Wild about Worcester Way

A new wildlife corridor, Wild about Worcester Way, took its first steps on Saturday 25th February. Zoe Hickman, Worcester Environmental Group Chair of Trustees and Steve Shaw, Chair of the Wild about Worcester Way Steering Committee  placed the first way markers for the Wild about Worcester Way at Worcester Bridge.

Steve Shaw said, this is a very exciting project for Worcester and I’m delighted to play a part in it.

Over the next eleven weeks, further way markers will be placed all the way around the twelve-mile route. Thirty of the posts will contain carvings of native wildlife species, based on images drawn by sixty winners of a primary school art project.

Supported by Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council, WaWW connects fifteen green spaces on a circular route around the city. The grand opening takes place on May the 13th, when the Mayor of Worcester will be cutting the ribbon at Worcester Woods Country Park.

https://www.theweg.org.uk/wild-about-worcester

Warwickshire Local History Society - next talk 21st March 2023

St Botolph's Church

The Park at Farnborough Hall, Warwickshire

Warwickshire Local History Society (WLHS) continues its programme of evening talks on Tuesday 21st March with a talk given by Dr Stephen Wass, archaeologist, about the park at Farnborough Hall, Warwickshire.

Held at the Primary School Hall, Aylesford School, Tapping Way, Warwick, CV34 6XR, this talk will paint a picture of the park at Farnborough Hall and surrounding countryside and village.

The park at Farnborough Hall contains some of the most remarkable garden features of the eighteenth century. The talk examines the history of the site from earliest times and takes in excavations on the site of the medieval manor and village, the development of the park in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and the extraordinary waterworks based on the great oval pool from the Georgian period. Also featuring in the talk is the site of the previously undiscovered eighteenth century ‘amphitheatre’. The story is brought right up to date with an account of recent repairs and renovations.

The great oval pool

The talk will start at 7.30 pm with tea and coffee served from 7 pm.

There is no need to book and non-members can attend for just £3, refundable if they join the society on the day.

If you have an interest in local history and have good organisational skills WLHS would like to hear from you. We are looking for a new Programmes Secretary to run our programme of evening talks. To find out more about the role please visit www.warwickshirehistory.org.uk.

For an informal discussion about this role please contact info@warwickshirehistory.org.uk.

For more information about the society and events please visit their website,

www.warwickshirehistory.org.uk. Facebook: @historysoc; Twitter: @Warwickshistsoc

Images: Courtesy of Farnborough Village Website

Amerah Saleh announced as Apples and Snakes Chair of the Board

Amerah Saleh

Apples and Snakes have appointed a New Chair of the Board, Birmingham-raised spoken word artist Amerah Saleh. She succeeds Chris Elwell, who stepped down in early December and has been chair since 2014.

Amerah takes up the mantle after being a member of the board for three years. As a trustee, she aims to bring young people to the forefront of organisations minds’ and provide a voice in the room that could become potential opportunities for young people across the country. 

Amerah grew up with no arts access in her family or surroundings, but during secondary school she turned to storytelling. From writing out her life story in the back of her schoolbook, her English teacher took a fond liking to her writing and she was later asked to join a programme with Birmingham Repertory Theatre and R4. This led to the staging of her first short play, I’m Not Mad, I’m Just No Normal before joining a scheme at Midlands Art Centre with their Young People Producer. From there, Amerah’s love for spoken word grew, inspired by YouTube defjam poetry, and she became a regular on the spoken word circuit in Birmingham. 

She has since performed all around Europe and released her first collection, ‘I Am Not From Here’, in April 2018 with co-founded poetry publisher, Verve Poetry Press. Amerah’s Muslim Yemeni roots give her space to get lost and found on multiple occasions between identity, and her work touches on identity, womanhood, religion and the obscure idea of belonging only to one place. Amerah has worked as a poetry mentor with Brouhaha festival working with poets from Liverpool, Belgium, San Francisco and Holland.

