tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79710566205897635742024-03-13T04:00:03.609+00:00Just Festival NewsJUST FESTIVAL NEWS: The latest updates, links, reports, images, stories and headlines. The 2014 Just Festival in Edinburgh is being planned. Keep up to date and look back on 2013... This is our official diary and magazine.Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.comBlogger356125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-39649974023831851272013-12-19T22:15:00.002+00:002013-12-19T22:15:57.701+00:00From Soweto with hope… get crowd-funding!<iframe src="http://www.indiegogo.com/project/607684/widget" width="224px" height="486px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-78447657294390100892013-08-26T21:10:00.000+01:002013-08-26T21:35:59.442+01:00The last song<b>IT was an explosive encore from Africa Entsha.</b> We got a great deal of audience participation, too. And the boys ended up with tartan scarves.<br />
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This is the 'sedate' bit at the beginning... We'll see if we can run out another couple of clips a bit later.<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-25778940176437265572013-08-26T20:44:00.001+01:002013-08-26T20:44:21.303+01:00Another great turn-out in Edinburgh<b>JUST Festival 2013 has exceeded expectations in terms of ticket sales once more, and we are extremely grateful for all who have turned up at our shows, talks, performances and events.</b><br />
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It's wonderful once more to have a packed house for the Festival swansong from the acclaimed Africa Entsha - who, you may remember, previously went under the name Soweto Entsha. The change represents a homage to the wider influences on their continent, as well as love of their homeland, South Africa.<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-49317215214145796552013-08-26T20:16:00.000+01:002013-08-26T20:16:19.421+01:00The rhythm of life...<b>A SHORT video clip of Africa Entsha stamping out the beat from the side behind the stage</b>... a view you won't normally get.<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-44899869293260479272013-08-26T20:08:00.001+01:002013-08-26T20:18:25.342+01:00Africa Entsha... a grand finale for Just Festival!<b>IT'S been a long journey, but we are almost at the end of Just Festival 2013. </b><br />
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Hundreds of performances, hours and hours of art and conversation, 70,000 tickets sold. And what better way to end than with the globally-renowned ensemble who have almost become our 'house band'.<br />
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Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-9961798225477223022013-08-26T18:29:00.000+01:002013-08-26T19:33:38.306+01:00Acting and thinking in good faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>THE final conversation of Just Festival 2013 is looking at what it means to be inter-faith in the modern world, and particularly in Scotland at the moment. </b><br />
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The speakers are Sister Isabel Smyth (Interfaith Scotland), Bashir Malik and Iain Stewart (Edinburgh Interfaith Association), and the chair will be the Rev Markus Dunzkofer (Church of St John the Evangelist).<br />
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"Dialogue is all about identity, who we are... our story," said Markus Dunzkofer, kicking off tonight's exchange.<br />
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Iain Stewart talked about his own engagement arising from his upbringing in Glasgow, as a Presbyterian aware of the conflict between people that used religion as one of its conduits.<br />
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Later, he ended up in ministry in the Church of Scotland, and then working for the Edinburgh Interfaith Assosication. "When you come to dialogue, you come as who you are... you don't leave that behind, you have to be true to who you are," he declared.<br />
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Some 1,300 racist incidents have been reported in Glasgow, and 1,240 in Edinburgh, in the past year. This indicates that "fear of the unknown" and of the other still exist. Perhaps in a more secular society there is less understanding of the beliefs of others.<br />
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Sister Isabel Smyth spoke of her experience of jobs and social opportunities being effectively closed to Catholics. "We felt not wanted... but the Catholic school system have us opportunities to become teachers, and so on."<br />
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On the other hand, the stereotypes of people of other backgrounds and faiths was very unhelpful, she said. "I hardly knew a Protestant, let alone others", Isabel said to laughter. "It seemed that they never smiled and never took their religion that seriously" was the caricature that she inherited.<br />
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Becoming a nun in Blackburn, she ended up studying at Lancaster, examining world religions, meeting people of other faith, and living for the first time in a secular community. "It was rewarding and nourishing, but also quite closed," she said of her Catholic upbringing. "I had a strong Catholic identity, but it was a closed Catholic identity... Lancaster changed me," Isabel explained.<br />
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"I discovered a spiritual wealth that belonged to us no matter what religion we belonged to... even Protestantism!"<br />
