Glasgow International Art Festival
34 Venues, 11-27th June 2021
Glasgow Tramway
The Pipe Factory
Florence Street
Street Level Photoworks
Kelvin Grove
Southblock
Glasgow Sculpture Studios
Eva Rothschild
Other Shot's
Highland Spring pours new products into Asda aisles
Highland Spring has secured a contract with Asda to supply five new water products to the retailer’s stores across Scotland.
The deal will see Asda become the only major grocery retailer in Scotland to stock the entire single serve ECO range- made from 100% recycled plastic – from the Perthshire based company. Highland Spring ECO 500ml Still Water, ECO 750ml Still Water and ECO 500ml Sparkling Water will join the Still 10L Box and Highland Spring Flavoured Cans on the Asda shelves.
Established in 1979 by the same family that owns it today, Highland Spring has grown to become the UK’s number one bottled water brand.
Lynn Smith, National Account Manager at Highland Spring Group said:
“Providing healthy hydration in an environmentally sustainable way is the core purpose of Highland Spring and we have been working hard to ensure customers have access to more environmentally friendly packaging options.”
“Whilst all existing bottles in the Highland Spring range are 100% recyclable, our evolving ECO bottle range underpins our commitment to remain at the forefront of environmentally sustainable innovation.”
Heather Turnbull, Asda’s Regional Buying Manager, Scotland, added:
“We’re delighted to be the first major grocery retailer in Scotland to stock the new Highland Spring ECO bottled water range, alongside the innovative 10L hydration pack which is perfect for staycations and the flavoured sparkling water cans, which will offer our customers the chance to try something new this summer.”
“We know that sustainability is important to our customers and we’re always striving to introduce more environmentally friendly products - this new ECO range will be a great addition to our shelves.”
Highland Spring’s ECO still and sparking bottled water range, the Still 10L Box and the Highland Spring Flavoured Sparkling Water Cans are available in Asda stores now.
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Talat Yaqoob FRSE, Independent Consultant and Researcher
Portraits shot for the cover of The Royal Society of Edinburgh Magazine cover
Louise Macdonald OBE
Arusha Gallery presents – Beasts by Helen Flockhart with work from Beth Carter
Arusha Gallery are excited to welcome back award-winning Scottish artist Helen Flockhart this November as she returns to the Edinburgh gallery with sculptor Beth Carter for their new exhibition Beasts. Running from the 26 November until 20 December 2020 both artists will be unveiling new works in their first joint exhibition.
Evoking a mythological realm, featuring characters plucked from genesis, legend, and the Greek myths, Beasts comprises a total of 27 pieces including 21 new oil paintings by Flockhart and 6 sculptures courtesy of Carter. From labyrinths and minotaurs to fauns, fowl and centaurs, the legendary iconography present in both artist’s work encourages the viewer to confront the chaos of the human condition.
Having received huge acclaim for her sold out 2018 exhibition at Arusha Gallery, Helen Flockhart (b.1963) is one of the finest and most distinctive Scottish artists of her generation. Her work breaks with established convention, comprising a blend of portrait and landscape and her unique style combines intricate patterns, backdrops of lush foliage, and surreal scenes that appear suspended in time. Her paintings are verdant, fantastical paeans to that particularist genre of British myth making centred on pastures, mountains and divinity.
Flockhart often draws creative inspiration from esoteric and mythical sources and in Beasts, characters imbued with cultural and mythological connotations, such as swans, snakes, leopards, lions, centaurs and stags, roam across canvases contrasting in colour palette, from dark and mystical, to light and almost divine.
Sculptor Beth Carter (b.1968) has a fascination with the human condition, something that audiences viewing her work will immediately appreciate. The universality of mythic narratives, and the symbols, characters and exploits that are thrown up by it, are prominent features of a body of work that is as stunning visually as it is conceptually and technically.
Carter’s work often morphs the human figure with animal creating mythological creatures and extraordinary fictional compositions. Beasts features 6 of Carter’s sculptures, 4 in her favoured medium of bronze, 1 in bronze resin and the remaining piece made from a mix of plaster, wood, acrylic and fabric. Animated by the confidence of history, anchored by the ancient narratives they reference, her figures nonetheless exhibit the uneasy disconsolation of our time: an era in which monkey, not the organ grinder, seems a hero better suited, more representational, to the modern myth.
Beasts Exhibition Text
Sundry Beasts roam these paintings: the minotaur; feared and loathed, rapacious devourer of human flesh, but equally a victim of the circumstances which conspired to create him (wasn't every monster once a child?); lions and serpents which populate re-imaginings of Eve; and a listless centaur cowers in the presence of Athena, bedecked in a pelt of Medusa heads.
These beasts provide a metaphor for the bestial aspects of human nature and also the vulnerability and pathos therein: the whole messy mix which constitutes humanity. The way we view the tropes expounded within stories - from Greek myth, from Genesis, from legend - whether perpetuated or subverted, tells us much about ourselves in the here and now.
Agnieszka Prendota, Creative Director at Arusha Gallery said: “I am delighted to see Helen exhibit with us once again this year and very excited to see Beth Carter’s work on display alongside given the rich thematic symmetry in each artists work. Both of these artists have incredibly distinct styles and yet the synergy between their subject matter makes this collaboration highly intuitive and cohesive.
At a time when everyone is feeling the strain and constraints of the pandemic, an exhibition like Beasts which questions the human condition and our role in the world, provides a relevant space for reflection and perhaps a much-needed temporary portal of escape to another world.”
Helen Flockhart said: “I am delighted to be returning to the beautiful Arusha Gallery with these new paintings, and to have them showing along side Beth Carter's sculptures which I admire so much. Being immersed in the focus of producing these works has enabled me to escape from the constraints imposed on us all in this past year by allowing my imagination to fly free.”
ENDS/
For further information including review, interview and images requests please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes on 078 25335489 / [email protected] or Sarah Drummond on 07741316934 / [email protected]
Exhibition Dates: 26th November – 20th December 2020
Beasts is also presented online via www.arushagallery.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/arushagalleryArusha Gallery Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
** Arusha Gallery has measures in place to ensure social distancing is maintained to ensure our visitors and staff are protected and a high level of hygiene is maintained.**
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SOCIAL BITE LAUNCH FESTIVAL OF KINDNESS IN BID TO PROVIDE 250,000 MEALS AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO HOMELESS PEOPLE THIS CHRISTMAS
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Major Christmas Trees have been installed in Edinburgh (St Andrew Square) and Glasgow (Vinicombe St) where public can donate a gift under the tree
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Charity aiming to distribute 250,000 meals and essential items - bringing total distributions of food and essentials to over 1,000,000 since pandemic began
Today (Thursday 26 November), Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness has launched throughout Scotland. In a bid to spread some much-needed festive goodwill and kindness, the charity is asking Scots to donate meals, gifts and accommodation for those who need it most this Christmas.
Following the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, homeless and vulnerable people need help and support more than ever and Social Bite has set a target of providing 250,000 meals and essential items over the winter months.
Social Bite, with the support of Essential Edinburgh and West End BID, has installed two 10 metre tall Christmas trees in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square and Glasgow’s Vinicombe Street and is asking people across the country to buy one extra gift, drop it under the tree and contribute to a movement of kindness.
The charity has created a gift wish list of the things homeless and vulnerable people need the most – from a warm pair of gloves, a hot water bottle and a torch to good quality socks and toys for children to open on Christmas morning.
Passers-by can drop their gifts at the trees in Edinburgh and Glasgow and take in the Christmas lights in St Andrew Square Winter Garden. All gifts will then be distributed by Social Bite’s dedicated team to those who need it most, just in time for Christmas.
