Entertainment News

Now in its 7th year, Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival is thrilled to announce its diverse line up of acts and performers for 2017. From intimate theatre shows through to illuminated installations, live music and large scale outdoor spectaculars, many of which are free to the public, this year's event looks set to excite all ages

Opening this year's festival will be a diverse selection of pop-up performances, walkabout, music and contemporary dance events on Saturday 14th of October, spread across the Town Square and Gardens from midday. On both nights of the opening weekend, the Hydromania show by Avanti Display will take over Bournemouth's Town Hall with a unique family friendly performance. The show is set to engage with the architecture of its location, combining a vibrant interplay of water and light, physical performance and live music. Utilising balconies, windows and the roof of this hallmark building, the takeover of the Town Hall will be a unique spectacle that's not to be missed.

Closing Arts by the Sea on the 21st is 'Sense of Unity'. Sense of Unity brings together outdoor puppeteers Dundu and percussion ensemble Worldbeaters in an evening of visual spectacle and live music. The high-energy beats of Worldbeaters lead a procession in search of the giant, illuminated puppets of Dundu. The journey culminates with the interaction of musicians, puppets and audience, sharing love, light and music. Dundu is produced by Activate Performing Arts, funded by Arts Council England through Coasters Touring Network and is developed in Newbury Corn Exchange's 101 Outdoor Arts Creation Space.

Coasters is a three-year project that brings world-class circus and street arts work to coastal towns across England. SeaChange Arts lead a consortium of 11 organisations with the shared ambition of building relationships with audiences in areas of lower engagement and helping transform perceptions of coastal towns.

The 2017 commissioning theme is 'Plastic Beach' which invites artists, Fringe organisers and creative partners to explore the issue of marine pollution and, more broadly, the tensions between ecology and industry. Highlights include Turning the Tide by Mick Stephenson, the Sol Cinema by Paul O'Connor and the Rockpool by Kerith Ogden and Bee Jasco. Look out for Lulu Quinn's beach installation to highlight 'Save Our Seas' project with 'Message in a Bottle'. From the indoor theatre, comedy and performance programme, highlights include 'Labels' by Joe Sellman-Leave, 'Sixth Sense' by Luke Jermay, 'Rewild' by Livia Rita & Artists and 'Surf's Up Family Rave' by Big Fish Little Fish.

The festival is delivered annually by Arts Bournemouth and works in collaboration with many partners, locally, nationally and internationally. It is also supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Bournemouth Borough Council. The aim is to encourage a greater awareness of and participation in outstanding and engaging arts across different media and art forms.

K&K productions join with The People’s Orchestra for the premiere of “Cable: Chronicles of Hope”, directed and produced by George and Harry Kirby. The orchestra will be showcasing a memorable live to film performance composed by John Koutselinis.

The People’s Orchestra (Charity) brings to its audience another incredible concert; Superhero Symphonies – Live at The New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.

Featuring a collection of exciting superhero themed pieces from renowned composers including John Williams, Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, The People’s Orchestra has put together the perfect night out for heroes alike!

Sarah Marshall, the founder and creative director of The People’s Orchestra, hopes that with the support of audiences the show will be a great success for the charity.

“I am beyond thrilled to bring Superhero Symphonies to The New Alexandra Theatre," explained Director of The People's Orchestra, Sarah Marshall, "It is our largest venue yet and we are definitely raising the bar with a great range of pieces this year. 22nd July will be a great date for music lovers and superhero film aficionados to come together over their love of these great pieces. It will be a phenomenal experience for everyone to enjoy”.

The orchestra will be playing many pieces from popular superhero movies, including themes from Superman (1978), The Dark Knight, The Incredibles, Zorro, Thor: The Dark World, and Captain America along with an original score to an all-new X-Men Fan-Film ‘Cable: Chronicles of Hope’.

Ben Davies – tutor of Sheku Kanneh-Mason, BBC Young Musician 2016 – will join Birmingham Conservatoire’s Strings Department when it moves in to its new £57 million home later this year.

The appointment follows hot on the heels of the Chinese cellist Jian Wang’s arrival as the Conservatoire’s International Chair in Cello beginning in September 2017.

As a cellist and teacher, Ben Davies has performed with artists and orchestras as diverse as Shirley Bassey, Peter Gabriel, the City of London Sinfonia, Garsington Opera Orchestra and members of the Amadeus Quartet.

