9.10pm on Friday, 11 October, a man entered the property, threatened the 92-year-old male occupant, and stole a quantity of cash before leaving in an unknown direction,
The suspect is described as a white male, mid 30s to 40s, of average build and clean shaven. He was wearing a long knee-length dark blue jacket with large white writing down the front and a dark grey baseball cap.
Detective Sergeant Martin Smith of Corstorphine CID said: “Thankfully the victim was not injured during the robbery however it was still a very distressing experience for him.
“Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and we are appealing to anyone with information or who thinks they may have seen a man matching the description to contact us.
“We are also keen for any local residents with private CCTV or possible dashcam footage to come forward.
“Anyone who can help is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3729 of 11 October. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Curbing sky rocketing A&E waiting times must be the number one priority for the Scottish government with winter just around the corner.
That is the call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland as A&E performance data for July represented the worst July since records began in 2011 for extended wait times in Emergency Departments.
This is double the number of people who waited this long in July last year.
The data also shows long waits have increased significantly since the 2010s.
Since July 2017, for example, the numbers of people waiting four hours or more has increased by nearly seven times (5553 to 38,379), eight hours or more by 53 times (248 to 13,146), and 12 hours or more by 279 times (20 to 5,593). This was despite attendances only increasing by 0.9% in the same period.
Delays in discharging patients is a key reason that doctors cannot admit patients into hospitals from their Emergency Departments, therefore causing long waits. In July, there were 61,165 days spent in hospital by people who were well enough to be discharged but unable to be due to a lack of social care provisions. This is equivalent to 167 years.
Dr John-Paul Loughrey, RCEM Vice President for Scotland said: “The Scottish government must take heed and put measures in place to end long wait times in our Emergency Departments.
“These staggering statistics are deeply worrying for the people of Scotland who are facing incredibly long and tiring waits despite it being summer. We have been dealing with ‘winter levels’ of pressure, which does not bode well as we start to head into the colder months. The first day of winter is just three months away, which will inevitably heap pressure on the health care system.
“Continuing to focus on diverting patients away from A&E rather than addressing the capacity problems will not avert the coming crisis. These statistics aren’t just numbers. They are people who have come to our Emergency Departments needing emergency care. They deserve better. Our health care colleagues deserve better.”
A graphical representation of the data can be found here.
A new outdoor exhibition of photographs by five local photographers has gone on display in Edinburgh’s busy urban thoroughfares.
Living Spaces, commissioned by Places for People Scotland, part of the UK’s leading social enterprise, has been installed in five different locations across the city, all of which were identified as vandalism hotspots following numerous repairs and treatments by the Places for People Scotland team over the years.
After identifying the locations, Places for People Scotland brought local photographers on board, who suggested various images which they believed would work well across the sites.
The artists and Places for People Scotland recognised the importance of resident participation in this project – as these are ‘living spaces’ – and customers living in the area were invited to select the final images to go on display using an online poll.
The chosen photographs vary from moments of calm within the natural world, to colourful snapshots of interior and exterior life around the city.
Katie Smart, Director of Places for People Scotland said: “We are delighted to see this project come to life, our goal with this project was to transform living spaces across the city that had been victim to vandalism for both our customers whose homes are in the area and the wider Edinburgh community.
It was important to us to involve our customers in the decision process, it feels extra special knowing that the artwork has been chosen by those most affected whilst being able to provide incredible local photographers with a platform for their work.”
Christina Webber, participating photographer and Director of AGITATE, said: “It’s such a joy to see this project realised and AGITATE are proud to host a version of the work at 6WS during the Festival season.
“We love the August buzz and to be able to platform local artists to a visiting international audience is a really important opportunity.
“As a photographer, exhibiting work in alternative spaces with so many people passing each day is really exciting. Engagement with photography is so often digital, having the chance to be part of people’s everyday journeys is a privilege.”
Smaller scale versions of all the works are on display at 6 William Street (6WS) throughout August, alongside a Festival ‘rest space’ and a short programme of drop-in workshops to complement the work.
The artists whose work is included in the project are:
Dave Ferrie
Everything that exists in cities is of interest to Dave, but particularly the areas where old and new meet, and the spaces where nature and man-made structures coexist.
Dave loves exploring urban environments and photographing the moments, places and sights which grab his attention.
