On Saturday 19th October, the Scottish Indian Arts Forum (SIAF) is planning an unforgettable celebration for its 30th anniversary as it holds its flagship event on top of Calton Hill – Dusherra.
Founded by SIAF in 1994, Dusherra is a family-friendly event and is free to attend. This year’s celebration will take place from 3pm on Saturday 19th October.
One of India’s largest and most celebrated festivals, Dusherra commemorates the epic 10-day battle between gods and demons, and the timeless struggle between good and evil. This iconic festival symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, celebrated with electrifying music, dance and mouthwatering cuisine, and where ancient legends come alive with the dramatic burning of effigies symbolising the destruction of evil.
Twisted Tails perform at Dusherra 2019, photo by DB@Tasveeraen
This year, the family-friendly celebration reaches new heights as SIAF weaves together the best of Scottish and Indian music and dance, bringing two rich cultures together in a spectacular fusion of sights and sounds. Over 200 hundred performers will take to the stage for over three hours of non-stop entertainment as part of the celebrations. Highlights include performances from Edinburgh dance school Dance Beatz, tracks from Edinburgh Banghra Crew, and tribal belly dance from Twisted Tails. Plus even more entertainment from local group Unison Dollies, Glasgow’s Desi Bravehearts, Scotland’s premier Bollywood dance troupe BollyFeat.
Alongside the performance programme there will be a mouthwatering menu of Indian cuisine to enjoy; while children and adults alike will be able to try their own hand at Indian culture with a series of arts and craft activities and workshops.
The evening will culminate with the symbolic burning of effigies and a breathtaking fireworks display that will light up the Edinburgh skyline, creating an awe-inspiring finale.
The Scottish Indian Arts Forum, which celebrates 30 years of promoting Indian culture and heritage this year, invites everyone to join them in making 2024 the grandest Dusherra yet.
Mr. Nirav Mehta, Vice President of SIAF, said:“2024 marks the 30-year anniversary of Scottish Indian Arts Forum celebrating Indian culture in Edinburgh, of which Dusherra is our flagship event. It’s a massive milestone for us and the Indian diaspora in this beautiful city.
“Dusherra celebrates the universal message of victory of virtue over vice, and courage trumping oppression. For the Scottish Indian Arts Forum, which aims to provide a platform to celebrate the rich Indian Heritage via performing arts and music, Dusherra helps us to encourage community cohesion and active citizenship.
“We hope everyone will join us for our 30th anniversary celebration which will take place on 19th October from 3pm onwards, on the iconic Calton Hill in Edinburgh. The walk-in festival is free for all so that we can all witness the spectacle.”
Dusherra 2024 will take place from 3pm on Saturday 19th October on Calton Hill, Edinburgh. The fireworks display and symbolic burning of effigies will take place from 7.30pm.
The Scottish Indian Arts Forum hosts Dusherra with thanks to support from City of Edinburgh Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The festival receives further support from Baillie Gifford, Brighter Mortgages, and Towards AGI.
Opened in 1994, the organisation has grown to become Scotland’s leading arts engagement charity, impacting hundreds of thousands of people of all ages through inspiring, creative projects
Impact Arts makes a call for people who have been part of its work over the last 30 years to get in touch to share their stories and memories
On 22 August, the team at Impact Arts will raise a glass to three decades of life-changing work, as Scotland’s leading creative engagement charity prepares to mark its 30th anniversary.
Since it was established by Susan Aktemel in 1994, Impact Arts has embarked on a mission to tackle social inequality using creativity and art, improving the lives of some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people in communities all over the country.
Over the years the charity has been behind hundreds of projects, from large-scale public art to music projects with the likes of Amy Macdonald and Hector Bizerk, live theatre to pop-up cafes, and interior design workshops to creative learning with those in the criminal justice system.
Since 1994 more than 300,000 people have been engaged in or supported by their work, with projects winning numerous awards and accolades.
Early projects included the creation of the Woodlands Mosaic Bollards in Glasgow’s West End in 1997, which continue to bring colour and vibrancy to the area today. Other community artworks have included the Linkes Mosaic Mural in Knightswood, first created in 2005, and local young people creating stained glass windows to brighten the Pineview Housing Association homes in Drumchapel.
In 2003 Impact Arts launched Fab Pad, which supported hundreds of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness to sustain their tenancies through creative interior design workshops.