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She continued: "Like Iain, I do not fear a secular society. I don't want to live in a religious dominated society." However, she added, there is a difficulty that people of faith fear a certain kind of secularism, one that is closed or antagonistic.<br />
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"I went to a Catholic school, as well as an Islamic one," Bashir Malik explained. "I have been very blessed. My father was an army officer, and I lived most of my life in a large city... that eventually became part of Islamabad."<br />
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"But even the officers were not paid so much, and his saving were not enough to send me to college. But I learned Persian, Arabic and English at school... I used to go to factories and mills about 200 miles around Islamabad, and I was advised to do advanced knowledge in textiles. I did an apprenticeship in Yorkshire. It took me two years to get my passport."<br />
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Bashir found himself assisting interfaith understanding at the request of a doctor, and as part of his study in Britain, before returning to Pakistan. Then he returned and got a job at Lucas, experiencing segregation for the first time - but subsequently found himself accepted personally by a number of people. In 1974 he moved to Morningside in Edinburgh.<br />
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"When I was in Birmingham there was no mosque... when my father came, he was disappointed." But the reality was that it took time for people to get the time and money together.<br />
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"When you listen to these stories, you realise that going back some time ago, what we are doing here is something we couldn't have done then."<br />
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For Sister Isabel, it became a matter of practical need to understand those she was talking about. "Now I see it as a justice issue," she said, part of the quest for a society where people of different beliefs and backgrounds learn to live together creatively.<br />
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For Iain Stewart, the important thing is what we can learn from one another, "for example, from Sikhs in regard to equality and hospitality." He acknowledged that religion could be used for ill, but also believed it could be a real force for good.<br />
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"Community is one very important aspect of faith," Iain said, referring to the experiment in 'atheist church' in London, which has also featured as part of the Just Festival conversations this year.<br />
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What is the greatest joy of being inter-faith? "People", Sister Isabel replied without hesitation. The comment was echoed by the others. "Also, there is a strong sense of God at work in these different communities," added Iain.<br />
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The collapsing of boundaries, labels and prejudices is an important reward of seeking to build bridges between different belief communities.<br />
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"There is so much good that can come from it," Iain declared. "How can I say 'love your neighbour' on Sunday, and then walk past them," said one Christian of Muslim neighbours.<br />
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So what is the next step in the C21st? <br />
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Bashir spoke of introducing around 35 Christians and others to a mosque. People who had never been to such a building before, joining the breaking of the fast at Ramadan. Much of what needs to be done in breaking down barriers remains human and basic.<br />
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Cooperation between faith groups in the face of poverty and austerity, including food banks, is another vital way forward, said Iain. The threat of the EDL, SDL and BNP also needs to be faced together.<br />
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But Isabel warned that "interfaith is a minority sport... it needs to go beyond the enthusiasts." She cited Professor Hans Kung's reminder that "there will be no peace without peace between the religions. There will be no peace between the religions without dialogue between the religions."<br />
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However, there is another step: "There will be no dialogue between the religions without dialogue within the religions." The message needs to be developed within each belief community.<br />
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"What is happening here at St John's is miles away from what is happening in the national church... for good, I hope," one contributor from the floor said.<br />
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Iain Stewart agreed, but spoke of, for example, the positive interfaith training going on within the Church of Scotland among ministers. "This is quite life-changing for some... we need to share the experience."<br />
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There was a warning about 'tea and sympathy' inter-faith work. But Sister Isabel responded by pointing out that human contact was actually vital to building understanding. (In England, a mosque disarmed a group of EDL antagonists by making them tea!)<br />
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Interfaith Scotland is opening up secular space for conversation between people of faith and non-faith. Conversations about values and social justice offer some fertile territory. This is another dimension of the conversation in the C21st.<br />
