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Guardian Edinburgh: How I went from volunteering in Forest Cafe kitchen to become a charity director
In the next of our series highlighting the campaign to save the Forest Cafe, Dan Gorman writes in from Damascus, Syria, to say that without it, he never would have become director of the Firefly International charity or set up Reel Festivals…
Save The Forest Concert
Friday, December 3rd 7.30-10.30pm
BYOB
8 pounds entrance - all money to the Forest Cafe.
at Pilrig St Paul’s on Leith Walk
Friends of the Forest wanted a tangible way of helping out so they called in some favours from some beautiful musicians who want to help keep the Forest Cafe alive and thriving for generations of musicians. They are having a concert and you should come!
Musical talent for your pleasure:
Aaron Wright & The Aprils -Aaron Wright has had a big year. A triumphant set at Glastonbury was quickly followed by The Hop Farm, on the bill with Bob Dylan. Aaron Wright & The Aprils released their debut e.p Beyond a Pale Horse featuring members of Teenage Fanclub, Camera Obscura and Belle and Sebastian.
William Douglas - frontman of bands House of La and The Wheel will show you the best of what the Edinburgh alt-folk scene is all about.
Hailey Beavis - current contender for best singer-songwriter in Edinburgh? That’s our opinion. Fans of Julie Doiron, Joanna Newsom, & Cat Power will swoon at Hailey’s elaborate word play and unique songwriting. Her band The Sea, The Sea played Nick Cave’s reading at the Roxy Arthouse, and she recently supported Willy Mason at the same venue.
Finn Andrews - enigmatic frontman of The Veils comes to play a solo show for the Forest Cafe. Geoff Travis of Rough Trade has referred to Finn as “A young but maturing real artist in the vein of Nick Cave and David Bowie”. A rare performance. Not to be missed.
Toby Mottershead - immensely talented frontman of Black Diamond Express, perhaps the best underground rock and roll blues band this city has to offer will play some lovely songs for you and maybe some blues songs that may make you weep, a bit.
& Special guests
Advance tickets available at here
CALL FOR ARTWORK! EVERYTHING MUST GO!
Art Sale at Forest Café, Bristo Place, 11th – 12th December
A5 artworks in any medium: postcards, canvas, photos, screen prints…get creative!
We’ re looking for artists interested in creating and donating A5 works for an art sale as part of the ‘Save the Forest’ campaign . Email rachel_mccrum@hotmail.com for details.
Deadline for submissions: Wed 8th December.
Artwork can be dropped into the Forest Café: please mark ‘Everything Must Go!’ and let the volunteers know what it is. Or post to Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 1EY. And sign them. We want to know who you are…
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GET A TABLE! There are also opportunities to run a table as part of an Arts & Crafts sale on Saturday 11th December. Contact events@theforest.org.uk, marking your email ‘FAO Stephen’
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WATCH THIS SPACE – ART AUCTION 2011
There will be a high profile auction of contemporary artworks early 2011. Contact auction@theforest.org.uk for further information.
The Forest is… a registered charity, an arts and community project space, an art gallery, a café, a performance space, recording studio, rehearsal room, darkroom, screen printing studio and publishing venue. Powered by the enthusiasm and dedication of hardworking, generous and committed volunteers, it’s been a vivid, vibrant part of Edinburgh’s creative scene for over a decade. It continually offers grassroots support for the arts and creative projects, as well as a place for people to meet, talk, listen, watch, share ideas, make stuff, argue. And eat great burritos.
It is essential that places like the Forest exist in our cities.
EUS (Edinburgh University Settlement), the previous landlord of the current Forest venue was recently declared bankrupt. This led to the immediate and devastating closure of the Roxy Art House. The Forest doesn’t want to go the same way. An awesome fundraising campaign has begun to buy the current building for the Forest, and to continue to run it as an autonomous art space. Supporters of the Forest across the city, the UK and internationally, are mobilising to organise events and ensure that the Forest continues.
For further information and an opportunity to donate to the Forest Fund: http://forestcafe.tumblr.com/
GOLDEN HOUR
December 15, 2010 8pm!!!
