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Day: May 30, 2016

Summer of entertainment across three Eastbourne theatres

Posted on by Paul Gustafson

Eastbourne is in for a bumper season of entertainment with three of its big venues, the Congress Theatre, Devonshire Park Theatre and Winter Garden promoting their summer programmes.

Bodyguard: June 7–18
Bodyguard: June 7–18

Big West End musicals continue at the Congress with Let It Be, a celebration of The Beatles (June 1-4), The Bodyguard starring Alexandra Burke (June 7–18) and the Tony Award winning Avenue Q (July 5-9). Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats also makes a welcome return (August 22–27 ) as does cult rock n roll musical Rocky Horror Show (September 19–24).

At Devonshire Park Theatre there’s plenty of drama and thrills afoot, including Murder in the Park (June 14–July 9) and the chilling Night Must Fall (August 19–September 3). And if you fancy something lighter what about the classic comedy of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit (July 12 -16) or the frantically funny farce of Don’t Dress For Dinner (July 19– 30).

Mission Impudseyble August 19-20
Mission Impudseyble August 19-20

There’s also plenty on offer for children and families this summer. Highlights include Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale Jungle Book (May 17– 21) and CBeebies favourites Chris and Pui (June 5) both coming to Devonshire Park, while Mission Impudseyble (August 19-20) brings Britain’s Got Talent winner Pudsey the dog and owner Ashleigh to the Congress for a brand new interactive spy adventure suitable for the whole family.

Cats: August 22–27
Cats: August 22–27

Meanwhile, over at the Winter Garden Floral Hall there’s the promise of a unique theatrical experience as a new play, Kiss Me Quickstep (July  29– August 18) takes a look beyond the fixed smiles and fake tans in a behind-the-scenes drama about ballroom dancing competitions.

For more info and to purchase tickets for all shows, click here: 

 

Naked riders celebrate ten years of good clean city-cycling fun

Posted on by Gary Hart

Brighton Naked Bike Ride returns to the city’s streets as part of Bike Week on Sunday, June 12 – 10 years since its first reveal.

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The annual celebration of low-carbon, planet-friendly living aims to introduce more people to the joys of body-powered transport as part of a cleaner, safer and less oil-dependent future.

The event is part of the World Naked Bike Ride, which will be taking place in over 50 cities around the globe, including more than 15 in the UK (a new Worthing ride will take place on 2 July).

To mark the tenth anniversary of the Brighton ride, organisers will be highlighting ten cycle-friendly improvements the city has seen since 2006:

♦ 20mph speed limits on most streets

♦ New, improved cycle lanes (eg: Old Shoreham Road, Lewes Road)

♦ Better junctions for cycling (eg: Vogue Gyratory, Seven Dials)

♦ Cycle contraflows (eg: North Laine)

♦ Lots more cycle parking on city streets

♦ New cycle parking facilities at rail stations

♦ Advance traffic ‘go’ lights for cyclists

♦ Shared space on New Road

♦ More deliveries by cycle courier

♦ More cycle shops and projects

Participants are also asked to nominate their own favourite cycle-friendly aspects of the city.

Duncan Blinkhorn
Duncan Blinkhorn

Environmental campaigner and joint organiser Duncan Blinkhorn, said: “We should be proud of how far this city has come in becoming more cycle-friendly and less car-dependent. However, the recent diesel emission scandals have revealed the levels of deceit the motor industry is prepared to use to prop up a fundamentally unclean and unsafe business. Cycling continues to offer a low-impact transport solution for the future. We look forward to further progress, including the bicycle sharing scheme due to be rolled out over the next few years. In the meantime we invite everyone to join us on the ride – as bare as they dare – to celebrate the freedom, friendliness and good clean fun of getting around by bike.”

Up to 1,000 riders are expected to assemble at The Level, Union Road, central Brighton on Sunday, June 12, 2016, at 12 noon.

Participants will decorate their bikes and bodies with environmental messages and the procession – accompanied by a fleet of sound systems -will head off at 1.30pm toward the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Pier, passing west along the seafront, back through the Lanes, North Laine and Kemptown, before finishing at Black Rock naturist beach.

Participation is free, family-friendly and ‘as bare as you dare’. Some riders will strip off completely, while others will choose to ride in skimpy costumes or colourful body paint.

To find out more about the event, the after party and how to take part, click here:

PREVIEW: Return to Sender: Stee Louw

Posted on by Contributor

Stee Louw, a second year student at Brighton City College is studying for a degree in photography.

Stephen Louw
Stephen Louw

Stee, a gay man from Zimbabwe feels compelled to document issues relating to sexuality and in particular homosexuality within minority groups.

He has created a project on African homosexuality called Return to Sender which formed part of a College assignment.

Homosexuality is currently outlawed in 34 countries. Many Africans believe that being homosexual is UnAfrican or a colonial import and Return to Sender serves as a political statement surrounding the Anti-Homosexuality bill that was passed in Uganda in 2013, which includes the death penalty for serial offenders.

