Young people struggling to attend school and to develop relationships with their peers are being helped back into education and are learning to open up thanks to a pioneering nature-based project being run by the country’s leading children’s charity.
Since 2020 – and thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund – Barnardo’s Scotland has been implementing its B-Wild project in eight localities across the country. B-Wild, which allows the young people to get out and about in nature and explore what the world has to offer.
It provides greater attachment to nature and increased self and social awareness. More than 800 children and young people aged between one and 24 have been supported to have therapeutic experiences in nature.
Claire Reid, B-Wild Project Co-ordinator at Barnardo’s, said: “One of the referral criteria for B-Wild is low or no attendance at school. We have a lot of young people on the programme that, for a number of reasons, find it difficult to attend school.
“Also, all participating young people struggle with peer relationships and making friends. The project offers children, young people and families the chance to benefit from outdoor learning, outdoor play and therapeutic practice in nature.
“And the results have been very positive indeed. Many of the young people attending B-Wild sessions have bonded and made friends with others on the programme. Others have very much found their ‘voice’ and developed some really important communication skills.
“Of course, in this process they have developed a stronger connection to nature and a desire to protect it – something that is more important than ever.”
Claire Reid added: “B-Wild looks different in every service. From supporting expectant parents with wellbeing walks in nature spaces; to messy outdoor play for babies; and from allowing primary children to build confidence as they learn about nature through games, play and exploration; to supporting teenagers to develop bushcraft skills while also building an emotional vocabulary for their experiences.
“B-Wild might be families tree planting in a local green space or parents learning how to connect with their children while rock pooling on the beach. It allows Barnardo’s practitioners to support children, families and young people to build their confidence, have fun, develop relationships with others and a relationship with nature, too.”
B-Wild Project Worker Kenny Fulton outlined an example of how the nature-based work can support the young people with real-life issues. He said: “The young people were engaging in an activity using natural materials and outlines of people to show how different emotions are felt in the body. They chose their own emotions to depict ‘grief’ and ‘scared’.
“All young people were incredibly insightful and engaged. Two young people dug a hole in the area of the heart to show how empty grief feels. Others used prickly leaves around the body to show fear. It was very brave and trusting of the young people to share their feelings and experiences in the group setting.
“One young person who does not typically talk about emotions at all shared a memory from early childhood of feeling scared. They shared how this memory was traumatic and how they had blocked it out, laying a stick across the head to represent this. This was a very significant moment for this young person as they grew in understanding of themselves and their life experiences.”
And one young person who attended B-Wild sessions added: “I can talk about things when I’m out on one of these trips. I can talk more here than I do with my counsellor. I can look at things about me in nature and I can talk.”
Another young person, Josh*, was able to join a B-Wild group run by our Edinburgh Together service through his school. Josh was not often able to attend school and struggled to make friends or connect with others – his life was all about gaming.
B-Wild project workers reached out to Josh and helped him get used to the woodland he would be learning about through the project. At the end of the programme, he had gone from a young person who didn’t spend any time outdoors to one who was passionate about nature.
Josh’s mum said: “When Josh started B-Wild he didn’t have anything else in his life. He rarely managed school, didn’t have friends and spent most of his time lost in gaming.
“Through B-Wild he has blossomed. For the first time, he has friends, he looks forward to B-Wild sessions and even talks to me about them when he comes home. It’s the first time in a long time I’ve heard him talk about something other than gaming. He has even bought himself a microscope. I’m so grateful he has had the opportunity to be part of B-Wild with Barnardo’s.”
B-Wild, which takes place in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire (with Fife coming on board later this year), was awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2020. The project was originally due to run until the end of this month, but that has now been extended to March 2025.
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “It is wonderful to see the success of the Barnardo’s B-Wild project and to hear first-hand accounts from project workers and participants on the powerful, positive impact it is already having in young lives.
“Supporting greater inclusion, diversity, access and participation in heritage is one of the four investment principles, this project is a great example of why that is important. It is thanks to National Lottery players that we can support this work.”
In the past year, Barnardo’s in Scotland provided essential support to more than 11,500 children, young people, parents and carers through more than 150 specialised community-based services and partnerships across the country.
The charity works to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life.