The project was delivered right across central Scotland, including at one point taking over a whole floor of the Red Road flats in North Glasgow with a “showroom” and workshop, helping many tenants to transform their homes on a budget while learning valuable new skills.
The project ran until 2015, and continues today as Make It Your Own, supporting vulnerable tenants to help transform their home lives.
Today Impact Arts continues to push boundaries with its life-changing charity work from its bases in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Irvine.
It continues to welcome older communities struggling with social isolation, improving the wellbeing and attainment of children via art therapy, and empowering teens and young adults through employability programmes such as Creative Pathways, and CashBack to the Future, which is currently running with groups in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and North Ayrshire.
Since 2023 Impact Arts has been based at The Boardwalk in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City, transforming the building into a purpose-built creative and accessible events venue, boasting a 180-capacity theatre, seven studios and meeting rooms capable of hosting everything from dance rehearsals and creative workshops to corporate events and conferences.
The Boardwalk is proving a popular choice for businesses and public bodies looking to support the broad work of the charity when booking event space.
As well as being home to many of Impact Arts’s own projects, The Boardwalk also hosts many of the country’s leading creative organisations, from permanent theatrical tenants like Solar Bear and Birds of Paradise, to dance studios brought to life by the likes of S-MB Company and The Work Room, and transformative creative engagement charities like Playlist for Life and Inspiring Scotland.
On 22 August The Boardwalk will host a special 30th anniversary celebration, with stakeholders, former participants, and friends of Impact Arts invited to relive highlights from past projects and see recent work by a range of groups including some of the work created as part of this year’s Cashback Summer programmes.
The charity has launched its call for those who have been impacted by their work to get in touch and share their stories which it will incorporate in its August celebrations.
Fiona Doring, Chief Executive Officer of Impact Arts, said: “Impact Arts was born out of the recognition that taking part in arts and creative activities can be life changing.
“For 30 years we have built on this philosophy to support the people and communities across Scotland, who are least likely to have access to the arts, to tackle the big issues preventing them from achieving their potential.
“Impact Arts has been at the heart of positive change for thousands of people’s lives and, as we turn 30, we are taking time to reflect upon and celebrate the stories of all of these individual people for whom engaging in arts projects has been transformational.”
Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trustis celebrating 30 years of life in Edinburgh.
Springing from nowhere (hence the name!) into a small gallery space in the centre of Edinburgh in 1994, Out of the Blue now enlivens and animates six buildings in Edinburgh, including the A-listed Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith and the iconic Bongo Club in the city centre.
Since 1994, over two million people have come through our doors to work, create, exhibit, perform, eat, drink, dance, teach and learn.
Our creative projects and valuable social initiatives benefit thousands of individuals, and many organisations and communities. Collectively, these ventures are making a significant contribution both to people’s quality of life and to the provision of opportunities in the creative industries for emerging and established artists.
Why commemorate the 30-year milestone?
We worked hard to give birth and sustain our vision (some would say against all odds). Our creative ventures, collaborations and achievements to date are worthy of attention.
We also want to express our gratitude to those individuals and organisations who played a significant role in ‘making it happen’.
How are we commemorating?
On the 30th May 2024 associates from the world of arts and crafts, politics, education and press will gather at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall to sample performance, music and visual art which is representative of our 30-year history.
Throughout the rest of our 30th year, we will showcase 30 events illustrative of a history of many collaborative partnerships.
Rob Hoon, Out of the Blue Chief Executive said: “Out of the Blue is unique and resists classification. Our buildings are not simply artists’ studios, or ‘creative hubs’. Our spaces reflect a model that has developed and been sustained over 30 years, hosting a hybrid of arts, participatory education, enterprise, creativity, and community development.
“There is cross-fertilisation between these areas which support individuals and collective initiatives. This in turn has economic, health and educational benefits for individuals and the local community.”
David Stevenson, Chair of Out of the Blue Board of Directors said: “In an increasingly challenging landscape for arts and cultural organisations, Out of the Blue is a 30 year-success story.
“A social enterprise, we have developed a sustainable business model with creative and cultural activity at its core. We are proud to be a part of the communities that make use of our spaces, and as we celebrate our anniversary we also celebrate the stories of every person who has passed through our doors to ‘do their thing ”
Ally Hill, Managing Director of The Bongo Club said:“The Bongo Club has been pushing the boundaries of the Edinburgh scene since 1996.
