Festival
AROUND TOWN For more info go to LIST.CO.UK /FESTIVAL
HITLIST THE BEST FILMS, FESTS & FOOD
✽ Whisky Fringe This much anticipated whisky event features around over 200
whiskies to sample each day. Sláinte! Mansfield Traquair, 524 9380, 9–11 Aug, 2–6pm, £24 plus booking fee (includes free snifter glass).
✽ Exhibition of Sci-fi Poems In honour of Iain M Banks, the SPL displays its collection of sci-fi poetry. Scottish Poetry Library, 557 2876, until 31 Aug (not Sun or Mon), times vary.
✽ Fair Trade on the Fringe A nine-day sale of wares from around the world, all
ethically traded, and with promises of free tastings, inspiration and education. Castle Street, 07914 254334, Sat 10 Aug–Sun 18 Aug, 10am–6pm.
✽ Foodies Festival Star chefs and local producers strut their stuff at this festival dedicated to epicureans. Inverleith Park, 0845 995 1111, 9–11 Aug, 10am–8pm, day pass £12 (£10), festival pass £18 (£15), VIP tickets £38, accompanied under 12s free.
✽ Conversations: Philip Glass and
Patti Smith Philip Glass and Patti Smith discuss their artistic collaboration. The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, 0131 473 2000, 13 Aug, 12pm, £6.
✽ LUGG Billed as the ‘Swedish alternative to the Edinburgh Fringe’, the folks who run
Edinburgh’s stylish network of Swedish bars host a month of art, music and themed parties worth dipping into for a snaps or two. Boda Bar, Hemma, Victoria’s, Sofi’s and Joseph Pearce’s, bodabar.com, 8–14 Aug, times and prices vary.
8–15 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 93
TURING FRINGE Escape from arts and culture and dip a toe into the tech world
I f you’re more a fan of dotcom startups than verbatim theatre, Edinburgh’s Turing Festival has, for the last two years, provided a welcome digital alternative to the world’s largest arts festival in August.
But events at the two-day tech extravaganza can be a tad niche for your average algorithm amateur (think sessions on digital distribution models and online business marketing techniques), so this year the organisers are branching out with an expanded fringe programme aimed at a wider audience.
The half a dozen Turing Fringe events during August include a tech jobs recruitment fair, an appearance from game designer Jesse Schell, and an event about online gaming and entrepreneurship with Bet365, as well as more crossover gaming and arts events still being finalised. These fringe events are all about ‘creating a Turing Festival community beyond just those two or three days [of the festival itself]’,
according to Festival Manager Francesca Ziolkowska. ‘The overarching theme for the Turing the Festival, and our partnership with International Festival this year, is arts and digital. Our focus on gaming industries ties into that because it’s the cutting edge,’ says Ziolkowska. ‘[Gaming is] very well established and it continues to be a pioneer, and to serve as a great model for other industries like theatre, music and dance.’
The programme is designed simply for ‘anybody who’s interested . . . yes it is techie- focused, and that’s a really broad and all- encompassing community. ‘We attract speakers from all over the world and we have audiences from all over the world, and we’re delighted that it contines to grow.’ (Charlotte Runcie)
Various venues, until 24 Aug, times and prices vary, see turingfestival.com