Listings: After 5pm, Talks & lectures

Composer Tod Machover, conductor Peter Oundjian and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra take us through the creation of a new piece of music celebrating the City of Edinburgh and its Festival and co-created by members of the public.

Hear from the instantly recognisable but always believable actor about a life in film, from Begbie to Renard and beyond. Part of Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Chaired by Nicholas Parsons, Paul Merton and fellow witty and loquacious panellists try to speak for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Discover why this show has been attracting the best comedians for 45 years. <p style="margin-top: 0"> </p> <p style="margin-top: 0">…

BBC Radio 3’s late night journey across musical time and space, Late Junction, hosts a special show with interviews and live performances by musicians appearing at the Edinburgh Festivals. Expect an eclectic mix of styles encompassing world, folk, alternative, electronic, jazz and more. <p…

Unique experience for champagne lovers and novices alike. A tutored champagne tasting in the stunning surroundings of the Signet Library, a historic Edinburgh venue. Consistent top quality, Pommery is renowned for its variety and innovation afforded by nine different crus, setting it apart from other Grandes…

The Rite of Spring Talk with choreographer Christopher Hampson.

Peter Abrahams, Professor of Clinical Anatomy at Warwick University, explores the value of Leonardo’s anatomical drawings as a tool for understanding the human body, and how closely the artist anticipated the range of imagery used by the medical profession today.

Join Alasdair Gray, Scottish author and artist most acclaimed for his first novel Lanark, which was described as 'one of the landmarks of 20th-century fiction' by the Guardian. Join him here, in conversation with the BBC’s Head of the Arts, Jonty Claypole. Gray has been described by Will Self as 'a great writer…

Leonardo is celebrated as both an inspired artist and anatomist. This special event considers how contemporary artists, performers and scientists are informed by each other’s work in their exploration of the human body. Part of the Clod Ensemble’s Performing Medicine programme in collaboration with Wellcome Trust.

Science on the Fringe!? Yes! Science, controversy, myth-busting, debunking and debate all at the Fringe Festival. Featuring different speakers every night discussing the issues, evidence and controversies in everything from alternative medicine to Sharia law and beyond. This is our fourth year at the Fringe so we…

You are what you read! Rowan Pelling will be analysed live on stage by Ella Berthoud, renowned bibliotherapist from School of Life and co-author of The Novel Cure. She will explore her fascinating life in literature and seek to prescribe books suited to her personality. Tickets include one delightful cocktail.

Meredith Monk explores the artist’s relationship with the environment, in conversation with Philip Campbell, editor of Nature magazine.

August 2012 saw the inaugural Edinburgh International Culture Summit, an event that brought together Culture Ministers and officials from over 30 nations for a series of conversations about forging international dialogue through culture. Initiated by the Edinburgh International Festival in partnership with the British…

An overview of this unique weekend of dance, chaired by Scottish Ballet’s Artistic Director Christopher Hampson.

Enliven your literary knowledge with insight from some of the UK’s brightest minds. Scottish Granta writer, Stuart Kelly (judge for the Granta's Best of Young British Novelists list and the Man Booker Prize, critic and author of Book of Lost Books: An Incomplete History of All the Great Books You'll Never Read)…

Is this your first time? Edinburgh can be daunting for new participants, so come and meet Fringe Society staff who can support your experience. Also, find out about all the services provided at Fringe Central.

Freda Shittington. The husky-voiced, slipper wearing, dirty-minded lass from up north shares stories of fun, cheeky and downright naughty pastimes. Whether it's having a natter or chatting to special guests, you're sure to have an unforgettable night…. Ages 18+.

Organist extraordinaire John Kitchen of the University of Edinburgh describes and demonstrates the technology behind the magnificent four-manual 63-stop Usher Hall organ.

Learn how to banish stage fright to deliver a BAFTA-worthy performance with stand-up comedian Viv Groskop (author of stand-up memoir I Laughed, I Cried), Literary Death Match Co-Host and Executive Producer Suzanne Azzopardi and Granta Publicist Saskia Vogel. Bring your own work to read or practice with a past…

Exploring the growing demand for improvisation in all mediums - film, television and theatre. Learn the tools necessary to think on your feet and book that commercial, film, or simply hone your skills to think fast.

Jeremy Howe, Commissioning Editor BBC Radio 4, dramatist Jonathan Myerson and writer and theatre critic Octavian Saiu explore the influence radio has had on drama and its development as an artform.

The Internet is the greatest store of human knowledge that has ever existed. But it is also a shopping mall, a video arcade and a Pandora’s Box. Tom Standage, digital editor of The Economist, and Emily Bell, director of the Tow Centre for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, discuss the Internet’s effect on…

Author and broadcaster Paul Mason outlines the ways in which technology has enabled global protest movements and asks how the old political models of ruling and resisting are being undermined. Chaired by Professor William Sweeney. Speech-to-Text Reported event.