From arts clubs for kids to gardening groups for adults, there’s something for everyone at North Edinburgh Arts this autumn!
Tag: arts
Farewell then, Fringe!
After 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues across Edinburgh, the curtain falls and the house lights go up on the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that by yesterday afternoon – and with hundreds of performances still to take place – an estimated 2,298,090 tickets had been issued for shows across Scotland’s capital. The number of tickets issued reflects a 5.24% increase in comparison to tickets issued by the same point last year.
Kath M Mainland CBE, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: “As this year’s Fringe draws to a close we can reflect on what a spectacular success it has been. Once again artists and audiences have travelled from across the globe to be a part of this unique cultural event.
“And with an estimated 2,298,090 tickets issued and many thousands of people attending the 800 free shows in the programme, I’ve no doubt every single person who watched a Fringe show, or experienced this wonderful festival city, will take away unforgettable memories.
“With incredible talent from 49 countries from all over the world taking part this year, the Fringe has once again demonstrated itself to be both truly international and profoundly Scottish. The 2015 season has firmly cemented Edinburgh’s reputation as the world’s leading festival city.“
Fringe Society Chair, Sir Tim O’Shea said: “On behalf of everyone who visited and enjoyed this year’s Fringe, I would like to thank all the creative souls, both onstage and backstage, who brought their work here. Their courage, creativity and sheer hard work is unrivalled anywhere in the world, and without them, the Fringe simply wouldn’t be possible.”
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs added: “This has been another incredible year for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The festival continues to evolve and work with the city to expand and offer more and more to audiences from across the world. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe demonstrates the innovative spirit that makes Scottish culture so vibrant.“
One new initiative this year was a scheme launched by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, in collaboration with the City of Edinburgh Council and Virgin Money aimed at providing complimentary tickets to Fringe shows for children and young people who are being cared for by City of Edinburgh Council.
The project called Access Fringe – Looked After Children made £173,172.00 worth of tickets from 233 shows in 38 venues available to children and young people whose circumstances would not normally allow them to participate in cultural activity.
Access Fringe – Looked After Children is a part of the Fringe Society’s commitment to making the Fringe accessible to all and is one of a series of initiatives over the years to come to tackle the physical, economic, social and geographic barriers that prevent people from participating.
Other highlights in 2015 included the participation of a total of fourteen new venues across the city. These included the return of the famous St. Stephen’s Church in Stockbridge under the banner of Momentum Venues, Underbelly launching their Circus Hub on the Meadows in the city’s southside and SpaceUK debuting a new three floor venue called SpaceTriplex in The Prince Philip Building on Hill Place.
The Fringe Society unveiled two new commercial partnerships in 2015; with Airbnb and the Caledonian Sleeper. Both these relationships offered new opportunities for Fringe participants and audiences.
The Royal Mail celebrated this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe by issuing a special postmark, applied to stamped UK mail from 07-31 August. Royal Mail’s postmarks are reserved for special occasions and are used to recognise significant events, historical anniversaries or support of charity. It was the first time in the Royal Mail’s 500 year history that a festival has been featured on a postmark.
Award-winning comedian and theatre-maker Bryony Kimmings delivered the 2015 Fringe Central Welcome Address to participants, organised by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. The welcome address, designed to welcome and inspire participants, was attended by a record number of people. Bryony Kimmings, an Associate Artist at Soho Theatre and a Fringe participant herself, encouraged participants to take advantage of over 85 free events hosted throughout August, to help develop performance skills, expand networks and advance careers.
A wide range of awards were on offer throughout the festival organised by a range of organisations. Euan’s Guide, the disabled access review website launched their Fringe awards, acknowledging a show and a venue for their outstanding efforts to include disabled audiences at this year’s Fringe.
