Mindfulness: The Importance of Being in the Moment by Joel White

Mindfulness is a term that seems to be appearing everywhere at this moment in time. Its plastered across bill boards, the media are talking about, many famous people are practicing ‘mindfulness’, and even the Queen herself has been practicing becoming more ‘mindful’. But what is mindfulness and what are its benefits? Also how do you apply it to your life in a simple and easy way? Well let me perhaps help you with this and by the time you have read the rest of this article you too can become more ‘mindful’.
Read more…

A Memory of Blood: The Rise and the Fall of the Mongolian Empire by Donald Carrick

On the 29th October 2015, Donald Carrick gave the third of three talks on the life and legacies of Ghengis Khan.  Donald tells us: Stories are everything. Many stories are influenced by history, but could it be that history itself is shaped by stories, even fictional ones? Can we honestly say only fact matters in any historical narrative? Is the past set in stone or is it a fluid entity like the future? Read more…

Home Wine Making by Andrea Fuhrmann


 

Title of talk:

Home Wine Making
Read more…

Above Us, The Sky: A Documentary by Lin Li

I was originally from Hong Kong and have been living in Scotland for over twenty five years. In the last two decades I gradually changed my career direction from being an academic researcher to developing a fine art practice. Since 2011 my artwork focuses mainly on moving image and audio pieces. With funding from Creative Scotland, I completed a short documentary (39 minutes long) in 2015 entitled Above Us, the Sky. In my presentation for Edinburgh Ragged University on June 1st 2016, I am going to show the film, talk about my experience in making the documentary and conduct a discussion with the audience. Read more…

1933 to 1934: Edinburgh Settlement Annual Report; Kirk O’Field; An Impression

A continual hammering, the sweet smell of wood-shav­ings, groups of men busy at a dozen benches, cupboards, chests of drawers, toys, photograph frames, and dozens of other articles in the process of being made, men whistling, or chatting amiably with their neighbours, men “queuing” up to get the advice of the instructor, one man assisting his neighbour in a particularly ticklish bit of work—these are some of the scenes which will greet you in the Carpentry Room at Kirk o’ Field Occupation Centre. Read more…

1933 to 1934: Edinburgh Settlement Annual Report; Kirk O’Field College

After the official opening by Sir James Barrie on the 28th October 1933, the College opened for the enrolment of students. By the end of the first week 300 students had enrolled, and by the 27th November the number was in­creased to over 400. We discovered that although the first programme covered a large number of subjects, it was in­sufficient to meet the needs of students. Read more…