He has previously taught at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Holloway University of London, Marlborough College, Wells Cathedral School and the Guildhall School of Music.

On taking up his new role at Birmingham Conservatoire, Ben Davies said:

“I am honoured to be invited by the Principal, Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, to join the cello department at the newly located Birmingham Conservatoire.

“I very much look forward to working with the cello students and am excited to be involved with the musical life of the Conservatoire in its new home."

Born and raised in York, Ben studied at the University of Manchester and the Royal Academy of Music, and from 1990 to 1995 he was cellist in the Rosell Quartet. Since 2000 Ben has been Principal Cello of the English Touring Opera orchestra. Seasons have included Baroque operas performed on period instruments, and the Olivier Award winning production of ‘King Priam’ in 2014.

In 2012 Ben was elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of his significant contribution to the music profession.

Ben enjoys a diverse career, combining his commitment to teaching with a rich variety of freelance playing, which has included performing with Dame Shirley Bassey on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company and working in the theatres of London’s West End.

Prior to being offered his new role at Birmingham Conservatoire, its Principal, Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, invited Ben to give a masterclass to current students. He said:

“I am delighted to welcome Ben Davies to the Birmingham Conservatoire family. It is a real pleasure to have him join us at this crucial time for the Conservatoire, as we move in to our new home.

“Together with the recent appointment of Jian Wang as our International Chair in Cello we now have a cello department which is one of the best in the world.”

The new Birmingham Conservatoire has also been announced as the leading venue for the prestigious BBC Young Musician competition in 2018, as the contest prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Following the regional auditions later this year, Birmingham Conservatoire will host the Category Finals between Friday 16 and Tuesday 20 March 2018, alongside the Semi Final on Friday 23 March. All performances in Birmingham will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Four.

Birmingham Conservatoire’s new home, opening in the Eastside region of the city in September this year, will also welcome the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award Final in 2018.

The Belgrade Theatre has launched a campaign to name Coventry’s number one song in the countdown to Godiva Rocks, a new musical featuring songs by Coventry artists, premiering on the Main Stage in October.

YOU can now vote for your favourite Coventry song from a list of the 34 top ten hits by Coventry & Warwickshire artists, by visiting www.belgrade.co.uk/covsong or vote in person at the Coventry Music Museum in Ball Hill.

Voting closes on Thursday 31 August and the winning song will be announced on Friday 1 September.

Pete Chambers BEM, Coventry Music Historian and Owner of the Coventry Music Museum said, “This is an opportunity for Coventry to shout about its achievements. Visitors to the Museum are always surprised to hear about the breadth of Coventry’s musical history, and so often you hear them say “I didn’t know they came from Coventry!” We have a tendency of underplaying our cultural achievements in Coventry and now at a time when we are bidding to be UK City of Culture in 2021, it is crucial that we spread the word.”

Godiva Rocks will highlight Coventry’s rich and vibrant musical history with a soundtrack of over 20 classic songs performed by a live band, and tells the story of boy meets girl on a fateful night at the Orchid Ballroom in 1964.

Girl meets boy in Coventry – but nothing, and nobody, is what they seem, all because of one extraordinary night at the Orchid Ballroom, back in December ’64. Shady financier Leo Freeman’s decision to knock down the Orchid ballroom has far-reaching consequences – as daughter Nell meets the extraordinary Patrick Vernon – and the hunt for a missing tape reveals a history of musical passions and romantic jealousies stretching back to the dawn of musical time.

The production, which is written by Alan Pollock and directed by Hamish Glen, reunites the same creative team behind the Belgrade’s smash-hit Coventry Blitz play, One Night in November.

Writer Alan Pollock said, “At one level it’s a simple girl-meets-boy story with a massive twist. (Massive!) But really it’s a play about a search – of a boy for his father, and for a missing tape that encapsulates the perfect Coventry sound – the distillation of everything that makes this melting-pot city unique. And of course an excuse to highlight some of the greatest pop sounds ever to come out of Cov – twenty classic songs from the city.”

Godiva Rocks continues the Belgrade’s commitment to staging productions that reflect the stories of the city and region, such as Nick Walker’s FA Cup play, We Love You City and, more recently, Bob Eaton’s 2 Tone Musical Three Minute Heroes.

