Tag: Festivals

New chapter for Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival, which takes place this year from Saturday 14 to Monday 30 August, will do so in the beautiful indoor and open, grassy outdoor spaces of the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place.

Full programme details will be announced in June, but Book Festival fans can expect a range of live online author talks, workshops and readings as well as, if circumstances permit, some events for live socially-distanced audiences. 

This new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh gives us use of the ECA’s buildings and grounds in August. The University will operate catering and bar provisions if permitted by the Government’s Covid19 guidelines during the Festival.

EIBF Director, Nick Barley, explains this important move: “While we are now experiencing a full lockdown in Scotland which is challenging for so many people on so many levels, we very much hope that the combination of this, together with the ongoing vaccination programme, will bring the virus under control by August.

“While 2020 proved extremely challenging for the Book Festival it also opened up some extraordinarily exciting opportunities.  Building on the success of our online Book Festival we can now announce that we will be entering into a new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh that will enable us to inhabit this innovative space in 2021 with facilities to create events for both digital and, if circumstances permit, physical audiences.

“Covid19 has created a huge tectonic shift in the way that live events, ourselves included, can reach their audiences. With in-person ticket sales impossible to forecast this August, we simply can’t justify incurring the costs of the tents and infrastructure we’d normally put into Charlotte Square Gardens. It is highly probable that most events will take place online, and the need for broadcast studios is more likely than large venues for an audience.   

“In the grassy courtyard of Edinburgh College of Art we will, if rules allow, recreate the elements of the Book Festival that our audiences love – bookshops, cafes and open spaces in which to come together safely offering the ‘oasis of calm’ for which the Book Festival is renowned. The College offers excellent studio and theatre facilities for both online broadcasting and potential events with a socially distanced audience.

“We intend that this strategic partnership with the University will be a long-term arrangement, and the Book Festival will continue to occupy their spaces when a Covid-free Festival, with audiences able to enjoy live events in person, can be staged.

“However digital events will continue to be a key part of future Book Festivals, enabling us to reach truly global audiences as well as those closer to home who face barriers to attending the event. We are excited that our hybrid festivals of the future will engage with authors and audiences around the world in a more environmentally responsible way.”

It’s a new chapter for the Book Festival. Look out for more announcements in the coming months, with full programme details to be revealed at the end of June.

First candle lit at Scotland’s national Menorah

Today is the first day of the Holiday of Chanukah 2020.  

Chanukah in Edinburgh won’t look the same, as for the past 12 years Chabad of Edinburgh has organized the Scottish National Hanukkah Celebration which usually attracts hundreds of guests and dignitaries from all over Scotland. 

“The Menorah serves as a symbol of light and hope for us today amidst the darkness of the pandemic, as it did for generations before us,” said Rabbi Pinny Weinman, Director of Chabad of Edinburgh.

“The flames of the menorah shine out into the night, reminding us that even when confronted with much darkness, a tiny light can dispel it all. Another act of goodness and kindness, another act of light, can make all the difference.”

This year, the holiday has added significance as so many will be isolated at home on Hanukkah amid these difficult times.

As the Rebbe —Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory— would often teach, the menorah is a reminder that light can be brought to the darkest of times, and uniquely, at the core of the holiday’s observance is sharing the light with others who may not be experiencing it.

Video Message from First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon for the Holiday of Hanukkah 2020:

https://youtu.be/AS4Lhx6TLgc

The Citizen Network: A Revitalised City is Possible

There is no better time for the citizens of Edinburgh to pitch in and contribute to a Manifesto for the City Creating Our Manifesto for the City ⋆ The Citizen Network

Calls for no return to unequal and unjust normalcy following Covid-19 have come from many quarters, some of them quite unexpected, and there’s no doubt that many of the persistent problems of city life will be reassessed by those who govern us, whether that be Westminster, Holyrood or Edinburgh City Chambers.

But let’s not fool ourselves, what’s promised by politicians now may never transpire. Real change will not happen without direct action by citizens; for Edinburgh, Citizen’s Manifesto is the first step.

