www.list.co.uk/aroundtown
Nightschool Mon 18 Jan–Tue 23 Mar, Times vary. £80 per term (£55). Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. Informal courses at beginner (Tue 7pm), intermediate (Mon 5.30pm) and advanced (Mon 7.30pm) levels. Ages 22+. Piano Masterclass with Jean- Phillipe Collard Thu 21 Jan, 6.30pm. £3 (£2). RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. The internationally acclaimed French pianist visits the RSAMD to provide valuable advice and insights to anyone keen to learn from the best.
Edinburgh Activities & Events FREE Fanzine Sunday Sun 10 & 17 Jan, 11am–5pm. Collective Gallery, 22–28 Cockburn Street, 220 1260. Collective will be open for young publishers, emergent writers and artists to go into the gallery to produce work. Whether it’s a self-published catalogue, a written text or you are looking for the support to set up a fanzine, go along and create it at Collective. Supernatural History Tours Sat 9 & 16 Jan, 6pm–9pm. £10.50 (£9.50; children £6). The Real Mary King’s Close, 2 Warriston’s Close, High Street, 0845 070 6244. Visit one of Scotland’s allegedly most haunted locations as costumed guides take you deep below the Royal Mile and into the gruesome history of the 1600s. Tours run every 20 minutes. Mary, Queen of Scots and the Birth of James IV Sat 9 Jan, 11am, noon, 1.30pm & 2.30pm. Included in admission: £11 (£8; children £6). Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 668 8858. Hear about Mary, Queen of Scots, and the birth of her son, James, who was to become the first King of a United Kingdom of England, Ireland and Scotland. Life in a Medieval Castle Sun 10 Jan, 11am, noon, 1.30pm & 2.30pm. Included in admission: £11 (£8; children £6). Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 225 9846. Learn about the oft-ignored topic of life for a young girl in medieval Scottish society. FREE French Conversation Evening Tue 12 Jan, 6.30pm. Whighams Wine Cellars, 13 Hope Street, 225 5366. Practice your French speaking in a social setting. FREE Remembered Remedies Sat 16 Jan, 10am–noon. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. We all know doc leaves take the nip out of a nettle sting, but how else do we use plants as remedies? Ethnomedica wants to know how you use plants for its archive. Divine Right – The Coronation of Charles I Sat 16 & Sun 17 Jan, 11am, noon, 1.30pm & 2.30pm. Included in admission: £11 (£8; children £6). Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 668 8858. Learn about the coronation of Charles I as King of Scotland at Holyrood in 1633 and find out about his troubled reign. Edinburgh Ghost Hunt Sat 16 Jan, midnight. £39. Niddry Street Vaults, 0800 917 1067. Get your Scooby Doo on and hunt for ghosts in the Niddry Street Vaults. FREE Meet the Redcoats Sun 17 Jan, 12.45pm, 1.45pm & 2.45pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Could you handle life in King George’s redcoat army in the 18th century? Meet his recruiting sergeant and find out. Exhibitions FREE The Link Until Sat 16 Jan (not Sun), 10am–8pm; Fri 10am–5pm; Sat 10am–1pm. Central Library, Music Library, George IV Bridge, 242 8053. A charity art exhibition and auction of artwork by musicians and artists who have a connection to music. Contributing artists include King Creosote, Gordon Anderson, Jenny Soep, Christian Ward, Little Pebble, Sean Dooley and Duglas T Stewart. All proceeds to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland.
Around Town
The Great Edinburgh International Cross Country and Great Winter Run Suitable for ages 14+, the scenic Great Winter Run is the first Great Run of the year and gives runners some magnificent views as the 5km route weaves its way around Arthur’s Seat and the grounds of Holyrood Park. The day also includes the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country, which attracts middle-distance runners of international standing. ■ Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Sat 9 Jan. See www.greatrun.org for further info.
FREE Salt of the Earth Until Sun 10 Jan, 10am–5pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Craig Mackay explores aspects of emigration and internationalism through photographs of well-known Scots and international figures with Scottish connections. Don Coutts’ short film, A Pinch of Salt, will also be available to view. FREE Angels and Archangels Until Sat 16 Jan (not Sun), 10am–6pm. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. A festive exhibition from Edinburgh Old Town illustrator Emily Learmont.