With the shortlist soon to be announced for UK City of Culture in 2021, the Theatre is also hoping that the new musical will help residents reclaim ownership and a sense of pride for Coventry’s musical history, and promote the city on a national level.

The city is best-known as the birthplace of 2 Tone, with artists such as The Specials and The Selecter both originating from Coventry, but it has also been home to Hazel O’Connor, The Enemy, Frank Ifield and many other famous artists who helped put Coventry on the musical map

Frontier Canada is offering a four-night package in Jasper including car hire from Calgary, four nights at the famous Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, tickets for the STAR Package which admits guests to the Keynote talk with Brian Cox and Phil Plait as well as the Space Talks from £651.  Frontier Canada is also offering a free entrance ticket to the Jasper Planetarium.

The Festival is sponsored by the Rocky Mountaineer.  Frontier Canada is also offering tailor made options to include either the multi-award winning, daylight only train from Vancouver, a tailor-made fly drive option which might include Kananaskis, Banff and Lake Louise as well as a package featuring VIA rail from either Vancouver or Edmonton plus a flight to Whitehorse in the Yukon which is another area known for its dark skies.

Those looking to combine a sunny beach break with great music this summer should look no further than Tenerife. As the largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife has idyllic beaches, all year-round sun and is this summer hosting a number of unmissable music festivals and concerts. The main event, which has been dubbed the most important music event in the Canary Islands for the past 30 years, is the final gig of Aerosmith's farewell tour on 8th July.

Also lined up are concerts from electro house musician Steve Aoki, DJ Kayper, as well as the singer of the UK's current number one, “Despacito”, Luis Fonsi, who will all be performing in Tenerife during the months of July and August.

The RSC’s image archive which includes production photos spanning over 80 years of theatre in the company’s Stratford-upon-Avon and London theatres, is being made available online to the public for the first time.

Productions from 1936 to the present day include past and current alumni including Judi Dench as Viola in Twelfth Night, Ian McKellen as a young Romeo, Meera Syal as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Patrick Stewart as Mark Antony in Antony and Cleopatra.

This photographic treasure trove can be searched via the company’s new image library, in several ways – for example by favourite actor, year, director or thematic keyword such as ‘revenge’ or ‘modern dress’ – and can be downloaded direct from the site free of charge for personal use, education use or private study, or requested as high-resolution for commercial uses.

The library will continue to expand as the company works its way through staging Shakespeare’s canon of plays under Gregory Doran’s leadership, with current production images being added as they join the artistic programme.

The RSC also regularly updates the public via social media to share its rich image archive with weekly posts on Instagram and Facebook #throwbackthursdays, #RSCThrutheLens and #flashbackfridays, which are proving incredibly popular with the Company’s followers.

Michelle Morton, the RSC’s Image Manager said; “We often get asked for images of our archive productions for a variety of uses, so we are really pleased to be able to share an array of our show photography online to the public in a dedicated and easily searchable format. Since sharing these images on social media, we know that people enjoy looking at and reminiscing about past productions, and up to now it’s been difficult for people to access these pictures independently. With over 80 years of theatre history encapsulated within the library, it will undoubtedly be of interest to those who are teaching the plays, to students who are researching areas such as costume or make up in theatre, or for our audiences who simply want to browse some of their favourite actors or remember iconic theatrical moments.”

The future face of Greater Birmingham will be revealed to over 400 professionals and business leaders at a dinner this September.

The coveted title will be part of the black-tie Future Faces dinner and awards at Edgbaston Stadium on Friday, September 15, and the winner will be offered a leadership development course worth £3,500.

Previous winners have been Alice Price, of HCB Solicitors, and Beth Farminer, of Deutsche Bank.

The overall title will go to one of the winners of an individual category, which comprise: arts and culture; sales, marketing and communications; legal; financial; industry (covering engineering, construction, property, and manufacturing); technology and innovation; entrepreneurship.

The winner of the Future Face award will be offered a place on the Midlands Navigator programme worth £3,500 organised by Birmingham-based leadership development organisation Common Purpose.

Common Purpose is a not-for-profit organisation that runs leadership development programmes across the UK.

