Events List

 

MESP 2010 Pre Events
Tuesday 23 February – Thursday 4 March 2010

Tuesday 23 February

Event: Mindfulness@Lunchtime.

Venue: St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DP.
Dates: Tuesday 23 February and Tuesday 2, 9, 16 March 2010.
Time: 12.15pm-2pm.
Event Description: The Community of Interbeing and Unitarians in Edinburgh jointly organise Mindfulness@Lunchtime every Tuesday from 12.15pm to 2pm. Please take a break, slow down, and find mindfulness@lunchtime - guided sitting meditation, walking meditation, enjoying our food together in silence and ending with a short silent meditation, returning to the world refreshed! Mindfulness is gently bringing our attention to the present moment, invoking our inherent capacity for healing and renewal. Please bring your own lunch.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: Jon Bagust, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Wednesday 24 February – Saturday 27 February

Event: Love Fables and Mysteries: A New Drama with Poetry and Music.
Written by Lee Gershuny and Directed by Corinne Harris.

Venue: Roxy Art House, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9SU.
Dates and Times: Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 February 2010, 7.30pm.
Event Description: A man and woman have a story to tell about love. But from the beginning, they argue about the facts. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Is it their story or someone else’s? What really happened? They can’t seem to get it together. Love seems to slip through their fingers until they meet creatures from their own personal menagerie: “A Couple of Chameleons,” “Wounded Bird as Vulture,” “Clipped Wings,” and “The Hawk and the Dove.”  Guided by music, poetry and a passion for truth, they travel through the real and fantasy world of lovers – telling secrets they never thought they had. The performance will be followed by an informal discussion with the company.
Cost: £8 (Full Price), £5 (Concession).
Booking: Tickets Scotland Ltd, 127 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3DT. 0131 220 3234. http://www.tickets-scotland.com/ 9am-6pm (8pm Thursday), 11am-6pm Sundays. At the door on the night. Box Office Opens 7pm.

Wednesday 24 February

Events: Himalaya Meals.

Venue: Himalaya Arts and Crafts, 20 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9PR.
Dates: Wednesday 24 February, Friday 26 February, Monday 1 March and Wednesday 3 March 2010.
Time: 12.30pm-14.30pm.
Event Description: Himalayan vegetarian and vegan meal with fresh salad. All the money raised goes to Green Tara charity helping disadvantaged children in the northern part of India. See: www.himalayashop.co.uk
Cost: £3.50. Just come along on the day.
Contact: Reka, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 662 9818.

Event: Night of Safa* at Empires (*Turkish translation: safa: party, entertainment, pleasure).

Venue: Empires Cafe, 24 Street Marys Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SU.
Time: 7pm-11pm.
Event Description: An eclectic evening of Middle Eastern music, photography, dance and food at this unique Edinburgh venue. Come along and join us for an intimate gathering where you'll enjoy a delicious home cooked Turkish Meze buffet while being entertained by traditional musicians and bellydancers. The event also incorporates the Highland Turkey photography exhibition by Edinburgh-based, Greek photographer and documentary maker, Aliki Sapountzi. The exhibition, which was shown at Edinburgh's Filmhouse bar during last year's MESP Festival, is about the Turkish/Anatolian community in Scotland in juxtaposition with photographs of Istanbul. Limited to 30 places, so please book early.
Cost: Food and drink are to be purchased from the menu and donations are welcome for MESP.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 466 0100.

Thursday 25 February

Event: Servas Peace Meal.

Venue: Double Dutch Bistro, 27-29 Marshall Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9BJ.
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm.
Event Description: The Servas Peace Meal at MESP 2010 is an opportunity to share knowledge and aspirations for peace in the Middle East while enjoying a meal of delicious Middle Eastern food. Three invited speakers with personal knowledge of the cultures and creeds of the Middle East will give short talks to introduce their own perspectives on peace and spirituality issues. We will share food and informal discussion between these talks, following the pattern by which Servas hosts all over the world welcome travellers into their homes.

