In collaboration with The University of Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University and Dancebase, Theiya Arts will bring an experiential arts-academia symposium to the city this October,followed by three November performances of new intersectional feminist performance work in Edinburgh and Glasgow
Dance Base, Edinburgh – 7th October 2024, 1- 4pm
Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh – 1st November 2024, 12 – 5.30pm
Southside Community Centre, Edinburgh – 9th November, 1 – 4pm
Venue TBC, ‘Focus on South Asian Arts’ event collab. The Work Room – 15th November (AM – time tbc)
Civic House, Glasgow – 15th November, 5.30 – 7pm
Theiyā Arts Dance Collectivein collaboration withThe Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at The University of Edinburghpresent a new interdisciplinary mixed media performance – Maiden | Mother | Whore – exploring the complex relationships between women, social structures, health and social policies, and institutions.
Maiden | Mother | Whore will be performed for the public in November: first in Edinburgh, at the Assembly Roxy (1 November) and the Southside Community Centre (9 November), before a final performance at Civic House in Glasgow (15 November).
Prior to the November performances, on Monday 7th October there will be an experiential symposium in collaboration with The Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Applied Social Sciences at the Queen Margaret University, and Dancebase, Edinburgh.
This symposium aims to offer a unique space for multi-disciplinary critical discourse, knowledge exchange, and relational introspections of arts and academia.
Drawing on women’s embodied experiences and narratives, Maiden | Mother | Whore is a thought-provoking mixed-media performance that delves into the tensions between individuals and collectives, agency and power, and patterns of oppression and resistance.
The work seeks to investigate the polarised roles and positioning of women and their impact on subjectivities, both collective and individual, through the lens of Transnational Intersectional Feminism.
The audience are invited to become part of the creation of the performance, contributing to and furthering the dialogue between academic and artistic communities, as the performance evolves in response to their engagement with the piece.
An interactive, multi-media show using projection, live music, spoken word, and South Asian classical-contemporary dance, Maiden | Mother | Whore urges all to consider the relationship between self and society and what it means to exist in a gendered body today.
Maiden | Mother | Whore emerged as a result of a creative partnership between Theiyā Arts Dance Collective and academics from the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society and is supported by Creative Scotland and Dance Base, Edinburgh.
The Binks Hub and the Ripple Project are delighted to invite you to an exhibition of co-created art that challenges the status quo and offers an alternative view of what communities need to flourish.
Exhibiting in partnership with Dovecot Studios, the world-renowned tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh, “Alternative Futures – Who Decides” is the result of a collaboration between The Binks Hub, University of Edinburgh and The Ripple Project, a grassroots, community led charity using creativity and the arts to co-create community-driven research that makes a difference to people’s lives.
The exhibition will be open:
Thursday 3rd October
Friday 4th October
Saturday 5th October
And is free to attend, to check out times and secure your place please register through the Eventbrite link.
You can also drop in on any day where there will be workshops and opportunities to chat to those involved in the project.
We hope you can join us to begin conversations about how we change the way we view our communities and what we can do together to make a lasting difference.
The University of Edinburgh has welcomed its first commercial tenant to the new Edinburgh Futures Institute in the capital’s historic Old Royal Infirmary in Lauriston Place.
Smart Data Foundry has moved from the nearby Bayes Centre to a state-of-the-art workspace in one of the converted Nightingale wards in the A-listed building, which dates back to 1879.
SDF’s move follows a period of sustained growth for the organisation which was founded in 2022 to unlock the power of financial data to tackle the major issues facing society. Over the past two years it has seen its workforce grow and mature and forged partnerships with clients like Sage, NatWest Group and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The data pioneer has moved into a purpose-built ward on the 2nd floor of the historic building which housed the city’s main hospital until 2003. The Institute officially opened to the public on 3rd of June, following a multi-million-pound, seven-year refurbishment programme.
Professor Kev Dhaliwal, Interim Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute said: “Edinburgh Futures Institute is delighted to welcome Smart Data Foundry. As one of the region’s Data Driven Innovation Hubs, we bring together staff, students and partners into an inspiring, collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.
“Co-location with our financial and public services sector hubs, alongside numerous industrial partners, researchers, and talented students, will accelerate data innovation and insights to help solve national and global challenges. We share the ambition to deliver positive social impact and build a better world using the power of data.”
The building includes teaching facilities, rooms for co-working with industry partners, business incubation areas, labs for innovation and prototyping, a public square, café, and exhibition and performance spaces.
Dame Julia Unwin, Chair of Smart Data Foundry, said: “Edinburgh Futures Institute has an unrivalled range of facilities in the heart of Edinburgh, and this strategic relocation underscores our commitment to fostering greater collaboration, innovation and productivity in our mission to unlock the power of data for good.