The course is a ‘modular leadership development programme for emerging leaders in the UK’, and is aimed at helping people develop their problem-solving skills. Common Purpose runs leadership development programmes internationally and has more than 60,000 alumni.

Future Faces, part of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) manager Anna Assinder (pictured) said: “This prestigious prize ties in perfectly with Future Faces’ objective to professionally develop, network and recognise Birmingham’s future leaders.

“This prize isn’t the only change we have made to the annual awards this year - there are more awards for professionals to enter and more sponsorship opportunities available to help Birmingham’s employees and businesses position themselves as leaders in their industry.”

Five key business leaders have been named as judges for the awards. They are:

Louise Teboul - operations director of Common Purpose, the Birmingham-based leadership development organisation

Joe Schuppler - founder of Independent Birmingham and a young professional himself.

Fiona Allan - artistic director and chief executive of Birmingham Hippodrome.

Gary Cardin - senior director at CBRE and previous partner at Deloitte.

Ian Leslie - finance director at Millennium Point.

Paul Faulkner, the GBCC’s  chief executive, said: “Our judges are a sign of how important the business community is taking these awards, and more significantly, how vital it is to support the development of our young professionals.

“It is more important than ever to keep hold of our young talent, and one way of doing this is to recognise their efforts and achievements – the Future Faces awards is a great way of doing precisely that.”

Flash Mobs, Paloma Faith, Fizz and Falconry, Chris Evans' Fun and Fabulous Festival for BBC Children in Need enjoys its tenth anniversary at Chewton Glen.

On one of the hottest days of the year, Saturday, 16 June 2017, Chewton Glen hosted the ultimate festival experience, organised by driving force and BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Chris Evans. This is the tenth year that Chewton Glen has supported Chris Evans' fundraising efforts for BBC's Children in Need appeal, and the anniversary celebration resulted in an exceptional 'Festival in a Day'.

Headline musical acts included Jeff Lynne's ELO, Sharleen Spiteri with her band Texas and a surprise guest appearance by Paloma Faith.

Highlights featured team competitions involving classic and quirky country pursuits with the likes of duck herding, ferret racing, laser clays, Segways and falconry display (much enjoyed by Chris himself), with the winning team invited to join Chris on his popular Friday morning breakfast show.

This was followed by cocktail making and an afternoon picnic before the evening entertainment began with a Champagne Taittinger reception among the trees of Chewton Glen's heritage orchard.

'Posh Street Food' was created in the Walled Kitchen Garden by a team of some of the UK's very finest chefs: Tom Kerridge spit-roasted lamb served with flat breads and salsa verde; Atul Kochhar created delicious Indian street food such as butter chicken marsala wraps; and Jose Pazarro served authentic Spanish tapas. Meanwhile Chewton Glen's own award-winning Executive Head Chef Luke Matthews produced pizzas with pizzazz from the Walled Garden's Gozney wood-fired pizza oven. It was all accompanied by Olly Smith's inspired selection of wines and finished off with Mo Gherras' sweet crepes topped with local Purbeck Ice Cream.

A high spot of the evening was the surprise 'flash mob' when waiters and waitresses started to dance, encouraging guests to join in. Now that's service!

Finally, screens that had provided a backdrop to the evening's dining experience in the orchard were lowered to reveal a pathway illuminated by flaming torches to the festival village of tepee's - the setting for the musical entertainment provided by the legendary Jeff Lynne's ELO, Texas, Paloma Faith and, of course, Chris Evans' lively DJ set.

Andrew Stembridge, Managing Director of Chewton Glen, commented: “It is always a tremendous privilege to help Chris and his team with their exciting plans for raising funds for such a great charity, but this year's event has been truly remarkable. I think everyone has excelled themselves.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all those who have put so much effort into the event, including my hardworking team here at Chewton Glen, all our suppliers and our friends who have been so generous. Together they have ensured that our 'Festival in the Day' will help to make a real difference to the lives of children who benefit from those who donate to BBC Children in Need. Our especial thanks to Chris Evans, who masterminded the Festival; in excess of £1.7 million was raised for 2016 Children in Need appeal with the live-on air 'Dine & Disco in the Forest' auction, possibly Jeff Lyne's Mister Blue Sky was never sung at a more appropriate event.”

