🪩 Edinburgh Culture Minute: 16 - 22 April 2025
Ezra Collective at Fringe by the Sea, 404 Ink showcase series, Disco Lovers' Last Dance, a big role with National Centre for Music & lots of new festival jobs
Welcome to the 85th weekly edition of the Culture Minute: a round-up of Edinburgh’s local creative news, events, jobs and opportunities.
If I’ve missed anything please get in touch.
👀 The most-viewed links from the last Edinburgh Culture Minute:
- 🎭 Jodie Comer to bring Prima Facie to the Lyceum.
- 🎨 Fruitmarket is hosting a ‘Kids Art for Adults’ event on Saturday.
- 🎵 Music industry careers day at Edinburgh Futures Institute.
News:
🥁 Mercury Prize and BRIT Award winners Ezra Collective have been announced as the Fringe by the Sea Saturday headliners on 9 August. It will be the band’s only Scottish show this year. - Tickets.
🪩 Edinburgh Disco Lovers close the book on seven years of throwing parties for good causes this Friday with Berlin (via Edinburgh) disco extraordinaire Eva Crystaltips. - Sneaky Pete’s, Friday from 11pm.
🎨 Local artists are being invited to submit ideas for the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade on 22 August. Hosted at St Cecilia’s Hall and supported by Historic Environment Scotland, this year’s event will shed light on colonial links reflected in built environment and collections. £2,000 will be given to each chosen artist/collective. - More details here. (Deadline 21 May).
🎭 What's on Edinburgh's stages this week?
With thanks - as always - to All Edinburgh Theatre’s Thom Dibdin for sharing this:
This Easter Week sees one of Edinburgh's biggest community productions return for the Easter Play on Saturday, the final week of Wild Rose and a whip-cracking Calamity Jane.
The big show in town is the Watermill Theatre’s Calamity Jane, (Tue - Sat: tickets) with Carrie Hope Fletcher taking the title role as the biggest mouth in Dakota territory and always up for a fight.
The hottest ticket in town, however, is at the Lyceum. If you have not seen Wild Rose (ends Sat: tickets) yet, and want to (and you surely do want to!) then grab a ticket faster than Calamity can grab her gun: It's all but sold out.
In an additional treat for Musical Theatre fans, lyricist Tim Rice is at the Festival Theatre on Sunday with I Know Him So Well (tickets). There's musical support from a band of musicians and singers led by MD Duncan Waugh.
And so to Princes Street Gardens (West) and possibly the most interesting event of the week: Behold the Man (Sat: details). This year's Easter community production directed by Suzanne Lofthus explores how Jesus was a positive masculine figure despite living under oppression, and his ability to defy societal perceptions of masculinity.
Lastly, Ivor is the final lunchtime show at the Traverse for the current season (ends Sat: tickets). Not the best, sadly. And it is returns only.
See Æ's various listings pages, all linked here for more details.
🔗 More local culture news and events:
✍️ Free: Mindfulness and Watercolours Walk on the Union Canal: Saturday 19 April, 1pm from Harrison Park. Picnic provided by Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust and Edinburgh Printmakers. - Book your space here.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 Next Tuesday: An Inklings Showcase: Big Ideas in Small Books - “The Portobello Bookshop is partnering with Edinburgh-based publisher 404 Ink for the first in a series of showcases of their vast and insightful Inklings series, which captures big ideas in small books. Join us to hear from Arusa Qureshi, Casci Ritchie, Thom James Carter and Xuanlin Tham about their Inklings as they delve into topics from hip hop to Dungeons & Dragons, sex scenes to the fashion of Prince, with bitesize talks and a Q&A with Rebecca Wojturska.” - Thanks to The Portobello Bookshop for sharing this. - Tickets for the event are here.
📌 Saturday: “Step into a vibrant fusion of cultures this April. The HelloArt Easter Fusion Market brings together the rich traditions of Asia and the festive spirit of Easter, creating a unique, fun-filled experience for all ages. Explore, create, taste, and celebrate—completely free at the Drill Hall (12pm - 5pm).” - Thanks to Out of the Blue for sharing this.
📌 “Cirqulation: Heritage is a dynamic showcase of home-grown Scotland-based contemporary circus talent ranging from acrobatics to aerial and more. This 10th edition of the circus spectacular is themed around heritage - where did we come from, what do we carry with us and what will we be remembered by? Cirqulation: Heritage takes place at Assembly Roxy, Sunday 27 April, 6pm, tickets from £15.” - Thanks to the Cirqulation team for sharing this.
📌 “We’re beyond excited to welcome our next speaker, Alex Porter-Currie, co-founder and producer at High Tide, an award-winning film production company known for creating bold, memorable content for clients like Glenmorangie, the Scottish Government and Mitsuba Snacks. Join us at Summerhall on 25 April from 8.30-9.30am for an inspiring morning with free coffee, breakfast and creative connection. Free tickets will be available on our website from 11am on 18 April.” - Thanks to the CreativeMornings Edinburgh team for sharing this.
📌 “Gorgeous Gaelic song and music to celebrate award winning Lothian Gaelic choir’s 40th anniversary! Join us at 7:30pm on Saturday 26 April, Morningside United Church, Chamberlain road in Bruntsfield. Thigibh nar cuideachd!” - Thanks to Miriam and Maeve of Lothian Gaelic Choir for sharing this.
📌 “Session A9, described as the “Scottish Supergroup” is playing at the Queen's Hall on Sunday 20 April 7.30pm. So if you fancy to hear some great folks tunes played by some of the best fiddlers and musicians in Scotland in a beautiful venue then come round.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Bog Standard - storytelling and harp at Edinburgh’s Scottish Storytelling Centre. Bog Standard is the gripping true story of a tip-off which led a rookie journalist to one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. Anglo-Swiss storyteller and journalist Rachel Pugh and prize-winning harpist Lucy Nolan weave words, music and natural bog sounds from the Outer Hebrides to Kyrgyzstan.” - Thanks to Rachel Pugh (storyteller) and Lucy Nolan (harpist) for sharing this.
📌 “Edinburgh locals waverley. are celebrating the release of their new EP, 'Flail', with a landmark headline at Cabaret Voltaire on the 9th of May alongside rising scene-favourites Lacuna. For fans of: Frightened Rabbit, The National, Big Thief, Wilco, Bon Iver, Divorce.” - Thanks to the gig organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Edinburgh musician Moteh Parrott plays the only Edinburgh show of his debut album tour at Leith Depot on Friday 18th April. Shortlisted for BBC Radio Scotland’s Singer-Songwriter of the Year Award, his alternative-indie-folk music compliments Celtic-infused guitars and cello with lyrics of hope and healing. Tickets are slightly cheaper in advance and doors open at 7:30pm.” - Thanks to Melody for sharing this.