AWARDS … the full list
Allen Wright Award
Winner – Griselda Murray Brown
Special Commendation – Holly Williams
Special Commendation – George Sully
Amused Moose Comedy Awards
Winner: Richard Gadd – Waiting for Gaddot (Banshee Labyrinth)
People’s Champion: Jess Robinson – The Rise of Mighty Voice (Pleasance)
The Asian Arts Awards
Winner – Best Production: The Cherry Orchard: Beyond the Truth – Theater Margot (Korea) (C Venues)
Winner – Best Directing: Ms. Shubhra Bhardwaj – Ticket to Bollywood – Ferriswheel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (New Town Theatre)
Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence in association with Sweet Venues
Winner: Police Cops – This Theatre – Zoo Venues
The Broadway Baby Bobby Award
Winners: Captain Morgan 1: The Sands of Time and Captain Morgan 2: The Sea of Souls – Ben Behrens / Tap Tap Theatre (Pleasance)
Richard III – Brite Theatre – Just Festival
Luke McQueen: Double Act – Luke McQueen / The Invisible Dot Ltd. (Pleasance)
Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award
Winner: Key Change – Open Clasp Theatre Company in association with Live Theatre (Summerhall)
Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe
Darren Walsh (Pleasance)
Edinburgh Comedy Poster Awards
Panel Prize: Tom Parry – Yellow Tshirt (Just the Tonic)
Audience Award: Michael Stranney & Olaf Falafel – Expect the Unexporcupine (Cowgatehead)
Euan’s Guide Accessible Fringe Awards
Winner: The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Pleasance)
Runner Up: Wendy Hoose by Johnny McKnight (Assembly Rooms)
Accessible Venue Award: Dance Base
The Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Best Comedy Show – Sam Simmons – Spaghetti for Breakfast (Underbelly)
Best Newcomer – Sofie Hagen – Bubblewrap (Liquid Room Annexe)
Panel Prize – Karen Koren
Fringe Review Outstanding Theatre Awards
The Frantic Canticles of Little Brother Fish (Bedlam Theatre)
2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award
Lungs (Summerhall)
Pip Utton…Playing Maggie (Assembly Rooms)
The Herald Angel Award
Winners – Week 1
Correction (Zoo Venues)
Fake it till you Make it (Traverse Theatre)
Little Devil Award:The artists and facilitators of Underbelly Circus Hub
Winners – Week 2
Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer (Underbelly)
Aceh Meukondore (C Venues)
Winners – Week 3
Herald Archangel Award: Maureen Beattie for The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy (Assembly Festival)
Herald Angel Award: Cathal McConnell
Little Devil Award: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Traverse Theatre)
Holden Street Theatres Award
A Gambler’s Guide to Dying (Traverse Theatre)
Labels (Pleasance)
The Malcom Hardee Awards
Comic Originality – Michael Brunstrom
Cunning Stunt Award – Matt Roper
Act Most likely to make a million quid – Laurence Owen
The Scottish Arts Club Award for Best Scottish Play
Swallow – Stef Smith (Traverse Theatre)
The Scotsman Fringe First Awards
Winners – Week 1
A Gambler’s Guide to Dying (Traverse Theatre)
Going Viral (Summerhall)
The Christians (Traverse Theatre)
Swallow (Traverse Theatre)
The Deliverance (Assembly Festival)
Underneath (Dance Base)
The History of the World Through Banalities (Summerhall)
Winners – Week 2
Light Boxes (Summerhall)
Raz (Assembly Festival)
Citizen Puppet (Pleasance)
Labels (Pleasance)
Tar Baby (Gilded Balloon)
Trans Scripts (Pleasance)
The Great Downhill Journey of Little Tommy (Summerhall)
Winners – Week 3
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride (Traverse Theatre)
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Traverse Theatre)
Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer (Underbelly)
What I Learned From Johnny Bevan (Summerhall)
A Reason to Talk (Summerhall)
Primary Times Children’s Choice Award
The Voice Thief (Summerhall)
So You Think You’re Funny?
Luca Cupani: Still Falling (Heroes @ Bob’s Blundabus)
The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence
Winners – Week 1
Molly Vevers – Ross and Rachel (Assembly Festival)
Aoife Duffin – A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing (Traverse Theatre)
Winners – Week 2
Andy Gray – Willie & Sabastian (Gilded Balloon)
Sean Michael Verey – Tonight with Donny Stixx (Pleasance)
1972: The Future of Sex (Zoo Venues)
Winners – Week 3
Ensemble from Police Cops – This Theatre (Zoo Venues)
Maureen Beattie – The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy (Assembly Festival)
Ensemble from UKIP! The Musical (theSpaceUK)
Lizzie Clarke – Molly (Pleasance)
Ensemble from Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Traverse Theatre)
Total Theatre Awards
Emerging Company/Artist: The Beanfield (theSpaceUK)
Physical/Visual Theatre: Oog (Dance Base)
Innovation/Experimentation & Playing with Form: Can I Start Again Please (Summerhall)
Portraits In Motion (Summerhall)
Total Theatre & The Place Award for Dance: Vertical Influences (Assembly Festival)
Total Theatre & Jacksons Lane Award for Circus: B-Orders (Underbelly) and
Smoke and Mirrors (Assembly Festival)
Commiserations to those productions and performers who did not pick up an award this year – although given the length of the above list, there can’t be too many of you!
