Costume17 2Queen Margaret University’s annual Costume Showcase is to take centre stage at one of Edinburgh’s most distinguished and unusual arts settings – the Dissection Room at Summerhall, Edinburgh.

For one day only, a stunning array of performance costumes will be central to the University’s theatrical runway show which celebrates work created by QMU’s Costume Design & Construction students.

Join us on May 19th for the main theatrical showcase event which is accompanied by exhibitions displaying work from across the BA (Hons) Costume Design & Construction programme.

2017’s event will exhibit an eclectic mix of designs developed for characters across the spectrum of the world of performing arts and the audience can expect to be dazzled by an amazing array of styles!

Party on down to the Día de los Muertos graveyard celebrations with Frida Kahlo and her band of skeleton revellers. Be entertained by The Great Lafayette and his troupe of artistes featuring Miss Marie Lloyd and many more in our grand finale tribute to turn of the century British Variety Theatre.

Red Riding Hood and her friends from the Howden Park Pantomime (Livingston) will join in the fun alongside characters designed to appear in productions created by the QMU/Napier Joint BA (Hons) Acting For Stage and Screen. These include Lady Bracknell, Gwendolyn and Cecily from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and The Angel of Death as seen in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.

QMU’s Costume Design and Construction students will also show their individual projects: an exquisite romantic ballet tutu and a filigree 19 h century fancy dress share the stage with Mary Queen of Scots and the Marquise de Merteil (Dangerous Liaisons), Mack the Knife and Polly Peachum from The Beggar’s Opera will swagger across the stage in 12 different interpretations.

The live show will be paired with a fascinating exhibition of the practical craft – the design, stitching and styling that lie behind the characters appearing on the stage. Guests are invited to meet the students and see, close up, some of the costumes from the show. Also launching this year, at the heart of the exhibition, will be the individual ‘Grad Show’ – presentations of work by our nine graduating fourth year students who are preparing to enter the industry.

Sarah Paulley, Lecturer in Costume Design and Construction at Queen Margaret University, said: “We are proud of our students’ talent and skill in creating memorable costumes and look forward to showcasing their work, this year at Summerhall. We are also pleased that our Grad Show forms our contribution to QMU’s wider ‘Platform 4’ event.”

Dr Richard Butt, Deputy Principal of Queen Margaret University, explained: “For the first time, we have created a larger scale event ‘Platform 4’ which showcases the work of students from across our creative industries courses in Costume Design and Construction, Drama and Performance, Film & Media , and Art and Music therapy. Not only will we have our much loved Costume Showcase, audiences can expect photography, art work, ensemble performances, new writing, contemporary solo and duo pieces as well as community pieces, all of which celebrate the best creative work of our graduating students.”

Costume Showcase 2017 – 19th May only – matinee performance 3pm, evening performance starts at 7pm followed by the exhibition which will remain open until 9pm.

Costume Showcase tickets: £13 (£10 student/concessions) at Eventbrite.

Platform 4 FREE Exhibitions and Performances – Thursday 18th May open 12pm – 5pm and Friday 19th May open 12pm – 9pm.

Location: Summerhall, Summerhall Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL

The ScotRail Alliance is advising rugby fans heading by train to Murrayfield for the European Rugby Champions Cup Final on 13 May to plan their journey in advance.

To help ensure everyone gets to the game on time, passengers should allow extra time for travel – as well as purchasing tickets in advance. ScotRail will be adding carriages to services all day between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street, and on key services to Tweedbank, Glenrothes, Helensburgh and Milngavie.

Customers should be aware queuing systems will be in place at Haymarket station after the match, and that the last trains of the night are expected to be busy. Where possible, fans should plan to catch an earlier train to avoid disappointment.

A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “It’s going to be a big weekend of rugby in the capital.
“We’ll be using every train at our disposal to add extra carriages to services towards Edinburgh, however, trains are expected to be very busy.

