Image: Sean Smith
It’s great to see the arts continuing to light up our lives in all the doom and gloom about the economy. Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, has announced its new autumn season. Take your pick from Peter Shaffer’s haunting Equus, a brace of the Bard (A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth) plus three unique and powerful productions – Speechless, We Are Three Sisters and Turn Back The Clock. For a full line-up of all events including music and comedy (to feed our own souls), visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk.
I have admiration for people who plan ahead so a big hurrah for the good folk at Amanda Malpass PR who are already thinking ahead to July 2012, when Great Britain will be struck down by Olympics fever. The publicists are working for the producers of Jersey Boys who are offering people the chance to buy top-price tickets to the musical in London during the Olympics and Paralympics for just £20.12 each. These special tickets are available until 20 December 2011 at www.jerseyboyslondon.com. These tickets would normally cost £65 weekdays and £67.50 at the weekend. You’ve been told!
Good things come out of everything as Michael Ashton can testify. He won the Pulse award, Blackeyed Theatre’s new writing initiative for his play The Beekeeper. The play, which explores the relationship between a German Kommandant and a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz, was written by Michael Ashton, who learnt to become a playwright while serving
time in prison.
Our friends at Sheffield Theatres have teamed up with Eclipse Theatre on the European premiere of One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show by Don Evans. This play tells the story of the Harrisons, the most respectable middle class Black family in Philadelphia. But when their young niece arrives and shares her new ideas from the rural South, their polite, Christian, suburban life is turned on its head. The play opens at the Crucible Studio Theatre on September 10 and then goes on a national tour. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
We extend a warm welcome to Purni Morell, the new artistic director at the Unicorn Theatre. She replaces Tony Graham and comes with great credentials – she is the former head of studio at the National Theatre.
Face Britain will be the talk of your school and will give your pupils the chance to be part of what is hoped will be a Guinness World Record. The brainchild of The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, Face Britain is the UK’s largest ever art project open to young people aged 4-16 years who are invited to create a self-portrait to be uploaded on an online gallery, powered by Photobox. The exhibition aims to provide a unique snapshot of how the nation’s young people see themselves. It’s not a competition and there are no charges for submitting self-portraits so any child can take part, regardless of ability or circumstance. Visit www.facebritain.org.uk for further details on how to register, to take part and to access a growing library of online teaching resources.
If you’re thinking about a post-Christmas jolly (errr useful) time, consider a trip to BETT 2012, the world’s largest technology in education event which takes place from January 11th to 14th at London Olympia. Earlier this year, BETT 2011 focused on managing change, and this will continue to be a prevalent topic. For details go to www.bettshow.com.
The Lyric Theatre has a great season ahead, including The Wild Bride, a remake of a classic tale that will challenge your young theatregoers. Performances to watch this season include Saved by Edward Boind as well as Aladdin for the Christmas audience. For details visit www.lyric.com.
With all the furore surrounding the newspaper industry, it is easy to forget the wonderful work achieved by press photographers. King’s Place Gallery is celebrating the work of acclaimed war photographer Sean Smith who has covered all the major conflicts of the past few years, from the Middle East to the Congo. Frontlines brings together some of his finest work, and offers a chronicle of major flashpoints and a unique insight into modern warfare and its aftermath. Not to be missed. It runs at Kings Place in London until September 30 then moves to the Northumbria University Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, from October 14.
And finally, as they say on the news, a wee apology and correction for the fantastic people at Shakespeare In Bits. If you want to find out more, visit www.mindconnex.com, and not whatever website address was published previously.