Lead singer of indie-folk band, Tide Lines, Robert Robertson, treated a group of lunch-time go-ers and fans to an impromptu acoustic set in Princes St Gardens yesterday (Tuesday 11th June).
The pop-up gig comes ahead of the band headlining this year’s family-friendly Royal Highland Hoolie on Friday 21st June (presented by Farmers Bash) as part of the Royal Highland Show.
The Highland Hoolie is a celebration of Scottish Music featuring a line-up of fantastic Scottish traditional bands as well as Irish country bands and takes place on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June.
Royal British Legion Scotland will mark Scottish American Memorial Day 2023 with a service led by the Reverend Peter Sutton AKC BD MTh PGCC, Minister of The Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, tomorrow (Monday 29th May) at 1:00pm from The Call Memorial, Princes Street Gardens.
Wreath layers will include the Right Honourable Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, Consulate General Jack Hillmeyer (United States Consul General Edinburgh), as well as representatives from the UK Armed Forces, Royal British Legion Scotland and the War Widows Association.
Music will be provided by the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, with USAF Honor Guard from the 48th Fighter Wing RAF Lakenheath and 2 SCOTS Colour Party.
The Scottish American Memorial, also known as ‘The Call’ was funded by Scots and people of Scottish descent based in the United States, through an organisation called the Scottish American War Memorial Committee, and is a tribute to the sacrifices made by men and women from the donors’ homeland.
This magnificent tribute stands as a testament to the brave Scots who valiantly fought in the First World War, and it serves as a poignant reminder of their sacrifices.
Designed and sculpted by the esteemed Doctor Robert Tait McKenzie, the Scottish American Memorial captures the spirit and essence of those who served. The centrepiece of the memorial is a kilted man, symbolic of the Scottish heritage, demonstrating the strength and resilience exhibited by these courageous men and women during the war.
The frieze behind the sculpture complements the central figure, showcasing the artistic mastery and McKenzie’s keen eye for physicality and movement. McKenzie himself played a vital role in the war effort by rehabilitating wounded soldiers who returned from the front lines.
For further details about the event, please contact Legion Scotland on 0131 550 1583 or email events@legionscotland.org.uk
StagEHd Festival, Edinburgh’s newest open-access community theatre festival, has announced its 2023 programme.
Returning once more to the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens West, StagEHd 2023 will present a weekend of theatre on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June, with thanks to support from The National Lottery Awards for All Scotland fund.
The festival opens at midday on Saturday 10 June by welcoming back the students of Momentum Performing Arts to kick things off with their Musical Mania (12:00, 10 Jun), a mash-up of musicals new and old.
Audiences demanded an encore from the group in 2022, and this year is bound to be the same, guaranteed to get you clapping, dancing, and singing along to your favourite stage hits.
Following in the footsteps of this burgeoning talent, are two of Edinburgh’s oldest and newest community theatre companies. The Forth Act will preview their debut production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (13:30, 10 Jun) with a taster performance before their open-air run at Saughton Park later in June.
And Edinburgh People’s Theatre, Edinburgh’s longest running community theatre company, reprise their award-winning performance of The Book Club of Little Witterington (14:30, 10 Jun) from this year’s SCDA One-Act Play Festival.
Later on Saturday afternoon, Shifting Sands Theatre will lead an all-ages Workshop in Clown & Physical Comedy (15:30, 10 Jun), before Frighthouse Productions share three tales of the surreal and spooky in The Wheel of Misfortune (16:30, 10 Jun), a family-friendly horror anthology inspired by Goosebumps and The Twilight Zone.
Finally on Saturday, Castle Rock will come alive with song as Edinburgh’s premier community choir, Sing in the City bring the first day of the festival to a close with Sing in the City – Under the Castle (18:00, 10 Jun).
Sunday’s performances start as all Sundays should, with a whole lot of interactive fun from Mr Blue Productions. Our ABC Story (12:00, 11 Jun) uses puppets, pockets, and a variety of objects to help young audiences create their very own “Once upon a time…” story.
Mr Blue Productions StagEHd 2022, photo by John Preece
Pack up a Sunday picnic and enjoy lunchtime entertainment from the young dancers of KS Dance Academy who will get audiences on their feet with KS Dance Academy Showcase (13:30, 11 Jun). And Scotland’s premier all-female mumming troupe, The Meadows Mummers present a feminised pastiche of Shakespeare’s play within a play with The Not-So-Rude Mechanicals (14:30, 11 Jun).
