Here are 15 exciting things to do and see in Edinburgh this month…
There are so many brilliant events happening in the capital from Burns Night celebrations and festivals to comedy shows and exhibitions. Below are just a few that you won't want to miss!
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| Burns Night in Edinburgh. Image source. |
EVENT. Burns Night, venues across Edinburgh
Friday 18 to Sunday 27, January
There are lots of Burns Night celebrations taking place in Edinburgh to choose from.
Events take place throughout the week at venues such as the Ghillie Due. However, most are held on Friday, January 25th on the birthday of the Scottish poet Robert Burns.
These include ceilidhs, folk bands, comedy nights and burns suppers. For our full listings visit our page https://edinburghandus.blogspot.com/2019/01/burns-night-in-edinburgh-2019.html.
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| Tenebrae. Image source. |
Friday 25, January at 11pm
This 1982 film has been chosen as part of the cinema’s Uncanny Valley series which plays ‘nocturnal neo-classics lurking in the shadows’.
Tenebrae was set some time in the near future, in a city affected by an unnamed disaster which left its population wealthier and less crowded. An American writer crosses paths with a deranged serial killer, taking on the role of investigator while teaming up with a detective.
The filmhouse describe it as: ‘Quintessentially Argento, this beautifully brutal flick contains what Tarantino has called his ‘favourite on-screen murder’. But to balance the treatment of women, there is some gloriously graphic male murder by female devices in the mix. And the synth-prog soundtrack by Goblin is a masterpiece on its own.’
This 1982 film has been chosen as part of the cinema’s Uncanny Valley series which plays ‘nocturnal neo-classics lurking in the shadows’.
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| Award winning Pilates instructor, Hollie Grant, will take a class at the festival on Saturday morning. |
FITNESS. Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival, Assembly Rooms
Saturday 26 – Sunday 27, January
A festival dedicated to health, fitness and wellbeing with talks, classes and workshops from big names in the wellness industry.
Classes are available for all levels from yoga and Pilates to HIIT and meditation. Expert advice is on healthy eating, stress, parenting, mental health, mindfulness and more. Talks and workshops are on vegan and plant-based diets, natural beauty and skincare. The event’s Wellbeing Marketplace also provides wellness products, free health MOT’s, massage and food.
Tickets are available for £27.50 for a half day entry. For details visit: https://www.edinburghwellbeingfestival.com/.
A festival dedicated to health, fitness and wellbeing with talks, classes and workshops from big names in the wellness industry.
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| Schindler's List. Image source. |
Sunday January 27th at 1pm
One of the most critically acclaimed films of the 1990s, Schindler’s List retells the true story of Oskar Schindler (superbly played by Liam Neeson), a German Catholic industrialist who sought his fortune in the aftermath of the German invasion of Poland by exploiting his membership of the Nazi Party and cheap Jewish labour. But as the horror of the events surrounding him became apparent, Schindler risked everything to protect and save the lives of more than 1,100 Jews by sheltering them in his factory.
Spectacularly shot in monochrome, the images are stylish, elegant, profoundly moving and increasingly more disturbing. Arguably Spielberg’s most passionate film, Schindler’s List is also one of his most restrained, avoiding the sentimentality that featured strongly in his previous work. It’s one of the best war films ever made and ranks among the greatest pictures of all time.
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| The Gorms. Image source. |
MUSIC. The Gorms, Whiski Bar and Restaurant
Mondays and Fridays, 10pm – 12.30am
The Gorms play free mostly traditional Scottish folk music in their own distinctive way.
An element of humour usually runs through their performances, which run the gamut from soft and wistful to (more often) very rowdy. Visit their website at https://thegorms.bandcamp.com/ or view footage of the bank live on YouTube.
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| The Kagools will perform at The Comedy Show this month. Image source. |
COMEDY. The Comedy Show, Gilded Balloon Basement
Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm-10pm
The Basement Theatre host ‘The Comedy Show’ which combines up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.
There is a different line-up and headliner every week. On the 18-19 January is MC: Chris Forbes with Ray Bradshaw, Zahra Barri and Mark Nelson. The 25-26 January is MC: Billy Kirkwood with Susan Riddell, Grant Busé and The Kagools.
Tickets are £12. For details visit: https://www.gildedballoon.co.uk/programme/performances.php?eventId=14:2427.