Speakers:

Sohaib Saeed is a Scottish Muslim writer, translator and occasional imam. He obtained his first degree and Masters in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, and is presently furthering his Islamic knowledge in Egypt while studying at the prestigious Al-Azhar University. Sohaib has worked with various organisations to promote interfaith understanding, such as the Islam Festival Edinburgh and the Scottish-Islamic Foundation. His personal reflections on religious dialogue are found at  http://diablog.sohaibsaeed.com  

Dr Michael Marten is a lecturer in postcolonial studies at the University of Stirling, concentrating on European interaction with the Middle East, especially Palestine/Israel, from the 19th century onwards. Dr. Marten is an initiator and editor of the 'Christians in the Middle East' Network - an international scholarly community researching Christians in the Middle East from the late 18th century onwards.  He is also an Associate and commentator for Ekklesia, the British think-tank on religion and public affairs.

Rebekah Gronowski is a Liberal Jew and a peace activist. Her continuing academic studies span Christian Ethics, Hebrew and Jewish Studies and Divinity. She is one of the initial members of the Three Faiths Forum  and is currently a member of the Edinburgh Women's Interfaith Group.  Rebekah's special interests are in Muslim-Jewish dialogue and in promoting a peaceful solution to the problems in Israel and Gaza - she is a member of 'Scottish Jews for a Just Peace' and 'Jews for Justice for Palestinians'. In addition she is a member of the Cross Party Group on Palestine at the Scottish Parliament.

Local members of Servas have an open, informal monthly gathering at The Elephant House Café, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh on the last Thursday of the month between 6pm-8pm. All welcome. Please note that for February 2010, the Servas Peace Meal will replace the open gathering. www.servas.org, www.servasbritain.org
Cost: £15/10 (Concessions).
Contact: Deirdre, 0131 228 2186, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Women: the transforming force of Iran?

Speaker/Panel: A panel discussion.
Venue: St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ. 
Time: Doors and exhibition at 7pm. Panel discussion at 7.30pm.
Event Description: An event hosted by Amnesty International St Marks group, to explore and celebrate the lives and opportunities of Iranian women. Our panel of experts will discuss and debate the life of modern Iranian women and there will be a chance to look at our exhibition. There will be a chance to hear Iranian music and sample Iranian food.

Panel members:

John Watson (Chair)
John is the Director of Amnesty International Scotland.

Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP (politician)
Shirley-Anne is MSP for the Lothians.

Roxana Pope (Film maker and musician)
Roxana is a British Iranian singer, film and theatre director, actor and writer.

Mehri Honarbin Holliday (academic and author)
Mehri is a Research Fellow at Canterbury Christ Church University , a practising fine artist and ethnographer born in Iran. She recently published her latest book: 'Becoming Visible in Iran: Women in Contemporary Iranian Society.'

Kamelia Bayat (Iranian Woman)
Kamelia is an Iranian student studying in Edinburgh.

Mehdi Safavi (Iranian Man)
Mehdi is an Iranian student studying in Edinburgh.

Cost: Donation to Amnesty International. Booking not required.
Contact: Lyndsey McLellan, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07913 491 226.

Event: Naqshbandi Sufi Dhikr.

Venue: Himalaya Arts and Crafts, 20 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9PR.
Time: 8pm.
Event Description: A Sufi dhikr (zikr) is an opportunity to focus on the highest ideal of Allah (God) that one can conceptualize in the form of chanting or repeating His names and attributes in a rhythmic way. This has the effect of opening the heart to enable us to then feel, sense or experience God. The Sufi says God is love, lover, and beloved. In other words, God is the object, God is the subject, and God is the love experienced between the two. Our spiritual guide is Maulana Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani. For further info visit www.scottishnaqshbandidhikr.webs.com
Cost: Donations welcome.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 623 2425 or 07855 478046.

Friday 26 February

Event: Talk: What next for Georgia - and does it matter?