“It’s our aim to cultivate a dynamic ecosystem where data scientists, researchers, and industry partners can collaborate seamlessly to unlock new insights and drive forward our purpose of creating positive impact across society, the economy and the environment. Our new home at the Edinburgh Futures Institute is the perfect base for this ecosystem to flourish.”
Dougie Robb, Chief Financial Officer at Smart Data Foundry, added: “The combination of modern design, restored historic architecture and beautiful grounds at Edinburgh Futures Institute will help us to showcase our services to clients and attract the best talent to the Smart Data Foundry team.
“It’s not just a new office; it’s a place where ideas will flourish and groundbreaking work will be done.”
Smart Data Foundry currently delivers pioneering projects including a Cost-of-Living Dashboard for East Renfrewshire Council. Utilising near real-time de-identified data from NatWest Group, this dashboard integrates financial well-being indicators with contextual information, helping the council to understand better the challenges citizens face and therefore how this might impact on future policy interventions.
Other projects include the launch of the groundbreaking Income Volatility Dashboard with Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This innovative platform provides a comprehensive and unique view of income volatility and insecurity on consumers throughout the United Kingdom as a research and policy platform.
Could you spare an hour on Sat 20th July to chat about bread?!
Some Edinburgh University researchers are currently recruiting for a focus group, and will pay £20 (generic shopping voucher). Please email the address on the poster if you’re interested..
You may know that we’re doing various experiments with grain growing and have been running Granton Garden Bakery since 2019. We’re interested in your views on bread, whatever they are!
University of Edinburgh invests further £1 million through Social and Sustainable Capital to enable UK charities and social enterprises to provide homes for service users
The University of Edinburgh has announced further investment of £1 million in a social housing fund. Managed by Social and Sustainable Capital, the SASH II fund loans charities and social enterprises the finance to purchase residential properties, which are then leased to people at risk of homelessness.
The University hopes to build on the success of its previous £1 million investment in the first Social and Sustainable Housing Fund (SASH I), which raised £64.5 million and supported 20 social impact organisations across the UK.
SASH II aims to continue the success of the first fund, helping more organisations to provide decent homes for vulnerable people.
Over £35 million has been committed to date, with The Scottish National Investment Bank investing £15 million for allocation to Scottish organisations.
Life-changing impact across Scotland
The Scottish organisations supported by the SASH I portfolio were Simon Community Scotland, the Positive Steps Partnership and the social enterprise Homes for Good Glasgow.
Using a £5 million loan from SASH I, Simon Community Scotland purchased 15 properties across Edinburgh, providing affordable accommodation for up to 30 vulnerable adults at risk of homelessness.
This has been life-changing for Greig, a tenant of the Simon Community Scotland Homes scheme in Edinburgh. He said, “Having a new home has changed my life in so much of a great way. I’ve got so much freedom to go out walking, to do my artwork – and I feel it’s helping with my mental health as well.
Dundee’s Positive Steps Partnership, is a charity helping ex-offenders and adults suffering drug addiction to transition from prison release to independent living. The £1.8 million investment from SASH I enables the Positive Steps Partnership to purchase 30 properties across Dundee for its service users.
Homes for Good Glasgow is an award-winning social enterprise, using the £3.5 million loan from SASH I to purchase 47 properties in Glasgow and Ayrshire, providing quality rented accommodation for people living with mental health issues, family breakdown and recovery from drug dependency.
Investing for social good
Announced in 2019, the University’s Social Investment Fund has invested £8 million in funds that deliver a social benefit alongside a traditional financial return.
Dave Gorman, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh said, “As values-driven institutions with commitments to social and civic responsibility, universities can use their finances to address social issues, whilst generating a return on investment.
“That has been the mission of our Social Investment Fund. We are delighted to support SASH II, having seen the positive impact that affordable housing can bring to vulnerable people here in our city and across Scotland.“
Mark Bickford, CEO of Social and Sustainable Capital said, “We are looking forward to building on the success of SASH I with fantastic, people-first organisations – all delivering significant social impact.
“We’re pleased to receive further investment from the University of Edinburgh, which demonstrates the potential of universities as social impact investors.
Alongside the University and the Scottish National Investment Bank, investors in SASH II include Better Society Capital, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the Church of England’s Social Impact Investment Programme, Ceniarth, and Ogelsby Charitable Trust.
A 54-year-old man has been jailed for seven years following a multi-million pound scam in Edinburgh. Aasim Johar was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today, Monday, 24 June, 2024.
He was previously found guilty on Friday, 24 May, 2024.
Johar defrauded the University of Edinburgh of over £3.3million between 2005 and 2015 through his role as a salesperson. The fraudulent scheme saw him earn commission through false and over-inflated invoices for cleaning products that were either not delivered or not required.