“Through the loyal support of the community (and the Council), it has now overcome threats to its existence on three occasions and its third incarnation occupies the cavernous, basement spaces below the Central Library, on Cowgate, since 2013.
The Bongo Club continues to welcome world-class, international talent.
“With a street-wise, level-headed attitude and an international reputation, the Bongo currently operates primarily as a nightclub, albeit one that also hosts regular live events suited to its low ceilings and underground feel.
“Many a rising star has played a live gig at the Bongo, with recent stand-outs including Self Esteem and Kae Tempest.”
Out of the Blue: 30 years as a Creative Development Organisation
Each Out of the Blue building has a creative purpose in its own right, but collectively they drive the growth of the Creative Industries in Edinburgh and Scotland by providing opportunities for employment, education and enterprise.
The buildings provide spaces for studios, workshops, classes, exhibitions, music practice, recording, performance, rehearsal, events, meetings, theatre, music, visual arts, architecture, designers, screen printers, social enterprises, jewellery makers, and more.
As a local organisation that sprung up from grassroot, Out of the Blue has made a significant impact on the city of Edinburgh and the communities we work in, as well as contributing to Scotland’s Creative Industry infrastructure.
Our mission to find and develop creative spaces, and to evolve as a sustained social enterprise with multiple branches, is something worth celebrating!
Throughout our 30-year history we have seen many success stories from those using our spaces to bring their creative vision to life; including
1994: Creating a DIY arts organisation and a gallery space in a shop space in Blackfriars Street, Old Town Edinburgh
1996: Move to New Street followed by the creation of the Bongo Club
2000: Initiating and awarding ‘Tap Water Awards’ as a cheeky response to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Perrier Award
2003: The purchase and refurbishment of the (now A listed) Drill Hall in Leith – now filled with creative activity visited by over 100,000 people each year
2003- present: Providing studio space for artists and organisations that are some of the most successful and vibrant in the city. Out of the Blue accommodates over 200 artists in studios including 50 organisations/SMEs and designers, film companies, events companies, painters, theatre companies, photographers, ceramicists, textile workers, printmakers and musicians
2005: Initiated significant community based initiatives involving young people in a creative project to transform the local park. An outcome of those initiatives was the involvement of many participants in training and employment opportunities at the Out of the Blue Drill Cafe
2015 to present: Created Out of the Blueprint as a risograph print studio, based in the OOTB Drill Hall. RISO printing is a low-cost, eco-friendly print process, using only vegetable inks and 100% recycled paper, with a unique aesthetic.
2017 to present: Transformed Abbeymount Techbase into a centre of imagination and enterprise for 50 artists and hundreds of participants, as Abbeymount Studios for craft and design in the old school at the top of Easter Road.
In total Out of the Blue run:
– 5 public spaces for a combination of studios, performance, rehearsal, music, exhibition, projects, events, classes, workshops, markets, cafes and clubs.
– 4 enterprises; The Bongo Club, The Out of the Blue Drill Hall cafe, Out of the Blueprint and Out of the Blue Abbeymount Studios for craft makers.
– The A listed Out of the Blue Drill Hall
A studio base for over 100 artists
An arts venue for local, national and international artists and others to create, teach, learn manage and perform visited by a total of 100,000 members of the public per annum
A Market venue for artists and local traders
The Drill Hall café, a resource for the local community and a training project for young people with 73,000 customers per annum
– The Bongo Club. Performance venue including live music, club, theatre, spoken word/poetry, film/video art, dance and comedy, practice and workshop facilities.
To find out more about Out of the Blue, please take a look at our dedicated webpage.
One of Scotland’s most iconic visitor attractions, Discovery Point in Dundee, is celebrating its 30th anniversary and, as well as looking at their achievements so far, they are also looking forward to what is next on the horizon.
To celebrate 30 years since it was officially opened, visitors to Discovery Point on Saturday 1 July got the chance to enjoy an austral winter – winter in the Southern Hemisphere – as experienced by the crew of the RRS Discovery that included Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson, on the highly successful British National Antarctic Expedition in 1901.
They were also amongst the first to be able to register their interest for the new Adopt an Object campaign – an exciting way to support the Dundee Heritage Trust collection, by adopting one of their objects for the year.
Fascinating objects including Antarctic goggles that have seen the Last Place on Earth and Shackleton’s legendary Aurora Australis book, are amongst the items available to be adopted, with the lucky adopter benefitting from a range of exclusive incentives and special opportunities to engage with work behind the scenes at both Discovery Point and Verdant Works.
