Spring has sprung, which means you’ll want to be out and about rather than cooped up in your homes this month. Fortunately, we have found a few things for you to do so that your good intentions do not end with a vague meander to the newsagents for a choc-ice.
The Open Eye Gallery (34 Abercromby Place) does its best to provide something for everyone in April, with an exhibition of new paintings by Elaine Pamphilon, 1–19 April; new sculpture by Christopher Marvell, 1–29 April; and new jewellery by Lesley Strickland, 1 April–10 May.
Not to be outdone, the Di Rollo Gallery (18a Dundas St) teams up with the Science Festival to bring you ‘Stardust Pinups’ – nothing to do with Bowie’s glam-rock years, but an exhibition looking at energy, mass, matter, flux and molecular structure. From 4 April–14 May, let Mike Ward and John Heywood take you on an artistic journey through the universe ...
As ever, there’s interactive fun aplenty at the Botanic Gardens during the Science Festival. 'Pongy Potions' sounds particularly pungent – workshops in which kids are encouraged to 'cook up the stinkiest smells imaginable'. If this sounds like they’re asking for trouble, it’s because they are. For a full list of events taking place at the gardens, see the website.
For grown-ups, meanwhile, The Jam House (5 Queen Street) hosts a series of talks including ‘Funny Way to Make a Living’, in which comedian Robin Ince conducts live experiments into the science of comedy and laughter (17 April at 2.30pm, tickets £10). This sold out last year, which implies it was good. That or Ince has loads of Edinburgh-based pals who he forced into coming along.
The Ecofusion festival returns on Sunday 10 April, and this year it’s being held in Inverleith Park. From 11am–5pm, attendees will be encouraged to enjoy the outdoors by any means necessary (including storytelling, crafts, football, drumming and world music). The event is free and suitable for all the family.
Zeolite enthusiasts amongst you may be interested to know that the 2011 meeting of the British Zeolite Association is to be held at the University of Edinburgh from 11–13 April. They welcome all fields of zeolite, microporous and mesoporous materials science, including synthesis, structure, applications, characterisation, catalysis and computational studies. So now you know.
You may remember comedian Sean Hughes from the original series of Nevermind the Buzzcocks (now in its 301st series). He is at The Stand (5 York Place) for one night only on Tuesday 19 April with his show ‘Ducks and Other Mistakes I’ve Made’, 7.30pm for 8.30pm start, tickets £12.