On her appointment, Amerah said, “When I first started gigging, I had no idea what I was doing, or what this could be - but nor did my family. An artist? I couldn't even find the words to translate it into Arabic for them. But I pushed through, I continued gigging, and eventually I found 'my' crowd. Apples and Snakes have always been close to my heart. What it represents is what I found. Voice. Stories. So the work we do through Apples at its core is platforming, giving and raising that voice. I am excited to innovate; not only what we do, but how we do it. I love finding new ways of doing old things! And I am definitely secretly excited about all the spoken word things I get to go to!”

Apples and Snakes artistic director Lisa Mead said, “We are delighted that Amerah is taking on the role of our chair. Apples and Snakes is a national organisation which has always had artists at its heart. So, it feels fitting that as we celebrate our 40th anniversary year, our new chair is a poet as well as someone who brings extensive professional expertise in governance and management. Amerah is an inspirational powerhouse and we look forward to working with her to overcome the myriad social and economic barriers facing the next generation of spoken word poets and renew our commitment to harnessing the power of poetry to enable social change.”

Apples and Snakes is England’s leading spoken word poetry organisation and exists to support poets at all stages of their careers. Now a funded NPO based at the Albany Centre in Deptford, it has been a registered charity since 1986 after being started by a group of poets in 1982 in a room above a pub. Since then it has worked with Lemn Sissay, Polarbear, Kae Tempest, Benjamin Zephaniah, Michael Rosen, Jackie Kay, Caleb Femi and Hollie McNish, to name just a few. It is proud to have worked in partnership with a number of organisations, including BAC, Southbank Centre, Rich Mix, Tate, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Penguin Random House, Barbican Theatre Plymouth, Hull City of Culture, Roundhouse, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, RSC, Arc Stockton, The Royal Court, #Merkybooks, Sky Arts and the BBC.

 

Get your entries in for this year’s Worcester Show classes

Competitors of all ages are invited to start submitting their entries for this summer’s Worcester Show.

Show classes are now open and include everything from floral displays and fruit and vegetables to cakes, jam, photography and handicrafts.

 

Prize winner Helen Platt is pictured at last year’s Worcester Show with Mayor of Worcester Adrian Gregson and Mayoress Rachel Hall.

Worcester Show began as a craft and flower show and although it has now grown into a huge family event, creativity remains at its heart and the scores of competition classes remain hugely popular.

 

This year’s show will be held at Pitchcroft on Sunday August 13 between 10am and 5pm.

 

Seasoned entrant and winner of many prizes, Helen Platt, said: “Worcester Show means different things to everyone; for me, it’s about the culinary and floral art classes, and each year I eagerly await the schedule to appear online so I can start to plan what I might enter.

 

“The interpretive arrangement is my favourite; I plant the title in my head and just wait for ideas to come! I love to make my own props- it’s part of the fun. I practise with greenery and garden/wild bits and pieces and mooch in charity shops for containers.

 

‘I’m pleased when I win, but really it’s more about helping to create a spectacle to give pleasure and maybe inspiration to show visitors.”

 

The show is delivered by Worcester City Council, supported by the Friends of Worcester Show.

One of Helen Platt’s award-winning show entries.

This year there will be several new classes including visible mending and pressed flowers and there will also be a new section, Creative Technology.

Competition classes are free to enter and an exhibitor may enter up to two entries in most classes. To find out full details go to www.worcestershow.org.uk/exhibitors/

Coventry and Warwickshire Youth Orchestra spring concert in Leamington

‘Folk vs Film’: Coventry and Warwickshire Youth Orchestra’s Spring Concert.

Come and enjoy an evening of light entertainment with Coventry and Warwickshire Youth Orchestra’s Folk vs Film concert this spring.

You will recognise well known film themes like Howard Shore’s ‘Lord of the Rings’, and Elfman’s ‘Spiderman’, together with a range of folk music from Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth and Gustav Mahler, as well as some instantly recognisable sea shanties and other folk music, arranged by conductor Joe Davies.

