Our buildings remain closed for events due to coronavirus (COVID-19), but you can take part in an online talk or workshop. Update on Library opening
Page updated: 10 August.
Online events
See also: Online workshops
Edinburgh Festivals Past: 1954 to 1969
During would have been the 2020 Edinburgh International Festival, we take you on a tour through Edinburgh Festivals of the past from our Moving Image Archive collections.
Look out for glimpses of Fonteyn, Menuhin, Dietrich, Burton and Bloom. There’s opera, theatre, art and classical music … Mid-century graphics, Mounties, the Military Tattoo … Hippies dancing in the street … A selection of clips that captures the mayhem and tranquillity of this great showcase for the arts.
Tuesday 11 August
17.00-17.45
Free. Book 'Edinburgh Festivals Past' via
Eventbrite.
When you book, you will receive a link to join the session, delivered on the Zoom video conferencing service. Your personal information will be held and used by the National Library of Scotland and Zoom for the purposes of allowing you to join the event. For full information about how the Library will hold and use your personal information, see our privacy pages, in particular our event booking privacy notice.
Art and AI: Mapping imaginary worlds
Much like artificial intelligence, maps have the potential to advance any combination of insight and lies, to construct reality as much as represent it.
Over the course of his residency with the Library, new media practitioner and technology researcher Martin Disley has been working with generative artificial intelligence systems and the Library's digitised collections. Martin discusses his ongoing project work, funded by the Creative Informatics Resident Entrepreneur programme, in this online webinar.
Thursday 13 August
17.00-17.45
Free. Book 'Art and AI' via
Eventbrite.
When you book, you will receive a link to join the session, delivered on the Zoom video conferencing service. Your personal information will be held and used by the National Library of Scotland and Zoom for the purposes of allowing you to join the event. For full information about how the Library will hold and use your personal information, see our privacy pages, in particular our event booking privacy notice.
Race and the Scottish Enlightenment
Lisa Williams addressed how thinkers in the Scottish Enlightenment contributed to ideas of race and racial hierarchies.
Ideas of race influenced the debates by Enlightenment thinkers concerning slavery and colonialism, and lofty philosophical ideals of liberty and equality were often limited in their application. Enlightenment scholars of African descent were able to use these principles to critique the morality of chattel slavery and fight for the liberty of 'free coloureds' and enslaved Africans in the West Indies.
Tuesday 25 August
17.00-17.45
Free. Book 'Race and the Scottish
Enlightenment' via Eventbrite.
When you book, you will receive a link to join the session, delivered on the Zoom video conferencing service. Your personal information will be held and used by the National Library of Scotland and Zoom for the purposes of allowing you to join the event. For full information about how the Library will hold and use your personal information, see our privacy pages, in particular our event booking privacy notice.
21st century periods
© Mary Rouncefield.
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Scotland is leading the global campaign against period poverty, menstrual cups are fashionable, athletes are discussing their cycles, and trans activists are vocal about menstruating. But the old stigma remains.
This webinar asks what's happening in Scotland today and uncovers the reasons behind this watershed moment. Why have people long been ashamed of menstruating? How have artists, thinkers and activists challenged that shame? What drives Holyrood's current legislation for the free provision of period products? All genders and questions welcome.
Thursday 3 September
17.00-17.45
Free. Book '21st century periods' on
Eventbrite.
When you book, you will receive a link to join the session, delivered on the Zoom video conferencing service. Your personal information will be held and used by the National Library of Scotland and Zoom for the purposes of allowing you to join the event. For full information about how the Library will hold and use your personal information, see our privacy pages, in particular our event booking privacy notice.
