Good hair day at Telford

Level Three Hairdressing students let their hair down and imaginations run wild when they took part in a creative theme day at Edinburgh’s Telford College earlier this week.

Students planned their themes using ‘mood boards’ then set to work to create their styles on live models with the help of make-up artist student colleagues.  Themes on the day included Tribal, Urban, Fashion, Weddings, Alice in Wonderland – and even the Eiffel Tower!  The students’ work was then photographed for their portfolios.

Instructor Karen Dyer said:  “This is a popular unit and a lot of work and imagination goes in to these themes.  Today’s session helps students to plan and develop ideas and we have some very creative hairdressers here at Telford”.

Before ..
During ..
.. and after!

Forthview to celebrate Pathways to Pilton

Forthview Primary School will celebrate the culmination of the year-long Pathways to Pilton project with a video and photo exhibition at the school next month (12 March).  The event will mark the end of what has been a remarkably successful project which has captured the imaginations of the young and not so young alike!

The Friends of Forthview parents group received Lottery funding last year to ‘create new opportunities for local children and their families to acquire new skills and develop confidence and self-esteem through participation in exciting and innovative creative activities.’  Since then, groups have been working on three different elements.

Forthview Family Support Worker Tracey Berry, who has worked with the group throughout the project, explained:  “We carried out three projects which were geared towards the development of a caring tolerant and creative school and community. Adults and children worked together in an intergenerational and multicultural context to explore cultural similarities and differences with a focus on equality. The three projects were:-

Family Storytelling: We had two groups – one group for dads and their children, the other mums and their children. Each group worked to create a story book which can be used as a resource in our school. The adults and children were extremely enthusiastic and have produced three fabulous story books, with amazing themes – children shrinking the dads, children being rescued by mums from Volcano Island and Fairyland!  An award from “Cash for Kids” allowed us to print many copies of each book.

Family Photography: Carers and children worked together to produce fun and unusual family portraits.

Film Making: This part of the project introduced Carers to using digital media as a means of expression. A film called “Pathways to Pilton” has been produced which follows the diverse roads our children & their carers have travelled to reach Forthview School.”

It’s a fascinating journey, and all roads will lead to Forthview next month when the school will host a 12 March event to share what the families have learnt and celebrate the success of these projects with the school and the wider community. The families will talk about the project and there will be a screening of the ‘Pathways to Pilton’ Film.

Fun and learning at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Grove is launching a series of new daytime activities for all the family next month.

As part of the Centre’s Adult Learning programme there are courses on Raising Self-Esteem in Children on 7 and 14 March from 9.30 – 11.30am, while on 21 March you can take part in an Introduction to Criminology (9.30 – 12.30pm).  Wednesday 28 March offers an opportunity to learn with an Introduction to Social Policy (9.30 – 12.30pm).

There are also new opportunities to enjoy family activities at the Centre.  On Mondays from 10.15 – 11.45am there are Family Group Activities, offering parents and carers interactive play sessions with pre-school children, while there’s also a new Fun Time Session on Wednesdays (11am – 12) for preschool children and their parents and carers to participate in singing, dancing, music, soft play and games.

For further information on these activities or to book your place call Linda on 551 3194 or email Linda.chandler@ea.edin.sch.uk

Leapers and Creepers! Craigroyston’s art exhibition is moving!

Craigroyston Primary School’s annual art exhibition is one of the highlights of the school calendar, and this year the childrens’ remarkable artwork will be seen by an even wider audience – it’s being displayed in a Stockbridge art gallery!

Craigroyston Head Teacher Lorna Stewart explained: “Every year we celebrate our pupils’ work with an Art Exhibition where every child has work exhibited.  We invite parents and carers, other professionals and visitors who have worked with the children as well as prominent local people. This year, thanks to the support of Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE, we are fortunate to be able to exhibit in the WASPS Gallery where Joyce has her studio.  We are also grateful to Joyce for arranging for musician John Sampson to open the exhibition for us.”

She continued: “We are very pleased and excited at the prospect of using this space and it will be an excellent opportunity for the children to have their achievements celebrated and recognised beyond their immediate community.”

This year’s theme is ‘Leapers and Creepers’ and the exhibition opens at the WASPS Studios in Hamilton Place on Friday 23 March at 4pm.  Don’t miss it!

Community celebrates NEN relaunch

Community activists, business leaders, local workers and politicians joined members of the NEN board to celebrate the relaunch of the community newspaper on 16 February.

The paper ceased publishing last March following funding cuts, but since then the NEN’s voluntary management board has been working to get the paper out once again.  The relaunched NEN has now been delivered across the area and the NEN board held a celebration event in The Doo’cot to mark the occasion.

