The whole country should be proud of the qualifications gained by Scotland’s young people, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said this morning. Mr Swinney was speaking as around 136,000 students across Scotland receive their results for a wide range of SQA qualifications including National 5, Highers and SQA Awards. Early indications are that results in Edinburgh are positive, with improvements in key areas. Continue reading Results Day: Higher passes exceed 150,000 for third year in a row
It’s Wardie Bay Beachwatch #6 this coming Saturday and the team is growing nicely (writes KAREN BATES). We have the promise of a deposit return scheme thanks to every last soul who played a part in pushing for that welcome announcement. Let’s keep going and begin to focus on the life on our beaches, not the waste. Continue reading Wardie Bay Beachwatch this Saturday
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the winner of the ‘First Mentor’ competition yesterday – Charlotte Liddell of Buckhaven in Fife. Launched on International Women’s Day in March, the initiative will see the successful applicant mentored by the First Minister for a period of one year – and it is designed to highlight the importance of women in leadership roles mentoring young women. Continue reading Charlotte is First Mentee
A plan to improve the way the Council carries out road repairs is set to go before councillors this week. A report on the Roads Services Improvement Plan, which will be considered by the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday, states that: “the Council needs to maintain a high-quality road network to ensure the safety of road users, to ensure road users can freely travel around our network and to protect the overall appearance of Edinburgh as a city”.
Continue reading Getting it fixed first time: new plan to improve city’s roads
Today is SQA results day
A free national helpline offering advice, information and support for young people and their parents has gone live, ahead of SQA results day. Skills Development Scotland’s (SDS) free helpline will be open from 8am until 8pm today and tomorrow (Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 August) and from 9am until 5pm from 10 to 16 August. The number to call is 0808 100 8000. Continue reading Exam Results Helpline ready for calls
A talented young performer from Cramond is currently making his professional debut in a popular musical at the world’s largest arts festival.
Alistair Robertson has secured a role in a new production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 21-year-old recently graduated with a diploma in Musical Theatre from The MGA Academy of Performing Arts in Edinburgh and will spend his summer taking to the stage as part of the fun show, which will run at the city’s C Too venue throughout August.
The hilarious off-Broadway musical, which explores the relationships between the quirky tenants of the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, has been given a new lease of life from Beyond Broadway Productions and the team behind 2015’s standout Fringe hit Zanna, Don’t!
Alistair, a former pupil of Stewart’s Melville College, explained: “The Great American Trailer Park Musical is a very high-octane show featuring lots of country-style music. I am playing a character called Duke who is a young anarchist who is chasing after his ex-girlfriend who has gone on the run. He is the villain of the show and playing him has been great fun.”
Alistair (above) has spent the past four years honing his craft at the renowned Edinburgh institution, which earlier this year became the first full-time professional training academy in Scotland to be awarded accreditation by CDET, the UK’s quality assurance and membership body for the professional dance, drama and musical theatre industries.
He said: “I have had so many great opportunities whilst training at The MGA Academy. I have learnt so much and gained lots of practical experience which I think will help me when it comes to moving to London and auditioning for more professional jobs. Ideally, I’d like to gain employment as a performer in the musical theatre industry but I’d also eventually like to work as a director.”
Andrew Gowland, Director of The Great American Trailer Park and Managing Director of The MGA Academy, said: “Everyone at The MGA Academy is very proud of Alistair and all he has achieved since he started training with us. We are confident that the training he has received here will ensure he goes on to be a great success in the future and we look forward to supporting him during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.”
He continued: “We are currently accepting applications for places on our full-time diploma courses. Our next set of auditions will take place on Sunday 13 August in central Edinburgh and we would welcome applications from anyone with similar aspirations to Alistair. Application forms can be downloaded from our website.”
Recent graduates of The MGA Academy include Disney film star Thomas Doherty (The Lodge, Descendents 2) and West End star Fergal McGoff (Matilda, Mamma Mia and The Bodyguard).
The Great American Trailer Park Musical runs daily as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from Tuesday 3 August to Monday 28 August, 8.40-10.15pm at C Too (St Columba’s by the Castle, Johnston Terrace). Tickets, priced £13.50/£11.50, can be purchased via edfringe.com or via 0131 226 0000.
In a Scottish first, professional football clubs in all four of the SPFL divisions have teamed up to better include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people by signing up to the Scottish LGBT Sports Charter. Continue reading Level playing field: Scottish football clubs support LGBT charter
People in the UK are to have more control over their personal data and be better protected in the digital age under new measures announced by Digital Minister Matt Hancock today. Continue reading UK Government to strengthen data protection laws
Saturday 19 August: 11am – 2pm
VOCAL is looking for supporters to take part in the 2017 Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday 17 September and help raise funds for carers. Registration is open now and there are plenty of spaces still available.
This year the Hunter Foundation is giving every charity a 40% bonus for every £100 raised – that means that VOCAL will receive £140 for every £100 you raise!
VOCAL counselling service manager Lorraine MacKenzie is taking part to celebrate a significant birthday this year, and she urges others to join her.
Lorraine said: “To celebrate my birthday, as well as taking up running, I’ve signed up to do the Kiltwalk for VOCAL. The more people we can get to take part, the better it will be for everybody because we’ll get an extra 40% donation for every £100 each person raises. It will just make such a difference to carers to get that extra money.”
Join Lorraine in the Kiltwalk on Sunday 17 September:
Register here and choose VOCAL as your nominated charity.
