North Edinburgh News – Page 3647 – The NEN

Traditional music sessions cap Year of Homecoming

SCOTLAND comes alive with traditional music and song this Autumn as the Homecoming Scotland 2014 Sessions begin their nationwide programme.

Presented by the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA), with support from Homecoming Scotland 2014 and Creative Scotland, around 250 traditional Scottish music and song sessions will take place throughout the country until the December festive period, rounding off this Year of Homecoming.

Regular sessions are starting up in many corners of Scotland; from Inverness and Elgin in the north, to Dumfries and Newton Stewart in the south. With many more being added regularly, head to www.tmsa.org.uk to find full listings, as well as details of other traditional music and song events taking place throughout Scotland.

Fiona Campbell, TMSA convener said: “Sessions are traditional music in its simplest form – informal and regular meetings of singers and musicians, with an emphasis on inclusion, sharing and fun! At a Homecoming Scotland 2014 Session, we have arranged for a couple of musicians to keep the tunes and songs flowing to help people join in, to create a great social gathering, free to all. We encourage locals and visitors to come along and take part, soak up the atmosphere, and experience great folk on your doorstep.”

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “I welcome this lively and inclusive addition to the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme, that is shining a light on Scotland’s rich and deep cultural heritage. The sessions will celebrate Scottish traditional music, which is a key part of our culture and national identity.

“The programme offers a wonderful opportunity for people to take part in traditional music sessions around Scotland through informal and regular meetings of singers and musicians. Congratulations to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) for presenting these sessions with support from Creative Scotland and Homecoming Scotland 2014.”

This year’s session programme is already jam-packed, with events taking place the length and breadth of Scotland as the 2014 homecoming celebrations enter their latter months. Alongside the TMSA’s comprehensive guide of traditional and folk events, Homecoming Scotland 2014’s listings can be found atwww.homecomingscotland.com.

For further information on the sessions, to find one near you, or to host a regular session, contact the TMSA national office, email office@tmsa.org.uk or visit www.tmsa.org.uk for event listings.

Edinburgh confirmed:

The Dalriada, 77 The Promenade, Portobello, Edinburgh, EH15 2EL. Sessions: Wednesday, 9pm – 12pm

No 1 High Street, 1 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR. Sessions: Thursdays, 8.30pm – 11pm

more to follow

Inspired by design

There’s more to fashion than meets the eye, says Broughton High School student Layan Degachi:

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel.

I certainly agree with this exceedingly influential artist’s view on fashion and the way she interprets it as more than just as a trivial interest or a superficial obsession. There’s so much more behind it.

People may have different views regarding fashion; they might say it’s an unhealthy obsession or ridiculously shallow, but in reality it’s the complete opposite of that. Why should people who enjoy fashion be automatically labelled as gullible or empty-headed? In fact working in fashion is one of the most demanding fields there is. It requires cleverness, originality, insight and the ability to inspire. It comes with specific skills, a sense of creativeness and commands for long hours of hard work.

“Fashion is so close in revealing a person’s inner feelings and everybody seems to hate to lay claim to vanity so people tend to push it away. It’s really too close to the quick of the soul.” – Stella Blum.

Fashion allows the freedom of self expression and so plays an increasingly important role in an individual’s life. The garments and accessories that man or woman wear, help them to identify with a group of others whether it’s a lifestyle, profession, a religion or an attitude.

“Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to be.” – Blair Waldorf.

Fashion is something everyone can relate to and for me it is fascinating in this sense. For many years now I’ve found myself so easily and intensely drawn into it. I’m fascinated by the detail that goes into fashion items; I admire and find inspiration in everything around me so much that it has become a distinguished part of my identity and I just can’t imagine how life would be without the enchanting effect that fashion spreads.

I find that what you’re wearing can also reflect on how other people see you. For example a specific choice of colour can show your personality or mood. Different styles of clothes are assigned meaning in the same way words are. For example a suit and tie are always associated with formality and a willingness to treat other people with some degree of respect as well as expecting to be treated the same way in return.

Fashion is culture and history. The evolution of fashion dates back to several hundred years and as our attitude and culture change, fashion comes along with it. From Victorian times when dresses were layered and made with heavy fabric to around the 1900s – changing to elegant and extremely long dresses, a time for men and woman wearing fancy hats, influenced by the cultural trends and events of the time.

Fashion continues to change during each new and unique era to match different seasons, keeping in mind people’s demands and needs from all age groups. Therefore even though it may be stereotyped as otherwise; fashion is not only for young people, it’s for everyone.