Conductor Joe Davies

This season, the 30 strong orchestra welcomes their new conductor, Joe Davies, who took up the baton with CWYO in January 2023. He currently conducts the Leamington Sinfonia, Worcester Philharmonic, and Midland Concert Orchestra, and has a strong record of working with youth orchestras, choirs and other music groups, including the youth orchestras of Warrington, Cumbria and Westmorland and Coventry Youth Choir, and says: “I’m hugely enjoying conducting the CWYO for the first time and can’t wait to show everyone what these talented young players can do!”

The concert will also feature soprano soloist Madeleine Davis. Madeleine began singing from a young age and has a passion for music and the performing arts. Now 14, she attends Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) and is a member of the National Youth Choir Great Britain (NYCGB) and Coventry Youth Choir. She is very excited to be singing Loveliest of Trees, and The Fellowship of The Ring from Lord of the Rings with the Coventry Youth Orchestra. 

The orchestra is made up of young people from the Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull areas who play at Grade 5 level or above. It provides an invaluable opportunity for young players to enjoy rehearsing and performing together.

CWYO’s most recent performance was last Christmas, in Coventry’s iconic cathedral, as part of their annual Christmas concert, where they performed to great acclaim. They are keen to showcase their progress and attract new players.

The March concert will be a fantastic experience for families, aspiring musicians and music lovers alike. It takes place on Saturday 18th March at 7 pm at Holy Trinity Church, Beauchamp Avenue, Leamington Spa, CV32 5RG. Tickets cost £12.50 for adults, £7.50 concessions and can be purchased online at www.trybooking.co.uk/CDMD. Family tickets are also available. A limited number of tickets will be available on the door. Young people who play an instrument can attend the concert free of charge by emailing cwyorch@gmail.com in advance and a ticket will be reserved for them. New players are always welcome and information on how to join can be found on their website https://www.cwyo.org/join-us, email cwyorch@gmail.com to attend a rehearsal without obligation.

New exhibition celebrates Worcestershire’s influence on British Impressionism

Stanhope Forbes’ Chadding on Mount’s Bay
1902 Worcester City Collection.

Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum- Opens Saturday 4 March

From the Cornish Coast to the Malvern Hills arrives at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum on 4 March until 1 July 2023

British impressionist works on loan from the Bowerman Trust and Southampton Art Gallery will be exhibited alongside works from Worcester’s Fine Art Collection

Includes new acquisitions of paintings by Dame Laura Knight

The new exhibition From the Cornish Coast to the Malvern Hills arrives at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum on 4 March until 1 July 2023.

The exhibition celebrates the links between Worcestershire and the Newlyn School of artists who were pivotal in this magical moment of British art in the nineteenth and twentieth century.

British Impressionists characteristically painted in the open air, allowing the painter to capture the momentary effects of sunlight by working quickly, in front of their subject. Free brushstrokes and joyful colours feature prominently in their art. Their paintings often captured relationships between working people, families at leisure, and the landscapes they lived in.

The exhibition includes paintings by Stanhope Forbes, Dame Laura Knight and Elizabeth Forbes. Camille and Lucian Pissarro represent the influence of French Impressionists.

Stanhope Forbes, along with Walter Langley, Elizabeth Forbes and others, choose the small Cornish fishing village of Newlyn to become the centre of a new movement in British Art, founding the Newlyn School in the 1880s. Their paintings became highly regarded and were regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy. Many groups of artists following similar ideals and styles emerged around the country creating a new genre of art – British Impressionism. There are many wonderful examples in the Worcester City Collection and this exhibition explores their impact and legacy on British art, and how the Malvern Hills became a place of creative sanctuary and influence for many artists.

A Worcester favourite will take centre-stage of the exhibition; Stanhope Forbes’ Chadding on Mount’s Bay was voted Worcester’s most popular painting in a poll of top fifty works from the collection.

The exhibition also includes two works by Dame Laura Knight recently acquired for the Worcester City Collection. The artworks were purchased with support from Art Fund, the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums Charity and kind donations from Art Gallery & Museum Members. Dame Laura Knight lived and painted in Malvern and the town and hills become very dear to her, influencing her work.

Deborah Fox, Senior Curator at the Art Gallery and Museum commented: “Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum is committed to bringing great art and artists to Worcester. This incredible selection of British Impressionist works shines a light on the importance of this moment in art, as well as being a joy to see”.