Drop-In at WAVERLEY COURT, East Market Street from 5 – 7pm
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Average worker in Scotland will be £833 better off a year as government cuts taxes
Over 2.4 million workers in Scotland will benefit as National Insurance cuts hit pay packets this month
27 million employees to benefit across the country from tax cuts that reward work and grow the economy
The typical worker in Scotland will be £833 better off thanks to successive cuts to employee National Insurance contributions (NICs), which hit pay packets this month.
27 million workers across the UK will see a boost to their take-home pay from 6 April, with over 2.4 million people to benefit in Scotland alone.
The savings are a result of successive cuts to NICs announced by the Chancellor, slashing the main rate of employee NICs from 12% to 8% and the main rate of self-employed NICs from 9% to 6%.
These cuts are possible because the economy is turning a corner, thanks to the government’s decisive action to bring inflation down from 11.1% to 3.4%. The government is sticking to its economic plan and in the longer-term, it has the ambition to cut NICs further, ending the unfair double tax on work.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:“The tax cuts coming into force this week show that our economic plan is working, putting £833 a year back into the pockets of working people across Scotland.
“People will start to see this saving in their pay packet this month and, when it’s responsible to do so, we will go further – ending the unfair double tax on those who earn their income through work.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “It’s fantastic that this second 2p cut to National Insurance, on top of the first 2p cut in January, is putting more money in the pockets of hard-working Scots from today. Around 2.4 million Scottish workers will be £833 per year better off, on average.
“It’s all part of our plan to increase prosperity and grow the economy. And with inflation expected to fall to target next quarter, our measures are working.”
Taking the NICs reforms across Autumn Statement and Spring Budget together, this is an overall tax cut worth over £20 billion per year, the largest ever cut to employee and self-employed National Insurance.
Due to the combined cuts to employee and self-employed NICs, the OBR forecast that total hours worked will increase by the equivalent of almost 200,000 full-time workers by 2028-29 and help grow the economy.
These changes mean that for single individuals on average salaries, personal taxes would have been lower in the UK than in France, Germany and every other G7 economy, based on the most recent OECD data.
New funding alongside actions to increase productivity
First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced an initial £30 million of targeted investment for Q1 of the new financial year, as part of a £300 million plan over the next three years, to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists.
Backed by planned additional investment, this targeted approach will help drive down waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over three years.
Visiting the National Treatment Centre in Fife, one year on since its official opening, First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “As I set out last October, we are committed to accelerating treatment in our NHS and reducing inpatient and day-case waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over the next three years, backed by planned investment of an extra £100 million annually.
“This initial investment of £30 million will target reductions to national backlogs that built up through the pandemic, including orthopaedic treatment, diagnostics for cancer referrals and patients with the longest waits.
“This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery.
“Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Reducing your salt consumption
Consuming too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for developing heart diseases. Salt is a source of sodium which is essential for a healthy body and diet. However, when we consume too much it can have a negative effect on our cardiovascular system and kidneys.
Did you know that one tablespoon of soy sauce contains almost 3g of salt? The NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt a day, this is around one level teaspoon. This includes salt that is already in our foods, plus any that’s added during or after cooking.
Here are some tips to help you reduce your salt consumption:
Reduce processed food consumption
Processed, ultra-processed foods and packaged foods are often responsible for much of the salt you eat. Eating a diet based on fresh foods, fruits and vegetables will help to reduce your salt intake and improve your heart health.
Processed foods are those that undergo any deliberate changes before being sold, for example, washing, cutting, canning, freezing or adding preservatives. Whereas ultra-processed foods, undergo extensive processing and end up looking nothing like their original state. They often have additives, artificial flavours and colours, sweeteners and preservatives added to them.
Always check your food labels when purchasing packaged foods. Green and amber on the traffic light system labels are healthier as they tend to be lower in salt. Try to avoid labels with red on them where you can.
If possible, try and make the foods from scratch, this way you know exactly what’s going into it. It may help to batch cook and freeze some of the meals for convenience.
Choose lower-salt alternatives
Try low, reduced salt or sodium versions of foods and sauces. These are often available for soy sauces, jars of sauce and stock.
If possible, buy tinned vegetables, pulses or fish in water instead of brine, this will reduce your salt consumption further.
For a food to be classified as low in salt, it needs to have 0.3g salt or less per 100g. Between 0.3g and 1.5g of salt is classed as medium salt content, whilst 1.5g salt or more per 100g is seen as high salt content.