Opened by the late Duke of Edinburgh on 1 July 1993, Discovery Point created a new and exciting visitor centre for the RRS Discovery, which moved to her new berth in Discovery Quay the previous year. As well as being an important catalyst for Dundee’s regeneration, sitting alongside the new V&A Dundee as the centrepiece of the £1 billion Waterfront Development, Discovery Point has been the source of many fond memories for locals and fellow Scots.
Ali Gellatly, Ship and Facilities Director at Dundee Heritage Trust said: “It’s incredible to think that in 30 years more than two million visitors have visited Discovery Point, including the present Prince and Princess of Wales in October 2015; astronauts who flew on space shuttle Discovery’s last flight in July 2011; and descendants of the original crew of the RRS Discovery, including Captain Scott’s grandson, Falcon Scott.
“I visited Discovery Point as a youngster and was so inspired by my visits that it gave me my passion for ships and exploration. 30 years on and I’m proud to say I have the best job in the world!”
Last year the Trust opened the Dundee Dome,a stunning, brand-new gallery in this previously inaccessible roof space at the top of the Discovery Point Dome, offering 360°panoramic views of the city, waterfront and River Tay and featuring Gaia, the impressive artwork by world famous environmental artist, Luke Jerram.
This year, major restoration works began on the RRS Discovery. These urgent works will enable the conservation and preservation of this world heritage asset, the ship that took Scott and Shackleton to the Antarctic in the days when that was as unthinkable as space travel.
A specialist survey identified several critical areas for conservation. The National Heritage Memorial Fund has generously funded the urgent works; the original grant or £409k was increased by £1million to account for rises in cost of materials and construction, and costs across the board.
There is still £1million left to raise to complete these critical conservation works, due to be completed in 2025.
Deirdre Robertson, Chief Executive of Dundee Heritage Trust, said: “We are so proud of the impact Discovery Point has made to the regeneration of Dundee but also how it has inspired many visitors over the past 30 years.
“We have had to navigate some very difficult times in recent years during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we are very excited for the next 30 years and beyond and the ongoing impact that Discovery Point will make on locals and fellow Scots alike”.
For more information visit: www.dundeeheritagetrust.co.uk, Facebook (Discovery Point & RRS Discovery), Instagram (@DiscoveryDundee) or Twitter: (@DiscoveryDundee)
Up & Running Founder and CEO Gillian Macfarlane was born and bred in Scotland –
She is realising her ambition of opening a store here in the same year that Up & Running celebrates its 30th anniversary –
The UK’s leading independent running shop, Up & Running, is preparing to open its doors for the first time in Scotland on Queensferry Road in Edinburgh.
The latest addition to the city spells good news for runners and fitness enthusiasts alike as the store promises a wide selection of running shoes and kit, as well as offering free gait analysis, advice and guidance.
The shop, which is set to open in June, will also be host to a free weekly Social Run Group, leading weekly 5k runs around the city for all abilities, providing a great opportunity to meet other local runners.
Six new jobs have been created with the opening of the new store and the company is actively recruiting for a Store Manager, Assistant Manager as well as full and part time sales assistant positions. The roles provide an ideal opportunity to combine a passion for running while connecting with other runners, running clubs, groups and fitness enthusiasts.
This comes at an exciting time for Up & Running as the company celebrates its 30th anniversary year. The first Up & Running store opened in the North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate in 1992 and a further 28 stores nationwide have opened since, as well as building a successful online business.
Discussing the new Edinburgh shop, founder of Up & Running, Gillian Macfarlane said, “Scotland holds a very special place in my heart as its where I was born and grew up. It’s long been an ambition to open a store here so I’m pleased to finally be realising this ambition in what is such a milestone year for Up & Running.”
Gillian continued, “Edinburgh is a beautiful city with a thriving running community and is well known for its longstanding Edinburgh Marathon. For these reasons it felt like a good fit for Up & Running and we can’t wait to meet local runners and play a part in their running journey”
The world’s first postgraduate degree programme focusing on animal behaviour and welfare is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare is a collaborative programme offered by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the University of Edinburgh.
The anniversary will be celebrated on Monday (4 October) – with a day of talks, videos and interviews with alumni and lecturers, past and present – to coincide with World Animal Day.