The Venus Company has announced that there will be a limited number of VIP tickets available for their first ever Beach Music festival, taking place at Blackpool Sands, Devon, on Saturday 8th July. Those lucky enough to get their hands on these coveted tickets will enjoy a fabulous three course meal created using locally-sourced produce and served up at their table right in front of the stage. The festival was recently featured in theguardian.com as one of the top coastal festivals of the summer.

Michael Smith, co-owner of The Venus Company, comments: “When you think of music festivals you might conjure up the image of fans wading through mud and elbowing through crowds for just a distant glimpse of their favourite band. When it came to planning Loving the Beach Music Festival, we decided to do things a little bit differently. Our VIP seats offer festival goers the chance to sit comfortably around a table and enjoy fantastic close up views of the bands. And, of course, VIP ticket holders will also enjoy a delicious meal from our award-winning restaurant. So whether you want to throw yourself into the crowds, find your own space to dance around on the beautiful Blackpool Sands beach or make yourself comfortable in the VIP area, the Loving the Beach Music Festival has the perfect festival experience for you.”

Set to be the new must attend festival of the season, offering fun for all the family, festival goers will enjoy performances from local bands 'Mafia 4' and 'Three Bags Full' supporting legendary headline act 'Saloon Star', who play everything from swing and country to blues, funk, reggae and pop with some rock thrown in for good measure.

The music starts at 12pm but the fun starts when the doors open at 8.30am. Ticket holders will be able to enjoy one of Britain's most beautiful beaches as well as delicious local food and drink available from Venus café and takeaway* and the Bays Brewery drinks tent. There will also be a host of activities for the whole family to enjoy. Children will be kept entertained with traditional Punch & Judy shows and treasure hunts and demos from charities supporting the event: RNLI, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Marine Conservation Society and the Devon Wildlife Trust.

Top musicians will be sharing the joy of jazz in Sandwell as the borough teams up with a major international festival.

The newly-renamed Birmingham, Solihull & Sandwell Jazz Festival 2017 will see around 30 performances across Sandwell's six towns – with libraries, museums, parks, Sandwell Arts Café, Windsor Theatre Bar and other venues hosting events from 14 to 23 July.

From homegrown UK talent including the legendary Digby Fairweather Quartet and boogie woogie pianist Emma Jonson to stars from France and Spain, there's a real mix of music.

Dymanic singer Roy Forbes, singer-songwriter Judy Blu and blues two-piece The Whiskey Brothers are among the many highlights.

Sandwell Youth Jazz Orchestra perform with The TCS Blues Band at West Bromwich Central Library; the Great Birmingham Trombone Company play at newly-restored Lightwoods Park; and Les Zauto Stompers de Paris promise to set the bar high (and loud) with shows at the Manor House, West Bromwich, and Windsor Theatre Bar, Bearwood.

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Steve Eling said: “We're very excited to be teaming up with Birmingham and Solihull in this popular and well-established festival, now in its 33rd year, which attracts visitors and musicians from around the globe.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people from Sandwell and the rest of the Black Country to enjoy jazz music on their doorstep. A big welcome awaits all visitors and musicians as they discover Sandwell during this fantastic festival.”

Councillor Richard Marshall, the council's cabinet member for leisure, added: “Our libraries and museums staff have built up a great relationship with the festival over the years, hosting a number of events. We're thrilled to be making it official this year by getting even more involved, putting Sandwell firmly on the music map.

“Joining with Birmingham and Solihull, we're making up a trio to entertain the whole region this summer, as well as visitors from around the world. There's a wide range of high quality acts performing in Sandwell and the vast majority of events are free entry. I'm really looking forward to it.”

Festival director Jim Simpson said: “We are delighted that Sandwell has decided to become a major player in this important festival. Libraries, museums and parks across the borough have played an increasingly significant part in staging performances that have entertained residents and visitors alike. It was a logical next step for Sandwell to become fully involved.”

Foo Fighters Bring A Gang Of The World’s Best Rock N Roll Bands Together For 12 Hours Of Non-Stop 100% Live Music at Cal Jam 17 - Oct 7th at Glen Helen Regional Park. Line up Includes Queens Of The Stone Age, Cage The Elephant, Liam Gallagher, The Kills, Royal Blood, Babes In Toyland, Japandroids, Bob Mould & Many More

“I wanted it to be the biggest sounding Foo Fighters record ever. To make a gigantic rock record but with Greg Kurstin’s sense of melody and arrangement… Motorhead’s version of Sgt. Pepper… or something like that.”