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| The Marshmallow Lady's stall at the Stockbridge market. Image credit: Edinburgh&Us. © |
MARKETS. Locations across Edinburgh
Saturday and Sundays
Traders vary from week to week at each of the markets selling goods such as art and crafts, food items, jewellery and gifts.
The Edinburgh Farmers Market, at Castle Terrace, runs on Saturdays from 9am – 2pm and sells a variety of fresh local produce from specialist producers.
The Grassmarket Weekly Market takes place on Saturdays from 10am – 5pm. The Leith Market, which includes a ‘vegan quarter’, also takes place on Saturdays and starts at 10am-4pm. The Stockbridge Market takes place on Sundays from 10am-5pm.
For details visit http://www.stockbridgemarket.com/ and http://www.edinburghfarmersmarket.co.uk/.
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| Troupe de Mille Eglantine 1896 by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. Image source. |
ART EXHIBITION. Pin-Ups: Toulouse-Lautrec and the Art of Celebrity, Scottish National Gallery
Now – Sunday 20, January
Paris in the 19th century was known as the 'city of pleasure’ - famed for its cabarets, dance halls and cafés. Most famous of all were the nightspots of the bohemian district of Montmartre, including the now legendary café-cabarets Le Moulin Rouge and Le Chat Noir. This is the area where Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) lived, worked and socialised.
The exhibition focuses on Toulouse-Lautrec’s lithographic posters, portfolio prints and illustrations. These made stars of Montmartre’s venues and their entertainers - personalities such as Yvette Guilbert, Jane Avril and Aristide Bruant.
Toulouse-Lautrec’s career coincided with a revolutionary moment in the history of western printmaking - the development of the poster as a means of mass-marketing. Lithography and poster-making were central to his creative process from his first experiments in the medium in 1891 until his death in 1901.
Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions online. Visit: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/pin-ups-toulouse-lautrec-and-art-celebrity.
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| The bulgarian born, Highland based travel writer Kapka Kassabova writes about the origins of Europa and her writing is featured at The National Scottish Monument (Calton Hill) with music by Pippa Murphy. |
EVENT. Message from the Skies, Various locations across Edinburgh
Now – January 25
This free event uses projections of love letters by writers to illuminate buildings around the city.
These run daily from 5pm to 10pm at locations including Calton Hill, Custom House, TechCube, Bongo Club, Tron Kirk and Leith Library.
A selection of love letters written to Europe by Billy Letford, Chitra Ramaswamy, Kapka Kassabova, Louise Welsh, Stef Smith and William Dalrymple animate the buildings.
The Scotsman describes: “these Love Letters to Europe represent a rich harvest of reflection about ourselves and our continent, at this historic turning point”.
The projections are different at each location and are four to 16 minutes long, all with a three-minute break between showings.
For information visit: https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/whats-on/message-from-the-skies.
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| Terrorism (Together) 1946, by Edwin G. Lucas. Image source. |
ART EXHIBITION. Edwin G. Lucas: An Individual Eye, City Art Gallery
Now – Sunday 10, February
Edwin G. Lucas (1911-1990) was one of the most unique Scottish painters of the 20th century. Born and raised in Edinburgh, he channelled the influence of Surrealism in his work, cultivating an original and highly imaginative style of painting during the 1940s and 50s that set him apart from his contemporaries. Today, however, he is virtually unknown.
This is the first major exhibition to focus on this unusual and enigmatic artist and reveals the untold story of his life and career. It is free of charge and features over sixty artworks from public and private collections, including loans from the artist’s estate and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
Visit: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/edwin-g-lucas-individual-eye.
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| Giant Lanterns of China. Image source. |
EVENT. Giant Lanterns of China, Edinburgh Zoo
Now – Sunday 17, February
The Giant Lanterns of China is a mile trail with more than 450 crafted lanterns which feature ancient Chinese legends and fantasy creatures.
Some of these include unicorns, giants, kelpies and the Loch Ness Monster, alongside animals past and present. There is also handmade crafts from Chinese artisans in the marketplace and hot drinks and snacks.
Tickets online are £18 for an adult and £9.50 for a child. For details visit: https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/giant-lanterns-2018/.