Don’t add salt to your food
Herbs and spices such as parsley, oregano and chilli powder are a great alternative to use than salt.
You could try adding lemon, garlic and wholegrain mustard for extra flavours in your cooking too.
Experiment with your flavours and enjoy your cooking.
With spring in the air, Cats Protection and Songbird Survival have teamed up to offer advice on the best ways to help reduce hunting of songbirds by pet cats in the hope of protecting the threatened population.
A survey of 1,000 cat owners, conducted by Songbird Survival, revealed almost half of cat owners (46%) aren’t aware of ways to reduce cat predation.
Hunting is a natural, innate behaviour for cats and they feel driven to do it. Not all cats hunt and it generally reduces as they age. However, just a few simple strategies can protect birds and benefit your cat’s welfare too.
Spring is a particularly vulnerable time for songbirds as we are in the nesting and breeding season, which runs up to July as they gather materials to make nests and fledglings begin to leave their nests.
It’s important to protect songbird populations from decline and cat owners and bird lovers alike can make a big difference by putting up nest boxes as well as not using pesticides in their gardens.
Top tips for reducing hunting:
Play with your cat for 5-10 minutes every day as it allows them to exhibit their natural hunting behaviour and reduces their motivation to seek out prey. Pick out a toy that mimics prey movement – such as a fishing-rod toy
Feed cats with a premium, meat-rich food as it’s been scientifically shown to reduce hunting tendencies
Keep cats in at night to help songbird populations and to reduce the chances of your cat being involved in a road traffic accident.
More than 5,400 people took advantage of exclusive offers available only to residents within the City of Edinburgh Council area last year.
The Forever Edinburgh ‘Resident Rewards’ programme, which is run by the City of Edinburgh Council, partnered with over 50 local businesses to offer residents exclusive ‘Rewards’ with key leisure and hospitality businesses, visitor attractions, tours, and festive events around the city.
In 2023, the scheme saw an uplift of 195% in bookings of its monthly ‘Star Reward’ and an increase of 88% in the number of residents benefiting from the programme compared to 2022.
In the last year, it has helped residents to make a combined saving of £66,114.
More than 700 local kids enjoyed Camera Obscura for free in March 2023, while over 850 residents attended the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Experience with a 40% discount during their dedicated month.
Residents Rewards Edinburgh was launched in December 2021 to reconnect citizens with the city’s best leisure, food and drink, and cultural experiences. Edinburgh residents can enjoy high-value monthly rewards, special resident prices at key attractions, 12 months’ validity on entry tickets, special previews of upcoming events, and half-price and free entry to attractions at specific times in the month and year.
Last year, Forever Edinburgh enhanced the programme by introducing several new Reward offers including Resident Previews, Half-price & Free days, Annual Passes, and Resident Rates.
Since 2021, the Resident Rewards microsite has been viewed nearly half a million times and has also generated over 35,000 business leads, demonstrating the strength and potential of this market-leading programme.
Councillor Cammy Day, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council said: “It has been a fantastic year for Resident Rewards, with new businesses and brand-new attractions signing up to give back to Edinburgh residents. It’s wonderful to see so many people taking advantage of these exclusive rewards and exploring their own city for less.
“Whether you live locally or visit from halfway across the world, there is so much more to Edinburgh than many of us find time to discover. These rewards provide the perfect chance to try something new while supporting the local economy and I’d encourage other local businesses to get involved.”
Claire Riddoch, Marketing Manager, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions said:“Taking part in the Residents Reward was a great success for Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.
“We are always looking at ways we can work with our local partners and audiences to give back something in return for their loyal support, especially after the last few hard years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We were delighted to welcome just under 700 local children free during March 2023, which contributed to a 56% overall rise in children visiting compared to March 2022 and 33% of our total visitors were from Edinburgh and Lothians, up 16% on 2022.”
The scheme’s popularity has continued to grow, with the Resident Reward microsite now the 4th most popular page on The Official Guide to Edinburgh website. The programme is promoted through a targeted media campaign involving local partners such as Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.
Resident Rewards is being fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and funding has been secured until March 2025.
In April, residents can enjoy a 25% discount at the Escape Room in the Department of Magic through the Monthly Star reward. Then, in May they can take advantage of an exclusive 30% discount on tours at the new Port of Leith Distillery, Scotland’s first vertical whisky distillery located in Leith.
To unlock exclusive discounts and rewards as an Edinburgh resident, go to:
Participation in this programme is free for local leisure and hospitality businesses. If you’re interested in joining and offering exclusive rewards to residents of the City of Edinburgh through your business, please reach out to the team at: residentrewards@edinburgh.gov.uk.
The Scotch Whisky Experience on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile proudly raise a glass as they achieve two Green Tourism Awards in recognition of the steps they have taken as a business to put sustainability at the forefront of strategy.
The result of this approach; The Scotch Whisky Experience are the first whisky attraction in Scotland to receive both the Green Tourism and Green Meeting Gold Awards. This accreditation highlights The Scotch Whisky Experience’s ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and to provide visitors with an immersive experience while striving to be as sustainable as possible.
Demonstrating the importance of sustainability for business growth, The Scotch Whisky Experience has also been awarded the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce High Growth Business of the Year Award 2024.
This accolade celebrates businesses demonstrating profitability, innovation, and growth. The Scotch Whisky Experience’s performance over the past twelve months, coupled with its £3.5 million investment in the visitor experience, demonstrates their unwavering commitment to sustainable business practices while telling the story of Scotland’s national drink.
According to a report by the Scotch Whisky Association, ‘the contribution of the Scotch whisky industry reached £7.1 bn in 2022 and is the second most productive sector in Scotland, just behind energy including renewables.’*
Susan Morrison, Chief Executive at The Scotch Whisky Experience, said: “We work hard to take positive actions across the whole business with a real focus on people, their experience and our environmental impact.
“We are very proud to have achieved GOLD status with Green Tourism while being recognised for substantial growth by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.”
The Scotch Whisky Experience brings whisky to life, showcasing the heritage and craftsmanship behind the iconic spirit whilst actively continuing to put sustainability at the forefront of the business.
Summer is on the way and the festival season is hotting up, with Assembly Festival announcing a further 110 shows for this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Assembly Festival opens on Wednesday 31 July with the Assembly Gala Launch at Assembly Hall, highlighting some of the biggest and best shows of the year; expect spectacular circus, thought-provoking theatre, riotous comedy, and more to kick-start your festival experience.
Best of the Fest returns with three shows for your regular dose of Fringe fun. The eponymous Best of the Fest will be the highlight of your weekend with a changing line-up of established talent and rising stars at Assembly Hall.
For the best in emerging talent and fresh comedy faces, head on over to Best of the Fest: The New Class in George Square Gardens. Finally Best of the Fest: Daytime will move to a new home at Assembly Rooms to serve up a daily dose of family-friendly Fringe variety from circus to stand up.
Assembly has a bumper comedy programme in store this year including recently announced shows from the purple felt-faced comedian, Randy Feltface: First Banana; a welcome return to the Fringe for The Last Leg host Adam Hills: Shoes Half Full; and Dara Ó Briain: My Life is a Work in Progress (Work In Progress), Dara’s first Fringe run since 2005. Also appearing on Assembly’s largest stage at Assembly Hall is Milton Jones: Ha!Milton; and Reginald D Hunter will be appearing in George Square Studios this year with his new show Fluffy Fluffy Beavers.
Since 1981, Assembly’s stages have launched the career of many a household name, including Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Bill Bailey, Sandi Toksvig, and Rik Mayall, so this year’s selection of comedy debuts could well behold the next big thing.
Assembly’s programme is also renowned for its international talent, and this year is no exception; from Australia, TikTok star Jenny Tian: Chinese Australian and winner of Director’s Choice Award, Melbourne Comedy Festival Bronwyn Kuss: Sounds Good; from New Zealand Guy Williams: This Glass House Makes it Easy to See All the Cowards I’m Throwing Stones At (New Zealand Today, Taskmaster NZ) and soon to be the most powerful man in the universe Ray O’Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger (Taskmaster NZ); Japan’s latest comedy export Takashi Wakasugi: Welcome To Japan; BBC Galton and Simpson Comedy Winner Grace Mulvey: Tall Baby from Ireland; from India Rahul Subramanian: Who Are You?;from the USA, 17 year-old Maeve Press: Failure Confetti; and from the UK circuit, writer of Death DropHolly Stars: Justice For Holly and self-renowned poet Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna.
There’s more stand-up from the “Bloody Hilarious” (Sarah Millican) Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage; the award-winning Geraldine Hickey: Don’t Tease Me About My Gloves; shortlisted BBC New Comedy Award 2023 Jo Griffin: Last Chance Saloon; Kelly Bachman: Patron Saint; co-writer of Starstruck (BBC) Nic Sampson returns with his new show Yellow Power Ranger; Ireland’s favourite scoundrel Stephen Mullan: Rascal; and the irrepressible Ted Hill: 110 Percent Normal. Plus, work in progress shows from Angela Barnes and Joanne McNally.
From the world of musical comedy, David O’Doherty returns to Assembly with a new megaconcert, David O’Doherty: Ready, Steady, David O’Doherty; acclaimed duo Flo & Joan: The Joan & Flo Show present their greatest hits ; a personal and political hour from Jonny & the Baptists: The Happiness Index; Taskmaster New Zealand star Paul Williams returns to the Fringe with Mamiya 7; and Ivo Graham returns with one of the best nights out at the Fringe with Comedians’ DJ Battles.
There’s off-the-cuff guffaws in Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised; a classic murder mystery is created on-the-spot in Murder, She Didn’t Write; the return of the painfully funny improvised medical drama St Doctor’s Hospital, who also bring endless comedy possibilities in The Free Association: 3; and Terry Wogan is back from the dead in Late Night with Terry Wogan.
On the sketch front, expect a raft of comedy sketches with the world’s only surreal, sketch-comedy circus troupe Laser Kiwi: Rise of the Olive; 100 years of TV in one hour in Joe & Rory: Television 1; and comedy duo Grubby Little Mitts are back with two new shows, Grubby Little Mitts: Eyes Closed, Mouths Open and Grubby Little Mitts presents: Sketch Book.
The uniquely eccentric Trygve Wakenshaw returns after seven years with his Dada-esque new show, Trygve Wakenshaw: Silly Little Things; and Jody Kamali is Ironing Board Man with eight ironing boards and one banging soundtrack. Join comedian Benjamin Alborough as he attempts to improve the most notorious property trading board game in the chaotic, interactive gameshow Absolute Monopoly; take part in an hour of mad cap game show and entertainment with Mad Ron and Jerry; Australian cult classic The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase makes its way to the Fringe; and there’s a wild and raunchy, adults-only night of magic and comedy with Sam, Justin, and Magnus ‘Danger’ Magnus in Adults Only Magic Show.
After sell-out runs in 2023, the smash-hit historical-storytelling comedy returns with an all-new collection of 5 Mistakes That Changed History. Less historically accurate but with equally irreverent storytelling is Isabelle Farah: Nebuchadnezzar, a silly show about love and war in Babylon; Edy Hurst’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself explores a world of witches, neurodivergence and the Vengaboys; Chris Grace: Sardines (a comedy about death) guides audiences through a tragic and hilarious exploration of life’s important questions; and Marc Burrows embarks on a journey through the life and work of one on Britain’s best loved authors and humourists in The Magic of Terry Pratchett.
There’s plenty to entertain the whole family at Assembly this year. The multi-award-winning Circus Trick Tease return to Assembly Festival with their phenomenal Children Are Stinky for another summer of fun.
Expect high calibre circus, a rocking soundtrack and genuine belly laughs, leaving adults and children with their jaws on the floor hooting for more. The Canadian “masters of slapstick” behind Brotipo, Les Foukoutours present a celebration of childhood creativity in NoVa; the harmony of gecko-like Gael is upset by the arrival of a stranger in children’s dance show The Last Forecast; and a chance encounter with a resilient drop of water sends plucky young Hope on a life-changing puppetry adventure in Taiwan Season: Little Drops of Rain.
DJ, performer, and mum of two Monski Mouse is back with her Baby Cabaret and Baby Disco Dance Hall full of bonkers fun for 0-5s and their parents/carers; Mr Sleepybum has more dreams to share in his high-energy, interactive, multi-award-nominated comedy show for the whole family; The Greatest Magic Show returns with more whimsical wonders than ever before; and Mojo the Monkey and Jimmy the Tomato guide audiences on a rollercoaster of amazement in Mojo and Jimmy: The Comedy Magic Spectacular.
For a touch of magic for more mature audiences, look no further than Dom Chambers: Magic Hunt, an untamed magic rampage, a fusion of awe and anarchy and a ‘unique blend of comedy and illusions’™; and a brand-new show from Chris Dugdale: 11, 11 tricks and a message that may or may not change your life. There’ll be audience participation aplenty with the return of Goose’s Quizzes Elimination Game. Scotland’s premiere quiz company bring their raucous five-star game show, with fresh questions every night, brilliant prizes and all-new rounds – will you face elimination, or be crowned a champion?
After taking Australia by storm everyone’s favourite Ogre inspired burlesque and drag parody is finally coming to Edinburgh! The award-winning, critically acclaimed, Swamplesque makes it way to Assembly Festival from far-far-away.
There’s more drag excellence as glamorous, hilarious and fiercely clever Jens Radda explodes onto the Edinburgh scene with Skank Sinatra; Sarah-Louise Young and Russell Lucas pay glorious homage to the music, fans and mythology of one of the most influential voices in music in An Evening Without Kate Bush; and high camp and heartbreaking drama collide in These Are the Contents of My Head (The Annie Lennox Show) as Salty Brine charts his way, track by track, through Lennox’s masterpiece Diva.
Following hit sell-out sensations Macro and The Pulse, Gravity & Other Myths return to Edinburgh with their brand-new critically acclaimed show Ten Thousand Hours, an ode to the countless hours needed to achieve great things. Blending circus and dance, Taiwan Season: I Am The BOSS asks what do three siblings do when home alone; the 600-year-old Korean folk song Arirang is brought to life in ARI: The Spirit of Korea; and Taiwanese choreographer Chuang Po-Hsiang presents Taiwan Season: Palingenesis, an absorbing dance trio inspired by a biological concept of regeneration.
Assembly Festival and Dance Base team up once again, presenting a programme across two stages at Scotland’s National Centre for Dance.
Five dancers collide and rebound through urban, breaking, contemporary and everything in between in PACK; the boundary between the inert and the living is blurred in Golem, a captivating dialogue between dancer and sculptor; The Show for Young Men asks what it means to be a man today in a tender dance performance for ages 8+; and the eternal relationship between the deity and the devotee is explored in Ananta, the Eternal. Masquerading as a sequel to an earlier, non-existent version of itself,
The Passion of Andrea 2 is a mischievous con artist of a dance theatre piece about uneasiness, confusion, and the painful desire for more; Futuristic Folktales scrutinises reproductive injustices through storytelling, contemporary movement, and an evocative soundscape of experimental bagpipe; and the Korean tradition of tying and untying knots faces the climate crisis in Sleeper.
Assembly Festival is proud to present this year’s ART Award winner, Gracie and the Start of the End of the World (Again) from writer and performer Zoë Bullock. Meet Gracie, an immortal, pop culture obsessed, very horny jellyfish. An extinction-level comedy about heartbreak, revolution and surviving the apocalypse; this is excellent new theatre from one of Scotland’s up and coming creative teams.
Other new writing in Assembly’s 2024 programme includes the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships in Glitch and Mum and I Don’t Talk Anymore; plus, Good Luck, Cathrine Frost! a funny one-woman show about philosophy and childbirth. Love is on the menu as Steve Porter is back with a new spicy seminar, How to Mate: The Ted XXX Talk; while Pillock confronts loneliness, hook-up culture and medical role plays.
English American writer/comedian returns to the UK with Alison Larkin: Grief… A Comedy, looking at love, loss and hope; a doc-com billionaire pays a famous American theatre company to translate the Bard in Polishing Shakespeare; ‘one of the most fascinating experimental theatrical minds at the Fringe’ brings us Honnef’s Lost words; and a clandestine cabal of misfits attempt their ultimate heist in Brian Parks’ new work, Plotters.
Fresh off the back of two successful seasons with Salamander, Scottish, female-led Pretty Knickers Productions bring Mary, Queen of Rock! a brand-new musical that will get Scotland rocking! While the reign of the only Empress–Queen is a prism through which the entire crown can be seen via Victoria’s journals and letters in Queen; and notorious filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl attempts to sanitize her past in the insightful, hilarious wild ride of Leni’s Last Lament.