As an industry it has a hige impact on the economy. In 2010 the UK fashion industry was worth £ 21 billion – that went up to £ 26 billion in 2014. The ‘value of the UK fashion industry’ report commissioned by the British Fashion Council emphasizes the importance of the contribution of fashion towards the economy and events such as London fashion week attracting millions of visitors to the UK every year. It states that 816,000 people are employed in the UK fashion industry across a wide range of all the creative industries and it’s the 15th largest industry (out of 81) in the UK.

There is so much more to fashion. If you may think you’re not involved in it at all I ask; do you get dressed every morning? One breathes and lives fashion without awareness. You might consider that it doesn’t relate to your job or the routine of your daily life but this is not the case: fashion is all around us.

Think from the work uniform you put on in the very morning to the buildings and different architecture you see on your way out to school or work, all the small details, the designs you come across every day in your wardrobe, house, office, culture and environment. Fashion is a captivating, mesmerizing and critical part of life.

When thinking of fashion, the astounding, countless thoughts that sparkle up in my mind are best described by my favourite quote from the extraordinary designer, Oleg Cassini: “Fashion; a mirror of the time in which we live, a translation of the future and should never be static.” This supports and adds to my argument that fashion can go much deeper and beyond mere aesthetics. There’s more to it than meets the eye.

Layan Degachi

Ebola: ‘lifeline of care’ delivered to Sierra Leone

Britain’s latest Ebola aid flight – delivering beds, personal protection suits, tents and vehicles – landed in Sierra Leone capital Freetown yesterday, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has confirmed.

Aid flights from the UK to Sierra Leone have delivered personnel and vital supplies for the construction and operation of the 92 bed treatment facility in Kerry Town – the first of at least five that the UK is building in the country from scratch.

A team of British military personnel – including logisticians, planners and engineers – are currently on the ground to oversee the construction of the treatment centre.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “The UK continues to deliver essential supplies to control and defeat the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.

“This aid will go towards getting the UK’s treatment facility up and running as soon as possible. It will also ensure that heroic health workers working on the front line have the very best protection equipment available to tackle this terrible disease.

“Construction of our treatment centre is now well underway and the first phase will be operational soon. This will provide a lifeline of care to Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.”

Aid supplies delivered so far include: 20 vehicles including ambulances; 75 water tanks; 3 incinerators for disposing of clothing and other materials; 12 generators; personal protection equipment; radio equipment; lighting sets; chlorine for sanitation; latrine slabs; temporary warehouse tents; 14 air conditioning units and isolator equipment.

The vehicles will be used to move blood samples and patients from local communities to the treatment centre. Further aid supplies will be deployed from the Department for International Development’s emergency warehouse in Kemble, Gloucestershire.

The UK has pledged £125 million to support the global effort to contain, control and defeat the disease in Sierra Leone. This includes support for 700 Ebola treatment beds which will provide direct medical care up to 8,800 patients over six months and help to shore up the country’s stretched public health services as they battle to contain the disease. This includes vital supplies such as chlorine and protective clothing for thousands of health workers.

Government to invest £224 million to tackle fuel poverty

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that the Scottish Government is set to invest millions in a new national fuel poverty scheme. She made the announcement as she launched a campaign aimed at helping people reduce their winter fuel bills.

The Government will shortly be inviting bids for a contract, worth up to £224 million over seven years, to deliver a new national fuel poverty scheme from 2015.

The new scheme will deliver energy efficiency measures such as better insulation and heating systems, helping to create warmer and greener homes for thousands of Scots.

The announcement comes as a campaign is launched encouraging Scots to take advantage of free help which is available now to reduce their winter fuel bills.

The Home Energy Scotland campaign seeks to provide householders with free and impartial advice on support to help cut energy bills, whatever their circumstances.

Launching the campaign, the Deputy First Minister said: “It takes just one phone call to the Home Energy Scotland hotline to see if you can save money on winter fuel bills, and I would encourage people to call the hotline on 0808 808 2282, or visit the HES website.

“Anyone can get energy efficiency advice and find out what’s available to them, and many others can also qualify for energy saving improvements such as insulation, boilers or central heating for free.

“Rising energy bills remain a huge concern for the Scottish Government and fuel poverty is still a major issue in Scotland, with over 27 per cent of households affected.

“It is a scandal that there should be any fuel poverty in an energy-rich country like Scotland, and that is why I am delighted to announce a contract worth up to £224 million over seven years for the delivery of a new national fuel poverty scheme from 2015.

“This will build on the success of the Energy Assistance Scheme, which has provided over 46,000 vulnerable households with heating and/or insulation measures over the past five years.