NEN chairman Martin Hinds told guests:  “Almost a year ago the last edition of the NEN was published, after 30 years of almost continuous publication – an extremely sad day for us all.  We all recognise the value of our community newspaper – I don’t think we can underestimate the importance of the NEN; it binds the community together and gives it identity.  It therefore gives us great pleasure to relaunch the newspaper this month”

He went on to thank those who helped to make the relaunch possible – past and existing Board members, community groups, contributors and politicians – but pointed out that there are challenges ahead.

“We have been able to produce the NEN with money left over from the sale of the NEN office and staff redundancy costs have been paid.  Longer term, the model that we have hit on will depend on contributions from the community – we have applied to the Neighbourhood Partnerships to allow us to recruit volunteer community journalists.  We also need to increase our income to make us sustainable on a long-term basis.  This is going to be a challenge for us but I think we’re up for it. Onwards and upwards – and welcome back, NEN!”

The next issue of the NEN is due out next month – and remember, the deadline is this Friday!

Martin Hinds, NEN Chair

Support for Stockbridge hotel restoration

It’s been an eyesore for Stockbridge residents for too long, but The Raeburn House Hotel could be brought back to life if new owner Archie MacLean gets planning permission to restore the run-down building into a boutique hotel.

A public meeting held in Lifecare House last week heard that council officials do not support Mr MacLean’s plans to add two storeys to the existing B-listed building, creating an up-market ten bedroom hotel.  The new owner – who paid £1.2 million for the hotel last November – organised the public meeting to gauge local feeling and to harness support for the plans.

Mr MacLean said: “Council officials have suggested a single storey extension that becomes two stories further back, but that wouldn’t work for us. Guests would have to go through the restaurant to use the lift and from an operational point of view that is implausible. We feel that with local support we have a chance of getting planning permission”.

Mr MacLean estimates that restoration work would cost from £1.5 – £2 million.

There was widespread support from the 150 people who attended the 16 February meeting – a show of hands was unanimous.

Architects Aitken Turnbull Architects Limited will submit a planning application later this month, and if permission is granted it’s thought that the revamped Raeburn House Hotel could open in August 2013.

Good news – NEN relaunch celebration

It’s nearly a year since it last appeared, but the NEN’s back at last and is now being delivered across North Edinburgh.  We’re sure you’ll agree that that’s good news, and there’s more … the NEN Board is hosting an informal reception to celebrate the NEN’s relaunch – and you’re all invited!

The event takes place tomorrow (Thursday) from 5pm in The Doo’cot on Ferry Road.  The celebration offers an opportunity to discuss the new paper with Board members, hear plans for the future and to find out how you can help support your NEN.

It’s great to report good news – and everybody loves a celebration – so come and join us tomorrow evening!

For further information contact NEN Chair Martin Hinds, email mhinds@blueyonder.co.uk or the NEN on northedinnews@gmail.com

 

 

Have your say at North Edinburgh Arts!

What is your favourite creative activity? What creative skills do you wish you had? What would your ideal community garden look like? North Edinburgh Arts wants to know what you think about the state of the arts in Muirhouse and beyond.

This Saturday, 18th February, North Edinburgh Arts will host its first annual ‘Have Your Say’ day, an event chock-full of fun, creative activities for the whole family, and a fantastic platform for you to tell NEA what is important to you.

Activities will run from 10am – 2pm, and will include drama with Lyceum Youth Theatre and North Edinburgh Theatre group, DIY Muirhouse with Community Renewal, dance with Charan Pradhan, creative play for under 5s, and take your own portrait. There will also be graffiti walls, breakdance displays, drop in arts and crafts and the opportunity to speak to Big Brother in our own Diary Room – a full programme of activities will be available to pick up on the day.

Kate Wimpress, Director of North Edinburgh Arts, said:  “The ‘Have Your Say’ Day will do exactly what it says on the tin. NEA is a great asset for Muirhouse and for North Edinburgh, and it is vital that we, as an organisation, know how to make the most of this fantastic resource for the many people who already use it, and for those who will use it in future”.

So why not go along and see what North Edinburgh Arts has to offer, grab a bite to eat at the café and chat about how to make the arts thrive where you live?

For more information on this event, visit http://www.northedinburgharts.co.uk or follow their page on Facebook.

 

Young people to have their say in Inverleith

Local young people have been heavily involved in the planning of the next meeting of Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership.  The meeting, which will held on Friday 2nd March at Broughton High School from 1.30 to 3.30pm, will offer an opportunity to see some of the young talent on display and also to view a selection of artwork created by local older people.

INP development officer Elaine Lennon explained:  “We are holding an afternoon event to try to attract a wider range of people, and are holding this meeting in the local High School to showcase the talents and to highlight the issues of local young people. We will also be displaying a selection of artwork by local older people, so we hope that you can join us. Please contact me if you would like more information and feel free to pass this on to anyone you think may be interested”.

Elaine can be contacted at North Local Office on 529 5270, email elaine.lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk