I hope you are having a lovely Summer!
This is just a wee reminder that there is an open meeting for everyone who is interested in participating in the amazing 1d Tenement Opera project, on
Thursday 14 August at 11am at North Edinburgh Arts.
I attach the flyer once again (below) and please forward this to everyone who you think will be interested. Looking forward to seeing you next week,
Stephanie Knight
The Fringe is back, with it’s eclectic mix of the good, the bad and the downright awful. Last year’s event offered enthusiasts no less than 45,464 performances of 2,871 shows, making it the largest ever arts festival in the world. This year’s could be even bigger – aficionados really are spoiled for choice.
It’s always a bit of a gamble, of course: you pay your money, you take your chances – but art-lovers in North Edinburgh have landed a major cultural coup. Internationally renowned artist Pierre Toblerone is exhibiting his latest collection on the streets of North Edinburgh – for free!
Toblerone is known by some as the French Banksy, and the unconventional young artist from the Left Bank has delighted critics with his bold use of everyday household items in major art installations. Never far from controversy, Toblerone – who changed his name in 2010 in a one-man protest against the exploitation of cocoa beans – steadfastly refuses to exhibit at major galleries and museums but instead brings his work ‘close to the people’.
Toblerone famously refuses to speak to the media – the reclusive artist now only communicates through the medium of artistic expression following some particularly harsh reviews – but his agent said: “Pierre believes that art has the power to move and that all art – if it is honest – must provoke and challenge. These major new works do all of these things. They provoke, they challenge – and I’m sure I saw one of them moving. And even if I didn’t, they will be moving soon”.
“The first creation The Way to the Sea (above) demonstrates the eternal battle of the elements, in this case fire and water, while Armageddon (top) portrays the futility of war. Pierre believes that this is his most complete exhibition to date: it has been nearly four years in the making but Toblerone lovers will appreciate the passion and attention to detail that goes into Pierre’s work.”
Guardian arts correspondent Guy Hyperbole gushed: “Toblerone is an artist very much in demand, and if he chose to exhibit at, say, The Tate Modern, the demand for tickets would be insatiable – art lovers just can’t get enough Toblerone. This latest exhibition by the enfant terrible of the arts movement has been much-anticipated and it was certainly worth the wait. Simply put, it is so powerful one feels almost violated.
“Art lovers simply must see this exciting exhibition before it moves on – it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get close to some truly inspirational work. The juxtapositions are incredibly brave and these installations are Pierre’s message to the world. Just what that message actually is is open to a bewildering range of interpretations, but if you see only one exhibition during the Festival, I urge you to see this – you will never experience primitive urban art in quite the same way again.”
Don’t miss it!
Pierre Toblerone: Les matresses d’amour. Free
LOCAL arts and disability organisation, Artlink, is pleased to present an exhibition of drawings by Mark Kirkham – ‘The Edinburgh Sketcher’- documenting his observations as an artist-in-residence at the Royal Victoria Building at the Western General on Ward 72. The exhibition also shows Mark’s perspective – as a parent – of time spent in Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Mark is an Edinburgh-based illustrator who produces an almost daily sketch blog of life in and around Scotland’s beautiful capital; an online sketchbook of scribbles and observations of daily life.
Impressed with his work, Artlink invited Mark in to become an artist in residence in the care of the elderly wards, documenting situations and stories from patients and staff on the ward. These observational drawings begin to explore how we communicate different healthcare experiences and contribute to a growing body of work which explores the positive relationship between the arts and healthcare in supporting recovery.
Mark said: “I would like to thank all the staff and patients for making me feel so welcome during my week on Ward 72. I drifted in and out, sketched from the corners of the room and tried to stay out of the way of the busy staff’. In the patients rooms it was a different experience, I was in their personal space and was welcomed in and given time and an insight into their lives. Through our chats and my drawing we connected and shared our individual stories and discussed what brings people into hospital.”
Over many years Artlink has worked with patients and staff to encourage their involvement in cultural and arts activity throughout NHS Lothian. We realise that this work not only creates positive involvement, we also know that it supports better communication and contributes positively to recovery. We are delighted with the response to Mark’s drawings so far.
Kirsten Smith, senior charge nurse, said: “It was great having Mark on the wards it was a positive experience for staff and patients. The patients were happy to talk about something else other than their illness and other routine matters for a while. Mark through his sketches has captured the person not the patient, you really see a person that is valued and respected and their story.”
A patient from North Berwick added: “I really enjoyed meeting Mark he came across as a very intelligent and interesting young man who obviously loves to draw. I liked his drawings and the amount of detail he has put, he’s captured North Berwick beautifully although he’s aged me by one year as i’m 90 not 91 but I am in my 91st year so I will let him off. I’ve showed it to some friends and they really like it too. I ended up being in hospital for three months and it was lovely to chat to Mark about other things and for someone from outside to come in to the ward.”
“I’m pretty sure we both benefited, I know how long days can be when in hospital and to have a friendly visit, which some of these patients aren’t lucky enough to have daily, it can be a great lift emotionally – which hopefully leads to a lift physically too,” said Mark.
The other part of the exhibition features Mark’s observations at the Sick Kids Hospital.
In 2011, Mark’s wife gave birth to twins, James and Zoe. James has Haemophilia A and consequently the family have had several visits to Edinburgh’s Sick Children’s Hospital. Whilst there, Mark continued to draw and most of the sketches shown here were made during the time James was in hospital. For Mark, drawing was a welcome distraction from all the things he was powerless to help with, and they have become a visual diary of a most terrifying, depressing and uplifting and amazing time in their lives, something that is being replayed many times over in a hospital ward right now.
We all have different ways in which we document our experiences. Some of us – like Mark – will draw, others write, and many of us will take pictures and now more often than not we will share these on Facebook or Twitter. In essence the arts are a tool of communication, both in terms of what we can make sense of and what we can’t. The arts can give us a new perspective on our experiences and provide new opportunities for understanding. Over many years Artlink have worked with patients and staff to encourage their involvement in cultural and arts activity throughout NHS Lothian. We realise that this work not only creates positive involvement, we also know that it supports better communication and contributes positively to recovery.
‘The twins were born on 9th March 2011 at just past 10pm at the Simpsons Memorial ward at Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary. James arrived first weighing 4lb 15.5oz with his sister Zoe (5lb 5oz) following close behind”, said Mark. “We discovered James had Haemophilia A early, thankfully, when a routine heel prick on the maternity ward failed to stop bleeding. A genetic disorder which impairs the body’s ability to control blood clotting, Haemophilia A can cause even minor injuries to result in a severe bleed, either externally or internally. Such a bleed can last much longer and frequently require medication to stop.”
The Edinburgh Sketcher exhibition can be viewed from 1 August –November 2014 at
The Western General Gallery
Link Corridor between Alexander Donald building and Anne Ferguson Building
Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South.
You can see more examples of Mark’s work at www.edinburghsketcher.com
Arts and disability organisation Artlink celebrate their thirtieth anniversary this year. For more information about Artlink visit www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk
The Edinburgh Mela Festival 2014 is looking for volunteers
Friday 29 – Sunday 31 August
A carnival atmosphere with a vibrant and exciting mix of dance, music, street art and theatre, The Edinburgh Mela Festival is a lively, colourful event for all the family.
We are looking for enthusiastic and friendly volunteers to join the Festival team, so if you are looking for a fun, summer experience then this is the opportunity for you…
We are looking for volunteers in the following areas:
Artist Liaison, Audience Services, Market Stalls, Kids and family area, Green Recycling Team and Marketing.
We provide:
Ø A volunteer training session, which will give you a chance to meet your volunteer colleagues
Ø Travel expenses to and from the Festival
Ø A meal per shift plus refreshments from our hospitality area
Ø 2 complimentary day tickets
Ø A limited edition Mela t-shirt
Ø You will be able to ask for a reference on successful completion of your volunteer post
You will be asked to attend a short, informal interview and training session.
To find out more, please contact Antonia Dickson on 07870621086 or email volunteer@edinburgh-mela.co.uk; alternatively write to The Edinburgh Mela, Unit 14, Abbeymount Techbase, 2 Easter Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5AN
The deadline for all opportunities is Sunday 10 August.
http://www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk/
See below (or above!) for information about the fun Hare & Tortoise events happening in Muirhouse on 1 & 2 August as part of Licketyspit Theatre Company’s Commonwealth Games programme!
Hare&Tortoise-Flyer-NEA-(print)
We first revealed news of this exciting new North Edinburgh Theatre community project last month, and a date’s now been set for an introductory meeting to get the ball rolling.
Whatever your skills and interests, there’s sure to be something for you in the 1d (that’s an old penny!)Tenement Opera project! Why not attend the first meeting at North Edinburgh Arts on Thursday 14 August at 11am? It could be the start of a something big – and there’s even free tea and cake!
Interested? See the flyer for details …
The Travelling Gallery is off on it’s travels again and Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre will be one of the destinations as the bus embarks on a five-month tour of Scotland.
For the past 25 years the Travelling Gallery has played an active part in exhibiting and promoting Scottish artists, so it is delighted to be part of GENERATION, a nationwide celebration of contemporary art in Scotland, which is taking place in over 60 venues throughout the country this year.
GENERATION: TG is a group exhibition which includes five Scottish artists; Laura Aldridge, Craig Coulthard, Mandy McIntosh, Hanna Tuulikki and David Sherry.
The exhibition will present new commissions alongside developments of existing works. A hand-made, craft element links all of the works in the exhibition, which include ceramics, textile wall hangings, digital animation, drawings, sculpture, film, performance and song.
The exhibition also includes a film of the artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools, which was made in collaboration with Pilton-based Screen Education Edinburgh (formerly Pilton Video). The exhibition includes a short film of the artists talking about their work to pupils from three Edinburgh schools in collaboration with SEE (Screen Education Edinburgh).
The schools involved were Craigroyston, Holyrood and Portobello High Schools. All the pupils met with the artists, often in their studios, and asked them questions about their art and life as an artist. A programme of workshops, run by SEE, introduced the pupils to the film equipment, interviewing techniques and editing skills. The film will be available on YouTube and at www.travellinggallery.com.
The Travelling Gallery is a mobile contemporary art gallery, custom-built in a big, beautiful bus. The gallery is supported by Creative Scotland, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Edinburgh Museums and Galleries, a division of the City of Edinburgh Council.
The GENERATION: TG exhibition has been curated specifically for this unique space, and will travel the length and breadth of Scotland, visiting schools, high streets, community centres, and many other venues on the way. Travelling Gallery staff are always available to give formal, and not so formal, presentations on the exhibition at every stop.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convenor for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Once again the Travelling Gallery is set to be a fascinating exhibition which will draw crowds from communities across Scotland.
“This year, I am particularly looking forward to a short film that has been developed for the exhibition which includes artists talking about their work to pupils from Edinburgh schools. Another highlight will be seeing the bus when it returns to the City Art Centre as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival in August.”
GENERATION: TG is part of GENERATION: a major, nation-wide exhibition programme showcasing some of the best and most significant artists to have emerged from Scotland over the last 25 years. It shows the generation of ideas, of experiences, and of world class art on an unparalleled scale by over 100 artists in more than 60 venues.
The programme is delivered as a partnership between the National Galleries of Scotland, Glasgow Life and Creative Scotland and is part of Culture 2014, the 2014 Cultural Programme.
The Travelling Gallery will tour the GENERATION: TG exhibition in the following areas:
19– 20 July – Tramway, Glasgow
24 – 29 July – North Lanarkshire
4 – 15 August – Edinburgh Art Festival
2 – 7 September – Nairn Book and Arts Festival
8 – 19 September – Highlands
22 – 26 September – Lewis and Harris
4 – 10 October – Moray
20 -24 October – Falkirk
27 – 31 October – South Ayrshire
3 – 7 November – Stirling
10 – 14 November – Edinburgh
During the Edinburgh Art Festival the gallery will be visiting these venues:
Monday 4 August – Leith Walk (near Shrubhill House) 12 – 6pm
Tuesday 5 August – Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes 11am – 5pm
Thursday 7 August – Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre 11am – 5pm
Friday 8 August – Portobello High Street 11am – 5pm
Monday 11 August – Scottish Gallery of Modern Art: Modern 2 10am – 6pm
Tuesday 12 August – Craigmillar Library 11am – 5pm
Wednesday 13 August – City Art Centre, Market Street 10am – 5pm
Thursday 14 August – City Art Centre, Market Street 10am – 5pm (plus Art Late North)
Friday 15 August – City Art Centre, Market Street 10am – 5pm
See www.travellinggallery.com for all the details
@ArtinaBus or see @genartscot (#genartscot).