So speaks Dave Grohl of the mission statement made manifest in Foo Fighters’ ninth epic, the aptly-titled Concrete and Gold, due out September 15 worldwide on Columbia Records and available for pre-order now: http://smarturl.it/FFCG

Concrete and Gold marries some of the most insanely heavy Foo Fighters riffs ever with lush harmonic complexities courtesy of a first time team-up with producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Pink). The first taste of which came in the form of anthem of the summer “Run” which was described by The Times as ‘epic’, Music Week as ‘classic’ and Shortlist as ‘the best thing they’ve done in years’.

The unlikely alliance with Greg came about through a bizarre sequence of surprise musical obsessions and chance encounters: Listening to the radio during a drive roughly four years ago, Grohl first heard “Again and Again” by Kurstin’s band The Bird & The Bee—“It blew my mind… it was so much more sophisticated than anything I’d ever heard and I became obsessed.”

Some months later, Grohl would randomly spot and fanboy out over “the guy from The Bird & The Bee!” a/k/a Greg Kurstin. The two became fast friends over common musical loves with Grohl learning that his new favourite band had been on hiatus due to Kurstin’s workload as a producer.

While Foo Fighters recorded and released Sonic Highways, broke some bones and packed stadiums and arenas on one of the top five grossing tours of 2015, and gifted fans with the St. Cecilia EP, "Greg was becoming one of the biggest producers in the world,” Grohl recalls.

With the writing and recording of the next Foo Fighters album on the horizon, Grohl was eager as always to find fresh challenges for the band: “So I think maybe Greg is the guy that we ask to be our producer because he’s never made a heavy rock record before and we’ve never worked with a pop producer.”

Darrel Thorp (Beck, Radiohead) was soon enlisted to mix and engineer. This collective conceived a blueprint of the new record as "Motorhead’s version of Sgt. Pepper... or something like that,” secretly booking into Hollywood’s esteemed EastWest studios to consummate this marriage of extremes... or as Grohl puts it: “Our noise and Greg’s big brain and all of his sophisticated arrangements and composition.”

Months, sounds and stories (more on those soon, promise) and so many guitars later, the 11-Grammy-winning, 25+ million-record-selling, last great American stadium rock band had completed its most ambitious album ever—which naturally begat another insane challenge: How to celebrate music & throw the ultimate "backyard party for 50,000 people”…

What came to Grohl in that vision will become reality October 7 when Foo Fighters’ CAL JAM 17 takes over Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, CA. In addition to being Foo Fighters’ biggest ever one-day U.S. headline, in the spirit of the original California Jam, this daylong marathon of eating, drinking and rocking features an absolutely unfuckwithable lineup: Queens of the Stone Age, Cage The Elephant, Liam Gallagher, The Kills, Royal Blood, Japandroids, Wolf Alice, Bob Mould, The Struts, Bully, Circa Waves, Babes in Toyland, Adia Victoria, Fireball Ministry, The Obsessed, Pinky Pinky, Starcrawler, White Reaper…

And in addition to 12 hours of rock and roll good times, Cal Jam 17 offers camping, carnival rides, a water park, attractions, a mobile recording studio & so much more. On Friday night, October 6, campers will also experience the world’s best Go-Go band Big Tony & Trouble Funk, an outdoor movie theatre and many other surprises. Camping space is limited, so act fast.

For the third year running members of the public are invited to enter the Inspiration Award, the only category open to the public, in this year’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research in Film Awards.

The Research in Film Awards (RIFA) presents a fantastic opportunity for budding filmmakers to showcase their work to a wider audience, including those in the film industry.

The awards are designed to recognise the best short films (defined as no longer than 30 minutes) which have been inspired by arts and humanities research and are judged by a panel of academic and film industry experts, with names including Professor Andrew Chitty, AHRC Creative Economy Champion, British film critic Antonia Quirke, and Matthew Reisz from Times Higher Education.

