Tag: art

Faster, higher, stronger: some Olympic-themed fun to keep your children on track with learning

After a year that’s taken its toll on parents’ and children’s physical and mental health, we’re all longing for a bit of rest and relaxation. 

But the school holidays can leave children’s learning brains a little too relaxed. So with the Tokyo Olympics in full flow, keep the kids’ brains sharp with these Games-themed activities from former primary school teacher Abby Milnes of education champs PlanBee:

Learn about…

… time zones

There is an eight-hour time difference between the Games and the UK. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about time differences between countries and why they exist. Challenge your children to work out what time they will need to turn on the TV if they want to watch an event live (hypothetically of course; some of the events may be broadcast in the early hours of the morning in the UK!).

Download this FREE Time Zones Map to help teach your children about Time Zones.

… measuring time

Many of the Olympic events are measured and scored against how long it takes to complete the event. Events under a minute such as the 100m sprint, 200m kayak, team sprints in cycling etc will provide suitable contexts for younger children to think about when measuring time. Older children may like to take on slightly longer events.

This PlanBee lesson may help teach your younger child about measuring time.

Challenge your child to see how many things they can do within the same time as it took an athlete to complete their event. For example, the Olympic record for running 100m was 9.63 seconds set by Usain Bolt at the 2012 Olympics. How many blocks can your child stack in this time? How many ticks can they do on a sheet of paper? After showing children how to read the amount of time on a stopwatch, get them to time each other and take it in turns to see who can beat the record in your own events.

… measuring distance

Other Olympic events such as long jump, javelin, shot put and discus are scored and measured using distance.

Using a metre ruler or measuring tape, challenge your children to take part in a long jump event. They can take a run-up, or go from a standing jump. Mark where the back of their foot landed and help your child measure how far they jumped!

… averages

Some events such as gymnastics are scored by a judges panel. Each judge gives the performance a score which is then averaged out to give a final score. Challenge your child to take individual judges scores and find the average score by adding them up and dividing the total by the number of individual scores.

… variables

“I wonder… do you run faster on grass or concrete?” Challenge your children to think about conducting simple investigations with “I wonder…?” questions like the one above. Younger children may need help with timing but they should be able to make verbal conclusions with you such as “I ran faster on the concrete”.

Older children (7+) should be encouraged to think scientifically. Is it fair if you wear sandals to run on the grass, but running shoes on the concrete? No, they should be the same. What about the distance you run?

Other things they could test:

●        Do I run faster wearing trainers, or when I’m barefoot?

●        Will I jump further with a run-up?

●        Will I jump further with a long run-up or a short run-up?

●        Does someone with longer legs jump further?

… pentathlons

What’s the difference between a triathlon, a pentathlon and a decathlon? The number of events! (This is also a perfect opportunity to look at the prefixes tri- pent- and dec- to mean three, five and ten e.g. tri-angle, tri-cycle, pent-agon etc.)

Challenge your children to come up with their own events for a family tri, pent or decathlon! They don’t have to be Olympic events, just a number of events that an athlete will be timed to complete. They don’t even have to be sport related: Who will be the fastest person to put on their socks? Who will be the overall winner?

… drawing figures

Do you have a budding artist in the ranks? Why not challenge them to draw their favourite athlete from the Olympics. Up the challenge by asking them to draw the figure in motion as they complete their event.

Use these FREE Paper Mannequin Templates to help support your artist in their challenge.

… architecture

Having held the Games before in 1964, Tokyo already had venues to host different Olympic events. The newly built National Stadium was finished in November 2019. Challenge your child to investigate its design, including the different ways it has been designed to be eco-friendly.

Work together to create your own model of an Olympic stadium, making sure there’s enough room for a track and spectators.

… map skills

Some of the cycling events in the Olympic Games require a set route to be planned out over a certain area. Print out a map of your local area and identify where you are and any areas they are not allowed to go to. Together, plan out a cycling route for your own Olympic cycling event. You could repeat the route several times to try and beat your personal best!

Beware: If you are riding on roads, make sure your child can ride confidently on them and is aware of safety rules.

… clothing design

Take a look at the designs for the athletes’ kits. How is the country represented in the design? What functionality does there need to be? This could link nicely with investigating the different countries’ flags.

Challenge your children to design a uniform for the country of their choice using this FREE template: https://planbee.com/products/design-a-sports-uniform

  • PlanBee would love to see your OIympic achievements: give PlanBee a shout on social media or share your children’s work with them at info@planbee.com!
  • Want more in-depth learning about the Olympics? Check out  Olympics Topic with lessons in Art, History, Geography and more!

Edinburgh Art Festival 2021 opens

Edinburgh Art Festival runs from 29 July – 29 August

Artist Isaac Julien at the UK and European launch of Lessons of the Hour’ at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh©Duncan McGlynn

Edinburgh Art Festival officially gets underway, running from 29 July – 29 August 2021. The 17th edition brings together over 35 exhibitions and new commissions in visual art spaces across the city, complemented by an online programme of events and digital presentations.

Following last year’s cancellation and an exceptionally challenging period for the creative sector, this year, more than any, we are proud to cast a spotlight on the uniquely ambitious, inventive and thoughtful programming produced each year by Edinburgh’s visual art community.

This year’s programme continues to place collaboration at its heart, with a series of festival-led commissions and premieres devised and presented in close partnership with leading visual arts organisations and a specially invited programme of new commissions curated in partnership with an Associate Artist.

All our festival venues will be following the latest Scottish Government Covid guidelines to ensure visitor safety, and we will be keeping our website regularly updated on what audiences can expect during their visit.

Highlights from the 2021 Festival Programme

Our festival-led programming features major new commissions and presentations by leading international artists, including the UK & European premiere of Lessons of the Hour by Isaac Julien in partnership with National Galleries of Scotland; and two new festival co-commissions, with work by Sean Lynch in collaboration with Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop; and a sound installation by Emeka Ogboh with Talbot Rice Gallery.

In a new approach for the festival, we are delighted to collaborate with Glasgow based artist, film-maker and programmer, Tako Taal as Associate Artist. Responding to the festival’s invitation to reflect on themes and ideas emerging from Isaac Julien’s Lessons of the Hour, Taal has invited new commissions for public and digital spaces, by a new generation of artists living and working in Scotland: Chizu Anucha, Sequoia Barnes, Francis Dosoo, Thulani Rachia, Camara Taylor and Matthew Arthur Williams.

We will also see the return of Platform, the festival’s annual showcase supporting artists in the early stages of their careers to make and present new work – with Jessica Higgins, Danny Pagarani, Kirsty Russell and Isabella Widger invited to create new work for Platform: 2021 at Institut français d’Ecosse.

There will also be chance to discover new generation artists at some of our partner galleries across Edinburgh, including the work of Satellite participant Alison Scott at Collective, Sekai Machache at Stills, Andrew Gannon at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop and gobscure at Edinburgh Printmakers.

Solo presentations across the capital include Christine Borland at Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Alberta Whittle and Rachel Maclean at Jupiter Artland, Frank Walter at Ingleby Gallery, Ian Hamilton Finlay at The City Art Centre, Sonia Mehra Chawla at Edinburgh Printmakers, Jock McFadyen at Dovecot Studios and a major exhibition by the artist Karla Black for the newly developed and reopened Fruitmarket and Alison Watt at The Scottish Portrait Gallery. 

This year’s edition will also feature important retrospectives and major survey shows including The Galloway Hoard: Viking-age Treasure at National Museum of Scotland, Victoria & Albert: Our Lives in Watercolour at The Queen’s Gallery and Archie Brennan at Dovecot Studios.

Edinburgh’s commercial galleries present a richly diverse offering including; a new group show from Arusha Gallery and Ella Walker, Shaun Fraser and Will Maclean at The Fine Art Society, Leon Morrocco at Open Eye Gallery and the centenary of the birth of Joan Eardley is marked with an extensive new show at The Scottish Gallery.

