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Month: March 2017

Sir Ian McKellen opens Manchester Exhibition

Posted on by Besi

Sir Ian McKellen opens NEVER GOING UNDERGROUND: The Fight for LGBT+ Rights at the People’s History Museum in Manchester.

Sir Ian McKellen opened Never Going Underground at the People’s History Museum in Manchester yesterday (March 2); a ground-breaking exhibition that explores the movement and stories of diverse LGBT+ communities and their quest for equality, and which marks 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexual acts in England and Wales (1967 Sexual Offences Act).

Sir Ian said: “We should all accept the simple fact that we should love each other. Radical non-conformist passion defines this city and it’s wonderful that the People’s History Museum should be telling this story. I hope this exhibition can go across the country so that this story can be told, and then it should travel the world.”

Sir Ian McKellen and Lord Cashman
Sir Ian McKellen and Lord Cashman

Janneke Geene, acting director for the People’s History Museum, said: “It means a great deal to all those who have helped to make Never Going Underground happen, that it has been opened by Ian McKellen; one of the world’s most recognisable, respected and vocal figures on LGBT+ rights, who has been involved at the frontline of LGBT+ campaigns for many, many years.

“This is a powerful and hugely important exhibition that illuminates the humbling story of what people have gone through to achieve rights to simply be themselves, and one that, as the People’s History Museum, it is our privilege to tell and invite visitors to share in.”

Never Going Underground, which is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), takes visitors on an often stark and hugely emotional journey, serving as a reminder of the way that LGBT+ people have been criminalised, persecuted and erased from history for hundreds of years and the struggles they have had to encounter to achieve equality. 

Tiffany Hunt
Tiffany Hunt

Tiffany Hunt, Chair of HLF North West Committee, said: “I’m delighted to be visiting Never Going Underground and seeing the incredible impact of National Lottery players’ money. This pioneering exhibition will preserve an underexplored part of the UK’s heritage for future generations and pay tribute to those who have fought as part of the ongoing struggle for LGBT+ rights.”

The vision for the exhibition has been led by nine voluntary community curators supported by the People’s History Museum.  Adrian Smith, Heather Davidson, Jenny White, Kirsty Roberts, Kirsty Jukes, Lu Tolu, Sarah Wilkinson, Stephen M Hornby and Vivien Walsh have met with campaigners, researched archives and reached out to individuals and groups to gather art, photographs, newspaper reports and memories to present their narrative of how diverse LGBT+ communities have forged the path forwards towards equality.  Protest, representation, visibility, solidarity, a shared voice and creativity have been the driving forces behind the vision for LGBT+ rights, and these form the backdrop for the exhibition.

Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus
Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus

Vivien Walsh, community curator for the People’s History Museum, added: “Looking at all the material we’ve collected and put together, it is shocking to realise how long it took us to achieve – partially – the basic human right of being treated equally: and how far there is still to go.

“I am especially struck by how much campaigning and struggle it took. Like everything else celebrated in the People’s History Museum, what the LGBT+ community has achieved, took decades of campaigning and sacrifice by the people who are remembered in this exhibition.”

Sarah Wilkson, community curator for the People’s History Museum, said: “There is no single narrative in the struggle for LGBT+ rights and we hope that the exhibition highlights some of the everyday heroes who fought, and continue to fight, for LGBT+ rights as well as representing key events that have made a difference to all our lives.”

Four partners are working with the People’s History Museum on Never Going Underground: The Proud Trust, LGBT Foundation, Proud 2 b Parents and Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus. The project has been made possible by the National Lottery through a HLF grant of £63,000. The exhibition forms part of a year-long programme of events, talks, community projects and a schools learning programme; all of which will discuss, explore and navigate the LGBT+ movement showing the struggles and the social and historical context of decades of activism.

The exhibition runs till September 3.

For more information on the People’s History Museum, click here:

For more information about the exhibition, click here:

For programme of events, click here:

PREVIEW: Visions of the Apocalypse: An organ concert for Lent by D’Arcy Trinkwon

Posted on by Besi

 

Visions of the Apocalypse: a programme of organ music reflecting the spiritual struggle of life and death, good and evil, and the ultimate transcendence of faith, good and belief performed by D’Arcy Trinkwon.

Alongside Bach – as ever the arbiter of spiritual levels beyond words – two dramatic French works: Langlais’ vivid depiction of the story of ‘The Fifth Trumpet’ (Book of Revelations) that speaks of the star falling from the skies into darkness of the earth, the scourging plague of locusts and the ferocious calamities that follow during the Apocalypse. Alain’s Trois Danses expresses the struggling conflict of Life, mourning and the dance of joy.

The programme also includes two of the beautiful works of Franck: the searingly intense Prière and his third, final Choral – a work whose exploration of profound feeling builds to a magnificent and optimistic end.

BACH                    Fantasia & Fugue in C minor, BWV537

LANGLAIS          Cinq Méditations sur l’Apocalypse, op.157: No.5 – La Cinquième trompette

FRANCK              Prière, Op.20

ALAIN                   Trois danses

FRANCK              Choral No. 3 in A minor 

“There is no contradiction between dance and suffering; dance, like music itself, expresses itself without context, and it perhaps translates in its sublimity that which words can only say brutally”….. Jehan Alain

Event: Visions of the Apocalypse – A Concert for Lent

Where: Worth Abbey, Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill, West Sussex, RH10 4SB

When: Sunday 12 March 2017

Time: 7.30pm

Cost: Free entry. Retiring collection

 

PREVIEW: Celtic Connections competition winner to play Brighton Fringe

Posted on by Contributor

Winner of the Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Competition, Fiddle & Cello duo An Dhá bring their unique blend of Celtic music and Jazz to the Brighton Fringe.

Recently described as “very impressive” by BBC Radio Scotland’s Bruce MacGregor, An Dhá are taking the Folk world by storm. After winning the London Fiddle Convention Competition in 2016 they did not expect to also win the prestigious Danny Kyle Competition earlier this year and join the ranks of past winners such as Rura, Breabach and The Chair.

Jaya Hanley, An Dhá’s Fiddle Player, said: “Winning the Danny Kyle Competition was an incredible experience. It is such an honour to be following in the footsteps of some of the Folk music greats; it is so exciting to be on the cutting edge of contemporary Celtic music. The cherry on top is to be able to play beautiful music with my fiancée.”

After several popular performances in the fringe festival last year with their ‘Highly Recommended’ (Fringe Review) show Urban Folk Music An Dhá’s new show Supertigers will explore what it means to play traditional Celtic music and infuse it with Jazz. An Dhá will be playing four shows at the Brighton Komedia and three shows at the Brighton Buddhist Centre during the festival.

Traditional music power couple Jaya Hanley and Sarah James started exploring folk music together in more depth on the Isle of Skye in 2013. An Dhá means ‘The Two’ in Gaelic.

Event: An Dhá: Supertigers

Where: Komedia Studio, 44-47 Gardner St, Brighton BN1 1UN

When: May 7 at 5pm, May 16 & 24 at 7pm, May 21, 1:30pm

Cost: £12(£9) Under 16s £5 [1hr 30m]

Where: Brighton Buddhist Centre, 17 Tichborne St, Brighton BN1 1UR

When: May 14 at 3pm, May 14 at 3pm, May 19 & 20 at 7pm

Cost: £12(£9) Under 16s £5 [1hr 30m]

For more information, click here: 

To book tickets online, click here:

Or call: 01273 917272

 

REVIEW: Rambert: Ghost Dances and others

Posted on by Eric Page

Rambert

Ghost Dances and others

This is their 90th year and their formula of combining the talents of artists, musicians and choreographers is on display with this collection from the back catalogue of some of the great commissions that Rambert has brought forth.

Last night at the Theatre Royal we saw Flight from Malgorzata Dzierzon which brought the hopes and dreams of peoples as they shared stories of movement and migration to the stage, with an urgent series of interlocked dances telling the stories of seeking a new home, with walls and barriers conflicting, supporting and enclosing this allowed the Rambert to explore intimate movements in groups of two are three while allowing the expression of the whole mass to develop. Technically brilliant and with an honest emotional core this was my favourite piece of the night and a great opener.

Next up was Tomorrow, which inhabited the dark and dangerous world of Macbeth. Building on her recent, landmark production of the play, Lucy Guerin’s dance work gives physical life to the psychological conflict that led a man to murder. Tomorrow is Lucy Guerin’s first work for Rambert. And these two parallel dances interconnected but running in opposite directions in time gave some glorious moments of full ensemble movement, this is a frenetic, passionate piece with a dark central narrative. Done with panache this evening.