Monetary contributions can also be made at donation points across the cities or online for those unable to make it out. All money donations will be invested in three areas – food provision; gifts and essential items; and funding warm shelter and accommodation to those who are sleeping rough, in partnership with Glasgow City Mission and Bethany Christian Trust.
Social Bite has already produced and distributed over 815,000 food pack and essential items to vulnerable people since the pandemic began in Scotland and the charity is hoping that the kindness of the Scottish public can bring this number to over one million items distributed to those who need them.
Social Bite co-founder and CEO, Josh Littlejohn MBE, said: “With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, this Christmas is going to be especially tough for Scotland’s homeless population. For those without a safe place to call home, a small act of kindness can mean the world. At Social Bite, we have seen some extraordinary examples of kindness during the pandemic and we’re asking people to come together and spread some festive cheer.
“I would like to encourage everyone to make a financial donation or come and drop a gift at our dedicated Christmas trees in Edinburgh and Glasgow and we will get them to those who need them most. Even the smallest of gifts, like a warm pair of socks or hot water bottle, will make a huge difference and we feel truly passionate that everyone deserves some sort of gift this Christmas. We’re really proud to have worked together with partner organisations to bring this project to life and continue to help further tackle homelessness in Scotland. Please join us and help spread kindness and hope this Christmas.”
Social Bite has a track record of successful fundraising events, having previously hosted ‘Sleep Out’ events in Edinburgh, London and New York, with the latter attended by Hollywood A-listers Dame Helen Mirren and Will Smith in 2019.
The Festival’s ‘Trees of Kindness’ will be installed in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh and Vinicombe Street in Glasgow from November 26th to December 23rd. The sites will be open for donations from Monday to Wednesday, 12pm to 2pm, and Thursday to Sunday, 10.30am to 7.30pm.
All gifts should be new and unwrapped. To find out more or donate, please visit https://social-bite.co.uk/festival-of-kindness/
ENDS
For more information please email socialbite@stripecommunications or call Fraser Clarke on 07582 453633.
Festival of Kindness gift wish list:
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Children’s Toys
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Hot Water Bottle
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Good quality socks
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Warm Clothes
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Warm Hats & Gloves
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Winter Jacket
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Rainjacket or Poncho
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Torch
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Full bedding set
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Trainers
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Walking boots
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Food Hamper
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Mobile Phone
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Laptop
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Soaps & Toiletries
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Vouchers for the cinema
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Beauty products for women
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Hairdresser voucher
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Home starter kit - Pots, pans, plate, cutlery
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Spa Day
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Television Set for someone moving into new home
The City Art Centre is proud to present, Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures a two-floor exhibition of works by contemporary artist Jock McFadyen RA, whose impressive career has spanned over four decades. Timed to mark his 70th birthday, this major exhibition showcases new and existing paintings by McFadyen paired alongside artworks specifically selected by the artist from the City Art Centre’s rich and varied collection.
Opening on Saturday 14 November, this exhibition by McFadyen displays his urban and rural landscapes, as well as some of his figurative paintings, next to works from the City Art Centre’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art. Over the last year McFadyen has regularly visited the picture stores to carefully select works for the show. His choices range from ‘old favourites’ by renowned Scottish artists such as F. C. B. Cadell and Alan Davie, to ones that have rarely been seen by the public.
Through a series of fascinating pairings, the exhibition encourages viewers to take a closer look. Works that might initially seem unrelated reveal unexpected connections and relationships. Some of these juxtapositions are witty; some are striking or surprising. By showcasing these artworks side by side, the exhibition aims to highlight common visual threads that connect all pictures, confounding the traditional boundaries of period, style and artistic posture. The exhibition is the first in a series of four shows celebrating McFadyen’s work, followed by Jock McFadyen: Tourist without a Guidebook at The Royal Academy of Arts, London (tbc February - 11 April 2021), Jock McFadyen: Lost Boat Party (11 June - 25 September 2021) a collaboration between Dovecot Studios and the Scottish Gallery at the Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh and ending with Jock McFadyen Goes to The Lowry at The Lowry, Salford (dates to be confirmed).
Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures opens on Saturday 14 November 2020, and runs until 11 April 2021. Admission is free, pre-booking online essential via edinburghmuseums.org.uk
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St James Quarter celebrates a milestone moment in Edinburgh history as construction workers secure the final flourish on the highest point of the W Edinburgh – the new centrepiece of the £1bn city centre development.
The topping out of the 1.7 million sq ft development in the heart of the Scottish capital signals the most significant transformation Edinburgh has seen in a generation. Set to open in phases, the shopping, dining and leisure elements will open in spring 2021 and the W Edinburgh will mark the final completion in 2022. Set to employ 3,000 people, St James Quarter will be a destination like no other - bringing together brands from global to local, and convenience to luxury. It features a shopping galleria with 80 different brands, 30 restaurants, Scotland’s first W Edinburgh hotel, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, residential apartments and an unrivalled guest experience providing customers with an enviable events programme in a range of new and attractive public spaces.
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E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas
The City Art Centre and the National Trust for Scotland present, E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas. Running from 7 November 2020 – 14 March 2021 at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre, it is the first major exhibition of the work of Scottish artist Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864–1933) for over 35 years, and will re-evaluate his paintings in light of his extensive photographic collection.
E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas features photographs and paintings from the City Art Centre’s Scottish art collection, as well as paintings and photographs from the extensive collection housed at Broughton House in Kirkcudbright (Hornel's home 1901–33), which is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. The collection includes c.1,700 photographs used by Hornel to create his paintings. He collected these from friends and contacts, purchased them commercially and took or posed them himself, both at home in Scotland and while travelling in Japan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas opens on Saturday 7 November 2020, and runs until 14 March 2021. Admission is free, pre-booking essential via www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
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Presented by Arusha Gallery, Midnight Candy is the first solo show by the artist Fiona Finnegan in Scotland and is comprised of many works titled with excerpts of song lyrics such as, ‘Tupelo’ and ‘But the Sun is Eclipsed by the Moon’. Although the works do not aim to directly represent these lyrics, they draw from them a certain mood and sensibility - capturing the artist’s distinctive creative style, fusing dark gothic mysticism with a radical rock ‘n’ roll punch.
Midnight Candy runs from 31st October – 21st November 2020 at Arusha Gallery.
The Telegraph
The Scotsman
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Platform:2020
Platform:2020, the new group show from Edinburgh Art Festival showcasing mixed media (textiles, sculpture, performance and film) work from artists; Rabindranath A Bhose, Mark Bleakley, Rhona Jack and Susannah Stark before it opens to the public on the 31st October. The artists will be present and available for interview, as will the exhibition curator, Abbe Webster. Edinburgh Art Festival present this year’s Platform exhibition, the festival’s annual showcase supporting artists in the early stages of their careers to make and present new work. Selected from an open call by artist Ruth Ewan, and curator, Sophia Hao (Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design), four artists based in Scotland – Rabindranath A Bhose, Mark Bleakley, Rhona Jack and Susannah Stark – have been supported to create new work which will be presented in a group show at City Art Centre.
