The music charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall (THSH) have announce that their Jazzlines Summer School returns later this year, as they look forward to opening their doors once again to young musicians from Birmingham and the surrounding areas. This year’s free, non-residential course will run from Monday 23 to Friday 27 August for young people aged between 11 and 19 and takes place at the world-renowned Symphony Hall in the heart of Birmingham.

The Jazzlines Summer School offers a comprehensive and broad-ranging programme aimed at emerging talent with a range of abilities, from beginners to advanced, who wish to expand their horizons and playing capability. The course is designed to develop key skills in aural training, ensemble musicianship, jazz repertoire and harmony and is suitable for those who aspire to further their music studies as well as those who simply wish to learn new skills in an atmosphere which is fun, supportive and encouraging.

The Jazzlines Summer School is led by professional trumpet and bass player Percy Pursglove and professional vocalist and songwriter Sara Colman, both experts in helping young musicians build their skills in way that is best suited to each individual. They are supported by an experienced group of Jazzlines tutors, music educators and specialist jazz performers. 

Town Hall Symphony Hall’s Jazz Programme Manager, Mary Wakelam Sloan says, “In August 2012, Jazzlines built on previous work to launch a free-to-access Summer School, consisting of a week-long course at Symphony Hall led by professional jazz musicians including Royal Birmingham Conservatoire tutors. This flagship project has taken place every year since and forms the basis for the year-round opportunities for young musicians via the Jazz and Gospel ensembles. Due to the pandemic, the Summer School in 2020 was cancelled and so we are thrilled that this year we can offer this unique provision to 11–19-year-olds in partnership with Jazz FM for the first time. This year, the young musicians will be some of the first to enjoy Symphony Hall’s brand-new state-of-the-art facilities. Combining the Summer School with the Festival means that we can offer the chance for the young musicians to see and hear some of the best British talent in action, as well as learning alongside them.”

This year, with a range of guest tutors in the city, the Summer School will run in conjunction with a Jazz Festival, in partnership with Jazz FM, where audiences will be able to enjoy free and low-cost performances at The Spotted Dog in Digbeth, on stage at Symphony Hall and in Symphony Hall’s new Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space. Like the UK’s leading national commercial radio service for jazz, soul and blues, the week of music from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 August will showcase the full spectrum of jazz and includes performances from international touring artists to local community bands. Performers for this celebration of jazz include Yazz Ahmed (Jazz FM’s UK Jazz Act of the Year 2020), Warmer Than Blood and highly acclaimed, Birmingham-born jazz pianist Reuben James.

Jazz FM’s Content Director Nick Pitts says, “This already looks like it’s going to be a fantastic celebration of Birmingham’s young and vibrant jazz scene, especially after a year of lockdowns. Jazz FM has always been a passionate supporter of UK jazz education, and we are delighted to work with the brilliant THSH to help spread the good word on this project, including a number of music and interview specials on our nationwide platform.”

Town Hall Symphony Hall’s Jazzlines Summer School is in partnership with Jazz FM and is very kindly supported by PRS Foundation, Arts Council England, George Henry Collins Charity, Grantham Yorke Trust, Michael Marsh Charitable Trust and Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation as Talent Development Partners, supporting and inspiring the next generation of the city’s musical talent.

A round of the Ultimate Fighting Championship should be staged in Africa by the end of next year, UFC president Dana White has said.

Speaking ahead of Kamaru Usman's fight with Jorge Masvidal in Jacksonville, Florida, White - who runs the mixed martial arts organisation - said that while he did not know in which country it would happen, the fact that there are three UFC champions from the continent meant it was now time. Since UFC 001 was held in Denver, Colorado, in 1993, events have been held in countries including the Czech Republic, South Korea, Brazil and Abu Dhabi - but never anywhere in Africa.

"If I had to guess when a round in Africa will happen, I'd say 2022," White said. "I don't know which country yet. I don't even know where we're going in the States yet - how this whole Covid-19 thing plays out, what opens up, what doesn't - but that's my game plan."

Welterweight champion Usman is known as the Nigerian Nightmare. Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was also born in Nigeria, while heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou comes from Cameroon.

White said: "When you have champions from certain countries, they ignite that country.

"Growing up, I was a huge boxing and Muhammad Ali fan. One of the things that I've always wanted is to do my big 'Rumble in the Jungle'. I've not done it yet, but now that we have three African champions, I really believe it's going to happen." He also praised Usman, who is ranked second in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

"I love Kamaru Usman," he said. "I think he's well-rounded, I love the way he goes in, the way he fights, his mentality - he'll fight anybody.

"He's a great champion!"

Almost a third of UK car owners said they would buy electric as their next car, according to a survey by LeaseLoco, the UK’s largest car leasing comparison website.

LeaseLoco polled more than 2,000 car owners and asked them about their next car purchase - 31% said they would consider switching to electric in the next 2-3 years. 

