The Besties is a new series of awards celebrating the best across Edinburgh’s August Festivals. The Award is a partnership between The Skinny & Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland.
The Skinny and Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland are delighted to announce the winners of the second round of the weekly new Festival Awards, The Besties, in the following categories:
The award ceremony took place on Saturday 17th August at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, hosted by comedian Josephine Lacey whose show Autism Mama is at the Pleasance Courtyard, with performances from Orkney musician Catriona Price who performed earlier this week at Queen’s Hall and Edinburgh New Town Church, celebrating her debut album, Hert.
The Besties award, designed by artist Camillo Feuchter who has recently graduated fromInterior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, uses recyclable plastics gathered at the Festival Theatre Café and leftover wood sourced locally.
Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and responding to the need for a pan-festivals award, The Besties span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival which started on Thursday 15 August, and others, making them the one of the only awards to celebrate the full spectrum of culture in the city.
Winners of The Besties are chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals. The categories will reflect the diversity of the magazines’ coverage and might be different every week.
The third and last ceremony will take place on Saturday 24th August.
Care Home Residents Enjoy The 3rd Annual Fringe Cares Festival
2024 Fringe Cares Festival – conceived by The Edinburgh Interfaith Association back in 2023 – started once again with a very successful event at Queen’s Manor Care Home on Queensferry Road.
Performers from all over the world take part in the Fringe Cares Festival which brings a taste of the musical & theatrical talents of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to all residents of 7 care homes in the city, in a partnership sponsored by Barchester Healthcare, The Edinburgh Interfaith Association, Scottish Care and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.
Queens Manor Care Home, the founding care home Residents, relatives, friends and staff – along with several guests from the local community, were able to participate in a full afternoon of entertainment.
Lord Provost Councillor Robert Aldridge attended and said, “This is my favourite part of the Fringe!”
The event included a piper on arrival, drinks canapes and cocktails. Street performer Andie Mars with her impressive hula hoops displays, forget me Nots Children’s’ Parties provided face painting and visiting Princess Ariel. Matthew Shiel, award winning classical pianist played in the foyer.
The main act – “Ella, Etta and Eartha”, singer Melissa Western and her accompanists rounded off the show in a performance inspired by those legendary female singers.
Professor Joe Goldblatt, who inspired and instigated the Fringe Cares Festival explained: “The first year my wife and I sponsored one performer and I was amazed when residents who had not spoken for months suddenly burst forth into song, in French, when a Fringe performer began to sing the Edith Piaf classic ‘La vie en rose’.
“As they sang along, I was speechless and in awe of the power of musical memories to inspire their strong positive emotions and awaken their senses. The events of this year so far at Queens Manor were no less than spectacular – offering the same level of amazement that we had in our founding year!”
Margaret-Ann Davidson, General Manager of Queens Manor in Edinburgh, said: “I am delighted the Queens Manor Team is able to support our residents to participate in such an exciting initiative, which has grown each year; and we are proud to be part of Barchester Healthcare, the founding sponsor for this special programme.
“Music, entertainment, time with loved ones and friends are key elements of life enrichment for all care home residents. In years gone by the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe would have been part of the lives of many of those in our care.
“Through the Fringe Cares Festival, we are able to bring a flavour of the excitement, fun, and delights of the Festival Fringe to our residents at home. The long-term aim of this project is to help ensure that all care home residents in Edinburgh have access to the Fringe Cares Festival in the next 10 years – regardless of care provider.
“There are many other entertainers participating at the other 6 care homes. We look forward to the feedback and photographs”.
The executive director of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association, Iain Stewart said: “EIFA is very proud to have conceived this programme as part of our commitment to bringing people together to celebrate, communicate, and appreciate one another through music.
“The 36-year-old EIFA is the oldest interfaith association and represents all faiths and none promoting respect, understanding, peace and love.
The Fringe Cares Festival at Barchester dramatically demonstrates that we may all come together and benefit through music”.
We are already looking at inspiration and planning for this event in 2025 – if you would like to be involved or become a sponsor, please reach out to either Joe Goldblatt at joe@joegoldblatt.scot or margaretann-davidson@barchester.com.