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Discussions with Humanists and non-religious secularists are important. But so are spaces for discussion among the religions (plural).<br />
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Grassroots action is the key, the panel agreed. The failure of part of the ecumenical movement within western Christianity has been that it didn't permeate local parishes and communities enough. It became structurally independent. There are lessons for interfaith action now.<br />
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"Ministers feel pressure to run a 'successful church', to keep reorganising, to maintain 'market share'," said the Rev Dr Chris Wigglesworth from the floor. "But actually, because many people are not interested in what we are enthusiastic about, we need to get out into the wider world."<br />
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"Sometimes that pressure comes from the laity," responded Markus Dunzkofer. It isn't, he suggested, simply a kind of clericalism that produces ecclesiastical introversion.<br />
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"Before you take on things that are a bit difficult, you have to become friends," another audience member stressed.<br />
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As in other conversations on religion at Just Festival, the issue of gender and of space, recognition and dignity for women was raised.<br />
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"One religious community cannot tell another one how to treat women," Sister Isabel suggested. It was a question of setting and recognising good examples. The work of Beyond the Veil was mentioned.<br />
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Iain Stewart said that this was a serious issue, and spoke of the 'Faith in Women' project, sharing culture and faith, but also working on empowerment and leadership in the community.<br />
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Markus Dunzkofer felt it was both possible and important to issue challenges about the place and role of women within the religions.<br />
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Interestingly, one woman said, women's involvement in interreligious dialogue was one way that they got recognised within their own communities, and in Scotland more widely.<br />
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The danger of Christians (or post-Christians) criticising others in an imperialistic way was noted. "You can only judge from within the terms of reference of that community," it was suggested. Female Genital Mutilation has been opposed most effectively from within religious communities, for example.<br />
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<i>This is a developing live blog...</i><br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-9576401723187791602013-08-26T11:00:00.000+01:002013-08-26T12:56:40.636+01:00THIS EVENING Young peaceworkers at work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>PEACE. It's a great idea. But what does it mean in practice, and how do you actually <i>do it</i>, on the the ground, in day-to-day realistic situations?</b><br />
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Young Peaceworkers at work is an interactive workshop presented by two young Quakers who will not only tell you, but show you and involve you too. <br />
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Rhiannon Redpath is placed with Gender Action for Peace and Security, working on the issue of women in Afghanistan.<br />
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Owen Everett is placed jointly with War Resisters' International and Forces Watch, working on countering the militarisation of young people.<br />
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They are part of the one-year popular Peaceworker scheme run by Quaker Peace and Social Witness for the last 20 years.<br />
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Hear about their experiences, share their enthusiasm. Inspiration is guaranteed!<br />
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The talk and workshop runs on Monday 26th August 2013, from 7.30-9.00pm, at the central Quaker Meeting House in Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL. Tickets can be bought at the venue and cost £5.<br />
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This is part of the joint Just Festival, Edinburgh Peace Initiative and Quaker lecture series. <br />
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<a href="http://www.justjust.org/#!young-peaceworkers-at-work/crgg">More here</a>.
Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-41034333779513898332013-08-26T10:50:00.004+01:002013-08-26T11:51:28.623+01:00LAST DAY Persian Tent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>THE Persian Tent at St John's has been a place of solace, relaxation, aromatic tea and fine food for the duration of Just Festival, and for many people passing St John's as part of a busy day. </b><br />
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It will be in operation for the last time today, and we hope that people will enjoy the space and the refreshment as the take in the last few shows and talks for Just 2013.<br />
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Of course, there are some fine Persian crafts on sale to - and we do mean <i>SALE!</i> Come along and see what treasures are available for you.<br />