Emerging theatre company Resilience Theatre Movement preview their 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe offering on Sunday afternoon. Former friends and roommates, Annie and Frances haven’t spoken to each other in more than a year. But sparks fly when Frances shows up at Annie’s door drunk and demanding to talk in Waiting for Champagne (15:30, 11 Jun).
And emerging playwright Kate Macsween demonstrates the power of words in Letters from Holloway (17:00, 11 Jun), a story inspired by the women and young offenders incarcerated at Holloway Prison.
2023’s StagEHd Festival closes on Sunday evening with an adaptation of one of Molière’s famous comedies, The Bourgeois Gentleman.
Presented by The Mirror of Stage | Lustro SCENY, Edinburgh’s bilingual English and Polish theatre company, Molière’s Garden Party (18:00, 11 Jun) is a funny yet thoughtful play that unravels the absurdity of human nature.
Supported by the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group and The National Lottery Awards for All Scotland Fund, StagEHd Festival is an open-access, free-to-attend, two-day celebration of Edinburgh’s performing arts.
StagEHd 2023 will take place at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens West on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June. Entry to the festival is free with a bucket collection at the end of each performance, with 100% of the proceeds being shared amongst the artists performing.
To find out more about the festival, and to book your free tickets, visit www.stagehdfestival.com.
West Princes Street Gardens will host a special free screening in the Capital to mark the Coronation of HM The King.
On Saturday 6 May, Edinburgh’s screening will coincide with celebrations taking place around the country as the nation marks the crowning of the King alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, with a special extended bank holiday weekend.
The ceremony, which is taking place at Westminster Abbey in London, is scheduled to begin at 11am but access to the screening area will open from 10am. Entry is free and un-ticketed.
On Sunday 7 May, the screen will remain in place and broadcast The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle to spectators in the Gardens. The Coronation Concert will bring global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion.
As a new Royal era begins, residents are also invited to share their memories and record well wishes for the new sovereign from Tuesday 2 May in the online Book of Congratulations. Physical books will also be available at the City Chambers and Central Library from Tuesday 2 May until Tuesday 9 May from 10am until 5pm.
In his role as His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge will be representing the City of Edinburgh at the proceedings in London.
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “The Coronation of King Charles is a truly historic event and we’re proud to be joining in with screenings and services in towns and cities across the United Kingdom for those who wish to come together and celebrate the occasion.
“Watching the ceremony and celebrations on the big screen will be a great way for people to be involved and soak up the atmosphere of the extraordinary weekend.”
The big screen has been supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
People are encouraged to bring their own picnics, however the Scott’s café will be open and can provide take-away food and beverages.
The screening will take place outdoors, so we are advising those wishing to attend to plan ahead, dress for the weather, and bring plenty of water. Toilet facilities will be available and there will be limited seats so we advise bringing blankets or chairs. Extra litter bins will be in place and BBQs will not be permitted.
To mark HM The King’s Coronation, communities and citizens have applied for street closures to celebrate this historic event.
National activities There are also number of national initiatives taking place with residents encouraged to gather and it’s hoped Coronation Big Lunches and The Big Help Out will bring communities together over the weekend.
Coronation Big Lunch
The Coronation Big Lunch on 7 May is designed to bring neighbours and communities together to share friendship, food and fun and be part of history.
Bank holiday Monday 8 May will see a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of the value and impact of volunteering.
It is an opportunity to explore how rewarding volunteering can be. You can get involved and find out how you can make a difference in your community.
There will be lots of different kinds of opportunities, with many of the UK’s leading volunteer charities supporting the initiative. More detail is available on The Big Help Out website.
Over 50 trees have been planted in Princes Street Gardens following donations from FLY Festival and the Edinburgh Million Tree City Project.
Organisers of FLY Open Air – which was last held in West Princes Street Gardens in 2021 – donated £5,000 towards trees for the community and this has been match-funded by the Million Tree City Project.
In 2021, Edinburgh officially launched its ambitious target to become a Million Tree City by 2030 as part of its commitment to be net zero by the end of the decade.
The Edinburgh Million Tree Forum is made up of representatives from relevant Council services, the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, the Woodland Trust and partners who are all working together on an updated vision for trees in Edinburgh and to find ways of planting more trees, more quickly.