Each of the artists has been working over recent months to develop new work for their presentation in Platform: 2020. The exhibition brings together four new bodies of work that include sound installations, textile and sculptural works, print-making, film, performance, and text-based works. Across each of the artists’ individual practice, a number of themes and approaches are particularly resonant for our present times including: the aesthetics of the collective, the intense vitality of ‘being together’ in space; strategies for survival; and the importance of the sense of touch. Edinburgh Art Festival, along with its sibling August Festivals, made the difficult decision earlier this year to cancel their 2020 edition due to the ongoing pandemic. Despite the many challenges faced across the cultural sector, the festival is very pleased to continue to support artists during this difficult time by presenting the delayed 2020 edition of their Platform series, which usually forms a key element of each Edinburgh Art Festival programme, showcasing new work for four artists in the early stages of their careers. Platform: 2020 runs from 31st October – 29th November 2020 at City Art Centre in
Return of the ‘Mac’
Strathmore Foods has joined exclusively with Asda to give its customers the chance to decide the new flavour of the iconic McIntosh Macaroni Cheese range.
Asda Scotland stores will stock three new mac and cheese flavours - Chipotle Chicken, Leek & Broccoli and Hawaiian – with shoppers voting online to ‘Save the Flavour’ that will be permanently added to the range in the New Year.
Family owned Strathmore Foods has produced a wide range of chilled and frozen products in Scotland since the early 1970s. The company’s original McIntosh Macaroni Cheese is currently the best-selling chilled ready meal in Scotland, with six lines different lines already stocked in Asda Scotland stores.
Neil MacRae, Strathmore Foods Sales Manager explained,
“We asked Asda Scotland customers to suggest the new flavours of Macaroni Cheese they would like. This list was then narrowed down to the three most popular, which are now on shelves in stores being put to the public vote to see which one remains in the range going forward. It has been a couple of years since new flavours were introduced, so we are really excited about running the competition with Asda.
“Involving Asda customers from the outset proved incredibly popular – they loved being involved and having their say – it’s a hot topic! The Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese is something totally different for the ready meal category – we are intrigued to see how this one goes in the vote – pineapple in savoury food often promotes strong opinions.”
Heather Turnbull, Asda’s Regional Buying Manager, Scotland added:
“It’s brilliant to extend the McIntosh Macaroni Cheese range – it is such a popular & much-loved product. I am confident customers will really enjoy getting involved in deciding the new flavour – plus getting to try all three new lines in the process.
“Including a prize draw for £100 is also a great addition to the competition - encouraging more customers to take part. It is fantastic to work with local suppliers like Strathmore Foods who continually look at new and innovative ways to bring products to market – and involve customers in that journey as well.”
The new range is available across 19 Asda Scotland stores now, with a further 52 stores stocking the new flavours until Thursday 26th November.
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Tapping into a thirst for sustainability
A Scotland-wide network of public Top up Taps has saved the equivalent of 250,000 plastic bottles through people topping up their refillable bottles while on the move.
And with the go-ahead being given for more taps to be installed across the country, water drinkers are being thanked for their sustainability efforts.
Scottish Water is confirming it is to roll-out its distinctive bright blue water refill points at 70 locations throughout Scotland - including in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands - by March 2021.
It means people keen to stay hydrated on the go can do so free of charge, saving money as well as being kinder to the environment by reducing litter and waste.
So far with 26 taps up and running, more than 82,000 litres of water have been dispensed at the touch of a button into refillable bottles.
It adds up to the same as 250,000 330ml-sized plastic bottles – and if laid end-to-end they’d stretch almost from Edinburgh to Stirling Castle.
The latest Top up Tap to be added to the roll-out programme is in Leith Links in Edinburgh, where City Council leader Adam McVey was on hand to be the first to sample the water.
Edinburgh is also to benefit from a further four tap installations to be sited at Portobello, Royal Mile, West End and Grassmarket. Similar plans are underway in Glasgow for five taps in various locations around the city. Locations elsewhere across Scotland are also being activity progressed.
The Top up Taps are part of Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign which aims to encourage people to top up from the tap to benefit the planet, their health and their pocket.
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: “We know that people in Scotland share our passion for our country’s great-tasting tap water as well as doing our bit for protecting the environment and improving health. It’s fantastic that our Top up Taps programme remains on track to deliver a national network of 70 refill points by March 2021.
“It means people out and about can stay hydrated by filling up for free with high quality public tap water – this is ‘your’ water after all, so we want to make sure you can enjoy it as easy and often as possible.
“There’s a growing appetite from the public to fill up their reusable bottles, and in these changing times it is more important than ever to take a refillable bottle with you and have your own fresh, clear water while you’re on the go.
“We want to thank Scotland for supporting our Top up Taps and to help to achieve the amazing milestone of reaching the equivalent of 250,000 bottles saved.
“Hopefully it becomes the norm for people to seek out our Top Up Taps around Scotland and take their bottles with them whenever they go out.”
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Long-term initiatives such as Top up Taps are essential in helping to tackle our throwaway culture and in encouraging people to reduce and reuse.
“Single-use plastic products are not only wasteful but generate unnecessary litter that blights our beautiful beaches and green spaces while threatening our wildlife on land and at sea.
“I look forward to seeing the Top up Taps roll out further across Scotland, making them accessible to communities the length and breadth of the country and I would like to thank Scottish Water for taking action on this important issue. This drive to cut waste will be further complemented by the introduction of our Deposit Return Scheme – the first scheme of its kind in the UK – which will place a 20p deposit on drinks bottles and cans.”
Adam McVey, Council Leader with City of Edinburgh Council, said: “These five new Top Up Taps across the city will help all of us cut down on single-use plastic and it’s encouraging to hear how well the existing taps have already been used.
“The Council has a strong commitment to reduce plastic in the Capital and expanding the number of points people can refill their own bottles will help us eradicate the use of disposable plastic and ultimately tackle climate change in our city. These taps make it even easier for us to stay hydrated in a sustainable way when we’re out and about and I know Edinburgh residents will continue to make great use of the new taps once installed.
“Access to drinking water refilling points is an issue I’ve personally raised with Scottish Water and I’m delighted they’ve been so engaged in helping Edinburgers do their bit to contribute to a green future for our city.”
Catherine Gee, Operations Director with Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “The unsustainable production, distribution, consumption and disposal of the thousands of single use items used every day in Scotland is inextricably linked to the most serious environmental challenges of our time – climate change and biodiversity loss.
“And litter exemplifies the disregard we have for disposable items – with two out of five sites in Scotland recording drinks related litter. We welcome the roll out of Scottish Water’s water refill stations which promote reuse and make it easy for people to make more sustainable choices and reduce plastic waste and litter.”
The first of the taps was installed in Edinburgh outside the Scottish Parliament exactly two years ago. Since then taps have been turned on from Shetland to the Scottish Borders. The most popular tap of those currently installed is on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street with taps serving the both ends of the West Highland Way, at Milngavie and Fort William, also proving to be highly popular.
Each of the distinctive, high-tech water stations is plumbed directly into the public water supply and each has digital tracking technology which logs how much water is being used and how much plastic potentially saved.
A full list of the current and planned Top up Taps is available on a dedicated website https://www.yourwateryourlife.co.uk/
ENDS
About Scottish Water
Scottish Water provides vital water and waste water services, essential to daily life, to 2.54 million households and 152,000 business premises across Scotland. At the heart of our business is everyone who lives and works in communities across Scotland. Every day we deliver 1.46 billion litres of clear, fresh drinking water – enough to fill over 540 Olympic swimming pools. We also take away and treat 996 million litres of waste water and help protect the environment across Scotland – every day of the year.
More at www.scottishwater.co.uk
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Stuart Common, Sales Director for Mackie's of Scotland and Reece Wallace, Section Leader, Asda Bridge of Dee
Mackie’s of Scotland’s ‘scoops’ new deal with Asda
Aberdeenshire based Mackie’s of Scotland, has secured a deal with Asda, which will see its 2 litre Traditional Real Dairy Ice cream stocked in the retailer’s stores across the UK for the first time.
