Category: North Edinburgh News

Edinburgh College graduates nominated for New Talent awards

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Three Edinburgh College TV graduates will walk the red carpet at the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards later this month after receiving nominations for their film and writing work.

Michal Wdowiak, Wayne Mazadza and Scott Willis – all graduates from the HND Television course at the college – have made the list of nominees for the awards, which celebrate the best rising talent in Scottish film, TV and game production.

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Michal has been shortlisted in the Editor and Writer categories for a short drama, Yogi, which he shot in Edinburgh last summer during his time at Edinburgh College. Yogi (above) tells the story of a man who wanders the streets, breaking into flats in search of food and comfort.

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Scott is nominated in the Factual category for his personal documentary Dear Peter, (above) inspired by his journey to track down the owner of a collection of handwritten postcards. Dear Peter is also the winner of the Scottish Audience Award at this year’s Glasgow Short Film Festival.

Wayne is nominated in the Editor category for Microcosm, a documentary he made since graduating from the college. The story is told first-hand by a man called Colin, who reflects on his past life and his home in Hamilton Wynd.

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Michal and Wayne both graduated from Edinburgh College last year, and Scott completed the same course in 2010.

Michal is now employed as a cinematographer for a production company, The Gate Films, in Manchester. Wayne is in year two of his studies at Edinburgh College of Art, while Scott finished at ECA two years ago and continues to produce his own films that have been televised and screened at international film festivals.

He said: “I am incredibly pleased to be nominated for the BAFTA award for my final college drama – I definitely didn’t expect to be nominated as a writer. This was the first script I have ever written and English is not my first language. I hope it is a good sign for the future.

“I had just moved to a different city for work after college and I was busy settling in. I owe my lecturer Fergus Robb a big thank you for mentioning this opportunity to me.”

Scott said: “Dear Peter is a documentary that’s very personal to me so the nomination has encouraged me to remain honest to my vision as a filmmaker. I am grateful to have studied at Edinburgh College. Fergus was influential in developing my understanding of storytelling and gave me practical knowledge on how to communicate through moving image.”

Fergus Robb, Creative Industries lecturer at the college added: “These guys were all excellent and highly motivated students, and aware of the opportunity the course afforded them to develop their skills and explore their potential as filmmakers. I’m delighted to see them do so well.”

The BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards 2016 take place on Thursday 14 April at Drygate Brewery in Glasgow.

Yogi, Michal Wdowiak – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsqD7a-lDU4

Dear Peter, Scott Willis – https://smlwillis.wordpress.com/dear-peter/

Microcosm, Wayne Mazadza – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThDCuQUkn-M&feature=youtu.be&a

Too much information? Autism Awareness Week

World Autism Awareness Week

Saturday 2 – Friday 8 April

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As many as two-thirds of people with autism feel socially isolated, according to a new report. Research by charity The National Autistic Society Scotland has found poor public understanding of the condition is making some feel socially isolated and trapped in their own homes. Continue reading Too much information? Autism Awareness Week

Total Craigroyston checks out

What’s Total Craigroyston ever done for this community? Well, quite a lot, actually …

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Total Craigroyston, the council-led agency formed to tackle deep-rooted children and family problems in North Edinburgh, wound up last week with a ‘Checking Out’ event at Pilton Youth & Children’s Project. Continue reading Total Craigroyston checks out

WATCH out! New see-saw at The Yard!

Blackhall St Columba’s raise over £11,000 for The Yard

Photo 1 See Saw Unveiling with Members of Blackhall St Columba's Watch Committee low res

Disabled children and young people at The Yard in Edinburgh were delighted when their new playground see-saw opened last weekend in time for Easter, thanks to funds raised by Blackhall St Columba’s Church’s WATCH Committee. Continue reading WATCH out! New see-saw at The Yard!

Kirkgate Crusher: “You grunt, I’ll groan”

Surprising new career for Leith’s popular parliamentarian

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What does a parliamentarian do when it’s time to walk away from front-line politics? Some take up directorships, some retire gracefully to spend more time with their families while others write newspaper columns, memoirs and novels. Continue reading Kirkgate Crusher: “You grunt, I’ll groan”

Last call for Holyrood candidates

Thinking of standing in the Holyrood election? Then you’d better get your skates on!