“This long term contract will help thousands more households over the next few years, and is testament to our commitment to helping Scots escape fuel poverty.”

visit www.homeenergyscotland.org.uk

or call 0808 808 2282 for more information

Job help at Fort Kinnaird on Tuesday

Are you looking for a job coming up to Christmas? Want to get in to retail or hospitality but not sure how? Think you are lacking in skills to get your foot in the door?

Edinburgh College are hosting a learning and recruitment event at Fort Kinnaird on Tuesday (14 October) with opportunities that could be a real help to you.

Come and meet representatives from a range of organisations that can advise and support you with applications, CV’s, interviews, training and skills development and more.

Find out first-hand how a job in these industries can turn into a real career. And about the learning and courses that can get as far as you want to go.

Companies with vacancies include:

Odeon IMAX

Frankie & Benny’s

TGI Friday’s

Pizza Express

Fat Face

Argos

Beaverbrooks

Boots

Carphone Warehouse

Game

Clarks

Toys R Us

Vision Express

H&M

The Perfume Shop

Starbucks

Next

Marks & Spencer

Mamas & Papas

ScS

TK Maxx

Fort Kinnaird event – FINAL

Please see poster (above) for full details. We look forward to seeing you!

Jennifer Kelly

Community Liaison, Edinburgh College

Have your say on e-cigarettes

Scottish Government launches consultation on smoking regulations

The Scottish Government is seeking views on a number of potential changes to the regulation of electronic cigarettes and strengthening tobacco control in Scotland.

Members of the public and other interested parties are invited to give their views on a number of measures. The consultation responses will inform the development of any future legislation.

Respondents will be asked whether they think sale of e-cigarettes should be banned for those under 18. Currently there is no legal age limit for the devices. This would also include making it an offence for an adult to buy e-cigarettes for someone under age, so called proxy purchase.

The consultation will look at the establishment of restrictions on domestic advertising, which could include billboards, leafleting, brand-sharing, free distribution, nominal pricing, point of sale and events sponsorship.

The consultation includes the proposal that it should be illegal to smoke in a car if there is a child on board. This would apply if anyone under 18 was in the vehicle. The paper will also ask whether local authorities should be able to set up smoke-free zones around outdoor children’s play parks to protect children from second-hand smoke.

Another option on the table is to make it a statutory obligation for all NHS grounds to be smoke free. The Scottish Government has asked boards to do this by April 2015, but only on a voluntary basis.

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, said: “Electronic cigarettes are relatively new, and there is very little regulation of their sale and use. This consultation is the first step towards proper regulation of the devices in Scotland. We will carefully consider the responses and decide what are the most appropriate next steps.

“It is very important we consider the restrictions on all forms of advertising on e-cigarettes, which I know is a concern to many.

“There are also some measures here to further protect children from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. This year we launched our Take it Right Outside campaign, which urges people not to smoke near children. We have set a target to halve the number of children exposed to second-hand smoke by 2020, but we are actively looking at whether there is any further legislation that could help us to achieve this target.”

To implement the tobacco products directive UK-wide health departments have already agreed to consult on regulations for cross-border advertising of e-cigarettes, including TV, radio and internet. The consultation document can be viewed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/10/5471

The consultation will run for 12 weeks and close on 2 January 2015

Fire festival spreads to Mound

This year’s Samhuinn Fire Festival, the event held in Edinburgh every Halloween to mark the end of summer and beginning of winter, is to move beyond its usual Royal Mile route and will now climax at the Mound Precinct.

With more than 6,000 spectators last year, the Beltane Fire Society event has become so popular it’s had to move its finale to its new city centre location by Princes Street, so thousands more people can watch the spectacle and mark the turning seasons.

The celebration will begin at 9pm on Friday 31 October at the High Street, with a procession of drums, fire and characters from celtic lore making their way from the High Street at the Royal Mile, down Cockburn Street, and on to the stage at the Mound Precinct for the final battle between the forces of Summer and Winter.

Sara Thomas, event co-ordinator said: “It’s great to be taking Samhuinn to the very heart of the city this year. The extra space at the stage on the Mound Precinct means we can make the event more spectacular than ever, and far more people will be able to see every moment. It’s an incredible event, fantastic to watch – even more so given all the performers are volunteers, we don’t get any formal funding, and the audience can turn up on the night with no need to buy tickets – just make a donation to our lovely Bucketeers.”

Becky Salter, playing the key role of the Cailleach in the event, said: “Samhuinn is a wonderful event to be part of, full of fire, drums and excitement. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world. We want the people of Edinburgh to share it with us, to join us in marking the end of Summer and the rise of Winter – and this extended route will mean far more people can witness it all.”

