Edinburgh Mela

Look out for something new at the Mela this year…okay, look out for lots of new somethings at the Mela this year, but in particular, take some time out of the hustle and bustle to check out our new sound installation Sonic Walk.

trans:migration is an audio/visual installation inspired by the writings of the Scottish-born naturalist, authorand pioneer of wilderness preservation, John Muir, engaging with themes of interconnectedness, creation and belonging within humanity and the rest of the natural world.

In 1869, John Muir, a Scottish immigrant to America, experienced a profound spiritual awakening to the interconnectedness of all life through his immersive experience of wild nature during a summer spent in Yosemite Valley. In 2012, a mother, a first-generation immigrant to Britain, speaks the words of John Muir written in the summer of1869 as her second-generation daughter walks the landscape of his birth.

Composer/Lead Artist: Niroshini Thambar, Film: Sana Bilgrami, Photography: Anne Binckebanck, Design and Build: Simon Harlow for Silo Design & BuildSound Technician: Nik Paget-Tomlinson

What is the Sonic Walk project?
The Sonic Walk project will be unique in the way it creatively engages hard-to-reach groups in rural locations with the aim of collaboratively creating a sound installation which will be showcased at the Mela and as part of the Luminate Festival of Creative Ageing 2012. Participants will work with the artists to record the ambient sounds at different sites along the John Muir Trail in East Lothian, including the sounds of seal colonies & wild birds . Participants will work the lead artist to compile the recordings in order to create a ‘sound-sculpture’ which will include the group’s stories about their connections with rural locations in their country of origin. Participants will be asked to consider the ambient sounds and the sounds of local wildlife along the route & they will spend time with the composer identifying and recording key sounds of interest. The group will also be accompanied by a filmmaker & photographer who will be recording footage of the outings and key sights of interest to the group. Participants will also be asked to reflect upon their experiences of green spaces and rural locations in their country of origin. These stories and reflections will be recorded and included in the final installation .

Who are the artists?
The artists who will be facilitating the Sonic Walk project are of a very high calibre with extensive experience of delivering high-quality artwork as part of outdoor theatre productions . Composer Niroshini Thambar has just completed her artist-residency with The Edinburgh Mela and has also worked as a composer on a large-scale outdoor production called CARGO which was a key part of the Mela 2010. Nik Paget-Tomlinson will be the Technical Advisor – he has also many years experience delivering high profile events , including working on CARGO at the Edinburgh Mela 2010. The proposed filmmaker for this project is Pakistani born & Edinburgh-based Sana Bilgrami. She is an award-winning filmmaker with experience of creating documentaries exploring Scotland’s diverse communities.

What will the outcomes be?
The Sonic Walk project will deliver quality arts activities to minority ethnic communities in a range of natural environments using the arts as a lens to explore Scotland’s outdoor landscapes. Participants will explore a variety of coastal sites in East Lothian, working with artists and fimmakers to create a unique sound installation which incorporates storytelling and reflections about their countries of origin. Through introducing some members of Scotland’s diverse communities to open green spaces through a creative and stimulating programme, it is hoped to encourage and support a continued pattern of awareness, appreciation and use. The Sonic Walk project will positively reinforce the benefits of both participation in the arts and the use of green spaces in terms of health and well-being and emotional and social intelligence development, leaving a lasting legacy with all those involved in the project. The final Sonic Walk installation will be showcased at the Edinburgh Mela 2012 and at the Luminate Festival of Creative Ageing 2012 in October , where it will be accessible by members of the public.

This project was made possible with generous funding from Creative Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Unfortunately, SK1 has had to drop out of Saturday’s lineup due to personal reasons. However, we’re delighted that Birmingham-based Punjabi singer Foji has agreed to replace him.

Please check the Main Stage page for further details.

We were already really excited about legendary Edinburgh producer and DJ Joseph Malik’s set at the Mix Tent on Sunday, and he’s now added the phenomenal vocalist Lu Angel to what was already a great lineup. Lu Angel is one of the most versatile singers in the country, moving effortlessly between dubstep and triphop to punk, funk and jazz styles with dark, dirty, fresh intensity. She joins Scotland’s foremost trumpeter Colin Steele and young MC Profisee for a live set with Joseph, as he bids farewell to Edinburgh with one final gig.

Joseph Malik and friends play the Mela Mix Tent at 4.15pm on Sunday 2 September.

We’re very excited to announce that, in addition to their very exciting collaboration with Tinderbox Orchestra at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall on  Saturday 23 June, G-Code, the Mela’s homegrown team of young, North Edinburgh urban musicians and dancers, will have the honour of performing for His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Usher Hall on Friday 22 June.

They’ll be performing a brand new, original track (again, alongside Tinderbox Orchestra),  which has been created through a series of conflict resolution workshops which have taken place with young people in and around Edinburgh.

The event is already sold out, but here’s a little bit more information on the project.

The Mela and Mugenkyo Taiko are delighted to announce a new opportunity for 16-25 year olds to perform at this year’s Mela. Please use the contact details above if you’d like to be involved.

As a little taster of what’s coming up at the Mela this year, our very own hip hop group G-Code  are going to be performing in a multi-media, multi-band, collaborative spectacular, with Edinburgh’s innovative youth orchestra, Tinderbox.

The sheer scale of the concert, which will involved huge numbers of young people from across Edinburgh, is groundbreaking in itself, but the talent on show is really worth staying for. The concert will take place at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, on Saturday 23rd June, at 7pm. Full information and booking can be found here, and info on the Mela’s G-Code project is right here.

Here’s why Tinderbox Orchestra think you should come along:

“On Saturday 23rd June, the Queen’s Hall will be transformed into an audio-visual feast! The Tinderbox Orchestra are staging their most exciting and ambitious gig yet, introducing a new 30 piece choir to their 50-piece orchestra, and collaborating with 3 of Scotland’s finest bands of the moment - Broken Records, North Atlantic Oscillation and G-Code.

The show will feature on stage collaborations between the bands and the orchestra, as well as a number of original compositions written by the orchestra and bands, including a new orchestral composition led by internationally renowned composer Professor Nigel Osborne.

Hidden Door Arts Collective will be providing live visuals and other arts too. 20 film makers have put together a visual extravaganza, featuring 5 simultaneous projections VJ’d live to synchronise with the music.  The event will also feature the multi-arts project Frontiers, involving installations and projections made by groups of young people from a range of social, ethnic and religious backgrounds, and curated by a fantastic team of artists.

It will be a spectacular night, so please do come along and support.”

We launched our 2012 programme this morning. Click through to our Dance, Music and Performance sections to have a look at some of the highlights we’ve got in store for you. And if that gets you excited, you can book tickets right now! Our online sales facility also went live this morning: click here to get your £3 day pass in advance.