Kat is a graduate of both Stevenson College (now Edinburgh College) and Edinburgh Napier University, where she graduated with first class honours, and has over 15 years experience in the photography industry.
Kat specialises in events, portraiture and live performance. As well as commercial photographic work, she teaches photography, and is an exhibited photographic artist and a published writer on the subject.
Zoe is a photographer from Co. Antrim, now living in Edinburgh.
She is interested in the relationship between humans and the environment, as well as the systems of classification that we use to make sense of the world around us.
Jack Low
Jack Low is a lens-based visual artist based in Glasgow, having studied Photography and Film at Edinburgh Napier University.
Drawn into photography at a young age through an interest in technology, he has produced works critically examining modern culture, social media and the human condition through means of installation pieces and typologies.
Christina Webber
Christina is a visual artist who loves pictures, words, and their potential when put together. She completed a First Class BA (Hons) in Photography & Film from Edinburgh Napier University in 2015, and works as a Freelance Digital Communicator for a variety of clients.
Additionally, Christina is Co-Director of AGITATE, a hub for photography based in Edinburgh’s West End.
THOUSANDS OF DISCOUNTED TICKETS WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR WAVERLEY CARE FOR 24 HOURS ONLY
It’s time to paint the town pink once more as Gilded Balloon, one of Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s longest-running venues, kicks off their legendary Pink Wednesday – a 24 hour charity day with £5 tickets for some of the Fringe’s most in-demand shows.
Gilded Balloon’s staff, performers and customers join together to don their best pink outfits and fundraise for this year’s charity partner Waverley Care, all whilst enjoying discounted tickets for Fringe shows, fancy dress, competition prizes and more.
With 130 shows across two venues in 2024, Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland, fans can snap up £5 tickets for comedy, theatre, family, cabaret and more, with a percentage of ticket sales donated directly to Waverley Care, Scotland’s leading HIV and hepatitis C charity.
Acts raising funds for Waverley Care include Jack Docherty in The Chief – No Apologies, Martin Brock, Juliette Burton, Hypnotist Matt Hale, Chris Hall, Pop Off, Michelangelo, Grace Campbell and more, with £5 tickets available for these shows via Gilded Baloon’s box offices and websites.
Visit tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk to view all shows offering £5 tickets today across family, comedy, cabaret, theatre, magic and more.
Ts&Cs: £5 plus handling fees. Tickets to participating shows only, whilst stocks last
Traditionally nicknamed ‘Black Wednesday’ and known as a day of slower ticket sales across the Fringe, Gilded Balloon introduced Pink Wednesday in 2018 to encourage locals and Fringe fans to take a chance on a new show and enjoy discounted tickets, all whilst raising vital funds for charity.
Each £5 ticket sold will see money donated to Waverley Care, as well as charity staff fundraising throughout the day with bucket collections, QR codes and information points.
Waverley Care was founded in 1989 in response to the HIV epidemic in Edinburgh, the charity now focuses on ending new HIV transmission in Scotland by 2030, while continuing to support people and communities affected by HIV, hepatitis C and sexual health inequalities.
Katy and Karen Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon said: “It’s officially time to paint the town pink again as we launch £5 tickets for one day only, in support of the wonderful Waverley Care.
“Pink Wednesday is a chance for acts, customers and staff to join together and raise money for charity, support our brilliant artists and see some fantastic shows for only £5. It’s a great opportunity to take a chance on something new and buy a ticket for a show you haven’t heard of before, and maybe discover your new favourite comedian!
“We’re thrilled to see so many acts opt in to support Waverley Care by donating a percentage of their ticket sales for today to the charity, as they do unparalleled and vitally important work across Scotland. We hope everyone embraces the Pink Wednesday spirit, dons their best pink outfits today and comes down to get involved!”
Grant Sugden, Chief Executive, Waverley Care said: “Waverley Care is delighted to be chosen as Gilded Balloon’s charity partner for this year’s Pink Wednesday event. This collaboration is an incredible opportunity to tackle HIV stigma and raise vital funds.
“Scotland is on the verge of becoming one of the first countries to achieve zero new HIV transmission. To reach this goal, we need more people to get tested, to improve access to HIV prevention medication Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and to end harmful HIV stigma.