Then closing with the due famous Ghost Dances. The masterpiece of world-famous choreographer Christopher Bruce, Ghost Dances is possibly the most popular work in Rambert’s history. It tells stories of love and compassion, as death – in the form of the iconic ‘ghosts’ – interrupts the daily lives of a series of ordinary people. Created as a response to political oppression in South America, it uses imagery from the Day of the Dead and bewitching traditional songs to create a moving, intensely human work. This revival is the first time it has been seen in the UK since 2003.

Evocative and as reflective as it was the first time around this piece hushed the audience and reverberated around the rococo inners of the Theatre, looking, pressing, trying to get out into the night, to embrace the crepuscular heart of this piece and find, eventually some sort of acceptance. The costumes from Belinda Scarlett brought a raw tribal edge to the movements and the relentless pushing narrative of the music arranged by Nicholas Mojsiejenko gave the emotional heft this piece requires. The musicians were on top form last night and provided some superb musical accompaniment to the movements.

As powerful last night as it was on it’s first performance this revival of Ghost Dancers shows why Rambert are the UK’s premier dance company

As usual with the Rambert their superb attention to details coupled with the passion and commitment of these young talented dancers combines to give a gripping evenings performance, one which brought the full very excited house to it’s feet and deliver an ovation to this team at the peak of their game and seemed to delight my companion, his first attendance at dance as performance.

It is their commitment to excellence, to presenting new and historic works, and to taking world-class dance to the widest possible audience nationwide, that makes Rambert Britain’s national dance company.

Catch ‘em if you can, Until Saturday, March 4

Applications open for Towner’s annual Open exhibition Sussex Open 2017

Posted on by Contributor

Towner Art Gallery’s annual Open exhibition is to be re-launched in 2017 as Sussex Open with artists from both East and West Sussex invited to participate.

Sussex Open 2017 will bring together emerging and established artists from across Sussex, offering artists and gallery visitors a unique opportunity to present and view works by artists at every level of their career.

The panel who will be responsible for selecting the work in this year’s exhibition are Turner Prize shortlisted photographer and filmmaker Richard Billingham; Rosie Cooper, Head of Exhibitions at De la Warr Pavilion, and Towner’s own Head of Exhibitions Brian Cass.

Artists who have previously exhibited work in Towner’s Open exhibition have gone on to be selected for John Moore’s Painting Prize, the Jerwood Drawing Prize, the BFI Film Festival in the experimental film category and have been shortlisted for the Mark Tanner Sculpture Prize.

Work for consideration by this year’s panel of selectors must be submitted by 4pm on April 30 via www.townereastbourne.org.uk/SussexOpen2017

Event: Sussex Open 2017

Where: Towner Art Gallery, Devonshire Park, College Rd, Eastbourne BN21 4JJ

When: July 22 – October 1, 2017

Cost: Free entry

Liberal Democrats table bold housing plans

Posted on by Besi

“It’s time for the city council to be bold in seeking solutions for the housing crisis”, say Brighton & Hove Liberal Democrats.

Carrie Hynds, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hove, says: “Many families and young people like me find it really difficult to get good housing in the city. The toxic combination of soaring house prices and static earnings make it mission impossible. The council house waiting list is just the tip of the iceberg, with Brighton & Hove seeing the highest numbers of rough sleepers outside of London and residents being continually priced out of their homes.”

Brighton & Hove Liberal Democrats have put forward a four-point plan:

1. HOMES: 40% affordable housing is a must

Brighton & Hove City Council must enforce the 40% affordable housing requirement in each new scheme. This is the council’s own target but it has become routine for developers to under deliver. The council extracting money in exchange for missed targets does nothing to provide the affordable homes we so desperately need.

2. OPENNESS: open, democratic, transparent planning

In order to build the homes we need, residents need to feel included and passionate about the changes, and this can’t happen if decisions are made behind closed doors. The secretive process used by Labour, Conservative and Green councillors for the King Alfred development was a disgrace. With no sign of the promised public consultation, it is time to scrap the scheme and start again with a clear, transparent process. The public have every right to participate in the future of the city and we need a fresh start at King Alfred.

3. PARTNERSHIPS: working with the right partners to secure the best deal

The council must be open-minded to working with other partners. Their own City Plan shows that the 1,000 homes over 5 years resulting from the proposed Joint Venture with Hyde falls far short of the total requirements for the city, and they are staking £53 million of taxpayers’ money with, as yet, not a single site identified. Working with other partners in the city must be explored, particularly in situations where the developer would contribute the build if the council contributes the land, so that there are no demands on the general fund or risk to frontline council services.

