Tag: Broughton High School

Broughton pupils get dramatic fireworks message

A powerful play about the dangers of misusing fireworks is being performed at Broughton High School today. TOAST is a 30 minute drama which shows pupils how dangerous fireworks can be, as well as airing issues such as peer pressure, bullying and managing aggression. 

It was originally commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Northern Ireland , was adapted for Edinburgh and is being staged by the Strange Theatre Company.

The production involves two actors playing 11 different characters, with the scene shifting between a hospital, a home, a school and a housing estate. The principal character is drawn into an ill-fated escapade with stolen fireworks, with ultimately tragic consequences.

The weeks leading up to Bonfire Night are traditionally a time of increased complaints to police about antisocial behaviour and noise relating to fireworks. Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety leader, said: “Bonfire Night is great fun and families enjoy the spectacle of fireworks as the nights get darker. However, fireworks can be extremely dangerous if handled improperly. The play ‘Toast’ is an excellent way of helping young people understand the risks and dangers of misusing fireworks.”

Community Safety Manager for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, Steve Harkins, said: “As the service gears up for one of their busiest nights of the year we are urging parents and carers to be mindful of the potential risks from fireworks and the need to heed fire safety advice to ensure this year’s Bonfire Night celebrations stay safe. We work closely with partners including the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver fire safety advice to schoolchildren across the area and TOAST, which highlights the dangers associated with fireworks, is an excellent example of this type of initiative.”

The play will be performed at Holyrood RC High School and Broughton High School today  and moves on to Leith Academy  and Castlebrae High School tomorrow (Friday 2 November).

City of Edinburgh Music School Open Day this Saturday

The City of Edinburgh Music School at Broughton High School, East Fettes Avenue will throw open it’s doors on Saturday (3 November) to welcome people in to see for themselves what makes this renowned school so popular and successful. Between 10.30 and 12.30 students, staff and parents will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate various activities that take place throughout a normal week.

The City of Edinburgh Music School is unique. It is the only specialist Music School that covers the whole age range from 4 to 19 and is totally funded by the Scottish Government, so it does not charge any fees. Entry is by audition and the gifted children selected receive specialist tuition in all aspects of music while based full-time at newly built state-of-the-art facilities in Flora Stevenson Primary and Broughton High Schools.

The school was selected to become the first UK All Steinway School of Excellence in the UK and has 25 Steinway pianos – at least one in every teaching space. There are also professional standard recording studios, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces seating up to 500.

Students from the school were recently invited to perform at the 2012 Olympic Celebrations in London, accompany the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq’s first British tour with Julian Lloyd Webber, take part in both the International and Fringe Festival and have also been featured on national radio and television programmes!

Sir Simon Rattle, CBE is the patron of the Music School. Financial assistance is given for travel if students live further afield, and there is also a trust fund to provide scholarships and resources for specialist music students.

With all the advantages of expert individual tuition and the social mix of a large, successful state school – each child’s gift for music is developed in a well-balanced and happy environment.

 

For more information contact:

Tudor Morris (Director) 0131 332 7805

www.edinburghmusicschool.co.uk

musicschool@broughton.edin.sch.uk

Transport’s the theme for Inverleith community conference

On the Move in Inverleith

Transport is the theme for this year’s Inverleith Community Conference, which will take place on 15 November from 6 – 9pm in Broughton High School.

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership development officer Elaine Lennon said: “Our fourth annual community conference is coming up and this year’s theme is local transport in all it’s forms. We are formatting it as world café style with table discussions around themes of: public transport, road safety, winter weather, walking and cycling and road maintenance and we hope to have Officers leading on each table who are ‘experts’ in the subject.”

An evening of lively discussion, community cohesion, information sharing and fun is promised, so please tell your friends and neighbours about the event!

Organisers add:

On the theme of local transport, there will be opportunities to discuss issues and ask questions on various aspects of getting around Inverleith in small table discussions –

  • parking,
  • public transport,
  • road repairs,
  • road safety,
  • walking and cycling,
  • winter weather.

