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Brighton’s ‘Big Screen’ announces biggest movie line-up yet!

Brighton’s Big Screen will return for 2015 with a movie line-up jam-packed with blockbuster, classic and family movies.

Brighton BIg Screen

THE open air cinema event will return to Brighton beachfront from the August 14 – September 13, 2015 with its biggest movie line-up to date.

All daytime showings are FREE to attend with showings from 5pm onwards costing from £3 per person.

The new 40sqm, 8mm screen will showcase over 90 movie screenings including:

♦ Interstellar

♦ The Goonies

♦ Frozen Sing-Along

♦ Guardians of the Galaxy

♦ Blade Runner

♦ Alien & Quadrophenia, to name a few.

Plus live coverage from the Grand Prix. Brighton’s Big Screen is also excited to announce that the venue will host this year’s Rugby World Cup Fan Zone from September 18-20, 2015.

You will find the screen on Brighton Beach next to the Pier and the Brighton Wheel.

Situated on Brighton Beach next to the Pier and the Wheel, Brighton’s Big Screen 2015 will also include a brand new stylish beach bar, made from converted shipping containers and reclaimed wood, along with a great selection of pop-up restaurants.

To book tickets, click here:

Daytime films starting at 2pm are free with evening films starting at 5pm from £3 per person.
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Representatives from Montreal Pride to march in Kiev

Representatives from Montreal Pride have arrived in Kiev, Ukraine, this evening to attend Kiev Pride, to show support for Ukranian LGBT communities.

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KIEV Pride runs till June 8 and Eric Pineault, president of Montréal Pride and Jean-Sébastien Boudreault, the Vice President will walk in the Pride march on June 6 as special guests of the organising committee.

Both will also take part in several discussions and committees about the advancement of human rights.

Anna Sharyhina, Director of Kiev Pride will visit Montreal from August 10-16 as a Grand Marshal of their festival.

Montréal Pride offers its support to Kiev Pride as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian LGBT communities who live in very precarious social conditions.

As well as not being legally recognised, they are often the victim of violence and cannot count on being protected by the authorities.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko publicly refused to stand for the defense of LGBT rights last November after a smoke grenade was thrown in a theatre that was screening a LGBT film. IN the past the Pride march has been canceled several times due to the risks for the security of activists.

Éric Pineault, President of Montréal Pride, said: “Montréal Pride’s mission is to act as a beacon of hope for people around the world who continue to battle injustice. The Ukrainian LGBT communities are suffering inequality and we are happy to march with them as a sign of support. Our collaboration with Kiev Pride sends a positive message to Ukrainians while raising awareness in Montreal about the situation of the international LGBT communities.”

Montreal Pride

Montréal Pride is the largest LGBT gathering in the Francophone world. The organisation’s primary mission is to support and promote local LGBT communities while serving as a beacon of hope for people around the world who continue to battle injustice.

Montréal Pride attracts close to 400,000 local and international visitors during a week of cultural and community activities, including the Pride Parade and Community Day.

In 2015, the Montréal Pride festival will be held from August 10 to 16.

For more information about Montréal Pride, click here:

 

REVIEW: BalletBoyz – theTALENT

Ballet Boyz

Theatre Royal, 

New Road, Brighton

It’s now 14 years since Michal Nunn and William Trevitt first brought us BalletBoyz, and their all male dance company is still going strong, delivering on its manifesto to promote men’s dance and make modern ballet and contemporary dance more accessible to a wider audience. But this doesn’t necessarily mean giving audiences an easy ride.

The Murmuring, the first part of this double bill, is challenging on every level. Choreographer Alexander Whitley was inspired by murmurations, mass flocks of starlings in flight, to create a dark and difficult piece exploring the relationship between the group and its members, where individuals and especially free thinkers are at once supported and yet restrained by those around them.

Whitley succeeds in creating a dark and disturbing, dystopia, his choreography often reminiscent of the stuff of nightmares as his dancers variously struggle to break free of each other. His vision is well supported by Jackie Shemesh’s shadowy lighting and the ominous, pounding, grinding soundtrack written by electronic duo Raime.

The dancers were an outstanding ensemble, capturing a society and a dynamic where freedom of expression must ultimately give way to order and conformity.  The final image of the piece, projected on to the stark back wall of the set, was a hauntingly beautiful photograph of a single, tortured dancer, who we assume has failed to escape the clutches of the group and now languishes unfulfilled and in despair.

As with The Murmuring, Mesmerics, the second part of the evening, was introduced to the audience by a short film in which choreographer and dancers shed light on the dance’s creation and development. As before, this provided the audience with an icebreaker to the piece to follow and also intimated a possible sense of narrative and meaning. Some purists and intellectuals may not appreciate this, but it is a device which is entirely fitting for a company whose mission is in part to demystify dance.  It worked on the night.

In contrast to the first half of the evening, Mesmerics is a joyfully uplifting, life affirming piece, in which Christopher Wheeldon’s wonderful choreography draws a series of beautiful tableaux filled with harmonious shapes, elegant lines, and groupings and interactions which impart tenderness and grace.

Natasha Chivers’ simple blue and white lighting lit each vignette like a piece of classical fine art, and alongside Philip Glass’ neo classical score and Wheeldon’s moving choreography created a performance that was both mesmerising and truly beautiful.