Speaker: Donald Maclaren of Maclaren.
Venue: Lecture Theatre 183, Old College, the University of Edinburgh.
Time: 6pm.
Event Description: Struggling with reform, offering the West an alternative energy supply route, looking for integration with the EU and NATO yet invaded and occupied by Russia, Georgia represents high stakes. But how interested are we, or should be?

Donald MacLaren of MacLaren served as HM Ambassador in Tbilisi from 2004 to 2007 and offers some reflections.
Cost: Donations £2 SRF members, £5 others.
Contact: 0131 668 3635, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Himalaya Gathering.

Venue: Himalaya Arts and Crafts, 20 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9PR.
Time: 7pm-11pm.
Event Description: An evening in which the traditions of the Middle East and the Celts will coalesce - illustrating the One Truth that is expressed in an infinite number of ways. We will seamlessly weave stories, poems, chants and music from the Middle East and Scotland, to journey to the place of stillness within. A place beyond words and concepts, that throughout the ages has been celebrated in innumerable ways.
Himalaya Gatherings is a non-profit community event hosted by Namaste-roots-foundation and Himalaya. On the evening food will be served at the Himalaya Cafe from 7pm with all proceeds collected on the night going towards the Green Tara charity.
Cost: By donation.
Contact: Advanced booking recommended, as places are limited to 20. Phone on the day to check if any places are still free. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 662 9818.

 

MESP 2010 Middle East Youth Festival
Saturday 27 February – Wednesday 3 March 2010

Event: Middle East Youth Festival.

Event Description: 2010 is the pilot year for the Middle East Youth Festival in Edinburgh! Inspired by the Global Citizen Corps youth programme (www.globalcitizencorps.org) the Festival will bring together young people from the UK, USA and the Middle East. Events have been selected and designed by the youth participants and have been chosen to encourage learning and debate amongst the Scottish audience.

Saturday 27 February – Wednesday 31 March

Event: Exhibition: Recognizing our Common Humanity.

Venue: Tollcross Community Centre, 117 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. EH3 9QG.
Dates: Saturday 27 February - Wednesday 31 March 2010.
Times: Monday - Friday, 8.30am-8.30pm; Saturday, 10am-3.30pm.
Event Description: Through an exciting, new photography exhibit, you can travel through Gaza with young people on a unique journey of discovery – finding those moments of common experience that bind us all together in one human family. Follow them from the streets where they walk every day, to the houses or refugee camps where they live; from the market where they shop, to the sea where they send off their dreams; from the destruction of war to sights of extraordinary natural beauty; from raw human suffering to indisputable, unbeatable hope and love for life.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: Global Citizen Corps, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , +44 (0)131 662 5188.

Monday 1 March

Event: Film Screening at the Filmhouse.
Open to the public: reservations recommended.

Screening and interactive presentation/discussion led by young people from the Middle East.

Tuesday 2 March

Event: School Summit at the Edinburgh City Chambers:
Open to all S5/6 pupils and educators: reservations required.

What does Peace and Justice have to do with you? Pupils and teachers from schools across the Central Belt are invited to attend this dynamic all day event. A diverse schedule of presentations and interactive activities will explore issues of Peace and Justice locally, in the Middle East and globally. There will be a particular focus on what actions young people can take and the role they have to play.

Wednesday 3 March

Event: Reception at the Scottish Parliament:
What’s your story?: Open to the public: reservations required.

An opportunity for those interested in sharing their experience of peer education and youth action. Young people from the UK, USA and the Middle East will present on their peer education experience and open the floor for discussion.

For venues, times and regular updates on all Middle East Youth Festival events:

Contact: Global Citizen Corps, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , +44 (0)131 662 5188,
www.middleeastyouthfestival.org

Saturday 27 February

Event: Workshops: Wellness and Energy Through Ancient Rhythm and Movements!

