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Award-winning theatre company seeks young performers

Creative Electric Young Company are creating a new piece of theatre, Flux, and are looking to cast young performers aged 16-22yrs.

Flux noun
1. a flowing or flow.
2. continuous change, passage, or movement:
3. a performance by Creative Electric which is subject to change, is yet unknown!

Creative Electric is a critically acclaimed, award winning company who create contemporary performance based on real experiences. Often their work is interactive, sometimes its personal, at times it’s one to one.

Their work has been performed in both Scotland and Sweden, in theatres, studios, skate parks, nightclubs, on trains, in fields, city centre squares and on rooftops!

They are dedicated to working with young and emerging performers and so run a young company in Edinburgh for artists age 16+. Creative Electric Young Company have showcased their work at the Bongo Lives Festival Edinburgh, The National Festival of Youth Theatre (2010, 2011 & 2012) and the National Theatre of Scotland’s Exchange 2010 as well as performing in their resident space The Bongo Club.

Flux will be devised and performed by Creative Electric Young Company. Workshops will take place on Wednesday evenings 7-9pm at The Bongo Club. Young company members pay a fee of just £5 per week for workshops with bursaries (free places!) always available.

There are two start dates for new performers: Wednesday 10th September & Wednesday 17th September.

For more information or to register your interest please email Heather at Creative_electric@hotmail.com

New exhibition reveals ‘another world’ of Scottish film

Changing experiences of childhood documented on film

Films and videos shot by some of Scotland’s pioneering amateur filmmakers will be showcased in a new exhibition now open at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Museum of Childhood.

This new archive has been developed through a four year research project undertaken by experts at the University of Glasgow. They have helped locate over 2,000 home movies, fiction films and sponsored documentaries made in Scotland throughout the twentieth century.

The project, entitled ‘Children and Amateur Media in Scotland’, charted the changing experiences of childhood. Together the films offer a unique and important insight into Scotland’s hidden cultural history.

It shows how children were represented by amateur filmmakers throughout the twentieth century, how they became film-makers themselves, and offers our only visual window into many domestic and community scenes, now lost, but once familiar to many.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of Culture and Sport at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The Museum of Childhood is one of Edinburgh’s most loved museums with an extraordinary collection of toys and games. For over 50 years, the museum has charted the changing environments children have grown up in, and the different ways they have played.

“The films involved give a fascinating glimpse into the past and the exhibition will perfectly complement the existing collections, while offering something completely new for visitors.”

Professor Karen Lury, Professor of Film & Television Studies and Principal Investigator of the project said: “What we have discovered is that there is ‘another world’ of Scottish film – many, many amateur film-makers, community arts workers and school teachers all making films that reveal a lively and imaginative culture that deserves to be celebrated. The industry and creativity of these amateur film-makers – young and old – rivals the professional industry in Scotland in terms of its global reach and historic importance.”

“We believe that when brought together, the resources produced through this project will create a unique and compelling visual document of Scottish popular history and of Scottish childhood that otherwise would have been lost.”

Working in collaboration with the Scottish Screen Archive, researchers have made these films available for study by experts and for public enjoyment via the SSA’s online catalogue.

The archive will allow the children of today to look back in time to see the culture and society that their parents and grandparents experienced as part of their own childhood.

The free exhibition will run until 18 May 2015 at the Museum of Childhood.

Click the link to Find out more information on the ‘Children in Amateur Media in Scotland’ project.

Lazarowicz backs ‘bedroom tax’ amendment

Mark Lazarowicz MP has joined Labour colleagues in giving a partial welcome to a Private Members’ Bill being debated today in the UK Parliament designed to exempt some people from the so-called ‘bedroom tax’.

The Housing Reform Act 2012 included the removal of the spare room subsidy, which means that social tenants can see their housing benefit cut severely where they are deemed to be occupying a property larger than they need.

The Bill is being introduced by Andrew George, LibDem MP for St Ives, and although committed to abolition of the bedroom tax the Labour Opposition is aiming to strengthen it as a step towards that.