Established in 1991, it cemented Edinburgh’s reputation as the birthplace of animal welfare science.
Previously, the Society for Veterinary Ethology (SVE) had been formed in Edinburgh in 1966, following public pressure on the Government to investigate the welfare of farm animals – which in turn led to the Brambell Report on Animal Welfare.
The MSc programme utilised contributions from colleagues in SRUC (then the Scottish Agricultural College), the University of Edinburgh – including the departments of the Institute of Ecology & Resource Management, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Department of Divinity, The Roslin Institute and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
More than 700 students from all over the world have since graduated from the programme and gone on to forge successful careers in animal welfare or related fields in research, education, government, veterinary practice, non-governmental and industry organisations.
The qualification is awarded through the University of Edinburgh, and SRUC has continued to play a pivotal role in its development. SRUC’s Animal Behaviour and Welfare research group, which was established in the 1980s, is now one of the largest in the world with more than 15 post-doctoral scientists and 20 PhD students studying the behaviour and welfare of all farmed species.
Chair of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at SRUC and University of Edinburgh Professor Alistair Lawrence, who was one of the founding members of the Masters programme, said: “This course has easily surpassed our expectations when we established it in the early 1990s in terms of its longevity and number of graduates.
“It is hard to imagine a more important and impactful contribution to animal welfare than this MSc.”
The Trust has reached an exciting milestone this month and celebrated its 30th Anniversary on the 17th of June.
We would like to acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of the team as demonstrated by it’s staff, volunteers, partners and the local communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Over the past 30 years, the Trust’s mission has been to provide quality greenspaces for people of Edinburgh and The Lothians and to improve mental health and wellbeing.
ELGT run an inspiring, ground-breaking, and imaginative programme of environmental and community projects that enables them to work for the benefit of people, wildlife, landscape, and heritage.
We would like to thank our board members for their videos wishing the Trust a Happy 30th Anniversary and outlining the extraordinary achievement of the Trust over the past 30 years.
You can watch our 30th Anniversary videos on our Twitter or Facebook page.
The Scotch Whisky Experience is toasting 30 years as Edinburgh’s finest whisky visitor attraction with the creation of a new and exclusive bottled blend and some special events. Since opening in 1988, the five-star Royal Mile attraction has welcomed 6.8 million whisky fans through its doors, who have sampled a whopping 8 million drams!
Now, it has released the unique 30 year old Scotch to commemorate three decades of whisky tourism in the capital. The blend is limited to only 550 bottles, each individually numbered and visitors undertaking the Platinum Whisky Tour over the coming months will have the exclusive opportunity to sample it.
In addition to the celebratory bottling, a series of events will also be running throughout the month of May. These kick off this Saturday 5th – the official anniversary of the attraction’s opening – when visitors who were also born on May 5th will be treated to a free Silver whisky tour.
During May, the bar within the Amber restaurant will be offering a unique flight of four whiskies, including one from each decade over the last 30 years. This will include Cu Bocan 1988, Balblair 1991, Glenrothes 2001 and Benromach Organic 2010.
At the end of May, two special members of the team will be hiding a time capsule in the attics of the building which was originally built as Edinburgh’s Castlehill Primary School. This will include a photo of the 90-strong team and a commemorative message in an empty bottle of the new blend. The team members are general manager, Susan Morrison and head of technical, Dave Wilson who have worked at the attraction since it opened 30 years ago.
Local MSP Ruth Davidson will also be visiting later this month.
Susan Morrison, director and general manager at The Scotch Whisky Experience, said: “This is a huge milestone for us at SWE and we wanted to do something truly special to commemorate – so what better way than doing what we do best and creating an exclusive new Scotch Whisky?
“We pride ourselves on providing a unique experience for all our guests, whether it’s a whisky tasting or blending session, or an intimate private dining experience and we have had a huge amount of success over the past three decades.
“It’s incredible to think that we have shared some of world’s best whiskies with 6.8 million visitors from all around the globe in the past thirty years and we are very excited to see what the next thirty will bring.”
Since 2009, the Scotch Whisky Experience has undergone £8m worth of upgrades across all departments, which has included incorporating the priceless Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection – 3,384 historic bottles of whisky glowing within a marble and glass vault.
At the beginning of this year, the attraction launched tours in British and American Sign Languages – the first attraction in Edinburgh to do so. The addition means SWE now offers whisky tours in a total of 20 languages.
