The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge is kicking off in Scotland with an exciting event featuring award-winning storyteller Danyah Miller.
On 29 June at 10.30am, Edinburgh Central Library will host Making Marvellous Stories with Danyah Miller, an interactive storytelling experience that celebrates the power of imagination and creativity.
Danyah Miller, an international solo performer, writer, and story trainer, will lead an engaging spontaneous storytelling hour. Through story games and collaborative storytelling, children and families will embark on a journey to spark their imaginations and create lasting memories together.
Oral storytelling is a fundamental component of literacy development, enhancing fluency, vocabulary acquisition, writing skills, recall, and memory. By participating in this event, children will not only have a fun and interactive experience but also develop essential literacy skills.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in story games, make up fresh, new stories together, and learn tips and tricks for endless storytelling fun. The event promises to be an unforgettable experience, igniting the imaginations of children and families alike.
“We left full of ideas and inspiration,” said a mum of boys aged 7 and 9 after attending one of Danyah’s previous storytelling events.
In addition to the storytelling experience, the Summer Reading Challenge, developed in partnership with Create, a leading charity bringing creative arts to those in need, offers a range of exciting activities and resources that bring reading and creativity together throughout the school holiday. Children are encouraged to explore their creativity through various outlets, including junk modelling, music, dance, drawing, and painting.
The Making Marvellous Stories with Danyah Miller event is free and open to the public. Families are invited to join this unforgettable experience and embark on a journey of storytelling and creativity at Edinburgh Central Library.
Attendees can learn more about family history research from a range of experts
A unique event that will give participants the chance to research family ancestry within nursing and midwifery is to take place in Edinburgh next month.
Hosted by Edinburgh Napier University, The Royal College of Nursing and the National Library of Scotland, the event will give attendees the chance to research a nurse or midwife of any era who worked in any setting – hospital, community, asylums, industry, prisons, military – under the watchful eye of a range of experts.
The event will feature a number of short presentations, including introductions to family history research from researchers and archivists as well as opportunities to learn about online searching.
There will be a chance for attendees to ask questions and get guidance on how find to find out more about their nursing or midwifery ancestors.
Those attending are invited to bring along a photo, or other small memento, of the person(s) they are interested in finding out more about and would be happy to show on the day.
The event – which will take place at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge Edinburgh from 10am-4pm on 5 June – will welcome a number of guest speakers and contributors:
Teresa Doherty: Joint Head of Library & Archives and RCN Professional Lead for History of Nursing who will talk about nurse registration and how to access nurse registers.
Nicola Ring: Professor of Nursing and Nessa McHugh Midwifery Lecturer at ENU will talk about their experiences of finding 19th century nurses and midwives and searching for early nurses and midwives accused of Witchcraft in 16-17th Century Scotland.
Sana Bilgrani: Film Lecturer at ENU who has researched nurses in her family history and produced a film about her search.
Lucy Church, Dora Petherbridge and Patrick Hart: Will talk about how the National Library of Scotland and its collections and resources can help people find their family histories.
Rosie Al-Mulla: NHS Forth Valley Archivist, University of Stirling who will talk about using NHS archives to find nurses and midwives.
Chair of the RCN History of Nursing Forum Dianne Yarwood said: “It’s not unusual to hear people say: ‘Oh yes, my great gran was a hospital nurse, or my uncle worked as a mental health nurse.’ Often, they would like to know more about this person’s nursing career but have no idea where, or how, to start searching.
“Do join us for this exciting, informative one day event and learn how to find that elusive ancestor. You will meet experts, gain advice and guidance and leave with the knowledge and confidence to find that nurse or midwife of yesterday.”
Those attending will be given notebooks, pens, and lunch free of charge.
To sign up to this in-person event, please follow the link:
Edinburgh Central Library, 7-9 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG
A new exhibition displaying over 100 items on loan from public and private collections of world traditional dance books and artefacts, opened today as part of this year’s Pomegranates Festival in Edinburgh.
Portrait of dance artist Ella Moore wearing a Ukrainian headdress and scarf featured in the exhibition. Commissioned by the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland for the inaugural Pomegranates festival in April 2022 by floral artist Fiona Rose Gregory. Photo by Iliyana Nedkova
Dance Around the World will feature items from over 20 different countries including Scotland, Greece, Estonia, Poland, Bali and Japan. Highlights include a Ukrainian headdress commissioned by the festival in 2022 in tribute to the millions of displaced Ukrainians around the world (pictured above); an original Estonian dance dolly ‘rescued’ from a Finnish flea market and a full outfit worn at Scottish country dances since 1978 by a lifetime member of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.
This year’s festival commission is a Barbie doll clad in a tartan frock by festival’s fashion designer-in-residence Alison Harm of Edinburgh’s Psychomoda brand. (Alison Harm’s solo exhibition of sustainable tartan exploring the role of tartan in Scottish trad dance is at the Scottish Storytelling Centre 23-30 April.)
