Author Archives: Lunaria Admin
Angela Rodel
Angela Rodel is an established literary translator based in Sofia with a BA from Yale University and an MA from University of California, Los Angeles in Linguistics. Her accolades include the 2016 National Translation Award for Georgi Gospodinov’s novel The Physics of Sorrow (Open Letter, 2015) from the American Literary Translators Association.
Production Manager – Pete Searle
Pete’s journey through theatre began as a young lighting specialist at the then brand new Royal Northern College of Music before moving on to being Production Manager for the Sixty Nine Theatre Company at the Manchester Royal Cotton Exchange before heading to Scotland “ for a few months .” learn more
Tamara Nadel
Tamara Nadel is a disciple of Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy and founding member of Ragamala. She has toured extensively with the company, performing on major national and international stages. learn more
Aparna Ramaswamy
Aparna Ramaswamy is Co-Artistic Director of Ragamala Dance Company with her choreographic partner (and mother) Ranee Ramaswamy. learn more
Janis Hart
Janis Hart is an Edinburgh-based artist, designer and filmmaker who graduated in Fine Art and Theatre Design from the Slade School of Art, University of London. Her freelance artistic practice includes site-specific installations and stage designs for theatre, dance and opera productions, as well as leading contemporary art and drama workshops. learn more
Nicola Wright
Nicola combines her passion for history with a love of dressing up to bring characters vividly to life. She delivers entertaining and engaging workshops to primary and secondary schools on subjects ranging from castle life and the cursed Stewarts to Jacobites and WW1. learn more
Shona Robison
Shona was born in Redcar in 1966. Educated at Alva Academy, she went on to graduate from Glasgow University with a Social Sciences MA and Jordanhill College with a Postgraduate Certificate in Community Education. Previously she worked for Glasgow City Council’s Social Work Department. learn more
Revd Richard Carter
Revd Richard Carter is Associate Vicar for Mission. He was ordained in 1992 and has been a full-time priest at St Martin’s since 2006. learn more
Jon Sparkes
Jon joined Crisis as Chief Executive in 2014. He is also a Trustee at the Centre for Homelessness Impact and a Non-Executive Director at South Yorkshire Housing Association as well as Chair of the Welsh Government’s Homelessness Action Group. learn more
Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen is one of the best-known figures in the children’s book world. He is renowned for his work as a poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. learn more
Dimitar Kambourov
Dimitar Kambourov is Associate Professor of literary theory at Sofia University. learn more
Georgi Gospodinov
Georgi Gospodinov (b. 1968) made his literary debut in the 1990s with the poetry collections “Lapidarium”, which won the 1992 National Prize for Best Literary Debut “Yuzhna Prolet”, and “The Cherry Tree of a Nation” (1996), which has gone through several editions. learn more
Mahmoud Al Khurd
Three years ago, Mahmoud Al Khurd was a prizewinner in a competition sponsored by the Network of Photographers for Palestine (NPP) involving over 100 entries. Now galleries across Scotland, from Edinburgh to Inverness will be hosting an exhibition of photographs by this internationally acclaimed Palestinian photographer during the months of August and September. learn more
Craig Dalzell
Join Common Weal’s Dr Craig Dalzell to discuss Resilient Scotland, a recovery plan for Scotland to rebuild after the pandemic based on good jobs; economic equality; environmental sustainability; and social cohesion, fuelled by a green reindustrialisation. learn more
Eilís Ní Dhuibhne
Eilís Ní Dhuibhne is an established and awarded Irish writer who writes fiction in both English and Gaelic; a former lecturer in Creative Writing at UCD. Her latest books are Little Red and Other Stories (2020) and Look! It’s a Woman Writer (editor) (2021). learn more
Dr. Anne Karpf
Dr Anne Karpf is Professor of Life Writing and Culture. A writer, sociologist and award-winning journalist, she writes regularly on social, political and cultural issues for The Guardian and other publications, and is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio. learn more
Tommy Sands
Tommy Sands is an Irish songwriter and activist who has made peace building through music his purpose and career. learn more
Curator – Iliyana Nedkova
As an independent curator, producer and writer, Iliyana explores the relationship between public art, activism and creative practices. Her current research interests focus on peacebuilding and the arts, environmental humanities, artists’ moving image culture, women artists, literature in translation and artists’ residencies.
