North Edinburgh Arts launches Autumn programme

Summer’s almost over, but cheer up – North Edinburgh Arts have just launched their exciting Autumn programme!

arts

 The holidays are over but the fun doesn’t have to be!

North Edinburgh Arts can’t wait to see you all back again to enjoy our packed Autumn programme.

Activities for Children

Join Alice in Zoo Arts every Wednesday from 4.00 – 5.30pm. These visual art sessions are for local young artists (9-14 years) who would like to be inspired, improve their creative skills and get involved with exciting visual art projects that run on a 2-4 week basis. Sessions are 50p per child which includes a healthy snack. Follow them onFacebook here.

Thursday and Saturday mornings see the return of Create, our very popular creative, messy play project for 0-5 year olds and their parents/carers. The sessions demonstrate resourceful and inspiring ways to actively learn with your wee ones. These drop-in sessions run from 10am -12noon and are are 50p per child per session. ‘Like’ them on Facebook here.

Eco Kidz is back with more ideas to turn recylcing into crafty, sellable items. Learn a variety of skills in these fun sessions including art, design, craft, marketing and retailing. The group will eventually go on to sell items made in these weekly sessions. Eco-Kidz is on Friday, 1.45 – 3.15pm and all sessions are free. ‘Like’ them on Facebook here.

If you’re looking for a way to burn off some energy and get creative on a Saturday morning, NEA has everything you need . Along with our Create sessions, we also runart and danceworkshops for children aged 5-12 years. Between 10am – 12noon, the two age groups (5-8 and 9-12years) alternate between high energy dance sessions and colourful art and craft workshops. A healthy snack is provided half way through and it only costs 50p. Arrive in plenty of time as these popular drop in sessions are always busy!

Programme for Adults

The North Edinburgh Theatre Project is working on a very exciting project, 1d Tenement Opera project for production in January 2015 and you are very welcome to join.

Join in if you are interested in singing, dancing, making costumes, lighting & sound, making sets, drawing and designing, writing for the blog and doing stories, photography, social history, making sure the people of North Edinbrugh tell the stories… and spreading more whispers and rumours about the project.

If you are interested in some of the activities and you would like to find out more, please contact box office on 0131 315 2151.

United We Stand, 17th October, 7.30pm
Townsend Productions presents a powerful new play by Neil Gore based on the true story of one of the most turbulent industrial battles – the 1972 Builders’ Strike.
Tickets: £8, £5 concession, £3.00 good neighbours.
townsendproductions.org.uk

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival
24th October,
7.00 – 8.00pm
The SMHAFF is one of Scotland’s most diverse cultural events. North Edinburgh Timebank Temptation singers showcase the transforming power of communal singing in their performance of various rock, folk, pop and world music titled ‘Lean on Me’.
Tickets are free. Booking is advised.
www.mhfestival.com

Lockerbie: Lost Voices, 31st October, 7.30pm
Lee Geshuny’s new play follows six passengers onto Pam Am Flight 103 destroyed over Lockerbie by a bomb in 1988. Tribute to those who tried to uncover the truth about the tragedy.
Tickets: £8, £5 concession, £3.50 good neighbours.
www.sacc.org.uk/articles/2013/lockerbie-lost-voices

Luminate Festival  1st – 31st october
If Luminate has one message, it’s that creativity has no age. Luminate includes new work, collaborations and international projects specially planned and programmed for the festival, as well as independently-run projects led by a wide range of cultural and community organisations.
www.luminatescotland.org

To book tickets for any of the above events, call box office on 0131 315 2151 or emailadmin@northedinburgharts.co.uk.

Pop-In Cafe

Our Pop-In Cafe is open Monday – Friday, 10am – 2pm and Saturday 10am – 12noon. We use ingredients grown in our very own garden and Michele cooks up delicious specials every day to make lunch time a real treat. We also serve delicous freshly ground coffee and home made cakes everyday. See full menu here.