Barbie in Highland Dance Dress – Commissioned by the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland for Pomegranates Festival 2024. Outfit by Alison Harm of Psychomoda.
Alongside the numerous books on display selected from five private collections, as well as the catalogue of the Edinburgh City Libraries, visitors will revel in rare artefacts, including a pair of exquisite lacquer Geta shoes and an Obi bow and sash worn as part of the traditional wrap-around costumes for the Bon Odori summer dance festivals in Japan, and at the inaugural Pomegranates festival in Scotland.
Amongst the heirlooms in the exhibition is a silver brooch with a Viking ship motif which used to adorn the trad dance and song costume of the Estonian grandmother of the festival’s artist-in-residence Mare Tralla.
Mare, who co-curated Dance Around the World is a Scottish Estonian artist and activist currently working and living in Edinburgh. Her professional art career started in Tallinn in the early 1990s, where she became one of the leading interdisciplinary artists of the younger generation, conducting a feminist revolution in the field of contemporary art in Estonia.
Mare combines a variety of media in her work, from video, photography and painting to performance and interactivity. She also often utilises traditional crafts like knitting and weaving in her practice, including through her long-term craft projectNatty Peeps.
Artist-in-residence and co-curator Mare Tralla said: “I am so grateful for the opportunity to co-curate the Dance Around the World exhibition in collaboration with this year’s Pomegranates Festival and Edinburgh City Libraries and to offer hands-on craft workshops.
“I hope that any craft enthusiasts will join me to seek inspiration from the new exhibition to make our own costume jewellery and homeware while tracing the importance of tassels and pom-poms across the trad dance costumes from all corners of the world, including the sporran in the show”.
Edinburgh-based dance artist and art historian who is one of the major contributors to the exhibition Agnes Ness said: “I was so excited to go through my own library, photo albums and memorabilia and select a range of books, postcards and medals for the Dance Around the World exhibition.
“A wee testimony of my lifelong passion for art history and dance which dates back to my childhood spent in competitive Highland dance in the 1950s, leading to my current adventures as a teacher in Dance History at Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for dance where I am a founding member of the 24 Carat Gold Dance Group for those aged 60 and above.”
Iliyana Nedkova and Wendy Timmons, Pomegranates Festival Co-curators said: “Our collaboration with Edinburgh Libraries began in June 2023 when we brought live trad dance to the library, possibly for the first time, while celebrating the feisty women-tradition keepers and dance innovators as part of the 10th anniversary of the Harpies, Fechters and Quines Festival.
“We even recorded live in the George Washington Browne Room one of our Trad Dance Cast video podcast episodes with the legendary trad dance artist and costume designer Margaret Belford, 85.
“It was then when we pencilled and penned our love letter to the library – this very dance exhibition and all the related festival activities, including the craft workshops and walking tours.”
Dance Around the World
3rd to 30th April 2024, Open Mon-Wed 10am-8pm, Thu-Sat 10am-5pm, Closed Sun Central Library, 7-9 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG
This exhibition is part of the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and TRACS’s programme of events showcasing Scotland’s traditional arts and cultural heritage alongside international collections.On display are over 100 items on loan from public and private collections of world traditional dance books and artefacts.
Co-curator Mare Tralla‘s festival residency follows in the footsteps of the artists-in-residence in the Pomegranates festivals 2022 and 2023: Claudia Nocentini (Italy / Scotland) and Gabriel Schmitz (Germany/Spain). Likewise, Mare will create a new commission in her media of choice in response to the festival activities – a new screen dance that will be premiered at the festival finale.
10th, 17th and 30th April at 6pm Central Library, (George Washington Browne Room) George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG Led by artist-in-residence Mare Tralla, these hands-on craft workshops, inspired by the new exhibition include crafting your own costume jewellery and homeware while exploring the role of tassels and pom-poms across trad dance costumes. All materials such as natural fibres and up-cycled fabric will be provided. Suitable for anyone aged 18+.
Admission Free
Walking Tour
27th April at 11am Meet at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR Led by storyteller Donald Smith this is a relaxed festival walking tour exploring the dance traditions of Edinburgh’s Old Town, including their locations and social contexts. An opportunity to learn about the local folk traditions, the Scottish Court and ‘polite’ society. The tour will start from the Scottish Storytelling Centre with a preview of the festival exhibition Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm of Psychomoda. The tour will end at Edinburgh’s Central Library with a preview of the festival exhibition Dance Around the World featuring trad dance books and artefacts from Edinburgh and beyond.
Admission Pay What You Can
Pomegranates
Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s springtime festival of Scottish and international traditional danceproduced by the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and TRACS in partnership with Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. The festival celebrates Scottish traditional dance and traditional dance practised by cultural migrant communities across Scotland. It provides a platform to showcase new dance commissions and residencies accompanied by live music, poetry, and art; and invites audiences to participate in ceilidhs, workshops (both in person and live streamed), tours, and talks about traditional dance from Scotland and around the world.