MUST-SEE THREE: Ray Mears, Tinderbox Orchestra, Yoko Pwno
With our big top headliner Del Amitri SOLD OUT (sob, sob) many weeks ago, it’s just as well we have oodles of other fab musical extravaganzas on next Saturday 3rd August…
In the Lodge Tent, you’ll find Yoko Pwno deliver their brilliant mash-up of original folk and electronic beats – a sound to behold.
Earlier in the day the Tinderbox Orchestra will have the big top bouncing with a live musical experience that’s like no other. “This is an orchestra Jim, but not as we know it…”
And if you’re after something more sedate or tips on how to survive on the wild side, Ray Mears is your man. What he doesn’t know about living in the great outdoors probably isn’t worth knowing.
Of course, there’s plenty more comedy, kids shows and outright creative brilliance on show next Saturday, so take your pick and make a great big day out to the seaside complete.
Don’t leave it too late, or you might just miss out like many a Del Amitri fan…
Scotland’s largest outdoor shopping centre, Fort Kinnaird, is on the lookout for local performers to step into the spotlight as part of its inaugural Summer Live event.
Taking place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2nd August – 18th August between 12-5pm, the centre is giving all type of performers from musicians, dancers and actors, to uplifting choirs, spoken word poets and solo singers the chance to showcase their talents to hundreds of local people.
The Summer Live stage will be set up near Hotel Chocolat, with a seating area for visitors to enjoy acts, and performers will be allocated a 30-minute time slot.
Fort Kinnaird is also partnering with East Lothian Arts Service – a council run programme supporting the arts – to host a series of workshops and performances from local community groups across the three weekends.
This will include sessions from The Brunton’s Performing Arts Network, East Lothian Youth Music Forum (ELJam), Sistema and Tinderbox Collective. Separately there will also be a variety of performances from The Theatre School of Scotland.
And as part of the centre’s commitment to supporting the arts, Fort Kinnaird will also be donating £1,000 to Tinderbox Collective to support an ongoing initiative to get musical instruments into public libraries, so people can borrow them for free – just like taking out a book – which is currently operated locally within Craigmillar and Moredun libraries.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“With a series of city-centre events hosting Edinburgh’s talent across the summer, we wanted to get involved to support even more local performers and groups to share their talent with the local community.
“We also hope our donation to Tinderbox Collective will help more people discover or continue to pursue their musical talents.
“We’re incredibly excited for our first ever Summer Live event. If you would like to take part, or even just find out more information, we’d encourage you to get in touch as soon as possible as we expect the line-up to fill up pretty quickly.”
Fancy taking part? All you need to do is contact info@fortkinnaird.com with the following:
Your stage name and type of performance
How many people are in your group (maximum is 30)
What times/days you are available and how long your set is
The Traverse’s Autumn 2024 season stages home-grown and international performances exploring issues of social justice.
Traverse 1 highlights include Enough of Him by May Sumbwanyambe, To Save The Sea by Isla Cowan and Andy McGregor and The Tailor of Inverness by Matthew Zajac.
Traverse 2 highlights include The Brenda Line by Harry Mould, Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz by Nathan Queeley-Dennis and Piece of Work by James Rowland.
A Play, A Pie & A Pint returns for a six-week run under the new leadership of Brian Logan.
Music at the Traverse programme continues to grow with fourteen acts confirmed and on sale.
As we prepare to dive into the joy and excitement of TravFest24, we wanted to take some time to look ahead to our Autumn season – as there’s no slowing down for us come September! Performances tackle social issues head on, see many of our valued partners return and bring big laughs to our stages in a season packed with captivating and compelling work.
Following on from the success of a sold-out run of Maggie & Me, the National Theatre of Scotland are back in October with the revival of May Sumbwanyambe’s Enough of Him which won the 2023 CATS Award for Best New Play. This co-production with Pitlochry Festival Theatre is an incisive and emotive new play based on the true story of Joseph Knight, directed by previous Traverse Artistic Director Orla O’Loughlin.
