See below (or above!) for information about the fun Hare & Tortoise events happening in Muirhouse on 1 & 2 August as part of Licketyspit Theatre Company’s Commonwealth Games programme!
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Category: North Edinburgh Arts
Arts for all! Date set for exciting new theatre project
We first revealed news of this exciting new North Edinburgh Theatre community project last month, and a date’s now been set for an introductory meeting to get the ball rolling.
Whatever your skills and interests, there’s sure to be something for you in the 1d (that’s an old penny!)Tenement Opera project! Why not attend the first meeting at North Edinburgh Arts on Thursday 14 August at 11am? It could be the start of a something big – and there’s even free tea and cake!
Interested? See the flyer for details …
North Edinburgh Arts to stage Alan Lennon exhibition to open
Don’t miss ‘Embodiment’, local artist Alan Lennon’s latest exhibition which opens at North Edinburgh Arts next week.
“Continually fascinated and inspired by the human form and relationships – people connecting or not connecting. Many paintings portray the juxtaposition of a strong exterior presence but unmasking the soft vulnerability beneath”
The exhibition runs until 26 June – and it’s free.
North Edinburgh’s voluntary sector to meet on Wednesday
A reminder to the area’s charity and community projects that Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will meet on Wednesday 7 May at 10am in North Edinburgh Arts.
It’s been a wee while since the last Forum meeting and there is lots to discuss (see Agenda) so why not go along – new faces are always welcome!
If you do plan to attend, please contact EVOC’s June Dickson (telephone 555 9100 or email june.dickson@evoc.org.uk) to let her know.
Monday 19 May is Time to Play
North Edinburgh Time Bank and Speakeasy are organising a fun afternoon of play activities at Inverleith Park on the Monday 19 May school holiday.
Anyone and everyone welcome – meet at midday at North Edinburgh Arts!
What’s the latest on the Partnership Centre?
It’s been talked about for so long, but there’s still no sign of the Neighbourhood Hub, or Partnership Centre as it’s now called, opening any time soon – so what’s happening? You can find out tomorrow (Wednesday 2 April) at an informal drop-in session at North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 3 – 7pm.
The public information and engagement event has been planned to give people the chance to find out more about plans for the proposed new North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre.
NHS Lothian is leading on the development of the new £12-million Centre and members of the project team will be available to explain the latest designs and answer any questions from the public.
Peter Gabbitas, Joint Director, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The plans for the proposed new North West Edinburgh Partnership centre are progressing well and we anticipate submitting the planning application in the next few months.
“I’d like to welcome the local public along to this open session in order to see the latest designs and have any questions answered by our project team. The Centre will enable NHS Lothian to work much more closely with the Council and in doing so put children’s health and welfare at the forefront of our services.”
The Centre will bring increased health and social care services to the local community, including new GP accommodation and additional physiotherapy, podiatry, dentistry and child health services.
The City of Edinburgh Council is currently developing the existing masterplan for the area surrounding the proposed North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre including the library, the mall, arts centre and Pennywell Road. In addition, through the Council’s 21st Century Homes programme, 34 homes are due to be completed at West Pilton Crescent by Autumn 2014.
A site start is expected during late spring/early summer 2014 on the first phase of the Pennywell regeneration, which will eventually provide a total of 719 homes for rent and sale with 356 for Council rent.
Hub South East Scotland Ltd, the Council and NHS Lothian’s development partner, has been involved in the regeneration planning for North West Edinburgh.
Paul McGirk, Chief Executive, said: “The Hub initiative is all about enabling the delivery of better, joined up services for communities. I would encourage as many people as possible to attend the event to find out more about this important development for their area.”
All welcome – there’s a free buffet and prize draw and you can also find out about regeneration progress across the wider area, too. Go on, get involved!
For further information email steven.whitton@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
tim.packer@edinburgh.gov.uk or henry.coyle@edinburgh.gov.uk
Full house for North Edinburgh’s Big Night Out
There wasn’t a spare seat in the theatre for North Edinburgh’s Big Night Out, organised by local group Power to the People, at North Edinburgh Arts last week. Over a hundred people from North Edinburgh and beyond enjoyed an evening of song, poetry, dance and drama.
Power to the People evolved from North Edinburgh Social History Group, local people who trawled through a huge volume of archive material to produce ‘Never Give Up’, a history of community activism in North Edinburgh.
Power to the People took this a stage further, and last Friday’s event was not only a celebration of the succesful conclusion of the course but also an opportunity to encourage wider activism.
Guests and visitors had an opportunity to visit art and photography exhibitions and view a video slideshow in North Edinburgh Arts’ galleries and cafe area before taking their seats in the theatre
There was a raft of strong performances on a special evening. North Edinburgh’s very own Timebank Choir got the show off to a rousing start and this was followed by poetry from Ian Moore and Anna Hutchison, two founding members of both the Social History and Power to the People groups.
