In celebration of this year’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: LA Phil at Tynecastle, we’ve been working with local schools around Tynecastle Park to explore orchestras and the work of the LA Phil, as well as celebrating Hollywood film scores and their importance to cinema.

Under the direction of artists Kate Bond and Conrad Molleson, primary school classes in Gorgie and Dalry have formed their own kazoo orchestras to recreate famous scores including John Williams’ dramatic Imperial March from Star Wars. Pupils also designed their own stars to form a Hollywood-style Walk of Fame which will be displayed at Tynecastle Park during the Opening Event this August.

Our Learning and Engagement team have also spent the past eight weeks working with the Tynecastle High School to form a team of International Festival Ambassadors, who then went off to create their own community event at Tynecastle Park. The Heart of Hollywood event was inspired by the themes of the Opening Event and aimed to engage the local community of Dalry and Gorgie through a free family-fun film night.

Despite some truly biblical weather last week, 150 people braved the torrential rain to attend this special evening. Attendees enjoyed cinema-inspired foods such as burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and popcorn; got their faces painted; created and designed their own stars for the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took pictures at our Hollywood-themed photobooth, before sitting down for a film screening of Sing.

The International Festival Ambassadors did a fantastic job of creating and planning the event. On the night they provided a warm welcome for all the attendees, and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere throughout the evening. Well done team!