Five things you need to know today
Filmhouse returns, Libraries Week, Pride Month at Kafe Kweer and look out for this exhibition at Waverley and looking ahead at the National Museum of Scotland.
Filmhouse returns
The former church building and cinema on Lothian Road - Filmhouse - will reopen to the public on 27 June 2025.
Almost three years after closing due to the collapse of owner, Centre for the Moving Image, and after a £2 million refurbishment, the independent cinema will once again show films for film lovers.
The new Filmhouse will be run by a new company set up with a new vision for the Lothian Road building to be a space for learning and discovery - but with a sustainable future. The cinema has been brought back to life by a group consisting of Filmhouse Chair Ginnie Atkinson, Head of Programming Rod White, cinema strategist at Mustard Studio, James Rice, Technical Manager David Boyd, and strategic financial consultant, Mike Davidson. The group is now joined by newly appointed Executive Director Andrew Simpson and a raft of new staff members. The cinema rebuild is designed by Unick Architects and built by Clark Contracts.
Andrew Simpson, Executive Director of Filmhouse, said: “The love for Filmhouse never went away, it was just waiting to be reignited. The incredible response to its closure showed us how vital this space is, not just for Edinburgh, but for audiences across Scotland and beyond. We are returning with fresh energy, a clear plan for the future, and a commitment to delivering world-class film experiences for everyone. Filmhouse belongs to its community, and we’re excited to welcome people back.”
Libraries Week 2025
This is Libraries Week and to mark it Scottish Book Trust have commissioned new research into the value of libraries in Scotland.
A survey of 2,000 library users and 300 librarians was conducted and most praised the invaluable role of library staff - for information and often human connection.
The Scottish Book Trust says this research means that libraries really matter and they were represented in The Scottish Parliament on Wednesday talking about it to a cross party group on Culture and Communities.
In the period from 2008 to last year 97 public libraries closed permanently. The Trust's report asks The Scottish Government to:
Empower local authorities with sufficient funding to provide progressive and accessible library services
Publish a definition of an adequate public library service to ensure a more equitable provision across the nation
Everyone is invited to share their love of libraries by looking at and sharing infographics featuring highlights from the Trust's research on Instagram and Facebook.
At the National Museum of Scotland
An immersive showcase of giant prehistoric animals will open first at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on 2 August 2025, before travelling to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh in January 2026.
Giants invites visitors on a journey through time, from 66 million years ago to the present day, to encounter the awe-inspiring creatures that roamed the Earth after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The exhibition features life-sized 3D models and nearly complete skeletons, including the formidable Otodus megalodon, the mightiest shark of all time, the Mammuthus primigenius or woolly mammoth, weighing in at between six and eight tons with long thick fur and imposing tusks and Gigantopithecus blacki, an Asian primate comparable in size to three orangutans.
Dr Nick Fraser, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland, said:
“We’re really looking forward to bringing Giants to Scotland next year. Popular attention on prehistoric life tends to focus either on dinosaurs or on our own earliest human ancestors, which leaves a relatively neglected gap of around 60 million years of natural history.
“Giants is a striking invitation to us all to think about that period, to see how nature adapts over time, and also to reflect on the ways in which current human activity is denying that time to today’s endangered giants.”
At Kafe Kweer this weekend (and this month)
Saturday Chaterday is an event that Kate Kweer started to help fight loneliness and help people to meet people.
If you really click or become friends or only meet once it is a good opportunity to meet new chums.
1.30pm to 4pm at Cafe Kweer 5 St Peter's Buildings EH3 9PG. Follow Kafe Kweer on Instagram for the latest news.
At Waverley Station
Next time you are in Waverley Station look out for the exhibition which is there this month celebrating projects which have transformed Britain's historic railway sites.
There are 40 restoration projects from all over the UK highlighted. Network Rail say the exhibition shows the ways that preserving railway heritage breathes new life into stations and structures keeping them alive for communities for decades to come.
The Railway Heritage Trust is behind the showcase which celebrates the trust's 40th anniversary and the national celebration of 200 years of the railway.
Waverley opened in 1846 and is only one example of Scotland's railway heritage.
Chris King, Edinburgh Waverley station manager, said: “Edinburgh Waverley is of course one of the busiest stations in the country, but if you take a moment to pause and look around, you’ll notice the many historic features that are carefully preserved and maintained.
“That’s why we’re proud to host this exhibition. I’d encourage passengers to stop by and discover the inspiring work that has taken place right across the country to protect our railway’s remarkable history.”
Tim Hedley-Jones, director of the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “We are very proud of the long history of support which the Trust has made to railway heritage in Britain. We are pleased to be able to showcase 40 of the best projects we have supported that show how looking after our heritage can transform the lives of people, communities and the places where they live.
“Providing the grant is the easy part – putting together the plans, managing the work and ensuring railway heritage has a sustainable future is the hard part and we thank all those who have delivered these projects.”
The exhibition is free, open to everyone, and can be found next to the Calton Road exit within Edinburgh Waverley station between Monday 2 June and Friday 13 June.
