The Theatre Royal Plymouth is leading a programme of activities for Refugee Week which runs from June 20. Events come under the banner of Simple Acts to bring refugees and local people together through activities including a football tournament, a trip to Dartmoor and a day of music, games and arts and crafts. For further information on Refugee Week visit www.refugeeweek.org.uk. Details of the events taking place during Refugee Week will be published in the Theatre Royal website www.theatreroyal.com.
Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Education Department was commended in the Museums + Heritage Awards of Excellence for their Good Times: Art for Older People. The initiative addresses the needs of older people; combating loneliness, isolation and inertia through involvement in the arts, and offers an enriching menu of creative art workshops, interactive talks and assisted gallery tours, both at the gallery and out in the community. For those who are more difficult to reach, the experience goes out to local care homes, hospitals and community centres. All sessions are led by a dedicated coordinator, a team of professional artists, guides and co-ordinator. A brilliant idea that has been running for six years – and one that could be replicated nationwide – maybe from school?
As if you don’t have enough to remember at this time of year, can you just remind your students to enter the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award? Entries have to be in by July 31. Nag over!
The British Library has acquired the archive of the poet, Wendy Cope. The collection comprises 15 boxes of material in both paper and electronic form, as well as an extensive collection of email correspondence and Word files. These contain poetic and other literary drafts spanning Cope’s career, personal and professional correspondence, accounts books and material relating to her early life and career in teaching. At the core of the archive are 67 poetry notebooks dating from 1973 up to the present. Showing the meticulous progressive re-workings of poems, the notebooks give insight into the labour of the creative process. The archive will be available to researchers at the British Library once necessary preservation, sorting and cataloguing work has been carried out.
Lisson Gallery’s exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei has added poignancy given the arrest and disappearance of the artist in April. Ai Weiwei was detained by the authorities in Beijing while trying to board a flight to Hong Kong on April 3 and has not been seen since. Lisson Gallery, along with all his supporters in the UK and around the world, is alarmed by the detention of Ai Weiwei and greatly concerned for his safety. The exhibition runs until July 16. For details see www.lissongallery.com.
Jamaica Street Artists are having an Open Studio event from July 22 to 24. This annual event brings the surprise of new artists to the studio, and amongst this year’s new faces are illustrator Kate Evans, textile artist Helen Williams and artist Aaron Sewards shortlisted for 2010’s Jerwood Drawing Prize. Other highlights include new work from landscape artist Anthony Garratt. His painting, Burnham on Sea is reproduced here. All are welcome to this free event – a great start to the summer hols? For details visit www.jamaicastreetartists.org.uk.
If, from June 18, you see a posse of motorbikes outside your local theatre, don’t be concerned that your town has been taken over. It’s all part of The First Night Riders (FNRs) eight-day tour around the UK to raise money for The Theatrical Guild (TTG). You can join them for as long or as short a time as you like – a day or a weekend. The event starts at the National Theatre in London and ends at Alexandra Palace but takes in Liverpool, Aberystwyth, Norwich and Nottingham, Money raised goes to people in need who have been or are currently employed, in professional theatre. It is the only charity in the UK available to front of house and backstage staff. For details of the tour visit www.ttg.org.uk.