Edinburgh's Festival of Spirituality & Peace, now known by its shorter moniker Just Festival, is back this year from 2-26 August with 450 activities in 129 events at 28 venues.
Highlights include performances of Tejas Verdes, marking the 40th anniversary of the Chilean coup d’etat, and song, music and dance by Africa's national choir champions, Soweto Melodic Voices, many of whom are young people from severely disadvantaged backgrounds. They, in turn, raise funds for children who are abandoned, abused, disabled or HIV positive. There will also be a trio of plays on the theme of sectarianism from Scotland's Black Dingo Productions.
In the conversations strand, subjects include Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, A World Without Religion and Does Slavery Exist in Scotland Today?
There will also be film screenings, talks, workshops, family events and exhibitions. These include Edinburgh's first Death Café - an invitation to talk about death over tea and cake, Islamic calligraphy, Chinese tea tasting and Meet Your Muslim Neighbour.
The heart of the festival continues to be St John's, with the festival's Persian Tent, the Cornerstone Bookshop and Henderson's Café.
Other venues are faith centres such as Edinburgh's mosques, the Filmhouse, and cafés and restaurants throughout the city including Pekoe Tea.
Festival Director Katherine Newbigging comments: "just festival celebrates that peace is not
only an absence of conflict but a complex process to be constantly worked on by individuals, communities and nations. This year just festival is partnering with over seventy organisations to explore the work that is being done in Edinburgh on a local, national and international level to create sustainable peace for all that is based on compassion and justice.
"We hope you will join our conversations and experience some of our performances that take an unflinching look at important topical issues and explore possibilities for positive change. We also hope you will celebrate peace, vibrancy and diversity with us at our other performances and events from all over the world.
"The new name, just festival, is inspired by the idea of discussing what is right and fair, but also in finding the simplicity at the heart of complex issues. The logo takes its shape from the outline of mouths speaking and singing, and the layering of many strands of colour, culture and thought."
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