Attendance at Samhuinn Fire Festival is by donation on the night, with no ticket needed.

The event is organised by the Beltane Fire Society, a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.

Samhuinn Fire Festival is a modern ‘re-imagining’ of an ancient celtic festival marking the end of summer and rise of winter. The modern event has been held in Edinburgh since 1995. Its spring and summer counterpart, Beltane, takes place on Calton Hill on the last day of April each year, and has been running since 1988.

Sculpture Workshop to unveil stunning new building

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop to launch Creative Laboratories next month

**Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop will proudly unveil the new Creative Laboratories building – an architecturally stunning facility specifically designed for sculptors – on 20 November.**

Situated on old railway sidings in Newhaven, Creative Laboratories will create a cultural hub, dedicated to the research and production of contemporary visual art.

Designed by Sutherland Hussey Architects as an inspiring environment where artists can make and present work, the new facility is equipped with viewing and meeting spaces designed to bring audiences closer to the art being made. It will feature a 22.5m high triangular tower, a dramatic new addition to Edinburgh’s iconic skyline.

The building has been fully funded by the Arts Funding Prize for Edinburgh administered by Foundation Scotland by means of an anonymous £3 million donation.

Irene Kernan, director of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) said: “This is an amazing opportunity for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop which will enable us to fulfil our ambitions to create a world class sculpture centre in the city.

We are very fortunate to have an internationally renowned architectural practise on our doorstop in Sutherland Hussey Architects. The Arts Funding Prize represents a major investment in future generations of artists and will be a major resource for our local community in Newhaven as well as the city as a whole.”

A single-storey pavilion surrounds an outdoor courtyard linking a series of internal and external environments for events and the production and exhibition of work; Incorporating sculpture bays, project spaces, and a foundry the new facilities will complement those already in use at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop’s Bill Scott Sculpture Centre, also designed by Sutherland Hussey, which opened in July 2012.

To mark the beginning of ESW’s new International programme, Johanna Billing will be in residence in November. A print commission by Miranda Blennerhassett and Bronze edition by Kate Ive will also launch with the opening of the new building.

At the heart of the new facility the tower is a statement of ESW’s progressive, interdisciplinary ambition. It will house a new sound commission by Tommy Perman, Simon Kirby and Rob St John and will act both as a visual and cultural beacon attracting visitors to the complex.

This large outdoor arena will enable sculptors to make ambitiously-scaled pieces while a public cafe overlooking the courtyard will encourage greater interaction with the wider area.

Nick Clegg: time to talk about mental health

A message from Deputy Prime Minister to mark

World Mental Health Day

The Deputy Prime Minister said:

It’s astounding that, in this day and age, when millions of us spend so much time blogging, tweeting and updating our Facebook status, there’s still one issue that we all hesitate to talk about – our mental health.

This is despite the fact that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health condition each year. We’re talking about people from every walk of life: mums, dads, sisters, brothers, pensioners, and teenagers… the list goes on.

If we broke an arm or a leg, we’d happily chat to our family, friends and work colleagues about the pain, inconvenience and treatment involved. But substitute that broken bone for anxiety or depression and, because of the stigma still associated with mental health, it’s harder for many to find the right words.

This World Mental Health Day, you can help us change that.

In this coalition government, the Liberal Democrats have worked hard to close the gap between the treatment of physical health and mental health in the NHS: increasing access to talking therapies for those who need them; transforming the help children can get as they move into adulthood; and now, for the first-time ever, introducing NHS waiting time standards for mental health conditions, alongside investing £120 million to improve services.

But you don’t need to be a health expert or politician to do your bit. A quick chat over a cup of tea, a supportive text or phone call or a friendly word to ask if everything’s okay – today, all these things could make a massive difference.

So, if you know someone struggling with a mental health problem, pop on the kettle or pick up your phone now – let’s give them the support they need to live the life they want.

You can find further information and advice to help you at: www.time-to-change.org.uk.

It’s time for all of us to talk about mental health.

Septemberfest in focus

Last month’s Septemberfest proved as popular as ever, with over three thousand people attending the event. We asked Broughton High School photography students to capture the day in pictures – and the Septemberfest snappers have done a fine job!

Some of their images will appear in the NEN due out next week, but there simply wasn’t room for them all so I’ve reproduced over sixty of their finest here.

Enjoy, and thank you Hayley-Anne Amm, Hannah Cazaly, Natalie Drywa, Aillidh Gladstone-Wallace and Eric Vaskala!