Previously only listed in Scottish stores, the 2 litre ice cream will now be available in 168 additional Asda stores in England, bringing total listings to 216 stores UK wide. At the same time, the retailer is extending store numbers for the 1 Litre version of the product, by an extra 50.
Established in 1986, the family run business now has 350 cows and 80 staff producing its product on site. The business is both Scotland’s best-selling ice cream, and the UK’s biggest independent ice cream brand.
“We are excited to bring our bigger pack size to Asda customers south of the border for the first time,” explained Stuart Common, Mackie’s Sales Director.
“Making sure we give customers the best value is very important to us – and we pride ourselves on having the most affordable & highest quality real dairy ice cream on the market, at just 20p per scoop! This means the Asda shopper does not have to give up on excellence to be able to afford indulgent ice cream.”
Heather Turnbull, Asda’s Regional Buying Manager, Scotland added,
“It’s fantastic to extend Mackie’s listings south of the border – and it’s a real testament to the quality of the ice cream. Providing local products at affordable prices is a priority for us – as well as innovation and sustainability.
“Mackie’s uses 100% renewable energy for its packaging processes, including wind turbines and solar panels. All packaging used by the business is 100% recyclable and reusable – with the packaging and production all carried out on the premises, saving on food miles.
“We hope our customers across the UK enjoy a taste of Scotland!”
The 2 litre and 1 litre Traditional Real Dairy Ice cream is available in Asda stores across the UK now.
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REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE A ‘BEAR’ NECESSITY IN PAISLEY
With Scottish Water's Top up Tap officially launched in Paisley, members of the public are being urged to carry a refillable water bottle and stay hydrated when out and about in the town.
Yesterday, Thursday 8 October, St Mirren FC's Paisley Panda turned a few heads at the launch of the tap which is situated in Gauze Street, Paisley, just near to the iconic Paisley Abbey.
The 26th water bottle refill station to be launched, Paisley's tap is the latest addition to a network of top up taps across the country as part of Scottish Water's Your Water Your Life campaign.
The campaign began in 2018 and is encouraging people to make tap water their first choice and to carry a refillable water bottle so they can top up from the tap as they go about their daily lives.
Ruaridh MacGregor, corporate affairs manager in the west, said: "We’re encouraging everyone to make a refillable bottle a necessity and not leave home without it. Drinking water from a refillable bottle is good for your health, it's good for the planet by helping to reduce the volume of single-use plastic and it's good for your pocket too.”
St. Mirren FC Manager, Jim Goodwin, is pleased to see the Scottish Water Top up Tap up and running in Paisley. He said: “At St Mirren FC we’re well aware of the importance of hydration in order to perform well on the pitch. However, the benefits of drinking plenty of water are for everyone regardless of how much physical activity you do. It’s great that Paisley now has its very own Top up Tap so that everyone can stay hydrated on-the-go and we’re happy to throw our support behind this Scottish Water initiative.”
Scottish Water aims to deliver 70 public space water refill points by March 2021.
Additional safety and cleaning measures have been put in place on all Top up Taps as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This includes additional deep-cleaning, disinfecting and maintenance including a special coating on the entire refill station which stops any virus and bacteria being absorbed.
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Scottish influencer Kumba launches this years Tickled Pink Breast Cancer CampaignAsda colleagues in Scotland learn #movesforboobs for Breast Cancer Awareness Month This October, Asda colleagues in Scotland will raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Now and new charity partner Coppafeel, as part of the retailer’s Tickled Pink campaign. By welcoming CoppaFeel! to the partnership alongside Breast Cancer Now for 2020, Asda and the charities are working together to help change the future of breast cancer in the UK. Over the past 24 years, Asda Tickled Pink has raised over £68 million for Breast Cancer charities - an incredible total which has funded vital breast cancer research and life-saving support. Each year Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign continues to have a huge impact on the lives of those affected by breast cancer – raising money via pink products instore, as well as boosting vital awareness of breast cancer. Lisa Bacon, Asda Maryhill Community Champion, said: “This year, as part of the Asda Tickled Pink campaign, I’m taking part in the #movesforboobs dance to help me remember how to check for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer with the help of Breast Cancer Now and Coppafeel! “We’re asking our customer, colleagues and friends alike to learn the simple and easy to follow moves, check your boobs and then to share this with their friends, so we can learn more about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.”Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in the UK, and it has never been more important to raise money for breast cancer research and care, something Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign has been working on for so long. To support Tickled Pink, and help towards this year’s fundraising total, a collection of exclusive pink products will be available to buy from Asda stores across the UK and online at ASDA.com throughout September and October. A percentage from each product sold will go to support Breast Cancer Now and Coppafeel’s world-class research and life-changing support, including an exclusive pink can of Pringles, pink Special K and a range of George clothing. Asda stores in Scotland are selling a number of Tickled Pink products in store during September and October. For more information on how to get involved and to learn more about the signs of breast cancer, please visit www.asda.com/tickled-pink ENDS Photo captions –Lisa Bacon, Asda Maryhill community champion is joined by Founder of Wholehearted Social and social media influencer Kumba Dauda to launch the Tickled Pink campaign in Scotland. Editors Notes:Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one in eight women facing it in their lifetime.Every 10 minutes in the UK, another person is diagnosed with breast cancer.It has never been more important to raise money for breast cancer research and care, something Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign has been exemplary in achieving for so long. Over the past 24 years, Asda Tickled Pink has raised over £68 million for Breast Cancer Now and Coppafeel, an incredible total which has funded vital breast cancer research and life-saving support.Each year the Tickled Pink campaign continues to have a huge impact on the lives of those affected by breast cancer – raising money via store fundraisers, pink products in store, as well as raising vital awareness of breast cancer.The retailer will have a collection of exclusive pink products available to buy from Asda stores across the UK and online at ASDA.com throughout September and October. A percentage from each product sold will go to support the life-saving work of Breast Cancer Now and Coppafeel.]]>
Mrs Tilly Goes Vegan with Asda
The surge in demand for vegan products has helped one of Scotland’s much-loved family businesses win a national supply contract with Asda.
Mrs Tilly’s, the family-owned Scottish confectionery businesses which began 23 years ago in a family kitchen in Tillicoultry, will supply its recently launched Vegan Fudge range to over 350 Asda stores across the UK.
The company, which is already famous for its ‘no compromise’ approach to premium quality fudge production, has developed two indulgent vegan flavours for Asda customers - Original and Belgian Chocolate.
Worth an initial £350k to Mrs Tilly’s, the contract is the company’s first nationally listed deal with a major UK supermarket.
The UK wide relationship with Asda was cemented following Mrs Tilly’s participation in the supermarket’s Supplier Development Academy, which was delivered in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink.
Aiming to help local food and drink companies secure listings with Asda and significantly boost their trading potential, the Academy has proved invaluable to many Scottish food producers, resulting in a 5% increase (y-o-y) in sales of locally produced food.
“We knew that participating in the Supplier Development Academy would be a positive step for our business and the development of our relationship with Asda,” said Ronnie Wilson, Commercial Director at Mrs Tilly’s.
“There was a significant focus on new product development and innovation, which challenged us to explore how we could broaden our range while still delivering the quality of product which is synonymous with Mrs Tilly’s. As one of Scotland’s leading confectionery brands, we were confident that we could produce a vegan range of the highest quality and by working in partnership with the Asda team, we’re delighted that the Mrs Tilly’s Vegan Fudge range will soon be available in Asda stores throughout the UK.
Heather Turnbull, Asda’s Regional Buying Manager, Scotland added:
“We are always focused on the needs of our customers and this includes responding to new and developing food trends.