As well as Enough of Him, we are delighted to also welcome Pitlochry Festival Theatre with The Brenda Line by Harry Mould and directed by Ben Occhipinti. Based on the lesser-known history if the Samaritans in the 70s and 80s as well as the lived experience of Harry Mould’s mother, this is a story about women, love and listening.
Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company will highlight the urgency of the climate crisis with their latest musical, To Save The Sea by Isla Cowan and Andy McGregor. Inspired by a real-life 1995 protest, the makers of Battery Park and Crocodile Rock will bring this epic adventure story to the Traverse for three nights as part of their Scottish tour.
Also returning to the Traverse Dogstar Theatre’s The Tailor of Inverness by Matthew Zajac and directed by Ben Harrison, which presents an unforgettable and moving story of displacement and survival in war-torn Europe; particularly powerful in light of the current war in Ukraine.
Having received rave reviews during its run at the Paines Plough Roundabout during the Edinburgh Fringe 2023, NathanQueeley-Dennis brings Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz directed by Dermot Daly to Traverse 2 at the start of November. Ruckus, an award winning, compelling one-woman thriller by Jenna Fincken which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, explores the suppression and destruction caused by coercive control.
The first week of November sees two distinct new productions directed by Tessa Walker. In Traverse 1, Run, Rebel is an electrifying adaptation of Manjeet Mann’s acclaimed novel for audiences of 11+ combining physical theatre, mesmerising visuals and a talented ensemble cast, setting the stage for a transformative story of revolution, empowerment and courage. In Traverse 2, Bright Places by Rae Mainwaring is a darkly funny and deeply honest autobiographical story about growing up in the shadow of chronic illness.
We are also in for a treat with a handful of one-night delights this Autumn. Star of The Office (Australia), Felicity Ward returns with her new show I’m Exhausting for her first national tour in six years. Fresh from their appearance on BBC Three’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK VS The World, Choriza May hits the road with their first ever solo theatre show extravaganza; The Choriza May Show. Award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams brings his chaotic, audience-led poetry event, Search Party,a unique interactive experience where the boundary between artist and audience blurs into a dynamic act of creation.
For audiences looking for something more experimental we are pleased to be welcoming back James Rowland with his new show Piece of Work which will feature his distinct mix of storytelling, comedy and music. Arán & Imby Manchán Magan will see the performer baking sourdough bread while offering insights into the wonders of the Irish language.
Our six-week run of A Play, A Pie & A Pint will return this Autumn with six new plays taking to our stages, as part of our first season collaborating with new Artistic Director Brian Logan.
Continuing on from the success of the inaugural season of Music At The Traverse we are delighted to be presenting in excess of fourteen gigs within our upcoming Autumn season. Including crowd-pleasers Espen Eriksen Trio and RANT as well as innovative newcomers Ryan Young and Amy Hollinrake, these one-nighters are sure to bring music to our ears and warmth to our souls as the nights get colder.
17 JULY FROM 12 – 4pm at AT MUIRHOUSE MILLENNIUM CENTRE
Liftfest was the idea of our fab volunteers Tyler, Stacey and Wendy – they organised everything from asking for donations, organising the band, wee singer, DJ, and food donations.
Everything will be priced cheaply and affordable.
There will be table sales in the hall and lots going on outside
We would like to be able to supply the kids with either free cartons of juice or free diluting juice so if any nice person wants to donate cartons of juice or diluting juice and cups we would really appreciate it.
This has al been organised on a very low budget as everyone knows money is tight but the volunteers wanted to have something in Muirhouse for the families, the kids and their community.
Well done everyone involved in planning this day
I’m dreading to see what they have planned for me but whatever it is I’m sure they will all enjoy taking the mick out off the CEO!
The universe’s favourite novelty politician, Count Binface, is back on our planet, and just in the nick of time as he’s set to embark on a national tour this autumn to save us all from imminent disaster with his MEGA plans. (Make Earth Great Again!)
2024 is the biggest year ever for democracy, with elections all over the globe, and Binface has more than played his part. He recently ran in the London Mayoral Election and took on (former) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the General Election.