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The team will also be happy to point you in the direction of the <a href="http://www.persianrugvillage.com/">Persian Rug Village</a> in Morningside, which is their 'day job'.Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-85689999780832993712013-08-26T10:50:00.003+01:002013-08-26T10:51:14.217+01:00LAST PERFORMANCE Creepie Stool<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">CREEPIE Stool has enjoyed a spectacular run in the hall at St John's Church, as part of Just Festival 2013. You can catch the final performance at 8.30pm tonight, Monday 26th August. </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"A flair for irony, subtle provocation, detailed observation and wry wit," says <a href="http://www.edinburghspotlight.com/" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration: none;">EdinburghSpotlight</a> of Scottish playwright Jen McGregor. This is her new play.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The scene is set in Edinburgh, 24 July 1637. Jenny Geddes flings a stool at a minister and starts a riot in St Giles, a three-day brawl and, indirectly, the Covenanters’ War.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While Calvinists and Catholics clash violently on the city’s streets, Jenny’s employer demands an explanation – leading to unwelcome discoveries behind closed doors.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Creepie Stool is a story of secrets, lies, inept leadership, early Scottish sectarianism and the uncontrollable consequences of a single act of defiance.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is also inspired by a true story, and it has strong resonances with the current debate about sectarianism and how to handle it in Scotand and elsewhere.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/creepie-stool" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration: none;"><b><i>Booking details here</i></b></a>. </span></div>
Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-8669214990069827592013-08-26T10:28:00.000+01:002013-08-26T10:28:50.555+01:00LAST PERFORMANCE TODAY Africa Entsha<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qM0ZkLOOoQvgnmHdJJsmxD8_AR3zgtLL0gD1tOgKRmWfhAIwfqX1JliD0tGbAHAdHKyTTUvq9tiHkQs1mjPpV4bRxxx3OR4YrRCnPeYA5Cg9JCC2GyG1s6tWkKr-TPLpd1jNzhPvAcQ/s1600/AFRICAEntsha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qM0ZkLOOoQvgnmHdJJsmxD8_AR3zgtLL0gD1tOgKRmWfhAIwfqX1JliD0tGbAHAdHKyTTUvq9tiHkQs1mjPpV4bRxxx3OR4YrRCnPeYA5Cg9JCC2GyG1s6tWkKr-TPLpd1jNzhPvAcQ/s200/AFRICAEntsha.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>FOR another year, Africa Entsha have thrilled and delighted at Just Festival, with a heady mix of township, gospel, blues, jazz and more. </b><br />
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Plus, they have all the moves! They gave a further taster of what they are capable of at the official closing celebration for Just 2013 at St John's Church last night.<br />
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Don't miss them today, 8pm, again at St John's.<br />
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Tickets, which are available from the cash-only box office at the venue, can be purchased for £10, £8 concessions. Bring friends!Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-3858987857147373122013-08-26T10:10:00.000+01:002013-08-26T10:23:31.323+01:00LAST PERFORMANCE TODAY Sacred Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>SACRED Earth explores the interconnectedness between human emotions and the environments that shape them.</b> <br />
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Inspired by the philosophies behind the ephemeral arts of Kolam and Warli and the Tamil Sangam literature of India, the captivating performance is accompanied by evocative live music.<br />
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The Ragamala company's artistic directors Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy, who are mother and daughter, create visceral, universally recognisable experiences that use Indian art forms to express their contemporary point of view. <br />
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"We can't wait to have Ragamala Dance back at Just," says director Katherine Newbigging, who is enjoying another record-breaking year with Edinburgh's most innovative festival. <br />
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And indeed it is an image from this production which has been used for the front of the 2013 Just Festival programme catalogue.<br />
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Sacred Earth offers a singular vision of the beautiful, fragile relationship between nature and humanity - one that is under pressure or even threat in many parts of the globe at the moment. <br />
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The emphasis on relations rather than things or products is spiritual at its core, but appreciation of Sacred Earth does not depend upon any one religious or non-religious outlook.<br />
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The show has drawn deep appreciation from Christians, humanists and people from a variety of Western and Easter belief backgrounds. <br />
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The music, an important part of the performance, is provided by Alison Kirwin (nattuvangam), Resmi Kunjun Saraswathy (vocals), Rajna Swaminathan (mridangam, south Indian drum), and Anjna Swaminathan (violin).<br />
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Sacred earth runs from 19-24 August, and again on 26th, running from 18:00 – 19:15. On 25th August it is two hours earlier, 16:00 – 17:15. Prices are £12 (£10 concessions). <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.justjust.org/#%21sacred-earth/cxg8">Full details and booking here</a><b></b></i>.
Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-41906318172681663502013-08-26T10:01:00.000+01:002013-08-26T20:18:59.439+01:00TONIGHT: "More tea, imam?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>JUST Festival and its predecessor, the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, has been concerned over the years to strike up a genuine personal, artistic, spiritual and cultural conversation among the different religions and beliefs that make up our country.</b><br />
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Once mainly Christian, Scotland, like other parts of the British Isles, has greater diversity of outlook - religious and non-religious - than ever before. So what are the obstacles and challenges in interfaith work today? How does school and home education affect the dialogue between believers?<br />
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In the light of a greater secular feel to the state and society, to what extent do interfaith activities support religious life and spirituality? Can they build bridges between those for whom faith is central and vital to their lives, and those for whom it is peripheral and unimportant.<br />
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Is it a matter of 'the religious' versus the 'non-religious', or can we enjoy a richer exchange than one organised along battle lines favoured by zealots in various camps?<br />
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These and other issues will be considered at the Just conversation starting at 6pm in the hall at St John's (corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, venue 127), Edinburgh, tonight. We will continue until 7.30pm, and the cost is £5.<br />
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The speakers will be Sister Isabel Smyth (Interfaith Scotland), Bashir Malik and Iain Stewart Edinburgh (Interfaith Assosication), and the chair will be the Rev Markus Dunzkofer (Church of St John the Evangelist).<br />
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<i><b><a href="http://www.justjust.org/#!more-tea-imam/cpoe">More here</a></b></i>.Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-16424148249827176872013-08-26T09:50:00.000+01:002013-08-26T10:22:06.461+01:00LAST PERFORMANCE TODAY Tejas Verdes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>ON 11th September 1973, General Pinochet seized power in a vicious coup that led to the death of democratically elected President Salvadore Allende and resulted in the death and torture of many thousands of people.</b><br />
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This is one of the 'other' 9/11s - a set of events with a great deal to teach us and remind us of, but one which is all-too-easily lost in the sands of history.<br />
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The scars of the US backed coup, sponsored by large corporations and shadowy right-wing networks inside and outside the country, have lasted well into the era of renewed democracy in the populous Latin American nation. <br />
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Tejas Verdes, once an idyllic seaside resort for the rich, beautiful and fortunate, became a torture and death camp under Pinochet's dictatorship. The torture was carried out in the old music room.<br />
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The critically acclaimed play <i>Tejas Verdes</i> remembers, with poetic beauty, overwhelming love and humanity, the story of a woman who was tortured and disappeared. <br />
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It is also the story of those who encountered her and were part of what happened to her.<br />
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Praised by Guardian critic Michael Billington ("Eloquently translated … impossible to forget"), Scottish broadcaster and journalist Jim Naughtie ("Warm, rich, even poetic") and actor Robbie Coltrane ("It really is the right time"), <i>Tejas Verdes</i> is showing throughout August as part of Just Festival. <br />
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<b>The final performances are Sunday 25th August and Monday 26th August (both 2pm), with tickets £14 and £11. </b><br />
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<a href="http://www.justjust.org/#%21tejas-verdes/c2nv"><b><i>Full details and booking here</i></b></a>. Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-34947514008127461792013-08-26T09:36:00.000+01:002013-08-26T10:53:19.814+01:00LAST CHANCE Come and be bewitched...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>"COME and be bewitched by Martin AElred and Sandy Moffat in <i>Canto del Paradiso</i> at 2pm today," writes Yvonne Smith on the Just Festival <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justfestival.page">Facebook page</a>. We're happy to agree!</b><br />
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The <i>Canto</i> concerts, which continue today, are featuring “live art” created during the performance in “real time” by special guest artist, Alexander Moffat - who is former Head of Painting at Glasgow School of Art and co-author of <i>Arts of Resistance: Poets, Portraits and Landscapes of Modern Scotland</i>.<br />
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Martin Aelred is a renowned Scottish tenor and classical guitarist. Motivated by a desire to make our world a better place by uniting people through music, he compares himself to “a 17th Century monk in a 21st Century body”. <br />
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Martin’s recent audiences have included the Dalai Lama, where he sang at The Usher and Caird Halls on the Scottish portion of the tour by Prince Charles, accompanied by a choir of Alzheimer sufferers.<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Canto del Paradiso </b>has made a great impression at the opening event for Just, at St John's Church on 4th August. <b>Come and see the last performance today, Monday 26th August, 4pm in the church. </b><br />
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<i><b><a href="http://www.justjust.org/#!canto-del-paradiso/cm9y">Full details and booking</a>. </b></i>Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-61574435388107569292013-08-26T08:15:00.000+01:002013-08-26T10:47:20.311+01:00LAST DAY Peacing it all together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>HOPEFULLY you've had a chance to see the In Sight of Peace exhibition on South Africa at St John's, Edinburgh (the hall, free).</b><br />
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If not, so try to take a look before the Just Festival ends today (Monday 26th August).<br />
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You can pop along today, or between 10am and 2pm Monday.<br />
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Meanwhile, here are a few inspirational quotes which set the context for Ian Berry's remarkable and moving images from the apartheid era and beyond...<br />
<i><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/insightofpeace?fref=ts">More about the exhibition here</a></b></i>.<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-39686135348668458952013-08-26T07:45:00.000+01:002013-08-26T10:46:04.877+01:00THIS AFTERNOON Living Our Values<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>AT 2pm in St John's Church there will be a presentation and workshop based on the newly launched, empowering and inspiring book <i>Living Our Values</i>. </b><br />
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The book, by Brahma Kumaris, presents what the author calls "an inside-out approach to changing your world for the better."<br />
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It is is based on the wisdom of some of those considered to be among the world’s leading spiritual coaches and provides a comprehensive range of activities and possibilities.<br />
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<a href="http://www.justjust.org/#!living-our-values/c1mi9">Entry is by donation<i><b></b></i></a>. Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-89649928846176143072013-08-25T22:07:00.002+01:002013-08-25T22:07:50.037+01:00Time to celebrate!<b>SO the Just Festival closing celebration has ended here at St John's... but the work is still far from over. There's a full day's festivaling tomorrow, for a start.</b><br />
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Then there's equipment to be packed away, accounts to be done, reports to be written, stats to be processed, farewells to be made... and ideas and lessons stored and digested for 2014. The logistics are considerable.<br />
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But right now, people are gathering in the Church hall to relax, chat and celebrate. Everyone deserves a little time out!<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-88874302718089155612013-08-25T21:15:00.000+01:002013-08-25T21:16:50.222+01:00"An amazing three weeks..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>"AN amazing three weeks" - that is how chair of the Just Festival board chair Raymond Baudon summed up his experience of 2013. </b><br />
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He gave a brief outline of the extraordinary range of events - art, drama, music, conversation, photography, talks and performances - which have gone to make up Just this year.<br />
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"It all began with a flamenco flashmob in front of hundreds of people... and since then around 10,000 people have passed through St John's for various events," he noted.<br />
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Just has also utilised a range of further venues and cooperated with the Quakers and other civic organisations in putting on the festival.<br />
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Raymond extended a particular thanks to all the sponsors, to director Katherine Newbigging, to Beata, Annika and the whole staff team, to the board, and to the team of volunteers.<br />
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Before the singing of <i>Auld Lang Syne</i>, led by Scotpipe, Tom Lea (Alwaleed Cantre, University of Edinburgh) from the board made a small presentation to Raymond Baudon, who has handled the kind of challenging issues that accompany any such event with professionalism and good humour.<br />
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Katherine ended by inviting people into the hall for refreshments - and reminding us that there is still one full day's worth of Just events on Monday 26th August!Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-24896170456328150002013-08-25T21:12:00.000+01:002013-08-25T21:12:33.396+01:00A poem from the volunteers<b>THE message to and from Just Festival 2013 on behalf of the volunteers was a prose-poem summing up their experience over three extraordinary weeks.</b><br />
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Here's a snippet. We will try to upload the whole presentation shortly...
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-38568957854342411442013-08-25T20:49:00.001+01:002013-08-25T20:49:41.631+01:00Hands of friendship from Poland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>POLISH communities make up a rich and important part of the life of Edinburgh, as well as other places in Scotland and across these islands.</b><br />
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Kapela Dudziarska from Poznan, Poland and BARKA presented and played some evocative and emotionally charged music from their homeland, to rapturous applause at the closing event and celebration for Just Festival 2013.<br />
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"The common resonance of the string sound and a distinctive Polish bagpipes with the pipes known and loved in Scotland was very noticeable," one audience member noted.<br />
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The band played five different short tunes and have been collaborating with Scotpipe on a charity concert.<br />
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BARKA is a Polish homeless group, and has been raising money across Edinburgh in festival season, collecting £310 so far. <br />
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The aim is help to rehabilitate people of who have become homeless while in the UK, and it has been going for some 20 years now. "Thank you for supporting us," was the message to Just. The Polish Centre for Culture and Education also brought a message of greeting this evening. <br />
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Beata Skobodzinska, the coordinator of Just Festival, who has done another remarkable job this year, hails from Poland herself.<br />
