www.list.co.uk/aroundtown AroundTown
248 2937. See article, page 27. Booking essential. Arts & Entertainment Quiz Mon 24 Jan, 8pm. £1. Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. Perfect for artsy types who always struggle with the sports round. Sale of Books, Maps and Manuscripts Wed 26 Jan, 11am. Fine Art Auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, 33 Broughton Place, 557 8844. Auction selling rare books, maps, manuscripts and photographs. FREE The Melting Pot Jelly Thu 27 Jan, 9am–9pm. The Melting Pot, 5 Rose Street, 243 2626. See article, page 27.
✽✽ Edinburgh Iranian Festival Fri 28 Jan–Sun 6 Feb, times vary. Prices
vary. Various venues, Edinburgh, www.ediranfest.co.uk See picture, right. FREE RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Sat 29 & Sun 30 Jan, 12.30–3.30pm. John Hope Gateway Centre, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Help the RSPB with a national bird survey.
✽✽ FREE Stem Cell Roadshow Tue 1 Feb, 5.45pm. Royal College
Of Surgeons, 9 Hill Square, 01793 442851, ukapm@uknscn.org. The UK National Stem Cell Network presents a public event offering information about this increasingly important and oft- misunderstood area of science.
Fairs FREE Out of the Blue Flea Market Sat 22 Jan, 10am–2pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. Bargain buys including furniture, clothes, music and more. Scottish Bridal Exhibition Sat 22 & Sun 23 Jan, 11.30am. £7. EICC, 150 Morrison Street, 300 3000. All your bridal needs.
Sport BellyJam Thu 20 Jan, 27 Jan & 3 Feb, 7.15–8.15pm. £40 for eight weeks; £5 per week. Studio Below, Medusa Hairdressing 26 Bread Street, www.bellydancingbarbie.com. Aerobic bellydance class for both fitness and fun. Led by Lindsey Marie Silver, who is both a professional belly dancer and a qualified fitness instructor. Talks FREE Understanding Technology: Patenting the Telephone Thu 20 Jan, 3–4.30pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Find out about the invention of the telephone, and the legal disputes that surrounded its development with Professor Graeme Gooday from the University of Leeds. FREE Edinburgh Skeptics Thu 20 Jan, 7.30pm. The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. Opportunity for rational thinkers to meet and discuss all things sceptical. Stephan Matthiesen looks at the evidence for climate change. See article, page 27. FREE A Dutch Lady by Frans Hals Fri 21 Jan, 12.45–1.15pm. National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound, 624 6200. The story around this vivid portrait is brought to life by art historian Ailsa Turner. Curator’s Choice: Looking Through the Past Fri 21 Jan, 2–3pm. £5 (£4). National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. The history of scientific instruments, from Galileo’s telescope to a magic lantern. Why Are We Here? Mon 24 Jan, 7.30–8.30pm. £3 (£1.50; season tickets £10 for children and £20 for adults). Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 668 8404. Modern cosmology can provide surprising answers to the big questions about the origins of the universe, and whether or not this universe is in fact the only one. With Martin Hendry. Scottish Plant Explorers Talk by Alan Bennell Tue 25 Jan, 7.30pm. £5 (members £3). Royal Botanic Garden Lecture Theatre, 20a Inverleith Row, www.rgbe.org.uk. A lecture from
RGBE’s Head of Services about the intrepid Scots adventurers who contributed towards the wealth of species in the garden today. Zoo Review Thu 27 Jan, 7.30–9.30pm. £7 (members £5). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Animal department staff focus on the highlights and changes of 2010. ‘Mon the Sun Bears! Ages 14+. Booking essential.
✽✽ The Global Commune Sat 29 Jan, 11am–4pm. Waged £4;
unwaged £2. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. The third annual event from the Global Commune. This time platform speakers from various organisations will discuss trade unions in all their forms: the rank and file approach, independent unions, autonomous organisation, community unionism and much more. FREE The Glenmorangie Project Mon 31 Jan, 6–7pm. Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22–26 George Street, 240 5000. In collaboration with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the National Museum of Scotland presents an event at which Dr David Clarke, Keeper of Archaeology, discusses some of the findings about early Scotland made as a result of financial support from the Glenmorangie Company. The Night Sky In February Mon 31 Jan, 7.30–8.30pm. £3 (£1.50; season tickets £10 for children and £20 for adults). Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 668 8404. William Taylor and Vinod Arumugan discuss the sights to be seen in the February skies. Vets Talk Thu 3 Feb, 7.30–9pm. £7 (members £5). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. The zoo’s animal doctors talk about what they’ve been up to in the last year. Booking essential. Ages 14+.