Hot off the back of the UK’s General Election, Binface will be invading a theatre near you with his brand new live comedy show, featuring his unique take on Britain, his special brand of sci-fi satire, and of course his unbeatable manifesto.
Cheaper croissants? Check. The nationalisation of Adele? Check. The return of Ceefax? Check. Water bosses to take a dip in UK rivers to see how they like it? CHECK!
Count Binface is the intergalactic space warrior and novelty politician who has delighted millions with his unlikely tilts at power in the United Kingdom.
First, he took on Theresa May in the 2017 General Election, cunningly disguised as ‘Lord Buckethead’, and went viral around the world (in a non-Covid way), appearing on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and at The Glastonbury Festival.
Then he challenged Boris Johnson in 2019, when he scored 69 votes (he’d love to say he’s the first life form to experience a surprising 69 with the Prime Minister in a sports hall during the small hours, but with Boris you just never know).
In 2021 he first ran to be Mayor of London in a bid to gain control of the Earth Capital itself. He received a glorious 92,896 votes from the great British public that sent him soaring into ninth place.
This year he won 24,260 votes and he got endorsed by a national newspaper and beat the fascists of Britain First.
St James Quarter Sessions will return this August for a second outing. Edinburgh’s free music festival will offer a diverse range of musical performances from over 80 incredible emerging artists.
St James Quarter Sessions, Edinburgh city centre’s much talked about free music festival, will be back for a second year and promises to be bigger with the addition of new venues and stages.
From Friday 16th August to Sunday 25th August, guests can get that festival feeling in the heart of the Capital – with not an inch of mud in sight!
This year’s St James Quarter Sessions will launch on August 2nd with a series of pop-up busking performances in partnership with SNACK Magazine. Running throughout August, musicians can apply for a paid performance slot with applications set to open on Friday 5th July.
After launching in 2023, St James Quarter Sessions will again take place during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, supporting some of Scotland’s unique up-and-coming musicians as well as bringing in more established performers from across the UK.
2024 also sees the addition of a rooftop stage with jaw-dropping views across Edinburgh to the castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. The free music festival will fill all floors with more than 80 acts performing across the Galleria and 5 venues within the Quarter from pop-up live acoustic sets and DJs to full band performances with a diverse mix of artists from indie rock and alt-pop to jazz fusion and hip hop.
St James Quarter has also teamed up with Forth 1’s Boogie in the Morning to find the best of local talent who will win the chance to perform on one of the stages during the festival AND a day in the W Edinburgh recording studio.
With this unique addition to the Fringe Festival offerings, guests should expect the unexpected throughout the 10 days of Sessions, with a whole host of performances from impressive music talent.
Fans can anticipate the line-up to be filled with their favourite DJs, musicians, and rising artists. The Quarter’s stores, dining, and entertainment venues will also be joining in with the festival spirit including performances in Bonnie & Wild, Gordon Ramsay Street Burger, The Botanist, The Alchemist and Duck & Waffle.
Free tickets will be available on the St James Quarter app later this month, along with the full line-up announcement for St James Quarter Sessions 2024.
Susan Hewlett, Brand and Marketing Director, said: “2024 has been a tumultuous year for the music industry, specifically festivals, many of which have sadly been cancelled due to rising costs and consumers being more cash conscious.
“The success of the first St James Quarter Sessions allowed guests to experience emerging live music talent in the city centre for free, whilst also being able to take advantage of an exciting array of food and drink offerings and amenities.
“The month-long festival all under our glass canopy in the comfort of the Galleria allowed visitors to experience memorable, intimate performances with incredible talent with our retail and leisure partners commercially benefitting from the rise in footfall too.
“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a calendar highlight for many of our guests, and we cannot wait to be at the heart of the buzz, welcoming our guests to the second edition of St James Quarter Sessions.”
Guests can sign up for free tickets by downloading the St James Quarter App, which allows them to stay updated with events happening throughout the Quarter for Sessions and beyond.