Detective Sergeant Gary Dalgleish, of the Financial Investigation Unit, said: “The sentence is the result of a long and complex investigation carried out by our officers. We have worked closely with the University and COPFS throughout the investigation and thank them greatly for their assistance.
“We recognise the significant and devastating impact that financial fraud can have on those that fall victim, which makes us all the more determined to identify and prosecute those responsible
“I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage the public to report fraud to us. We are committed to investigating all reports thoroughly and will bring those responsible to justice.”
You can find out more information and advice about fraud on our website here: https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/scams-and-frauds/
Next Tuesday 28th of May at 1pm Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) will be hosting a COPD workshop. If you have COPD, researchers from NHS Lothian and The University of Edinburgh, want to hear about your experience of having COPD, so they can design their research to meet you needs.
You can expect nice and welcoming atmosphere, a warm cup of tea and £20 voucher for you time.
If you are struggling to get to PCHP, transport can be provided too.
To sign up for workshop please fill in a form https://bit.ly/3WS3VCZ or use a QR code on a poster or Call Sammy Waite Patient and Community involvement in research officer 07385347040
~ Funding will support world-leading cardiovascular research at the university ~
The British Heart Foundation has awarded the University of Edinburgh £5 million funding to support its world-class cardiovascular disease research over the next five years, the charity has announced today.
Researchers at the University welcomed the announcement.
Professor David Newby, BHF Duke of Edinburgh Professor of Cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious award which will enable us to deliver a step-change in our research into heart and circulatory diseases, stroke, vascular dementia and diabetes.
“The award will accelerate our drive to identify new discoveries across disciplines and to establish the next generation of science and scientific researchers with the ultimate aim of improving the lives of our patients.”
The funding will support the University of Edinburgh to cultivate a world-class research environment that encourages collaboration, inclusion and innovation, and where visionary scientists can drive lifesaving breakthroughs.
The Edinburgh award is part of a much needed £35 million boost to UK cardiovascular disease research from the British Heart Foundation.
The funding comes from the charity’s highly competitive Research Excellence Awards funding scheme.
The £5 million award to the University of Edinburgh will support researchers to:
Investigate how hardening of the major arteries develops throughout the body to cause heart attacks, strokes and circulatory problems, and how this interacts with the body’s immune and nervous systems.
Discover how small blood vessel disease in the brain causes strokes and vascular dementia so that we can develop and test new ways to prevent and to treat these major health problems.
Accelerate our understanding of how the body’s metabolism in fat, immune and kidney tissue causes heart and circulatory problems throughout life: from the womb through to old age.
Deliver new ways of using routinely collected health data with DataLoch to identify those at risk of heart attacks or strokes, and to embed this into health records systems to prevent diseases before they occur.
Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to continue to support research at the University of Edinburgh addressing the biggest challenges in cardiovascular disease. This funding recognises the incredible research happening at Edinburgh and will help to further its reputation as a global leader in the field.
“With generous donations from our supporters, this funding will attract the brightest talent, power cutting-edge science, and unlock lifesaving discoveries that can turn the tide on the devastation caused by heart and circulatory diseases.”
David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is great news that the University of Edinburgh has once again been recognised as a centre of research excellence. Scotland has a strong tradition of leading the way in cardiovascular research and today’s announcement will further reinforce this for years to come.”
Research Excellence Awards offer researchers greater flexibility than traditional research funding, allowing scientists to quickly launch ambitious projects that can act as a springboard for larger, transformative funding applications.
The funding also aims to break down the silos that have traditionally existed in research, encouraging collaboration between experts from diverse fields.
From clinicians to data scientists, biologists to engineers, the funding will support universities to attract the brightest minds, nurture new talent and foster collaboration to tackle the biggest questions in heart and circulatory disease research.
First launched in 2008, the University of Edinburgh has previously received nearly £14 million funding through the BHF’s Research Excellence Awards funding scheme to date.
This funding has supported research that will lay the foundations for future breakthroughs, including:
A trial that showed that a simple scan could save thousands of lives every year by improving the diagnosis of people coming to hospital with chest pain. The scan is now recommended as a first-line diagnostic tool in NICE guidelines for people presenting at hospital with chest pain.
Development of an artificial intelligence tool that can improve diagnosis of acute heart failure. The tool uses AI to combine routinely collected patient information with results from a blood test for the protein NT-proBNP, which is made by the heart. The researchers are now investigating how it could be implemented into routine care.
Over the last 5 years, investing in the training and development of 12 doctors to become researchers who are increasing knowledge today and developing new life-saving treatments for tomorrow.
Join us for an Open Day! Discover the MA in Learning in Communities 
Get an inside look at our programme designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to drive impactful learning experiences in communities.
13:00-15:30 Holyrood Campus
Holyrood Campus