City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker, joined Sam Joss, FLY Festival Director, to plant the final of 51 trees donated to the Gardens.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker, said: “We’re very proud that Edinburgh is already one of the UK’s greenest cities, with more trees than people and more green space and green flag parks than any other place in Scotland for people to enjoy. But we want to do even better, especially as we strive towards our hugely ambitious target of making the city net zero by 2030.
“I’m delighted to join Sam to plant the last of these donated trees. After years of successful events in our gardens it’s a fantastic way for the festival to give back to the community. These trees will be enjoyed for generations to come. It’s impossible to overstate the benefits trees bring to the urban landscape. They help clean our air, reduce the risk of flooding, keep us cool in the summer and warmer in winter while giving the wildlife in our city a home.
“We became the first local authority to sign the tree charter and in doing so we pledged to keep nurturing, planting, celebrating, cherishing and increasing Edinburgh’s trees and through our Million Tree City initiative. It is really important that we look after Edinburgh’s wonderful tree legacy for future generations.”
Sam Joss, Fly Festival Director, said: “We are very proud to call Princes Street Gardens our home so I am thrilled to be able to make this donation with funds raised through our music festival; FLY Open Air.
“We have a fantastic relationship with the council and hope to continue to work in partnership to bring improvements to green spaces in the city and show what a positive impact events can have.”
Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights, returns to the Capital on Sunday November 6th and will feature a parade, music, dance and fireworks. Entry is free
POLICE Officers from our Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Dept will be holding a bike marking event at our mobile police station at East Princes Street Gardens on Thursday (25/08/22) between 10-2pm.
With people’s concerns about wellbeing being at an all-time high, a new two-day Festival MIND BE KIND, will be taking place at Edinburgh’s Princes Street’s Ross Bandstand on 18th and 19th June, focusing on wellbeing.
This new social enterprise, MIND BE KIND, aims to raise awareness of wellbeing and help signpost ways of combating issues such as anxiety and isolation with workshops, stalls, and a concert.
The event also aspires to support and motivate people to access wellbeing information, find more enjoyment and perhaps different more positive ways of coping with challenges, and has something for all ages at this family friendly event. Organisations such as Health in Mind and UpStart Scotland will be there to provide some help and information to support people with wellbeing matters.
Lynne Stanford, Fundraising Manager says “At Health in Mind we’re excited to be a part of the Mind Be Kind Festival.
“It feels more important than ever to raise awareness of mental health, the things we can all put in place to keep well, and how to access the right services when we need them – and so it’s brilliant of the organisers to be bringing us all together.
“Health in Mind services are free to access across Edinburgh, including our online information resource iThrive that includes a wide range of self-help materials. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival”.
Tania Pramschufer, founder member of MIND BE KIND stresses the importance of care and kindness for oneself and others and noted: “The Festival is a chance for people to connect with practitioners, professionals, therapists and learn more about how to look after your own physical and mental wellbeing and ways to cope with anxiety and low mood.
“We believe that Edinburgh is a city of hospitality and friendship and that by organising something with kindness at its heart, will have a positive impact on our community.”
The concert will be hosted by amazing television presenter and Mind Be Kind ambassador Gail Porter.
Commenting on the new Festival, celebrity presenter Gail Porter added: ”Being an Ambassador for MIND BE KIND is an absolute honour and a pleasure. Kindness is something that should be second nature. Unfortunately, it isn’t on everyone’s agenda these days.
“An event, after all we have been through over the past few years, that is dedicated to kindness..is exactly what we all need. And… It’s in Edinburgh. Could it be anymore perfect?
“Kindness, love, listening, talking, smiling, crying, sharing. It’s not that difficult. I can’t wait to come home. I can’t wait to be involved in such a wonderful event. And I’m more than happy if you want a hug. I do love a hug!
Gail concluded: “Kindness… it’s very simple. It costs nothing and can change a person’s outlook. Or just give them that hope they need.”
Onstage events also include Laughter Yoga; Yoga with Jen McGregor, Zumba with Nadia Alkoc, Zumba with Ross MacPherson and numerous talks including inspirational speaker Mike Stevenson.