Financial Times Arts Editor and Chair of the judging panel, Jan Dalley said:

“I am delighted to be the chair of the judges for the third AHRC Research in Film Awards. The project has grown in size, reach and quality in a remarkable way in such a short time, and is becoming an important voice in imaginative research initiatives, and in short documentary filmmaking generally. Last year the judges were delighted with the excellent and highly varied entries, and look forward to even more this time around. “

With a trophy up for grabs as well as £2,000 in prize money to put towards their future filmmaking activities, the awards present a unique platform for emerging filmmakers to get themselves and their work noticed. All shortlisted entrants will be invited to an awards ceremony on 9 November 2017 at the prestigious 195 Piccadilly in London, home of BAFTA, where writer and broadcaster Danny Leigh, will be hosting the event.

RIFA is the only film awards dedicated entirely to arts and humanities research, designed to bring research to life using creative and visual storytelling. Last year the awards received over 200 entries across five categories² and are fast becoming recognised as an important accolade in their own right.

The Inspiration Award recognises films produced in the UK which have been inspired by arts and humanities research in some way. The film could stem from a museum exhibition, book, performance or an archaeological dig for example and it may be produced collaboratively or individually.

This summer you are in for a treat as Illyria touring theatre return to the Lake District with a performance of William Shakespeare's 'A Comedy of Errors' & Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.

The audience will be captivated by these stories and bowled over by the stunning location, as the performances take at Brantwood's idyllic lakeside meadow on the shores of Coniston Water. These one night performances will take place on Tuesday 25th July & Tuesday 22nd August. So if you are looking for a rip-roaring performance to tickle you on a summers evening look no further!

The sounds of Biffy Clyro, Maroon 5 and Scissor Sisters, AC DC and Thin Lizzy will fill the air at Walsall Arboretum on Wednesday 21st June (International Music Day) as Walsall College Music students host their second live music festival.

The FREE event kicks off at 12noon until 4.30pm at the park’s bandstand and will see a range of college bands perform a mix of original tracks and cover songs to entertain the crowds. There will be music styles to suit different tastes from pop to RnB and rock to ska.

International Music Day takes place every year on the 21st June, mid-summer solstice, with free events to celebrate the universal language of music in over 120 countries and 700 cities around the world.

Head of Curriculum for Music at Walsall College, Alan Tyler, said: “After the success of last year’s event students are very passionate about marking International Music Day again this year and are putting in extra rehearsals before this event to make it even bigger and better.

“The talents of our students is again very impressive this year and we are delighted they have been given this opportunity, with support from the council, to showcase their performance abilities to the public.

“The festival coincides with the end of GCSE and A-level exams, so it will be a great way for students across the borough to celebrate and enjoy some fantastic music from local up and coming artists.”

A film made by University of Wolverhampton Video and Film Production graduates has been shortlisted at this year’s national Royal Television Society (RTS) Student Television Awards.

Chaired by Philip Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, the awards recognise the best audiovisual work created by students across the UK and Republic of Ireland at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Awards are judged in six categories – Animation, Comedy & Entertainment, Drama, Factual, News and Short Feature.

Steve George and Ryan Sibanda directed and produced “Si” which won Best Short Feature in last year’s RTS Midlands Centre Awards.  The film has been nominated in the Undergraduate Short Feature Category and has also been nominated in the Craft Skills Editing (Steve George) and Camerawork (Joshua Baggott) categories.

Steve George, 40 from Sutton Coldfield, said: “Si is a comedy about a lonely wet floor sign in a busy office building who narrates his everyday routine. When Mary, a worker who Si adores, is attacked by a colleague, Si has to save the day. Not easy when you're a free standing sign and made of plastic.

“We are honoured, and humbled, to be nominated for the national awards after our success in the regionals last year. We continue to be pleasantly surprised at how our film, loosely based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and partly set in a gents’ toilet, is being so well received. We would also like to once again thank staff at the University of Wolverhampton for their support."

Phil Nichols, Course Leader in Video and Film Production at the University, said: “I'm really delighted that Steve and Ryan have progressed to the national RTS Awards - and for such a deceptively simple film as "Si". Every year we like to put the best student films forward for the Royal Television Society Awards, and it's great that "Si" has now gone national. What makes "Si" work is the clever voice-over. Steve George is a good writer of comedy, and this short film shows him at his best.”

The Royal Television Society is an educational charity which promotes the art and science of television, encouraging and celebrating work and achievements in television production, digital and broadcast production in the Midlands region.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Friday 16 June at the BFI Southbank in London.