4. ECO-HOUSING: environmentally friendly and economical to run

Ecological housing is good for the environment and good for the people who live in them. It can apply to new-build housing and the refurbishment of existing buildings. The use of insulation, double glazing and efficient heating systems helps to reduce energy bills for households into the future, whilst use of sustainable and recycled building materials, where practical, can help the environment. Building new housing or converting older buildings near public transport and community facilities reduces the need to make as many car journeys. Built this way, ecological housing can be good for the environment and good for the people who live in them

Carrie Hynds
Carrie Hynds

Carrie added: “Brighton & Hove Liberal Democrats are working on a specific development proposal to deliver large-scale affordable housing in our city, with details to follow in the coming months. We face monumental problems when it comes to housing and it will take bold, innovative and deliverable solutions to secure homes for this generation and those to come.”

New chat show for Bear World TV

Posted on by Besi

Bear World Television to produce new chat show with Jonathan Shuffield and Sergey Grankin.

Jonathan Shuffield and Sergey Grankin
Jonathan Shuffield and Sergey Grankin

Jonathan and Sergey will be working on a new chat show for Bear World TV called Hanging Out with Jonathan and Sergey. The show will follow on from their recent show OUTSpoken (now off the air) which was the only LGBT+ radio show in the northwest USA.

Hanging Out will feature all the fun and games that Jonathan and Sergey have so well established with OUTSpoken, and they will welcome celebrity guests old and new on to their couch in Los Angeles.

Jonathan, said: “OUTSpoken was an important voice for the LGBT+ community that did not have a voice. As we began our journey some 4 years ago, it became increasingly clear that our voice was reaching out even beyond this area. Our mission has always been, and continues to be, to strive to entertain and educate, to be fearless with our voices and most of all to be authentically ourselves through our passion and our humour. We are very excited to take this philosophy to the next level with our new shows and to reach an ever-broadening audience with our humour and joy for life.”

Sergey Grankin, added: “OUTSpoken served the community by giving voices to the LGBT+, black, HIV positive, immigrant, women and other under-represented communities. Our work was important and changed lives daily. Though OUTSpoken as a radio show doesn’t now exist, the act of being outspoken lives within us all every day. Our work is never done. ‘Hanging Out’ is our new endeavor where we hope to bring the unseen and everyday lives of celebrities to your living room. We hope to dig deep and find that underlying human motif that connects us all. Through laughter, joy and conversation we hope to bring entertainment as well as social change conversation from the stars to the masses.” 

Richard Jones, Executive Producer, Bear World TV, said: “When we began talks with Jonathan and Sergey about a TV show they leapt at the chance and they had a million ideas already, which is truly amazing! The energy they create together is going to sparkle on-screen and when you add celebrities into to the mix, it’s going to be unmissable TV!” 

Hanging Out with Jonathan and Sergey goes into production later this year and will be part of the Fall line-up for Bear World TV hosted at REVRY.tv.

To access Bear World TV, click here:

Brighton Council clamps down on dog fouling

Posted on by Besi

Brighton & Hove City Council launch new campaign tomorrow, Friday, March 3 to tackle the long-standing problem of dog fouling in the city.

On Thursday evening, staff from Cityclean will be out and about putting up eye-catching campaign posters – complete with luminous eyes!  The watching eyes, which shine in the dark, are designed to act as a deterrent to dog owners reminding them to clean up after their pets.

The ‘We’re watching you’ campaign, (#we’re watching you) was launched in other areas of the country last year by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, and sets it sights on irresponsible dog owners. The campaign saw an average reduction of 46% in the levels of dog fouling.

Cllr Gill Mitchell
Cllr Gill Mitchell

Chair of the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee, Gill Mitchell says:  “Most incidents of dog fouling happen after dark when some dog owners feel that they can’t be seen. We hope these luminous posters will act as a deterrent, and encourage those irresponsible dog owners to pick up after their pets.”

Staff will also be putting up Keep Britain Tidy group’s ‘Dog Poo Fairy’ posters in parks and other locations reminding dog owners of their responsibilities. Residents are being encouraged to report incidents of dog fouling.

When dog fouling is cleared from pavements, street cleaners will mark the spot with a washable stencil. These stencils aim to send a message that dog fouling will not be tolerated and also reassure residents that their complaints are being dealt with.

Whilst the campaign aims to raise awareness and change behaviour, dog owners are reminded that enforcement officers from 3GS are able to issue on the spot fines to offenders.