For more information, please visit www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk

China Plate announce new leadership appointments

Midlands-based independent theatre studio are welcoming Chloe Courtney as Executive Director and Sarah Preece as Chair

Chloe Courtney

Midlands-based independent theatre studio China Plate are delighted to announce the appointment of their first ever Executive Director, Chloe Courtney, and Sarah Preece as the Chair of the Board. Chloe Courtney takes up their role in March, joining the leadership team of Artistic Directors Ed Collier and Paul Warwick and in May Sarah will take over from Phyllida Hancock who was in the role for four years.

Co-Artistic Director Ed Collier said, “What a team! Paul and I are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Sarah and Chloe into China Plate. The last couple of years have been challenging for the sector and enhancing the leadership of China Plate with Sarah and Chloe gives us the best possible start to 2022. We would like to thank outgoing Chair Phyllida Hancock for her time, thoughtfulness, diligence, humour and overall brilliance over the last 4 years. We wouldn’t still be here without her!”

Chloe Courtney (they/them) has been the Health and Science Producer at Contact in Manchester where young people are at the heart of decision-making, leadership, and the artistic programme. Chloe’s work focused on autobiographical health stories, the ways we can make the arts sector a more caring and accessible place and the connection between arts and wellbeing. Prior to working at Contact, Chloe was the Administrator at Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham. They have toured work across the UK as a freelance producer, were previously Project Manager at the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, and Project Co-ordinator at Complicité.

They said, “I’m so excited to be joining the team at China Plate - I’ve been following the company for over a decade. A lot of my work so far has focused on how we can create caring and supportive arts environments that help producers, artists, and all the people we work with to thrive. I’m looking forward to taking this further as Executive Director at China Plate. As someone who first started producing after taking part in a young producer’s course at Battersea Arts Centre, I’m thrilled to now be working with a company who are committed to supporting new producers in the West Midlands and across the UK."

Sarah Preece

Sarah Preece (she/her) is an organisational development consultant and leadership professional who supports transformational change at a civic, organisation, team and individual level. During her career Sarah has led and supported transformational change initiatives across the arts, education and global health sector facilitating and leading on strategies and projects with over 40 individual companies. Sarah held leadership roles in a number of significant UK arts companies including the Gate Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre. Her most recent role was Joint Chief Executive at Mountview Academy, London where she was the executive lead on the £30m capital project leading the relocation of the school from North to South London. In 2020, she received an Olivier Special Recognition Award and the Southwark Excellence Business Woman of the Year Award.

She said, "I am delighted to have been appointed as Chair of critically acclaimed China Plate. Their dynamism as a company is infectious and the diverse range of live and digital performance is both inspiring and necessary. I am particularly excited by the culture of co-creation they champion and am passionate about their work to increase opportunities for people to particulate both as audiences and as makers. Through empowering audiences and emerging artists from underrepresented communities, they are expanding not only the art form, but challenging the way performance is made. I hope to bring my experience to bear to support them in the development of this mission, to assist in the forging of new and existing partnerships across and beyond the arts and culture sector and help the company extend its national and regional reach.”

Established in 2006, China Plate is one of the UK’s most prolific independent producers of contemporary theatre, producing work that engages 35,000 audience members annually. The company’s central mission is to ‘challenge the way performance is made, who it’s made by and who gets to experience it.’ China Plate has worked with some of the UK’s most talented artists, including Caroline Horton, Inspector Sands, David Edgar, Chris Thorpe, Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Bagshaw, Urielle Klein-Mekongo and Contender Charlie. They are Resident Producers at Warwick Arts Centre, partners in the Rural Touring Dance Initiative (RTDI) founded to bring contemporary dance to rural venues around the UK, partners in the ACE Ambition for Excellence funded Musical Theatre Development Consortium led by Royal and Derngate Theatres, Northampton and Derby Theatre’s Performing Arts Producing Hub.

www.chinaplatetheatre.com | @YourOldChina

60 at 60 – Mayor of Worcester to celebrate city’s historic pubs

The Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Adrian Gregson, launching his Mayor-ale trail with Catherine Verman, landlord of The Plough in Fish Street, a Grade II Listed building that is one of Worcester’s oldest traditional pubs.

