Planning matters – St Andrew Square Gardens
The next Development Management Sub-Committee meets on 6 August after the start of the Fringe. One of the Fringe venues is the Famous Spiegeltent used during the Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival and which organisers plan to use during August.
A retrospective application will be considered at the meeting of the council committee responsible for planning but planning officers have marked it as recommended for approval.
A report setting out the reasons behind this recommendation is on the council website and includes a statement that it is recognised that the proposal will affect the area due to the setting – in St Andrew Square Garden – but only for the temporary period applied for. The bar area has been moved to what planners describe as a “less sensitive area” where there are fewer trees – but the Council’s Tree Officer has said they still have concerns over potential detrimental impact on trees in the garden.
The report states: “The current proposal occupies a small area of the gardens and therefore the soft landscaping restoration and remediation will be minor at the end of the decommissioning phase. The effects are reversible and not considered to be significantly detrimental to amenity. The restoration of the area is a matter for the applicant and the owner of the site, Essential Edinburgh.
“Therefore, there is no requirement to secure restoration or remediation works through a planning condition for soft landscaping.”
Planners say: “On balance, the benefits outweigh the short-term adverse impact that the proposal will have on the setting of the listed buildings and trees, providing reasoned justification for granting planning permission for the proposed development on the site.”
The temporary period covers 30 June to 12 September.
The planners support the application due to the economic and cultural benefit of the activities in the Spiegeltent – which is one of the oldest in the world at 105 years old.
There is nothing in the report to explain why the application is being made late.
A Fringe Show for your diary – one performance only
A powerful 60-minute performance created and performed by Ukrainian children and adults who resettled in Scotland in 2022 will be performed for one night only at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, hosted at Pleasance EICC.
This music and dance performance tells the deeply moving story of Ukrainian people who fled their home after the start of the war. At the heart of the performance is a suitcase. Simple, yet deeply symbolic. Children and adults share their experiences of leaving home, saying goodbye, and beginning again in a new country. Inside every suitcase is a life.
The piece offers audiences a window into the emotional world of displaced Ukrainians, told in their own voices and shaped by their courage and imagination. They express themes of love, loss, and the promise of tomorrow, demonstrating how creativity helps them process change and find joy amid uncertainty.
Presented by Mission of Innocents. Creative direction by Oksana Saiapina. With support from the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (Edinburgh), Anthony Alderson and Pleasance Theatre Trust.
Designer exhibition at the Portrait Gallery
On 9 and 10 August around 40 independent designers will stage a showcase of their work at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on York Place.
Joanne MacFadyen of Tea Green Events who are behind the market said: “The Portrait is a truly spectacular space and the perfect backdrop to show off the cream of Scotland’s creative talent, including many designers and makers who live and work in and around the capital. Due to the large number of tourists visiting Edinburgh at this time, the market will also put Scotland’s design talent on a global stage, where we can showcase the very best of Scottish craftsmanship. With everything from jewellery and prints to knitwear and ceramics, these beautiful hand-crafted pieces of work are made by some truly talented individuals who I know are looking forward to this amazing opportunity.”
The exhibition will open from 10am to 5pm each day and will include a number of Edinburgh College of Art graduates including illustrator and paper artist Laura Sayers.
She said: “Turning up at a market can sometimes be quite alienating for folk like me who spend a lot of their work life alone, but the community of makers and the customers that come along are always so warm and welcoming.
“It’s been encouraging for me to see my own work looking and feeling at home alongside some of my favourite small businesses who are all making such high-quality, handmade products. As a result, I feel spurred on to make more wholehearted work to mirror the high standards of the other artisans, and the markets give me direction and something to aim for, particularly in the slow summer months. There’s also something special about that human interaction and living online means that you’re often craving a space for these conversations. I always come away feeling refreshed and excited for what’s next.
“Edinburgh was a beautiful city to study in, and my time at the College of Art really shaped and laid foundations for the work I make today. I’m always more than happy to return to soak up some more inspiration, and the Portrait Gallery has been one of my personal favourite spots for a long time. Making it a base for my artwork for a couple of days is a real pleasure.”
Joanne MacFadyen
Laura K Sayers
Free online music lessons
Edinburgh Libraries is now giving online access to ArtistWorks (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/music). It offers users pre-recorded video music lessons from world-class music professionals for all levels of ability.
- Instruments include guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, flute, trumpet, clarinet, French horn, piano, percussion, harmonica, cello, saxophone, ukulele and drums
- Lessons cover musical styles such as blues, bluegrass, jazz, rock, classical and country
- Vocal lessons are also available as well as DJ scratching techniques!
- Hundreds of hours of high-quality video instruction
- Studio quality play-along tracks
- Downloadable written materials, tablature and sheet music
You can access this free service through Libby, Edinburgh Libraries ebook, audiobook and magazine service (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libby). ArtistWorks is available to link out to from the Extras section on the homepage.
Not a member of the library? Visit any of the libraries (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraryopeninghours) to sign up for a membership card or join online today (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/joinourlibrary). You are eligible to use Libby if you live, work or study in the EH postcode area.
For any questions regarding this service contact [email protected]
What was this?
Yesterday we posted a photo asking readers to identify what or where it was.
It is the new bollard system on Lawnmarket…where the road has been completely made over and is ready for the start of the Festival. More information about the work carried out here on the council’s website.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
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