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"Since she joined the festival in 2012 as the Festival Administrator, the office has been a very happy place full of laughter and an occassional Polish song," commented colleague Annika Wolf.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.edinburgh-inspiringcapital.com/live/edinburghs_communities/multicultural_edinburgh/the_polish_community.aspx">Polish community</a> has been established in Scotland for many years, since at the end of the Second World War many veterans settled after being posted here. When Poland joined the EU in 2001, an opportunity arrived for a new generation of Polish immigrants to work and study in the UK.<br />
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Polish immigrants are currently the largest group of immigrant workers in the city, with the health, further education and tourism sectors accounting for the majority of employers. The City of Edinburgh Council estimates that Edinburgh’s Polish community consists of 8,000 residents. <br />
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Many have formed their own community networks and have settled in areas such as Leith, London Road and Marchmont. A variety of Polish shops, services and cafes are available throughout the city region, especially in Edinburgh.Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-75920405122330245802013-08-25T20:31:00.001+01:002013-08-25T20:31:25.867+01:00Caring for all at Just<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUXwSM130xUtjISl7s0hHh5YV7fxFhbV80SNEKOKhEoHHXOpX_3Wk1cqyec17oO6atSz341UzFGFOajY_-IzAUKBvuhXUwHCMCb_vCvPabT27QGPkLVcLkEKYvao7Jg7O-jZtE8dA08o/s1600/waverley-care-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUXwSM130xUtjISl7s0hHh5YV7fxFhbV80SNEKOKhEoHHXOpX_3Wk1cqyec17oO6atSz341UzFGFOajY_-IzAUKBvuhXUwHCMCb_vCvPabT27QGPkLVcLkEKYvao7Jg7O-jZtE8dA08o/s320/waverley-care-p.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>JUST Festival has been delighted to support Waverley Care as one of its sponsored charities in 2013, backed by a percentage of each ticket sold throughout August.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A brief presentation of the impact and importance of that support was offered as part of Just Together, the official closing event for Just 2013. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><a href="http://www.waverleycare.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c93a1; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Waverley Care</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> is Scotland's leading charity providing care and support to people living with HIV or Hepatitis C.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A diagnosis of HIV or Hepatitis C brings with it not only issues of poor health and a lifetime of medication and hospital visits, but individuals also face social exclusion, stigma and discrimination. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Waverley Care believes that every person has a right to be cared for, loved and respected, whether they are HIV/Hepatitis C positive or not.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">From facilitating peer support, to pastoral and spiritual care and help with job applications, it challenges stigma and discrimination so that everyone can work towards reaching their full potential in life.</span>Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-27965532412878766162013-08-25T20:26:00.003+01:002013-08-25T20:26:53.293+01:00Lighting candles throughout the year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>RABBI David Rose has been involved with Just festival and its predecessors for several years. As part of the closing event this evening, he gave a greeting, summarising the message and impact of Just. </b><br />
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Citing Jewish and other traditions, he described it as "an opportunity to bring people together to use drama, comedy, music and so on to talk about the things that matter to us."<br />
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"People from all over the world have joined us... in a spirit of friendship and of amity, to bring the world together," he declared, noting that Edinburgh is a vital centre of inter-faith and inter-cultural activity.<br />
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"This festival is not just for three weeks, but has an influence throughout the year, with events and conversations going on... Just Festival provides is with the opportunity to light candles throughout year, to illuminate the world," concluded Rabbi Rose.<br />
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Appointed to his current post in Edinburgh in May 2003, Rabbi Rose represents the Jewish community in several civic forums, is currently the Jewish representative on the executive of Interfaith Scotland, member of the Conference of Scottish Religious leaders and is honorary Prersident of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association.
Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-74572116918294731722013-08-25T20:12:00.000+01:002013-08-25T21:16:24.343+01:00Another great turnout...<b>ONE of the many encouraging features of Just Festival 2013 has been the attendances. The Just Together closing event and celebration at St John's was no different. </b><br />
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<b><br /></b>Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-8436721878145251242013-08-25T20:10:00.000+01:002013-08-25T20:10:00.225+01:00Piping hot start<b>TONIGHT'S closing event and celebration of Just Festival 2013 has begun with a stirring rendition from the Scotpipe band in front of a packed gathering at St John's Church here in Edinburgh. </b><br />
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Among the several themes of the festival this year has been thinking about the future of Scotland and its relations with the rest of these islands, with Europe and with the world in the run up to what will be a historic referendum on independence in 2014.<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7971056620589763574.post-16295478877110818122013-08-25T20:04:00.001+01:002013-08-25T20:04:25.319+01:00Getting ready to roll...<b>THE lights are on, the sound is plugged in, the performers and speakers are ready, the audience are gathered outside awaiting</b>... and the final bits of rehearsal have been done - as you can see here. "All you need is love", they were singing. Well, that and a bit of hard work!<br />
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<br />Simon Barrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05366440538616508935noreply@blogger.com0