{"id":300491,"date":"2025-07-29T06:23:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T06:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/300491\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T06:23:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T06:23:14","slug":"five-things-you-need-to-know-today-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/300491\/","title":{"rendered":"Five things you need to know today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planning matters \u2013 St Andrew Square Gardens<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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 \u2013 in St Andrew Square Garden \u2013 but only for the temporary period applied for. The bar area has been moved to what planners describe as a \u201cless sensitive area\u201d where there are fewer trees \u2013 but the Council\u2019s Tree Officer has said they still have concerns over potential detrimental impact on trees in the garden.<\/p>\n

The report states: \u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, there is no requirement to secure restoration or remediation works through a planning condition for soft landscaping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Planners say: \u201cOn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The temporary period covers 30 June to 12 September.<\/p>\n

The planners support the application due to the economic and cultural benefit of the activities in the Spiegeltent \u2013 which is one of the oldest in the world at 105 years old.<\/p>\n

There is nothing in the report to explain why the application is being made late.<\/p>\n

The full report is here.<\/a><\/p>\n

A Fringe Show for your diary \u2013 one performance only<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, hosted at\u00a0Pleasance EICC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This music and dance performance tells the deeply moving story of\u00a0Ukrainian people who fled their home after the start of the war.\u00a0At the heart of the performance is a suitcase. Simple, yet deeply symbolic.\u00a0Children and adults share their experiences of leaving home, saying goodbye, and beginning again in a new country.\u00a0Inside every suitcase is a life.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Presented by Mission of Innocents. Creative direction by Oksana Saiapina. With support from\u00a0the\u00a0Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain\u00a0(Edinburgh), Anthony Alderson and\u00a0Pleasance Theatre Trust.<\/p>\n

Tickets here<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Designer exhibition at the Portrait Gallery<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Joanne MacFadyen of Tea Green Events who are behind the market said: \u201cThe Portrait is a truly spectacular space and the perfect backdrop to show off the cream of Scotland\u2019s creative talent, including many designers and makers who live and work in and around the capital.\u00a0Due to the large number of tourists visiting Edinburgh at this time, the market will also put Scotland\u2019s design talent on a global stage, where we can showcase the very best of Scottish craftsmanship.\u00a0With 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cTurning up at a market can sometimes be quite alienating for folk like me who spend a lot of their work life alone, but the\u00a0community of makers and the customers that come along are always so warm and welcoming. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been encouraging for me to see my own work looking and feeling at home alongside some of my favourite small businesses\u00a0who are all making such high-quality, handmade products. As a result, I feel spurred on to make more wholehearted\u00a0work 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.\u00a0 There\u2019s also something special about that human interaction and living online means that you\u2019re often craving a space for these conversations. I always come away feeling refreshed and excited for what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n

\u201cEdinburgh 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\u2019m always more than happy to return to soak up some more inspiration, and the\u00a0Portrait Gallery has been one of my personal favourite\u00a0spots for a long time. Making it a base for my artwork for a couple of days is a real pleasure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.teagreen.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Joanne MacFadyen<\/p>\n

\"\"Laura K Sayers<\/p>\n

Free online music lessons<\/p>\n

Edinburgh Libraries<\/a>\u00a0is now giving\u00a0 online access to\u00a0ArtistWorks\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(www.edinburgh.gov.uk\/music<\/a>). It offers users pre-recorded video music lessons from world-class music professionals for all levels of ability.<\/p>\n