Once again the piece showcased the talents of all the dancers, with the whole company interpreting Wheeldon’s steps with insight, power and grace. It was a wonderful finale to an absorbing evening and the company deserved their standing ovation at the end.

theTALENT spring tour continues until, June 7.

For tickets and information on other performances on tour, click here:

 

 

 

Top opera stars to raise money for Mencap

Top British Opera singer will be appearing at the Brighton Centre on December 19 to raise money for Brighton Mencap.

Henry Waddington
Henry Waddington

THE Brighton Centre will play host to this spectacular one-off evening celebrating the grand tradition of opera as a universal language with the power to make us laugh, cry and better understand our world.

Expect to hear some of opera’s most loved arias, duets, and set pieces, including a few festive surprises along the way.

Every ticket sold for this special event will help Mencap continue supporting people with a learning disability, their families and carers.

The event, supported by Mencap, will be directed and programmed by acclaimed bass-baritone Henry Waddington and will be organised by an events committee that includes Opera lover, Neil Pollington.

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Henry Waddington, will lead a cast of some of the top singers in British Opera in an evening of Grand Opera with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Stuart Stratford.

Henry Waddington, said: “I am so pleased to have been able to help organise and take part in this event for Mencap. I was quite overwhelmed at how many of my friends and colleagues were willing to give up their spare time to take part. It promises to be a wonderful evening of music making and a celebration of British Opera talent and all for such a worthy cause”.

The proceeds raised will go to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers and will include the development of a local Mencap service in Brighton and Hove.

Neil Pollington, who is a member of the event’s committee and who has a learning disability, said: ”I love opera and I have always wanted more concerts in Brighton. Neil Hart who supports me at Mencap came to see me at my house, he told me that he was hoping to organise a concert with Opera singers and it made me very excited. Neil helped me find some of the singers on my iPad.  Music is really important to me and I listen to it a lot. My friends and family are always surprised how I can name pieces of music after hearing only a few notes. Opera is one of my favourites and I am looking forward to the night in December”.

The stellar cast already includes stars of the British Opera including:

♦ Sopranos: Giselle Allen, Yvonne Howard, Jeni Bern, Jenni France, Natasha Marsh, Gillian Ramm and Kate Valentine.

♦ Mezzo Sopranos: Carolyn Dobbin, Vicky Simmonds, Sarah Pring, Gaynor Keeble and Leigh Woolf.

♦ Tenors: Chris Turner, Rob Murray, John Graham-Hall, Jeff Lloyd Roberts. David Butt Philip and Nicholas Sherratt.

♦ Baritone/Bass: Henry Waddington, David Kempster, Christopher Maltman, Bradley Travis, Grant Doyle, Brindley Sherratt and Richard Wiegold.

Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, concluded: “We are delighted the support that Henry Waddington and other singers have shown. This was originally Neil’s dream but thanks to the help of Henry we have created a night that not only will make a difference to the lives of people with a learning disability but will also be hugely special for anyone who comes.   We hope you can join us for what promises to be a wonderful evening.” 


Event: Grand Opera fundraiser for Mencap Brighton

Where: Brighton Centre, King’s Rd, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2GR

When: Saturday, December 19

Time: 7.30pm

Tickets: From £35 to £160

To book tickets online, click here:

In person visit the Brighton Centre Box Office, Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm located at the front of the venue on Kings Road or telephone 0844 8471 1515.

 

Karen Harding and Heather Peace join Manchester Pride line-up

Vocalists Karen Harding and Heather Peace have been confirmed to appear at the Manchester Big Weekend line-up starting Friday, August 28 to Monday, August 31.

Heather Peace
Heather Peace

THEY will be joining Texas, noughties favourites Atomic Kitten, attitude-packed vocal trio, Stooshe and Big Weekend favourite, Lucy Spraggan, plus DJ Fresh, Union J and Stonebridge.

Heather is a huge favourite with Manchester Pride Big Weekend festival goers. She is a patron of Manchester Pride and supports a number of LGBT charities.

Heather will be performing tracks from her acclaimed album The Thin Line. She is also on tour across the UK throughout the summer.

Karen Harding
Karen Harding

Karen Harding has made her mark on the music industry in 2015 with her UK debut single Say Something charting at number seven, she reached the Penultimate Stage of the Eurovision: Your Country Needs You competition and then went onto ‘The X Factor’ where she reached the boot camp stage.

Mark Fletcher
Mark Fletcher

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride, said: “We’re pleased that Heather has confirmed her appearance and she will be showcasing tracks from her latest album ‘The Thin Line’, which is a great piece of work. We are also always proud to support new acts and we can’t wait to hear Karen Harding perform ‘Say Something’ live! She is one of the UK’s up and coming stars and will set the event alight with her presence.  As we are announcing more acts we encourage everyone to buy their tickets asap and join us for four days of celebrations in Manchester’s world famous Gay Village as we mark the 25th anniversary of charity fundraising events celebrating LGBT life in Manchester.” 

Event: Manchester Big Weekend

Where: Cancel Street, Manchester

When: Friday, 28 – Sunday, August 30.

Tickets: £22 for a weekend ticket, £12.50 for day tickets and children’s tickets are also available from £5. Tickets provide guests with access to the event site, including the Main Arena, Sackville Gardens, the Gaydio Dance Arena and the Expo and help Manchester Pride raise money for LGBT and HIV charities and organisations in Greater Manchester.

To book tickets online, click here:

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