“We look forward to engaging with people attending shows, sharing our mission to end new HIV transmission by 2030, and raising money to support those affected by HIV and hepatitis C across Scotland.”
Waverley Care is Scotland’s leading HIV and hepatitis C charity, and everything they do is guided by the experiences of the people they work with – this ranges from shaping the services they deliver through to how they influence national policy around sexual health and blood-borne viruses (BBVs).
Waverley Care’s vision is a Scotland where anyone living with or at risk of HIV can expect to be treated with acceptance, support and respect. Find out more information and support Waverley Care – www.waverleycare.org
With over 130 shows across two venues including Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland, Gilded Balloon’s programme covers comedy, theatre, magic, kids shows and much more.
National Galleries of Scotland announces a packed three months of events across the National, Modern and Portrait galleries in Edinburgh. Whether taking a deep dive into the exhibitions with talks, tours and music or being inspired to create your own art at the workshops, there is something for everyone to discover.
With summer blockbuster An Irish Impressionist: Lavery on Location open from 20 July, there are plenty of opportunities to delve further into the glamorous sun, sea and society of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Join talks live from the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre at the National or stream on YouTube as you take a trip through the extraordinary life of the Belfast-born artist, Sir John Lavery.
Be whisked away to the French artists’ colony of Grez-sur-Loing as co-curator Professor Frances Fowle explores Sir John Lavery’s time in France alongside the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson on Wednesday 31 July.
Or join assistant curator Freya Spoor on Tuesday 17 September to learn more of his connections to Scotland from schooldays in Ayrshire to his role in the pioneering group of artists known as the Glasgow Boys.
Dip your toes in the glamour of a lost era and explore the high fashion depicted in Lavery’s paintings with Dr Sally-Anne Huxtable (Associate Professor, London Metropolitan University and Chair, Design History Society) on Friday 4 October.
Be immersed in the sights and sounds of Lavery’s wonderful world with a specially commissioned music performance inspired by the artist’s work. Renowned musician and composer/arranger Martin Kershaw will premiere the music alongside Kershaw on saxophones, Paul Harrison (piano), Graeme Stephen (guitar) and David Bowden (bass) on Thursday 24 October.
Be inspired by stories of collaboration, creativity and rebellion in Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990 at Modern Two.
Join curator and researcher Alice Correia as she chairs a discussion with featured Women in Revolt! artists Nina Edge and Pratibha Parmar. Women in Revolt! Representing South Asian Women in Britain can be watched via the livestream on YouTube or join in person at the Hawthornden at the National.
On 27 August Women in Revolt: From Matisse to Think Pink explores the work of Liz Rideal with the artist herself. Rideal will make connections between her own use of collage and Matisse’sJazz images.
Discover images and voices from Scotland’s mining communities with Before and After Coal at the Portrait and discover more about the history and lasting impact of coal through talks and music events.
Dr Ewan Gibbs (University of Glasgow) and Dr Catherine Mills (University of Stirling) will consider post-1980s shifts in coal production for electricity generation, and the creation of the mining landscapes eco-museum in Beyond Coal on 3 September.
Older kids Friday after school art session at The National Galleries of Scotland.
Or in an exciting crossover between exhibitions artists Nicky Bird (Before & After Coal) and Rosy Martin (Women in Revolt!) discuss the significance of the early 1980s in It’s About Time on Tuesday 10 September. Looking at featured works in each of the shows, they dive into the themes of activism and visibility, notions of solidarity alongside the implications of becoming ‘living history’.
Or for something more musical celebrate the final day of the Before and After Coal exhibition on Sunday 15 September with a performance by the Newtongrange Silver Band founded in 1892 and is closely linked with the coal mining industry.
Explore the fascinating exhibitions at the National Galleries of Scotland across all four galleries. Learn about the inspiring 40-year career of Edinburgh-based artist Everlyn Nicodemus in an opening talk for her retrospective at Modern One on Friday 18 October.
Celebrate the incredible 40 years since National Galleries of Scotland began collecting photography, looking at the national photography collection in the context of the 1980s. Be inspired by the works of Bruce McLean and try your hand at creating your own art at The Drawing Room on 11 September.
Older kids Friday after school art session at The National Galleries of Scotland.
Experience your national collection and learn more about the incredible art belonging to the people of Scotland.