This shows that demand for pure electric cars is there. And if we extrapolate - of the 35,168,259 registered car owners in the UK, that could mean almost 11 million are ready to switch to electric.

According to SMMT figures*, there are just over 750,000 low, ultra low and zero emissions cars on UK roads. Of these, less than 100,000 are pure electric cars. The low number of electric cars currently on UK roads compared to the latent demand for zero emissions motoring, shows the challenge facing the Government and car manufacturers to meet this demand, but also the opportunity.

The problem is that many car owners still have major concerns that might prevent them switching to electric in the next few years even though the desire to do so is there. Survey respondents said they would only consider switching if there were more attractive incentives to buy electric, a greater range of cars and more affordable models, and the nationwide charging infrastructure was improved.

Almost half of respondents (46%) said more attractive incentives would help make their decision to switch, while 33% said improving the charging infrastructure would give them the confidence to buy an electric car.

LeaseLoco polled motorists across different age groups and locations on their car buying plans and whether they would buy electric. There was little difference in attitudes between older and younger car owners towards electric car ownership - 30% of car owners aged 18-34 would consider buying electric for their next car, compared to 33% of 45-54 year olds.

Across the regions there was more disparity - almost half (46%) of respondents living in Greater London would consider buying electric for their next car, compared to just 15% in Wales. Almost half (48%) of car owners living in Bristol would consider buying electric next, compared to just 17% of registered car owners in Cardiff.

John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco, comments: “Our survey shows that demand for electric cars is soaring and that the UK public are ready to make the leap to electric en masse. If the chief concerns around price and charging infrastructure were alleviated, take-up could be much more rapid than many expect.

“The Government needs to take advantage of the growing popularity of zero emissions motoring, but the worry is that without more focus, investment and education, this latent demand will not translate into sales and momentum will be lost. With the sale of new diesel and petrol cars banned from 2030, the next two to three years will be critical in ensuring that the switch to greener motoring stays on track.”

In the wake of two Brit Award Nominations, an appearance and performance on The Jonathan Ross Show and the release of his sophomore album FLU GAME, AJ Tracey has announced a UK Arena ‘FLU GAME TOUR’.

A sixteen-track stellar offering from the West London creative, FLU GAME the album, sees AJ showcasing twelve brand news songs, with tantalising international features including Kehlani, T-Pain, SahBabii, NAV and Millie Go Lightly. On the production front, AJ calls on regular collaborators Nyge, The Elements, Kazza, AoD and Remedee, as well as producing “Eurostep” himself. The project also features the UK top-5 charting singles “Bringing It Back” with Digga D, “West Ten'' with Mabel, and the Platinum smash “Dinner Guest” feat. MoStack. Not to mention the new hit single “Little More Love”.

At the forefront of pushing creative boundaries, FLU GAME and the surrounding campaign, draw influence from the story of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls team in the late 90s - referencing one of MJ’s most memorable championship games - where he overcame a nasty bout of food poisoning (brought on by a dodgy takeaway pizza) and took the Bulls to the championship. AJ’s team, Revenge Athletic, are a franchise on the brink of a massive championship win, and AJ is their new star.

One of the biggest problems we face today is the impact of man-made materials on the environment. For example, if you look at pollution in the Mediterranean Sea, 95% of the waste in its waters is plastic. Similar problems are being experienced all around the planet, and the only way these problems can be solved is by implementing real change.

To create lasting change, its vital that we educate children and show them how to look after the environment. They will then become advocates of a major shift in how we treat our planet and help to create an eco-friendly future. It is with this idea in mind that Mondo has launched two new green projects: BioBall and ReNewToys.

The new BioBall is the only ball made with a new bio-based formula, which replaces 50% of fossil-derived substances with a renewable sourced plant derivative. The new formula not only makes it the first green ball, but also contributes to improving its flexibility and, consequently, its playability.

Available in many varieties the new BioBall has been certified “OK Bio-Based” by TÜV Austria, the leading European organic certification body that guarantees the high quality of the renewability of raw materials used. Mondo is also pleased to announce ReNewToys, a brand-new set of beach products (buckets, rakes, spades and more) built using recycled materials coming from the pre-consumer food chain. Food grade plastics cannot contain dyes or other additives deemed harmful to humans, therefore enhancing the chemical safety of Mondo toys which are often used by toddlers.

ReNewToys is the ideal choice for playing outdoors and learning to play while taking care of our coastlines. Mondo is a multinational group with over 70 years of experience in the toys market, investing heavily in research and development and committing itself proactively to find concrete and useful solutions to substitute plastic materials with environmentally sustainable options.

Both projects represent Mondo’s new corporate policy, which sets a serious of environmental sustainability goals aimed at reducing waste and reusing it as raw material, as well as improving the energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Through its products and its choices, Mondo communicates its respect for nature: a real commitment to effectively contribute to awareness, growth and education of new generations to help the children of today become more aware adults tomorrow.