 

The need for citizens to hold politicians to account is already evident from reports of ‘stakeholder’ discussions pertaining to post-pandemic Edinburgh.

Consider first what Council leader Adam McVey had to say about the city’s Summer festivals: “By working together we can make sure that when our festivals return, they do so with even more of a focus on our people, place and environment.” So far so good but one is tempted to question the ‘even more’ – there has been scant attention to people place and environment in festival planning in recent years.

[“Edinburgh festivals face calls for overhaul before they return in 2021”]

In the same Scotsman article note that the city’s residents are absent when our cherished heritage is flagged up as needing not just preservation but enhancement by the festivals. Clearly, this pipe-dream does not extend to those who live in this ‘remarkable backdrop’.

But it’s the reaction of Essential Edinburgh that confirms that not all stakeholders are thinking about anything other than business as usual post Covid-19.

Roddy Smith, the Chief Executive, says “We need to reactivate the city, promote it strongly and widely and seek over the next couple of years to return to our numbers pre the virus.”

The same message can be deduced from the report from the meeting last week of the new tourism ‘oversight group’ for Edinburgh.

The group includes Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), Edinburgh Airport, Festivals Edinburgh, Visit Scotland, Essential Edinburgh and the Chamber of Commerce – again not one resident has a seat at the table. Adam McVey reported that the group had reaffirmed the aims of Edinburgh’s new Tourism Strategy which was agreed pre-pandemic.

How can this be? Have we learned nothing these last few weeks?

So, the coronavirus will not miraculously change our world for the better. The citizens will have to insist on it, and the Manifesto for the City is an excellent starting place.

Let’s face it, change is difficult – most of us are stuck with at least one foot in the past and are in some way resigned to the way things are. To paraphrase a French philosopher, we are all ‘half accomplices’, demanding radical change while at the same time clinging to what we have become accustomed to.

But the city will change whether we like it or not, and citizens need to rise to the challenge and drive that change – now is the time to articulate our values and our aspirations; now is the time to really get beyond ourselves.

SEAN BRADLEY

Image credit: Astrid Jaekel

Princes Street Gardens – no more business as usual!

As per my previous post, this will be an issue in Edinburgh when the world returns to what passes as normality:

A message from The Citizen Network:

PRINCES STREET GARDENS – NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL

This is an appeal for concerned residents of Edinburgh and any others who care about the protection of green spaces to submit emails to the Parks Dept of the Edinburgh City Council parks@edinburgh.gov.uk on behalf of the wellbeing of Princes Street Gardens, their use as gardens, memorials, appropriate community focused activities and crucial city centre green space for the benefit of the residents of Edinburgh as communal owners of this common good land and our guests. The deadline is 6 March, 2020.

This appeal relates to the proposed Summer Sessions concert series for 2020.

The Issue:

With issues coming to the fore concerning city centre parks, (especially those that are on our common good land and collectively owned by the people of Edinburgh), being prioritised as event venues over the gardens, memorials and green spaces that they are, we have seen the compounding damage that has been inflicted on our parks.

Perhaps it is time to tell the city that events and festivals, especially those for private profit are better suited to more appropriate venues.

Tourism, events and festivals will always be a part of Edinburgh.

However, the industry needs to better choose venues for their events that will not cause compounding, and in many cases, irreversible ecological damage to our crucial and historically valuable green spaces.

The industry should also be more mindful of the scale and size of their events and festivals as we are a finite city with limited resources currently facing austerity and cuts to our crucial services. Our green spaces deserve crucial and vital protection from the impacts of this misuse.

What you can do:

Send an email by 6th March 2020 to Parks Dept of the Edinburgh City Council parks@edinburgh.gov.uk

Tell them your concerns about the gardens and object to their use to host the Summer Sessions of 2020.

Finally, the Old Town Community Council recently made public on twitter the following:

@EdinOldTownCC

#WPSG will be predominantly closed for 25 days in August. If you don’t want to be effectively barred from #WestPrincesStreetGardens for those 25 days, then please email your objection to parks@edinburgh.gov.uk by Friday 6th March. More objections mean it’s less likely to happen!

