When Night Comes, Don't Run
Grab the last tickets for Words & Friends or join us for the Coop, plus community events and open calls for writing and writers
Hello there! How are you? And welcome to our new subscribers!
I’m a little worn out with reporting on the arts & culture funding news at the moment.
It’s pretty hard to be positive about things when the entire industry seems uncertain and it’s difficult to trust the promises from the Scottish Government when they’ve let the industry down multiple times before.
It’s not new for politicians to let us down, but it is exhausting to feel like a pawn in a game I (and many others) don’t want to play. I’d much rather be writing and doing creative things than worrying about whether or not my work and career are viable.
While there appears to be progress with funding being reinstated for Creative Scotland this year and a promise to double the investment in the arts from now until 2028/29, I’d rather focus on positive news closer to the grassroots, where things are constantly growing and evolving, and people are supporting each other through ridiculous political choices like means-testing winter fuel payments for pensioners, cutting funding to mental health services and scrapping free travel on public transport for refugees and asylum seekers.
I’m angry and I’m tired. But I’m not giving up. I do need to adjust my focus elsewhere for a second so I don’t lose my mind or passion for doing the things I love and connecting with our community.
If you’d like to support artists, creatives, and creative workers, you can sign the Campaign for the Arts petition here.
Building from the grassroots up
This week saw the launch of two very exciting programmes in Edinburgh. The Scottish Storytelling Festival shared its programme for this year’s festival which focuses on the theme Bridges Between. This year’s festival is from October 18-31 and features work and events including exhibition Renaissance: Scotland, Stories of the Land: Palestine and Scotland, Footsteps of the Fairies, Death Stories: Film & Storytelling, and workshop Emotional Literacy with Storytelling. Check out the full programme and book tickets here.
Lighthouse Books also released the dates of this year’s Radical Book Fair, which is taking place at Assembly Roxy from November 21-24 and focuses on the theme: From Where We Stand. They also shared the Save the Date for their programme launch. Join the Lighthouse Books team on October 12 for the launch of the programme!
Not only have we seen the launch of some excellent programmes in Edinburgh, but across the country book and writing festivals continue to run and a few are coming up fast as well with the Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival on September 27 & 28, Byres Road Book Festival in Glasgow from September 26-29, and WAYWORD Festival in Aberdeen starting on September 21 and running from September 24-29.
You can find more information on each of the festivals in my book and writing festival round-up from August.
Community events
Lighthouse Books September, October & November events programme
After a successful ALT Book Fringe, Lighthouse Books is back with a packed calendar of hybrid events for September, October, and November (not to mention the return of the Radical Book Fair from November 21-24). This week alone they have the launch of It Ain’t Over Until the Bisexual Speaks on September 18, a session on Antiblackness and Global Health with Lioba Hirsch on September 19, and an evening of poetry with Nat Raha and friends, featuring performances by Anthony Vahni Capildeo, Mohammed Tonsy and Cassandra Troyan, to celebrate Nat’s collection apparitions (nines) on September 21.
See all of Lighthouse’s events here
I’m really looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces at the first Words & Friends with Orémi this Thursday, September 19, at Victor Hugo Deli - The Shore. We’re going to be gathering to get creative and make friends with other wordy people. We’ll be focusing on friendship and how we show up for each other with some tandem exercises to get you all talking and collaborating! I can’t wait for this wholesome little workshop and I hope there are more Words & Friends in the future.
Get tickets for Words & Friends here
Join local storyteller Dougie Mackay on Thursday, September 19, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for the latest installment of the Heart Fire Sessions. Dougie’s events take the spirit of the ceilidh (hospitality, traditional arts, guid craic) and spices things up just a little for a modern audience. This month the Hearth Fire Sessions features musician Kirsty Law, spoken word artist and creative practitioner Iona Lee, and magician and storyteller Chris Cook.
Grab tickets for Hearth Fire Sessions here
Women Hold Up Half the Sky Tour
This post has been edited as Mint’s Mid-Autumn Screening has sold out. Thanks to the Mint Chinese Film Festival team for sharing the tour poster and updated information with me!
Sunday, September 15 was Mid-Autumn Festival in China (中秋快乐 to all who celebrate) and Mint Chinese Film Festival is in Scotland for the next month and a half! Part of Mint’s Women Hold Up Half the Sky tour in collaboration with Aya Films. The film tour is taking place across Scotland from September 8 to October 26, with the next Edinburgh event on October 16. If you live a bit further from the capital, don’t worry, Women Hold Up Half the Sky is visiting communities across Scotland, including Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, Aberfeldy, and St Andrews.
Browse the tour programme and book tickets here
Women Who Write Edinburgh still have spaces on their next By the Beach Writing Retreat at Tribe Porty on September 22. Join the WWW community for a day of guided writing sprints in the company of fellow non-binary and women writers. You’ll meet at 9 am and work through the day, with a break for lunch and a walk on the beach. Unlimited tea and coffee are included to fuel your words! This is a paid event, but WWW recognises not everyone is in a position to pay for these kinds of events, so if you need a free spot, message them on Instagram!
Book your place here
Crop Planning for Successful Harvests
Join Jossie Ellis of Gather Market Garden at Lauriston Agroecology Farm on September 23 for a tour and deep dive into all things crop planning! This event offers a tour of the Market Garden, insights into how to crop plan, and will share ideas and practical tools to help you with your crop planning. All levels of experience are welcomed and tickets are available on a sliding scale.
Get your sliding scale ticket here
LGBTQI+ Community Human Rights Training
Queer Families Glasgow is hosting an online LGBTQI+ community human rights workshop on Monday, September 23. This event will enable you to learn and talk about human rights as members of LGBTQI+ communities and is open to all LGBTQI+ people in Scotland. The workshop will include: the basics of human rights in Scots law, space to talk about community experiences, and ways to use rights in our communities (for example, raising issues, making complaints, engaging with services and policymakers).
Sign up for the online training here
The Chicken Coop Writing Group
Join me next Tuesday, September 24, for the Chicken Coop Writing Group at Lost in Leith Bar & Fermentaria. This month we’ll be approaching work and corporate culture through the lens of humour and hilarity, questioning how we interact with and in these spaces, how they require us to change our external presentation and appearance, and how they push our boundaries physically, mentally, emotionally, and politically. As always, I’ll be guiding you through these open-ended, multi-disciplinary prompts and also holding space for our supportive (but not compulsory) sharing session.
Tickets for the Coop are available here
Guid Crack: All Creatures Great and Small
Join guest storyteller Anne Dignan for another fun and friendly session of Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club held upstairs in the Waverley Bar on Friday, September 27. Guid Crack will also hold its usual open-floor section for anyone to share a story, song, or poem around the theme or otherwise. This month they’re encouraging stories of mythical beings and the creatures we share the soil and sky with.
Book tickets for Guid Crack here
Find Your Light: Performance Poetry
I AM LOUD is teaming up with Capital Theatres to bring young people aged 16-25 'Find Your Light' a day of creative workshops for young people inspired by Capital Theatres’ production of 'A Chorus Line.' Join spoken word performers Dr Katie Ailes and Kevin Mclean on Saturday, September 28, to develop your craft with basic poetry composition, building your performance skills and confidence on stage, and technical stagecraft. All experience levels are welcome and this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!
Learn more and sign up for Find Your Light here
The Cameo Cinema is delighted to introduce its very first Crafting Cinema event on Sunday, September 29. The first Crafting Cinema will feature the film The Outrun! The Cameo invites you to bring along your craft of choice, from drawing and sketching to knitting and crocheting, and work on it whilst you watch! They'll keep the lights on partially so that you can see what you're crafting.
Book your spot here
Argonaut have emerged from the post-festival haze and return with a brilliant line-up of Book Clubs to see out September and kick off October! This month’s book clubs include the Science Fiction & Fantasy book club on September 24 looking at Dragonfall by L.R. Lam, the Horror book club on September 27 discussing Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, and the Queer book club on October 7 chatting about You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat. Argonaut’s Book Clubs are a great way to meet new people and include free hot drinks, plus a 10% discount on the chosen book!
Book tickets for the Argonaut Book Clubs here
Typewronger Riso Studio Courses and Workshops
Have you always wanted to make your own zines or riso prints, or to learn more about the printing process? Well, you’re in luck, Typewronger has released their next batch of workshops and courses from now until the end of October. They have some great workshops for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, and printers. Having worked with Tee on my poetry zine Kitchen Love, I can tell you there’s no better teacher out there and you’ll also learn so much about self-publishing! I also love that they’re now offering pay-it-forward spots so people who have the means can support others to learn and grow creatively too.
Learn more about each course and workshop here
Open calls for writing and writers
This one’s a wee bit further afield, but Newcastle-based Out of Your Head is looking for submissions related to this month’s theme: ‘Notes on Nature’. They want work that considers your connection to the natural world or what the word natural means to you. Successful applicants will receive £50 for a slot to perform and two runners-up will receive £30 for the same! Poems must be under 5 minutes long and speak to the theme. The deadline for video or voice submissions is September 20.
Get the guidelines from this post
Swim Press is currently open for submissions for their seventh issue: bury/excavate. They’re looking for poetry, prose, creative non-fiction, visual art, and photography. Swin is looking for work that examines secrets to bury or past lives to dig up, explores ancient worlds discovered and other mysteries lost. You can also share things that bury yourself under work, under pressure, under the weight of the world, or you can rise from the dirt, born anew. The deadline for submissions is September 29.
Read the guidelines here
BTVP is open for submissions for their Disability Pride Anthology. The deadline for submissions is November 15. They’re seeking submissions that explore the intersection of disability with race, gender identity, sexuality, etc. This collection aims to amplify the voices of disabled writers, providing a platform for your lived experiences to be seen, heard, and understood.
Get the guidelines here
Thanks for reading!
It feels good to be back with events this month and I’m super stoked to be kicking off this collaboration with Orémi in a couple of days. I love that the Coop is a space for creativity, activism and grappling with social issues in a friendly and encouraging environment. It makes me so happy to see people engaging with each other and realising they’re not alone in wanting things to be better.
But I am looking forward to Words & Friends focusing on making connections and being creative with others in a different and perhaps more gentle (but no less important way).
It’s key to remember that while writing is an often solitary act, it can be made less lonely and more enjoyable by connecting with others and honouring that inspiration can come to us in the most unsuspecting ways when we chat with others or take recommendations for other media that can influence and inspire what we make.
I’m constantly inspired by those around me and I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without the influence of my teachers, tutors, friends, family, and creatives in my community. I hope you can join us at Words & Friends or the Coop for some joyful, creative, and fun ways to explore new stories!
This week, I’ve been inspired by a trip to Quality Yard with my fave lil gal, Taco. It’s nice to take these moments to pause and breathe with my little family before work starts again and before I get married next month (aaaaah - in the most excited way possible).
If you’re looking for a break or need some colourful art in your life, I’d highly recommend a wee wander down to Quality Yard this week!
Take care and speak soon,
Naomi x
P.s. If you know someone who’d like to get creative with a bunch of curious and compassionate creatives, why not share this newsletter with them?
Can’t wait to see you all at our Chinese film screenings and shows taking place across Scotland from Sep 8- Oct 26. Full schedules : https://www.unicornscreening.com/mint-on-tour
Thanks so much for the shout out, very appreciated! Im also looking forward to words with friends next week!