The festival is also planning a series of digital events, to include artist and curator conversations, bespoke tours through the programme, events and activities for families and community groups, as well as newly commissioned work for digital space.

28/07/2021 Picture Duncan McGlynn +447771370263. ***FREE FIRST USE*** Artist Isaac Julien and Sorcha Carey Edinburgh Art Festival Director at the UK and European launch of Lessons of the Hour’ at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, Scotland. Isaac helps launch the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021 ©Duncan McGlynn ***NO SYNDICATION***NO ARCHIVE***

Sorcha Carey, Director, Edinburgh Art Festival said: “Festivals have always offered a space for gathering, and this year more than any, we are proud to come together with partners across the city to showcase the work of artists from Scotland, the UK and around the world.

“Some exhibitions are newly made in response to the seismic shifts of the past year; others are the result of many years of planning and careful research; but all are the unique, authentic, and thoughtful products of our city’s extraordinarily rich visual art scene.  

“The past year has revealed how precarious things can be for artists and creative freelancers, as well as for the institutions and organisations that support the production and presentation of their work.

“As our summer festival season gets underway, and we look forward to welcoming audiences safely back to the festival and our city, now more than ever we need the space for community and reflection that art and artists can provide.”

Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Edinburgh Art Festival shines a spotlight on the ambitious, inventive and thoughtful work being produced by Scotland’s visual arts community.

“I am pleased to see that the 17th edition of the Edinburgh Art Festival has brought together over 35 live exhibitions and new commissions, including a series of creative new works by six Scottish artists supported by £135,000 from the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.

“A further £215,000 has been awarded through our PLACE programme to provide greater opportunities for artists at the beginning of their careers. I look forward to seeing the results of the Festival’s work during this challenging time.”

For more information, please visit www.edinburghartfestival.com or follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @EdArtFest #EdArtFest #ArtUnlocks

ESTATE: last chance to see art installation in Muirhouse

Jimmy Cauty’s ESTATE ‘Municipal Disaster Zone Tour’ has stopped off in Muirhouse and there’s still time to experience this thought-provoking art installation before it moves on to Easterhouse.

ESTATE is a dystopian model village featuring four abandoned concrete tower blocks at 1:24 scale (approx 2 metres high) housed in a 40-foot shipping container in the goods yard off Muirhouse Avenue (beside North Edinburgh Arts).

The tower blocks – Icini Heights, HMP Camp Delta-Zulu, Roman Point and Watch Tower 4 – each serve a different function in the ESTATE and each building contains chilling scenes in miniature of mass social, economic and environmental devastation.

Visitors experience a mini-walking tour like no other. A dark, menacing environment is pierced by spotlights, floodlights and strobes against an aural backdrop of helicopters, alarms, sirens and even the dulcet tones of former Home Secretary Amber Rudd help to set the scene (and chill the blood).

There’s smoke, too, to add to a distinctly unsettling atmosphere; shrouding the brutalist tower blocks and giving them an even greater brooding presence. But for all all the darkness there is also light, and peering through the shattered windows of the blocks tiny scenes are picked out in beautiful detail.

There is so much to see through those blasted windows: a plastic duck here, a faded portrait of Queen Victoria there … but everywhere – destruction and desolation.

Cheerful it’s not, but ESTATES is a powerful experience which haunts you long after you leave the dark confines of the shipping container. As I stepped back into the Muirhouse sunlight I thought: “I must go back.”

You can still catch ESTATE at Muirhouse this afternoon and Saturday morning.

Edinburgh ignites the official countdown to the St James Quarter opening

Edinburgh’s skyline was filled with an array of dazzling light last night as an incredible illumination marked one week to go until St James Quarter officially opens its doors.

You can view the highlights of the lightshow here. 

The countdown is on for St James Quarter’s’ much-anticipated phase one opening, and the new fashion district was officially welcomed to the city by some of the capital’s most famous landmarks. From the Balmoral and Edinburgh Castle to Forth Ports and the EICC, all roads led to St James Quarter as the whole of the night sky was illuminated- a symbol of this new city centre integration.