The Mayor of Worcester is marking his 60th birthday by visiting 60 of the city’s historic pubs, to highlight the central role they play in their communities.

Councillor Adrian Gregson will also use his three-month “Mayor-ale trail” to highlight his charity appeal in aid of two local community organisations, and encourage donations to them.

Cllr Gregson said: “Traditional pubs and taverns are at the heart of our city’s history and community, providing a meeting place and hub for socialising for hundreds of years.

“Pubs are of enormous importance to our communities and are about far more than simply having a drink. They are places to make friends, to chat through whatever’s on your mind, and to play games and sports, like darts and skittles. They also act as venues for music, arts and entertainment, supporting the many talented performers we have in our city.

“The pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis have hit our traditional pubs really hard, so I want to spend part of my remaining three months in office on a Mayor-ale trail to highlight the great work they do and how important they are for so many Worcester people. I turn 60 this year, so it feels appropriate to turn the spotlight on 60 city pubs.

“I’ll also be taking the opportunity to encourage customers at the pubs I visit to consider donating to my Mayoral appeal, which is supporting two other organisations that are vital to our city’s communities – Onside Advocacy, which supports vulnerable people, and Severn Arts, who work to bring high quality music and arts to Worcester.

“I won’t be collecting when I’m in the pubs, but I will be encouraging people to support my appeal by searching online for Just Giving Mayor of Worcester.”

The Mayor-ale trail will start this week and continue until Cllr Gregson surrenders the chain of office in mid-May. In that time he’ll be dropping in on pubs including The Plough in Fish Street, the New Chequers in Astwood Road, the Dragon Inn at The Tything, the Oak Apple in Spetchley Road and many others across the city.

The Mayor will be providing updates on his visits, including announcing which pubs he’ll be in on which dates, on his Twitter feed at @WorcesterMayor.

He will be using his own money to pay for any drinks that he purchases on his visits.

Donations to the Mayor’s appeal can be made at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mayorofworcesteruk.

Peddimore - £49 Energy Vouchers for Birmingham Families

 

Event promoting £49 energy vouchers for families at Erdington Trussel Trust Food Bank - Short notice - tomorrow 21st February 2023 at George Road Baptist Church and on Thursday 23rd February at Six Ways Baptist Church.

February family fun this half-term holiday at Museums Worcestershire

Discover fantastic fossils, rocket to outer space, and see what you can build this February half-term holiday at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, The Commandery, and Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle. There are activities aplenty from Saturday 18 to Sunday 26 February.

Fascinating fossils are taking centre stage at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum. Children can step into the shoes of palaeontologist and fossil-collector Mary Anning to follow a trail around the museum, before getting hands-on with amazing ammonite and dinosaur bones craft activities. Activity bags are available from the museum shop over the half-term holiday for £3.50.

 

On Monday and Friday, meet Mary Anning herself! Learn about her remarkable life and the fossils she unearthed – including ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs – in an interactive family morning. Bring along questions and handle fossils too. Monday 20 February is for children aged 4 to 7 years, while Friday 24 February is for ages 8 to 11 years. The family mornings run from 10.30am – 12noon and are £4.50 per child; booking is available online at museumsworcestershire.org.uk.

 

Unwind at the brilliant café Little Al’s on the Balcony – enjoy homemade food and delicious warm drinks. Entry to Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum is free.

 

Hard hats and high vis are at the ready for Crafty Construction at The Commandery. Assemble giant bricks in the real-world construction area, see what you can create with Lego, and budding engineers can test their skills by getting stuck into the challenge of building a bridge.

 

Crafty Construction takes place Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23 February, 10.30am – 12noon, and every session ends with a story, drink and a biscuit. £5 per child; event booking is available online at museumsworcestershire.org.uk and admission to The Commandery can be paid for on arrival, so you can also explore the whole building and spacious gardens. From the medieval great hall to the nature play garden, families can have a great day out in the heart of Worcester - and refuel at popular café Commandery Coffee.