NEA Garden

The NEA garden run Tuesday afternoon drop-in sessions, 1-5pm for families and 16+ years (children must be accompanied). Learn how to grow your own vegetables, herbs and other useful gardening skills in these free sessions run by Valla, outr community gardener. If you would like to be involved in the garden outside of these sessons, please contact Valla directly at northedinburghgrows@gmail.com. Keep up to date on their blog here.

autumn-2014WEB

Full Autumn Programme here

NEA

STV’s Real Heroes – Fet-Lor features this Friday

 

Crewe Road South’s Fet-lor Youth Club and Serenity Cafe from Dumbiedykes will feature on STV’s Real Heroes this Friday

Mark Foster (fetlor) with Paul Brannigan

 STV’s brand new series of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes kicked off again on Friday. Presented by Carol Smillie and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the STV series celebrates people whose tireless effort, resourcefulness, and kindness has improved local communities across Scotland. 

The nominees were selected by a special jury and will feature in a series of programmes every Friday evening. Across the five episodes, ‘star reporters’ visit each of the nominees to interview them about their work in the community and their thoughts on the nomination for a Real Hero award.

The star reporters this year include The X Factor runner-up Nicholas McDonald, actress Clare Grogan, Taggart star Alex Norton and actor Bill Paterson.

The year’s shortlist includes deserving Scots from Wick to West Lothian, and Skye to South Lanarkshire, recognising the amazing work local people are undertaking in their communities across the country. The categories include Carer of the Year, Young Real Hero of the Year, and a new award for Hero Animal of the Year.

At the end of each programme viewers are invited to vote for the nominees they believe most deserve to win a Scotland’s Real Heroes Award, with the overall winners being celebrated at a glittering televised awards ceremony later in the year.

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, said: “The time has come to highlight the outstanding work modestly carried out by the finalists of the series RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes.  We look forward to celebrating the enormous achievement of all of the nominees.  Each story tells of a remarkable accomplishment and is very moving – all the finalists are considered to be most deserving however it is the STV viewers that decide who will pick up an award.”

Chris Wilson, Royal Bank of Scotland’s Managing Director of Branch and Private Banking in Scotland, said:  “Everyone at Royal Bank of Scotland is looking forward to finding out more about this year’s incredible finalists. We think it’s important to celebrate those people who go that extra mile for their community. Each one of the finalists is deserving of recognition and we are all looking forward to seeing who the public choose.”

For more information, visit www.stv.tv/realheroes or get involved on Twitter #scotlandsrealheroes or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scotrealheroes

 

RBS FINDING SCOTLAND’S REAL HEROES 2014

 THE FINALISTS 

 

CARER OF THE YEAR           

Nell Graham (Portobello Monday Centre)                   Portobello, Edinburgh

Clare Grogan visits Nell who runs the Portobello Monday Centre, for people who have dementia.  The club offers a break for their carers whilst also providing fun filled activities and a homemade lunch for the members.

Maw’s Mafia (The EK Hangout)                          East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire

Carol Smillie meets this group of four mums who set up The EK Hangout, a club for young adults with learning disabilities, which allows them to set up strong friendships with people their own age and have some fun.  All the ‘Maws’ have sons who attend the club and they care for at home.

Anne Swartz (Scottish Kinship Care Alliance)                       Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire

Ron Donachie visits Anne who is a full time kinship carer for her three grandchildren and is the chairperson of the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance.  Anne works tirelessly to improve the provision for children in Kinship care.

COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

 Jim McConkey                                                                     Govan, Glasgow

Sanjeev Kohli meets Jim who invents safety gadgets in his garden shed for the pensioners in his community.

Vicki McCarthy (REACH for Autism)                              Greenock, Inverclyde

Paul Brannigan meets Vicki – the mother of an autistic daughter who set up specialist centre and social enterprise cafe for autistic people and their families.

Ross Cowie (Lucky2BHere)                                             Portree, Isle of Skye

Jayd Johnson travels to Skye to meet Ross Cowie who set up ‘Lucky2BHere’ which provides training and defibrillators to public places across Skye and now Scotland.  Ross set up the enterprise after he suffered a cardiac arrest in 2007. 

RBS – COMMUNITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR 

Fet-Lor                                                                                              Pilton, Edinburgh

Paul Brannigan visits the oldest youth club in Scotland (pictured top), which provides constructive after school activities in a safe environment to young people in an under-privileged area of Edinburgh.  The group also puts members through the Duke of Edinburgh Award so they have something positive to put on their CVs when leaving school. 

The Driving Force                                                               Bonnybridge, Falkirk

Alex Norton spends the day with the volunteers of ‘The Driving Force’ who provide free hospital transport to cancer patients and people with other long-term illnesses.   This service gives people with cancer the opportunity to regain a sense of purpose by hiring them as volunteer drivers.

The Serenity Cafe                                                              Holyrood, Edinburgh

Carol Smillie visits this special cafe (pictured below) which is run by people in recovery from addiction.  It is used by people in recovery and open to public customers too.  This safe-haven also provides volunteer opportunities for those in recovery.  The cafe is a focal point for various activity groups such as a running club, guitar group and sewing group.

Carol Smillie at the Serenity Cafe

SPORTING VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR            

Elaine McKenna (Special Olympics Lothian)              Blackburn, West Lothian

Des Clarke meets Elaine who coaches a multi sport group and football team for people with learning disabilities.  From carpet bowls, to new age kurling and boccia – some of her students have gone on to represent team GB at the Special Olympics.

Pat Bannan (Bannan Fitness Club)                   Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire

Stephen Purdon meets Pat – a 66 year old who is passionate about keeping everyone in his community fit and healthy.  From tots to pensioners, everyone is welcome at the Bannan Fitness Club.

Andrew Campbell (Camran Taekwondo)         Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire

Jayd Johnson meets this taekwondo instructor who provides low cost and sometimes free lessons for kids in his area, teaching them the ethos of this popular martial art.  Andrew has even coached a few medal winners over the years! 

HERO ANIMAL OF THE YEAR 

Barra the dog (K9 Search and Recovery Scotland)               Luss, Argyll & Bute

Alex Norton meets Barra the dog – a trained search and recovery dog whose specialist skill is submerged victim recovery.  Barra is trained to find the scent of missing people underwater and has helped bring closure to many families across Scotland.

Sid the horse (Aberdeen RDA)                                       Milltimber, Aberdeen

STV’s Andrea Brymer visits Sid the Horse – a much loved member of the team at ‘Riding for the Disabled Aberdeen’.  Sid’s great temperament means he is the ideal horse for the riders who all have learning and physical disabilities.

Ben the dog (Therapet)                                        Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire

Ron Donachie meets Ben, a ‘therapet’ who regularly visits the acute stroke ward at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where patients can sit with him, pet him and talk to him.  Offering comfort in stressful times, Ben is loved by the patients and the ward staff. 

COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR        

 Bathgate Street Pastors                                                   Bathgate, West Lothian

Jennifer Reoch spends a busy Saturday night with this group who help keep the people of Bathgate safe on nights out.  Their Saturday night involves handing out flip-flops to girls struggling in heels, providing a listening service to those who’ve had a bit too much to drink, handing out alarms to young women as well as keeping them safe in taxis.  This is all voluntarily.

Jackie McIntosh(MS Therapy Centre)                          Inverness, Highlands

Kelly Cates meets this wonder woman who single-handedly raises £140,000 a year to keep the MS Therapy Centre running.  It’s down to Jackie that this vital service is kept running and was saved from closure. 

Margaret Gibb (West of Scotland Play Scheme)       Bellshill, South Lanarkshire

Clare Grogan meets Margaret who has given over 30 years of her life to the young people of Bellshill with her playgroups and play-schemes.  This group have been used as a model for the 300 plus play-schemes now running across the west of Scotland. 