Discover the latest acquisition to be added to the collection, The Lilac Sun Bonnet by Bessie MacNicol and discover more about this pioneering artist in a talk on Tuesday 8 October. Get to know the artworks and themes in the new Scottish galleries at the National in the Scottish Art in Focus tours which take place every month on Saturday afternoon.
Learn more about the changing landscape of Edinburgh and Scotland and the people who made it all happen. For those wanting a more detailed look into Edinburgh’s evolving cityscape and how it captivated the imagination of artists, join the Inside Out: Edinburgh Old and New Walking Tour.
Be immersed in the magical free live music events all while soaking up the beautiful art and surroundings of the Portrait and National gallery. With a performance from the award-winning trio Atelier Ensemble on Thursday 5 September, they will play timeless classics and uncover lesser-known compositions. On 3 October, Isla Ratcliff & Evie Waddell perform unique arrangements of Scottish traditional music, combining Scots and Gaelic songs, fiddle, piano, stepdance and BSL.
There are free family activities for all ages and stages to enjoy, as well accessible events for visitors with specific access needs. Weekly Family Friday events let your children’s imaginations run wild. With mornings dedicated to little ones expect interesting textures, lights, sounds and sensory art-fun.
Later in the afternoon older kids can get involved in the trails, new play activities and, of course, hands-on making with artists. Sensory-Friendly Sundays for families with children with additional support needs ensure a quiet, comfortable space is available at all times.
For adults, discover fascinating audio-described and deaf led British Sign Language tours for visitors with a visual impairment.
With events for exhibitions including Lavery on Location, Woman in Revolt!, Do Ho Suh, Vermeer. With the opportunity to meet other people, see artworks in the gallery and take part in creative activities. All with access to a comfortable quiet space.
A celebratory display to mark Bruce McLean’s 80th birthday opens tomorrow (Saturday 29 June) at Modern One in Edinburgh.
Taking over room 20, Bruce McLean: I Want My Crowntraces the Glasgow-born artist’s humorous, provocative and engaging six-decade long inquiry into sculpture. Through works made across a range of media including photography, performance, painting, printmaking, film, and ceramics, the one room display invites you to challenge your thinking about sculpture and expand your ideas of what art can be.
Sparked by childhood curiosity and challenging what he had been taught about sculpture as a student at St Martin’s School of Art in the 1960s, McLean’s artistic career has been characterised by his desire to break the rules. Encompassing both wry satire and an earnest inquiry into the nature of art, his work is known for its intelligence, as much as its humorous and rebellious spirit.
The works in the display question many of our traditional assumptions about what sculpture should be, who it is for, how it is made, and how it is shown. In so doing, McLean is also asking broader questions about the role of art in our everyday lives, and in particular the role of the artist.
An early target of his was the leading British sculptor Henry Moore, who gained international celebrity status in the post-war period of British sculpture.
McLean’s photographic work Fallen Warrior (1969/2011) is an image of the artist ‘falling’ onto a ‘pedestal’, an idea he picks up again in Pose Work for Plinths (1971) in which McLean, as a living sculpture, tries out a number of poses across three plinths, the traditional means of showing sculptural works.
The piece references Moore’s own sculpture Falling Warrior (1956–7), in which a male figure clutching a shield is shown falling, heroically, on the battlefield.
Challenges to hierarchy and status are constant themes of his work. When, aged 27, he was offered a solo exhibition at Tate Gallery, London, he seized on it as an opportunity to make a radically subversive statement about art world systems, conventions, and power structures.
Wryly titling the exhibition King for a Day, it comprised a list of ideas for 1000 prospective artworks, which McLean presented as a one-day ‘retrospective’ in the form of a catalogue.
Multiple copies of this catalogue will be displayed, allowing visitors to pore over McLean’s ‘homages’, ‘studies’, and ‘serial’ works – his parodic take on the contemporary art world’s continual need to define and categorise artworks.
Decades after King for a Day, McLean revisited the theme with I Want My Crown (2013). This video installation, projected large-scale in the gallery, brings the artist into the space and shows him dancing to a 1973 song of the same title by British musician Kevin Coyne as he gestures to a crown sculpture on a shelf above his head.
Another recurrent theme in McLean’s art is that behaviour – both private and public – is a function of the environment around us.
This notion takes centre stage in the architectural projects he has worked on over the years. In 1994, initiated by Glasgow City Council, a brief was set for a redevelopment of Glasgow’s Argyle Street.