Facilitator: Shelley Skipper.
Venue: Barony Hall, McDonald Road Library, 2-4 McDonald Road, Edinburgh, EH7 4LU.
Times: Workshop 1: 10am-12 noon (All welcome).
Workshop 2: 2.30pm-4.30pm (Women only).
Event Description: Dance as a means to health, well-being and healing has been used by various cultures worldwide. The Zaar is a therapeutic ritual found in parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is experienced mainly in rural areas and most commonly conducted by women for women as a means of curing certain ailments and of promoting well-being. Once looked down upon as superstition, witchcraft and even exploitation of the ignorant, some now consider the Zaar to offer a genuine path to health, well-being and healing.  

Both workshops will first explore the history and details of the Zaar ritual, then move on to its rhythm and movements. We will learn and practice the rhythm and then learn and practice the movements that go with it. The workshop will culminate in group dancing. Dance experience and/or musical skills are not prerequisites; just come along, learn, dance, then leave feeling energised! Please wear clothes that are comfortable and easy to move in. You are welcome - and encouraged - to bring drums, finger cymbals and/or castanets, but it is not a requirement.

Shelley has been involved with music and dance from a young age. A former secondary school teacher, she now performs and teaches bellydance in addition to studying counselling.
Please note: Spaces are extremely limited, advance booking is required.
Cost: £10 (£7 Concessions).
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07724 921 652. http://www.shelleyskipper.com 

Event: Workshop: Awakening Spirituality Through Feminine Dance.

Facilitator: Lindsey Marie Silver.
Venue: Shandwick Room, St George's West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, EH2 4RT.
Time: 12-2pm.
Event Description: Engage with the goddess as we explore and express the ancient ritual dances of our grandmothers whilst blending with modern Oriental dance styles. Through ancient movements and physical storytelling this workshop will provide women of all ages with a connection not often experienced in modern society and an opportunity to come together in their own true purity. This is a practical workshop, so please wear comfortable clothing and bare feet or soft soled shoes.

Lindsey Marie Silver is a health and fitness professional, and having studied many different dance forms she gravitated towards women’s Middle Eastern dance through its beauty and freedom of expression. She promotes the health giving properties of women’s dance and its powerful ability to strengthen communities and individuals. www.bellydancingbarbie.com
Cost: £10/£8 (Concessions).
Contact: Lindsey Marie Silver, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07853 197 964.

Event: Workshop: Mums and Daughters' Bellydancing.

Facilitator: Shelley Skipper.
Venue: Barony Hall, McDonald Road Library, 2-4 McDonald Road, Edinburgh, EH7 4LU.
Time: 12.30pm-1.30pm.
Event Description: Come along and spend some quality, fun time with your daughter while you both learn to bellydance! Bellydancing is a wonderful activity that both of you can enjoy together. Learn the moves, get some exercise and spend quality time with your child or children. Please wear clothes that are comfortable and easy to move in. Coin belts or hip scarves (any scarf long enough to tie around your hips is fine) will enhance the experience. All shapes and sizes are welcome!
Please note: Spaces are extremely limited, advance booking is required. Ages 7 and up welcome.
Cost: £7/£5 (Concessions) for each mum and daughter pair.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07724 921 652. http://www.shelleyskipper.com
 

Event: Afternoon Workshop: Transactional Correctness. 

Facilitator: Etsko Schuitema.
Venue: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: 1pm-4pm. Doors open: 12.30pm.
Event Description: In this workshop we will explore the fundamental rules of intent that govern the success or failure of all human aspiration and action, namely the rules of transactional correctness. They are the core principles that are operative in discerning the difference between what we want and what the Divine wants in any given situation.

Etsko Schuitema is a renowned business consultant who has authored numerous books including ‘Leadership: The Care and Growth Model’ and ‘Intent: The Core of Being Human.’ He is the Senior Partner in Schuitema, a business transformation consultancy operating in Africa, Europe and South Asia. Etsko is also a Shaykh or teacher of the Shadhili-Darqawi Sufi order and is known to his students as Shaykh Ebrahim.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07814859599.

Event: ‘Women as Peace Makers’ - The Bridge of Peace Ceremony, a Bridge for Friendship.

Facilitator: Women’s Federation for World Peace, Scotland.
Venue: King James Hotel, 107 Leith Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3SW. (NB: change of venue).
Time: 2pm-5pm.
Event Description: ‘The Bridge of Peace’ ceremony brings reconciliation. Those taking part meet someone from a different spirituality, culture or race and commit themselves to bridge the gap between them. They go beyond their differences and determine to make reconciliation through their friendship. This will break the cycle of conflict in the world and free the newfound sisters to experience a new beginning.

This event includes music from different countries and talks about ‘Women as Peace Makers,’ and a World Peace Flag Ceremony. You will be able to meet people from all over the world and share food from different countries.
Cost: £3 donation (includes international refreshment).
Contact: Harumi Currie, 0131 331 1433, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Preparation for the Golden Age with Sharam and Farhi.

Venue: Angels of Light Centre, Healing and Meditation, 31 Pittville Street, Edinburgh/Portobello, EH15 2BX.
Time: 2pm-5pm.
Event Description: Seminar and short reading out of the book “The Beginning of the Golden Time Age” from Maria Magdalena. Experience the creation energy waves which are now with increasing power changing the Earth and our lives. Mother Earth will transform completely together with us. You can get in contact with the different qualities of each energy wave and can find out what each wave holds for you personally. Experience initiation, vision and healing.

Sharam and Farhi are healers (not connected to any special religion) working in the Angels of Light Centre in Portobello. They offer holistic treatments and regular classes and courses.
Cost: £15.
Contact: Sharam and Farhi, 0131 669 5668, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.aolc.co.uk

Event: Workshop: Middle Eastern 'Bellydance' - Styles of Expression.

Facilitator: Lindsey Marie Silver.
Venue: Shandwick Room, St George's West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, EH2 4RT.
Time: 2.30pm-3.30pm.
Event Description: Explore the many moods of Middle Eastern Bellydance in this joyous and celebratory workshop. We will discuss and try out Egyptian, Turkish and Lebanese Cabaret, Traditional Folk Dance, Tribal and Tribal Fusion styles. This will be a wonderful opportunity to discover the history behind modern ‘bellydancing’ and discuss its various branches. Progress the development of your own individual dance style through learning some characteristic Middle Eastern dance movements, recognising the music of each and sharing in this beautiful and mysterious dance with others. Open to women of all ages. No previous dance experience required. This is a practical workshop, so please wear comfortable clothing and bare feet or soft soled shoes. www.bellydancingbarbie.com
Cost: £6/£4 (Concessions).
Contact: Lindsey Marie Silver, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07853 197 964.

Event: Talk: Intent - Exploring the core of being Human.

Facilitator: Etsko Schuitema.
Venue: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: 8pm. Doors open: 7.30pm.
Event Description: “All actions are by their intentions” - Prophet Muhammad. The desire to achieve the highest potential in our lives is natural and encoded into the very fabric of our being. This process is concerned with the maturation of our intent, the key variable accounting for the excellence of an individual. In this talk we will explore the various epochs in our journey, what the signs are of these stages, and what are the key challenges that we face during these stages. The refinement of intent is something that anyone, regardless of their situation in life, can pursue and succeed at and lies at the very core of what it is to be human.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07814859599.

Sunday 28 February – Monday 1 March

Event: Leave to Remain.

Venue: St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ.
Dates: Sunday 28 February - Monday 1 March 2010.
Time: 7.30pm.
Event Description: Everyone has lost someone. But it’s as if we live in a world where death never happens. Or at least never gets talked about. Or mourned or lamented in a collective kind of way.

Leading Scottish writer Jo Clifford and actor Suzanne Dance have collaborated as writers and performers to create an exploratory piece with live music from cellist Sarah Whiteside: a piece that is part drama and part ritual.

Something we can all be part of together. That will help us go through the journey, the dark journey of mourning; and then come out into the sunlight and the joy of living.

Followed by an opportunity to share the experience. Past audience members have said: “in the very best tradition of story-telling, open, generous, warm-hearted, entertaining and emotional.” “I loved the silences you left for us to fill with our own memories and thoughts.”
Cost: £8/£6 (Concessions). Tickets on the door on the night.
Contact: Jo, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sunday 28 February

Event: Langar Community Meal.

Venue: Guru Nanak Gurdwara, 1 Sheriff Brae, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6TJ.
Time: 2pm-3pm.
Event Description: Guests are welcome to attend this traditional vegetarian meal at the Edinburgh Gurdwara. Prior to the meal there will be a short talk with questions and answers.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: Wege Singh, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Experience the Light of Christ with Sharam and Farhi.

Venue: Angels of Light Centre, Healing and Meditation, 31 Pittville Street, Edinburgh/Portobello, EH15 2BX.
Time: 2pm-4pm.
Event Description: Seminar with short reading from a book “Jesus The Book.” (www.jesus-the-book.com). Open yourself to bring the light and love in completeness onto the Earth. Experience the light of the Christ through the energy of the Grail. You will receive an initiation and healing and through rituals the light of the Christ gets anchored in your heart. That can give you an impression of the now beginning Golden Age.
Cost: £10.
Contact: Sharam and Farhi, 0131 669 5668, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.aolc.co.uk

Event: Chanting evening-Satsang.

Venue: Yoga in Daily Life Centre, Mahaprabhu Deep Ashram, 2 Montgomery Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH7 5JT.
Time: 5pm.
Event Description: Yoga in Daily Life's weekly gathering of like-minded people seeking spiritual development. Includes DVD yoga philosophy teachings given by Swamiji (Founder of Yoga in Daily Life), International Guest Speakers, Guided Meditations, Music and Singing, Readings from Yoga Scriptures and Prayer.
Cost: By donation.
Contact: Madhuram, 0131 629 9895, 07810154181.

Event: Cümbüş in Concert: Turkish Songs and Music of Love, Longing and Passion.

Venue: St Bride’s Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace, Dalry Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2DZ.
Time: 6.30pm-9pm.
Event Description: Led by the exquisite voice of Belgin, this group performs an array of traditional and popular songs from Turkey. She is joined by a collection of talented musicians from Scotland, Germany and Sweden.

Belgin, growing up in the cultural crossroads of İstanbul, was naturally exposed to a wide range of music and has sung with renowned artists Necdet Tokatlıoğlu, Nusret Muslu and Şeref Türker. Her joyful charisma combines with her beautiful voice, captivating and inspiring deep emotions in all who hear this considerable talent. Belgin will be accompanied by Adam Reid, Peter Strandberg and Florian. 
Cost: £10/£8 (Concessions).
Contact: Belgin, 0790 881 95 96-0790 309 39 11, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tuesday 2 March

Event: Palestine Monologues.

Venue: St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ.
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm performance.
Event Description: Palestine Monologues, scripted by Sonja Linden for the Iceandfire Theatre Company and performed as a rehearsed reading by Actors for Human Rights, is based on the actual words of real people, Israelis, Palestinians and Internationals, caught up in the Israeli/Palestine conflict at a time of life-changing experience leading them to new understandings and direction. It portrays the pressures and pains of their situation as well as giving glimmers of hope for a different future. Reports of various non-governmental agencies and journalists are also interwoven to give the background of the long history of this conflict, which has brought such suffering and continues, unresolved, to cause agonies to those involved and to threaten world peace.

The performance lasts about one hour. It will be followed by an open discussion under the theme "Breaking Through." The event is sponsored by the Scottish Palestinian Forum.
Cost: Tickets are £5, available at the door from 7pm.
Contact: Alison Phillips, Secretary of Scottish Palestinian Forum, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or Muiredge, Rannoch, By Pitlochry, Perthshire, PH17 2QW.

