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Day: February 11, 2019

PREVIEW: Rockbottom @The Marlborough

Posted on by Contributor

Rockbottom a powerful, absorbing and topical new dance theatre solo from Stuart Waters comes to the Marlborough Pub and Theatre on Friday, March 1.

Rockbottom
Rockbottom

COMBINING bold story-telling with highly physical choreography, Rockbottom is a moving portrait of one man’s journey through depression and addiction.

While the subject matter of Rockbottom is semi-autobiographical, the piece is accessible and is designed to alternately move, challenge, and illuminate the audience.

The themes of depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal are leavened with unexpected humour and warmth; the mood of the piece skyrockets between existential angst and irony while prominence is given to the roles of resilience and support networks along the road to recovery.  Rockbottom is a thought-provoking piece as well as a reflective tool for everyone concerned with mental well-being.

Stuart Waters
Stuart Waters

Stuart Waters’ critically acclaimed physical theatre identity, honed over many years of performance with high profile contemporary dance companies is centre-stage in this riveting exploration of one man’s personal struggle to find the light. Rockbottom marks his debut as a solo writer/performer.

Event: Rockbottom by Stuart Waters

Where: Marlborough Pub and Theatre, Princess Street, Brighton

When: Friday, March 1

Time: 7.30pm

Cost: £9.50/£7.50

To book tickets online, click here:

 

Greens celebrate the contribution of the LGBT communities this LGBT History Month

Posted on by Besi

Green Councillors speak out in support of city-wide celebrations of LGBT history month during February.

Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty
Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty

GREENS are encouraging residents to explore, learn and celebrate the contribution of the LGBT+ communities through a series of events taking place across the city during February. This year’s LGBT history month marks 50 years on from the Stonewall Riots, a critical moment in the history of LGBT rights and community activism.

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “LGBT history month is a crucial point in the year when organisations like the city council can reiterate our support for LGBT equality. But in the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots – which was a defining time for the LGBT community- it’s also an important point in the year to understand how much more work is to be done to achieve full LGBT equality both here and across the world. Events that have been organised in our city by the Museums and the council’s own LGBT Workers’ Forum give us all the chance to celebrate the often hidden history of the LGBT community and recognise the experiences of LGBT people today.

“We need outward signs that the council is serious about marking this important time– that could include flying the rainbow flag above our Town Halls like many other councils and the Welsh Assembly. Greens want to see the city council deepen our support for the entire LGBT community with outward civic recognition of the diversity of our community and an annual celebration of the community during LGBT history month. Building on our work when we ran the council- initiating the award-winning trans equality scrutiny and health needs assessment, recognition of bi-awareness day and top equality awards from Stonewall for LGBT work in schools, Brighton and Hove Greens have a vision for a future of LGBT equality.  There is much to do and we look forward to unveiling our commitments to the LGBT community in our manifesto.”  

For whats on during LGBT History Month in Brighton, click here:

Royal Pavilion and Museums are holding a free day of events on February 23 to explore LGBT history as part of their one-day festival, OUTing the Past.

For more information about this event, click here:

PREVIEW: Boy Wonder – Still, A Marvellous Party!

Posted on by Craig Hanlon-Smith

In 2017, to acknowledge and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, Ignite Books published A Marvellous Party, a collection of heartfelt tributes to queer heroes and heroines, written by Ian Elmslie, the musical half of award-winning gay cabaret act, Katrina and The Boy.

From musical heroes such as David Bowie, Tom Robinson, Boy George and George Michael, to stars of stage and screen including Liza Minnelli, Victoria Wood and Julie Walters, and the literary icons Quentin Crisp and Armistead Maupin, Elmslie acknowledges the inestimable influence of these personal heroes on his life, but also details the unparalleled thrill of meeting these legendary figures.

The centrepiece of the book features a first-hand account of working on the gay cabaret scene during the Nineties, detailing the joy at the newly found and positive visibility of the community while addressing the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS.

As the going got tough, the tough went dancing and singing in the gay clubs and pubs across the land, with spirits being lifted by the likes of such drag luminaries Lily Savage, Regina Fong, Adrella, Dave Lynn, Dockyard Doris and Phil Starr, to name but a few.

Elmslie recalls nights at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, at Pride, at the Edinburgh Festival, leading the reader through page-turning adventures, mixing laughter with occasional tears, and remembrances of friends  passed and places closed, but never forgotten.

Each chapter celebrates a hero, and encourages the reader to consider their own personal journey, and how they too have not only survived but flourished through the most testing of times.

Ian, returning to his cabaret roots is bringing the book to life in the form of a live and musical presentation of stories from the book. The musical numbers celebrating the incredible catalogue of music created by LGBT composers.

The full program features songs by Elton John, Joan Armatrading, Labi Siffre, Billie Holiday, William Finn, Tracey Chapman, and a host of others, and original songs by the author. One of the first performances will be at Vinyl Revolution on March 7.