Looking for February fun that’s out of this world? Space Week is coming to Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle. From Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 February, children can decorate wooden rockets and embrace their inner astronaut as they take off around the museum, castle and gardens to complete the family trail.

 

Save energy for the adventure playground in the beautiful grounds and pop into Hayley’s Kitchen 10am – 5pm for hot and cold food, cakes, and refreshments, or head to the orchard picnic area where families can play outdoor games.

 

“There’s plenty to enjoy at the museums in the holiday! Families can enjoy a whole day of fun and activities that won’t break the bank,” says Rachel Robinson, Museums Manager.

 

Please see the website for full details: www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk.

Warwickshire Local History Society

Paterson's Dynasty of Gardeners: an example from Warwick Castle

Warwickshire Local History Society (WLHS) continues its programme of evening talks on Tuesday 21st February with a talk given by WLHS member Christine Hodgetts about the gardens and gardeners of Warwick Castle.

Held at the Primary School Hall, Aylesford School, Tapping Way, Warwick, CV34 6XR, this talk will look at the activities of Robert Paterson, a Scottish gardener, who, in 1758, took up the position of head gardener at Warwick Castle. For the following sixteen years he continued the laying out of Warwick Castle Park and Gardens begun by Capability Brown.

Renowned local historian Christine Hodgetts will explore Paterson’s dynasty of gardeners and the development of his thriving landscape and nursery business.

The talk will start at 7.30 pm with tea and coffee served from 7 pm.

There is no need to book and non-members can attend for just £3, refundable if they join the society on the day.

If you have an interest in local history and have good organisational skills WLHS would like to hear from you. We are looking for a new Programmes Secretary to run our programme of evening talks. To find out more about the role please visit

www.warwickshirehistory.org.uk. 

For an informal discussion about this role please

contact info@warwickshirehistory.org.uk.

For more information about the society and events please visit their website,

www.warwickshirehistory.org.uk. Facebook: @historysoc; Twitter: @Warwickshistsoc

Vinland by Jack Dean and Company

Vinland by Jack Dean and Company is playing Wolverhampton’s Arena Theatre 21^st April as part of its regional spring tour. This Viking saga adventure show merges history and mythology with storytelling, animation, and live music created by Jack Dean and Company suitable for ages 8+. Narrator and poet Jack Dean brings the audience into a world where myth and history collide with ghosts, monsters, and wild gooseberries.

Jack Dean & Company is a disabled-led non-profit organisation set up to help tell stories of how things could be. They collaborate with inspiring and exceptional artists to create new work across many artforms. Founded by Jack Dean in 2020, they are committed to offering people across the UK the chance to dream of a different world, whatever the current one may hold.

 Vinland

A family-friendly Viking saga adventure show that merges history and mythology with storytelling, animation, and live music
Written by Jack Dean | Directed by Ellie Taylor
Touring 11th February – 6th May 2023

@mcjackdean | #Vinland | www.jackdean.co.uk

“Artists like rap storyteller Jack Dean make us excited about what they might do next” Guardian

Jack Dean & Company are to return in Spring with their high-intensity cinematic theatre experience, which reimagines the little-known historical tale of Erik the Red. Alongside animation, visual and audio effect, narrator Jack Dean tells the story of the Vikings' final voyage to North America, where mankind lived for a brief period in the early 11th century, nearly 500 years before any other Europeans. Using lyrical storytelling and original live music, the family show, suitable for ages 8+, brings the audience into a world where myth and history collide with ghosts, monsters, and wild gooseberries. The tour begins in Solihull in February before dates in Cornwall, Bristol West Sussex and other West regions.

Young audiences will set sail with Freydis and her son Snorri on a Viking adventure that’s fun for all the family. They will join her crew of explorers as they find out they’re not alone in this strange new land and follow Snorri as he confronts an ancient spirit set on revenge, while learning the truth about himself.
Jack Dean said, “What fascinated me about the Sagas was the way they blend historical events with things we would call fantastical. Battles and cattle trading are reported alongside demonic possessions, ghostly apparitions and giant sea-beasts. For the Vikings, all of these things were equally real. It is this world of unreliable narrators and mythical histories that we try and evoke with the storytelling, animation and music of the show."