Iliyana’s current curatorial projects include We Refuse to be Scapegoats – a solo exhibition by Pam Skelton at P21 Gallery, London; Groundwork for Embedded Arts Practice – curatorial residency at Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella; Screen.dance – Scotland’s Festival of Dance on Screen at Citymoves Dance Agency, Aberdeen; Hidden Letters – poetry activism, typography and urban gardens interventions at St John’s Church, Edinburgh; Thistles, Sunflowers and Dreamscapes – a solo exhibition by Diana Savova at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, and Windows, Screens and Gardens – a hybrid exhibition by artists-in-residence at Abbeyhill Primary School, Edinburgh.
Recently, Iliyana undertook associate curatorships at Horsecross Arts, Perth; Moray House School of Education and Sport, the University of Edinburgh; New Media Scotland; Stills Centre for Photography, Edinburgh; ARC Projects, Edinburgh and Sofia; Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool; Soros Centre for the Arts, Sofia; and Video Data Bank, Chicago and New York.
Iliyana holds a MPhil in Curating Contemporary Art from Liverpool John Moores University and a MLitt in English and American Studies, as well as in History and Theory of Culture from the University of Sofia. Iliyana is a board member of Colony of Artists, Friends of Pskov and Traditional Dance Forum Scotland. She has also served as the Honorary Cultural Attaché at the Consulate of the Republic of Bulgaria in Scotland.
https://iliyananedkova.wordpress.com
David Manderson
David Manderson is a writer and former academic. He is currently chair of the Writers for Peace committee. He has published short stories, essays and poems in a wide variety of small magazines and anthologies. His novel Lost Bodies (Kennedy & Boyd) was published in 2011. He ran the Real to Reel Short Film Festival at the Glasgow Film Theatre in Glasgow until 1999 and Nerve Magazine until 2001. Later, a creative practice PhD took him into academia where he published articles and textbooks on Scottish films, creative writing and walking, and Scottish Miserablism. His poem Expedition, animated by Samantha Hendry, won a Royal Television Student Award in 2019. In 2017 he was the recipient of a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship from the Scottish Book Trust. He is currently completing a book on the work and life of Alan Sharp for Peter Lang publishers
Leela Soma
Leela Soma is a writer and active member of Scottish PEN. Her latest crime novel, Murder at the Mela, explores tensions within Glasgow’s Asian communities and between diverse groups in the city.
Her poetry and short stories have been published in a number of anthologies and publications and she won the Margaret Thompson Davis Trophy, for the first 10,000 words of her first novel Twice Born. Leela has been encouraged in her writing by none other than Willy Maley, Professor of Renaissance Studies (English Literature), University of Glasgow, who commended her in his book Discovering Scottish Literature, published by Scottish Book Trust. Thereafter, he urged her to: ‘finish the novel.’ She did, and won Strathkelvin Writes Best New Writers Trophy.
Twice Born was followed by Bombay Baby, published by Dahlia Publishing. – another book reflecting Scottish – Indian connections. Bombay Baby was reviewed in Scotland on Sunday by prize winning author, Suhayl Saadi, who recommended the book as: ‘an engaging, upbeat piece of popular fiction.’
Press Release – Every Girl Matters (Talk)
Every Girl Matters is part of our series of talks and conversations. Gender equality is one of the central themes of the Just Festival. This event focuses on working to bring change to the global disparity between the sexes.
Press-Release- The Island
The Island is an award-winning and acclaimed apartheid-era play set on Robben Island telling a moving story celebrating hope, passion and resilience. Two cellmates perform futile physical labour by day while rehearsing a makeshift performance of Sophocles’ play Antigone by night. learn more
Review – We Are
Dance and music inspired by African culture is almost always joyous, and We Are is no exception. learn more
Review – Bloominauschwitz
Leopold Bloom is stuck. Stuck in a book, stuck in a routine, stuck in the same clothes. He’s even stuck on the toilet.
As the hero of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Bloom’s life is entirely a creation of the author. He is everyman and no man, a genial soul required to repeat the events of 16 June 1904 forever. But when Bloom starts to question things, to abandon Joyce and look for his own identity, he discovers that nothing is as simple as it seems, and that becoming too obsessed with any one point of view can have terrible consequences.
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Review – Dr Korczak’s Example
David Greig’s solemn play is set in the hot summer of 1942 in an orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto where Dr Janusz Korczak is caring for 200 young people. They are in the heart of an area covering a few streets into which 350,000 Jews have been crammed. learn more
Press Release – Faith-based Courts
What autonomy should faith-based and family courts have in the UK? And how can it be ensured that an individual’s basic human rights, and the right to a fair trial, are respected within a religious framework? learn more
Press Release – Alabaster Box
Acappella from Africa to rock the Edinburgh Fringe. Ghana’s leading a cappella/Afroppella quartet, Alabaster Box returns to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year with a mix bag of gospel Afroppella music presentation dubbed Sounds from Gold Coast. learn more
Press Release – Bloominauschwitz
Something is going very wrong for Leopold Bloom, the hero of James Joyce’s great novel ‘Ulysses’ and a worldwide phenomenon. learn more
2018 Just Festival Review
From apartheid-era drama to creative responses to terrorism, Just Festival looks injustice square in the eye.
