Category: Uncategorized

real time friction: Travelling Gallery’s 2026 exhibition gets ready to roll

The exhibition brings together work by five artists, MV Brown, Nina Davies, Gavin Gayagoy, Hardeep Pandhal and Gregor Wright, who all explore our relationship with technology and the internet and how, as a medium or material, its slippery nature creates spaces of inauthenticity where curated versions of ourselves blur and distort reality, and algorithms and applications construct fictional narratives or environments to play with or react against.

Spanning performance, moving image, sculpture and drawing each artist creates a user experience that highlights the friction existing between our physical body and its digital counterpart, with authorship and representation disrupted or rendered through computer generation.

Rooted in performance, MV Brown’s practice uses the human body and new technologies to explore the tensions that exist for the body within a digital realm.

Using avatars, prototypes, and ‘false-self’ hoods, MV extends and replicates their body to question how technological advances – often framed as enhancing cognitive and bodily capacities – mediate emotion, interaction, and the construction of identity as beings-in-the-world both online and ‘IRL’ (In Real Life).

Nina Davies’ artistic practice is heavily influenced by her former training and career as a professional dancer. Her work looks at how dance is disseminated, circulated, made, and consumed within popular culture with a particular focus on social media, and the dances derived from trends and films made for present-day digital platforms. Much like MV her work touches upon how bodies are evolving in a world dominated by synthetic media.

Multi-disciplinary artist and designer Gavin Gayagoy uses game design elements to explore how digital environments influence perception, truth, and identity as well as highlight the compulsive consumption of digital content and its impact on us.

Visitors are invited to interact with his work in the exhibition and explore a range of both familiar looking and futuristic landscapes. Through these fragmented 3D environments and limited game mechanics, Gavin questions the authenticity of our digital lives and the contradictory nature that being online can bring.

Hardeep Pandhal has also used the visual aesthetics of gaming in his work as a means to comment on cultural production, capitalism and racial stereotypes as perpetuated through everyday popular culture and categorization.

Whilst conservative opinions of gaming often focus on its contribution to societal ills, here the bleed between games and reality could be seen to provide a space where varying forms of alienation can be addressed and co-opted, creating a form of empowerment and a means to comment on societal inequalities in a transformative way.

Also included in the exhibition are a number of works by Gregor Wright. Predominantly a painter, Gregor has created a body of work that looks at current modes of image consumption as mediated by algorithms and advancing technology.

Presented together are a selection of Gregor’s recent drawings made using graphite pencil, crayon, acrylic and oil and one of his digital ‘screen-based paintings.’ With the rise of AI-generated artwork Gregor highlights the tensions that lie between traditional painting and the virtual digital representations that increasingly dominate our lives.

Launching in Edinburgh at the Collective Gallery, Calton Hill on Friday 20 March from 10.30am to 4.30pm, the exhibition will tour to arts venues, community centres, high streets and schools across Scotland.

Louise Briggs, Curator, Travelling Gallery said: “It has been interesting to think about our ever-increasing relationship with technology through the ideas and artworks of the five artists involved in the show.

“The exhibition is not meant as a criticism of technology but takes a closer look at its slippery nature where reality can be blurred and authenticity distorted. A number of the artists in the exhibition play with these ideas, whilst others push against them – but all in some way are using technology as a material or medium.

“The Travelling Gallery team look forward to introducing the artwork and ideas to audiences across Scotland as part of our Spring Tour and seeing how opinions and thoughts may differ geographically, generationally, and culturally.

“Everyone usually has an opinion on technology and its place in the world today, we look forward to some healthy discussions around it inspired by the work of this exciting group of artists.”

Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said: “Featuring work by five talented artists, this exhibition offers an insightful look into our relationship with technology and the internet.

“The Travelling Gallery plays such an important role in ensuring that high-quality contemporary art is not limited to traditional venues. By bringing exhibitions into communities across the city, it helps widen access and encourage new audiences.

“I’m proud to support an initiative that broadens access to culture in such a practical and meaningful way, and I hope people will take the chance to step inside and experience the exhibition for themselves.”

The exhibition will run from Monday 23 March – Friday 19 June 2026. More information about confirmed tour dates and venues can be found here. 

Earth Matters: Free exhibition at The Botanics

20th MARCH – 1st NOVEMBER

🌍 What’s really beneath your feet? Dig into the hidden world of soil with our new exhibition Earth Matters, opening next week.

Marking 300 years since the birth of James Hutton, the Edinburgh-born geologist who transformed how we understand the ground beneath our feet, 30 artists unearth the beauty and brilliance of the living ecosystem.