Jack Dean & Company is a disabled-led non-profit organisation set up to help tell stories of how things could be. They collaborate with inspiring and exceptional artists to create new work across many artforms. Founded by Jack Dean in 2020, they are committed to offering people across the UK the chance to dream of a different world, whatever the current one may hold. Their podcast series, Fogland Lighthouse, shines a light on the obscure, overlooked and downright weird stories from British History, with words and music by Jack Dean. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, often a bit of both. It is available now on major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts as well as their website https://shows.acast.com/foglandlighthouse/episodes.

Jack Dean is a poet, playwright, performer, emcee and composer. His work tells stories that wander the lands between myth, memory and history. He has toured internationally, including at Latitude Festival, the South Bank Centre and the Bowery Poetry Club in New York. He is the creator of the Fake Town Fables and Infinite Hex podcasts. Previous touring shows include Grandad and the Machine, Nuketown, Horace and the Yeti and Hero & Leander.

 

A Capella super-group The Magnets head to Coventry this April

A Capella super-group The Magnets are bringing 80s Rewind to Coventry’s Rialto Plaza on Wednesday 5^th April.  

The Magnets have revolutionised British a capella by combining virtuosic beatboxing with glorious harmonies, and have gone on to become a must-see act on the international music scene, playing festivals and theatres worldwide.

A Capella Super-Group The Magnets head to Coventry as part of the 2023 UK Spring Tour with 80s Rewind!

Rialto Plaza, Coventry – Wednesday 5th April 2023

Get ready to experience all your favourite 80s anthems and sing, dance and party along with the UK's award-winning and International A Capella super-group, The Magnets, presented by SS1 Entertainments.

The Magnets are the UKs No.1 A Capella super-group featuring the hottest vocal and beatboxing talent on the international a capella scene and London’s West End. The band have revolutionised British a capella by combining virtuosic beatboxing with glorious harmonies, and have gone on to become a must-see act on the international music scene, playing festivals and theatres worldwide.

 

Their richly varied career has seen them sign a major record deal with EMI and release four albums. They have performed alongside music legends including Blondie, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones, The Black Eyed Peas, Gregory Porter, Rick Astley and The Kaiser Chiefs to mention a few, and play private shows for supermodels, heads of state, and royalty.

In 2018 The Magnets were invited as the headline act for The Young Voices UK arena tour playing Manchester Arena, Sheffield Arena, Birmingham NEC and 7 sell out shows at The London O2 arena. The seven shows now hold the record for the highest selling run at the O2 arena to date.

From deep rhythms through to high harmonies, The Magnets faithfully recreate the classic hits of a timeless decade by leading you through songs from Prince, Huey Lewis & The News, Europe, Jocelyn Brown and many, many more in their own unique style. Step back in time to experience The Final Countdown, The Power Of Love, Ain't Nobody, Purple Rain and so many more 80s classics in this unique show.

 

Callum McIntosh, The Magnets Manager and bass singer 'We are super excited to bring our smash hit 80s Rewind show to theatre venues across the UK. It’s the ultimate 80s feel good party night with world-class vocals and astonishing beatboxing to keep you dancing and singing all night long. Get ready to party, Magnets-style!'

 

Pete Tobit, Managing Director of SS1 Entertainments, said ‘The Magnets are top-class a capella performers. These exceptionally talented artistes join together to create a harmonic concert experience with sensational vocals and beatboxing to the greatest 80s hits of all time.’

 

The Magnets will be performing at the Rialto Plaza in Coventry on Wednesday 5 th April.

Tickets cost £24.50 and are available from rialtoplaza.co 

Acclaimed theatre company presents debut climate crisis play in Birmingham

New play Too Much World at Once by acclaimed theatre company Box of Tricks is coming to Birmingham Repertory Theatre 6 & 8 April as part of its national tour.