Staff, residents, relatives and the local community came together at Queens Manor on Queensferry Road to enjoy an Open Day held at the home on Friday 21st June 2024.
Queens Manor hosted a variety of activities throughout the day, including a tasty BBQ prepared by their hospitality team, musical entertainment, pet therapy and even a surprise visit from a local ice cream van, which were enjoyed by everyone who came to the event.
Staff at Queens Manor made everyone feel welcome and were delighted to see different generations having fun together. Visitors enjoyed plenty of refreshments and fun, such as burgers, hot beverages and tasty trifle prepared by the catering team, who were hard at work making sure that a great time was had by all, as well as furry visits from Doc, Frank & Elvis and musical entertainment from Margo the Butterfly singer – it really was a team effort from all!
Resident, Jean Gillies, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was surrounded by lots of great people, and the refreshments & fun kept flowing into the afternoon. The weather held out until we finished.
“Staff did a great job, not just on the day, but organising the event and getting everyone together. The entertainment was amazing – from the dogs and guineapigs, to the singer and a special shout out to the ice cream man! the van took me back to times I spent with my family at the beach all enjoying 99’s!”
Shannon Cullen, Senior Head of Lifestyle & Enrichment at the home, said: “Staff at Queens Manor are dedicated to making sure that the home is a hub of the local community and residents, and this event, along with all their hard work, has definitely paid off.
“It was a resounding success, with everyone having a great time!”
Queens Manor care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.
Queens Manor Care Home provides residential care and dementia care for 60 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Vue sites in Edinburgh has announced the latest set of family-friendly blockbusters set to hit the big screen this summer, as well as a number of new ways for families and kids of all ages to enjoy time together at the big screen.
For the youngest film fans enjoying some of their favourite their very first outings to the big screen, Vue has introduced Big Shorts screenings, bringing some favourite children’s characters from television shows and web series such as The Gruffalo’s Child and Zog and the Flying Doctors to the big screen.
These short and sweets screenings offer a relaxed big screen environment with dimmed lights and reduced sound, tailor-made for younger film fans aged 1 to 4, allowing them to fall in love with the big screen in their very first trips.
Meanwhile, families looking for a value big screen experience can avail of the brand-new Mighty Mornings offering. This will see films such as Kung Fu Panda 4 and The Present shown across weekends and school holidays this summer from just £2.49 when tickets are purchased online.
It’s also set to be a summer of big screen, with blockbusters such as Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 leading the bill.
Almost nine years since its enormously emotional debut warmed hearts and mini minds across the world, on 14 June Inside Out 2 invites us back to the wonderful world of Riley’s mind and Emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
Now, as Riley reaches her teenage years, our cast meets a whole new cast of unfamiliar emotions which set them off on another marvellous adventure across the teenager’s mind.
Joining Joy and friends, this summer sees Gru and the Minion crew back with Despicable Me 4, which sees our former villain turned family man face off against new nemesis Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, meaning his family, Minions included, must go on the run to stay safe. Expect more Minion mayhem, criminal capers and plenty of laughs when Despicable Me 4arrives at Vue on 12 July
As well as the latest family-friendly blockbusters, some true family classics will be back at home on the big screen as part of Vue’s Back On The Big Screen Family Treasures season, which includes Woody and Buzz’s sequel adventure Toy Story 2 and every live action outing of Marvel superhero Spider-Man, including the Tobey Maguire trilogy, Andrew Garfield The Amazing Spider-Man films and the more recent Tom Holland trilogy including Spider-Man: No Way Home later this summer.
Robert Smith, General Manager at Vue in Edinburgh Omni, said: “Every film fan discovered their love for stories on the big screen with their very first visit. Because of this, we’re looking to make this experience as memorable as possible for our young audiences to really help create their love for films with their family with our Big Shorts and Mighty Mornings offerings.
“With some incredible new blockbusters, family treasures and even some pre-school favourites heading to Vue, we’re thrilled to help families and youngsters enjoy their first trip to Vue, as well as each visit afterwards.”
Tickets are available, along with more information on Big Shorts and Mighty Mornings, at www.myvue.com/family