The North and Leith MP said: “The Bill is welcome in so far as it goes in seeking to exempt some people hit by the bedroom tax and in encouraging the building of new affordable housing but the real answer is simple: scrap the bedroom tax as Labour is committed to do.

“This unfair and vicious policy has left vulnerable tenants like disabled people and their carers under threat of having to move and the Government has been forced to apply sticking plaster to the wound it has caused by increasing discretionary housing payments in dribs and drabs.

“It is all very well for some LibDem MPs to be calling for the bedroom tax to be modified to exempt them a few months before the UK General Election – if they had opposed it from the start, the government would not have been able to bring it in at all!

“The real answer to the desperate shortage of affordable housing is not to victimise existing social tenants but to tackle it at root by building more of it.”

Talking about regeneration

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Community Councils are in the process of developing an event focussing on the wider regeneration of the area to take place on Saturday 27 September from 10am – 2pm in Edinburgh College Granton Campus.

We are currently working to bring together the community, landowners, the Council and its partners to share information about current and future regeneration plans and any opportunities that this can bring. This will also be an opportunity to learn of where key community aspects such as health, leisure, environment and social benefits are linked into any future developments.

It is intended that the event outcomes will help shape proposals wherever possible and keep people informed with what is happening in the Forth neighbourhood. It should also support the creation of a new vision for the area and potentially establish a wider Forth Regeneration Development Group.

We are awaiting confirmation of key speakers and felt that it was important to gauge interest in the event . I would be grateful therefore if you could use the link below to let me know if you and/or colleagues will be interesting in attending. A light lunch will be available on the day.

Please use this link to note interest. Responses will be checked regularly.

Further information is available from Michelle Fraser 529 3150 or myself.

Scott Donkin

Plastic carrier bags to help keep Scotland beautiful

Supermarket chain Tesco has announced that the environmental charities Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Wales Tidy will benefit from an estimated £1.8m raised from carrier bag charges.

Compulsory charging for plastic carrier bags is to be introduced in Scotland next month. It is already in force in Wales, where it has raised more than £2.3m to support wildlife charity RSPB’s conservation work since 2011.

More than 27,000 Tesco customers took part in the vote to choose the beneficiaries of the levy, which is expected to be worth about £1m in Scotland and about £800,000 in Wales. Both charities, which were chosen from a list of 120 organisations, are planning to use the money to fund a variety of projects to keep local communities clean, green and tidy. The partnerships will run from 20 October 2014 for at least a year.

Greg Sage, community director for Tesco, said: “Our customers are the ones who will pay the charge, so we really wanted them to choose the charities that will benefit from it. The response was had was absolutely incredible – 27,000 people voted which is a fantastic turnout.

“Since 2011, the carrier bag levy in Wales has raised over £2.3 million for the local RSPB, which has been used for vital conservation work. Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Wales Tidy now have a fantastic opportunity to use the money raised from the bag charge to make a real difference to the communities they serve.”

Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), said: “This is fantastic news for KSB and a tremendous opportunity for Scotland, a country whose people, organisations and institutions have really wrapped their arms around KSB and shown that they care about their environment by voting for Scotland’s own environmental charity.

“We would like to thank everyone who voted for us. We cannot wait to get started. Lots of local community groups and organisations that work in partnership with us, from all across Scotland, will benefit from this funding.”

Nominations also opened this week for the 2014 Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards Scheme, worth £200,000. The scheme will make one-off donations of between £500 and £2,500 to registered charities and not-for-profit organisations for working on local projects that support health, opportunities for young people and environmental sustainability.

Ready, set, go! The Graduate Journey

Get ready, 2015 Graduates – your future awaits! Whether that’s a future of internships, experiencing other cultures, or as yet to be decided, your final year of University is the time to get this all under way. It might feel intimidating – adding more to the to do list than simply “pass 4th year” is a troubling prospect, but having the future you want depends on what you do now. What will it hold for you? (writes Sophie Craik).