“Vegan and plant-based foods have been one of the fastest growing categories in recent years, with searches for vegan lines up 275% since 2019 on asda.com - and we’re so impressed by the way the team at Mrs Tilly’s reacted to our challenge and invested in the development of these delicious fudge ranges. This really is innovation in action!”
The Mrs Tilly Vegan Fudge range will carry The Vegan Society logo on pack and will be available in 358 Asda stores from the middle of September.
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Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s
12 September 2020 – 6 June 2021
Press view: 10th September from 10am
City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Free Admission, pre-booking essential
This autumn Edinburgh’s City Art Centre marks its official public re-opening on the 12th September with a new exhibition exploring the work of Scottish artists during the 1920s – an evocative period of social, political and economic change.
Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s is timed to mark 100 years since the dawn of the ‘Roaring Twenties’. The exhibition showcases over 35 artworks selected from the City Art Centre’s own collection of fine art, including oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, etchings and sculptures. Featured artists include D.Y. Cameron, Stanley Cursiter, Dorothy Johnstone, William McCance, Eric Robertson and William Wilson, as well as the Scottish Colourists S.J. Peploe and J.D. Fergusson.
For many, the 1920s is an era that conjures up images of Art Deco design, jazz music and flapper dresses. Yet this is only one side of the story. It was a decade of contrasts: high spirits interwoven with sombre contemplation, and grand aspirations tempered by hard realities. Some people reflected on the recent losses of the First World War, while others looked forward to an age of new possibilities and opportunities. Scottish artists experienced these contrasts first-hand, and responded to them in a variety of ways.
One of the highlights of the show is the painting Cecile Walton at Crianlarich (1920) by Eric Robertson. This striking portrait of the artist Cecile Walton is a brand-new addition to the City Art Centre’s collection. It arrived in late 2019 as a long-term loan from a private collector, and goes on public display for the first time as part of Bright Shadows. The exhibition will also feature A Garment of War (c.1926) by D.Y Cameron, which is being shown for the first time since recent conservation work to restore the painting to its original splendour.
Bright Shadows shines a light on this fascinating period, exploring the styles, ideas and events that shaped artistic practice in Scotland. The exhibition brings together work by a range of artists, from mature figures like George Henry and S.J. Peploe who were already well-recognised and celebrated, to younger talents like William Johnstone and James McIntosh Patrick who were just beginning to forge their own creative paths.
Curator Dr Helen Scott said: ‘People often think they know the 1920s, as a golden age of jazz music, Art Deco fashion and Bright Young Things. But it wasn’t all hedonism and decadent excess. It was a complex period of great social, political and economic change – all of which had a significant bearing on art and artists in Scotland. Curating this exhibition has been a brilliant opportunity to really focus on a particular time period within the City Art Centre’s collection, and draw out new stories and perspectives. I’m really looking forward to sharing these wonderful artworks with our visitors, as museums and galleries begin to reopen after lockdown.’
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Community Convener, said: “It's great that our City Art Centre will be able to welcome visitors back very soon. I believe that throughout lockdown, art and cultural activities have been an escape for many and I’m delighted that people will be able to once again see the fantastic exhibition and artworks in person.
“Bright Shadows is timed to mark 100 years since the dawn of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ and is a fascinating insight into the styles, and events of this period. I’m very much looking forward to the exhibition and to welcoming visitors back when we reopen next week.
"I'd like to reassure people that we have taken measures to ensure the safety of visitors and our staff. We all continue to have a responsibility to protect ourselves and others so would ask everyone to follow the latest guidance and not to visit if showing any symptoms of coronavirus."
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Community Vice Convener, said: “The 1920s were a key moment in art history, with influences that resonate to this day, including the emergence of the Surrealists, such famous names as Salvador Dali, Max Ernest, Man Ray, Yves Tanguy and Joan Miro, as well as women artists who’ve only gained recognition in recent decades – Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini and Dorothea Tanning, while the dawning Abstract and Neo-Expressionist movements revealed the works of Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky. But Scotland was very much enjoying a thriving burst of artistic energy through the work of the Scottish Colourists, who adapted the vibrant colour palette of contemporary French painting into a distinctive Scottish approach through the 20s and 30s – artists like Francis Cadell and Samuel Peploe, Leslie Hunter and John Duncan Fergusson. One of the real joys of celebrating 40 years of our City Art Centre is the chance to celebrate the breadth and wealth of our collection of these iconic painters”.
In keeping with Government advice in order to protect and maintain the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre has introduced a range of new safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one way system, installation of screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing visors while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.
Visitors are asked wear face coverings and to pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance via edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s opens on Saturday 12 September 2020, and runs until 6 June 2021. Admission is free, pre-booking online essential.
The exhibition is accompanied by a varied programme of public events and activities, including tours, lectures and creative workshops. All events must be booked in advance. To book please visit www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
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I hate litter and pollution so I always like to get involved with this type of photoshoot...... It was also lot's of fun.
HEY GIRLS BECOMES FIRST UK PERIOD PRODUCT MANUFACTURER TO ADD ‘DO NOT FLUSH’ WARNING ON ALL DISPOSABLE PRODUCT WRAPPERS AS THEY LAUNCH ANTI-FLUSH CAMPAIGN #DONTRUSHTOFLUSH
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE BECOMES FIRST PERIOD PRODUCT MANUFACTURER IN UK TO ADD “DO NOT FLUSH” WARNING TO ALL PAD, PANTY LINER AND TAMPON WRAPPERS
AN ESTIMATED 4.6 MILLION PERIOD PRODUCTS ARE FLUSHED DOWN UK TOILETS EVERY DAY
DATA FROM THE MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY SHOWS 5.4 PIECES OF LITTER IDENTIFIED AS MENSTRUAL WASTE ARE FOUND PER 100M OF BEACH IN SCOTLAND. (3.8 PER 100M FOR UK)
Social enterprise Hey Girls launched an awareness campaign today at Portobello Beach, highlighting the environmental cost of flushing period products down the toilet.
It is estimated from a study conducted by the Journal of the Institution of Environmental Sciences that 700,000 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 period pads are flushed down the toilet every single day in the UK. Many of these items not only contribute to expensive sewer blockages but can also end up in the ocean,
In a first for period product manufacturers in the UK, Hey Girl’s organic, plastic free and disposable range of products now carry ‘do not flush’ warnings on their wrappers.
Celia Hodson, Founder Hey Girls said: “We’ve always viewed our packaging as a space to share more than just brand information, since our launch in 2018 we have carried the National Domestic Violence helpline number on the inside of our boxes; now we are introducing a ‘do not flush’ symbol on all of our individual product wrappers.
Far too many people simply do not realise that period products should NEVER be flushed down the loo and should always be disposed of responsibly. We hope that this step will not only raise awareness around the issue of period waste in our oceans, but also spur other bigger period product manufacturers to follow suit.”
Scottish Water on average attends 96 blockages every day aross the country, with 80% of blockages being caused by the wrong items being put into the sewer network at a cost of £6.5million annually. Marine Conservation Society data shows that 5.4 pieces of litter identified as menstrual waste are found per 100m of beach in Scotland.
Scott Fraser, Communities Manager at Scottish Water, said: ”Scotland’s beaches are beautiful and we want to do all we can to keep them that way. Flushing the wrong items can cause blockages and damage the sewers and ultimately the environment including rivers and oceans. We urge everyone to bin and not flush products like sanitary products, wipes and cotton wool. The only things which should go down the loo are the 3 Ps - pee, poo and (toilet) paper.”