HERO NEIGHBOUR OF THE YEAR 

Ann Graham                                                                         Riverside, Stirling

Anita Manning meets this hero neighbour who not only organises local flood defences, neighbourhood clean-ups and a beautiful orchard, she also delivers handmade cakes and Sunday lunches to her doting neighbours.

Mo and Roxy Razzaq                                              Blantyre, South Lanarkshire

Carol Smillie visits the owners of the neighbourhood shop who provide deliveries to the elderly and disabled, a ‘losers lotto’ to regular customers.  Mo and Roxy run the local football team, give milk and groceries to the primary school, as well as giving two pence charge for carrier bags to local charities.

Margaret (Garry) Robertson                                                       Wick, Caithness

Kelly Cates visits ‘Garry’ who lives in sheltered housing. Garry arranges activities and days out for others in the home whilst volunteering at the local scouts, running a chess class at the primary school and helping as treasurer at a bell ringing group.  On top of all this Garry assists the local archives, and mentors people with mental health issues.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR 

Saltburn Woodland Walk                                                 Invergordon, Highlands

Ron Donachie visits Bob and Sandy.  They are a pair of retired friends who have dedicated years to regenerating an area of Invergordon.   What was formally an aluminium smelter has been transformed into a lovely woodland walk.  All the work was carried out with their bare hands and a small tractor.

Yooz Reuse & Recycling                                       Bellshill, North Lanarkshire

John Amabile visits this social enterprise which provides products from recycled building materials for people to buy at a reduced rate.  All profits go to the Scottish sporting centre of excellence for disabled people.

Killie Can Cycle                                                       Kilmarnock, East Ayshire

Bill Paterson meets the children’s charity that recycles aluminium cans for money.  This allows them to buy parts for fixing up bikes that in turn are sold back to the local community at a very low cost.  

SCOTLAND’S YOUNG REAL HERO OF THE YEAR 

Danii McArthur       (Young Carer)                                             Barrhead, Glasgow

Sharon Rooney meets Danii (18) who cares for her ill mother and two younger sisters whilst also having diabetes herself.  On top of this she highlights the plight of young carers by giving talks and putting on workshops.  Danii is also working towards her dream of becoming a primary teacher by volunteering at her old school.

Mitchell Kinnen (Bright Lights Theatre Group)        Blantyre, South Lanarkshire

Jayd Johnson meets trainee primary teacher Mitchell (18) who set up and runs the theatre group for people of all ages in his area, only charging £1 for the class.  Anyone of any age is welcome at Bright Lights no matter what their level of ability.

The Volunteers of the Glasgow 77th (Disabled) Scout Group             Glasgow

Stephen Purdon meets the volunteers at this very special Scout Group for boys aged 8-25 with physical disabilities and life limiting conditions.  All the volunteers are in their teens or early twenties and pair up one-on-one with a member of the group.

SCOTLAND’S REAL HEROES COURAGE AWARD 

Dean Reilly (Dean Reilly vs MS)                                                Portobello, Edinburgh

Mark Beaumont meets Dean who has multiple sclerosis, but won’t let it limit his life.  He fundraises for the MS Therapy Centre in Leith through a range of tough challenges.  Dean is currently in training for a boxing match with ‘The Celtic Warrior.’

Amanda MacTaggart (Wig Bank Glasgow)  Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire

Jennifer Reoch visits Amanda who has overcome breast cancer and set up the ‘Wig Bank’ in Clydebank to provide a relaxed and comfortable service for female chemotherapy patients who have lost their hair.

Jenny Cook (Wee Jenny Cook)                           East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire

Nicholas McDonald surprises Jenny with a visit to her car boot fundraiser.  Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at four years old, she has since raised over £30,000 for Yorkhill Children’s Charity and the Catherine McEwan foundation.  Jenny is also a Yorkhill buddy, providing support for other sick children.

STV productions logo

STV to celebrate Scotland’s community heroes

STV_Carol Smillie_RBS Finding Scotlands Real Heroes_Nov 2013_smallFet-Lor, Scotland’s oldest youth club, and Leith-based MS Therapy Centre will both feature on the forthcoming series of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes, which starts on STV on Friday 15 August.