“Edinburgh’s Future Streets policy, and the place of cycling”
Speakers
Cllr Scott ArthurEdinburgh City Transport Convener – the Council’s ‘Future Streets’ plans, the place of cycling and when/how will the policies lead to action
Laura Laker Cycling, transport and environment journalist – to critique the proposals. Laura researches and writes on cycling issues extensively, including in national/international media such as The Guardian and Bloomberg; and in specifically cycling publications such as Cycling Industry News and Road.CC
… followed by our one-hour panel QA, chaired by Ewen Maclean, organiser of Blackford Safe Routes – your chance to interrogate and challenge the speakers.
Time Starts 7.30, Ends 9.30. Doors open 6.45 for coffee, stalls and chat
Queries & Questions Queries, or questions for the speakers, can be emailed to spokes@spokes.org.uk, up to a day in advance. However, questions in person from audience members are likely to have greatest priority on the night
Online We hope to live broadcast on our youtube channel – details nearer the time on Spokes website. We also intend to make the recording available later.
Cllr Scott Arthur, Edinburgh City Transport Convener – the Council’s plans
Phil Noble, Strategy Manager for Active Travel and Streetspace – more detail on the policy delivery documents, including ATA, the Active Travel Action Plan
… followed by our one-hour panel QA, chaired by Dr Caroline Brown, Spokes member, Transform Scotland policy adviser, transport academic – your chance to interrogate and challenge the speakers
Time Starts 7.30, Ends 9.30. Doors open 6.45 for coffee, stalls and chat
Queries & Questions Queries, or questions for the speakers, can be emailed to spokes@spokes.org.uk. However, questions in person from audience members are likely to have greatest priority on the night
Online We hope to live broadcast on our youtube channel – details nearer the time on Spokes website. We also intend to make the recording available a few days later.
Background
Edinburgh City Council is consulting on a new Active Travel Action Plan (ATAP) and a series of other Mobility Plan ‘delivery documents’ all aimed to support Edinburgh NetZero 2030, and a 30% reduction in car-km by 2030.
Our public meeting will hear from the Council, followed by an expert critique, and then there’s a full hour panel discussion – your opportunity to challenge the speakers.
Do the delivery plans live up to the Council’s ambition to cut car-km 30% by 2030, alongside greatly increased travel by foot, bike and public transport? Will they enable more people to live car-free? Will they lead to speedy implementation? Our meeting is your opportunity to find out!
The ambition “to create a city where you don’t need to own a car to get around,” mentioned in several of the documents (e.g. Parking Action Plan, p8) is very welcome, for reasons of climate, public health, congestion and equalities. Such an ambition is also essential if the Council is to achieve its ultra-tough target to reduce car-km 30% by 2030.
A top cycling takeaway from the draft ATAP is the new focus on main road segregated routes. It says [chap 5],
“The (off road) traffic-free routes will continue to play a vital role, and we will seek to improve their comfort,safety and security. However, we now plan to develop a joined-up network of routes that feel safe to everyone at all times of day. This network will need to use segregated cycle tracks on main roads, as well as unsegregated on-street routes that have low volumes of motor traffic.”
The three highlighted phrases above [our emphases] neatly summarise important major developments, which we strongly welcome, in the Council’s approach to cycling policy, and we urge determined implementation.–
Much-loved Edinburgh institution recognised by the Papa Industry Awards
For the second year in a row, family-owned Edinburgh restaurant Vittoria on the Bridge has been awarded ‘Best Independent Italian Restaurant in Britain’ by The Papa Industry Awards.
Situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town on George IV Bridge, the much-loved eatery has been serving up delicious, authentic Italian cuisine since it opened its doors in 2007.
The well-known industry awards celebrate restaurants serving very best Italian food, bringing friends and family together over authentic dishes and a shared love of Italian cuisine. Serving brunch, lunch, and dinner for almost 15 years, Vittoria on the Bridge was recognised as a strong family business which has become a favourite with both Edinburgh locals and tourists alike.
Vittoria’s menu is full of comforting Italian classics with some recipes – like the Tagliatelle Vittoria and Lasagna di Mamma – having been in the family and served in their restaurants since the 1970s. They source the very best of Italian ingredients to create authentic cuisine, bringing a true taste of Italy to Scotland.
Alberto Crolla, Director of the Vittoria Group, said: “We are extremely proud to have won this award two years in a row now. We feel so lucky to do what we love and to share incredible Italian food with everyone who walks through the door at Vittoria.
“Awards like this are testament to the team and their hard work and determination to provide an excellent service for customers when they visit into our restaurant. It’s great to be recognised for this especially after the challenges of the last two years.”
The Crolla family have been at the forefront of Italian hospitality in the capital since Vittoria on the Walk first opened by Nonno Alberto in Leith more than 50 years ago. Now three generations of the family have expanded the Vittoria group across the city.
These award-winning restaurants, run by sons Alberto and Leandro, each offer something unique while honouring the traditions of great Italian hospitality with artisan suppliers and winemakers bringing authentic Italian dining to stylish and comfortable surroundings.
For more information on Vittoria on The Bridge, please visit:
