Is it Lionel Ritchie you’re looking for (He’s at the Castle…)
Three Fires in Edinburgh yesterday
Speak Up Speak Out
Fresh Fruit: Film Stills
Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship
Lionel Richie is bringing his ‘All The Hits All Night Long’ tour to Edinburgh Castle next summer on 22 July 2015. Tickets go on sale TODAY at 9.00am.
Online: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Ticket Hotline: 0844 844 0444
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There were three fires that we heard of in Edinburgh yesterday involving Scottish Fire and Rescue. Any fire is devastating for the property owner, and it is easy to demote these to simple statistics.
All of our reports are under News here.
Some fires are not caused by any negligence in any way, but we would urge you especially at this time of the year to please take heed of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Advice about fires. There is a whole range of advice for homes and businesses here.
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An Edinburgh public protection campaign against abuse will target night-clubbers on what is said to be the worst night of the year for violent behaviour.
Leaflets highlighting the multi-agency Speak Up Speak Out campaign will be handed out in clubs tonight. The last Friday before Christmas typically sees a rise in violence, including domestic abuse.
Speak up Speak Out was launched in August 2013 by the City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland to encourage those who are affected by abuse to come forward and find out about the wide range of support that is available to them.
The Council is also supporting Police Scotland’s annual festive domestic abuse campaign, which was launched this week.
Domestic abuse can be carried out by partners or ex-partners and can be physical, sexual, psychological or emotional.
Councillor Ricky Henderson, Convener of Health, Social Care and Housing, said: “We want to make sure that everyone has a good time this festive season and I urge revellers enjoying the last weekend before Christmas to think about their behaviour and how it can affect their loved ones.
“Nobody should have to suffer domestic abuse, whatever form it takes. We are reaching out to the people who are affected by domestic abuse, or anyone who has concerns about others who are being harmed in this way, urging them to Speak Up and Speak Out.
“Agencies will continue to work together on this ongoing campaign over the next year to make sure that families affected by abuse will be protected from harm.”
Superintendent Liz McAinsh said: “Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for Police Scotland and in Edinburgh officers will continue to pursue those responsible for crimes of this nature.
“We are also committed to providing victims of domestic abuse with all the necessary assistance and support they require.”
Extensive work by the Council is ongoing to ensure that children and adults who have been affected by domestic abuse feel safe, have access to appropriate support and advice networks and feel confident in reporting issues.
Recent developments include a clear pathway from initial reporting to the police, to support for the victim, including a comprehensive risk assessment and the provision of multi-agency services. Edinburgh has also seen a welcome roll-out of the pilot domestic abuse court to the whole city.
One of the key messages of Speak Up Speak Out is that anyone can suffer from abuse, regardless of their age, gender or the colour of their skin. It can happen anywhere and be caused by friends, relatives, colleagues or strangers. By encouraging people to be open about their concerns and talk to care professionals, it is hoped that more adults and children can be protected from harm.
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Opening: Friday 19 December 2014, 4–5pm
Stills, 23 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1BP
Join Fresh Fruit at Stills to celebrate photographs and film made over the last four weeks in sessions led by artists Caroline Douglas and Morwenna Kearsley, taking inspiration from Stan Douglas’s exhibition at The Fruitmarket Gallery.
Refreshments served.
The exhibition is open daily, 11am–6pm and continues until Sunday 25 January 2015.
Fresh Fruit is The Fruitmarket Gallery’s peer-led youth programme run by and for 16–25 year olds. This project was delivered in partnership with Stills. Fresh Fruit is funded by Cairn Energy PLC
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Scottish Book Trust is delighted to announce that the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship for published writers is now open for applications. Scotland-based novelists, poets, children’s writers, dramatists and screen writers who would benefit from time away from their usual environment to develop their work are encouraged to apply.
The Fellowship was initiated in 1994 by Franki Fewkes, a Scottish RLS enthusiast then living in France, and is supported by Creative Scotland. It provides residencies for four fellows for one month each, in a self-catering studio apartment at the Hôtel Chevillon International Arts Centre at Grez-sur-Loing. Travel and accommodation are paid for, and there is a grant of £300 per week to cover living expenses. The residencies will take place in June, July, August and November 2015.
Grez-sur-Loing is situated at the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau, France, and was chosen because of its connections with Robert Louis Stevenson who first visited in 1875. It was there, at the Hôtel Chevillon, that he met his future wife Fanny Osbourne. Stevenson found both the place, and its well established community of writers and artists, highly attractive and he returned to Grez-sur-Loing for three successive summers.
Author Lisa Ballantyne, a 2014 Fellow, found the experience hugely valuable in terms of her writing development:
“The month’s residency that I spent in Grez-sur-Loing was a wonderful chance to focus on my new novel and complete my last in the midst of stunning natural scenery and in an area of France steeped in creative history. The Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship and residency was of great use in developing my writing.”
Caitrin Armstrong, Head of Writer Development at Scottish Book Trust, said:
“Residencies are a fantastic opportunity for writers to spend time on their work without the distractions of everyday life. The combination of the beautiful surroundings of Grez-Sur-Loing; the rich literary heritage of the Hôtel Chevillon, and the opportunity to meet other artists has proved to be hugely inspirational to pervious fellows. We look forward to finding out what 2015 will bring.”
Jenny Niven, Portfolio Manager Literature, Publishing and Languages, at Creative Scotland, said:
“Time and again the case is being made by writers that support for them to immerse themselves in their practice, particularly in challenging financial times for artists, is absolutely critical. We’re delighted to support the RLS Fellowship to offer the chance for writers to do just that. International opportunities are of course highly valuable too; an outward looking perspective – even if the result is a greater understanding of one’s self – or as John Muir put it, that going out ‘is really going in’ – can bring a whole new dimension to a writer’s work. Finally, as illustrated by writers from Stevenson himself, to Muriel Spark to Alistair Reid, travel has long been an integral part of the practice of Scottish writers; the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship seeks to offer that potential to contemporary writers that they might achieve similar extraordinary things.”
For details of how to apply for the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship, and for full eligibility criteria, please visit http://www.scottishbooktrust.com. The closing date for RLS Fellowship 2015 applications is Tuesday 10 February 2015.
Five reasons to go on a writing retreat:
- Escape the demands of everyday life
- Refresh your creativity with new experiences and new scenery
- Meet other writers and exchange ideas
- Remind yourself why you started writing in the first place
- Renew your enthusiasm for the art and process of writing
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