Natural Environment Minister, Mairi Gougeon said: “The easing of lockdown restrictions following the coronavirus pandemic has prompted more people to re-engage with and enjoy Scotland’s outdoor spaces, including our beautiful beaches.
“We all want to enjoy our surroundings, not have it spoiled by litter, which pollutes our environment and harms wildlife as well as spoiling the view. That why it is so important – perhaps now more than ever – that we all take responsibility to tackle our throwaway culture and protect our environment.
“Many are familiar with the scourge of plastic bottles and cans washing up on our beaches, but the Don’t Rush To Flush campaign highlights the very real and significant impact that incorrect disposal of period products down toilets also has and I welcome this approach from Hey Girls to raise awareness of the issue.”
A a huge percentage of conventional period products also contain harmful and often hidden levels of plastic which can be ingested by sea life and will not break down naturally, only contributing further to the rising levels of plastic waste in the ocean.
The campaign coincides with the start of the Great British Beach Clean, taking place on beaches across the UK over the weekend. Last year at 146 co-ordinated events 1020 tampons, applicators, towels and panty liners were removed from beaches in one weekend alone.
Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society said: “During last year’s Great British Beach Clean in Scotland our volunteers found, on average, 5 items of menstrual plastic waste for every 100m of beach surveyed. No matter whether you live near or far from the coast, our actions have consequences on the ocean. We hope everyone will see the Do Not Flush message and take action so our volunteers will be seeing less of these items damaging our beaches and endangering our wildlife in the future.”
Hey Girls’ disposable products are biodegradable and are both free from plastic and any nasty chemical treatments. They recognise that a more sustainable solution to periods is vital, with period waste generating over 200,000 tonnes a year, Hey Girls also manufactures a range of eco-friendly reusable period products, from medical grade silicone menstrual cups to reusable period pants and pads.
Catherine Bozec, campaign manager of Zero Waste Scotland’s #TrialPeriod campaign to promote the use of reusable menstrual products, said: “Recent research by Zero Waste Scotland showed a promising 10% of people in Scotland are currently using reusable products and a further 76% said they would consider trialling at least one reusable alternative – the menstrual cup, period pants or washable cloth pads.
“We understand that sometimes reusables aren’t for everyone, and some people prefer to use a mix of reusable and disposable products to manage their period. That’s why we wholeheartedly back Hey Girls’ ‘don’t rush to flush’ message. It’s so important to keeping our environment pristine that we all do our bit and dispose of menstrual products responsibly.”
The #TrialPeriod campaign was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Hey Girls products are available to buy online www.heygirls.co.uk and are in select ASDA, Scotmid, Co-op and Waitrose stores.
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Brian Coburn CEO Br-dge
Covid-19 accelerated that trend, with global digital commerce transactions set to reach almost US$3 trillion (£2.2tn) for this year.
Yet our experience of digital payments is not always a happy one. A study of European e-commerce businesses revealed that three-quarters had suffered a complete outage in their payment service, and almost half had experienced six or more partial outages over a 12-month period.
Industry statistics indicate that around one in ten online “card not present” payments fail, while more than a third of online shoppers say they have abandoned a transaction if their preferred digital payment method wasn’t available.
We’ve all been there. You spend ages choosing a product, weighing up the pros and cons, and then at the payment page, you get an error message. You’re exhausted by the process, and close your browser. How many of us then return to the same retailer any time soon?
With one report putting the 2019 value of “abandoned baskets” at £212 billion globally, shouldn’t we be doing better at a time when online payments are such a part of our daily lives? Brian Coburn, chief executive of Bridge, a Scottish-based online payments specialist, answers with an emphatic yes.
Bridge aims to help e-commerce businesses improve their payment success rates, and increase their revenues significantly, by offering a wealth of digital payments services in one location.
“Bridge puts control back in the retailer’s hands of the retailer so they can offer the speed, convenience, personalisation and trust that customers want from online retail,” says Coburn. “It drops into your existing system so there is no need to replace existing infrastructure and systems.
“We are on the side of e-commerce businesses and independent-from-payment service providers, so we can ensure payments are routed in the most cost-effective and optimum way without commercial conflict.
“We want to make their payment processes simpler, quicker and to deliver more for the bottom line. At the same time, we can improve the customer experience and reduce the frustration when a payment fails. If you don’t reduce failed payments, or act quickly when there is a problem, you lose customers.”
Stuart Williamson, business development director at Bridge, says: “There is a real opportunity for many online retailers to tackle new markets and new consumer preferences easily and flexibly.
“Payments fail for a number of reasons, but if you reduce a 10 per cent failure rate by three or four points, that makes a huge difference to the bottom line.”
Coburn thinks there has never been a better time to make headway: “The last few months have shown that where there is will, companies have been able to push through digital transformation in a few weeks, when it would normally have taken months or even years.”
Fast-paced change can create problems, especially with an online payments infrastructure that can’t always cope with sharp rises in traffic. Coburn says that Bridge is perfectly placed to help businesses cope with both increased transactions and a creaking digital infrastructure.
“We have a flexible, innovative, robust platform which can respond quickly to market changes.
We help online sellers access a range of new digital payment services from a common platform without additional integration costs. So, we can improve their customer offering and their bottom line.”
Understanding what those customers want is key to future success, argues Coburn, saying:
“The customer journey is often seen as key and payments an afterthought – a ‘hygiene factor’ to be carried out, something you don’t realise is a problem until it becomes one.
“Customers actually want a payment method they are familiar and comfortable with. They want to pay in a way they are used to and if they can’t do that, they might look elsewhere.
“We can give businesses the flexibility to give customers what they want, by introducing new services and leveraging new payment types that can support growth, create new market opportunities and drive a more innovative business culture. And, if there is a failure, we automatically reroute it elsewhere using our fully extensible routing engine.”
One of the fundamental problems in online selling, says Coburn, is that payments have not been at the strategic heart of a business.
“For many organisations, payments are not seen as the most important thing – until they become the most important thing.
“If you are only doing small sums online, you don’t worry too much, then you are suddenly doing £1 million or £10m and the light bulb goes on. You realise how important it is, but find you are locked into a specific provider and its technology doesn’t offer what you need.
“You might have done something for the right reason at the time, but you later discover it doesn’t fit strategically or operationally and that can create major challenges in terms of managing the cost and risk of change further down the line.”
Williamson agrees: “There are real issues with silos; your web channel and app might be under different business lines and poorly integrated as they have evolved separately.”
Ultimately, says Coburn, it’s all about increased revenue: “The simple fact of modern business is that to increase revenue, you must increase digital payments – and do that in a very efficient and cost-effective way. Many organisations still don’t optimise their payments infrastructure to this end, but Bridge can help them do it – from one modular platform, they can open up a whole world of payment services.
“We offer a single integration and we do all the heavy lifting. Bridge can let customers make payments with any currency, on any platform, without complexity. Doing that will drive up revenue.”
Brian Coburn cut his digital payments teeth during his 30 years – “as man and boy” – spent at Stagecoach. While working for the transport giant, he found himself at the forefront of the adoption of digital payments, in both the UK and North America.
“It was hugely rewarding to be part of the digital transformation of a business founded in the 1980s, and as technology came to underpin its retail activities” says Coburn, who was group IT director at Stagecoach.
“Those challenges remain today for many organisations as they manage ever higher volumes of digital payments, and that’s where Bridge comes in.
We can help them to handle that efficiently and cost-effectively”.
Coburn joined Bridge in March 2018, having been brought in because what he had learned at Stagecoach was invaluable to the e-commerce marketplace.
His experience told him that tackling the systemic challenges for organisations presented the most interesting opportunities for the business in the e-commerce space.
