Tag: The Pleasance

Scottish-Nordic festival returns to Edinburgh this month

MUSICAL families, top new young talent and a rich mix of cultures feature in the Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance 2024 in Edinburgh.

Taking place 26-28 April, this year’s festival features artists all based in Scotland with backgrounds and repertoire from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Shetland, and North-East Scotland:

  • Brian Ó hEadhra & Fionnag NicChoinnich with Órla Ní Eadhra and Ró Ó hEadhra (BFÓR): a family affair from Inverness drawing on the Gaelic traditions of Scotland, the Nordic countries and the North Atlantic Fringe. https://www.brian-fionnag.com
  • Erin Mungall-Baldvinsdottir with Evie Alberti, Becka Gauld and Ben Shanks: members of Jelephant Folk Band in their full Nordic/Scottish mode ranging from Icelandic, Finnish, Saami and Gaelic. https://www.facebook.com/JelephantBand
  • Sir-Reel Clarks ft: Aaron Clark: a music and song duo comprising Andy and Aaron Clark, carrying on their family’s musical heritage despite the challenges Aaron has faced to become a champion melodeon player. https://www.facebook.com/SirReelClarksFamilyBand
  • Miguel Girão and Amy Laurenson (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023 winner): guitarist and piano duo drawing on Amy’s native Shetland traditions and Miguel’s exploration of Scandinavian cultures.  https://amylaurenson.com/ and https://miguelgirao.com

Event organiser, Fiona Campbell, said: “I’m really excited about this year’s Northern Streams line-up.

“We have amazing talent in Scotland who are exploring the music and song of Scottish and Nordic cultures and coming up with new sounds, whilst respecting the past. This was one of the founding ideas behind the festival. And we have a variety of ways people can take part with concerts, workshops and a session.”

All events take place at The Pleasance, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ.

The outline festival programme is:

Friday 26 April 

7.00pm Evening concert

Brian Ó hEadhra & Fionnag NicChoinnich with Órla Ní Eadhra and Ró Ó hEadhra (BFÓR) + Erin Mungall-Baldvinsdottir with Evie Alberti, Becka Gauld and Ben Shanks. Featuring Nordic and Scottish music and song from talented artists based in Scotland, including from Gaelic, Icelandic and Finnish cultures.

Saturday 27 April 

Workshops:

11.00am – 12.15pm

Brian Ó hEadhra and Fionnag NicChoinnich North Atlantic Songs

12.30pm – 1.45pm

Erin Mungall-Baldvinsdottir and Ben Shanks Icelandic/Finnish Songs 

2.00 – 3.15pm

Miguel Girão Tunes from the Wedding Traditions of Shetland

3.30 – 4.45pm

Sir-Reel Clarks North East Scotland Tunes
7.00pm Evening Concert

Sir-Reel Clarks ft Aaron Clark + Miguel Girão and Amy Laurenson. Featuring Nordic and Scottish music and song from talented young artists based in Scotland, including BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023 winner, Amy Laurenson, and North East Scotland champion, Aaron Clark.

Sunday 28 April

2-5pm Open Music and Song Session – FREE entry

For more details of the Northern Streams programme, guest artists or for booking links, visit www.northernstreams.org.

Ticket prices range from £7 for a workshop – £15 for the concert tickets, with concessions and discount deals worth checking if you plan to attend more than one event. Book your tickets in advance for a chance to WIN an IKEA Voucher! (terms and conditions are on the Northern Streams website ‘Contact Us’ page)

Other ways to get details are by email: eltmsa@yahoo.co.uk or tel: 0795 191 8366, or Facebook – TMSAEdinburgh&Lothians and Twitter@northernstream1.

The Northern Streams festival is organised on a voluntary basis by the Edinburgh & Lothians Branch of the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) and acknowledges support from Tasgadh Traditional Arts Small Grants Scheme and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in association with The City of Edinburgh Council.

Making a drama out of a comedy: Pleasance, Sadowitz and free speech

WAS THE PLEASANCE RIGHT TO CANCEL SECOND SADOWICZ SHOW?

THE ROW over the cancellation of Jerry Sadowwitz’s show at the EICC shows no sign of abating.

The Pleasance axed the controversial comedian’s second show at the venue following ‘an unprecedented number of complaints’. Pleasance chose not to go into further detail about the nature of the complaints following the cancellation of Saturday’s show.

However in a further statement yesterday, The Pleasance said: “We became immediately aware of content that was considered, among other things, extreme in its racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny.