Celebrating humanity in all its diverse forms might not be in vogue for some of our world leaders, but the Edinburgh Festival has always promoted fairness and eclecticism in equal measure. At the heart of that mission is the Just Festival, with its annual array of theatre, talks, music, dance and exhibitions.
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2018 Just Festival | The Wee Review
At a time when so many people are worrying over the future and anxious about the lack of care they see around them, the annual socially-conscious Just Festival is more welcome than ever. learn more
Volunteering Programme
Develop your events management and communications skills with Just!
Are you interested in social justice and diversity? Do you enjoy theatre, music, and dance performances? Do you like engaging in conversations on vital social issues? Would you like to gain valuable experience in the festival environment? If YES, then you might find Just Festival a perfect fit for you! learn more
Take Note!
A community youth choir with a message
Supported by the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (University of Edinburgh) Knowledge Exchange and Impact Grant, ‘Take Note!’ Youth Choir project invites people aged 12-21 to take part in singing sessions and performances in two shows at the 2018 Just Festival. learn more
Just Academy Skills
Connecting Third Sector and Creative Practitioners
Free DROP-IN sessions for Third Sector and creative practitioners
Supported by the Voluntary Action Fund, our Just Skills Academy drop-in workshop sessions engage individuals, Third Sector representatives and creative practitioners in sharing stories of successful collaboration and ideas for joint projects. learn more
Age and Stage
Forum Theatre Drama workshops
Supported by the Corra Foundation, ‘Age & Stage’ Project engages elderly people and their carers who experience loneliness and isolation. Active Inquiry, who specialise in producing devised plays, deliver drama workshops and guide project participants in telling and sharing their stories. learn more
Staged For Life
Staged for Life: Changing young people’s lives since 2015
BEspoke training programme developed by just festivals and edinburgh college
‘Staged for Life’ is a unique two week training programme teaching young people aged 16–24 how to operate sound and lighting equipment for live events. Those who complete the course are offered supported work placements at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe venues to gain meaningful industry experience. The training sessions are part of the Just Skills Academy project supported by Edinburgh College, the Voluntary Action Fund and Dr Guthrie’s Association. Follow Staged for Life on Facebook for more updates. learn more
2019 Just Festival Programme
‘transitions’
The Just Festival Board chose the theme ‘Transitions’ for the 2019 festival. It engaged new and returning audiences in reflecting on vital social justice issues. learn more
2019 Just Festival Report
Festival Annual Report
In addition to the annual summer programme dedicated to the theme of ‘Transitions’, Just delivered a number of community projects aimed at increasing volunteering and skills improvement opportunities as well as improving access to arts and culture to isolated communities. learn more
2018 Just Festival Programme
‘OUTSIDE IN’
The 2018 Just Festival Programme ‘OutsideIn’ offered a wonderful mix of music, theatre, poetry and storytelling created and performed by international and local companies. learn more
2018 Just Festival Report
The Just Festival Board chose the theme OutsideIn for the 2018 festival. It engaged new and returning audiences in reflecting on vital social justice issues. learn more
2017 Just Festival Programme
‘Against the current’
2017 edition of Just Festival was held under the theme #AgainstTheCurrent. We hosted conversations, talks and performing arts events that present people, movements and ideas that challenge(d) the status quo. learn more
2017 Just Festival Report
Festival annual report
The 2017 Just Festival was held under the theme ‘Against the Current’. We hosted 9 conversations, 6 talks and 40 performing arts events that presented people, movements and ideas that challenged the status quo. learn more
2016 Just Festival Programme
‘from the edge’
With the 2016 programme, Just Festival offered safe spaces for dialogue and creative exchange between invited experts, practitioners, community-based organisations, socially conscious performing arts groups and the general public. learn more
2016 Just Festival Report
Festival annual report
In 2016 Just Festival’s events and exhibitions were curated under the theme ‘From the Edge’. learn more
Press Release – Slaves in Scotland
‘But we have no slaves in Scotland…,’ states a Scottish law report from 1687. And yet, it was not made illegal to own a slave in Scotland until 1788. Newspapers in Edinburgh and Glasgow used to run adverts for slaves, at various prices, or offer rewards for escaped slaves. learn more