He took a “slow burn” approach, taking time to build the right team and create a strong platform to ensure Bridge entered the market as a fully-formed, cloud-based, scalable, resilient and secure proposition, able to handle hundreds of transactions per second.
Its platform is now live with First Group and Bridge is poised to shortly make a major announcement concerning a tie-up with one of the world’s largest payment and transactional services companies.
Bridge recently revealed that it had raised £2.5 million from Gloag Investment Group to scale up.
Dame Ann Gloag, founder of Gloag Investment Group, said: “Brian and the team have established the potential for revolutionising the payments space and attracted keen interest from blue-chip clients. We look forward to continuing to invest in the growth journey.”
Bridge has been set up to be a scalable global business which can support organisations anywhere. Coburn sees significant growth potential – and the benefits of using data gained from a more integrated and professional approach.
He says: “One emerging opportunity is the ability to draw insights from payments data on customers and customer behaviour. Do they like to pay using the same method? Does that change with higher value payments? How can that feed into CRM systems?
“There is so much more to explore in this area.”
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A global peer-to-peer support and advisory organisation for business leaders is expanding its Scottish footprint with a new Edinburgh operation.
The TAB network was launched in Scotland in 2017 and has seven boards – four in the North-east and three in the Glasgow area.
Each board is said to provide a “trusted space” for entrepreneurs to share experience and knowledge at monthly online meetings. Those meetings were previously held face-to-face.
Todd, who lives in Balerno near Edinburgh, said: “The Alternative Board is a stand-out for me as a business advisory organisation.
“I’m passionate about passing on the lessons I’ve learned from a 30-year career in business, and look forward to doing so in a peer-to-peer support environment which is both powerful and authentic.
“The pandemic has put an incredible amount of pressure on the shoulders of business leaders and I’m aiming to work with them to find solutions.
“We’ll focus on what is important to the business and its customers – on what needs to change – and help them to enjoy running their business despite the challenges of Covid-19.”
Todd set up WoodMac’s Middle East office in Dubai and led a team of 70 as senior vice-president, head of sales EMEARC (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia and Caspian) on his return to Edinburgh.
Pictured: Curator David Patterson with 'Horse's head' Bronze sculpture by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
Edinburgh’s City Art Centre to reopen with new exhibition to mark 40th Anniversary
Edinburgh’s City Art Centre is to re-open its doors to the public on Saturday 12th September 2020 with a full range of new safety measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. The gallery reopens with two new exhibitions, City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s Art Collection marking the City Art Centre’s 40th anniversary and Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s.
Having first opened its doors on 15th August 1980, heralded as combining; ‘Scotland’s largest air-conditioned fine art exhibition space, with specialist environmental and security facilities…a must for the display of world masterpieces’ – the City Art Centre celebrated its 40th anniversary this month (15th August). As the gallery doors reopen and to mark the anniversary, the City Art Centre is mounting a special ‘highlights’ exhibition, City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s art collection from the City’s collection of Scottish art. Widely recognized as being one of the finest in the country, the City’s collection numbers over 5,000 artworks ranging from some of the earliest views of Edinburgh to works by many of Scotland’s leading contemporary artists. Visitors will be able to see artworks by major historical figures such as Allan Ramsay, the pioneer photographers Hill and Adamson, and the Scottish Colourists, as well as contemporaries such as John Byrne, Alison Watt and Adrian Wiszniewski.
Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s a new exhibition exploring the work of Scottish artists during the 1920s – an evocative period of social, political and economic change also opens on the 12th September as visitors are welcomed back to the gallery as it reopens.
The forthcoming exhibitions mark the public re-opening of the venue on 12th September. In keeping with Government advice in order to protect and maintain the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre has introduced a range of new safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one way system, installation of screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing masks while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.
Visitors are asked wear face coverings and to pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance via edinburghmuseums.org.uk
City Art Centre at 40
Over the past 40 years the City Art Centre has housed over 500 exhibitions, shown priceless treasures from across the world to priceless paintings made by Edinburgh children and welcomed 100,000’s of visitors through its doors and is now a well-established, respected and cherished Scottish cultural resource.
Other activities marking the 40th anniversary in the coming weeks include; The City Art Centre is 40!, a curated a digital exhibition of much-loved and favourite paintings chosen by past members of staff, artists and people closely involved with the City Art Centre over the years presented via Art UK’s ‘Curations’ series. Tessa Asquith-Lamb, one our best-loved local artists, has created two special videos with the City Art Centre’s Public Programmes section to celebrate the milestone, featuring the artist’s favourite painting, 'Tristan and Isolde' by John Duncan. Asquith-Lamb tells us why Tristan and Isolde is so special, and demonstrates a special art activity everyone can do at home while we are not able to visit the gallery in person.
Having moved from its original home at The Royal High School on Regent Road to make way for the intended Scottish Assembly following Scottish Devolution, the City Art Centre found a new home in a purposefully refurbished five storey warehouse dating back to 1899 on Market Street, which was designed as an extension to The Scotsman building on North Bridge, having once housed the city’s fruit markets. The building was selected not only because of its architectural significance but also for its wrought iron framed structure which made it suitable to carrying the heavy floor loads required to house large volumes of visitors. As part of the significant renovation project, the building’s original stonework and metal frame windows were preserved, while the interior was repurposed to create four new gallery spaces, artist studios and a licenced café, designed to reflect the building’s late Victorian origins alongside minimal natural décor, complimented by a state of the art lighting system to protect the delicate works on show. The City Art Centre was designed to be ‘more than just a gallery’, providing studio and meeting spaces for artists, ‘craftsmen’ and for the people of Edinburgh.
The City Art Centre first opened its doors on 15th August 1980 with two major exhibitions as part of the Edinburgh International Festival – The Legacy presenting historic and contemporary Canadian/Indian art from the Provincial Museum in British Columbia and an exhibition by the Prescote Gallery near Oxford, showing outstanding examples of British Craft. Since that day, the City Art Centre has housed many hundreds of exhibitions and has continued to work with the city’s festivals; including The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and Edinburgh Science Festival.
From blockbuster exhibitions in the 1980’s and 1990’s which many residents in the city will remember, including The Emperor’s Warriors (1985), Thunderbirds are Go! (1986), Gold of the Pharaohs (1988), Dinosaurs Alive! (1990) and Star Trek: The Exhibition (1995), to hugely significant international art shows including; Abstract Expressionist Paintings from MOMA New York (1981), Michelangelo Drawings (1994) and Alphonse Mucha (2000) as well as a huge array of solo shows from Scottish artists and craft makers, such as James Cowie (1981), Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1987), Peter Howson (2007) and Victoria Crowe (2019).
From 1985 onwards, the City Art Centre’s programming expanded to reflect many new threads and artistic disciplines, ranging from photography; Cecil Beaton (2004) Ansel Adams; Snowdon; Albert Watson (2006) and Coming into Fashion (2013) alongside major survey and group shows championing Scottish art and craft; Hand, Heart and Soul (2007), Window to the West: The Rediscovery of Highland Art (2011) and A-Z: An alphabetical Tour of Scottish Art (2014).
As the City Art Centre’s exhibition programme and audiences grew, remaining rooted in the city and its people was key, with exhibitions and works often reflecting Edinburgh’s history as well as local and global social issues such as; Anne Frank in the World (1987), Chernobyl – The Legacy (1993), Rainbow City (2006), Leith – The Turning Tide (1987), Edinburgh Re-discovered: Thomas Begbie (1990) and Robert Blomfield (2018).