Ian says; “I could not be more excited and delighted to be presenting the Brighton premiere “taster” of my show at the wonderful Vinyl Revolution. To be surrounded by the music that changed my life is both appropriate and an honour. I can’t wait to present stories from the book, and celebrate our shared history.”

The event is absolutely free, but space is limited and those interested are recommended to get there early. Signed copies of Ian’s book will be available for £10 and the record store will also be open for the audience to treat themselves to some rare and beautiful vinyl. It is indeed sure to be A Marvellous Party.

Event: Vinyl Revolution presents Ian Elmslie

Where: Vinyl Revolution, 33 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG

When: March 7

Time: 7pm

Cost: Free entry. Space restricted. Get there early to avoid disappointment

 

City awarded nearly £470,000 for electric taxi network

Posted on by Gary Hart

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (Olev) has awarded Brighton & Hove, £468,000 to introduce electric taxi hubs and rapid charging facilities.

THE council’s bid was awarded in full and will pay for 75% of the scheme to provide a network of charging facilities for taxis across the city. The remaining 25% will be paid for through a concession agreement, with a portion of the charge coming back to the council.

Taxis will benefit from four rapid charging electric vehicle hubs in the city. Each hub will have three rapid charging stations and will be for taxi use. The infrastructure is designed to encourage taxi operators to choose electric vehicles.

Cllr Gill Mitchell

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the city’s environment, transport & sustainability committee, said: “This money will support local companies who want to introduce electric vehicles to their fleet by ensuring they have the infrastructure to operate.

“It’s part of our aim, in partnership not only with taxi drivers, but also with public transport operators, businesses, residents and visitors to support and encourage the move  towards zero emissions and improved air quality for all who live, work and visit the city.”

Our licensing team have played an important part in talking to the taxi trade and worked with transport officers on the bid.

In a council survey of taxi and private hire drivers and companies, 81% of those responding said that their cars currently use diesel but almost a third said they would consider changing to an electric vehicle in the next one to two years and 43% said they had seen an electric vehicle they would like to buy but would not do so until there were more places to charge. The cost of charging an electric vehicle would be much cheaper than conventional fuel.

Sixty-two per cent said that dedicated taxi charging points were ‘essential’ and almost half (47%) said they would be likely to charge their vehicle at a public car park with shops or a café which fits in with our strategy to install rapid charging hubs with nearby facilities. Almost 92% said they were likely to charge their vehicles at home off shift, meaning they would start the day with a full charge, so providing a rapid charge facility mid shift would be an ideal solution for them.

The Department for Transport has also announced grants of more than £4 million for investment in zero emission buses in Brighton & Hove.

‘Let’s get you home’ but ‘Let’s make it real’

Posted on by Besi

Old and frail people are routinely discharged from the Royal Sussex County Hospital without proper discharge plans or advice.

A REVIEW conducted by HealthWatch Brightonand Hove on the experiences of older people being discharged from the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton from July to September 2018, reveals community support often fails to meet expectations and does not help people cope independently at home, raising serious concerns about the quality and consistency of care planning and a lack of coordination and personalisation of care.

♦  59% people felt they were not involved or only partly in decisions about their care. Over half of these patients 53% felt they had not been asked for their opinion

♦  39% of all patients felt the advice they had received while in hospital was not good enough to prepare them for being at home. 44% of all patients felt they were either not ready or only partly ready to return home.

♦  At the time we spoke to hospital patients, only 3% had received written advice on discharge planning, 11 people had received a hospital discharge letter, and only two people had received a written care plan.

Fran McCabe
Fran McCabe

Fran McCabe, Chair of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove said: “One person told us about being asked to walk with a Zimmer frame to the toilet on the day of their discharge. Following a fractured hip this was the first time they had out of bed in a week. A cancer patient told about leaving hospital with no advice or information and ending up back in A&E a week later.

Overall people rate their care in the hospital and at home highly, but all too often they are not involved in their own care or discharge plans.”

David Liley
David Liley

David Liley, Chief Officer, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove added: “It is shocking that old and frail people are not being routinely involved in plans about their care at home after discharge from hospital.

“There are plenty of fancy policies and promises in the system, but we need to make them real. Solutions need to work in the boiler room, not just sound good in the Boardroom.”

 

EXHIBITION: Hats off to a stunning 5-star exhibition at the Royal Pavilion

Posted on by Paul Gustafson

Brighton’s spectacular Royal Pavilion has been filled with hats, hats and more hats in a sublime exhibition joyously celebrating the work of master milliner, Stephen Jones OBE.

Hat worn by Victoria Beckham designed by Stephen Jones 2008
Hat worn by Victoria Beckham designed by Stephen Jones 2008

Throughout the Pavilion, Jones and his collaborators have created a breath-taking array of installations which showcase the artistry, flair, and technical bravura of his creations in a way that is beautifully and emphatically sympathetic to the show’s lavish surroundings. In creating an exhibition that is also a homage to its sumptuous venue, Jones and museum curator Martin Pel have achieved something truly memorable.