Otesha comes to North Edinburgh Arts
An exciting new project is coming to North Edinburgh Arts next week …
The Otesha Project UK
Invites you to come and see the Otesha UK cycling and performing extravaganza this summer at North Edinburgh Arts.
- Monday 24 August, straight after school
- 12 years and under and families
- Food growing workshops
- Bicycle maintenance workshops
- Watch the Otesha UK Play
- All for free!
Get involved as they collect ideas on how to create a better world – from composting to clothes swapping!
The Otesha Project is a mobile community of young people who are spending three weeks cycling through Scotland visiting schools, youth clubs and communities to perform the magnificent Otesha UK Play, and running workshops about how global issues meet everyday lives.
They won’t be counting carbon. They will, however, be having a brilliant time discovering how to live in a way that makes good things happen without harming others or the planet.And they invite YOU to do it with them and help them to do it better.
Book your FREE space now:
0131 315 2151
admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
Musical Director? Choreographer? Join the A-Team!
A-Team Productions are seeking a musical director and choreographer for their 2016 production, Next Stop: Broadway.
Rehearsals span October through February, twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
This year we are not in a position to pay our Musical Director therefore this is a voluntary opportunity open to someone who has the time to commit to auditions, rehearsals and production week.
Do you know someone who has got what it takes? Can you please spread the word and let relevant people know.
Candidates should email
with a cover letter and CV.
A-Team productions are a not-for-profit organisation based in North Edinburgh, run by a team of experienced volunteers. Our ethos is simple: to provide a platform for young people ages 11-18 to construct and perform one musical per annum.
Kind Regards
Sean Quinn
Chair, A-Team Productions
Edinburgh College students to launch Let’s Glow festival
Edinburgh College invites you to join students and staff from our Creative Industries courses as they launch this year’s Let’s Glow festival!
The launch event takes place at La Belle Angele off Guthrie Street this Thursday evening at 6.30pm
Let’s Glow is a two-month celebration of the dazzling creative talents of Edinburgh College students, with a programme of performances and exhibitions around the city.
The launch event at La Belle Angele will feature performances by student musicians, actors and dancers.
The Let’s Glow festival will give Edinburgh the chance to enjoy performances and exhibitions from college students covering everything from music, theatre and dance to photography, film, art, animation, textiles and design. The programme of events will showcase the skills and talents of the students, demonstrating the work they have been undertaking at college over the last year.
Let’s Glow runs from 4 May to 22 June, with events taking place at venues across Edinburgh – including the college’s campuses and the likes of Summerhall and The Queen’s Hall.
www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/letsglow
#letsglow
Cafe Cabaret at North Edinburgh Arts
May Day fundraiser for Theatre Project
North Edinburgh Theatre project presents:
Friday Night Café Cabaret: A Pop-Up Fundraising Event
Friday 1 May, 7.30pm
North Edinburgh Arts
Tickets: Minimum £2 donation
A series of short comedy scenes, juggling, readings of writing and poetry, human puppets, with dance and stage combat. There will be a raffle with exciting prizes.
Teas, coffees, wine and nibbles will be on sale on the evening too. All profits made on the night will go towards the North Edinburgh Theatre project.
Tickets: Call 0131 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, EH4 4TZ
Celebrating choreography at Gallery of Modern Art
One-off dance performance at Modern One tomorrow
Edinburgh College’s contemporary artist in residence has unveiled a new exhibition about choreography at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – and the college’s dance students are preparing a one-off performance tomorrow (Thursday 9 April) to complete the installation.
Julie Duffy, a former HND Contemporary Art Practice student at the college, is displaying ‘Rhythmic Structure’, the culmination of her residency and an exploration of dance choreography. The exhibition is at the Pig Rock Bothy in the grounds of the Modern One gallery until 12 April.
The final phase of the work involves BA (Hons) Dance students from the college’s Performing Arts Studio Scotland, who will choreograph and perform an original dance piece in the Bothy in response to Julie’s installation on Thursday 9 April at 2pm. All are welcome to attend the performance.
Julie is one of several former college students who have been invited back to the college as artists in residence. During her five-month residency, she undertook the Rhythmic Structure project and has also been working with students to help their development.
Rhythmic Structure explores the formal qualities of dance, focusing on the collaborative work of choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage, and painters Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, alongside Oskar Schlemmer’s ‘Das Triadische Ballett’. The work includes a screen-printed floor, hanging drapes and delicate structures made from felt, card and expanding foam!
The Artist in Residence (AIR) programme at the college gives practicing artists who are also former students the opportunity to come back to the college, providing them with a dedicated studio space as well as access to specialist resources and facilities. It aims to give them an opportunity to develop their practice and gain experience in learning and teaching in further education.