Performances from acts such as amazing newcomer and local act Rane Delyte, Dopesick Fly, The Rouse, Paul McDonald, Supa & Da Kryptonites, Demi McMahon, Tony Wright, and Manchester based rapper Conduit. Edinburgh based drumming group Pulse of the Place, The Well Happy Band and the amazing Got Soul Choir will also be performing over the two-day Festival.
Two local radio stations will be on hand to promote the event, SAM Radio (Scottish Autistic Media Radio) and Mix One radio, who will both be providing DJ’s.
Scran Academy and Punjabi Junction are also going to be there with amazing and delicious food to help refresh everyone’s mind, body, and soul. The MIND BE KIND team is also organising a raffle for people to have a chance at winning prizes.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover some of the costs as the Festival is not run for profit but for the benefit of the our community:
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29 May Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens
StagEHd is a two day festival of theatre, celebrating the performing arts in Edinburgh.
Born out of a conversation about the commercialisation of Edinburgh’s public spaces, StagEHd is an open access, free-to-attend festival of theatre, featuring the best of Edinburgh’s independent, grassroots and community theatre companies.
The festival began partly as a response to the closure of the city’s arts spaces during the 2020 pandemic, by EGTG (Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group) in collaboration with other community theatre companies in the city, as an opportunity to showcase homegrown talent to a local audience.
More than 70,000 ‘Big Lunches’ and events planned across the country
Activities for children released including Colour a Corgi
Big screens will be set up outdoors in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff so thousands of people can come together to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next month.
Screens broadcasting the events will be placed in The Mall in London, Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and in Cardiff’s Bute Park.
From street parties and ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ happening across the UK, to London’s Trooping the Colour, Service of Thanksgiving, concert and pageant, the nation and commonwealth will come together over four days to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign.
The screens are organised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which today is launching an activity pack for children to help them learn about The Queen’s reign, including articles about how the country has changed in the last seven decades, opportunities to colour in a corgi or crown and bunting to decorate for street parties.
More than 70,000 Big Jubilee Lunches are planned in the four UK nations over the weekend, with an expected ten million people set to sit down with their neighbours on Sunday 5 June, to celebrate Her Majesty’s momentous jubilee.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “In less than a month we will come together as a nation and Commonwealth to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign. No other British monarch has reached this milestone and we will celebrate it with tradition, pomp and circumstance.
“I hope that people and communities across the country will come together to pay tribute to Her Majesty – whether that be to watch on big screens or toasting Her Majesty at a Big Jubilee Lunch with their neighbours or coming together in their local village hall.
In London, screens broadcasting the BBC’s live feed will be placed down The Mall and in St James’s Park for members of the public to watch the events taking place across the Bank Holiday weekend.
In Edinburgh, screens will be placed in Princes Street Gardens with thousands able to host picnics and watch the celebrations with a backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and entertainment provided by the Royal Marines and local performers.
The Welsh Capital is also inviting families to bring their Jubilee Picnic and enjoy an afternoon in Bute Park. The beautiful Grade I listed park in the heart of Cardiff’s city centre will provide the perfect venue for an afternoon of Jubilee celebrations as families are invited to enjoy the Jubilee Pageant on a large screen along with entertainment from the bandstand.
In Northern Ireland, a design competition will see primary school children create a ‘snapshot of Northern Ireland’, with the winning entry to be manufactured into a rug by leading company Ulster Carpets and sent to Her Majesty the Queen.
In addition, The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will receive Northern Ireland Platinum Jubilee Hampers showcasing over 50 top quality local food and drink producers, and representing the appreciation of the people of Northern Ireland for Her Majesty’s dedicated service.
Events taking place in London will be broadcast on TV networks BBC, Sky and ITV. In a further move to mark the occasion, the BBC is offering local communities a special one-off TV Licence dispensation so they can screen it on a big screen they organise themselves.
The plans will allow those celebrating with events arranged in town halls, community centres and streets to show live programmes throughout the weekend without needing to purchase a licence.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Watching the celebrations on the big screens the UK Government is setting up around the country is a great way for people to really get involved and soak up the atmosphere of this fabulous occasion.
“We’re looking forward to a great family-focused event in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh where people can bring a picnic, enjoy the weekend’s festivities and raise a glass to Her Majesty to mark her 70-year reign.”
BBC Director-General Tim Davie says: “I am delighted we are helping to bring people together to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and I’m looking forward to seeing our coverage on big screens up and down the UK, as we mark this wonderful occasion.“