We hope that you can join us in person or live on twitter on the night, by following #inverleithconf

A finger buffet and live entertainment will be provided, and transport related stalls and information will be available for browsing.

You can book your place online through the Eventbrite website, but if you prefer to register off-line, or want more information, please contact Anne Brown on 332 6316, anne.brown@ea.edin.sch.uk or Elaine Lennon on 529 5270, elaine.lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

Paralympic torch coming to Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s Blackhall customers will have the chance to see the Paralympic Torch as it goes on a special tour across the UK. Sainsbury’s Blackhall will welcome the torch on Friday 19 October, when customers will have the opportunity to see, hold and take photographs of the iconic torch between 1 – 3pm.

The Sainsbury’s Paralympic Torch Experience will see the Paralympic Torch travel to 400 Sainsbury’s stores across the country – the Torch’s epic journey begins at Sainsbury’s Bradford Upon-Avon and ends at the retailer’s Lampeter store on Thursday 1 November.

The Torch is one of 620 Torches used in the 24 hour Relay which took place from Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury, the home of the Paralympic Movement, to the Olympic Park in Stratford, London on Tuesday 28th to Wednesday 29th August. 101 stores from other areas across the country previously saw the Torch ahead of and during the Games, and now the retailer –  and first ever Paralympic Games-only sponsor – is extending it to the rest of the country.

Sainsbury’s Blackhall Store Manager David Bainbridge said: “We’ve really enjoyed playing our part in raising awareness of the London 2012 Paralympic Games in Blackhall. For our customers, it’s a once in a lifetime chance for them to see the Torch and feel the buzz of the Paralympic Games, which we’re proud to have sponsored.”

The local Sainsbury’s store is also responsible for another Olympic legacy, with two local high schools sharing in the success of the 2012 games thanks to donations from Sainsbury’s. The Royal High School received a donation of London 2012 sports clothing which they aim to use for team events, and organisers of Broughton High School’s recent Septemberfest were delighted to use Sainsbury’s London 2012 merchandise for prizes.

The store hope the donation will help maintain the positive momentum and feeling created by the London 2012 Games. Sainsbury’s Blackhall Store Manager David Bainbridge said: “Our colleagues and customers have really got behind all Paralympics GB and Team GB athletes and we wanted to celebrate the success of the London 2012 Games by providing The Royal High School and Septemberfest with a lasting memento of what has truly been a year like no other.”

 

 

Your Future, Your Police at Broughton High School

Lothian and Borders Police are holding an event in Broughton High School to find out what teenagers want from the police. Around 200 teenagers from a wide range of backgrounds will take part in the ‘Your Future, Your Police’ session at Broughton. Tourrettes sufferer John Davidson, who was the subject of an acclaimed documentary, is guest speaker at the event.

Using workshops and discussion groups, the 15-17-year-olds will be given the chance to give their views on how they think the police should interact with teenagers, and what relevance the new Police Service of Scotland will have to them. This is the fourth in a series of sessions to be held across the Lothian and Borders Force area.

John Davidson, subject of the 1989 QED documentary ‘John’s Not Mad,’ is guest speaker. He will talking about how having severe Tourette’s syndrome led to misunderstandings with the police in his teens, and how this was remedied through open and ongoing communication.

John in 1989

Deputy Chief Constable Steve Allen, said: “The best thing about this type of event is that it allows us to engage with our young people in a positive environment, and gives us the opportunity to listen to what they have to say. We will record their views and opinions of policing in the Lothian and Borders area and use them in shaping the future as we move forward to the Police Service of Scotland.”

 

 

Locals out in force to support Septemberfest

Broughton High School’s Septemberfest proved to be a big hit, with almost three thousand people enjoying Saturday’s activities and attractions. Organisers said: “Thanks to everyone who came along to Septemberfest on Saturday (all 2800 of you!). It was a fantastic day and the sun shone for us. Thanks to all the parent, pupil and staff volunteers who helped on the day.”