📅 Open daily from Friday 20 March at Inverleith House Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Earth Matters is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and the Edinburgh Geological Society with special thanks to The James Hutton Institute.

Bringing Hope, Building Futures: New package of support for parents

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-2031 published

New support for parents to increase their incomes and reduce the burden of everyday costs, on top of existing work, will help to keep approximately 100,000 children out of poverty in 2026-27.

More than £111 million is being committed to updated plans to eradicate child poverty through Bringing Hope, Building Futures. 

It builds on existing Scottish Government action which has already reduced relative child poverty rates in Scotland to the lowest levels in almost a decade – with rates nine percentage points lower than the UK in 2023-24. 

Action includes: 

  • Investing £61.5 million in the Tackling Child Poverty Fund to strengthen and introduce measures, including to expand childcare support for low-income parents, help employers offer progression opportunities, grow the Family Nurse Partnership to help up to 500 more young parents during pregnancy and into parenthood, and to expand Bookbug 
  • A £20 million Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund for charities to help families in their communities  
  • £30 million to boost incomes through work, create more training opportunities for parents by investing in the college sector, and to reduce transport costs for low-income parents travelling to work 
  • £9 million to mitigate the UK Government’s freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates, which caps the amount of housing support a household can receive, to support up to 18,000 families

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s driving mission – no child should live in poverty in a country as rich as Scotland.

“This plan builds on a great deal of progress and sets out a broad range of actions to help parents – by reducing the cost of living, helping increase incomes received through work and social security, and helping their children to thrive.  

“I am proud that Scotland is the only part of the UK to have statutory targets to drive down child poverty, which were unanimously agreed by parliament. 

“Our plan focusses on concrete action this year while providing the foundations on which any incoming administration can build and reflect its own policy priorities, working with industry, local authorities and charities, to give children in Scotland a future free from the scourge of poverty.” 

tackling-child-poverty-delivery-plan-2026-2031Download

Families freed from school meal debt

Fund cleared historic debt in over 70,000 cases across Scotland

More than 70,000 instances of support were provided to families to clear historic school meal debt as a result of nearly £2.9 million investment, a new report shows.

The School Meal Debt Fund, launched in May 2024, was distributed to the 30 councils that applied for assistance to clear debt accrued by families up to 31 March 2024.

The fund was established in response to cost-of-living pressures and the stigma that school meal debt can place on children.

The School Meal Debt Fund Report, published today, also sets out councils’ strategies for addressing meal debt, such as flexible payment options, simplified free school meal applications and extended free meal provision.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “No child should feel the burden of school meal debt, and no family should face unnecessary stress over the cost of their child’s lunch.

“This report highlights the compassionate and innovative approaches being taken by councils to support families – from streamlining free school meal applications to offering flexible payment options and working directly with families facing hardship.

“School meal debt is still an issue. While councils are proactively identifying and supporting those who need help the most, they must ensure that all families never reach the point of debt in the first place. We will continue to work with councils to ensure that more can be done to address this.

“Over 230,000 pupils are currently benefitting from free school meals, a crucial element in our commitment to eradicate child poverty. This saves families who take up the offer every school day around £450 per child, per year.

“Our 2026-27 Budget expands free school meal provision to reach an additional 5,500 pupils, continuing our mission to give every child the best possible start in life.”

School Meal Debt Fund: report – gov.scot

Joshua Stewart convicted of serious organised crime offence in Edinburgh

A 21-year-old man has been convicted following an attempted murder in Edinburgh. Joshua Stewart pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday (5 March, 2026.)

Officers were made aware of the attempted murder of a 54-year-old man on Pitcairn Grove in Edinburgh around 9.20pm on Thursday, 22 May, 2025.

Stewart was arrested and charged in connection with the incident on Monday, 16 June, 2025.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry, Specialist Crime Division, said: “This was a violent incident and the conviction is testament to the hard work and dedication by detectives, specialist officers and partners across the country.

“We will continue to bring those involved in serious criminality to justice.

“Police Scotland remains committed to the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce and its national strategy.”

Operation Portaledge is the ongoing investigation into violent incidents in the East and West of the country.

People with dementia at increasing risk of accidental poisonings at home  

  • Accidental poisonings (excluding narcotics and hallucinogens) have soared by 63% in a decade, with 5,770 deaths in 2024.* 
  • Older adults are at highest risk — people aged 65+ are more than twice as likely to die from a poisoning of this type as the general population. 
  • Hospitals in England saw 17,252 non-narcotic and hallucinogen poisoning‑related admissions last year, including nearly 5,000 older adults, who were 55% more likely to require hospital care. 