Stee says: “I want to be able to use this project to help raise awareness on what it means to be African and Gay.

“If  I am able to make both beautiful images and at the same time help give a voice to a marginalised group, or help raise awareness in a good way then I consider my job done. 

“My wanting to make political statements through art and my love for documenting the human condition derives from my fascination for the complexity of human beings. Much of my concern with the state of humanity and areas of interest stem from my having been raised in Zimbabwe which has had a profound impact on who I am as an artist.” 

Stee will be exhibiting this project at The Dorset Pub in the North Lanes in Brighton throughout June and July 2016.

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For more information about how Stee put the project together, click here:

 

 

PREVIEW: Avenue Q comes to Eastbourne

Posted on by Contributor

You’d be a muppet to miss this Tony award-winning Broadway and West End musical!

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A smash hit on Broadway and in the West End, award-winning comedy musical Avenue Q will bring a host of fuzzy friends to Congress Theatre, Eastbourne from Tuesday July 5 – Saturday, July 9 2016.

Featuring the naughtiest puppets in town, brought to life by an ensemble cast of 11 performers, Avenue Q is a Tony Award-winning musical about growing up, dreaming big, and finding your purpose in life.

Meet Princeton, a bright-eyed graduate who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Soon discovering that the only neighbourhood in his price range is Avenue Q, he finds himself moving in with some truly quirky characters.

There’s Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fiancée Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his closet gay Republican roommate Rod, an Internet ‘sexpert’ called Trekkie Monster and a very cute kindergarten teacher named Kate Monster. And would you believe the building’s superintendent is Gary Coleman?! Featuring hysterically funny songs Avenue Q is a hilarious musical with a warm (and very fuzzy) heart.

Avenue Q first opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003, before transferring to Broadway later that year where it won three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.

In 2006 it transferred to the West End produced by Cameron Mackintosh, where it ran for five years before touring the UK. It has appeared in more than ten countries all over the world.

Avenue Q is co-created by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winner Robert Lopez, who also co-created The Book of Mormon. Robert also co-wrote the songs for Disney’s Frozen and has worked on TV shows Scrubs, The Simpsons and Southpark.

Event: Avenue Q

Where: Congress Theatre, Carlisle Rd, Eastbourne BN21

When: Tuesday July 5 to Saturday July 9

Time: Nightly performances at 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinee on Saturday and 5.30pm and 8.30pm on Friday.

Cost: Tickets from £17.50

To book tickets online, click here:

Box Office: 01323 412000

 

Brighton locals co-operate for a better life

Posted on by Alice Blezard

A free event for people wanting more control over the way that they live and work will take place in Brighton.

WEB.600Cooperative Alternatives for Work, Housing, Energy, Food and More will take place on June 11 at the Synergy Centre, 78 West Street from 10.30am to 7pm.

Brighton and Hove is well-known for its high cost of living, which can make life a challenge for many of the city’s residents. The city has some of the most deprived areas in the country, and housing costs, homelessness, fuel poverty and food bank usage are all currently at an all-time high.

Cooperative Alternatives for Work, Housing, Energy, Food and More will be organised by Mutual Aid in Sussex and Free University Brighton, and aims to showcase the benefits of a co-operative as well as offering talks, workshops and advice.

Brighton & Hove is one of the UK’s co-operative hot spots, with around 100 co-ops and social enterprises throughout the city including Infinity Foods, The Bevy Co-op Pub, Magpie Recycling, Brighton Energy Co-op and several housing co-operatives.

Co-operatives tend to pay better wages to their employees, and can also reduce inequality due to much lower wage ratios between low and high earners within them.

They can be more resilient in economic downturns and take issues that affect local people more into account. Housing co-operatives also play a small but growing role in providing more affordable housing in Brighton and Hove.

At the one-day event, attendees will learn how to set up a workers’ or housing co-op, find out how to access funding for their ideas and learn how to resolve conflict. There will be plenty of opportunities to get advice from experts, explore and take forward ideas with others.

Amy Hall, an organiser with Mutual Aid in Sussex, said: “The event is about introducing local people to co-operatives and social enterprises to show them how they can have more ownership and control over their housing, work, energy, media, land, technology and much more. It’s also an opportunity for people already in co-operatives and social enterprises in the city to meet and help each other.”

Food and drink will be available from local co-ops Hail Seitan! and Bartleby’s Brewery, and there will be an after-party with entertainment from 7pm.

The event is free and open to all. (Donations welcome.)

For full schedule of workshops and booking, click here:

Event: Cooperative Alternatives for Work, Housing, Energy, Food and More 

Where: Synergy Centre, 78 West Street, Brighton,

When: Saturday, June 11

Time: From 10.30am-7pm

Cost: Free entry, donations welcomed

 

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