All posts by jud00031

News

Edinburgh Filmhouse: Crowdfunder campaign launched to save independent cinema

A crowdfunding campaign was launched to raise £2 million to save the Edinburgh Filmhouse and its long-running international film festival.

The 88 Lothian Road building, the former home of Edinburgh Filmhouse, was put up for sale after the charity running the cinema went into administration in October.

A group of former senior staff launched the crowdfunding campaign on 16 November, aiming to raise £2 million by the end of this week and buy the building from the administrators.

“The loss of the building is catastrophic, not only for Filmhouse but also the provision of cultural cinema in Scotland’s capital city,” states the group’s crowdfunding page.

“Edinburgh will become the only UK city of its size and international cultural ambition to lack a cinema devoted to the full breadth and depth of cultural film”.

The group hopes to attract support from the screen industries and Scotland’s cultural scene.

Actor Jack Lowden supported the campaign and told the Scotsman that “the idea of our capital losing such an important cultural centre is deeply saddening.”

“With the Scottish film industry growing faster and faster, it’s more important than ever to have a truly independent platform in our city. And just as importantly, a welcoming place to have a great night out,” says Lowden.

Paul Sng, an independent filmmaker based in Edinburgh, started an online petition to save the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Edinburgh International Festival. The petition now has over 24 000 signatures.

“It was mainly to show that there is a level of love and support, that there is the belief in the festival and in Filmhouse as an organization to be something that is in Edinburgh for the community, for the people that love cinema”, says Sng.

“As a filmmaker, being supported by these two organizations, the cultural linchpins, has been massively important to me.

“On that professional level, to lose either of them would impact the industry and also impact me personally. Being a filmmaker that is making documentaries on sometimes tricky subjects, you don’t have that many options,” explains Sng.

The Edinburgh Filmhouse was not only an important cultural institution, but for many people it was primarily a safe space.

Vivian Chang, an Edinburgh University student said: “The Filmhouse was a very important place to me and to my friends, it was a beautiful place where we can get tickets just for 2 pounds every Tuesday and enjoy art.”

So far, the crowdfunding campaign raised £138,644, which is 6% off the amount needed to save the building.

To get to the final number would mean every person who has signed Paul Sng’s petition needs to add at least £83.

Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Filmhouse are not the only cultural institutions forced to (completely) limit their activities, due to lack of finances.

Last week it was reported The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is resizing its team and pausing its streaming activity.

Amanda Berry, Head of Marketing and PR of the EIBF, said: “it’s a difficult time and we are busy with a consultation and planning process to address the economic challenges that lie ahead.”

Due to time difficulties, the EIBF’s team refused to give any further comment.

News

The cost-of-living crisis is causing a record need of food banks, as more parcels were handed out than ever in the last six months.

By Julie Dvorakova

The cost-of-living crisis is causing a record need for food banks, as more parcels were handed out than ever in the last six months.

The Trussell Trust, a nationwide network of food banks providing support to those in poverty, revealed new statistics that show record-breaking levels of need across the UK.

Revealed figures prove that from April to September, more emergency food parcels were given out than ever before in this period.

Emma Reive, the chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: “These new statistics show that, even in summer months, people are struggling to afford the essentials and we are expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people they support. This is not right.”

In Scotland, food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed over 116,000 emergency food parcels between 1 April to 30 September 2022, including 40,000 parcels distributed to children.

This represents an increase (34%) compared to the same period last year and an alarming rise (65%) since the same period five years ago – a period not affected by the pandemic or cost of living crisis.

 

As Scotland faces the crisis while still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity says the Scottish, local and UK governments need to do more.

“Over the last few years, the government has acted to protect people who are struggling, and this action made a difference”, said Reive, adding that they must now act again to help people through the winter.

In July 2022, households received the first Cost of Living payment from the UK government. Scottish foodbanks distributed 15,098 parcels in July, which is significantly less than any other month this year.

Despite this, data show that this payment was spent quickly, and record levels of emergency food parcels were then distributed in the following months.

The crisis is forcing more people to use food banks, as they, mostly for the first time, don’t have enough money to afford the essentials. Food banks across the UK are changing opening hours to be available to those working.

Josie Barlow, manager at Bradford Foodbank said: “Someone who came to the food bank recently told me that buying milk is a luxury now. So many people are struggling with bills and food prices.”

The escalating need for emergency food parcels together with rising costs is likely to lead to the most challenging winter yet for Trussell Trust and other networks in the UK.

“We are fortunate to be able to help people and we work hard to support them in both the short and long term, but we are also facing challenges”, says Barlow.

 

The charity says food banks are now at ‘breaking point’, as more and more people seek help due to the crisis.

Compared to England, the number of parcels distributed in Scotland has either been lower or not risen in line with the UK average.

This is because alternative food aid is becoming more available in recent years in Scotland.

In January this year, the Scottish government promised to develop a national plan to end the need for food banks as a primary response to food insecurity.