Accidental poisoning is fast becoming a hidden home‑safety crisis, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned, as new figures show 5,770 people died from accidental poisonings in 2024, a 63 per cent increase in just ten years.  

Older adults are bearing the brunt: 2,371 lives lost were among people aged 65+, making them more than twice as likely to die from a poisoning as the general population. To tackle this, RoSPA has published  new guidance, highlighting how people living with dementia are among those at particular risk.  

The surge isn’t only seen in fatalities. Hospitals in England recorded 17,252 poisoning‑related admissions last year — almost 5,000 involving older adults, who were 55% more likely to require urgent care. 

The charity’s guidelines help households protect vulnerable loved ones and include simple steps to prevent dangerous chemicals from being mistaken for everyday items. Many products in the home can be opened and swallowed in moments, especially when confusion, memory loss or impaired visual recognition makes hazardous substances look harmless.  

These cognitive changes can turn ordinary domestic spaces into high risk environments, with the sharp rise in poisoning incidents tragic evidence that too many preventable emergencies are happening in homes across the UK, often without families realising how quickly a situation can escalate. 

Rebecca Guy, Senior Policy Manager, said: “Families with vulnerable relatives can often deal with genuinely frightening moments. Turning away for just a few seconds and realising someone has swallowed a cleaning product is sadly a reality that some of the public have experienced. 

“These aren’t freak accidents. They are predictable, preventable events, and our new guidance is designed to help people act fast to make their homes safer.” 

What you can do RIGHT NOW now to lower the risk  

  • Lock away cleaning and laundry products: high cupboards or secured storage only. 
  • Keep medicines tightly controlled: use organisers, track doses and store out of sight. 
  • Check packaging: ensure harmful products stay in their original containers. 
  • Remove confusion triggers: keep look-alike bottles (e.g., bright drinks and cleaning fluids) apart. 
  • Supervise more closely when unfamiliar items, visitors or new products are around. 
  • Conduct weekly hazard sweeps of kitchens, bathrooms and utility areas. 

Paul Edwards, Chief Nursing Officer at Dementia UK, said: “Laundry and cleaning products are often easily accessible in our homes, and many have brightly coloured packaging which can cause confusion for people with dementia, who may mistake them for other, edible items.

“One of the challenges of supporting someone with dementia is balancing the risk between an individuals’ autonomy against their safety.   

“It is impossible to eliminate risk completely, but these guidelines offer simple steps people can take to reduce the chance of these accidents happening, and provide a helpful checklist for both professional care environments and in the home.”  

Alzheimer’s Society Senior Knowledge Officer, Simon Wheeler, said: “Staying safe is important for people with dementia who want to keep living at home for as long as possible, as well as for those who support them.    

“As a person’s dementia progresses, they might have trouble telling the difference between something that’s safe to eat and something that isn’t.    

“If you want to reduce the risk of accidents, make sure that you store your cleaning products like laundry detergents safely in a cupboard and out of sight. 

“Don’t leave them out on a worktop or near any food or drinks, especially if they might be mistaken for sweets or drinks.”

RoSPA’s latest advice underscores a growing national concern: without simple protective steps, vulnerable people are at real and immediate risk inside their own homes. 

checklist-poisoning-prevention-for-people-with-dementiaDownload

Sarah Boyack hosts Holyrood roundtable for Tourette’s families

Sarah Boyack hosted families of children with Tourette’s in Holyrood on Thursday to meet with a Minister and Scottish Government officials.

The roundtable, which was co-organised with Tourette’s Scotland allowed families to raise the lack of support facing their children in Scotland’s education system.

Natalie Don-Innes attended the meeting in her capacity as Minister for Children and Young People, alongside the Unit Head for Additional Support for Learning and the Promise.

Every parent agreed that many issues stemmed from the lack of training for teachers and school staff.

Many attendants highlighted that their children had been punished due to their involuntary tics because of a lack of understanding of Tourette’s.

Tourette’s Scotland offers training for schools and creates bespoke profiles for each child with Tourette’s for their new school to utilise but both the training and reading of the reports are optional.

One participant revealed that their child was told they weren’t allowed to do one of their tics in the classroom and would have to go to the bathroom to do it, despite tics being involuntary.

Another highlighted that despite having a horrible time in school, their daughter was now thriving in university and getting far better support for her Tourette’s.

The Minister, along with the Scottish Government official, agreed to liaise further with Tourette’s Scotland to examine these issues.

The roundtable came after awareness of Tourette’s has skyrocketed due to the success of “I Swear”.

Ms Boyack also hosted a Holyrood debate about Tourette’s at the start of the year where she highlighted the challenges facing kids in the education system with the condition.