“Make sure to check your train times on our website or app and leave plenty of time for travel. Buying tickets in advance will also help reduce your queuing time.”

ScotRail will have extra staff on the ground to assist fans, and as with most large events alcohol bans will be in place.

ECHC-PrimaryLogo-FullColour-LargeEdinburgh-based charity the Sick Kids Friends Foundation has announced it is rebranding under the new name Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC).

Although the charity – a much-loved Edinburgh institution – is to change its name, its mission to continue to raise money to buy vital equipment and services remains as important as ever.

Roslyn Neely, CEO of the ECHC, said: “Through the amazing support and fundraising of many, many people, we’ve supported the work of the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for 25 years. But with the hospital changing to a new name, we felt this would be a positive opportunity to also update our own name.

“Aside from our name, nothing will change in terms of the work that we do. We continue to be a grant giving organisation which exists to transform the experiences of children and young people in hospital so that they can be a child first and a patient second.

“The clinical work of the hospital is world class and often ground-breaking. However, we rely completely on the public for all our donations and we still need support to help us provide the magical extras to benefit the hundreds of thousands of babies, children and young people who will be patients over future decades.”

For more information on Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, please visit: www.echccharity.org

DM Hall Roy Hudghton1Widely-experienced valuation professional Roy Hudghton has returned in a full-time role to DM Hall, one of Scotland’s leading firms of Chartered Surveyors, as the firm’s rapid growth continues apace.

The former head of the RICS Valuation Professional Group in Scotland has been appointed as Director in the highly-regarded commercial team as the firm’s East Coast-based operation undergoes a period of unprecedented expansion.

As Head of the four-strong Edinburgh Commercial Valuation team, Roy will work closely with Michael Court, Partner and Head of East Commercial and recently-appointed Ross Wilson, Head of Agency (East of Scotland).

Roy, who qualified in 1982 and specialises in trade-related valuations, particularly in the leisure sector and the licensed trade, was a partner in DM Hall until 2008, when he left to establish his own successful consultancy business.

He re-established links with the firm in 2013 and in 2015 was appointed as head of the Valuation team in a consultant capacity.

He said: “Since the appointment of Michael Court, the firm has been going from strength to strength in the East of Scotland and I am delighted to once again be able to devote all my energies to its continuing success.

“The team has met and exceeded all its targets since 2015 and new and very ambitious targets have been set in terms of client development and margin enhancement.

“We have established much better relationships with banks, lenders and pension funds and we are now in a position where we can promote the commercial department’s undoubted expertise much more rewardingly.”

Michael Court said: “Roy has been a tremendous asset to the team in recent years and we are very pleased now to be able to call on his services on a full-time basis. His contribution as a director will be invaluable.”

Alan Gordon, Principal Commercial Partner of DM Hall based in the Glasgow office, said: “Roy Hudghton has a long and illustrious track record in professional valuation and, of course, was a valued partner in the firm for many years.

“I am sure everyone in the firm will join me in welcoming him back to a full-time role. His expertise, integrity and dedication to the profession is unrivalled and the East team will benefit hugely from his experience.”

DM Hall’s East commercial department, based in Corstorphine Road, has a staff of more than 30, covering Edinburgh, Dundee, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline and including the Property Management Division in Livingston.

For further information, contact DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, 17 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 6DD. T: 0131 477 6000. E: edinburghresidential@dmhall.co.uk. W: www.dmhall.co.uk. T: http://twitter.com/dmhallLLP.

For further information about DM Hall’s Scotland-wide network of offices, please contact Neil McKenzie, Marketing Manager, DM Hall, Unit 3, Cadzow Park, 82 Muir Street, Hamilton, ML3 6BJ. T: 01698 284939. M: 07786 362517. E: neil.mckenzie@dmhall.co.uk. W: www.dmhall.co.uk.