The Government recently responded to the crisis as The Scottish Child payment was increased from £10 a week to £25, with the extension to parents of children aged under 16.

News

Pet Aid available in Scotland to pet owners struggling financially

by Julie Dvořáková

Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) is aiming to help pet owners struggling due to the cost of living crisis by providing ‘Pet Aid’.

As millions of households suffer significantly higher emergency bills and other necessary expenses, the Scottish SPCA is expecting an increase in animals suffering from unintentional neglect.

The charity fears that more and more pet owners across Scotland will not be able to pay for food or veterinary treatment.

“We want to be there to support those people who really need it, who clearly want to care for their animal but are struggling with in particular some of the costs involved, “says Kirsteen Campbell, the CEO of Scottish SPCA.

“The expectation is that these challenges will be present in Society for many years to come and we have not felt the worse of it yet here in Scotland.”

Pet Aid service was developed by the charity to support pet owners at an early stage so that people and animals can be kept together as much as possible.

Chris Forest, a man living in Edinburgh, told BBC Scotland that the food bank saved him from giving up his cats that help with his mental health. “The cats keep me going – they interact with me and get me up in the morning as they need to be fed. I am in a much better place having them”.

“Nobody should have to give up their pet because they are unable to afford the items they need”, stated Scottish SPCA when launching the campaign.

SSPCA is hoping to quickly expand Pet Aid to be offered nationally. At the moment, Pet Aid provides 16 food banks with boxes that contain a mix of dry and wet pet food. Accessories such as water bowls, leads or harnesses are also provided when possible.

“These items are sourced from existing donations that have been made to the Scottish SPCA in which the Society is unable to use these donations for animals in its care,” explains Campbell.

The Scottish SPCA promises to provide Pet Aid boxes on monthly basis to charities, such as Simon Community Scotland (SCS), which mainly focuses on supporting homeless people and provides rather humanitarian support.

However, when visiting SCS in Edinburgh, the staff was not aware of SSPCA’s Pet Aid and recommended getting in touch with a different organization, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home.

Campbell said that SSPCA is aware of other animal welfare organizations that are supporting food banks in Scotland. “We are making sure we are working together and not duplicating resources and are aware of who is supporting where.”

SSPCA’s recent research in partnership with the RSPCA Kindness Index found that 69% of pet owners in the UK say looking after their pets is more expensive than it was last year. 72% then stated they think the increasing costs of living will impact their animals, and 28% are worried about being able to care for their pets, due to the crisis.

Donating to Pet Aid is now possible via Amazon Wishlist or collection points located at selected supermarkets.

 

News, Opinion

Spotify Wrapped 2022: Why now is the only time we are all happily sharing our data

By Julie Dvorakova

It is that time of the year again. Whilst many are looking ahead to Christmas, Spotify users keep refreshing the green-black app, waiting for the annual early Christmas gift – their Spotify Wrapped.

Spotify Wrapped is an extremely popular feature that creatively summarizes all the data  Spotify, an audio streaming platform, has collected about each one of its users over the year.

That means after ‘unwrapping’ this thoughtful digital present, you can explore your most listened songs, and artists or realize the (let’s be honest, shocking) amount of time you’ve spent listening to music and podcasts.

The truth is this data is also so nicely presented that many can’t help it and share the visual analysation of their listening habits with their friends, colleagues, friends’ pets, and simply everyone who follows them on Instagram or Twitter.

Spotify has, according to the newest statistics, 456 million monthly active users worldwide, which makes it the most used streaming service. It is the go-to app for listening to music, podcasts, guided meditations, or audiobooks. Yet for many users, the reason that made them switch from other streaming services to Spotify, or even start using audio streaming service for the very first time is just the irresistible Spotify Wrapped.

It is like seeing all your friends sharing their favourite memories from a trip you did not go on. Suddenly, all you want to know is how many minutes you have spent with your headphones on, instead of interacting with people. You want to know what is your most played song of the year, or what would be the soundtrack to your movie.

All you need to do to get this life-changing information about yourself is to subscribe to Spotify and wait till the beginning of December. Sharing the visualized data and becoming a part of the global, social media-based discussion is then fairly easy. And Spotify is very well aware of this.

The concept of Spotify Wrapped began in 2013, seven years after this go-to music streaming service was developed in Sweden. If you are looking back at the pre-pandemic years and can’t think of any Spotify Wrapped, well done for confirming the statistics. Spotify’s early Christmas gift which is as aesthetically pleasing as we know it today, came out as a ground-breaking concept in 2020, with over 1,2 million mentions on Twitter.

In 2020, 62% of people in the UK said they use Spotify at least once a week. Globally, Spotify is getting more and more users every year, and it does not seem to change. In fact, it is safe to say in the upcoming hours and days we are about to see Spotify everywhere on social media, whether that’s Instagram stories, Twitter, Tik Tok or memes. Spotify Wrapped is about to become the go-to small talk topic, enjoying its once-a-year moment of fame.