With its prime location in the heart of Edinburgh, St James Quarter is set to become a welcoming, cultural and lifestyle hub for art, culture, and fashion.

Through long-term partnerships with Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues and the Edinburgh Science Festivals – to name a few – the upcoming opening is set to complement the city’s world-renowned cultural offering and support its vibrant events calendar. 

Inspired by the spirit of Arthur’s Seat and the meeting of tectonic plates, the light show represents the awakening of St James Quarter, after five years of development. Together with festival, tourism and cultural venues across the city, the display is a celebration of connectivity, bringing together landmarks throughout Edinburgh city centre, all leading to St James Square.

Over 500 light fixtures were placed around the ribbon building with accompanying projections and a soundtrack featuring local sound designer, Keith Fortune.

Mick Hay from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo took centre stage, 55m meters from the ground, conducting the soundtrack with the unmistakable sounds of the drums, as lasers of light travelled across the city in all directions.

Rochelle Weir, Brand and Marketing Director at St James Quarter, said: “As we near the opening of phase one, the anticipation around the city is palpable.

“We wanted to bring this feeling to life, connecting with other landmarks, businesses, and partners across the city to mark our opening and cement our place on the iconic Edinburgh skyline.

“Our phase one opening is a significant moment in Edinburgh’s history, and we’re incredibly excited for the people of Edinburgh and beyond to see what lies behind the quarter. Last night’s display was just the beginning.”

Collective presents Mercury – a new exhibition by Becky Šik

Collective is delighted to present a new exhibition by Satellites Programme participant Becky Šik.

Central to the exhibition is Mercury, an experimental new moving image work. Structured rhythmically and associatively the new film interlaces an evocative, resonating soundtrack (made using homemade instruments and magnetic sound machines) with an array of high production source material.

This includes infrared night-time video of bats and 16mm footage documenting a teenager magnet-fishing in a canal; alongside a ‘cut-up’ narration juxtaposing stories of hobbyists and an amateur satellite tracker; and scientific and philosophic reflections on the nature of communication.

Concepts of ‘echo’ are central to this work, used as both metaphor and audio effect; as locating device and editing strategy. Mercury focuses on that which sits just beyond a human’s everyday perception, where invisible forces become tangible.

Bats use echolocation to navigate; solar winds interfere with radio communications; whirring magnets excite and resonate bass strings; a Theremin allows us to articulate music from magnetic fields.

The event opens this Saturday, admission free.

Find out more, including screening times and how to pre-book tickets on our website.


Satellites Programme is Collective’s development programme for emergent artists and producers based in Scotland.

ESTATE moves to Pennywell

Jimmy Cauty’s new installation, ESTATE, has been transported to Muirhouse for a month long residency from the end of May and throughout June 2021.

ESTATE is a dystopian model village experience featuring four abandoned concrete tower blocks at 1:24 scale (approx 2 metres high) housed in a 40-foot shipping container.

The tower blocks each serve a different function in the ESTATE and contain amusing scenes of mass social, economic and environmental devastation.

Produced by L-13 Light Industrial Workshop, ESTATE is hosted in Edinburgh by new producing collective, the Society of Spectacles.

This follows the 2016 residency of Cauty’s previous work, The Aftermath Dislocation Principle, at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh.

ESTATE Edinburgh moves out of the city centre to form part of L-13’s UK-wide MdZ ESTATE Tour, which has already been seen in Hull and Stoke-on-Trent.

ESTATE will be presented in the car park off Pennywell Road, next to North Edinburgh Arts.

ESTATE is viewed either individually or in social bubbles in pre-booked 10-minute slots scheduled every 15-minutes. Viewers then walk through a 40-foot shipping container to explore the tower blocks.

WARNING: The experience includes smoke, strobe lighting, wind, loud noise, tiny TV broadcasts, and is suitable for adults and children ages 5+.

ESTATE has been designed so it can be toured and viewed in compliance with Covid-19 hygiene and social distancing measures, and is wheelchair accessible.

As lockdown eases for the time being and the full long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic begin to dawn, ESTATE is a glimpse into an uncertain future that looks increasingly familiar.

Advance bookings for free entry to view ESTATE are essential.

10-minute viewing slots available to book on Thursdays to Saturdays, May 28th-June 26th (Thursday & Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday 10am – 1pm).

ESTATE will be presented off-site in the nearby car park, near North Edinburgh Arts. To learn more and book your free place, click here.

‘Cautious but optimistic’

Fringe update from Chief Executive Shona McCarthy

Last week, we announced to Fringe participants that we’ll be opening show registration – for both online and in-person performances – on Wednesday 05 May, in advance of the Fringe taking place from 06 – 30 August.

This is an exciting moment for the Fringe Society; it means all the preparatory discussions we’ve been having – with artists, venues, government and all members of the Fringe community – can finally be translated into action, with visible results.

The positive response we had to last week’s announcement only confirms what I knew in my heart – that there are many people out there who are just as excited and eager as we are to see the Fringe return!

Of course, opening registration is only the start of this process – we are acutely aware of how difficult the last year has been for artists, and we’re doing everything we can to support them in making work this year and beyond.

We’ve reduced registration fees across all tiers by 25%, and removed the top tier entirely.

We’ve also announced the opening a Fringe Artist and Venue Recovery Fund: a £75,000 funding pot which is available to Fringe companies, creatives and venues to support projects that will enable a return to the Fringe in 2021 or 2022.

The fund will prioritise projects that seek to improve opportunities for access on the Fringe by underrepresented groups – you can find out more at edfringe.smartygrants.com.au/recoveryfund. 

There’s certainly a lot more still to be done, but we feel this is the first of many steps we can take to support artists returning to the Fringe.

I recognise that any eagerness to restart the Fringe must be tempered by a sense of caution and responsibility.

We continue to work closely with Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council, and keep a close eye on official guidance as it emerges and develops, using it to inform every decision we make.

The most recent news indicates some easing of restrictions by the end of June, which is definitely encouraging, but if the last year has taught us anything it’s that things can change at very short notice, so for those dreaming fervently of a fun-packed summer in Edinburgh, we strongly recommend an attitude of cautious optimism at this stage. 

It’s also important to remember that this year’s Fringe won’t be the same as it was. Even as restrictions relax, we still expect to see some form of social distancing and other safety measures in Edinburgh this August.

Again, we’ll work with venues and other partners to figure out how best to use this information as it develops, creating clear guidance for audiences and participants. We also know that it will not be possible to produce our usual printed programme this year, though we are exploring alternatives.

While it is right and appropriate that we manage our expectations about a return to live performance, I am full of positive anticipation to see how Fringe artists channel their extraordinary creative energy into digital work at this year’s festival.

As happens with any seismic change in society, artists have responded to online life in brilliant and inventive ways, and I think it entirely correct that the Fringe – with its longstanding reputation for unleashing the creative spirit – showcases the best in digital inspiration as well.

Silver linings to the past year’s events are few and far between, but the increased availability of innovative, imaginative work – work that can be accessed virtually anywhere – is surely among them.

With this in mind, we’ve put a lot of time and energy into developing our digital infrastructure for this year’s Fringe. We’ve ensured that, whichever online platforms artists and venues want to use, we can support them to do it; they’ll also have access to our own innovative Fringe Player.

In addition, we’re creating an exciting new online events programme and meeting space to help artists and industry connect and collaborate, which we’re hoping to launch in summer. 

With the seeds of carefully laid plans now blooming into life, our goal – as ever – is to support Fringe participants.

As mentioned above, registration (and the wide range of benefits and services that come with it) will open in May, and will remain open right through to the end of the Fringe with no deadlines attached.

We’re also continuing to invest in our website so that audiences can search, browse and book shows as easily as ever, helping them find the artists whose work will resonate with them for years to come.

All of our plans are being made cautiously but optimistically, and as ever, public health will be our priority. But we can take heart in the fact that the Fringe is happening. And, whether online or in a venue, I can’t wait to see you there.

Shona

War evacuee shares the colourful secret of her long, full life

Dorothy’s lockdown-inspired arts project proves a surprise hit

A 92-year-old World War Two evacuee who refuses to let crippling arthritis halt her passion for creativity has enjoyed a hit with her latest project – making colourful bead bowls.

Now Dorothy McDermott has paid tribute to the staff at Cramond Residence, who have helped her create dozens of the bowls, as orders have flooded in from family, friends, residents and staff.

The arts-loving pensioner, who trained as a silversmith, was inspired during lockdown to experiment with colourful Hama Beads, which were originally created for children, but have proved a global hit with many adults as well.

Dorothy says that creative projects have helped her enjoy a happy and fulfilled life and also provided her with a vital distraction during lockdown – and is delighted with the reaction to her latest works.

She added: “People have been putting in requests for specific styles and colours – I’ve made over 20 in just one month. I’m thrilled to bits that people like them.

“But I couldn’t have done it without the help from staff as my fingers don’t work the way they used to. I have to pick up the Hama Beads with a safety pin due to my arthritis and have to get one member of staff to help separate the brown and black beads due to my double vision.”

Widowed Dorothy has had a lifelong passion for art and told how her creative streak even helped sustain her as a child during the darkest days of World War Two.

She said: “Art has always been a passion of mine, I used to get my dad to make a hole in silver sixpences and thruppennies so I could get a wire or thread through to make necklaces.

“When I was evacuated from Edinburgh to the home of my auntie and uncle in Perthshire at the beginning of World War Two, I used to gather hazelnuts to paint and make brooches from, to keep everyone’s spirits high and bring a little bit of happiness during a difficult time.

“I’ve always made things, right through school I was painting and making jewellery. I went on to study silversmithing at Edinburgh Art College. It’s fun to see how the creations turn out and makes me feel good to see the way people have appreciated them over the years.

“I like to keep my collections unique, as I feel that makes them special – it means I can offer ‘one of a kinds’ which people quite like, especially the jewellery as no one will ever have the same.”

Dorothy’s passion for the arts sees her taking classes with other residents at Cramond Residence, Edinburgh’s most exclusive care home. This month she will lead a course on how to Tie-dye silk scarves, as well as teaching other residents how to get creative with the colourful beads.

Lisa Sohn, Lifestyle Co-ordinator at Cramond Residence said: “The drive and energy that Mrs McDermott has for the creative arts is truly inspiring – proving that age is just a number when it comes to something you are passionate about.

“Dorothy is a very sociable resident, so when her friends caught wind of her new adventure making bead bowls, many were quick to put their order in. Now even the staff are getting in on the action – from storing keys at the front door to a place for jewellery – everyone has been coming up with new uses for them.

“Dorothy is always busy crafting and making things, which she often gives to people as gifts. We look forward to seeing her wonderful creations every time, as no creation is ever the same.”

The popular mother-of-one, who has lived her entire life in Edinburgh, retired 30 years ago but continued to make jewellery, design clothes and to express herself through painting.  

As her arthritis worsened, she moved into Cramond Residence, where places start from £1850-per-week. For the past seven months the dedicated care staff have been helping her continue to unleash her creativity.

Dorothy added: “Making things keeps my mind active, I’ve started becoming a bit forgetful so this gives me something to focus on and I really enjoy it. I’d say I spend several hours every week creating new designs whether it is for a new bead bowl or a painting.”

Cramond Residence is a purpose-build, £12.5m care home which opened in October 2018 and can care for up to 74 older people. It includes specialised, self-contained houses for residents living with advanced stage cognitive impairments caused by conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Each resident enjoys a luxury room with en-suite bathroom facilities. It maintains a care staff to resident ratio of at least 1:4 at all times. As well as the beautiful gardens, it also offers a library, a hair salon, a private, fine-dining space, a physiotherapy room and a cinema.

Cramond Residence provides a combination of luxury accommodation and the highest quality of care. Set in a leafy location, it offers small group-living in nine houses, with all residents enjoying a wide range of amenities and activities, excellent food and bespoke care.

To find out more, call 0131 341 4037 or visit https://cramondresidence.co.uk/