✽✽ Last Chance to See . . . With Mark Carwardine Thu 3 Feb, 7.30pm. £8 (under 18s/students/RSGS members free). Appleton Tower, University Of Edinburgh Crichton Street, 650 8445. A highly entertaining and enlightening behind-the-scenes talk about the popular BBC series Last Chance to See, co-presented with Stephen Fry. The unlikely duo journeyed from the steamy jungles of the Amazon to the icy mountains of New Zealand and from the edge of a war zone in Central Africa to a sub-tropical paradise in the North Pacific, searching for some of the most endangered creatures on Earth. In this talk Mark offers a perspective on the disappearing world around us, and brings the story up to date with two Last Chance to See specials, on rhino conservation and the Gulf oil spill.
Workshops Joyworks! Laugh In Fri 21 Jan, 1.30pm. £8 (£6). The Melting Pot, 5 Rose Street, 243 2626. Joyworks laughter workshop including laughter yoga, games and relaxation. Simple Art of Meditation Sat 22 Jan, 10am–4pm. £40 (members £36). Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2979. Escape the rat race with this one- day introduction to the art of meditation, all set in the calming atmosphere of the Botanics. Please book in advance. Booking essential. Botanical Art Society Painting Days Saturdays, 22 Jan–19 Mar, 10am–3.30pm. £80 (members £72). Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2937. A course of self-directed classes for advanced botanical painters. FREE Knitted Jewellery Sat 22 Jan, 10am–3.30pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Learn how to knit with wires to make beaded and sequinned jewellery pieces inspired by the seasons. Booking essential. Colour Plate Lithography Sat 22 & Sun 23 Jan, 10am–5.30pm. £145 (£97). Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Weekend course at the open access printmaking studios, showing you how to use light sensitive aluminium photo plates to expose and
Edinburgh Iranian Festival
Following 2009’s success, this volunteer-run cultural festival is back and even bigger for 2011, with nine days and multiple venues packed out with concerts, dancing, comedy, a bazaar, talks and exhibitions. And don’t forget all that absolutely delicious Persian food . . . See www.ediranfest.co.uk for full listings. ■ Fri 28 Jan–Sun 6 Feb, times, prices and venues vary.
print detailed marks in black and white and colour. Introduction to Etching Sat 22 & Sun 23 Jan, 10am–5.30pm. £145 (£97). Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Learn from members of Edinburgh Printmakers how to work directly onto metal plates to develop beautiful and experimental etchings. Portrait Photography Sat 22 Jan, 11am–5pm. £59 (£49). Stills, 23 Cockburn Street, 622 6200. One-day basic course covering formal and informal portraiture, studio and natural lighting, and technical settings. Psychodrama Dream Group Tue 25 Jan & 1 Feb, 6–8pm. £10–£35. Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, 623 8911. Explore your dreams through creative group action methods at this ten-week drama therapy course. To sign up email commongroundarts@onetel.com. Japanese Woodblock Printing Sat 29 & Sun 30 Jan, 10am–5.30pm. £145 (£97). Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. A two-day course in the ancient techniques of Japanese block printing. Introduction to Water-Based Screenprinting Sat 29 & Sun 30 Jan, 10am–5.30pm. £145 (£97). Edinburgh
Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Use anything from photocopied images or text to your own drawings to screenprint onto paper. You can also layer up different colours, to gorgeous effect, and use light- sensitive stencils to add detail. Portrait Photography 2 Sat 29 & Sun 30 Jan, 11am–5pm. £149 (£129). Stills, 23 Cockburn Street, 622 6200. For the more advanced portrait photographer (or perhaps someone who has completed the first Portrait Photography workshop, last week), this session focuses on shooting on location. Beginning Botanical Art Saturdays 29 Jan–24 Mar, 7–9pm. £70 (members £63). Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2937. A 10-week course introducing students to botanical painting techniques.
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20 Jan–3 Feb 2011 THE LIST 29