Set against a backdrop of the climate crisis, the debut from Papatango shortlisted writer Billie Collins is a lyrical coming of age story of growing up queer in rural England.

A North-West writer explores growing up queer in rural England and the climate emergency Written by Billie Collins | Directed by Adam Quayle

National Tour, 3 March – 22 April 2023

 

Set against a backdrop of the climate crisis, the debut from Papatango shortlisted writer Billie Collins is a lyrical coming of age story of growing up queer in rural England. Collins was selected for the 2022 BBC Writersroom Northern Voices cohort and was part of Film Hub North's 2020 Script Lab, and now will be premiering her first play in Manchester before touring. In a poetic story of a boy transformed into a bird, the show touches on themes of family and belonging, and the company have worked with experts to make the tour as sustainable as possible to reflect the climate crisis messages of the play. 

 

Joint Artistic Director of Box of Tricks Adam Quayle said, “Billie first wrote Too Much World at Once aged just 21 on our early-career development programme for North West playwrights, PlayBox. Reading that first draft in one sitting, I knew we were onto something special. The play is at once lyrical, epic, theatrical and heartfelt and speaks to our world today – exploring the climate emergency, young queer identity, family – and I knew I had to direct a production one day. We commissioned the play to be developed through our New Tricks programme and, fast forward nearly three years, we’re finally on the cusp of sharing this urgent new play with audiences nationwide. Theatre – and in particular new writing – has taken a hammering over the last few years, so I’m doubly excited to be staging this epic new play.” 

 

Billie Collins is a writer from the Wirral, based in Manchester. Her debut play TOO MUCH WORLD AT ONCE will be produced by Box of Tricks at HOME Manchester in March 2023, before going on tour. She also has projects in development with ThickSkin Theatre and Toastie Animation and was selected for the 2022 BBC Writersroom Northern Voices scheme. 

 

Based in Manchester, Box of Tricks is an award-winning theatre company that brings people together to share stories collectively. They stage new plays and connect with communities right across the UK. Celebrating Northern talent, productions are staged in theatres locally and nationally as well as in public spaces – pubs, libraries, village halls – in the heart of local communities. New plays are the lifeblood of theatre and playwrights its beating heart. Box of Tricks offers a home for playwrights to find their voice and tell their story. Their PlayMakers Network is a creative community for Northern playwrights to connect, collaborate and create. They nurture early- career North West playwrights through year-long PlayBox attachments and commission, develop and produce bold new theatre through the New Tricks commissions. 

 

Running Time: 120 mins (inc interval) | Suitable for ages 14+ 

 

Company information
Writer: Billie Collins
Designer: Katie Scott
Lighting Designer: Richard Owen Sustainability: Robin Lyons 

Director: Adam Quayle
Sound Designer & Composer: Lee Affen Movement Director: Aiden Crawford Associate Producer: Justina Aina 

Press Contact: x at Mobius 020 3195 6269 x@mobiusindustries.com

Cast

Ewan Grant, Paddy Stafford, Alexandra Mathie, Evie Hargreaves 

 

Get Grants - Meet the Expert Event: The Charity Excellence Framework

Meet the Expert Event: The Charity Excellence Framework

When – Thursday 2nd March, 1pm – 2pm

Get Grants will be joined by The Charity Excellence Framework for an informal update on what the latest crisis data is telling us and a tour of how each aspect of the system supports fundraising and when and how to use these.

Charity Excellence Framework is a free, easy to use, low workload digital platform for non-profits boards and senior teams that enables them to assess every aspect of activities, from increasing impact, financial resources & performance.

This Meet the Expert event is suitable for:

Fundraisers (all shapes and sizes) but especially individual giving
Community fundraisers
Digital teams
Trustees
Charity execs including CEO / finance / fundraising / marketing
Volunteers.

Get Grants Ltd

Email – sue@getgrants.org.uk

Website  – www.getgrants.org.uk

LGBTQ+ Research - University of Birmingham call for particpants

 If you would like to participate in the focus group (or separate

interview if you prefer), please get in touch with Dr Dora Jandric

on d.jandric@bham.ac.uk or on 07521207427