McLean’s hyper-real proposal to turn the street into a bustling interactive ‘theatre’ won the competition in 1996, though the project was never realised. Visitors to I Want My Crown can enjoy the paper collages that lay out McLean’s playful vision.
The proposal included an Irn Bru bar, a Tunnocks Tower offering periscope views of the city, and a helium-filled fabric cloud sculpture to shelter those below from the Scottish rain.
Also featured is Constructed Painting (2024), comprised of six paintings made between 1990 and 2014, each stacked and propped against the gallery wall like the components of a large-scale collage.
The paintings reference sculptures by well-known artists of the past and present. Enlarging photocopied images of their sculptures, McLean made cardboard cutouts, their huge scale signalling their overbearing influence on his early work and art school training.
Staging different groupings in his studio, McLean photographed the cutouts, then made paintings after the photographs. The result is a hybrid between sculpture, performance, photography and painting. Testament to McLean’s dynamic creative energy, the configuration of these paintings will change multiple times during the display’s run.
Ever the innovator, McLean continues at 80 to question and expand the meaning and resonance of sculpture, allowing it to remain as vital and relevant for another generation.
Bruce McLeansaid: “I’d like to thank Leila Riszko, Simon Groom, and all the staff at the National Galleries of Scotland for putting together this show with great care, sensitivity and patience. Good work!
“My next project will be Passing a Law Sculpture. The law will be that every 17 year old person in Britain goes to art school for a one year foundation course focusing on drawing in all its many aspects. Everything in the world is drawn before it is created.”
Leila Riszko, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland,said: “We’re really excited about this fantastic opportunity to bring the creative energy of Bruce’s work to the attention and admiration of a new generation.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with him on such a dynamic presentation of his work – as befits a celebratory exhibition in honour of the artist’s 80th birthday!”
The first of its kind, Women in Revolt! is a major survey of feminist art, celebrating the women whose radical ideas and rebellious methods changed the face of British culture.
Come and discover the powerful and often provocative work of over 100 women artists and collectives, forged against the backdrop of seismic social and economic change over two decades.
Tickets are on sale now from the National Galleries of Scotland website.
Curated by Linsey Young, Curator of British Contemporary Art at Tate Britain, in collaboration with the National Galleries of Scotland and The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Women in Revolt! will take over the entire Modern Two gallery in Edinburgh from 25 May 2024 until 26 January 2025.
Following its debut at Tate Britain in November 2023, the exhibition will bring to Edinburgh a select range of works from the London show, drawing from public and private collections across the country in what will be the only chance to see this landmark exhibition in Scotland.
Women in Revolt! spans two decades of art and activism, charting a range of themes and social issues that influenced and impacted on women artists.
Topics such as the Women’s Liberation Movement, maternal and domestic experiences, Punk and independent music, Greenham Common and the peace movement, the visibility of Black and South Asian women artists, and Section 28 and the AIDS epidemic will be explored in six thematic galleries platforming the creative contributions, ideas and activism of a diverse set of communities living and working in the UK throughout this period.
Women in Revolt! will highlight the ways in which women challenged societal norms through their creativity, both collectively and in isolation, using their lived experiences to create art and fight injustice.
Paintings, drawings, sculptures, textiles, films, photography, and documentation of performances will be shown alongside a range of archival materials, with many artworks on display for the first time since the 1970s.
Work by well-known artists including Sonia Boyce, Helen Chadwick and Linder will be displayed side by side with an array of artists who, despite their long careers, have been left out of the mainstream art historical narratives.
Featuring artists from across the UK, the powerful work and pioneering techniques of Scottish-based women artists will also be showcased. Visitors will encounter works such as Cool Bitch and Hot Dog (1978) by Edinburgh-based artist and weaverElizabeth Radcliffe. Her sculptural three-dimensional tapestry reflectsthe artist’s desire to be a modern woman, defying the passive stereotypes of mother, caregiver, cleaner or sexual object.
Glasgow-born artist Rita McGurn utilised a range of found and domestic materials to create work, using techniques such as crochet, a long-undervalued artistic medium due to its domestic associations. Several of McGurn’s characterful life-sized soft sculptures will go on display at Modern Two.