Julie (above) said: “Working with the lecturers and students on the Contemporary Art Practice HND has been really stimulating. The AIR residency at Edinburgh College has been a wonderful opportunity to develop a new body of work in a creative and supportive environment. Showing my new work in such an internationally significant institution wouldn’t have been possible without the AIR programme.”
Alan Holligan, lecturer in Contemporary Art Practice and AIR programme coordinator, said: “Julie’s show at in the bothy is a mark of the quality of the artists graduating from the HND Contemporary Art Practice course who then return as artist in residence. Julie’s contribution to the course has been excellent and her influence on students is clear. I’d like to thank the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art for their support.”
Julie-Ann Delaney, curator at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, added: “The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is delighted to be working with Julie Duffy on the presentation of her ambitious new installation within Pig Rock Bothy at Modern One. Julie’s work has transformed the interior of the bothy, and the culmination of the project – which will see a newly choreographed dance work made by Edinburgh College students – will further this by bringing the space to life in a manner unlike ever before.”
Julie, the college’s eighth artist in residence, graduated from her HND in 2008 and went on to gain a 1st class BA Hons Degree in Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD).
Since graduating from DJCAD in 2011, Julie has developed new work and has exhibited regularly throughout Edinburgh including solo exhibitions at Summerhall and group shows at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. As well as developing her solo practice in sculpture, Julie has more recently been developing collaborative practices with former college artist in residence and DJCAD graduate Hayley Mathers.
Edinburgh College is currently recruiting for courses starting in August, with a range of art and design courses available, including the HND Contemporary Art Practice. For more information about courses and to learn how to apply, go to the college website edinburghcollege.ac.uk
The show must go on!
Government commits over £2m to Edinburgh’s festivals
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, has confirmed £2.25m in funding to support Edinburgh’s festivals.
The latest round of the Scottish Government Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund will support twelve projects and the work of strategic umbrella organisation Festivals Edinburgh in 2015/2016.
The Expo Fund provides Edinburgh Festivals with £2.25 million to promote themselves to overseas audiences and invest in the work of talented Scottish artists and performers. Running since 2008, this year’s allocation brings the total invested close to £16m.
The focus of the 2015/16 Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund is new creative works by Scottish artists, international collaboration and the promotion of Edinburgh as the best festival city in the world.
Ms Hyslop said: “The Scottish Government Expo Fund is direct investment in the future of Edinburgh’s Festivals. The fund has given the festivals scope to deliver world class pieces and performances that have caught the imagination of international audiences. Thanks to the Expo Fund festivals are working more closely together boosting tourism and Scotland’s cultural ambitions.
“The investment in Edinburgh’s Festival is about creating long term benefits for Scottish artists, the economy and our country’s’ international reputation. The Edinburgh festivals contribute more than £250m in additional tourism revenue to Scotland’s economy but just as important is their international profile.
“Edinburgh’s Festivals have been defining and promoting Scotland’s identity as a confident, creative, welcoming nation for over 65 years. We are supporting their work through the Expo Fund to fund innovation, collaboration and artist development, all vital for future success of our festivals.”
Faith Liddell, Director at Festivals Edinburgh, said: ‘The Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund provides an incredibly powerful platform for Scotland and its artists, thinkers and companies to be showcased to the world at Edinburgh’s Festivals.
“As a direct result, not only have hundreds of performances and events of the best Scottish work been presented as highlights in our prestigious Festival programmes; many have also been taken to other venues and festivals around the world and new networks and opportunities have been delivered for Scotland’s artists and thinkers.”
All twelve of Festival Edinburgh’s members benefit from the Expo Fund. The funded projects develop the creative industries at home and showcase Scottish talent abroad. The projects included in this round of funding are:
- ‘A Bollywood Love Story’, a collaboration between the Edinburgh Mela and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. A forty-minute, full length show in the Bollywood tradition will be created for the Mela Festival. Key aspects of the show will also be presented as part of this year’s Edinburgh Tattoo in August.
- The Edinburgh International Film Festival Short Film Challenge will profile new Scottish filmmakers from across the country and the EIFF Talent Lab and Animation Lab will work with emerging feature film writers, directors and producers during the 2015 Festival.
- The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival will use the funding to create new works by Scottish musicians and opportunities for them to perform internationally.
- The Edinburgh International Festival will premiere a new stage adaptation of a classic Scottish novel with a leading Scottish theatre in 2015.
- Expo Funding supports Edinburgh Art Festival’s commitment to opening up new and unexpected places across the city through its annual, city-wide commissions programme, providing a platform for leading and emerging Scottish artists to make ambitious publicly-sited work.