Eleven days of ballet, cabaret, symphony orchestras, steel pans, family fun, chamber music, live cooking, story-telling, drama, laugh-out-loud comedy can only mean one thing – Lichfield Festival is back! Taking place between 8-18 July, the annual event brings thousands of visitors to the beautiful cathedral city and is a cornerstone in the region’s cultural calendar. 

“We’re thrilled to be back with the 39^th Lichfield Festival this July - a year later than envisaged – with a typically exciting range of superb artists to bring the joy of live performance back to the City,” says Lichfield Festival Director, Damian Thantrey. “With distancing and regulations expected still to be in place, things will be a little different this summer, with shorter event times and repeated performances, particularly those in the smaller venues. There will also be a number of outdoor events making the most of the glorious summer weather (we hope) and some of Lichfield’s beautiful and verdant outdoor spaces. We’re looking forward to joining artists and audiences alike, immersing ourselves in eleven days of fabulous entertainment and culture.”

The 2021 Festival opens on Thursday 8 July with the captivating Ballet Cymru performing a brand new version of the classic ballet Giselle in the spectacular setting of Lichfield Cathedral. 

The Cathedral is the centrepiece of Festival activities and this year plays host to some amazing vocalists who top the line-up, including the undisputed British Queen of Soul, Mica Paris, whose most recent release Gospel in 2020 shot to No 1 in the UK R&B Album Charts, and Brit-award winning folk singer/songwriter Eddi Reader, widely considered Scotland’s greatest living female voice. 

Liza Pulman, whose show Liza Sings Streisand wowed audiences in 2018, returns with timeless classics and lost gems from songwriters like Irving Berlin, Randy Newman and Judy Collins, and master impressionist turned pianist, Alistair McGowan entertains with a unique mix of classic comedy and classical music.

Other highlights in Lichfield Cathedral include fiery flamenco with guitar and Spanish dance duo Xuefei Yang and Maria Vega, a slimmed down BBC National Orchestra of Wales, now in the third year of their residency, and superb vocal group I Fagiolini with a concert of music ancient and modern inspired by the environment and TS Eliot’s The Waste Land.  Two atmospheric late evening concerts feature baroque violinist Rachel Podger (Bach by Candlelight) and jazz saxophonist and improviser Tommy Smith OBE.

The Festival’s Aspire! Family Day takes place outdoors on the final Festival Saturday, centred around the Cathedral lawn.  It begins with a new costumed production of Peter and the Wolf, designed especially for the Festival, in the gardens of Lichfield Cathedral School.  There’s an appearance from the world-renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band on the West Lawn ahead of their Cathedral shows later that day, plus three Lichfield Mystery Plays, and song and dance from local groups to keep the festival vibe buzzing and picnickers entertained throughout. 

The Festival continues its tradition of engaging Artists in Residence who perform during the Festival.  This year’s four superb collaborative musicians are Chloë Hanslip (violin), Danny Driver (piano), Jessica Walker (writer/vocalist) and Joseph Atkins (composer/piano).  Chloë and Danny include a selection of Beethoven’s violin sonatas within their three duo recitals as a belated tribute to the composer’s 250^th anniversary last year. 

Meanwhile, the creative partnership of Jessica Walker and Joseph Atkins brings three cabaret shows: Roaring into the 20s is devoted to music of the era that ushered in the Jazz Age; (Dead) Funny Women recaptures the rollercoaster lives and musical genius of great women of musical comedy; and Songs For Our Times is a special Festival commission, first shown as a film in 2020. 

Variety is the buzzword of every Lichfield Festival – it’s one of the most eclectic multi-arts festivals the UK has to offer – so it’s no surprise there’s everything from an appearance by the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen, to live cooking and laugh-out-loud comedy from George Egg, a whistle stop tour of Gilbert & Sullivan by the Charles Court Opera and a monologue on the life of Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill.

There’s comic entertainment from Justin Moorhouse (star of Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights) and Lichfield expat Katie Arnstein in her semi-autobiographical show Sexy Lamp.  The story of another former Lichfield resident, the 19^th century composer, pianist and instrument maker Muzio Clementi, is told through words and music, played on an original Clementi square piano. 

The programme continues with a series of spectacularly talented Young Artists in recital, Notting Hill Carnival favourites The Metronomes Steel Orchestra performing al fresco at Swinfen Hall, Jonathan Gee’s jazz Quartet Re-imagining The Beatles and a return visit by world music and folk group Kabantu.

"The Festival is extremely grateful this year for the support it has received from its corporate and individual sponsors and, in particular, from Arts Council England and the Culture Recovery Fund."

Lichfield Festival 2021 runs from 8-18 July. Tickets and details from www.lichfieldfestival.org.