Lots to do this weekend

There are loads of exciting, fun and FREE actvities for the whole family to enjoy this weekend. As well as the Craft giveaway at The Botanics (see previous post), don’t forget this is Doors Open weekend in Edinburgh (visit the website for a list of all attractions at www.cockburnassociation.org.uk

And of course there’s also Septemberfest, Broughton High School’s autumn extravaganza – see their Facebook for a full list of what’s going on on Saturday down at East Fettes Avenue.

Young filmmakers SEE for themselves

Short films produced by local schoolchildren through the Cashback for Creativity initiative were premiered at North Edinburgh Arts Centre last night, and both ‘Danny’ and ‘The Clock Strikes Fate’ were real quality productions.

Participants from Broughton High School, CORE, Pilton Youth and Children’s Project and Muirhouse Youth Development Group worked with professionals from Pilton-based Screen Education Edinburgh to produce the two short films, with the young people were involved at every stage of the process – from script writing and finding locations to acting, selecting soundtracks and editing. The young filmmakers discovered that an awful lot of preparation and hard work goes into creating even a short film, but their efforts were richly rewarded with two fine short films.

Introducing the films, SEE project manager James McKenzie said: “I think you will agree that these films are remarkable, given that most of the young people involved had no experience of filmmaking. I am sure they will be very proud when they see what they have produced – these are excellent films”.

Danny dealt with the issue of schizophrenia in an unusually entertaining way, while ‘The Clock Strikes Fate’ was a silent movie, simple yet touching.

In a question and answer session with SEE engagement officer Neil Rolland after the screenings, the filmmakers were unanimous in saying that they had learned a lot from the process and all expressed a wish to go on to make more movies.

Kyle Fitzpatrick said: “I thought to begin with I would only be acting but we all got involved in lots of different aspects, things we hadn’t thought we would be doing – for me it was using film cameras, for example. It was a great experience and we learned a lot over the course of producing the films. This was the first time we’d seen the finished films and I think they look pretty good!”

The films will now be entered into film festivals and will appear on SEE’s website – www.screen-ed.org – sometime soon. The young filmmakers will also get their wish for more opportunities to male movies – Screen Education Edinburgh plan to set up a North Edinburgh Young People’s Film Group in the not too distant future. So you never know, Danny Two – the full length sequel?

Cashback for Creativity film premieres next week

Criminal profits have been put to good use with the launch of two short films created by local young people. Screen Education Edinburgh (SEE) (formerly Pilton Video) will be screening ‘Danny’ and ‘The Clock Strikes Fate’ at North Edinburgh Arts Centre on Tuesday 18 September at 6.30pm.

SEE worked with young people from the outset on the projects which were made possible through funding from the Cashback for Creativity programme, a fund which takes cash confiscated from criminals and ploughs the money back into the communities they prey upon.

Cashback for Creativity (formally Creative Identities) is Creative Scotland’s programme that provides young people across Scotland with access to high quality dance, film and music activities, funded by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme which reinvests the proceeds of crime back into communities to benefit Scotland’s young people.

As part of the scheme, Screen Education Edinburgh are running an intensive programme of short film making for young people aged 12- 19 across the City of Edinburgh, with priority given to those living in areas of deprivation.

In North Edinburgh, a series of taster workshops took place in partnership with Broughton High School, Community Organisation for Race Equality, Muirhouse Youth Development Group and Pilton Youth and Children’s Project, leading to the most interested young people moving forward to form a core filmmaking group based at SEE. Learning the skills of screenwriting, acting, camera, sound and editing, the group have completed two short film’s ‘Danny’ and ‘When The Clock Strikes Fate’.

The two films will be premiered on Tuesday 18th September at 6.30pm at North Edinburgh Arts Centre to an audience that will include the cast and crew, their families and friends, invited guests and members of the public. The event will also feature a ‘making of’ documentary and a question and answer session with the young people involved followed by a small reception.

Seats are free and available on a first come, first served basis; so turn up early on the night to guarantee a seat!

SEE’s Creative Manager Graham Fitzpatrick said: “The project was a fantastic opportunity for North Edinburgh youngsters to learn how to make films, with two outstanding and mature dramas being produced. We look forward to the premiere and supporting the group as they build on the experience to produce more shorts, whilst the programme also rolls out to East and West Edinburgh from now until Christmas.”