{AROUND TOWN} Listings
Talks ✽✽ Continental Shifts Sat 13 Aug–Fri 2 Sep, times vary. £6 per
talk. The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. The east-west theme of the EIF provides plenty to talk about, hence this series of a dozen discussions programmed in association with the British Council. Considering politics, religion and philosophy as much as art, they are designed to provoke debate about a rapidly changing world as the old centres of power and wealth move east. The first week of talks includes a discussion on ‘Why China isn’t the New West’ and an exploration of the enduring legacy of Shakespeare’s plays in Korean culture as well as Anglophone. Part of Edinburgh International Festival. See Hitlist, page 96. Conversations with Artists Sat 13 Aug–Sat 3 Sep, times vary. £6 per talk. The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. Artists performing around the festival discuss their work. This week alone you can hear words of wisdom from Philip Glass, Melvyn Tan and Taiwanese actor Wu Hsing-Kuo. Part of Edinburgh International Festival. The Unknown Whistler Mon 15 Aug, 10.30am. £8. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Margaret MacDonald examines the work of James McNeill Whistler, one of the most influential printmakers of the 19th century. FREE George Mackay Brown Biography Launch Mon 15 Aug, 5.30pm. St John’s Church, Princes Street, 229 7565. Ron Ferguson reads from and discusses George MacKay Brown: The Wound and the Gift. Dovecot Studios and Elizabeth Blackadder: Forty Fruitful Years Tue 16 Aug, 12.45–1.30pm. Included in £8 (£6) exhibition admission. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 225 6671. David Weir, the director of Dovecot, together with a master weaver from the studios, talks about the gallery’s long relationship with Scotland’s finest artists, illustrated with examples from previous collaborations with Elizabeth Blackadder. Writing and Illustrating for Children with James Mayhew Thu 18 Aug, 10.30am–12.30pm. £12 (£10). Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. James Mayhew is the writer and illustrator of the Katie books, a rather trippy series of volumes about a small girl who persistently keeps having accidental adventures inside paintings. Here he shares his working methods, techniques and inspiration, having just published Katie in Scotland. FREE The King James Bible Language and Literature Thu 18 Aug, 1.30–2.30pm. £5 (£3.50) exhibition
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L A V I T S E F 98 THE LIST 4–11 Aug 2011
Fair Trade on the Fringe
Sometimes it’s nice to have traditions around this time of year, which is why we always like paying a visit to Fair Trade on the Fringe’s capacious castle-view marquee, now well ensconsed in its Castle Street home. It’s great for ethically-traded accessories and crafts, but as there are always tasting stalls and foodie goods for sale, we like stopping by for karmically-positive snacks between shows. ■ Castle Street, 13–21 Aug, 10am–6pm.
admission, talk is included. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3963. A talk by Professor Gordon Campbell on the Scottish roots of the definitive English bible, and the linguistic implications of this, in conjunction with the David Mach exhibition Precious Light. Booking essential. Workshops FREE The Drawing Room Thu 11 Aug, 5.30–6.45pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Monthly experimental drawing sessions inspired by works in the collection, each led by a contemporary artist. All materials are provided. Booking essential. Inspired by Blackadder – A Two- Day Course Fri 12 & Sat 13 Aug, 10.30am–4pm. £60 (£55). Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Make a low-relief composition using
carved woodblocks, then applying colour and embellishing with fake gold or silver leaf. Artists Campbell Sandilands and Yeung Joo Han lead the workshop. Post-Pop Printmaking Sat 13 Aug, 2–3pm. £5. Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Inspired by the work of Michael Craig-Martin in the festival exhibition, the Printmakers offers a studio tour and demonstration of the most up-to-date printmaking technologies. Ages 16+. Fabulous Felt Hats Sun 14 Aug, 10.30am–3.30pm. £18. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Learn how to make felt hats and decorate with buttons and beads. Ages 16+. Screen Bandita Summer Workshops Sun 14 Aug, 11am–noon. £5. Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 228 2688. Those cinema outlaws at Screen Bandita present their collection of found Super 8 films, gramophone and 78 records, and share their passion for outdated technology and film in a workshop celebrating the old fashioned in filmmaking technology. FREE Discovering Family History at NLS Tue 16 Aug, 2pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. Delve into your family’s past as NLS reveals research techniques in this practical workshop. Booking essential. Taste of Paper and Air Wed 17 Aug, 1.45pm. £6. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. Aerial expression workshop for all levels of ability, using silks, trapeze, rope and more. Part of Leith on the Fringe. Woodcut Workshop Thu 18 Aug, 10.30am–1pm. £35 (£30). Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Create a woodcut print in the style of Albrecht Dürer, the subject of a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland this summer. Booking essential.
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