Maud Sulter
Select works from Scotland’s national collection will also go on display, including Uraniafrom the seriesZabat (1989) by the Scots-Ghanaian artist and writer Maud Sulter.
A significant figure in the Black Arts Movement, Sulter used her practice to challenge white supremacy and reconsider history through a personal lens as a Black woman.
The monumental Warrior Woman V: The Artist (1986), by Glasgow-based Sam Ainsley will be shown in Scotland for the first time in nearly four decades as part of this tour. Standing at over 11 feet tall and brimming with the spirit of protest, Ainsley’s work presents a striking figure, embodying the artist’s expression of feminist concerns, challenging the patriarchy and asserting female power.
GMA 3026
The dramatic evolution of women’s relationships with work, domesticity and motherhood created an extensive source of inspiration for artists throughout this period. Frustrations fuelled by the expectations of domestic labour are palpable in a range of impactful works on display by artists such as Bobby Baker, Alexis Hunter and the See Red Women’s Workshop whose bold poster works challenge sexist stereotypes and directly reflect the demands and concerns of the Women’s Liberation Movement.
The social and political implications of women raising a family also comes into play in works such as The Hackney Flashers’ Who’s Holding the Baby (1978). The installation critiques the lack of government supported childcare and sheds light on the impossible position of being both a mother and a worker in 1970s Britain.
The riotous and expressive era of Punk and Post-Punk movements will be examined through collage, film and photography by artists and musicians including Marianne Elliott-Said (A.K.A Poly Styrene), Caroline Coon, and The Neo Naturists, whose ritualistic performance art of the 1980s used bold body paint to challenge the objectification of the female form.
Gina Birch, a founding member of the experimental Punk band The Raincoats, also presents her 1977 film 3 Minute Scream, where the artist can be heard screaming for the duration of a Super 8 cartridge. The film communicates a powerful statement of defiance, conveying what many young women felt but were not given the opportunity to articulate.
The art of protest and women’s role in activism will form a key element of the show, with a range of banners, posters and journals, as well as documentary photography by Format Photography Agency, Mumtaz Karimjee, and Bhajan Hunjan telling the story of rousing, women-led protests throughout this time.
Women in Revolt! focuses on causes such as the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, established in 1981 to protest the placement of nuclear weapons, and the Section 28 protests, fighting against laws prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality.
Materials exploring the 1984 Miners’ Strike and anti-racism campaigns are also represented, highlighting the central role women have played in activism.
Women in Revolt!will also platform the crucial contribution of Black and South Asian women artists and activists. The exhibition will explore the impact of women involved in movements including the BLK Art Group and the advocacy group and archive Panchayat, as well as their role in the first National Black Art Convention in 1982.
Key works by artists including Sutapa Biswas, Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Joy Gregory, Pratibha Parmar and Rita Keegan will feature alongside recently conserved works such as Nina Edge’s Snakes and Ladders (1985), an installation made of batik on paper and ceramicsandexhibited as part of Women in Revolt! for the first time in three decades.
The final room brings together work created in the context of the AIDS epidemic and Section 28 in the late 1980s, with a focus on lesbian communities. Discover the powerful work of artists including Jill Posener, Del LaGrace Volcano, Poulomi Desai and Tessa Boffin. Women in Revolt! concludes with works that reflect on the changing economic landscape and women’s place within it by Franki Raffles and Roshini Kempadoo.
Women in Revolt!is a timely and urgent exhibition celebrating the women who paved the way for future generations through their creativity and activism. The power of their work continues to resonate with audiences today.
Anne Lyden, Director-General at the National Galleries of Scotlandsaid: “We are proud to platform the work of women artists who have been under-represented throughout their careers and are grateful to Tate for bringing this important exhibition to the forefront.
“Women in Revolt! also presents a fantastic opportunity to consider the Scottish women artists who have contributed significantly not only to the world of art, but the world around us. We hope visitors to Modern Two will be inspired by the tenacity, creativity and strength of the remarkable women they will encounter throughout this exhibition.”
Linsey Young, Curator of British Contemporary Art at Tate Britainsaid: “Being from Edinburgh, I’m thrilled that Women in Revolt! is touring to the National Galleries of Scotland.
“I’m particularly excited to see it take over Modern Two where the gallery’s unique space will allow it to a develop a new character and encourage different readings of the work.