At Scott-Moncrieff we are passionate about SMEs. When it comes to companies of this size, their opportunities, the issues they face, and the overall business landscape, we know our stuff and we want to share it with you.

At our upcoming seminars in Glasgow and Edinburgh, we’ll cover the importance of embracing technology, looking at the need to adopt ‘Making Tax Digital’ and detailing the benefits of Cloud accounting. We’ll also discuss succession planning and will explain how Scott-Moncrieff can help you take your business to the next level.

You can see the full details, including the agenda, here.

If you’d like to attend, please email the following information to sm.events@scott-moncrieff.com:

Name:
Company:
Job title:
Seminar (please delete as appropriate): Edinburgh / Glasgow

Note that spaces are limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

pics

On Wednesday morning we were hosted at The Data Lab in South College Street by Craig Paterson and his colleagues.

They are two years old, and part of University of Edinburgh.  Recent new members of the Chamber – Craig gave an interesting run through of what they do and what data science means for business.  Their overarching aim is to develop high value jobs in Scotland in the area of data science.  They will take a business problem you have and using your data, apply their teams to it and draw out practical solutions for you.

They have over 90 MSc students available to them and a team of full time experts as well.  They will work on small or large projects and costing is done on a day rate basis.  They do receive some Government funding and their remit is to drive revenue and productivity growth in Scotland.

Craig began by reference to the Gartner Hype Cycle – he said ‘Big Data’ is in this cycle currently.  It is a hot topic and everyone refers to it as the silver bullet which will solve all our problems (real and perceived!).  Then this hype reaches a peak and starts to decline as reality kicks in and there is disappointment at the belief that whilst it may work for other businesses, it doesn’t work in mine.

He talked about the V journey of data science; Volume, Velocity, Variety, Veracity and now Value.  His feeling is that the most important question we must ask of our business data is – what is it’s purpose?  The difference between a data analyst and a scientist is the value added by a data scientist.  The Datalab prides itself on always keeping the practical business problem at the heart of the data work up.

The next area he addressed was the rise of Artificial Intelligence (most relevant for business is the area of machine learning) and suggested we need to think about the opportunity for more thinking jobs than manual labour and how this affects the world of commerce.  They work on giving executive education around how to get the most out of the data work that is available.  He reminded us that we keep the human overlay on top of any algorythmic modelling we do.  He gave an example of the New York Ambulance Service.  They positioned ambulances out in the City having analysed where most people have requirement for them.  However it was found that much of the time the crew would not be in those places.  When asked why – they explained there was no where to buy coffee or find a restroom!  So then the map was redrawn and waiting points were found that satisfied the human need as well!   Stirling Council had done a similar route map and had found drivers were not sticking to it as it wasn’t near to a sausage roll bakery!

In wrapping up he emphasised that scoping the real problem is crucial in data science.  Question and Answer session was engaging and I think we are all getting more educated about this fascinating new era of big data and how to keep using it for improving profitable revenue growth.

The Datalab can be contacted via info@thedatalab.com or by calling +44 (0) 1316514905.

Kelpies

For the first time, the set of maquettes that were used to launch the The Kelpies in New York will be on display in the UK at an outdoor public space. The equine art works will be effectively stabled over the winter months at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (QMU).

The maquettes were the models for the award-winning 30 metre high horses heads known as The Kelpies. Together with Kelpies Marina, they form the dramatic gateway to the new section of canal in the Falkirk District linking the Forth and Clyde, which is centred within the innovative 350 hectare Helix Parkland operated by Falkirk Community Trust and funded by The Big Lottery Fund, Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals.

Hand crafted by Scottish sculptor, Andy Scott, the 3 metre high maquette sculptures will be positioned in University Square at Queen Margaret University’s campus next to Musselburgh on the east side of Edinburgh. The final design of The Kelpies is uniquely linked to this set of maquettes which recently toured the USA, appearing in Chicago, North Carolina and at New York’s Scotland Week.

Queen Margaret University has a special connection with The Kelpies and The Helix project. Working in partnership with the project partners, the University’s media practice lecturer, Walid Salhab, produced the stunning stop-motion film of The Kelpies which has been shared on social media all over the world and has received nearly 93k hits on the Helix website alone. He was the only filmmaker to have unlimited access to the full four month build phase of the momentous structures, and his mesmerising portrayal of The Kelpies when they reached completion helped launch The Kelpies in New York and in Scotland. His unique stop-motion/time-lapse filming technique has been used to great effect with The Kelpies film helping secure Falkirk’s place on the global tourist map and supporting the Council’s work in exceeding projected visitor numbers to Falkirk and the surrounding area.

Award winning filmmaker, Walid Salhab, often dubbed ‘Mr Kinetic’, due to the style of his unique filming technique, explained: “Filming The Kelpies over a six month period, capturing the build and then their final completion, was the most challenging project of my life. But it was a privilege to help bring Andy Scott’s creation to life in a stop-motion/time-lapse film.”

Walid continued: “I spent so much time filming them during the day and in the dead of night, trying to capture their changing qualities, I began to feel that they belonged to me. I think that people in the Falkirk area probably feel the same sense of ownership. To have them on display at Queen Margaret University is a dream come true. We couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present!

“Once again, I get to experience the brilliance of Andy Scott’s work on a daily basis, albeit in miniature, and to share The Kelpies maquettes with the wider QMU community.”

…/Professor Petra Wend, Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “We are extremely grateful to Falkirk Council and we feel honoured to have the maquettes of The Kelpies housed at the University. When we created our purpose built campus in 2007 we constructed a building that deliberately faced into our new community of East Lothian. We have sited the maquettes near the entrance to our academic building so that they too face towards Musselburgh. It is also the first time that we have had art work displayed in University Square.”

University Square has a daily footfall of approximately 2500 people and senior staff and QMU believe that the maquettes will encourage many more people from the surrounding area to visit the campus.

Professor Wend continued, “We now invite people from our East Lothian and Edinburgh communities, and from further afield, to visit our campus and see the maquettes. Hopefully, this will whet their appetite to see the full sized Kelpies in all their glory and to enjoy the amenities of Helix Park in Falkirk and the surrounding area.”

Falkirk Council’s spokesperson for tourism, Councillor Adrian Mahoney, said: “The Kelpies maquettes have become travelling ambassadors for Scotland and the Falkirk area and we are delighted they are being looked after by Queen Margaret University this winter, giving them pride of place as the first major sculpture to be on show in University Square.”

To celebrate the arrival of the maquettes at Queen Margaret University, the Preston Lodge Pipe Band played a set of Scottish tunes in University Square. The juvenile band, which is made up of pupils from Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans, East Lothian, play at major university celebrations such as graduation.

To watch Walid Salhab’s film of The Kelpies visit: http://vimeo.com/90747645

Barnardo's ScotlandThe Edinburgh Marathon Festival is Scotland’s largest running event of its kind and takes place between 30-31 May. If you didn’t get a place at the London Marathon, don’t worry you are guaranteed a place at this event!

Edinburgh Marathon RunWhy Barnardo’s?

You can make a saving on your registration fee!
If you choose to run for Barnardo’s, your registration fee for the full marathon event will be just £40 (with an individual minimum sponsorship commitment of £375). Purchasing your own marathon place costs about £55.

Your registration fee for the half marathon will be just £25 (with an individual minimum sponsorship commitment of £200). To purchase your own place is roughly £35.

A free running vest!
You’ll also get a high performance running vest to train and run in during the event.

A massive cheer from the loudest cheer station on the route!
You will receive a huge amount of support from the Barnardo’s Challenge Events team and our volunteers as you run past our cheer station on the day.

And last but not least – you’ll raise vital funds!
This event is an exciting way of raising vital funds through sponsorship. All sponsorship will go directly towards supporting some of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people. Our dedicated Challenge Events team is here to support you every step of the way.

Why Edinburgh?

Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh RunYou’ll get to see the best that the beautiful city of Edinburgh has to offer: Starting in the city centre with Edinburgh Castle providing a spectacular backdrop, the route takes you past Holyrood Palace; Arthur’s Seat; along Portobello Promenade for a breath of Scottish sea air; past the stunning Gosford house before finishing just outside Musselburgh Racecourse. With its flat route, this marathon is one of the fastest in the UK, giving runners the chance to achieve that elusive personal best.

Great! How do I sign up?

Applying to run for Barnardo’s can be done in three simple steps:

  1. Visit the Edinburgh Marathon website
  2. Create an account (click on the ‘My Details’ log in icon)
  3. Choose either the Full or Half event, click ‘Enter for Charity’ and select ‘Barnardo’s’ from the list of affiliate charities.

Edinburgh's Christmas Logo

21ST NOVEMBER 2014 TO 04TH JANUARY 2015

Underbelly and Unique Events, on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, today announce the programme of Edinburgh’s Christmas 2014/2015.

Edinburgh’s Christmas promises to be bigger, better and more affordable than ever – especially for families and Edinburgh residents.

Highlights include:

  • EH postcode holders receive a 20% discount on all shows, rides and events.
  • Special family prices are available for most attractions. Edinburgh residents are able to take advantage of these prices and also use their 20% discount – so getting the best value for money.
  • New attractions in East Princes Street Gardens for between £1 and £4.

The desire to offer value has been achieved without any compromise on quality – with the Starflyer, Big Wheel and Paradiso Spiegeltent all returning along with an expanded Santa Land and, the community opening event, Light Night on George Street.

Other highlights include:

  • Light Night on George Street returning on 23rd November with 60 school and community groups confirmed to perform on a series of stages up and down George Street to the theme of ‘Christmas Songs and Carols’. Last year, over 26,000 people took to the streets to enjoy this community event
  • A truly unique ice rink in St Andrew Square around the Melville Monument
  • The Paradiso Speigletent returns with a programme of world class entertainment including Scotch and Soda, the internationally acclaimed circus show direct from sell out runs at the Sydney and Brisbane Festivals, Stickman, comedy superstar Al Murray for 3 nights only and Edinburgh’s favourite all male burlesque troupe, Briefs
  • Santa Land in East Princes Street Gardens with the very successful Christmas Tree Maze, Santa Train and Santa’s Grotto, all seen in 2013, joined by a series of affordable family attractions priced between £1 and £4
  • Other attractions in East Princes Street Gardens include the Big Wheel, the Star Flyer, the Ice Rink on the East Princes Street Gardens terrace and the double decker Carousel

In 2013 we promised to deliver a re-imagined Christmas for Edinburgh, a festival to rival the celebrations of other world cities and an event of which the capital city of Scotland would be proud of. This we achieved, with international broadcaster CNN voting Edinburgh’s Christmas one of the top ten best cities for a winter vacation. Other highlights of the success of Edinburgh’s Christmas 2013 include:

  • 387,000 tickets sold for Edinburgh’s Christmas
  • A 7.6% increase in city centre footfall rates and a 16.8% increase in Princes Street footfall in December (massively outperforming a UK average of -2.9%)
  • 73% of people from Edinburgh said that Edinburgh’s Christmas was the sole or an important reason to come to Edinburgh that day. And over half of the visitors (51%) from outside of Edinburgh said that Edinburgh’s Christmas was the sole or an important reason to come to Edinburgh’s City Centre that day.

Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam of Underbelly said: ”We’re delighted to be presenting Edinburgh’s Christmas for the second year. Last year we re-imagined the event and brought record breaking numbers of people to Edinburgh. We’re very excited about this year’s innovations, including the new ice rink in St Andrew Square around the Melville Monument; the expanded Santa Land in Princes Street Gardens with more affordable attractions; and the new family prices and the 20% EH residents’ discount across the board. We want this to be a Christmas for all of Edinburgh and we think there’s something for everyone – from Scotch & Soda in the Spiegeltent to our Stained Glass project where 24 Edinburgh primary schools will show off their creations in Princes Street Gardens. Our ambition is to make Edinburgh the best place to spend Christmas, whether you’re a resident or a visitor. It maybe early to say this, but we are wishing Edinburgh a  “Happy Christmas”.

Edinburgh’s Festivals and Events Champion, Councillor Steve Cardownie, said: “Edinburgh is always a special city during winter and this year, the Capital is certainly the place to be to celebrate Christmas.

“Our festive programmes are the envy of the world. The line up this winter with Underbelly will be bring back some of the city’s classic attractions such as Santa Land – which will be bigger than ever before – and the spectacular Light Night on George Street which returns for its second year. Not only will the East Princes Street Gardens ice rink make a return, after receiving well over 30,000 visitors last Christmas, but a new bespoke ice rink in St Andrew Square will be opened for the very first time.

“I am especially pleased that after feedback from Edinburgh residents and a concerted decision to tailor the programme to suit even more local people, this year’s programme offers a big range of free events and a selection of great value attractions from as little as £1.

“Our Christmas events provide a great boost to the Edinburgh economy, and this year’s offering is set draw residents and visitors of all ages into the city centre.”

There are still various exciting ways to get involved with Edinburgh’s Christmas 2014! For more information please contact : Rebecca Maclean

sales@edinburghschristmas.com

0131 623 3031

QMU Scholarship & Awards reception, Dovecot Studios, 25 September 2014

Over 20 students from Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, are celebrating this week after showcasing their 2014 scholarship and awards success at a special event in the Capital.

Hosted by Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios, the celebratory occasion showcased the QMU scholars and award winners of 2014, including students who were supported by Santander Universities, the Ryder Cup bursary scheme, the Princess Alice Award and the University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Fund and Student Development Fund.

The award-winning students were joined by the companies and individuals whose generous support has helped boost their academic experience, personal development and made special student projects possible.

Professor Petra Wend, Principal & Vice Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, said: “The University is grateful for the continued support of organisations, individuals and QMU graduates, which greatly enhances the experience of those students who receive scholarships and awards.

“Awards and scholarships like this enrich students’ academic experience, broaden their horizons and allow them make a real contribution to their field or to serving society’s needs.”

Santander Universities

Santander Universities supports QMU through a variety of scholarships and awards.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Award

Professor Petra Wend, QMU Principal, created the Vice Chancellor’s Award for the specific purpose of broadening students’ horizons, providing the means for students to travel abroad to study or take part in exchanges.

The Princess Alice Award

The Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Scholarship, is an annual award which aims to fund, either wholly or in part (to a maximum of £1000), overseas research-related initiatives which are likely to advance knowledge and/or have a positive impact on people’s lives.

The Student Development Fund

The Student Development Fund is an opportunities fund supported by donations from QMU graduates, friends and supporters. It is designed to help students fund worthwhile projects that couldn’t happen otherwise. The Student Development Fund can also help students make the most of their time at QMU and all students are eligible to apply.  The awards are open to individuals, clubs and societies or other groups made up of QMU students.

Ryder Cup bursary scheme

Ryder Cup Europe has made a commitment to QMU to fund five tourism, hospitality and event student bursaries per year for a total of four years. The bursary scheme means that a total of twenty QMU students will benefit by receiving £1000 each .  The bursaries will help the students pay for their travel and accommodation costs and ensure they can access courses relevant to The 2014 Ryder Cup.

More information is availble here: http://www.qmu.ac.uk/marketing/press_releases/QMU-students-celebrate-2014-Scholarship-&-Awards.htm