- How a multilingual society influences literature in Scotland and elsewhere and how language and identity shapes the writers that Scotland produces will be examined in a dedicated strand for Edinburgh International Book Festival.
- The Mela World Dance Feste continues this year as a platform for diverse arts within Scotland and will work alongside ‘A Bollywood Love Story’
- Expo Funding makes the Made in Scotland Showcase, part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, possible.
- The fund has already supported Scot_Lands during the 2015 Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations earlier this year.
- Expo Funding will support, live and digital works as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival will bring some of Scotland’s oldest cultural resource to international audiences with explorations of global issues.
- In celebration of Scotland’s year of Innovation, Architecture and Design in 2016, the Edinburgh International Science Festival will launch a major new programme that will combine a cutting-edge technology showcase with an innovative series of associated events for teenagers.
- Imaginate Platforms will be a celebration and showcase of Scottish-based artists who consistently create work of a world class standard for children and young people.
Festivals Edinburgh receives £250,000 to continue to promote and position Edinburgh as the world’s leading festival city.
Since 2008 the Scottish Government Expo Fund has provided a legacy of important new work. This includes writing by Don Paterson, Ali Smith and James Robertson to installations by artists Callum Innes and Martin Creed at Regent Bridge and the Scotsman Steps as well as science installations and ambitious new performing arts commissions that have gone on to tour around the world.
That funding in full:
Funding (2015/16)
| Edinburgh Art Festival | £150,000 |
| Edinburgh International Book Festival | £110,000 |
| Edinburgh International Film Festival | £115,000 |
| Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Made in Scotland | £590,000 |
| Imaginate | £89,700 |
| Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) | £200,000 |
| Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival | £110,000 |
| Edinburgh Mela | £80,000 |
| Edinburgh International Science Festival | £100,000 |
| Scottish Storytelling Festival | £95,300 |
| Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo & Edinburgh Mela | £160,000 |
| Hogmanay Festival | £200,000 |
| TOTAL | £2,000,000 |
Money well spent? Is the government right to support arts and culture to this extent when so many public services are under severe pressure? Or do you think our festivals are a key element in Edinburgh’s quality of life and deserve to be supported?
Let us know!
Creative Leith collaborates on ‘Love Leith’ bruncheon
LEITH CREATIVE Project Launch
Saturday 14 February 2015, 11.30 – 3.00pm
It’s been a quiet start of the year for Citizen Curator but we are back this month with some interesting new collaborations …
In partnership with LeithLate we are launching Leith Creative at a very special ‘Love Leith’ Creative Bruncheon in conjunction with Out of Blue Drill Hall.
Leith Creative is a research project investigating the cultural resources and creative industries that make up the wider area. As part of this we have been talking to some of the creative hubs that inhabit Leith, but to find out more we want to hear from individual artists and organisations living, or working, in the area. What are the success you have had or challenges that you face?
To find out more …
Join us at the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street for informal networking, where a host of family friendly Bruncheon treats will be available from the OOTB café, as well as live music from local Leith musicians, curated by William Douglas.
This is a free event but booking is appreciated.
If you can’t make it on the day, remember to fill out and share this online survey.
Also remember to check out our new Leith Creative facebook page for future events.
For further details contact
Citizen Curator
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, EH6 4JT
44+(0)7812167130
‘like’ us on Facebook
follow us on Twitter
Citizen Curator is a contemporary arts organisation working with the history and identity of Leith and North Edinburgh. This project is supported by Creative Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Leith Benevolent Society
Our Leith Creative logo, and soon to come interactive map, is by artist/designer David Lemm. David also has work on display at the Edinburgh Printmakers, until 7 March.
Woodworking for adults at Craigroyston
Relief Carving and Letter Cutting Course
Thursdays, 2 – 4pm, FREE
Craigroyston Community High School (CDT Department)
29th January
5th February
12th February
26th February
5th March
Come and learn a new technique with North Edinburgh Grows Artist-in-residence Natalie Taylor.
This five week course will introduce you to the main elements of letter cutting into ‘dressed’ or sheet wood/planks.
Simple starting techniques will introduce cutting into the wood, leading into carving shapes and letters in relief. Please note this is not a 3-D carving class.
- A course of five structured sessions.
- For anyone aged 16 years and over.
- Creche is available at NEA, must book in advance.
- No experience required. All materials and tools supplied. Please bring an old shirt or apron.
- £5 returnable deposit on booking.
Places are limited. Book now: 0131 315 2151 / admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
Follow all of North Edinburgh Grows’ activities on their blog: northedinburghgrows.wordpress.