“It’s a real joy to be able to present works by local artists such as Maud Sulter, Sam Ainsley, Rita McGurn, Erica Rutherford and Elizabeth Radcliffe in the exhibition along with so many of their celebrated peers, demonstrating the importance of Scottish women’s artistic practice in the broader context of feminist art history across the UK.”
One of Britain’s best-known conservationists, John Lister-Kaye, described by Springwatch’s Katie Humble as ‘joyful and inspirational’, gives a rare glimpse into his intriguing life and work at a literary talk and book signing at the Royal Scots Club on 23rd March, 10:30am-12:30pm.
Entry is free and there will be a pop-up Toppings bookstall.
A true naturalist, John Lister-Kaye patiently and meticulously observes and records the lives, habits and habitats of otters, badgers, weasels and pine martens. Hours of careful waiting and watching in the woods and loch, the river, fields and moorland is rewarded with insight into how these animals live when unhindered by human interference; sometimes red in tooth and claw, but often playful, familial, curious and surprising.
John’s own journey from aristocratic roots to being captivated by the creatures of Scotland and becoming one of the most respected academic observers of the natural world gripping too.
During deep dives exploring natural history, familial characteristics and ecological significance, he began to find the animals were ‘teaching me to become feral myself, guiding me into their ways so that my senses seemed to merge with theirs at a level far more intimate than just scientific interest or admiration.’
His new book, FOOTPRINTS IN THE WOODS, The Secret Life of Forest and Riverbank, is not only a love letter to these elusive animals and what he describes as the ‘irresistible wildness’.
It is also a timely reminder of the fragility of habitat and the beauty and variety we have to lose if we don’t choose to actively protect it.
‘A peerless observer who is as much a part of the land as his beloved badgers. This, unusually, is nature writing that is actually about nature rather than the writer, and so it has the power and wisdom of the hills and forest. Marvellous’ – CHARLES FOSTER (Author, Cry of the Wild)
‘No one writes as movingly, or with such transporting poetic skills, about encounters with wild creatures’ – HELEN MACDONALD (Award-winning writer, H is for Hawk)
‘I am addicted to the writings of John Lister-Kaye’ – JOANNA LUMLEY
Sir John Lister-Kaye is one of Britain’s best-known naturalists and conservationists and has spent a lifetime exploring, protecting and celebrating the British landscape and its wildlife.
John came to live in the Highlands of Scotland in 1968 to work with the celebrated author and naturalist Gavin Maxwell of Ring of Bright Water fame.
He is the author of eleven books on wildlife and the environment, including The Dun Cow Rib, shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize, and Gods of the Morning, winner of the Richard Jeffereies Award for Nature Writing.
John has lectured on the natural environment all over the world. He was awarded an OBE for his services to nature conservation, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Geddes Environmental Medal and honorary doctorates from two Scottish universities for his contribution to nature writing.
He has served prominently in the RSPB, the Nature Conservancy Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. He lives with his wife and family among the mountains of the Scottish Highlands, where he runs the world-famous Aigas Field Centre.
The literary coffee morning with author talk will be held on 23rd March 2024 at The Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6QE starting at 10:30am.
There will be an opportunity to purchase books for signing by the author at a pop-up bookshop provided by Topping & Company Booksellers, Edinburgh.
The event is free and is open to all, members and non-members alike, with numbers limited by venue capacity only.
Reservations may be made by via Eventbrite or by emailing The Royal Scots Club on events@royalscotsclub.com
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay takes place from 29 December to 1 January.
To allow events to take place, the city council will have temporary restrictions across the city centre. The closures will start today (Wednesday 27 December) and end on Tuesday 2 January.
The restrictions will affect:
parking
waiting
loading
unloading
pedestrian access.
Please note that these planned closures and restrictions may be subject to change.
Road closures
From 8am on Wednesday 27 December to 5pm on Tuesday 2 January
Castle Street from Princes Street to Rose Street will be closed.
