A SERIES of debates, discussions and performances are to be held at the Edinburgh International Festival to discuss Power, Gender and the Arts.

The events are the first collaborations between five major capital festivals: the EIF, as well as its Art, Book, Film and Fringe festivals, as well as the actor’s union Equity and the Musician’s Union, with support from Edinburgh Trade Union Council and Scottish Trade Unions.

It will take place on August 10 at The Hub.

It has been co-curated and chaired by Catherine Mayer, the journalist, author and co-founder and president of the Women’s Equality Party.

The panellists include the actor and Equity president Maureen Beattie, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland Jackie Wylie, film producer Alison Owen whose credits include Suffragette, Hope Dickson Leach, writer and director of The Levelling, and political advisor-turned-comedian Ayesha Hazareka.

The author and journalist Chitra Ramaswamy is also part of the the line-up alongside writer and curator Layla-Roxanne Hill.

Naomi Pohl, the first female Assistant General Secretary of the Music Union, will be on the panel, alongside Ruth McCarthy who leads the Outburst Queer Arts Festival in Northern Ireland.

Joanna Baker, managing director of the EIF, said: "Edinburgh in August plays host to creative practitioners and thinkers from every part of our industry.

"It is the ideal setting for bringing many different voices together to explore how to achieve positive change in collaboration with colleagues across the Festivals and Trade Unions."

Ms Mayer added: "Our collective aim is to uncover the structural barriers to female participation across culture and through debates and artistic provocations to deliver, on the day, a manifesto for progress."

Power, Gender and the Arts is free but ticketed.

www.eif.co.uk

THE new exhibition at Stills, Edinburgh's photography centre, is to feature the work of Orcadian artists Gunnie Moberg and Margaret Tait.

It is the first major exhibition of photographs by Gunnie Moberg (1941-2007) outside of Orkney and it will also include six films by Margaret Tait (1918-1999) to coincide with the Orcadian filmmakers’ centenary anniversary.

The works by Moberg include 11 new prints, never before exhibited publicly, and produced at Stills especially for the show.

The show, The Days Never Seem the Same, includes a selection of Moberg’s photographs, from portraits to aerial views of the landscape of Orkney, dating from the late 1970s to the years immediately before her death.

Ben Harman, director of Stills, said: “This exhibition gives us the opportunity to present important work in photography and film that deserves greater recognition. Gunnie Moberg and Margaret Tait both chose to base themselves in Orkney and to an extent they both opted out of the art and film establishments.

"Despite this, their work is of a standard equivalent to that of any international peers.

"Through their chosen mediums they have connected Orkney to the rest of the world and vice-versa.”

It will run from July 27 to October 28.

The exhibition is timed to coincide with Margaret Tait 100, coordinated by LUX Scotland, University of Stirling, and Pier Arts Centre.

www.stills.org

SHELTER Scotland has announced its line-up of comedians for this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe fundraiser.

The event is part of a series being held to mark the housing and homelessness charity’s 50th anniversary.

Reginald D Hunter and David O’Doherty will take part, as well as Sofie Hagen, Felicity Ward and Ed Gamble.

The show is at the Udderbelly on George Square, on 15 August with profits going to support the work of Shelter and Shelter Scotland.

This is the fifth year the charity has arranged a benefit show at the Fringe.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: "We rely on fundraising, including events like Stand Up For Shelter, to bring in the money we need to carry on our vital work. I can’t thank these acts enough for showing their support by performing for us at their busiest time of the year and helping us mark our 50th anniversary.

"There is nothing funny about being homeless, which makes the funds raised by Stand Up For Shelter vital to help us carry on fighting against bad housing and homelessness until there’s a decent, affordable home for everyone."

www.shelterscotland.org/standup