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Take One Action has launched its 2025 film festivals in Edinburgh, with the theme of Real Utopias, using cinema as a way to gather together to explore and imagine local and global solutions to some of the pressing issues of our time. 

Festival dates are 17-21 September in Edinburgh, with most screenings taking place at the freshly re-opened Filmhouse.

Our opening night event and a radical documentary workshop will be hosted by Grassmarket Community Project today and Friday. 

The Edinburgh festival will feature films from Mexico to Kenya via the US, UK and Philippines and will explore ideas from community responses to climate change to trans identity and thriving, workers’ rights and speculative futures where prisons no longer exist. 

We’re excited to present the Scottish premieres of creative documentaries Power Station, How To Build A Library and NIÑXS, as well as exploring unions and community organising through Amazon documentary Union and housing justice in Scotland through archive film Red Skirts on Clydeside in collaboration with local branches of Living Rent (full details on these films in Editor’s Notes below). 

For the first time we have included a grassroots co-programming strand across our festivals – working with groups in different cities to hand over the reins of programming and support screenings that reflect their priorities and interests. 

In Edinburgh, for our opening night event, we are screening Black Butterflies and The Miracle on George Green tonight in collaboration with Empowering Multicultural Communities Alliance, and there will also be a discussion on how to get into filmmaking for change, featuring local filmmakers Laura Carreira, Razan Madhoon and Maria Paz Gonzalez. This event has already sold out but there are still some tickets available for most of the others. 

Take One Action director Rachel Hamada says: “We can’t wait to kick off our 2025 Take One Action film festivals here in Edinburgh today, and we are delighted to open with a collaboration with local migrant-led women’s group Empowering Multicultural Communities Alliance.

“That screening is already sold out, showing the demand for cultural events that are community-driven. But you can still join us for some of our other screenings – the selection of films and events we have for you embody this year’s theme of Real Utopias – both messy and beautiful. All of our screenings and workshops should hopefully leave you with a spring in your step and ideas for what to do next.” 

Curator Xuanlin Tham says: “At Take One Action, we know people regularly come to us for a sense of connection and active hope, which is a responsibility we take seriously. In ever-darker and more violent, despairing times all over the world, it’s utterly crucial for us to root into a sense of imagination and possibility – to harness our collective power, understand our intertwined and collective struggles, and begin to build the world we deserve right on our doorstep.” 

You can see the full programme, dates and booking details on our website here. After Edinburgh the festival will take place on 25-28 September in Glasgow, with films and workshops at GMAC; 10-12 October in Inverness at Eden Court; and 7-9 November in Dundee at the DCA and Dundee Libraries’ Steps Theatre. 

Take One Action are pleased to keep building on their access provision year on year. Commitments include: 

– All films presented with descriptive subtitles 

– Live BSL/English interpretation at a selection of events 

– Live captions at a selection of events 

– Tickets available on a pay-what-you-can basis across all venues – Audience access fund for travel and childcare 

– Detailed content notes and access notes available for each film

Take One Action’s 2025 film festivals have been made possible by an array of funders and supporters, including The National Lottery through Screen Scotland’s Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund, Film Hub Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council’s Local Events Open Fund, the Regenerative Futures Fund and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, as well as our generous crowdfund supporters and community members. 

We are also grateful for the support of The National Lottery’s Awards for All Scotland for supporting our community-led local action and advocacy work. 

Glasgow’s biggest ever city-wide event to celebrate people in recovery will be held on Glasgow Green on Saturday, 20 September from 12-5pm. 

The free event – People Make Recovery – will bring together individuals, community members, families and services from across the city who are working hard to help break the stigma surrounding addiction and promote Glasgow as an inclusive city where people are free to recover without judgement.

It’s organised by the Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), Freed Up and other key partners to celebrate the achievements as a city with an event that raises the profile of recovery in Glasgow.

People Make Recovery will be on from 12pm – 5pm at Glasgow Green with a host of activities and events for all the family. 

Cllr Allan Casey, City Convener for Homelessness and Addiction Services, said: “We want to show that people can and do recover from addiction – we have around 1000 residents in the city who attend recovery groups every week.

They do remarkable work. People in recovery are often stigmatised. Our recovery communities each have a full programme of activity supported by teams of volunteers at different stages of recovery.

We hope this event will encourage people affected by addiction to come along to Glasgow Green and see for themselves that support is available and people do recover.”