Comedian Ivo Graham goes around and around, backwards and forwards, to the places he aches to go again in Carousel; a girl with anxiety must rescue her friend from a city of skeletons in Shadow Necropolis, from the creators behind Shadow Kingdom; You&It: The Musical looks at the love between a husband and wife when one of them returns as AI; and aspiring actor and current window salesperson Kacie confronts an existential journey in I Sell Windows.
A group of former kid detectives return to the scene of their greatest unsolved case in Solve It Squad; actor and pro-wrestling fan Tegan Verheul presents a knockout solo show about sports entertainment in Chokeslam; follow Shy Girl’s attempts to open up in Wyld Woman: The Legend of Shy Girl; and myths and legends are told like never before in Remythed.
More mythology from Fringe smash hit Mythos: Ragnarok as they return to Assembly Festival this year, a masterful blend of storytelling, theatre and stage combat. Also coming back this August is hot-ticket interactive theatre piece Temping; ten minutes of a father with dementia and his family is revisited in multimedia theatre piece Layers; and an unexpected patient challenges a counsellor’s commitment in Black and White Tea Room: Counsellor, part of the Korean Season at Assembly Festival. Plus, Captivate Theatre return with Fringe favourite Sunshine on Leith; and Oxford’s internationally acclaimed a cappella group, Out of the Blue return to the Fringe for their 20th year.
Assembly Festival’s Fringe season will begin on Wednesday 31 July and run through to Monday 26 August. Performances will take place across Edinburgh city centre, including Assembly Festival’s year-round home Assembly Roxy, Assembly Checkpoint, Assembly Hall, Assembly Rooms, and Assembly George Square Gardens.
For tickets and further information, and to sign up to receive news about future shows at Assembly Festival 2024, visit www.assemblyfestival.com.
Sight Scotland, and its sister charity Sight Scotland Veterans, are celebrating a Fair Rail Campaign victory after Transport Scotland announced free rail travel for companions of blind and partially sighted people.
In its recently published Fair Fares Review, Transport Scotland says it plans to launch a pilot project to extend free rail travel for companions of Blind Persons Concessionary Travel cardholders. This policy change will have a profound impact on the lives of visually impaired individuals across Scotland, many of whom depend on public transport for mobility and independence.
Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, commented: “We are delighted the Scottish Government has announced a pilot project which will see free rail travel for blind and partially sighted people and their companions. After over 2 years of campaigning, this is a great win for our Fair Rail campaign and another step towards accessible rail travel for all.
“Through our Fair Rail Campaign, we have been able to amplify the voices of visually impaired individuals and highlight the barriers they face whilst travelling. For most people living with a visual impairment, public transport is the only means they have to make journeys around the country.
“Unfortunately for many travelling without a companion is just not an option, and the costs to pay fares is too much.
“This news will be transformative, both in terms of inclusivity and affordability, and we would like to commend Transport Scotland for actively listening to a segment of society that is regrettably overlooked far too often.”
Joe Tottenham, a 92-year-old army veteran, who lost his sight due to macular degeneration, commented: “This is a great piece of news and I’m so proud to be part of the Fair Rail campaign led by Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue.
“Knowing no matter where I’m going in Scotland that my companion can travel with me at no extra cost will change my life. As a blind person, having someone to help me get on and off the train is vital – I’d be lost without them. I hope all Blind Persons Concessionary Travel cardholders will take full advantage of the pilot scheme.”
Graham Simpson MSP, Shadow Minister for Transport, who backed the campaign and led a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Fair Rail Campaign, added: “This is good news.
“We have been campaigning for the companions of blind people to get free rail travel for some time, so this is a step in the right direction. The Scottish Government must now commit to ensuring there is a nationwide scheme as soon as possible.”
The Fair Rail Campaign was launched over 2 years ago and called for a new national policy for free rail travel across Scotland for the companions of those with a National (Scotland) Concessionary Travel for Blind Persons card.
The call for a new national policy came as Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans were contacted by people with sight loss who were not only concerned about the rising costs of rail travel but were also confused by the different concessionary and companion schemes which were operated in different areas of Scotland.
The charities secured a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the issue and gave evidence to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee. It was then considered in the Fair Fares Review.
