A date for our diaries. A timely email brings news of an intriguing event which connects art with real life. Perhaps even more importantly, it connects ‘us and them’ with the many different people and organisations working to help those in need. A creative social service.

Advice For Our Times is a pop up event at Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery on Thursday 8 February. It brings together lawyers and specialist services to share knowledge and advice on our rights under Scottish law on housing, immigration and benefits.

This is an imaginative extension of Jacqueline Donachie’s exhibition Right Here Among Them which explores gaps in support and services through her own personal experience. The first exhibit in the gallery is Advice Bar, both minimalist sculpture and performance space, which provides a platform for public advice.

Advice Bar made its first appearance in New York  when a young Donachie ‘dispensed drinks and free advice to visitors’. In similar spirit, Temple of Jackie (see featured image) transforms a camping trailer into a miniature social space.

On Thursday 8 February, the Fruitmarket Gallery in Market Street becomes an interactive advisory forum for one day. Donachie’s  ‘socially engaged and participatory’ work explores personal issues in aluminium, leather, paper and bronze,

In response, voluntary organisations, lawyers and other experts in their fields set out their stalls to share knowledge about immigration, benefits, disability, housing, employment, family law and financial law.

Housing is a particularly pressing issue with homelessness and rough sleeping visibly increasing in most cities. The day’s programme includes advice from Shelter, Cyrenians and Rock Trust. The Edinburgh-based Rock Trust, providing support for young homeless people, will focus on ‘myth-busting’ homelessness and information about the different services available to homeless young people.

Right Here Among Them ends on Sunday 11 February

Featured image by London Road, Temple of Jackie 2011 by Jacqueline Donachie, Right Here Among Them at Fruitmarket Gallery: CC BY 2.0

PS Our thanks to Rock Trust for the timely email. We welcome news of interesting topical events across Scotland.