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| 'A portrait of two female painters' (2018) by Ania Hobson at the BP Portrait Award exhibition. |
ART EXHIBITION. BP Portrait Award 2018, Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Now – Sunday 10, March
The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait painting competition in the world and represents the very best in contemporary portrait painting. With a first prize of £35,000, and a total prize fund of £74,000, the award is aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop portraiture in their work. Over the years this has attracted over 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries.
A fixture at the National Portrait Gallery, London for 39 years - 29 of which have been sponsored by BP. The BP Portrait Award is now in its ninth year at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and it continues to be an unmissable highlight of the annual art calendar.
See: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/bp-portrait-award-2018.
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| Artist Julie Roberts pictured with some of her paintings. Image source. |
EXHIBITION. Another Country, City Art Centre
Now – Sunday 17, March
This free exhibition examines contemporary immigration to Scotland, exploring themes of integration, nationality and identity.
It brings together eleven leading artists from distinct ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds, all born or currently living in Scotland. All sides of the debate are being considered but central to the exhibition are New Scots themselves.
The exhibition does not aim to instruct the visitor but rather encourage discussion, and throughout its duration it offers the opportunity to create sustainable dialogue with audiences that will increase understanding and lead to new insights into community building.
Artists include: Graham Fagen, Owen Logan, Andrew Gilbert, Toby Paterson and Julie Roberts.
For information visit: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/another-country.
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| Spider Couple (2003) sculpture by Louise Bourgeois. Image source. |
ART EXHIBITION. Artist Rooms: Louise Bourgeois, Kettle’s Yard
Now – Sunday 24, March
The free exhibition of work by Louise Bourgeois at Kettle’s Yard includes sculptures, prints and drawings, reflecting different periods in Bourgeois’ life. All works are drawn from the Artist Rooms collection.
Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) was born in Paris and lived and worked in New York from 1938. She is widely recognised as one of the most important figures of modern and contemporary art. Often biographical, Bourgeois’ work explores themes including childhood, family, motherhood and gender identity.
She engaged with existentialism and surrealism as a young artist in Paris – where she was also mentored by Joan Miró – and moved to New York in 1938. The importance of her work was not fully recognised until the 1970s, when her career was reinvigorated by a new generation of women artists.
Her wide-ranging art, encompassed painting, sculpture, installation and printmaking, exploring themes including childhood, family, motherhood and gender identity.
Go to: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/artist-rooms-louise-bourgeois-kettles-yard.
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| Replica of Maria, designed by Walter Schulze-Mittendorff for Fritz Lang's film Metropolis, 1927. |
EXHIBITION. Robots, National Museum of Scotland.
Now – Sunday 5, May
From early mechanised human forms to today’s cutting-edge technology, this exhibition reveals our 500-year quest to make machines human.
It features more than 100 objects – from automatons to science fiction film stars and the creations of modern research labs.
Focusing on robots that are designed to resemble the human body, the exhibition explores the creation of these humanoids and the insights they offer into our ambitions and desires in a rapidly changing world.
Featured are early clockwork machines, a modern recreation of renowned British robot Eric, and stars of the silver screen including a T-800 endoskeleton used in the movie Terminator Salvation and a replica of Maria from the iconic 1927 film Metropolis.
Tickets are £10 for adults, £8 for concessions and free for children under 16. Visit: https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/whats-on/robots/.
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| Jacqueline Kennedy II by Andy Warhol. Image source. |
ART EXHIBITION. Andy Warhol and Eduardo Paolozzi | I want to be a machine, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Now – Sunday 2, June
This free exhibition takes its theme from a much-quoted remark by Andy Warhol: “I want to be a machine”. Behind Warhol’s seemingly facetious quip was the serious belief that art would become increasingly mechanised.
This exhibition examines Warhol’s and Paolozzi’s work, showing how they captured images from photography and advertisements. Warhol traced his images while Paolozzi used collage, until they both turned to screen-printing in the early 1960s to transform photographs into prints.
It includes rarely seen drawings by Warhol from the 1950s, as well as his famous multi-coloured prints of Marilyn Monroe and a group of recently acquired ‘stitched’ photographs. Works by Paolozzi include some of his early proto-Pop collages from the early 1950s and his kaleidoscopically-coloured prints from the 60s and 70s.
For more details, go to https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/andy-warhol-and-eduardo-paolozzi-i-want-be-machine.
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