“We will not associate with content which attacks people’s dignity and the language used on stage was, in our view, completely unacceptable.

“We received an unprecedented number of complaints that could not be ignored and we had a duty to respond.”

Late last night Sadowicz, a veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe, tweeted:

It seems incredible that any Scottish venue would be unaware of the controversial nature of Jerry Sadowitz’s humour – it’s not as if he’s some unknown new kid on the block!

If Jerry Sadowitz’s brand of humour ‘does not align with the Pleasance values’ why book him in the first place?

Moderator embarks on first presbytery visit in Edinburgh

The Moderator of the General Assembly Lord Jim Wallace has embarked on a ten-day schedule to learn more about the life and work of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Lord Wallace said he is looking forward to attending events organised by the Presbytery of Edinburgh which will see him meet people from all walks of life and learn how they have coped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presbytery visits provide Moderators with an opportunity to offer encouragement and support to church members and the communities they serve.

Due to the lockdown, this is the first fully in-person visit to take place since 2019.

Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly
Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly

Lord Wallace, a QC and former MP and MSP, said the city is close to his heart. “I am very much looking forward to my first presbytery visit, not least because it is Edinburgh where I went to university, trained as a lawyer, practiced as a lawyer, sat in the Scottish Parliament and where I met my wife, Rosie,” he said.

“I am very grateful to the presbytery for putting together a very comprehensive programme, which will allow me to engage with a whole range of people who reflect my interests and background.”

Candidates

The programme will see Lord Wallace visit churches, hospitals, universities and a prison and meet ordinary church members, politicians, senior figures in the judiciary, ministers, chaplains and interfaith and ecumenical leaders.

Lord Wallace was ordained as an elder at what was St Bernard’s Church in Stockbridge in 1981. It is now called Stockbridge Parish Church and Lord Wallace joined the congregation there yesterday (above).

In the evening, the Moderator led worship at Holy Trinity Church in Wester Hailes.

Lord Wallace will meet with Councillor Frank Ross, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, at the City Chambers today and will later attend an event at New College to mark their 175th Anniversary and meet candidates for the ministry.

This evening, the Moderator will attend a civic event at the City Chambers for members of the Edinburgh Area Children’s Panel who make sure that a young person is at the heart of legal decisions that affect them.

Many church members are involved in this work and Lady Wallace, who will be accompanying her husband, was a panel member for many years until recently.

Courts and prison

On Tuesday, Lord Wallace, who is currently sitting on the non-affiliated benches in the House of Lords, is visiting the Charteris Centre run by Greyfriars Kirk, which is based in a refurbished church building at The Pleasance which is nearing completion.

It is a social enterprise initiative which seeks to provide a place for connection with communities of all kinds.

Afterwards he will visit Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Courts to hear more about the administration of justice, especially during the pandemic.

Lord Wallace will then travel to HMP Edinburgh in the Saughton area of the city where he will be given a tour and introduced to staff, prisoners and the chaplains who support them.

On Wednesday, he will visit Napier University’s Sighthill campus where he will meet Principal Andrea Nolan and be given a tour of the Clinical Centre in School of Health and Social Care.

He will meet staff, students, members of the university’s chaplaincy team and Professor Gary Hutchinson and Liz Aston from the School of Applied Sciences to discuss work with Scottish Institute For Policing Research.

In the afternoon, the Moderator will visit the Granton Goes Greener project at Granton Parish Church to learn more about an innovative clothes upcycling project which is part of work to reduce consumption as part of efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

He will later attend a special Presbytery service in St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, which will be attended by the church’s ecumenical and interfaith partners, as well as national and civic leaders, and will be followed by a reception in Parliament Hall which will bring people from the worlds of religion, politics and legal profession together.

On Thursday, the Moderator is visiting Edinburgh Airport with Rev Moira MacDonald, minister of Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Workplace Chaplain, Esther Elliot, to hear about the work of workplace chaplains.

He will later meet with the Principal of the University of Edinburgh and visit the law school – the place where he studied – to speak with students and staff.

Frontline chaplains

In the evening, the Moderator will attend a Presbyterial Guild event in Craiglockhart Parish Church, speaking on the theme of “Look forward in Faith”.

On Friday, he is visiting the Royal Blind School, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and will attend an evening reception at Edinburgh Castle for chaplains who serve in a wide variety of contexts – hospitals, the military, universities and the workplace.

Lord Wallace said: “I am looking forward to meeting people engaged in chaplaincy, many of whom have been at the front line during the COViD-19 crisis.