Events have clearly moved on since the Ciziten Network first posted this in March, but organisers are keen that the issue is kept in the public eye. Happy to help – Ed.

‘Re-imagining’ Hogmanay in Edinburgh

Let’s start from the basis that Underbelly’s events have been a disaster and should be shut down immediately (writes MIKE SMALL).

They soak up public money, refuse to be transparent about their profits, cause environmental damage to public parks, and shut down and blight open spaces held in the common good. Continue reading ‘Re-imagining’ Hogmanay in Edinburgh

Details revealed for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay opening event

Underbelly has revealed details of the Torchlight Procession

The Torchlight Procession
On 30th December, the historic streets at the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town will flow with a flaming river of light as thousands gather for the magical Torchlight Procession in partnership with VisitScotland, providing a spectacular start to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. 

Continue reading Details revealed for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay opening event

Stormy weather: Mela faces uncertain future

Edinburgh Mela 2019 was held on Saturday the 31st August and Sunday the 1st of September at Leith Links. There were strong winds on the Saturday but sunshine on the Sunday. In terms of public safety the Festival was closed for two hours on Saturday. 
Paid-for Services were regrettably and unavoidably limited on Saturday because of the bad weather but on Sunday the ‘Mela was the Mela’ of a capacity crowd coming in, staying and leaving. Also, children played on fun fair equipment and adults and the elderly sat, stood, talked and ate a wide variety of wonderfully cooked foods.
Here, different people were expressing a common humanity. The Edinburgh Mela remains a local event put on by the Mela Board for the people at no cost. This ‘free’ concept remains important to the Board because no one should be excluded because of not being able to pay an entrance fee. Music, dancing and a fashion show were provided and were enjoyed by people of different cultures. Edinburgh Mela remains a multicultural event.
Funding was Lottery funding. It was limited but greatly appreciated. Council funding and funding from Creative Scotland were sadly missed.
Financially, the Mela may not survive much longer but if the community loses the Mela after nearly 25 years in place, a special way of bringing our multicultural community will be lost.
Such a loss will reduce a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is an important part of community cohesion and contribution to our society.
The nature of Mela (2019) is captured in the post-Mela clean-up of the Links when a neighbour saw Mela Board members and the Chair Sir Geoff Palmer (above) cleaning and stayed and helped. Turned out her husband, a journalist, had interviewed Sir Geoff Palmer decades ago about his life and race relations.
Edinburgh Mela

Sausage and Cider Festival coming to Edinburgh

Sausage and Cider Festival 

Saturday 19th October – Edinburgh Corn Exchange

Sausage and Cider Fest comes to Edinburgh for the first time! Expect a great array of amazing ciders and sausages to indulge in on Saturday 19th October 2019 at the amazing Corn Exchange, Edinburgh.

There will also be a huge variety of delicious sausages, definitely not the standard bangers you would find in your local supermarket. We source the finest butchers’ sausages and those with a little twist too!

Enjoy incredible live music with our in-house band and live DJ acts, whilst you are enjoying a pint or two of our many delicious craft ciders and beers on offer.

We love real cider and scour all corners of the UK looking for the finest cider money can buy – and bring it to your door for you to taste, savour and enjoy with your friends, alongside great sausages and fine music. Non-Cider Drinkers fear not, there’s not just Cider at this event! With a fantastic Craft Beer, Gin bar, Prosecco Bar and soft drinks available there really is something for everyone.

Events will be hosted in Sessions; each session will be 5 hours each.

12:00 – 17:00 & 18:00 – 23:00

Tickets from just £10

Strictly 18+ / ID Will be Required

Join us for a day of indulgence and experiences never seen before. Tickets are available via various ticket partners; Eventbrite or via sausageandciderfest.co.uk

If you would like more information about Sausage & Cider Fest Edinburgh, please contact info@sausageandciderfest.co.uk or visit our website sausageandciderfest.co.uk