1. The Glasgow Jazz Festival goes virtual. The 34th Glasgow Jazz Festival will be held online from Wednesday until June 21. The event will continue to support homegrown Scottish jazz talent by streaming exclusive live performances and screenings over the five nights. It kicks off at 7pm. Follow https://www.facebook.com/glasgowjazzfest for more details of the shows and times.
2. Woodlands Community has been reflecting about our response to the current international outcry for racial justice. It suggests that although posting on social media can show momentary solidarity for Black Lives Matter, true commitment to anti-racist work is shown in the days, months and years to come. The community-led charity is holding an online virtual event on Black Lives Matter on Wednesday at 5.30pm. For further information please visit https://www.facebook.com/woodlands.garden
3. Professor Alison Phipps, an expert in refugee integration, is delivering the 4th Annual Unesco RILA lecture for World Refugee Day and the theme is fostering integration: making refuge real through the arts of justice and contemplative seeing. With Unesco RILA’s Hyab Yohannes, Hannah Thomas, Dr Giovanna Fassetta & MIDEQ’s Dr Gameli Tordzro, Naa Densua Tordzro and Tawona Sithole. This online event will take place on Thursday at 11am on Zoom and is free. Please register here: https://bit.ly/2Aou9VS
4. The National (the American band, not the newspaper) are performing an online gig featuring their greatest hits live and free from their youtube channel tomorrow at 7pm. Follow them on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeiRyLo_Q9q4tlv9aaQJF5w for more information and log on details.
5. Every Saturday night The Stand Comedy Club beams directly into your own front room. Your host Mark Nelson pulls together some of the biggest names in Scottish comedy. The event is free (and you’re allowed to watch it in your jammies and there is no taxi home, and your home bar serves really big glasses of wine … result.) Tune in to https://www.thestand.co.uk every Saturday night at 8.30pm.
6. The National Theatre of Scotland has an impressive collection of work featured in its online shorts series Scenes For Survival this week, kicking off tomorow, when Patrick Martins and Emma King perform an extract from the new play by May Sumbwanyambe. Based on a true story, Enough of Him explores the life of Joseph Knight, an African man brought to Scotland as a slave by plantation owner John Wedderburn to serve in his Perthshire mansion, who then starts a relationship with a maid in the household. The Scenes are available at www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/scenesforsurvival
7. Another highlight of the National Theatre’s Scenes For Survival series is Wednesday, rather confusingly being shown on Friday. This reflective drama features a bickering couple for whom the creative process leads to nothing but disagreement. Directed by Finn Den Hertog, Douglas Henshall and Morven Christie feature in this inventive new short from writer Tena Stivicic, a witty and hilarious take on relationship frustrations and lockdown creativity. Produced in association with Shetland Arts. www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/scenesforsurvival
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here