Internships

As a current Intern with Eden Scott, I know first hand how valuable the experience of an internship can be. If you’re going into 4th year and haven’t yet managed to secure an internship, it’s not too late but it is crucial that you try to get one, even if it’s only for a few weeks. The fact that you went out of your way to track one down will really stand out to employers upon graduation, and the reason everyone says it’s important for your knowledge and skills? That’s because it is. If there’s one piece of advice that can be given in the hunt for internships, it’s “just ask”. If you’ve got a great CV, personal website and skill set, you might make a company realise that they could benefit from an intern just as much as you would love to have the experience. Make yourself known to them, and don’t be disheartened – if at first you don’t succeed, email, phone and email some more!

Shorter term work experience placements are also a really good way to build up different types of experience throughout your final year and in the summer after graduation. This will also help you to make connections in the industry and see what company cultures you fit best with. This is an especially useful tactic if you see your future in London or another big city – living expenses for a full internship can be difficult if you can’t stay with family members or have to support yourself, but a few weeks can be manageable if done on a budget. If hostels aren’t your thing, Room for Tea offers an alternative by connecting those with spare rooms in London with people coming from out of town for internships and placements.

Graduate Schemes vs Entry Level Roles

When it comes to grad schemes, it’s best to follow the mantra “apply early, apply often”. Before the applications can start though, you need to know the lay of the land. For example, for 2015 some schemes won’t open until January of that year, whereas others have a deadline of October 2014 – just a month after you’ve returned to Uni. If you’ve already decided on an industry you want to be a part of upon graduation, now is the time to sit down with a trusty spreadsheet and get organised. Even a column of the company name, the deadline and a link to the application page/mechanism will make you feel a little more on top of things.

If you haven’t gotten to that stage yet, dedicate a few days to completely immerse yourself in the world of grad schemes. Some great websites to find them include Milkround and Target Jobs, but don’t let these limit you – if there’s an industry or company that you have an interest in, add them to your spreadsheet and find out if they have a graduate scheme. If you can’t see one listed, there’s no harm in asking – some companies may not have specific graduate channels, but will still hire graduates they see potential in.

Of course, the graduate scheme route isn’t for everyone – if you would prefer to have more responsibility from the beginning and the opportunity to work your way up, then you may be more suited to an entry level role. They tend to be less structured in terms of training, mentorship and guidance, and yet this can be ideal for self starters who prefer to impress through hard work and networking.

Gap Years

Taking a gap year after University is the perfect opportunity to see the world and travel for an extended length of time, especially so if you are heading towards a career that doesn’t offer very much time for travel in the future.

To have the most successful gap year possible, 4th year needs to be spent saving – how much depends on where you’re going. Travelling around Asia, for example, can be relatively cost effective once the flights have been purchased, whereas America or Europe can be more expensive in terms of living costs. You might be able to work on your year abroad, but again, this must be planned well in advance to ensure you have the correct visa and haven’t missed out on any employment opportunities.

Many employers value gap years in job applications, but only if they are pitched in the right way. You don’t have to be doing something constructive with the whole time you’re away – everyone’s allowed some downtime. It is important, however, to be able to demonstate how the experience has strengthened you as a person in terms of skills, experience and global understanding, and so planning activities that you will be involved with accordingly is important to factor in.

Whether you already have your graduation journey all mapped out, or you’re leaving things a little more open ended, the most important thing to remember is to never be closed to an opportunity – you never know which path might be a shortcut to your dream future!

Sophie Craik

Circle: care to sing?

CIRCLE launching new kinship choir for carers

West Pilton-based family support charity Circle has won Big Lottery funding to establish a choir for kinship carers in the city. Kinship carers are relatives or friends who have stepped forward to care for children in their families whose parents are not able to care for them.

The choir will be led by musical director Kirsty Baird of the successful Edinburgh based Sing in the City group of choirs. Kirsty and her Sing in the City team are experts in their field and know how to put even the most nervous first time singers at ease. Kirsty believes everyone has a song in them and is confident of always getting the best sound out of all voices.

