steiner italian evening posterEdinburgh Steiner School: Roman Holiday.  Class 6 brings you a fundraising evening of Italian food and entertainment – featuring daring acts, musical delights, songs to enchant and very special guests. Ticket price includes bruschetta, antipasti and lasagne, with gelato available for a small extra charge. BYOB. 5.30pm (dinner served from 6pm), Edinburgh Steiner School, 60 Spylaw Road. Tickets cost £10/£5 (child), family ticket (2 + 2) £28.

Welcoming a Greener Future Project Launch: a new and exciting project to help you save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. There will be refreshments, with live music from Rise Kagona and Andy. Come along to this free event to learn more and find out about ways to get involved. 3-6pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street (corner of Lothian Road). The Welcoming Association brings together refugees, asylum seekers and people from Scottish and local minority ethnic communities. It aims to be a one-stop gateway for people who are seeking to settle, integrate and contribute to the culture, heritage and economy of Edinburgh and its local communities.

 

bookbug 3Bookbug: for young children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11am, Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road North.

TER St Cuthberts ChurchSoul Space at St Cuthbert’s: come when you can, leave when you must – stay as long as you wish, or just drop in for a look. Soul Space seeks to provide a sacred space in the heart of the city; a space to explore, to reflect, to pray, to find peace, stillness and refreshment. 10.30am-12 noon, Memorial Chapel, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. All welcome.

madagascar-3

St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available for 50p in the interval. Please note all children under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. Today’s film is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG). 10.30am-12.30pm, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road.

far from the madding crowd logoStorytime in the Book Bothy. Stories will be chosen to suit the ages of children attending. 11am today and every Saturday, Far From the Madding Crowd, 20 The High Street, Linlithgow.

The Bold and the Beautiful: a new exhibition by Elspeth J Mackenzie, whose colourful, affordable artworks range in subject matter from local Leith scenes, flowers, still life and the human figure to paintings inspired by Elspeth’s travels in the Caribbean, South Africa and Europe. 11am-5pm daily, The Gallery, Coburg House Art Studios, 15 Coburg Street. Ends 7th May 2015.

 

may dayEdinburgh and Lothians May Day March followed by rally at Pleasance Theatre: 11.30am (assemble), Middle Meadow Walk, The Meadows, 12.30pm, Pleasance, 60 Pleasance. All welcome.

syn festival 2Syn Festival Edinburgh: a volunteer run multi-arts festival promoting Scottish-based Greek artists and artists exploring Greek themes. Today’s events: children’s workshops ‘Drama Games with Mela in Greek’– at 3.30pm Theseus and the Minotaur, for ages 3-5 years, and at 4.30pm Aristophanes Birds for ages 6-8 years, both at Pleasance, 48a Upper. Booking is required: please contact synfestivaledinburgh@gmail.com. All events are open to the public, and there will be more events every day until 9th May. For more information about the workshops email em.theodoratou@gmail.com; for more information about the festival see its Facebook page here.

boys and pastel 2Boys and Pastel: a tour of the new exhibition with artist Nicolas Party, focusing on the themes and motifs presented in the works. 2pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free but booking is essential and may be made via eventbrite here.

jeremy cull, organist at st cuthbert's

Organ Recital: Director of Music Dr Jeremy Cull plays twentieth century organ music, including William Harris’s turbulent Sonata and Colin Hand’s In Nomine IV. 12.30-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.

gardner muirhead at sutton galleryGardner Muirhead: Leitmotif. The Glasgow-based artist shows Japanese woodblock prints, lino prints and mixed media collages exploring modernism, typography, German cinema and Cold War aesthetics. Open preview with refreshments today 4-6pm, then 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Sutton Gallery, 18a Dundas Street. Ends 30th May 2015.

Clarsach (1)

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Harps of Their Own Sort. Leading contemporary performer, and one of the few players today to develop the old style of fingernail playing, Karen Marshalsay will play both gut and wire-strung clarsachs in this programme of Scottish music from the Gaelic harp and piping traditions. 2-3pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets are available from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.

up the junctionFolk Film Gathering: the world’s first folk film festival. The inaugural programme explores the use of folk tale and storytelling in film, rhapsodic mixes of cinema and song and a particular focus on women’s stories and perspectives. Each feature will be preceded by a related short by a contemporary Scottish filmmaker. Today’s film is Up The Junction (12A) Ken Loach’s ‘”breathless” celebration of working class culture old and new, set in 1960s Clapham…the film places the lives of a group of young women within the stories of their wider community, amidst an exuberant evocation of oral culture and popular music’. Plus short The Shutdown by Adam Stafford. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.

save-the-children-2Save the Children: War Child. A classical concert in aid of the children of Syria. Simone Sahyouni (soprano), Sophie Askew (harp), Lindsay Martindale (cello), David Turner (organ) and Lyrica Girls’ Choir perform works by Mozart, Hans Gal, Bantock, Morricone & Komitas. 7pm, St John’s Church, Princes Street. Tickets cost £11/£8 on the door or in advance from skiddle.com here, school children free.

dads rock logoDads Rock: the first free musical playgroup for Dads and their kids (aged 0-5) in Scotland. 10-11.30am, Gate 55, 55 Sighthill Road and The Prentice Centre, 1 Granton Mains Avenue. For more information please call David on 07511 533 432 or Thomas on 07807 498 709.

family drop-in at northfield

The Drop In: for families with a child with a disability or additional support needs. If you struggle to find suitable activities for your child locally, come along to this weekly session. 2-4pm, Northfield Community Centre, 10 Northfield Road. For more information please call 0131 661 5723.

41 hermitage Gardens

Scotland’s Gardens: 41 Hermitage Gardens. A relatively large city garden, at its best in spring with its rock garden, rhododendrons, camellias, acers, tulips and mature trees. Refreshments and a plant stall run by Binny Plants. 2-5pm, 41 Hermitage Gardens, EH10 6AZ. Admission £4, of which 40% will go to Chest, Heart & Stroke, and the net remainder to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries. For more information please email toft41@hotmail.com. Also at same times on Sunday 3rd May.

lgbt musicThe Big LGBT Music Jam: a creative and supportive space for making music. Play, sing your own song, or just be an appreciative listener. All music tastes welcome. No need to book, just turn up – bring your own instruments, some percussion supplied. 1-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biglgbtmusicedinburgh@gmail.com.

LGBT LogoLGBT Edinburgh Trans Women: support group aimed at trans women at any stage of transition, women who are transgender and live as women full-time or part-time and those who are questioning their gender identity. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Please email before your first visit, as this helps with security and allows the group to get ready to welcome you: info@edinburghtranswomen.org.uk.

out of the blue arts and music market May 2015

Out of the Blue Arts Market and Music Fair: over 40 artists and makers selling paintings, photography, fashion, textiles, furniture and design, together with a small Music Fair organised by local labels selling their own releases and with their DJ collective playing throughout the day. The Drill Hall Arts Cafe will be open all day, offering delicious food and drinks. 11am-5pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Admission £1.

grownups at summerhallGrownUps: an exclusive vinyl nightclub for ‘the more fully-fledged music fan’. DJs Kinghorror and The Spotlight Kid play rock ‘n’ roll, soul, hip hop, indie, punk and disco. ‘Cool vibes and a friendly crowd’. Over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £6 in advance, £10 on the door; they may be booked here.

Lady Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll, c 1574-1607
Lady Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll, c 1574-1607

Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: Fashion. Monthly thematic tours of the Gallery’s collection: this month artist Katharine Aarrestad considers style and fashion. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

canongate cadgers

Scots Music Group Ceilidh with the Canongate Cadgers: 7.30pm (dancing from 8pm) – 12 midnight, St Bride’s Centre, Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road. Tickets cost £8/£6 in advance from St Bride’s Box Office on 0131 346 1405 and online from the Scots Music Group here, or £10/£8 on the door, sta. Please note that there will be a licensed bar and only alcohol bought from that bar may be consumed on the premises: water will be freely available. This event forms part of Tradfest 2015.

cuernavaca at FilmhouseCuernavaca: A Journey in Search of Malcolm Lowry. Talbot Rice Gallery presents Ross Birrell and David Harding’s film, a poetic meditation on Lowry’s novel Under the Volcano. The screening will be introduced by Ros Birrell and followed by a live recital by the Da Vinci Trio of two movements from Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet from the End of Time (1941), a composition which inspired work by Birrell and Harding, currently featured in their exhibition where language ends at Talbot Rice Gallery. The Da Vinci Trio are Tony Moffat (violin – Scottish Opera), Robert Irvine (cello – Royal Conservatoire) and Mario Montore (piano – Avos Quartet, Rome). where language ends is at Talbot Rice until 2nd May 2015. 4pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.

serena kordaPerforming the Hosts: Ectoplasmic Variations. A new performance based on a collaboration between artist Serena Korda and the Rhubaba Choir. Serena and the choir have developed a musical score with the Witches Bottles, an army of ceramic vessels inspired by 16th century Bellarmine jugs used during the Witch Hunts to ward off evil. The music made using the Witches Bottles fuses together soldiers’ songs, incantations and the testimonial of Isobel Gowdie, the most detailed and well documented confession of the Witch Hunts in Scotland. 7pm, Rhubaba, 25 Arthur Street.

StMarks

Music on a Summer’s Evening: the first concert in the 2015 series will be an organ recital by Aki Ippolito and Jean Smithson. 7pm, St Mark’s Episcopal Church, Portobello. Tickets cost £5 (under 16s free) on the door.

open studios north fife

Open Studios North Fife: if you’d like to get away for the day this weekend, 74 artists, designers and makers will welcome you to visit them in their work spaces in North Fife. From St Andrew’s to Falkland and Newport-on-Tay to Ceres, see weavers, jewellers, painters, textile and glass artists, photographers and more. Full details of each studio and its opening times can be found on the Open Studios’ website here or in the free 40-page brochure, which should be available from Waterstones, 83 George Street. Open Studios continues on Sunday 3rd May and Monday 4th May 2015.

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