The City Art Centre’s now well-established reputation as a key cultural Scottish institution is evidenced in its 40-year exhibitions history and audience loyalty. As well as an ambitious and ever-changing exhibitions programme, an additional vital aspect of the City Art Centre is its role in housing the City’s Collection of Scottish Art – one of the finest in Scotland. The collection, which supported through donations, bequests and gifts as well as purchases, features works from many of ‘The Glasgow Boys’ as well as the Scottish Colourists – John Duncan Fergusson, Samuel Peploe, Francis Cadell and Leslie Hunter. Some of the best-known artists of the Edinburgh School, including William Gillies, John Maxwell and Anne Redpath, all have several works in the collection, and featured post-war artists include Alan Davie, Eduardo Paolozzi, Elizabeth Blackadder and John Bellany. The contemporary collection includes artists such as Christine Borland, Callum Innes, Rosalind Nashashibi and Toby Paterson.
When the City Art Centre reopens and looks forward to the next 40 years, the continued focus will be to champion historic and contemporary Scottish visual art and craft. The City’s art collection continues to grow, and going forward the curatorial team will actively seek to diversify the collection in the coming years to better reflect the range of artists and work being produced in Scotland today. Visitors will be able to see the fruit of this with a new exhibition of recent acquisitions next year.
David Patterson, Curatorial and Conservation Manager, City Art Centre said; “Since we opened in 1980, staff at the gallery have worked with artists who live in some of the most densely populated cities on the planet as well as others who live in some of the remotest places on earth. We’ve tackled global tragedies and local issues, and shown paintings, drawings, watercolours, sculpture, tapestry, photography, silver, glass, interior design, film and installations among many other media. We’ve displayed works made from ice, oil, wood, metal, matchsticks, coat hangers, parachute fabric, nylon, gold, even old welly boots!
“We are thrilled to be reopening on the 12th September, and fittingly with two exhibitions drawn from our Scottish art collection. In the months and years to come, we’ll continue to shine the spotlight on Scottish artists of the past who have been overlooked in the story of Scottish art as well as curate major displays by some of the country’s leading artists past and present. The topography and people of Edinburgh will remain a consistent strand in our programming, as will the display of the finest contemporary and historic applied art and craft. We’ll continue to work with our partners Edinburgh Science Festival to bring some of the best Science and Art to a family audience, and our wonderful collection will continue to be shown throughout the year in a series of temporary exhibitions.”
Herbert Coutts, City Art Centre Curator (1971-1999) said: “Having been in at the birth of the City Art Centre, I am immensely proud of the myriad exhibitions it has sourced from all parts of the globe, and from its own important fine art collection. This remarkable achievement has been due to the creativity, commitment and hard work of its staff, past and present, which I hope will continue long into the future."
Ian O’Riordan, City Art Centre Curator (1984-2015) said; “I can’t be dispassionate about the City Art Centre. I started working there on Monday 5th November 1984, my 31st birthday, and stayed for 30 years. We put on the most fantastic exhibitions and built up the most brilliant collection of Scottish art. In retrospect, it all feels truly amazing – what we managed to do and how hard we all worked. People came and loved it and kept coming back. It remains a fabulous place, still with loads of potential. In these challenging times, Edinburgh is truly lucky to have it. Here’s to the next 40 years!”
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “Over the last 40 years our City Art Centre has hosted more than 500 exhibitions, housed works from across the globe and welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors. As we celebrate this milestone it’s a great opportunity to look back at our favourites over the years as well as look ahead to reopening our doors on September 12th.
“Our collection of Scottish art is one of the finest in the country and this special ‘highlights’ exhibition is a fantastic way to celebrate the past 40 years as well as welcome our community back. We wanted to mark this significant anniversary of a very special place and celebrate the city’s artistic collections in a safe way when we open our doors and gather together again.
“When it opened in 1980 the City Art Centre was designed to be more than a gallery, providing studio and meeting spaces for artists, craftspeople and art lovers. I’m very much looking forward to the exhibition and to welcoming visitors back when we reopen next week.”
City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s art collection runs from 12th September – 18th October 2020. Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s runs from 12th September – 6th June 2021.
Free entry to both exhibitions, pre-booking essential via www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk.
From 12th September the City Art Centre is open daily from 10am -5pm (last admission 4:20pm)
ENDS
Media Contact:
For further information, review, images or interview requests please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes - [email protected], 07825 335 489
IMAGES AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE – if using images from The Scotsman full credit must be given.
NOTES TO EDITORS
An Overview of City Art Centre’s Exhibition Programme from 1980 – 2020.
Antiquity and Archaeology Pre-Columbian Ceramics from Costa Rica, 1985; Gold of the Pharaohs, 1988, Dinosaurs Alive, 1990; Sweat of the Sun: Gold of Peru, 1990; Land of the Dragon: Dinosaurs from China, 1993; Golden Warriors of the Ukrainian Steppes, 1993; Immortal Pharaoh, 2006
Popular Culture Thunderbirds are Go!, 1986; Muppets, Monsters and Magic, 1989; The Art of Lego, 1990; Star Trek: The Exhibition, 1995; Music 100, 1997; The Quest for Camelot, 2001; The Art of Star Wars, 2002; Titanic: the World Class Collection, 2004; Space Age, 2008
International Art Abstract Expressionist Paintings from MOMA New York, 1981; Hundertwasser, 1983; The Sculpture of Henri Matisse, 1984; Edvard Munch, 1985; European Art Inc, 1993; Michelangelo Drawings, 1994; Lucian Pissarro, 1997; Contemporary Maori Arts, 1998; Alphonse Mucha, 2000
Global and Local Social Issues Anne Frank in the World, 1987; Chernobyl – The Legacy, 1993; After Auschwitz: Responses to the Holocaust in Contemporary Art, 1996; Roots: The African Inheritance in Scotland, 1997; Rainbow City, 2006
Photographic Icons The Waking Dream, 1993; Sebastiao Salgado, 2001; Cecil Beaton, 2004; Ansel Adams; Snowdon; Albert Watson 2006; Steve McCurry; Edward Weston, 2010; William Wegman, 2010; Joseph McKenzie, 1987; Coming into Fashion, 2013
Scottish Art and Craft Hand, Heart and Soul, 2007; Window to the West: the Rediscovery of Highland Art, 2011; Scottish Art 1650-2010, 2011; A-Z: An alphabetical Tour of Scottish Art, 2014; Scottish Art: People, Places and Ideas, 2015
Solo Exhibitions by Scottish Artists and Makers James Cowie, 1981; Robert Colquhoun, 1981; David Donaldson, 1984; Joan Eardley, 1984; John Duncan, 1986; Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1987; Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, 1989; Margaret Mellis, 1997; Sir William Allan, 2001; Joseph Crawhall, 2003; John Houston and Elizabeth Blackadder, 2005; Peter Howson, 2007; Spirit of Air (Lizzie Farey), 2010; David Mach, 2011; Leslie Hunter, 2012; Robert Callender, 2018; Edwin Lucas, 2018; Victoria Crowe, 2019; Mary Cameron, 2019
Edinburgh: Treasures of the Edinburgh Room, 1984; Leith – The Turning Tide, 1987; Edinburgh Re-discovered: Thomas Begbie, 1990; A Picture of Edinburgh, 1995; The Story of Literary Edinburgh, 1997; A Capital View, 2014; Playfair and the City, 2018; Robert Blomfield, 2018
Venue Details:
Address: City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Telephone: 0131 529 3993
Opening hours: Daily 10am – last entry 4:2opm
Website: edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MuseumsGalleriesEdinburgh
Instagram: instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh
Twitter: @EdinCulture
City Art Centre
The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries, with a vibrant programme of exhibitions. It is also home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country, showcased in a series of changing displays.
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