From 7pm on Saturday 30 December to 10am on Monday 1 January
Frederick Street from Princes Street to Rose Street
Princes Street from South Charlotte Street to The Mound and Hanover Street to South Saint David Street
Waverley Bridge
From 5pm on Sunday 31 December to 6am on Monday 1 January
Bank Street
Castle Street from Rose Street to George Street
George IV Bridge – the northbound side of the road from Chambers Street to Royal Mile
Hanover Street from Princes Street to George Street
Meuse Lane
Mound
Mound Place
North Bank Street
Princes Street from the Mound to Hanover Street and South Saint David Street to North Bridge
Ramsay Gardens
Ramsay Lane
Register Place
South Saint Andrew Street
South Saint David Street
Saint Giles Street from North Bank Street to the safety barrier
West Register Street Lane
West Register Street
From 7pm on Sunday 31 December to 3am on Monday 1 January
Hope Street Lane
Lothian Road southbound from Princes Street to Castle Terrace and northbound from the West Approach Road to Princes Street
Shandwick Place from Stafford Street to Princes Street
South Charlotte Street
From 7pm on Sunday 31 December to 6am on Monday 1 January
Cockburn Street
Frederick Street from Rose Street to junction of Hill Street and Thistle Street
George Street from Frederick Street to Hanover Street
Market Street – 30 metres east along from Waverley Bridge
North Castle Street from George Street to junction of Young Street and Hill Street
Rose Street
Rose Street North Lane
Rose Street South Lane
Streets closed to pedestrians
From 7pm on Sunday 31 December to 10am on Monday 1 January
Castle Street from Princes Street to George Street
Frederick Street from Princes Street to George Street
Hanover Street from Princes Street to George Street
Market Street from Waverley Bridge to the Mound
Mound
Mound Place
North Bank Street
Princes Street from South Charlotte Street to North Bridge
Ramsay Gardens
Ramsay Lane
Mound precinct – pedestrian area beside the National Galleries.
EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY ANNOUNCES FULL FIRST FOOTIN’ LINE-UP
OVER 30 ARTISTS WILL TAKE TO CITY VENUES ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has revealed the full line-up for First Footin’, a free programme of live music gigs throughout the capital on New Year’s Day with over 30 artists taking to 15 venues across the city throughout the Old and New Town.
The cultural music trail features artists including Lau, Bemz, Hot Chip, Kathryn Joseph, Fergus McCreadie, Becky Sikasa, Cloth and many more.
First Footin’ invites audiences to explore Edinburgh, discovering an eclectic range of music from rap to classical, electronic to jazz, indie to folk and a foot stomping ceilidh band, embracing Hogmanay traditions and welcoming in the New Year with free gigs in St. Giles’ Cathedral, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Hall and Eve at Virgin Hotel, Assembly Rooms, Cold Town House, Fruitmarket Gallery and more.
With performances taking place from 2pm on 1 January, locals can check out some of Scotland’s most beloved artists as well as some of the biggest rising stars from across the country.
Live music taking place in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town includes: Black Bull:Tom Oakes & Friends, Cold Town House:Alas De Liona, Cammy Barnes, Fiza, Man of Moon, Fruitmarket Warehouse:Sean Shibe & Mira Benjamin, Greyfriars Kirk:Fergus McCreadie Trio, Juliette Lemoine & Chris Amer, St Giles Cathedral:Lau and special guest Kathryn Joseph, Greyfriars Hall atVirgin Hotel :DJ Rawzi, Hayley Zalassi, Hot Chip, Eve at Virgin Hotel: Her Picture, Viv Latifa, Keir Gibson, Grace & the Flat Boys.
Whilst in the New Town, performances will take place across: Assembly Rooms – Music Hall:Scottish Album of the Year Award Showcase:No Windows, Becky Sikasa, Bemz, Cloth,Assembly Rooms – Ballroom: The Hannah Fisher Ceilidh Band,Auld Hundred: Cera Impala & Guests, Boozy Cow:Cyrano & Guests, Copper Blossom:Picture the Scene,Element:William Douglas & Friends, The Huxley:Nicole Cassandra Smit, Philip Joseph Rae, Anna Leyden, Scottish Café:Hydroponics,Spiegeltent at St Andrew Square: Silent Film with a live Score with Graeme Stephen Trio
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, created and produced by UniqueAssembly on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, has collaborated with award-winning musician and composer Aidan O’Rourke of Lau to curate the First Footin’ programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund and supported by Essential Edinburgh and Cold Town Beer.
A full First Footin’ timetable and event map allowing audiences to plan their New Year’s Day experience is available from www.edinburghshogmanay.com