Glasgow’s Recovery Communities provide peer led, aftercare support to people seeking recovery from alcohol and/or drug issues. Since their beginnings in 2014, recovery communities have grown considerably through the efforts of volunteers in recovery and are now established, commissioned services with charitable status and very significant partners in the ADP.

September is Recovery Month and serves as a vital platform to raise awareness about alcohol and substance use recovery, celebrate the achievements of individuals in recovery, and promote services and community groups supporting people in recovery.

Services across the city host events and celebrations to acknowledge the contributions made by their volunteers, the hard work of their staff and the achievement of those on their recovery journey.

Pat Togher, Chief Officer for Health and Social Care Partnership said: “This event is about showcasing the great work of our recovery volunteers and  the lived experience of those who continue to make improvements in their lives despite the challenges they are faced with.

“This event focuses on  moving forward positively but equally recognises the scale of complexity involved  – the positive work going on in and around communities, the work of the volunteers and staff in recovery and to let people know support is available. People do recover and we should recognise and embrace this.”

Activities on the day include:

• Talking Library: Individuals sharing inspirational personal recovery stories, providing hope and encouragement to others.
• Resource Fair: ADP partner organisations offering information about treatment programs, peer support groups, employability, recovery events.
• Main stage:  live music, drama, poetry readings, spoken word, highlighting the role of creativity in recovery.
• Holistic Therapies: Massage, Reiki, Sound bowls
• Family Activities: Face Painting, Outdoor games, Soft Play

The event will be alcohol and drug free with snacks and soft drinks being provided by national charity, Rapid Relief Team.

The Recovery movement in Glasgow is supported by numerous partners and services, including the community Recovery Hubs, the residential crisis and stabilisation services, the residential rehab services, counselling services and fellowship groups. There are 35 organisations represented on the ADP Recovery subgroup. Key partners include Freed Up, With You, Crossreach, SISCO, Turning Point Scotland and Glasgow’s Recovery Communities.

More information about Glasgow’s Recovery Community’s can be found via links below:

North East Recovery

North West Recovery

South Recovery

Greens will protect families in Edinburgh with introduction of rent controls

Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has urged all parties to back the introduction of rent controls and stronger protections for tenants when parliament votes on the Housing Bill next week.

Scottish Government statistics show that between 2010 and 2024 average rents for a newly-let 2 bedroom flat in Edinburgh reached £1358, an increase of 104%.

This Bill is only happening because of the Scottish Greens, who introduced it to ensure that rent controls and new rights for renters were at the heart of the legislation.

Lorna Slater said: “The introduction of rent controls will be a big step forward for people in Edinburgh, and will finally help to end the imbalance of power between them and their landlords.

“The rental market is broken, and fundamental change is needed. Rents in the capital city have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated. Rogue landlords have been able to get away with ripping off renters for far too long.

“Greens introduced this bill to protect renters. No-one should be forced to shell out so much of their pay on rent, while landlords rack up cash. I am proud of the work that we have done to put renters’ rights at the heart of this legislation.

“All renters and families deserve financial stability, and should not have to worry about losing the roof over their heads. Homes are for living in and not for profiteering. We need to make unaffordable rent hikes become a thing of the past.”

Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age said: “The latest statistics for 2024/25 show that, unacceptably, the number of people aged over 65 who submitted an application for homelessness in Scotland has risen to 1,195.

“This number has increased 34% over the five years since 2021/22, when 890 older people submitted an application for homelessness. Tragically, 55 of these older people have experienced rough sleeping in the past three months.  

“Older people across Scotland tell us that they have significant housing issues, including unaffordable rent, low awareness of their rights as renters, and difficulty finding appropriate housing. Today’s figures are evidence that the housing system is not delivering for older people on low incomes. 

“That’s why we’re calling on the Scottish Government to improve the situation for renters of all ages, including those in later life.

The current Housing Bill working its way through the Scottish Parliament will improve homelessness prevention and recent announcements on social housing are welcome. However, it’s clear we need further action to support older people, including making sure that Discretionary Housing Payments can be accessed to make up the rent shortfall faced by many low-income older renters.

“We also want to see the UK Government commit to uprating Local Housing Allowance every year, so older people, and all renters on a low income, aren’t forced to give up essentials in order to pay their rent.” 

Supporting documents – Homelessness in Scotland: 2024-25 – gov.scot 

Tickets are selling fast for our Tea Dance on Saturday 27th September.

Come along for a fun afternoon, get your dancing shoes on, have a chat, enjoy a light afternoon and dance to the sounds DJ Colin!!