The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition 31 May - 2 June 2024
Book Festival splits from Baillie Gifford, former staff save Jazz Bar, Abbeymount open studios + Meadows Festival weekender
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, followed by the weekend guide for paying subscribers.
📚 The Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford have ended their 20-year partnership, citing ‘intolerable pressure’ from activists over the climate emergency and Israel. - Both parties published lengthy statements here.
⮑ The move comes after more than 800 writers and literary workers signed Fossil Free Books’ open letter calling for Baillie Gifford to divest from ‘fossil fuel companies and companies that profit from Israeli apartheid, occupation; and genocide.’
⮑ Nick Thomas of Baillie Gifford denied the claims and said activists should now be blamed for the arts funding crisis:
“The activists’ anonymous campaign of coercion and misinformation has put intolerable pressure on authors and the festival community. We step back with the hope that the festival will thrive this year and into the future. We hold the activists squarely responsible for the inhibiting effect their action will have on funding for the arts in this country.”
⮑ The statements sparked fierce responses in the Instagram comments.
⮑ This year’s book festival is scheduled for 10-25 August, with the full programme due to be launched next week (Tuesday 4 June). Organisers said Baillie Gifford’s funding for this festival has already been provided and deployed, so the split will begin next year. Jenny Niven, chief executive of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:
“Undermining the long-term future of charitable organisations such as book festivals is not the right way to bring about change. It diminishes the voices of those who feel strongly about these complex issues, and it will be infinitely harder to build and sustain well-funded cultural institutions in the future than it is to put them out of business today.”
⮑ Allan Little, chair of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, added: “Our team cannot be expected to deliver a safe and sustainable festival this August under the constant threat of disruption from activists. This was a pragmatic response to that reality.”
⮑ Fossil Free Books said that they are due to meet with book festival director Jenny Niven today at 1.30pm.
🎷 The Jazz Bar on Chambers Street has been saved by former staff. They have a crowdfunder here and shared more details in this Instagram post:
“The Community Interest Company has been set up by Nick and Justyna Mushlin, a husband and wife team with decades of experience and deep connections to the bar. When it became apparent that The Jazz Bar would shut, they took it upon themselves, with help and support from the music community surrounding the bar, to purchase the assets. Their aim was to start a new venture to serve the community they had been a part of for so long, continuing the legacy that the old Jazz Bar had created and nurtured for many years. Former staff, sound engineers, and musicians dug deep to collectively raise enough money to enable The Jazz Bar CIC to purchase the assets, name, and license when the opportunity arose. A testament to the strength of the JB community!”
🚙 New restrictions on the most polluting vehicles entering the city centre will be enforced from Saturday. The council says number plate recognition cameras will be used to enforce the Low Emission Zone, with fines sent to owners of vehicles that don’t meet minimum emissions standards. Exemptions apply for blue badge holders and emergency vehicles. You can check whether a vehicle is compliant on the LEZ Scotland website. - A map and other information is on the council website here.
✈️ Around 50 Edinburgh Airport workers have won a new pay deal including an increase in basic pay from £10.90 to £12.20 per hour, claims the Unite union.
🍽️ A new restaurant called Pier House has lodged plans to open in the closed former Loch Fyne unit at Newhaven. - SSC Edinburgh.
🍺 Kilderkin pub on the Canongate is being rebranded as The Abbey. It was previously known as Jenny Ha’s since the 1960s. - Gary Flockhart, Evening News.
🏠 New ‘colony-style’ houses will be available to rent from next month at Heron Bank on South Fort Street near the Water of Leith. - Scottish Housing News.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 “On Friday May 24th, Handicabs Lothian CEO Kelvin and SEAG CEO Lesia started the journey to donate the 9-seater adapted bus filled with equipment. Leaving from our depot in Edinburgh to the hospital in the Khmelnytsky region of the Ukraine, covering a staggering 3134km, they arrived on Tuesday the 28th of May and handed all donations over. Thank you to all of the community that supported us to make this happen.” Thanks to Dolina Gorman Fundraiser and HcL for sharing this news.
📌 All weekend: “You, your friends and family are all invited to this year’s Meadows Festival, an entirely volunteer-run and free annual community festival! Saturday 1st June and Sunday 2nd June, 10am – 6pm, The Meadows, Edinburgh. 🎼What is the Meadows Festival? A two-day volunteer-run community gala and free festival with the biggest outdoor market in Edinburgh. There’s something for all ages… From the Children and Families’ Area, to the Dog Show, Performance Area, a local youth music stage, Main Stage with local music artists, stalls, a range of food vans and outdoor bars.” - Thanks to Kasia, Volunteer Coordinator, for sharing this.
📌 “The Corstorphine Fair takes place this Saturday at St Margaret's Park from 11am-4pm, and the weather is looking great for the biennial event! There are over 60 stalls from local businesses, as well as inflatables and games. Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents are holding a tombola in aid of the Maggie's Centre at the Western General, with excellent prizes such as signed football merchandise, rounds of golf, meal vouchers, children's toys and much more!” - Thanks to the team at Neilsons Solicitors for sharing this.
📌 “Cymera: Scotland's Festival of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Writing is back at the Pleasance, Edinburgh for its sixth instalment. Meet over 60 authors including Joanne Harris, Natasha Pulley, Nigel Planer and Mark Lawrence, get your theatre fix with Terry Pratchett's Men at Arms or Dune! The Musical and discover local publishers and comic creators in our Creators Hall. Friday 31st May to Sunday 2nd June 2024.” - Thanks to Ann Landmann, Festival Director, for sharing this.
📌 “Romans from Trimontium Museum in Melrose are setting up camp outside the Museum on the Mound on Saturday 1st June from 1pm - 5pm. Drop by for completely free activities both outside and inside the Museum on the Mound including real Roman object handling, face painting and dressing up, coin striking, a craft stall, and even firing a replica ballista! You’ll also learn about Roman-era historic sites you can visit in and around Edinburgh.” - Trimontium Trust
📌 “New June issue of volunteer-led FREE community magazine “C&B News”, serving communities in south-west Edinburgh, is now available digitally and in print from this Saturday in selected retail outlets across Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Baberton Mains, and Colinton. (See website for list.) Includes news, the latest from local groups and organisations, updates from our regular columnists, plus reports on local summer community events—rain permitting, of course!” - Thank you to Paul Fisher Cockburn for sharing this.
📰 Also hot off the press, June’s free edition of The List magazine. It looks forward to the return of Game On at the National Museum Of Scotland, NT Art Month, Henry Winkler takes on the Q&A and more, available online here.
🛝 Here’s this week’s Gayle’s Guide of family-friendly things to do in Edinburgh, including World Ocean Week, The Meadows Festival, Edinburgh International Children's Festival and more.
📆 More things to do this weekend:
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