Cllr Mitchell, added:  “Dog fouling  is a major concern for many of our residents so we are very pleased  to be working with Keep Britain Tidy, on this campaign.

“Other local authorities which ran the campaign have seen incidents of dog fouling almost halve, so we are hoping to see similar results here in Brighton & Hove.”

The campaign runs alongside the national Great British Spring Clean  event (organised by Keep Britain Tidy) which will see communities getting together to clean up their neighbourhoods.

To report dog fouling telephone Cityclean on 01273 292929

Meanwhile the number of homeless people on the streets continues to rise.

 

LGBT Switchboard appoint new CEO

Posted on by Besi
Daniel Cheesman
Daniel Cheesman

LGBT Switchboard have recruited a new CEO who will start work at the organisation on March 20.

Daniel Cheesman is presently Director of Brighton, Hove & District Samaritans and has extensive experience of working in the voluntary sector.

Daniel said: “I am excited to be joining Brighton and Hove LGBT Switchboard and look forward to leading the organisation through the next phase of its life.  Having worked and volunteered in both the charity and statutory sector I know that this is a challenging time for organisations such as Switchboard, with decreasing public funding but an increasing need for services. 

It is not all doom and gloom though as I believe that it is also a time of great opportunity and a chance for the organisation to focus its offer and connect with the LGBT+ community to deliver a service that responds to the needs that the community and individuals within it have.  As a gay man myself living in Brighton and Hove, and someone who used the Switchboard when coming out, I am passionate about ensuring that we continue to keep on listening, supporting and connecting LGBT+ people.”  

LGBT Switchboard’s Chair, Dermot Scully, said: “We are delighted that Daniel is joining us as CEO of Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard.  Daniel brings us a wealth of experience, from working in both the public and voluntary sectors, including extensive experience of managing helplines from his time at Samaritans. He already has links to the community and is well liked and respected throughout the networks.  We have a proud history of serving our community for more than 40 years and we aim to continue to support the LGBT+ community in Brighton and Hove through our various services and projects; the Board is excited about the future direction of Switchboard. Following the departure of our long-standing CEO Natalie Woods last year we are thrilled to see Daniel joining us and leading us to our next phase.”

 

Sussex University offer free housing law advice to local communities

Posted on by Besi

University of Sussex launches free legal clinic to give expert housing advice to local people.

The City’s residents will be able to contact the Sussex Law School and receive legal support at no cost on a wide range of housing issues including evictions/possession, disrepair, anti-social behaviour/neighbourhood nuisance, landlord harassment, tenancy deposit and leasehold disputes.

The housing legal clinic, which starts today (Wednesday, March 1), is part of the University’s Sussex Clinical Legal Education (SCLE), which has been helping people with family law and employment law advice over the last 12 months.

Dr Amir Paz-Fuchs
Dr Amir Paz-Fuchs

Dr Amir Paz-Fuchs, Director of SCLE, sa ys: “For the past year, University of Sussex law students have been helping some of the most vulnerable people in their local community tackle what are often traumatic life circumstances.

“Pro bono legal clinics play a vital role in communities. And from the response we’ve had so far, it’s clear there is a need for the type of help and guidance we can offer.”

The housing clinics, held on the University’s campus, are intended to benefit both the clients, who have no other means of paying for legal advice, and the students, who are learning about the real and practical applications of their studies.

The legal advice is provided by Sussex Law School students in partnership with solicitors with expertise in housing law issues.

The clinics are in addition to two projects, announced last October, which saw the law school team up with the Brighton Housing Trust and Justlife Brighton to establish two advice projects.

The first gives students the opportunity to assist the public with legal, administrative and research tasks, including County Court visits and clerking.

The second project raises awareness of legal rights among people living in temporary accommodation. It involves students attending a drop-in service run by Justlife, and talking to service-users about legal problems they may be experiencing in areas such as housing, welfare benefits and community care.

So far the law school has helped dozens of people with family and employment legal issues since it started almost a year ago, including 50 in the last four months, with the weekly sessions fully booked.

To make an appointment online for the housing law clinic, click here:

Or email: housinglawclinic@sussex.ac.uk

You can also call 01273 876797 and leave a brief message outlining your situation, plus a name and contact number. A student will then call back to arrange an appointment.

Local people can also make an appointment with the Family Law and Employment Law clinics by calling the hotline on 01273 876797. Or email: lawclinic@sussex.ac.uk 

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