Circle’s Chief Executive Liz Dahl welcomes the launch of the choir. She said: “We know from our work with families that the commitment and sacrifice of kinship carers is giving thousands of children in Scotland the security of belonging to a family, when their own parents can’t care for them. We are really pleased that the Big Lottery has helped fund the choir and look forward to welcoming any and all kinship carers along.”

The aim of the choir is to promote wellbeing, relieve stress, provide a fun activity, and hopefully create a performing choir which can raise the profile of kinship care and provide entertainment for everyone involved.

The choir will bring together local kinship carers in a relaxed, fun environment where they can sing to their hearts content without having their children tell them to pipe down! The choir runs on a Tuesday morning, so suits carers with children in nursery or at school. Circle welcomes all kinship carers and is happy for carers to bring along a chum at first if they don’t want to come on their own.

Kirsty Baird, Sing in the City’s Director, is enthusiastic about the new venture. She said: “Sing in the City choirs are successful because they are fun, and they provide people from all walks of life in Edinburgh with the opportunity to sing together, to make new friends, and to have a special time just for them away from work and family cares at least once a week. We are really excited to be involved in this new choir for a very special group of carers”.

Fun, free and open to all carers, the first meeting is on Tuesday 9 September at 10am.

Lazarowicz Bill to be debated on Friday

Mark Lazarowicz MP’s new Bill to ensure the Scottish Parliament has the power to tackle irresponsible parking in Scotland has now been printed and will be debated at Westminster on Friday (5 September).

The Bill would clarify the powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament to tackle irresponsible parking such as parking on pavements, at dropped kerbs and double parking which can present a real hazard to disabled people in particular but also pedestrians more generally who may be forced out into the road to get by.

The North and Leith Labour MP said: “This Bill would ensure that the Scottish Parliament has the power to act to tackle irresponsible parking which can be not just a nuisance but a real danger in the case of the elderly, children and people who may be visually impaired or disabled in some other way.

“There has been uncertainty over whether the Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate in this area and this Bill would cut through that by ensuring that it is devolved once and for all.

“It is devolving a practical power to tackle a public nuisance which can make people’s lives a misery and illustrates the way that devolution is a continuing process.”

The text of the Bill can be found at:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2014-2015/0030/cbill_2014-20150030_en_1.htm

Shedding new light on the Botanics

Under cover of darkness, in the heart of the City the abundant natural landscape of ‘the Botanics’ will come alive this winter when the gates are opened to visitors at night-time. Who knows how many pairs of little glowing ‘eyes’ will be keeping watch over them as the Garden sheds some light on its after-dark secrets?

This November, visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) will be invited to enter the Garden after dark for a spectacular outdoor event featuring a magical combination of light and nature. It is the first outdoor light experience of its kind to be organised by the Garden.

Night in the Garden, which starts on 30 October and runs until 23 November, has been created by the Botanics and Edinburgh-based Unique Events, in association with Scottish light artist Malcolm Innes and his colleague Euan Winton. The artists’ vision means that night-time visitors will be able to make their way through a one kilometre route full of light and shadow and experience the Botanics in an entirely new manner, with interactive stations and a few unexpected surprises along the way.

The outdoor trail will use the Garden’s favourite features, such as the famous Victorian Glasshouses and Pond, as the backdrop for extraordinary light effects. Visitors can watch ‘the sun’ set inside the Palm House, see a host of sparkling lights suspended over water and enjoy enchanting illuminations that bring the indoors outside. They will also have the opportunity to create their own light show by manipulating some of the installations themselves.

Heather Jackson, RBGE’s Director of Enterprise, explained: “This is a chance for those who know and love the Edinburgh Garden, as well as new visitors of course, to see it in a completely different light – quite literally.

“We have over 700,000 daytime visitors a year and we are often asked if it’s possible to come at night, so we thought we’d come up with something unique to create a truly enchanting experience.