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Nominations close today for candidates to stand in next month’s Scottish Parliamentary Election – and papers must be submitted by 4pm.

The Notice of Election was published on 14 March for Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western Constituencies plus the Lothian Region.

In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, which are available on the Council website, by Friday, 1 April.

The Scottish Parliamentary Election will take place on Thursday 5 May when people living across Scotland will elect MSPs to represent them at Holyrood.

Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh and Regional Returning Officer for the Lothian Region, said: “The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period. The forthcoming election will enable the city’s residents to have their say, and I would take this opportunity to urge all citizens to use their vote.

“We are keen to continue the enthusiasm demonstrated by voters during the UK Parliamentary Election last year and the Scottish Referendum in 2014, including the 16 and 17-year-olds who will be able to vote for the first time. Anyone unsure about how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can find more information on the Council website.”

More than 84% of the city’s residents voted in the Scottish Independence Referendum in September 2014, which also saw a record-breaking turnout across the country. At the UK Parliamentary Election in May 2015 turnout in the capital stayed high, at an average of 73% across Edinburgh’s five constituencies.

On 5 May it will be the first time that 16 and 17-year-olds can vote in a Parliamentary election after the Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Bill was passed last year.

While most people who registered to vote in time for the UK Parliamentary Election will still be eligible to take part in the Scottish Parliament Election in May, first time voters or anyone who has since moved house will need to register again. Continue reading Last call for Holyrood candidates

April garden plant of the month: Million Bells (Calibrachoa)

For an instant injection of summer

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Ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes and pots, and it also does very well in borders amongst other ground covering plants.  Wherever you place them, their colourful trumpets perform a summer samba that lasts well into the autumn. Continue reading April garden plant of the month: Million Bells (Calibrachoa)

Guttied: celebrating Sapotaceae

Nature Mother of Invention exhibition at the Botanics

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It’s been dubbed ‘the most important plant family you’ve never heard of’ and visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) can discover just how much we have relied upon Sapotaceae for everything from plimsolls and golf balls to intercontinental communication – and continue to exploit it with advancements in skin care and miracle sweeteners.

Even the iconic hornbill bird has a place in Nature Mother of Invention, the major exhibition in the John Hope Gateway.

With an underlying premise that creativity and invention do not flourish in isolation, the exhibition uses Sapotaceae to explore the ongoing fascination for life enhancing – and life-sustaining – products that have influenced the world since Victorian times.

The main vehicle for this fun and informative excursion is the “gutty” or, to be accurate, several pairs of gutties as remembered particularly, if not fondly, by individuals who had the cheap plimsolls forced upon them as young children.

This is an exhibition brimming over with “human” stories to engage all ages, as RBGE tropical botanist and Sapotaceae expert Dr Peter Wilkie explained: “This is a large family of trees and shrubs, first brought to the attention of Europeans in the mid-17thcentury and the latex produced by these plants is a good example of the innovation and – the implications – that come from exploitation (and over exploitation) of nature. The basis of the ‘gutty’ was not the natural rubber of today but gutta-percha, the latex produced by trees of the genus Palaquium, from the family Sapotaceae. Unlike the elastic natural rubber, gutta-percha is malleable when heated and retains its shape when cooled.

“As a result it has been useful for a wealth of objects both ornamental and utilitarian – from the aforementioned plimsoll to dental filler and jewellery. However, probably the greatest impact on the modern world has been as the basis for under-sea telegraph cables laid from 1857 to allow intercontinental telecommunications and, more recently, the internet.

Other members of the Spapotaceae family featuring in the exhibition range from Shea butter from the Vitellaria paradoxa tree to Argan oil from kernels of the argan tree, endemic to Morocco and miracle berry – Synsepalum dulcificum – the fruit that, when eaten, causes sour foods such as lemons and limes to taste sweet. Interactive piece include an invitation to try your hand at Morse code.