Edinburgh Western MSP Colin Keir has welcomed the ‘fantastic news’ that The City of Edinburgh Council will receive a share of £230 million from the Scottish Government to rebuild Queensferry High School. Continue reading Keir welcomes funding for High School rebuild
‘Local tax to fund local services should be a vital part of local democracy’ – Alex McLuckie, GMB Scotland
John Swinney is wrong to make light of the impact of ‘draconian’ cuts to budgets for Scotland’s councils, says a leading trade union. Continue reading GMB: Revenue must be raised to blunt impact of ‘draconian’ cuts
City ‘sticks’ with Spring art events
An invasion of stop-motion stick-figures will create a spectacle of light when a major art installation makes its first appearance in Scotland next month.
KEYFRAMES, delivered by Curated Place with French artists collective Groupe LAPS, has been named a key event in the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design. It will be exhibited within Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square from 4 February to 28 March.
The 80 light sculptures will shine in sequence to an original musical composition to create the illusion of movement. The installation, which has been conceived to create an immersive experience, will invite people to wander through St Andrew Square to experience the space from different angles and in a new light.
This is the first time KEYFRAMES will be exhibited in Scotland following a UK debut in Durham at the 2013 Lumiere Festival. It has delighted thousands of people across the world from Singapore to Jerusalem, France, Spain and the Netherlands.
The exhibition, which is free, is being funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland with the support of Marketing Edinburgh and Essential Edinburgh.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Festivals and Events Champion, said: “When KEYFRAMES opens next month, the experience of wandering through St Andrew Square will be like entering an enchanting stop-motion animation.
“This is public art which can be enjoyed by all ages and the impressive display will illuminate the night sky. It will bring the city centre to life during the transition from winter into spring and, going by the success of 2014’s Field of Light and last year’s Light Fantastic project, I’m sure it will draw an impressive footfall and support our city’s evening economy.”
Groupe LAPS is best known for animating public spaces, marrying art with technology by pooling light, sound, and multimedia to create public art.
Speaking about the opportunity to present the artwork within Edinburgh, Thomas Veyssiere from Groupe LAPS said: “The most exciting thing about installing KEYFRAMES in St Andrew Square is that it will be a long and immersive form. Our lighting puppets will inhabit the square for two months. Rather than offering one point of view, visitors who walk through the Square will naturally discover different actions and see and hear funny things. Sound will envelop the whole area and entice visitors to get closer to the installation.”
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is now underway and we have an exciting array of events planned to showcase Scotland’s spirit of invention and creativity.
“KEYFRAMES is a fantastic example of what will be on offer during the year. The installation will bring a busy part of our nation’s capital to life and, as a free event, gives everyone the opportunity to participate and experience the architecture and environment of St Andrew Square in a new and different light.”
Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh, added: “We are delighted to support a project in St Andrew Square that promises to be a stunning addition to the city centre. KEYFRAMES is something that will draw and delight local people and visitors alike, and add to the ambience of the city centre well into the New Year.”
This will be the third consecutive year the city council has lit St Andrew Square in spring. Bruce Munro’s Field of Light saw the gardens transformed into a field of swaying, colourful spheres in 2014.
Then, in 2015 – after six weeks and over a thousand tweets to change the colour of the Melville Monument -, Edinburgh’s interactive Light Fantastic installation in St Andrew Square glared red on its final night in support of Nepal.
A Song for Dad launches year of events
Children’s Minister Aileen Campbell launched the Year of the Dad at Edinburgh Zoo yesterday. Ms Campbell was joined by around 300 people who enjoyed a day of stories, speeches, food and music – including a beautiful song written by local schoolchildren to mark the event. Continue reading Year of the Dad launched at Edinburgh Zoo
Two events of interest to young people living in the Inverleith Neighbouhood Partnership area:
YOU(th) DECIDE!’ is an opportunity for young people aged between 11 and 18 to tell us what they think needs to happen in Inverleith to make it better for young people, and have a say on how local funds are spend.
Councillor Gavin Barrie, Champion of the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership’s Young People’s Action Group, is asking young people to send us your ideas, and then voted for your favourites. Poster and proposal form here. Please pass on and help us get young people aware of this.
YOUth Decide poster and proposal form 2016 final (1)
YOUTH TALK
Friday 11 March 12.30 – 3pm, St Stephen’s Stockbridge
Inverleith Youth Talk is a chance for organisations and service providers in Inverleith to chat to young people about your services, to network with other service providers and to explore potentials for new collaborative working with young people at the heart of this. We are bringing together young people and key adults to understand the outcomes to date and help shape any future actions for improving Inverleith area for our young people. The YouthTalk event will take place on Friday 11 March from 12.30 til 3pm in Saint Stephen’s Stockbridge
Edinburgh Compact wants to hear from city’s third sector
DEADLINE Friday 29 January
Voluntary Organisations and Community Groups in Edinburgh: help us get a picture of the Third Sector in Edinburgh. Fill in our Compact Voice 2015 Survey.
Continue reading Still time to have your say on state of voluntary sector
A year of activities to highlight the role of dads
A national campaign to celebrate the importance of dads in the life of their kids gets underway today with the launch of Year of the Dad at Edinburgh Zoo this morning. Continue reading Year of the Dad launches today
Community meeting at Granton Youth Centre
Tuesday 2 February 5.30pm 
Edinburgh College guarantees a place to local school leavers
Edinburgh College is guaranteeing a place to study to all school students in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian, to make sure they can achieve their education and career ambitions. The college is promising to help every eligible school student who applies find a course for 2016/17 at the right level in the right area. Continue reading A place for all at Edinburgh College
Dear Editor
The freeze on Council Tax by the Tory government was seen by many as a good move to help people; many others said look into the why and the consequences of that action.
The average saving brought about by the freeze was around 50p per week; the shortfall in council income would be made up – but not fully – by a government grant. This money could only be spent on issues approved by the government, with councils having no control, and that is why many people raised the questions ‘why?’ and ‘what consequences would there be?’
Government policy is to cut public services and controlling their finances: the council tax freeze was a step in that direction.
It now seems, at last, that councils are beginning to understand the government’s intention to break local services, decision-making and control.
Councils everywhere will have to pressure the Scottish Parliament to end the council tax freeze and work towards the abolition of the council tax itself, introducing a new fairer tax. In the meantime we have to make sure councils do not attempt to impose large increases but to look at other ways of easing the burden on their communities, for example:
A Tourist Tax, as in other countries
Private schools to pay tax on their income by abolishing their status as charities
Loan deals made by the Council to be renegotiated
These ideas among other things
A.Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
