A free exhibition, demonstrations and an open studios weekend have been organised by artists and makers at a former Edinburgh bakery.
The open weekend at Patriothall Gallery and Artists’ Studios, Stockbridge, on December 5 and 6 will see work by nearly 30 painters, ceramicists, jewellers and others at the Wasps studios with live demonstrations of painting, weaving, mosaic making, Japanese woodblock printing and a wide-ranging exhibition that features everything from wood and silverwork to mixed media and textiles. Admission is free.
Wasps had leased Patriothall since the 1980s and the Open Studios events began in 2002, but the facility came under threat when the building's owners decided to sell. £1.3 million was rapidly raised to save the studios, allowing Patriothall to be purchased and refurbished by Wasps in 2004.
patriothallgallery.co.uk
StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival in St Andrews has revealed a line up of prize-winning poets among for its full festival programme for 2016.
The festival. which runs March 2-6, will open with Sea Threads: comings and goings/Sea Treeds: comins an gyaains. The performance is a collaboration between Tommy Smith, saxophonist and director of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, and his group Karma, together with acclaimed Shetlandic poet and Edinburgh Makar, Christine De Luca. The opening night show will launch the four day festival.
Among StAnza’s 2016 headliners is recent winner of the Fenton Aldeburgh first collection prize, Andrew McMillan. He is one of four poets shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award along with fellow StAnza headliner Don Paterson, who is also a jazz musician and twice winner of the T.S. Eliot prize (pictured).
Another prize-winner featured in the programme is Fiona Benson, joint winner of the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for her collection Bright Travellers.
Other poets include Pascale Petit, Sean O’Brien, Brian Johnstone and John Burnside who will be joined by Nora Gomringer from Germany, Swedish poet Aase Berg, Jane Yolen and Thomas Lynch from the USA and Australian poet Sarah Holland-Batt. More than 60 poets will be taking part.
stanzapoetry.org
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has made an award to a playwriting scheme at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.
Lloyd Webber said: "Nurturing and encouraging young talent from all backgrounds is key to a diverse and vibrant creative industry. From within primary and secondary schools through to post-graduate and professional training, these projects recognise the importance of the artists being equipped with the skills, experiences and support needed for the UK’s creative industry to continue thriving."
The Traverse has received one of seven UK awards from the foundation, £13,000 for the Class Act Project, a 6-month playwriting scheme for up to 70 secondary school children, aged 15 to 18, from five state schools across Edinburgh.
The funding will support creative writing workshops held both at the theatre and in schools, to challenge and encourage pupils to draft, develop and stage their own pieces of new writing with the final performances being taken to the Traverse stage.
andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com
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