Presented by Carol Smillie (pictured above) and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the STV series celebrates people whose tireless effort, resourcefulness, and kindness has improved local communities across Scotland.

The nominees were selected by a special jury and will feature in a series of programmes to be aired from 15 August with each episode on every Friday evening thereafter. Across the five episodes, ‘star reporters’ will visit each of the nominees to interview them about their work in the community and their thoughts on the nomination for a Real Hero award. The star reporters this year include The X Factor runner-up Nicholas McDonald, actress Clare Grogan, Taggart star Alex Norton and actor Bill Paterson.

The year’s shortlist includes deserving Scots from Wick to West Lothian, and Skye to South Lanarkshire, recognising the amazing work local people are undertaking in their communities across the country. The categories include Carer of the Year, Young Real Hero of the Year, and a new award for Hero Animal of the Year.

At the end of each programme viewers are invited to vote for the nominees they believe most deserve to win a Scotland’s Real Heroes Award, with the overall winners being celebrated at a glittering televised awards ceremony later in the year.

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, said: “The time has come to highlight the outstanding work modestly carried out by the finalists of the series RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes. We look forward to celebrating the enormous achievement of all of the nominees. Each story tells of a remarkable accomplishment and is very moving – all the finalists are considered to be most deserving however it is the STV viewers that decide who will pick up an award.”

Chris Wilson, Royal Bank of Scotland’s Managing Director of Branch and Private Banking in Scotland, said: “Everyone at Royal Bank of Scotland is looking forward to finding out more about this year’s incredible finalists. We think it’s important to celebrate those people who go that extra mile for their community. Each one of the finalists is deserving of recognition and we are all looking forward to seeing who the public choose.”

FetLorFet-Lor, based on Crewe Road South, is Scotland’s oldest youth club and is a finalist in the RBS – Community Project of the Year category, while MS Therapy Centre champion Dean Reilly features among the finalists for the Scotland’s Real Heroes Courage Award.

Good luck to them both – the series first screens on STV on Friday 15 August at 8pm.

Foodies Festival to tempt tastebuds in Inverleith

cakes

Foodies Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of food & drink, returns to Inverleith Park all weekend from Friday 8th – Sunday 10th August.

Each year the ever-growing festival sees visitors flock to feast on a delightful choice of culinary activities, making Foodies Festival one of the big social events of the summer.

This year we’re promised top chefs cooking in the Chef’s Theatre; wine, beer, and cocktails in the Drinks Theatre; you can join top pastry chefs in the brand new Chocolate, Cake, Bake and Preserves Theatre, and kids can learn to cook too in the Children’s Cookery Theatre.

A new Feasting Tent at the heart of the festival will become the social hub, where visitors will enjoy eating with chefs, friends and family at long banqueting tables.

Another fun addition this year is the Vintage Tea Tent that will hold daily tea dances, alongside a Vintage Kitchen Market allowing visitors to pick up beautiful pieces to add to their own kitchens at home.

The new Real Ale and Cider Farm offers an area for visitors to chill out on hay bales and strike up a conversation with beer and cider expert Melissa Cole and fellow beer lovers. There’s a guitar behind the bar for those in the mood to get a sing-along started! Who knows, maybe The Wurzels will make a surprise guest appearance!

A new Chilli Food Market will excite those with a love for spicy foods with a range of chilli growers and artisan producers of sauces, sweets and jams. For those who can handle the heat a Chilli Eating Challenge takes place at 5pm daily!

Foodies Festival tickets are on sale now – for tickets or more information visit www.foodiesfestival.com

Take your marks: free quiz at The Grange Sports Club

SportsQuizThe Commonwealth Games kick off tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate this sporting extravaganza than with a local sports quiz?

If you think you know your archery from your athletics, backstroke from your badminton or your cricket from your croquet (I could go on!) this 30 July event at The Grange Sports Club is for you …

Sports_Quiz

 

Let the good times roll! Jazz and Blues Festival kicks off tomorrow

jazzEdinburgh’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

EJF2014

or check out www.edinburghjazzfestival.com

Edinburgh-Jazz-Blues-Festival-logo

 

Mmmmmm … great!

Move over, Messi – it’s body slam time!

W3L2014promo1 - CopyWhat a summer of sport. Wimbledon, the World Cup, the Open Golf and Commonwealth Games still to come – and now along comes another spectacular sporting event even closer to home … wrestling!

The City Night Club is the venue for an afternoon of American Wrestling for all the family next Saturday (19 July) when the World Wide Wrestling League rolls into town!

WWWL promoter Michael Musgrave explained: ” We are a Scottish based promotion that has worked hard for over ten years to put on top quality events featuring the very best wrestlers from around the world. Our previous events in the city – at Southside Community Centre – have been met with positive reviews and we are looking to carry the family audience over to City Night Club to benefit from their lighting and production facilities, which we hope will improve our presentation and experience for our fans.”

He went on: “We want to make sure parents understand that whilst City is a night club, our event will be held in the afternoon and is 100% suitable for children. To help mark the occasion of moving to a new venue we are bringing in TNA Impact Wrestling star Doug Williams for this event – Doug can be seen on TNA Impact Wrestling every week on Challenge TV.”

Former TNA X Division champ Doug Williams faces the masked Scottish “luchador” El Technico in a match sure to entertain the city’s wrestling fans, and also on the card will be a Ladder Match featuring Edinburgh’s own Nathan Black taking on Glasgow’s Dickie Divers. W3L Heavyweight Champion Nathan Reynolds (Dundee) will also defend his title against former W3L Heavyweight Champion Mike Musso (Fife) on a top class card.

The event promises to be an afternoon of Bodyslamming action not to be missed!

World Wide Wrestling League

City Night Club, Edinburgh

Saturday 19 July 19th

Doors open: 14.30 , Bell: 15.00

Tickets: General Admission £12, Concession £10, Family of Four £35 – Available www.W3Lwrestling.com, Sportsters or Ripping Records.

visit www.W3Lwrestling.com for more information

edinb slider july 14

 

Fancy being a zombie?

zombiesDo you want to be a zombie in the ‘most exciting show ever to hit the Edinburgh Festival?’

Have you got what it takes to be a zombie? The Generation of Z hurls you head first into a world ravaged by the undead. The survivors will fight for their future as they journey through a battle against extinction. Set within a maze-like security containment depot swarming with zombies, the audience are in the thick of it until the bitter end, be it rescue … or death. Inspired by the movies and video games of the zombie genre, The Generation of Z is a multimedia horror play on steroids that takes a chainsaw to the fourth wall

After two hugely successful seasons in New Zealand , Royale Productions are bringing their fully interactive immersive Zombie Horror experience to the Edinburgh Festival.

The Generation of Z is a site-specific, immersive, theatrical event set within the maelstrom of a zombie apocalypse. There are no seats, no stage, no niceties and definitely no “fourth wall”. As a zombie you’ll play an integral part, you are in the thick of it from the first gunshot to its violent and thrilling finale. You will be made up in Hollywood style zombie make up and trained on how to be a zombie by our friends at ScareScotland. You will be trained by some of the best professional scare actors in the country at the Undead Academy.

All zombies will be volunteers, and we can guarantee you a whole lot of fun as you scare the audience witless.

We ask that you attend the “Undead Academy” on the 20th July( venue tbc) and fill in the registration form that will be emailed to you.

No performance experience is required. This event will be running for three weeks from the 31 July -25 August with two performances a night. We don’t expect you to be able to take part in the full run, but to perform when you can. The more you perform the more fun you can have.

Interested? Tthen contact Stevie Douglas of ScareScotland at

fellinidays@hotmail.com

and a registration form will be sent to you with the time,date and venue of the Undead Academy.

zombie