Fairs FREE Asian Wedding Show Scotland Sun 17 Jan, 11am. Sheraton Grand Hotel, 1 Festival Square, 229 9131. Stalls and fashion shows from a range of exhibitors. Food & Drink FREE Edinburgh Farmers’ Market Sat 9 & 16 Jan, 9am–2pm. Castle Terrace, 652 5940. Local, quality, ethical produce to aid those healthy New Year’s resolutions.
Sport The Great Edinburgh International Cross Country and Great Winter Run Sat 9 Jan, noon. Free for spectators; participation in GWR £19. Holyrood Park. Suitable for ages 14. Go to www.greatrun.org for further info, or call 0191 226 3210 to register. See picture, above. Talks FREE Turner and the Masters Fri 8 Jan, 12.45pm–1.30pm. National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, The Mound, 624 6200. Philippa Simpson, co-curator of Tate Britain’s Turner and the Masters exhibition, discusses its placement of some of Turner’s most dramatic works next to examples by Canaletto, Rubens, Rembrandt and Titian, to shed light on his determination to prove that he was just as good as the Old Masters. FREE Gallery of Modern Art Re- hang: Things Mon 11 Jan, 12.45pm–1.15pm. Scottish National
Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Patrick Elliott gives a guided tour of the sculpture featured in the gallery’s re-hang. FREE ‘Behold the Light of Nature’: Ruskin on Turner Wed 13 Jan, 12.45–1.30pm. National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, The Mound, 624 6200. So said John Ruskin about Turner in 1853. Paul O’Keeffe discusses Ruskin’s account of Turner’s life and works. FREE Muriel Spark Society Annual Lecture Wed 13 Jan, 6pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. Titled ‘Spark, Catholicism and Conversion’, playwright Denise Mina’s talk offers her reflections on Muriel Spark. FREE NWSP 10 Years Sat 16 Jan, 2–4pm. Collective Gallery, 22–28 Cockburn Street, 220 1260. A discussion around emergent practice and professional development by participants in Collective’s New Work Scotland Programme. RSPB Species Protection & Investigations Team Tue 19 Jan, 7.30pm. £2. Napier University, Craiglockhart Campus, 466 7163. Hear from Bob Elliot about the important work of this team to protect Scotland’s diversity of species. The Royal Scottish Geographical Society: Connecting Food, Soil and the Planet Wed 20 Jan, 2.15pm. £6 (free). Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, 01738 455050. Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, and formerly a full-time organic farmer, gives a talk on the importance of sustainable food production. FREE Of Mice and Men Wed 20 Jan, 5.30pm–6.45pm. The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Little France, Old Dalkeith Road, 536 1000. Find out about the search for a male contraceptive in a talk from the Centre for Reproductive Biology. Booking essential. FREE Understanding Technology: The Real Star Wars Thu 21 Jan, 3pm–4.30pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Is the truth stranger than fiction? Join
Edinburgh University’s Dr Graham Spinardi as he explores the technology and politics of the US ballistic missile defence system. Please book in advance. FREE Unreliable Narrators: Artists, Editors, Creators Thu 21 Jan, 6pm–7pm. National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, The Mound, 624 6200. Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine and the National Galleries’ Daniel F Herrmann discuss authorship and editorial control in contemporary art and literature. Workshops FREE Medieval Harp Maestro Sun 10 Jan, 12.45pm, 1.45pm & 2.45pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Join talented musician Simon Chadwick for a practical and historical workshop on the harp, and have a go at playing it yourself. Strange Town Mon 11 & 18 Jan, 8pm–10pm. £67. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 556 0710. Theatre courses for ages 18–25. FREE Discovering Family History at NLS Tue 12 Jan, 10pm–11.30am. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3845. Look for family secrets or royal blood in a practical workshop. FREE The Drawing Room Thu 14 Jan, 5.30pm–6.45pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, 624 6410. Monthly experimental drawing sessions inspired by works in the collection, each led by a contemporary artist. All materials are provided. Please book in advance. Propagation by Grafting Sat 16 Jan, 10am–4pm. £45 (members £40.50). Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 248 2937. Learn the reasons for grafting, the main types of grafting techniques and get some practical experience. Please book in advance. Words on Canvas II: Creative Writing Thu 21 Jan, 5.30pm–7.30pm. £12 (£10). National Gallery of Scotland: Clore Education Centre, The Mound, 624 6200. A two-part class led by an artist or writer. The first session involves looking at and discussing art, and in the second you will share what you have written. (Price is for both sessions; session two takes place on Thu 4 Feb.)
7–21 Jan 2010 THE LIST 33