Before 5pm, Talks & lectures

Australian clarinettist Nicola Boud and fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout discuss their Queen’s Hall recital with Richard Morrison, chief music critic of The Times.

Philip Glass is joined by Patti Smith to discuss their cross-art form collaboration The Poet Speaks with writer and broadcaster Richard Coles.

Elizabeth LeCompte and company members talk to Andrew Quick about their complex interpretation of Hamlet.

Cornelia Parker is one of the most profound and poetic artists working in Britain today. Her wide-ranging practice, chiefly in sculpture and installation, touches on the fragility of human experience. Exploring everything from ghosts and gravity to relics and the unconscious, she transforms everyday, ordinary objects…

August 2012 saw the inaugural Edinburgh International Culture Summit, an event that brought together Culture Ministers and officials from over 30 nations for a series of conversations about forging international dialogue through culture. Initiated by the Edinburgh International Festival in partnership with the British…

Regular talks on museum staff's favourite objects from the collection.

Curators from the Nam June Paik Art Center, Tate and Talbot Rice Gallery discuss the work and legacy of Nam June Paik.

Curator of Dance Odysseys films Nele Hertling shares her thoughts on dance on celluloid.

Nature writer and Guardian columnist Derek Niemann tells the story of four prisoners of war who became major figures in post-war wildlife conservation, including George Waterston, founder of (among other things) Loch Leven Nature Reserve itself. Booking is essential.

World premiere of short, hauntingly beautiful black and white film on the fascinating rituals of Victorian death and mourning. This will be followed by a discussion with creator Sarah Tobias and award-winning director Valentina Lari. There will also be a brief talk and readings on customs of death, grief, mourning…

Learn more about pond life at this family event.

Artist Stuart McAdam and Claudia Zeiske, Director of Deveron Arts, will lead a discussion with a panel of experts about the relationship between art and walking, and the history of the railways in Scotland. This event is the culmination of a guided walk that McAdam will lead earlier in the afternoon along the Innocent…

Crisis Skylight Edinburgh, who do outreach for homeless and vulnerably housed people, presents this indoor learning market in honour of Adults Learners' Week. There'll be hands-on learning activities, t-shirt printing and card making, along with a number of stalls with more information about Crisis' courses.

Learn how the viaduct changed the lives of the people of Greenock with this walk and talk.

Fellow actor, friend and her Personal Manager, David Hill opens his home to exhibit a unique collection of Dora Bryan memorabilia. The exhibition showcases Pictures, Theatre Bills, Movie Stills and Books celebrating the life and career of one of Brighton's best loved stars. A family friendly event (i.e. suitable for all…

Three authors discuss the graphic form, which is enjoying a long-overdue renaissance. Join Mary Talbot (Costa Award-winning author of 'Dotter of Her Father's Eyes'), Glyn Dillon (author of cult bestseller 'The Nao of Brown') and Stephen Collins (cartoonist for 'The Guardian' and author of the hotly anticipated 'The…

Composer Tod Machover, conductor Peter Oundjian and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra take us through the creation of a new piece of music celebrating the City of Edinburgh and its Festival and co-created by members of the public.

Join up with other folks interested in the mystical art of tarot at this monthly group, and share tips and tricks while you practice doing readings for other members.

Nigel Osborne, composer and former Reid Professor of Music, explores the complexities of music, mind and the application of technology in a therapeutic setting. Chaired by Raymond MacDonald, Professor of Music Psychology and Improvisation, and introduced by Dorothy Miell, Vice Principal and Head of Humanities and Social…

A guided tour, discussion and drawing event intended to spark debate about the social issues and ethics surrounding the medical improvements that can be made to the human body (think: super powers). A family friendly event.

Esther Woolfson's book Corvus established her as one of our leading nature writers, and she currently observes the wildlife of Aberdeen, where she lives. RSPB naturalist Conor Mark Jamieson's Silent Spring Revisited updated Rachel Carson's environmental classic for the 21st century.

Dr Michael Ward's maps of Everest speak to the modern history of exploration of the mighty tall mountain. Curator Paula Williams takes a look at them on the 60th anniversary of the Everest conquest of Hillary and Norgay.

Paul Rissmann leads a study day exploring James MacMillan's Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, the most performed percussion concerto in the world.

Dr Laura Tunbridge of the University of Manchester leads a study day investigating Schumann's four symphonies and their relation to his biography.