Tag: North Edinburgh Community Festival

Sunshine guaranteed at North Edinburgh Community Festival!

LAUNCH PROMISES MORE STALLS, MORE MUSIC, MORE FOOD and.. SUNSHINE!

Next month’s North Edinburgh’s Community Festival will be even bigger than last years event, organisers announced at Tuesdays launch at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Around 6000 people attended last year’s gala event, and with at least SEVENTY marquees (up from 50 last year) and and not one but TWO music stages there promises to be even more for the local community to do, see and enjoy on 13 May.

Highlights include:

Disney-themed LIFT Parade from Muirhouse Millennium Centre to West Pilton Park to launch the Festival.

More than 70 local organisations and charities with Community Stalls

Two music stages: the open air Park Stage and the Green Room stage in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

The music line-up features a wealth of local talent. Performers include local youth orchestra Tinderbox, Granton Youth’s Mixtape Music Club and a session from ever-popular Fischy Music.

There’s a musical medley from the Edinburgh College Musical Theatre Group, performances from local choirs including Ama-zing Harmonies, AUGB Ukranian choir, Craigroyston High School Choir and a high-energy performance is guaranteed from local punk rockers Yer Local Bams. Low Tide, Rai Williams, Laurent and Abigail Kerner will also be performing live on the day in a musical feast.

Family events and activities will include Bookbug with Muirhouse Library and a Storytelling session with Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen writers.

Fancy some sport? You’ll be spoilt for choice as Access Parkour, Spartans Community Football Academy and Inverleith Rugby Club will all be there. And there will be children’s Zumba classes.

North Edinburgh Arts will be organising arts and craft activities and Screen Education Edinburgh will offer film workshops. There’s an Army obstacle course, too.

There will also be learning and upskilling opportunities provided by local organisations including Edinburgh College will be offering course taster sessions.

All in all, there really should be something for everyone. And with sunshine (almost) guaranteed, it promises to be a great day.

Local activist Willie Black, a member of the Festival planning committee, introduced Tuesday’s launch. “We are very excited about this year’s Festival and it promises to be a really great event, a community celebration for everyone to enjoy.

“We have a wealth of diverse talent in this community and we want to share that talent far and wide. We’re looking forward to offering a warm North Edinburgh welcome to thousands of visitors next month, and the hope is that the Festival will be a great success and that it can become an annual event.”

North Edinburgh Community Festival is on Saturday 13 May from 12 – 5.30pm. Free event. All welcome.

IMAGES FROM LAUNCH EVENT:

Screen Education Edinburgh: Free film making workshop

In partnership with North Edinburgh Arts, North Edinburgh Community Festival, and West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, Screen Education Edinburgh are running a free workshop for young people as part of North Edinburgh Film Festival.

There will also be screenings, exhibitions, and talks about the films.

North Edinburgh Community Festival 2023: Public Meeting on Thursday

Our inaugural festival in May was amazing & the community of North Edinburgh came out in your droves! #northedinfest Now we want to make the festival better!

We need your help to shape next year’s festival. Come to our Public Meeting!

Register here

https://eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-edinburgh-community-festival-open-public-meeting-tickets-469049508707

Community Festival documentary: Made in North Edinburgh

Screen Education Edinburgh partnered up with The Guardian to tell the story of the community in North Edinburgh and their fight to bring back their much loved festival.

Screen Education Edinburgh’s Film Tutor, Jennifer Souter, worked with John Domokos from The Guardian throughout this production.

Jennifer said “My aim when making the film was to show the positivity that is not often shown about this community in mainstream media.

“When undertaking initial research for the film I would ask local residents what they wanted to show people about the community and how they felt it had been represented in media and almost everyone’s response was that the community was filled with good people that we never get to see.

“Local people didn’t think there was enough positive stories about the area as much of the representation is dominated by crime and antisocial behaviour.

“During the course of the making of the film the team and I worked with so many amazing people  who work tirelessly to make things better for the community in spite of widening inequalities.”

The film follows the story of a community coming back together post-covid to create the first local Festival in decades. It highlights the importance of connection, recovery and never giving up.

Watch the full film on the Guardian here: 

Community Festival is ‘huge success’

The North Edinburgh community came out in force yesterday to enjoy the North Edinburgh Community Festival at West Pilton Park.

More than fifty local organisations contributed to a memorable day of music, food, arts and crafts, entertainment and information.

Local activist Willie Black, who chairs the Festival organising committee, said the hard work involved in staging the event had proved worthwhile.

“Covid has meant that it’s been a long time since our community has been able to have a party so it was great to see local folk coming out in huge numbers to enjoy themselves.

“Today has been a celebration of everything that makes North Edinburgh special and I’d like to thank each and very individual and organisation who contributed so much to making the festival such a huge success.”

More pictures to follow