Wednesday 3 March

Event: Exhibition Launch and Talk: Nature’s Seduction.

Speaker: Graham Riddell.
Venue: The Lot, 4-6 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JU.
Time: 6pm for 6.30pm-7.30pm.
Event Description: What is it about Nature that draws artists, writers, and musicians to engage with it and express themselves through it? In this visual presentation, artist photographer Graham Riddell takes you on an exploration into his world, through the eyes of the lens.

Discover what the attraction is that draws him to his subjects – sometimes just a fleeting moment of brief observation, others through realising opportunities from previously created concepts and imaginings.

Graham Riddell is a freelance photographer living in the stunning Scottish Borders. His work explores the natural environment from a landscape and Nature perspective and often exudes qualities of Peace and Tranquillity. www.grphotography.co.uk
Cost: Admission Free. Donations Welcome. First come, first served on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Thursday 4 March

Event: Afternoon Workshop: Moving Towards Health.

Facilitator: Audicia Lynne Morley.
Venue: State Theta Galleries, The Halls, Main Street, Ormiston, EH35 5HS.
Time: 10.30am-4.30pm.
Event Description: Through movement, drawing, writing and aesthetic dialogue we will deepen our relationship to our perception of health by journeying into the rich tapestry of our lives within the metaphor of movement and the body. No experience necessary, just a willingness to explore the creative process.

Audicia Lynne Morley is Artistic Director of State Theta Galleries, a dedicated centre for the development of movement, health and the arts in East Lothian. Over the last 30 years she has continued to pursue her passion for research and the development of the integration of Eastern and Western approaches to movement, health and creative exploration. As a dancer she has performed with companies both in the UK and the Far East. She is a qualified practitioner and teacher in Shiatsu and Craniosacral Therapy. She has studied with and served on the board of directors for the Tamalpa Institute CA, founded by Anna and Daria Halprin.
Cost: £40. Must be booked in advance. For booking and transport information:
Contact: Audicia, 07868 705908, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.statetheta.com

Event: Talk: Georgia: art on the medieval frontier between Byzantium, Iran and the Turks.

Speaker: Dr Antony Eastmond, Reader in the History of Byzantine Art in the Courtauld Institute of Art.
Venue: Appleton Tower, the University of Edinburgh, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE.
Time: 7pm.
Event Description: In the Middle Ages Georgia, located in the Caucasian mountains, stood on the frontier between different worlds, the empires of Byzantium to the west and Iran to the east. Through the Middle Ages, Georgia was a dynamic society that absorbed elements from all the cultures around it, and combined them to produce a distinct and vibrant indigenous art. The lecture will show how Georgia combined Christian and Islamic, Western and Oriental themes to express its distinct Caucasian identity. It will focus on some of the great monuments of Georgia, especially at its most powerful in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when it was ruled by Tamar (1184-1210) the country's legendary queen.
Cost: Donations £2 (Scotland-Russia Forum members), £5 (non-members) payable at the door. Light refreshments after the lecture. Advance booking essential.
Contact: 0131 668 3635, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Talk: The Sufic Path.

Facilitator: Imam Nusrah Cassiem.
Venue: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: 8pm. Doors open: 7.30pm.
Event Description: Despite concerns modern orthodox Islam may have over its legitimacy, Sufism historically and to this day has played a vital and important role in preserving the teachings and essence of Islam. Sufism has often erroneously been described as the mystical branch of Islam. The true teachings of Islam are that life is inherently mystical, therefore to separate mysticism and the mundane is missing the point. The life of the Sufi is geared toward unifying these two perceptions into a unified reality to have direct experience of the Divine.

After giving a brief historical outline of the development of Sufism, Imam Nusrah will explain how Sufism is practically applied, practiced and utilized in the daily life of Muslims and its ability to bring the individual to their fullest potential physically, mentally and spiritually.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07814859599.