Samuel Taradash + Jarred McGinnis – Release a special double chapbook, boom!
Jason Morton - the annual roar
Tim Turnbull —- Beware the tinselled Succubus
Ben Lancaster —- Live from Canada with Holiday Tidings.
Music From:
Pockets & Alex — Fantastic Uke Boogies!!!
Forest Choir — A full chorale opens their lungs.
John Langan Band —- Do you like the party?
An appeal, then. The Roxy and the Forest are places where – rather like the Arches in Glasgow – the successful artists, theatre-makers and musicians of the future can experiment, meet kindred spirits, and find their voices. If investment in culture defines the successful modern city then these venues, now fighting for survival, are vital places to invest in. The Roxy is currently seeking a new owner, while the Forest team, in typical DIY fashion, are trying to raise £500,000 to buy the building (visit http:forestcafe.tumblr.com). Both deserve our support, and Creative Scotland’s too.
The Writing Laboratory Performance
Sunday December 5th from 8pm
The creative writing workshop students will talk about the healing power of therapeutic writing as well as read and perform some of the writing work they have created during the course.
Special guests: Scottish songwriter Calum Carlyle and writer Peter G. Mackie reading from his book ‘The Madhouse of Love’
Whether you’re a patron of the place or not, the news that Edinburgh’s Forest Cafe might be on the ropes is surely cause for concern…
In the first in a series of guest blogs highlighting the campaign to save Forest Cafe, Abbeyhill-based artist Ericka Duffy touches on the five years she has spent working with the Edinburgh University Settlement, Roxy Arthouse, Stepping Stones and Forest to say why she can’t imagine this city without it…
THE GOLDEN HOUR gets fa-la-la-la festive!December 15th, 2010 Words: Samuel Taradash + Jarred McGinnis – Release a special… |
Artists, Writers, Artisans and Crafters alike – we need you!
Please help us to make the most awesome collaborative DIY Handbook of arts, crafts and any other unsolicited activities, for the Forest Cafe in Edinburgh.
We are looking for any submissions of ‘how to’ guides and example sheets for whatever art, craft, game, activity or technique you spend your time doing, or know a bit about, and would like to share with others.
All we are asking for is a one sided A4 sheet which describes the method, materials and processes involved in that activity, art or craft – in whatever form you would like. You know, a kind of ‘how to’ or step-by-step guide but with writing, images, cut-outs, games, scratch ‘n’ sniff…whatever is necessary and you can add. On the other side of this sheet will be a basic profile about the chosen activity and a little bit about yourself. This should help to tell people a bit more about it and where to find out more and about yourself.
From all these entries we will be creating an online, downloadable book for people to buy containing all these different activities as a Forest DIY Artisan’s Handbook. Everyone involved will be credited directly through their own profile, and the project will run totally non-for-profit to help with fundraising for The Forest.
Please do help with this; It is something that can last for a long long time – and if successful will not only help support the Forest fundraising but will become an artisan’s craft menu at the Forest Cafe alongside the food menu. Any input is more than welcome – anything from Bookmaking to clay modelling, creative writing techniques, making a woodburner, crochet patterns, kinetic sculpture, hatmaking, homemade instruments, basic illustration, songwriting, origami animals, knot tieing, Lino cutting, drying herbs, fingerknitting, forraging, storytelling games, Qi Gong steps, shadow puppetry, frame-making, eyebrow trickery…etc…you get the idea. It’s as open as you can make it.
What next?:
Choose your art, craft, activity – start making your sheet and hand it in here or send it in to the Forest (3 Bristo Place, EH1 1EY) or to willowords@gmail.com
The Forest Is what you Make it.
The collapse of the Edinburgh University Settlement charity has forced the closure of the Roxy Art House and put the Forest Café in jeopardy. Locals must fight for The Forest to stay open, argues long-term venue organiser Ryan Van Winkle…
Forest Free Workshop!
Self Healing Meditation: Easy Energetic techniques to get health balance.
Tuesday 23rd of November. 6:15 -8pm Forest Action Room