“The planned light installations by Malcolm promise to be spectacular, and by combining the wonder of light with the secrets of the trees and nature we have in abundance, it will certainly be a magical evening to remember for our night-time visitors.”

Malcolm Innes said: “The Garden at night is already a magical place, as some of the most recognisable features softly merge into the darkness. It is this new reality that we will be manipulating to create installations that span the range from grand spectacle, through romantic and beautiful, to mysterious and tiny.

“The kind of hard edged, simplified geometry we learn at school is seldom discussed in relation to the natural world, but when the two are brought together, the visual effect can be magical. Come and join us and bring the family as we turn the world inside out and make the invisible, visible.”

The event will be open to members of the public with an hour-long experience allowing visitors to participate in something that they have never seen before, with different parts of the route being jaw-droppingly spectacular, some romantic and pretty, and others just a wee bit spooky – although not enough to put the kids off. Night in the Garden is an event for all the family.

The experience is being delivered by RBGE and Unique Events, Scotland’s leading independent events company; organisers of the capital’s famous Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations and large-scale outdoor festivals and events. ‘Botanic Lights’ installations are designed by Malcolm Innes and Euan Winton of Edinburgh Napier University, and Leith-based Black Light is working with the partners to deliver lighting installation technical support.

Pete Irvine of Unique Events said: “Unique Events is delighted to be involved in this exciting and innovative project. The Botanics is one of Edinburgh’s best loved places to visit in any season, but we will never have experienced it like this.”

Visitors to Night in the Garden will be required to purchase tickets in advance for a specific date and time slot. Tickets are now on sale – for details and further informaton about the event, visit www.rbge.org.uk/botaniclights.

And if the Botanics lights experience appeals, you may want to know about this charity event too:

The Enchanted Forest, Perthshire’s multi-award winning sound and light show, has announced that it has released an additional 1500 tickets for Thursday 2 October when it will hold a dedicated charity event, the proceeds from which will be split equally between Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and Autism Scotland.

Over 45,0000 tickets went on sale for The Enchanted Forest’s 13th event, elemental, in June and organisers are already predicting a sell-out show this year with demand for tickets already up by 37%. The release of additional tickets will be welcomed by fans of the show and by supporters of the charities alike.

Graham Brown, chairman of the Highland Perthshire Community Interest Company that runs The Enchanted Forest, commented: “The Community Interest Company is, for the first time, in a strong position to give back to the local community and we have selected two charities that are very active in this area.

“It is marvellous to be able to assist Scottish Autism and CHAS with a charity night on the 2nd October and we wish them well and hope that they will benefit greatly from this unique fundraising opportunity.”

Derek Allan, producer of The Enchanted Forest added: “This is an exciting development for the show. As a community based event, we are very committed to giving something back and the two charities chosen both do exceptionally important work to support families and children across Scotland.

“Every year we get very positive feedback from customers whose children are affected by autism, and the profound impact the show has on them. For other families who are facing challenges, such as those supported by CHAS, the show offers an opportunity to enjoy time together and a break from their normal routine. We are proud to be giving both Scottish Autism and CHAS a helping hand.”

Karen Wilson, fundraising manager for Scottish Autism said: “We are delighted to be selected as one of the charities to benefit from this event. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of our services which support people with autism and their families throughout Scotland. We are also looking forward to bringing along some of our service users to enjoy the experience on the night.”

Alison Rennie, CHAS Fundraiser added: “We’re very excited to have been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from The Enchanted Forest’s first ever charity evening. It promises to be a magical event and all the funds received by CHAS will help us to continue to provide vital support to babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions.”

The 2014 show, elemental, sees the return of the creative team that put together last year’s successful show, with lighting design by Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes, sound design and composition by RJ McConnell, and orchestral compositions by Jon Beales.

The Enchanted Forest takes place from Friday 3 – Sunday 26 October 2014 at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

Tickets for the Charity Night on Thursday 2 October are available by visiting www.enchantedforest.org.uk/charity