A doubly vaccinated Frances Allen ventures into the market place to meet the complex cultural attitudes of her adopted home: ‘a country which has a historic mistrust of vaccines.’
Covid19
More real than reality TV – the virtual community kitchen
It’s not all doom and gloom. Local communities have found inspiring new opportunities in lockdown. For Sceptical Scot, food writer Jonathan Trew ventures into the heat of a a virtual kitchen bringing cultures together
Covid inspires a can-do response to old problem
Brace yourselves for good news. A ‘can-do’ story of enterprise, ingenuity, and kindness. Though, there is a familiar theme – how Covid has exposed the faultlines of our society. Who knew so many university students would be going hungry?
Look after yourself: a personal story of mental health
‘The lows have been crushing. I have to be honest and say I didn’t actually think I was capable of hitting them and it’s been frightening.’ Craig Angus unflinchingly writes about tackling his mental health
Emergency: close the gap between real life and government ‘FACTS’
“Too many lives have been lost or destroyed. Integrating equitable support services for those most at risk for covid-19 is a national emergency and governments should act accordingly”
We will dance, oh how we will dance!
“There’s nothing that can quite live up to the thrill of live performance. I realise now that it was something I took for granted.” Craig Angus finds liberation in a film that seems made for our time. ‘Stop Making Sense’ fills a void where live music once was.
Doses of compassion from the doctor-poet
“If it is our mission…to alleviate suffering as well as to preserve life …”
The crystal-clear words of doctor-poet Gael Turnbull feel like a timely gift in our time of need.
Why do we need a Year of Childhood?
Scotland – like the rest of the UK – is experiencing an epidemic of mental health problems among children and young people. An epidemic that, thanks to COVID19, is now a terrifying threat to the long-term health of the nation. But there is hope – if we can seize the opportunity, writes Sue Palmer
On the threshold: songs and poems for a Covid-safe Christmas
Covid has closed the doors at least for now. But, there’s death-defying joy in Michael Marra’s song, a lockdown escape to be played loud and long. Here’s Frida Kahlo cutting an intoxicatingly exotic dash dancing to Perdido among the locals in the singer’s favourite bar.
Songs for our time
From Scotland to Canada, four musicians and an artist came together during lockdown to create a song to raise funds for Medecins Sans Frontieres, to help the worlds most vulnerable people.