Jones had already developed a collection inspired by Brighton and the Pavilion seven years ago, so having the opportunity to show that collection in situ, along with other iconic creations, has been deeply gratifying for the designer:

“I grew up in a seaside town, but Brighton to me seemed exciting, exotic, and it symbolised art and freedom” says Jones. “In 2012, I designed a collection called ‘Chinoiserie-on-Sea’ for which I researched Brighton, and in particular the Pavilion, extensively; and it feels like showing my hats there is almost like a homecoming. I have never had the opportunity to display hats in the environment which inspired them.”

The Banqueting Room with a variety of hats for celebrities and royalty
The Banqueting Room with a variety of hats for celebrities and royalty

Standing out amongst the many genuine highlights of this exhibition, the Pavilion’s iconic Banqueting Room has been spectacularly re-imagined to host a ‘dinner’ for 26 hats designed for some of Jones’ most famous celebrities, including the Duchess of Sussex, Kate Moss, Boy George, Kylie Minogue, Mick Jagger and Lady Gaga.  Each hat is ingeniously suspended above a seat at the famous banqueting table. It’s a surreal, almost ghostly sight, at once charming and ethereally beautiful.

Other highlights include hats made for catwalk shows and collections by designers such as Dior, Thom Browne, Giles Deacon, Comme des Garçons, Marc Jacobs and Matty Bovan.  There are also hats, inspired by the interiors of the Royal Pavilion, which were made for the 2015 China: Through the Looking Glass exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hats in the Kitchen - English Breakfast and French onion soup 1985
Hats in the Kitchen – English Breakfast and French onion soup 1985

In fact everywhere you look, as you wander through the Pavilion, there are beautiful hats: glamorous hats; gravity defying hats; hats that are delicate works of engineering; playful hats; iconic hats that you might recognise from TV and magazines. Just so many wonderful hats.

The Mad Hatter 2013 and hat for Thom Browne AW14 in the Kitchen
The Mad Hatter 2013 and hat for Thom Browne AW14 in the Kitchen

It’s a real triumph of this exhibition that the avant-garde design and superb craftsmanship that has gone into every exhibit succeeds in emulating the exacting technical and aesthetic standards and aspirations of the architects, craftsmen, artists and designers who together built George IV’s ground-breaking pleasure palace.

The other great success of this wonderful show is that it rightfully reminds us that, in its heyday, the Pavilion was not a ‘museum’, but a place where Regency movers and shakers and members of the fashionable elite came together by royal invitation to dress up in their finery and party in true royal style.

Stephen Jones Hats at the Royal Pavilion runs from February 7 to June 9, 2019 presented in partnership with Harvey Nichols.

For further information click here:

The Royal Pavilion is open daily from 10am to 5.15pm (last tickets at 4.30pm) until March 31 and then 9.30am until 5.45pm from April 1.

Admission charges apply, Family tickets and concessions available.
For more details, click here:

To purchase tickets on-line click here:

Hats in the kitchen

BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, 2019 opens March 21

Posted on by Graham Robson

The 33rd edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival returns to the BFI Southbank from March 21–31, 2019.

Vita & Virginia
Vita & Virginia

THE festival will open with the UK premiere of Chanya Button’s Vita & Virginia, which is the true story of the passionate relationship between literary trailblazer Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), and the enigmatic aristocrat Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton).

Vita & Virginia, which will open in the UK on July 12, is written (screenplay) by Chanya Button and adapted from Dame Eileen Atkins’ play of the same name. With a supporting cast that includes Isabella Rossellini, Rupert Penry-Jones and Peter Ferdinando, Vita & Virginia was shot in Dublin and produced by Evangelo Kioussis and Katie Holly.

The Pureland Foundation returns as Main Supporter of BFI Flare, The second in their three-year commitment to the Festival. This continues a significant philanthropic contribution from the Foundation, providing vital support for the Festival and bolstering its success.

Chanya Button
Chanya Button

Chanya Button, Director and Screenwriter of Vita & Virginia, said: “I’m beyond thrilled that Vita & Virginia will be opening BFI Flare. Tricia Tuttle’s support has been invaluable, and I’m so grateful that this film that celebrates love and creativity in all its forms will have a platform at such a vivid and forward thinking festival.”

Tricia Tuttle
Tricia Tuttle

Tricia Tuttle, Director of BFI Festivals, added: “We’re delighted to have such a strong new British film opening BFI Flare – and from a wonderfully talented female filmmaker to boot! 

“BFI Flare goes from strength to strength, which is the result of increased investment in LGBTQ+ filmmaking globally, and also a reflection of support from key partners. This is particularly true of our Main Supporter, the Pureland Foundation who share our belief that BFI Flare has a very real positive social and cultural benefit.”

The full programme of BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival will include 52 feature films, an expanded industry programme, selected films on BFI Player VOD service and a series of special events and archive screenings.

For the full programme of screenings available from February 20, click here:

Vita & Virginia
Vita & Virginia

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