Speaking after the roundtable, Sarah Boyack said: “I was honoured to host this roundtable and give parents the opportunities to tell their stories to the Minister.

“I was deeply moved by the stories I heard of children suffering due to a lack of understanding from those in the education system and the stress it has caused their parents.

“It is obvious that with a greater understanding and robust training, the education system can be a place for those with Tourette’s to thrive in rather than a challenge they have to manage.

“I hope that the next parliament picks up the baton on this issue and ensures increased support for Tourette’s is a priority.”

Tourette’s Scotland commented: “We were delighted to have the opportunity for our families to share their stories directly with the minister for children and young people.

“Our families felt heard and that it was a productive meeting with lots of ideas on how to progress with awareness and understanding.”

You can find more out about Tourette’s Scotland and their work here:

https://www.tourettescotland.org/

Molly vs The Machines highlights the dangers of social media and what needs to be done to keep us safe

Molly vs The Machines is a new documentary premiering on Channel 4. It tells the story of a young girl who died by suicide after being influenced by negative social media algorithms, and her dad, who is now fighting for online safety.

This encourages an important national conversation on how we keep people safe online. Samaritans supports the pressure put on platforms to make their content safe for everyone.

Why making safe online spaces is so important

The dangers that exist online when it comes to suicide and self-harm related content raises the bigger questions of how AI, Big Tech, and social media are negatively infiltrating our lives.

If we want the internet to be a safer space, especially for individuals experiencing distress, things need to change.

But how can we do that?

Putting pressure on platforms for positive impact

Samaritans believe that dangerous self-harm and suicide content, such as graphic images, should be taken down by platforms as they can cause serious harm.

Platforms have a duty to keep their users safe and should never actively push dangerous content onto their algorithms.

That’s why it’s vital that platforms recognise and respond to the vital role they play in suicide prevention.

If users are intentionally looking for this kind of content, the platforms must minimise the availability of harmful content and maximise opportunities for improved help-seeking.

They should highlight helpful resources, share stories of recovery, and signpost to services like Samaritans. And they should also recognise that protections should be further endorsed for the safety of young people.

Keeping young people safe

Someone looking at their mobile phone

It is the age of the internet. And young people are used to having phones and tablets and computers within arm’s reach, all the time. But how do we make sure that what they are consuming is safe and appropriate?

Molly vs The Machines really highlights the importance of parents and caregivers being aware of the risks of social media.

And while some platforms do have restrictions like age limits for who can join and/or sign up, that doesn’t always mean that the content will automatically be age appropriate.

Parents and caregivers need to be informed of the risks so that they can have open and honest conversations with their children about what they’re consuming, how to stay safe, and what to look out for.

To find out more information, check out our guide, talking to your child about self-harm and suicide content online.

Charity Children First says must-watch documentary drama Molly vs the Machines is a powerful and harrowing wake up call to parents and carers

Commenting in advance of the screening of Molly vs the Machines on Channel 4, last night, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First, Scotland’s national charity said: “This must-watch documentary drama is a powerful and harrowing wake up call to parents and carers to demand that tech firms prioritise the protection of our children over lining their own pockets.

“Parents are already extremely worried about the children’s safety in the digital world, but what Molly vs the Machines exposes is the extremity and volume of harmful content that big tech are knowingly targeting to children and young people, which many adults won’t be aware of.

“The consequences for children, childhood and public health are horrifying, but change is possible. Technology firms could stop this tomorrow. Action is needed at every level to regulate, educate and create the cultural and policy shifts that are needed nationally and internationally so that every child can thrive on and off-line.”

Any parent or carer in Scotland worried about their child can contact Children First’s support line on 08000 28 22 33 or visit www.childrenfirst.org.uk/supportline to start a webchat.

North Edinburgh Arts: Community Shed to reopen next week

The Community Shed will be reopen its doors from Tuesday 10 March.

Our new opening hours are:

Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday

10am – 2pm

Thank you so much to everyone for your patience while we carried out essential maintenance — we can’t wait to welcome you back!

And, if you would like to learn how to learn new woodworking skills, drop in to our sessions this spring. New members are welcome!

Talking Fashion at LifeCare

Join us for our free LifeCare talk this Friday!

LifeCare Hub, 2 Cheyne St, Stockbridge

Free tea and coffee 

During this session we’ll be looking back at what the people of Edinburgh and the Lothians, have chosen to wear over the decades; following fads & fashions from the past and how we dressed to impress.

We’ll look at where people shopped for their clothing, whether buying traditional tartan, a Victorian corset on Princes Street, teen garb in Leith or flared denim on 1970s Cockburn Street.

We look forward to seeing you all there!