Student festival gathers a crowd

The Gather Festival, organised by students and staff at the University, takes place from 14 to 22 March.

The events aim to celebrate Edinburgh’s cultural diversity and international community, as the University is home to students from two thirds of the world’s countries.

Stargazing and silver screen

Participants will be offered a unique introduction to the sky, as experts at the Royal Observatory hold stargazing workshops on 16 and 20 March.

Free daily film screenings, curated in partnership with the Just Festival, have also been programmed throughout the week.

Showings include animation shorts by Edinburgh College of Art alumni and an evening with filmmaker Mark Cousins, who will discuss his project based in Northern Iraq.

Spanish filmmaker Iciar Bollain will tell the stories of three Spaniards living in Edinburgh.

Cultural events

Elsewhere, people are invited to take part in a Chinese-Indian cultural fusion event held jointly at the University of Edinburgh’s Confucius Institute and Easter Bush campus. The afternoon includes tai chi demonstrations, a Bhangra dance session and servings of chai tea and samosa.

Student-led cooperative Shrub will be running a swap shop on Guthrie Street, where people can exchange unwanted items for more desirable goods donated by others.

Other events include a workshop with a local beer brewer, an exhibition preview at Talbot Rice Gallery at Old College and a talk on the benefits of learning another language.

The Tea Cup

The University will also host a sporting tournament called the Tea Cup. Students, staff and community groups can register for events including a 5-a-side football competition, cross-country run, climbing wall challenge and a pool competition.

Gather Festival has been organised by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA) and Just Festival.