Edinburgh festivals August!

I am looking forward to another great Edinburgh festival  and Fringe - and all the variety, colour, creativity, fun, (comedy, dance, theatre, music, books, more) and inspiration it brings! The weird and wonderful and the celebration of all the arts and culture.

Main venues – The Pleasance, Traverse, Gilded Balloon, Assembly Rooms, 

Each August I visit Edinburgh festival and I’m always amazed how my hometown is both strange and familiar to me. While most of my time is at the EIBF (edinburgh International book festival), I like to make excursions down the Royal mile and to venture through the packed crowds and savour the vibrant atmosphere of the many players performing the great variety of shows to be found here.

It is weird and wonderful, escapist and real, extreme, frivolous and serene.

I enjoy to venture off the main routes and I eat at least once at Bilbos on the corner of Chambers street.

I try to make a time out to shill, to regroup, recharge and re-collect.  And everything in-between.

I take the walk from the Gilded Balloon near the university, down along Forrest Road past the folk bar Sandy Bells, along the Bridges and the national library and then down the busy Mound, on along George street past the statues of Hanoverian kings – and eventually to the reflective hub for those who enjoy books at EIBF.  I also make time for a couple of ART exhibitions and several shows.

I grew up here and never realised how BIG the festival was worldwide! Some favourite photos from Edinburghfestival 2015! TICKETS available at - https://www.edfringe.com

Edinburgh Festival Photos

 LEO performed by Tobias Wegner, directed by Daniel Briere won Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award

Neil Gaiman Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

Mark Beaumont

Leo

I took photos at 'Leo'  -  performed by Tobias Wegner and directed by Daniel Briere, which won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award, and will receive a full NYC production at Theatre Row in January.   The award is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's highest honour, and was presented at the festival's closing ceremonies on August 26.  The production is from the acclaimed German company Circle of Eleven, and considers what happens if the laws of gravity suddenly change. Leo combines stage design and video projections, to create an unexpected environment in which our hero is forced to adapt to this surprising situation.  The award is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's highest honour, and was presented at the festival's closing ceremonies on August 26.  The production is from the acclaimed German company Circle of Eleven, and considers what happens if the laws of gravity suddenly change. Leo combines stage design and video projections, to create an unexpected environment in which our hero is forced to adapt to this surprising situation.

Edinburgh Festival 2011 (review)

Roland Rivron

Hundreds of images to sort...

Edinburgh's theme this year was Eastern colours, dance, and contrasts. How do we find the joys, the fun in life that gets lost in our everyday realities? 

My main focus is now the 'Edinburgh International Book festival' and I have much less time on the High Street. 

I missed the actors David Hasselhoff and Brad Pitt (here Glasgow) - but I met Alex Salmond and shook his hand!  I missed my shot of Gordon Brown, who came with his wife Sarah for her talk at the EIBF. It was a Saturday night in Glasgow when Zombies take over the streets! The Brad Pitt media arrived in Glasgow Central station, but the pose of photographers were disappointed as he was taken off the back of his train and whisked away. I later heard that one snapper got the 'shot' for the Sun. Also a tip that David Hasselhoff would be at the BBC tent at 10pm.    

FRINGE SHOWS.

My first show was 'Rick Hall', as seen on tv show 'Mock the Week'.  Next 'The Dead Philosopher' at the Traverse and the premise was that 'life is a joke' - well if so this show certainly wasn't one!  

I took photos at 'Leo' which was highly creative and with a wonderful performance by Tobias Wegner, directed by Daniel Briere. Leo won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award and will receive a full NYC production at Theatre Row in January. The award is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's highest honour, and was presented at the festival's closing ceremonies on August 26. 

I was on the phone outside Biblos restaurant on the corner of Chambers Street when 'Gerry' of Martian fame walked past in the rain wearing a long leather coat with his serious deadpan look. 

All fleeting odd moments and nothing is real or as it seems. Life leads us on strange paths and on these pavements that have seen to many footsteps.."Real harmony comes from the heart, trust, respect and friendship are all essential.' Dala Lama. My Field of Dreams, I search through them as they hover above, sometimes golden, sometimes hollow. 

Edinburgh has strong ever changing winds and the rain is connected to the high tides. One photographer has shot Dylan. In our yurt, one describes as a 'soggy mushroom,' the crack at times is fun. I wonder to myself that some young people can't take time to 'smell the roses' they are so busy constantly plugged in online.

I love the challenge of Photography while sometimes I wonder it is writing I really want to be doing. It has been cloudy quite often and I feel sad the festival is over for another year. The last day and it feels the posters are tired and sad a little too. Cultural overload. 

For the discerning there is much on offer to delight the senses at Edinburgh festival. A big Thanks to all at the Edinburgh Book Festival for another top year......With over 2,500 shows at 250 venues over 3 to 4 weeks, over one million visitors.   

Edinburgh EIF 2009

Edinburgh festival was fun, with its manic, packed crowds, too many shows and lots of dynamic colours! The book festival and the poetry reminds me why I do this and I met lots of highly interesting people. Love it!

Sunday 16th August
This is my fourth trip to photograph the EIF. It changes each year and the venues move, yet the festival remains very much the same as it always has been since the forties that I grew up with. The street performers seem more colourful and professional and there is more photographers now. As I walked past some colourful graffiti I decided my trip this year would be about the colours and sounds of the festival.

Monday
I immersed myself in the flurry of sounds. A taxi driver entertained me with tales of the 14 miles of tram track from the Ocean terminal to Saughton – he was not sure what it is for and the work is over six years in the building. Edinburgh puts on a good face though. 

As I crossed the wide barricaded path over Princes Street to the Mound Art galleries, I noticed the rest of the street is now dug up also. At the Edinburgh book festival I decided to have an ice-cream and sitting on the wooden bench beside the central green statues, I felt a bit like Forrest Gump as I watched dandelion wishes float up on the warm breeze. I watched Iain Banks having a photo shoot. I was not entirely sure why only this one photographer is taking the shoot. I had a chat with him after. Visiting the book festival and reading poetry reminds me of what inspires and motivates my work.

The Broken Records Queen Hall gig Edge festival was an upbeat and dynamic energetic gig. And great fun for music photography! Their music makes me feel on a rollercoaster and their songs move from slow to the adrenalin rush of the ride. They are led by two brothers and their cello, violin and trumpet lend a distinctive Scottish feel.

Tuesday. I saw some shows today. Ihayami Indian dance which was graceful. Later a Brazilian show was vibrant, with extremely fit guys! At the Book festival there was Raj Persaud and Mingus Campbell. While music gigs are my favourite thing, I get energy and colour from dance. There was a wealth of events going on and it is a good idea to visit a few venues and pick up their brochures. At the Book festival there was Raj Persaud and Mingus Campbell.

Wed 19th Aug
Mercy Madonna of Malawi. The Malawi actors, singers and dancers are excellent with their subtle rhythms. No easy answers here? I’m sure Madonna feels she is offering a child a chance of a better life. One answer is to improve the infrastructures and education.  Venezuela Viva! with energetic salsa flamenco… offered all the sunshine colours. 

 
The High street entertainers: No Martians this year. Maybe this is a year of creativity rather than performance. Being creative is a wonderful gift and if you believe you have something to offer it’s worth it – I hope!

www.pkimage.co.uk
*Check out my Dance and Edinburgh festival 2009 gallery.