“I will be very much in listening mode and hope to provide them with encouragement.”

Polwarth Parish Church is the Moderator’s next stop where, on Saturday, he will visit the new All Aboard canal boat that the congregation jointly own with a charity called People Know How.

It is used for spiritual and educational pursuits on the Union Canal, which links Edinburgh and Falkirk.

The Moderator will take part in worship at Tron, Moredun and Gilmerton Church on Sunday and join members of Leith Churches for a special service in the evening.

He will visit the Richmond’s Hope bereavement project for children and young people at Richmond Craigmillar Church the following day.

Very Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of Edinburgh Presbytery, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Lord Wallace.

“Presbytery visits allow Moderators to meet local Christians and gain a wider perspective of how the Church, and the communities we support, engage.”

Swimmer Michael Jamieson makes another big splash

Olympic medallist plans to launch three new Swim Academies in Edinburgh this Autumn

Olympic medallist turned entrepreneur Michael Jamieson is diving into a new pool of business opportunity by opening three new Edinburgh venues for his hugely over-subscribed Swimming Academies.

The Edinburgh initiative will launch on Saturday, 18 September, and each succeeding Saturday, at the University of Edinburgh pool in The Pleasance, which will accommodate 200 learners, and will be followed on 4 October by classes at the Novotel Hermiston Gate pool for adult and baby, under 3-year-olds. Shortly afterwards the Academy will launch classes at Oriam, Heriot Watt University, a 4 days a week offering in a world class sports facility. 

The expansion from his successful West of Scotland operation puts the Michael Jamieson Swimming Academy (MJSA) back into the fast lane after it was hit, like all other people-facing businesses, by the last 18 months of Covid restrictions.

The Academy’s classes at the Glasgow University and Radio Clyde pools are now operating again with 400 and 300 learners respectively, and Hamilton College pool, with capacity for 600 learners, will re-open on Monday, 27th September.

Further expansion in the west will come with the opening of the Argyle Hotel pool in Glasgow for 150 learners on Friday, 1 October.

Michael, 33, who won silver at the 2012 London Olympics, said: “We have a team of over 20 teachers operating in Glasgow and Edinburgh and will be adding to this in the coming months to ensure an efficient transition to our offerings in Edinburgh.

“Pre-Covid we had 800 kids swimming weekly. We are looking to support around 1500 by the turn of the year with the addition of the new facilities. We are also rolling out an educational curriculum alongside our swim programme to support the early development of positive self-talk and early elements of emotional intelligence.

“We have had support from mental health professionals and psychologists to develop this content and it is something I believe will set us apart in the sector.”

The energetic Glaswegian has distinguished his Academy by using private and hotel pools rather than local authority facilities.

He said: “We are able to create a healthy working relationship with private facilities and share in the passion of offering value to the community. We have targeted these venues specifically to offer the best product, with the best partnership teams in the area.

“I have a fantastic relationship with the team at the University of Edinburgh and have many happy memories there. We are excited to partner with them to offer a rewarding learn-to- swim journey now and in the future.”

On the series of drowning deaths across the UK during the recent spells of warm weather, Michael believes this has emphasised to many parents just how important it is to teach children to swim from the earliest possible age.

“There have been too many tragic stories recently in Scotland. Too many kids are leaving school without basic water safety skills. Without significant investment and support, we will continue, sadly, to see the disparity in the numbers of kids unable to swim by the time they leave school.

“Swimming pools are notoriously expensive to maintain but we must find creative strategies to offer a life skill in our communities in a financially sustainable manner.”

After consolidating his Edinburgh Swim Academy initiatives, Michael plans to expand further into a wider range of fitness and healthcare businesses.

“Our immediate plans are to protect and consolidate this exciting growth phase we are in currently. We are actively looking for further venue partners in Glasgow and Edinburgh to keep up with the increasing post pandemic demand for kids’ sport.

“It’s great to see such an appetite for swimming and we are committed to spreading our valued product around Scotland. Our smaller class ratios enable us to ensure our kids have a rewarding experience, building a strong rapport with our Level 2 qualified teachers.

“We maintain a high level of in-house competency training and only employ Level 2 qualified teachers to ensure we are providing the best product in the market. The majority of our teachers are qualified in Mental Health First Aid & this is something we are passionate about continuing.

“It’s an exciting year for us and I am proud of the team we have put in place. Creating sustainable growth is the challenge, but we have the core team and support team behind us to do so.”