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop joined young filmmakers, musicians and dancers who are developing their career skills thanks to the confiscated funds from criminal activity.
Over the last three years £2.25 million has been invested in CashBack for Creativity, providing over 15,000 opportunities for young people in Scotland to participate in arts activities they would not have otherwise had access to.
Ms Hyslop said: “The real impact of CashBack on young people’s lives can’t be expressed by statistics or in stark monetary terms – CashBack changes lives.
“The CashBack for Communities Programme takes funds recovered from the proceeds of crime and invests them in back into communities, putting young people on a positive path in life by providing opportunities for them to take part in thousands of free activities and projects.”
Programme participants have included Yutsil Martinez, who began in making short films with Pilton-based Screen Education Edinburgh project in 2011. Yutsil has gone on to star in the Screen Education film, Man With No Name, and was nominated for the Chris Anderson Award for Best Young Filmmaker 2013 (sponsored by the National Youth Film Academy). He was awarded an acting scholarship at the National Film Youth Academy in London after winning a Best Actor award at the event.
Yutsil said: “Participating in these projects and shoots has allowed me to find opportunities and meet other filmmakers and professionals in the field. The CashBack for Creativity Programme has been instrumental in helping me build my confidence and really develop my passion for working in the industry, and carve a future career for myself.”
Paul Reynolds earned a placement at Edinburgh’s DanceBase through the CashBack for Creativity Programmewhere and he discovered a passion for dance and performing arts. Attending DanceBase and developing as a dancer taught Paul new skills that he believes will see him through life. He now has a love of being on stage and performing for a big audience describing the feeling and rush he gets from performing as “incredible”.
Paul said: “Only a few years ago I struggled to talk to people I’d never met before and I had little confidence and self-esteem, but with my participation at DanceBase through CashBack, I am now more confident and focused regarding what I want from life.”
Leonie Bell, Director of Arts and Engagement at Creative Scotland, said: “Providing opportunities for young people to get involved in the arts, theatre and cultural activities can help improve confidence and broaden their horizons.
“Over the next three years, the CashBack for Creativity programme will enable approximately 20,000 young would-be filmmakers, dancers, musicians, artists, actors, writers and digital enthusiasts to work in professional settings with experienced practitioners, helping to inspire them to achieve their potential in their future careers.
She added: “I was delighted to meet a number of young participants who have been given the chance to work on interesting and educational CashBack projects and develop their personal, social and career skills.”
CashBack for Creativity is part of the wider Scottish Government CashBack for Communities programme. To date over £74 million has been made available to benefit over 600,000 young people in Scotland since CashBack for Communities began in 2011.
Twitter: @CB4Creativity #CashBack4Creativity
Edinburgh’s annual Jazz and Blues Festival kicks off tomorrow and promises ten terrific days and nights of top class jazz.
There’s something for all tastes and big names performing at this year’s event include the ever-popular Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra (Mel C guesting), Scotland’s Queen of the Blues Maggie Bell and Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott.
With over 140 concerts to choose from you really are spoilt for choice and Brian Fallon, who chairs the Jazz & Blues Festival, is particularly excited about this year’s programme. He said: ““This is a very exciting year for the Festival. We’re delighted to be bringing to Scotland some of the world’s finest jazz and blues talent and some of our biggest names to date. Our programme has been carefully selected to appeal to a wide range of musical tastes, and we look forward to welcoming friends, old and new. Come along and join in the fun!”
You’ve got your invitation – so what are you waiting for?
For further information about what’s on, click on the link below
or check out www.edinburghjazzfestival.com
Mmmmmm … great!
Craigroyston Community High School is organising a week of arts activities with a sporting theme later this month.
The Commonwealth Games Summer Arts Programme runs from 21 – 25 July (10am – 4.30pm daily) for young people aged 11- 18.
Murals, sculpture, printmaking, jewellery and dance – all with a Commonwealth Games twist!
For more info or to book your place call 0131 477 7801.