If the early part of the programme was dominated by North Edinburgh’s more mature activists, the stage belonged to the next generation when students from Craigroyston Community High School performed a medley of music, prose and drama which almost brought the house down. The future’s bright …
The Craigroyston kids were a near impossible act to follow, but North Edinburgh’s Womens International Group did just that with a moving interpretation of a work by Pastor Niemoller.
The evening was not limited to performers from North Edinburgh, of course, and Scots machair Liz Lochhead was a very welcome guest. Scotland’s national poet remains as popular as ever and national treasure Liz delighted an appreciative audience with some of her earliest poems as well as her latest epistle – written especially for a cinema opening the following evening and hot off the press. North Edinburgh heard it first!
The talented Penny Stone brought a memorable evening to a fitting finale by leading the audience – young and not quite so young – in a medley of popular protest songs.
CLD worker Lynn McCabe, who supports the Power to the People group, said: “The group wanted the Big Night Out to achieve a number of things: celebrate the end of the Power to the People course and share what we’ve learned with a wider audience. We also wanted people to have a good night out and to enjoy the entertainment.
“The Big Night Out also gave us an opportunity to promote the arts and to raise awareness about the Referendum – we hope the event will promote further discussion and debate.
“It was great that the young people from Craigroyston played such an active part on the night and we would like to attract more young people as well as others of all ages who are not already involved.
Our hope was that the audience would leave feeling inspired, motivated to get involved and more committed to equality and defending what’s important. The Power to the People group wanted to get the message across that change is possible, that there is an alternative and that we can change the world!”
The group would like to thank:
- Jade and Subie for giving up their free time to produce their art work for the big night out (this was done on a voluntary basis outwith their course)
- Helen Foster at Scran and Claire the IT tutor at Royston Wardieburn for supporting the Power to the People group learn how to use this important resource to prepare the exhibition
- The Scotsman Publications, Gerry McCann and Duncan Brown for allowing us to use their photos for free
- Craigroyston Community High School for encouraging and supporting their pupils to participate in this community event
- The timebank choir
- All the staff at North Edinburgh Arts
- Royston Wardieburn Community Centre for paying for the transport to get people here and back tonight
- CLD for providing worker support and finance towards the cost of the event
- Plton Central Association
- Liz Lochhead for giving up her time to join us here tonight
- Joel Venet for filming the event
- Dave Pickering, MC for the night
- And finally, the Power to the People group for organising the event
The group will evaluate the Big Night Out when they next meet – changing the world may take a little longer!
Some Big Night Out pictures:
STOP PRESS: Joel Venet has prouced a short Big Night Out highlights video. You’ll find it on YouTube at North Edinburgh Fights Back – it’s called Celebrate2
Friday is North Edinburgh’s Big Night Out
Join North Edinburgh community activists – and special guest Scotland’s national poet Liz Lochhead – for a night of poetry, protest, music and laughter at North Edinburgh Arts this Friday …
£50 million boost for childcare
The Scottish Government is providing an extra £50 million to councils in 2014/15 for more free and flexible nursery care.
The Children and Young People Bill, which will be debated in Parliament today, will save parents of three and four year olds and the most vulnerable two year olds up to £700 a year, by providing more free time in nursery.
Councils will also have to ask parents about the nursery care they want for their child and offer a choice – for example two full days instead of a few hours every day – to help parents who want to return to work.
Minister for Children Aileen Campbell said:
“The £50.8 million we are giving councils will pay for more nursery care for local children, including all three and four year olds and the most vulnerable two year olds. We are working hard to help families and this will save parents up to £700 per child per year while the UK Government takes away from families, cutting their benefits by on average £700.
“This saving will help families manage household costs without compromising the quality of care their children receive or forcing parents to make difficult choices about whether they can afford nursery or other necessities.”
“By next year, all councils must ask parents what they want and offer more choice. Together with the extra hours, this could mean two full days of nursery a week instead of a few hours a morning or afternoon – giving Mums, in particular, more choices and supporting more women back into work or training.
“This is the best nursery care ever given to Scottish families. We are doing a great deal with the powers we have, but we want to do more. We want to have a childcare system among the best in Europe. The Bill is a first step towards this, but while the UK Government remains in control of tax and welfare, we will always be fighting the impact of decisions taken elsewhere.
“That is why we have also asked the Council of Economic Advisers to consider how we can use the powers of an independent Scotland to give an even better deal for children, parents and our economic future.”
Forum to focus on sustance use
Substance use in North Edinburgh is the main theme of next week’s Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum meeting, which will take place at 10am on Wednesday 23 October at North Edinburgh Arts.
The meeting offers an opportunity to hear from the organisations who work in this field and learn how your organisation can work more closely with them. Substances use impacts not just on the user but on families and the wider community too, so all local voluntary and community organisations are invited to join in the discussion.
For further information call EVOC’s Neighbourhood Partnership Development Officer Kate Kasprowicz on 555 9100 or email kate.kasprowicz@evoc.org.uk