Edinburgh Festival Guide

Listings: Evening events, Talks & lectures

Sorted by popularity / rating / date.

Edinburgh: Festival City

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.

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Tue 27 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

How a Pipe Organ Works

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

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Thu 22 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

A 15th Century Artist Predicts 21st Century Radiology

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.

The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh

Mon 19 Aug

£10 (£8) / 0131 473 2000

Art, Science and Performance

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.

The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh

Fri 23 Aug

£15 (£12) / 0131 473 2000

Conversations: Meredith Monk

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

The Hub, Edinburgh

Thu 15 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Conversations with Artists.

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Cultural Dialogue

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…

The Hub, Edinburgh

Fri 30 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Dance Odysseys Discussion

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

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Fri 16 Aug

Free / 0131 473 2000

Part of Dance Odysseys.

Infinite Possibilities: Drama on the Radio

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 Hub, Edinburgh

Wed 28 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Beckett at the Festival.

Interfaces: Is the Internet Making Us Smarter?

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…

The Hub, Edinburgh

Tue 13 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Interfaces.

Interfaces: Making Sense of the New Unrest

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.

The Hub, Edinburgh

Mon 12 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Interfaces.

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Interfaces: Technology and the Soul

Psychiatrist Andrew Powell explores the ways that technology affects relationships. As depression rapidly becomes the greatest burden of illness in developed countries, he examines safeguards for emotional and spiritual well-being. Chaired by Reverend Richard Coles, writer of TV comedy Rev. Speech-to-Text Reported event.

The Hub, Edinburgh

Wed 14 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Interfaces.

Interfaces: The Leisure Revolution

Jesse Schell, Distinguished Professor of Entertainment Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and technology entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl discuss the gamification of design and its potential for widespread influence. Chaired by writer Ben Hammersley.

The Hub, Edinburgh

Sun 11 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Interfaces.

Interfaces: Unknowable Futures

In the face of today’s ongoing technological revolution, author and journalist Ben Hammersley examines how we must consider today what we do not know for tomorrow. Chaired by journalist Robert Dawson Scott. Speech-to-Text Reported event.

The Hub, Edinburgh

Sat 10 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Interfaces.

Live Music Now talk

Ian Stoutzker, co-founder with Yehudi Menuhin of Live Music Now, discusses the organisation’s distinctive work and Menuhin’s vision with Director of Live Music Now Scotland Carol Main.

The Hub, Edinburgh

Thu 29 Aug

Free / 0131 473 2000

Part of Cafe Concerts.

Lost in Translation: Making Scholarship Accessible

Professor of Communication, Arts and Religion Jolyon Mitchell hosts a discussion with historian, broadcaster and author Bettany Hughes and Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies, on the relationships between research and the media and the demands of addressing different audiences.

The Hub, Edinburgh

Thu 29 Aug

£6 / 0131 473 2000

Part of Edinburgh University Events.

Pierrot Lunaire Talk

Christopher Hampson and Jane Pritchard discuss this seminal work.

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Sat 17 Aug

Free / 0131 473 2000

Part of Dance Odysseys.

Reflections on Dance Odysseys

Mary Brennan, Dance Critic of The Herald, chairs a discussion with Scottish Ballet Artistic Director Christopher Hampson, Scottish Dance Theatre Artistic Director Fleur Darkin and Dance Base Artistic Director Morag Deyes.

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Mon 19 Aug

Free / 0131 473 2000

Part of Dance Odysseys.

The Rite of Spring Talk

The Rite of Spring Talk with choreographer Christopher Hampson.

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Sun 18 Aug

Free / 0131 473 2000

Part of Dance Odysseys.

Talk: Colin Wiggins on the work of Ana Maria Pacheco

Colin Wiggins, Head of Education at The National Gallery in London, will give an introduction to the work, themes and concerns of Ana Maria Pacheco.

St Albert's Catholic Chaplaincy, Edinburgh

Mon 12 Aug

Free / 0131 650 0900

Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

  • 19:00 – 21:00