April 2016

Derby College Students Visit the Big Apple

Sociology students at Derby College's Joseph Wright Campus have visited New York as part of their A level programme.

The four day trip included a visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, a ferry ride to the Lady Liberty statue, the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and to the John Lennon memorial. They also joined a walking tour of Wall Street where the students saw the iconic bronze 'Charging Bull' scuplture.

Cyclists Gear Up For Sportive Challenge

Hundreds of cyclists from across the UK will take to the roads of Derbyshire and Staffordshire this Sunday (May 1) for the Cycle Derby Spring Classic Sportive event. The event, organised by Cycle Derby and city-based HUUB Events, will start and finish at Markeaton Park.

Tomorrows Engineers at Merrill Academy

Year eight pupils at Merrill Academy in Allenton had a fascinating and interactive insight into the careers available in engineering during a day-long workshop.

A team from Tomorrow’s Engineers, led by Engineering UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering, visited the school as part of its nationwide programme to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Déda Plans for Fusion Future

Déda - a creative centre for the development of Dance, Contemporary Circus and Outdoor Work - is bringing together a wide range of arts professionals for a symposium in Derby, the East Midlands.

Local Aerial Artist Supported by Derby Festé Commission

Circus artist and aerialist Ria Ashcroft has clinched support to create a new performance that will be seen for the first time at this September’s Derby Festé.

The 10th Derby Festé will be held on Friday September 23 and Saturday September 24 and Ria’s performance will be staged on River Gardens for visitors to enjoy on the second day. Ria has teamed up with Phil Coggins and Mark Hornsey from Buxton-based Babbling Vagabonds theatre group as well as Kristy Guest and Hannah Stone from female theatre company The Gramophones to develop the new commission.

Citibase Derby Doubles in Size in a Huge Vote of Confidence for the Derby Business Community

In a great boost to the Derby economy, a business centre in Derby’s St Peters Quarter has doubled in size just over a year after it first opened. To celebrate the unveiling of the additional space, the centre is offering some very special deals for new customers.

Citibase, the UK’s largest independent operator of fully-serviced business centres, opened its centre in Laurie House, Colyear Street just over 12 months ago and rapidly filled up with businesses ranging from web design and journalism to engineering, recruitment and health care.

Ilkeston Event Showcases Course and Career Options

Derby College is opening its doors to the public for an information morning on Saturday April 23 between 10am and 12 noon.

As well as a wide range of demonstrations, there will be the opportunity to try out various vocations from bricklaying to hairdressing and the chance to speak to the tutors about the full and part time courses available at the £10m purpose-built campus in Pimlico.

Flamenco Edition returns to Déda with the sensational Compañía Olga Pericet

Flamenco Edition, the hand-flicking, toe-tapping brainchild of Birmingham-based flamenco artist and promoter Ana Garcia, is back in Derby next month.

On Friday 13 May, Flamenco Edition 2016 presents Olga Pericet Company at Déda, led by Olga Pericet, one of the most celebrated choreographers and dancers gracing the world stage today.

Sin título will take the audience on an intimate journey to a world in which distinctive and contrasting emotions are expressed through different flamenco styles native to the Spanish regions of Andalusia.

Broomfield Hall Plant Fest

Derby College’s Broomfield Hall campus in Morley will be open to the public on Sunday April 24 where Horticulture students and lecturers will share their knowledge of how to grow a wide range of plants.

The Plant Fest between 10am and 4pm will be the first in a series of events throughout the year focusing on different aspects of gardening skills. Workshops will be held about Spring pruning and visitors are also being encouraged to bring in samples of plants from their own gardens for the ‘Plant Doctor’ to offer advice on any problems.

Derby Film Festival returns on April 29th

Derby Film Festival returns on April 29th for ten days of film previews, guest events, retrospective screenings and more. Our festival guest of honour this year is actor and writer Simon Callow who will be joining us on May 4th for an on stage discussion of his career in cinema.

Film previews at this year’s festival include Meryl Streep in comedy drama Florence Foster Jenkins, Patrick Stewart in the thriller Green Room, Oscar nominated Turkish drama Mustang and Manchester music documentary Do You Own The Dancefloor?

Headline Act Confirmed For Derby Festé 2016

Derby’s Bass’ Recreation Ground will be transformed into a magical underwater spectacle for the headline act at this September’s Derby Festé 2016.

French company Transe Express will bring its brand new outdoor performance MÚ to the city on the evening of Saturday September 24 which will be only its second performance in the UK.

Shared Studio Space Available at West Studios Chesterfield

From the beginning of June, there will be a shared studio space available for rent.

Based on Sheffield Road in Chesterfield, West Studios is an arts centre housing 19 small creative and community based businesses in a shared studio environment.  There are several meeting rooms for hire, regular exhibitions and hand crafted work is sold through the gallery shop.

Festival Praise For Derby College Students

Students from Derby College have been applauded for their volunteer work to support the first 2Q Festival in Derby.

2Q Festival was a one day, live music festival featuring more than 50 bands across six venues in the city centre. Music, Media Public Services and Travel and Tourism students from the College’s Joseph Wright, Roundhouse and Broomfield Hall campuses volunteered to support the event as part of the work experience programme. They undertook a number of roles from technical and social media support to helping to sell tickets and liaising with customers.

Sarruga Dragons Return To Mark Derby Festé Milestone

Organisers of the 10th annual Derby Festé announced today that this year’s arts spectacular will see the return of the stunning giant fire-breathing dragons that took the city by storm at the first ever Festé in 2007.

Festé first came to the city centre streets in September 2007 to mark the opening of the Westfield Derby shopping centre (now Intu Derby) and then, the following year, the opening of QUAD arts centre and has grown in size and stature every year since then.

Jenson Button Trust Triathlon Crosses The Finishing Line For National Award

The Jenson Button Trust Triathlon has won a prestigious national industry award for the first time after it was relocated to Derby.

The event, which previously took place near Luton, was held at Markeaton Park for the first time in July 2015 and will return to the city on Sunday July 17. The 2015 JBTT, organised by Derby-based HUUB Events, won Event of the Year award for a race with under 500 entries in the 220 Triathlon Awards held in London on Saturday evening.

Derby Book Festival, 3 – 11 June 2016

The second Derby Book Festival features over 70 exciting events celebrating the joy of books and reading for all ages and interests, with great writers, poets, historians, politicians, illustrators, storytellers and musicians.  There’s something for everyone with topics ranging from cycling to cricket, railways to real ale and birding to board games!   

Accessible Derbyshire gain support from Music In The Gardens

We are delighted to announce that Accessible Derbyshire had been chosen by the Rotary Clubs of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire for support through this year's Music In The Gardens: a live, four day music event held in Sheffield's Botanical Gardens to raise much-needed funds for a total of eight local charities.

This year the event runs from Thursday, 30th June to Sunday, 3rd July and the line up of artists which has just been announced for this year is as impressive as ever! The acts for these years events are:

Thursday 30th June - James    

Derby Choral Union

Tickets for the 150th Anniversary Concert on 30th April are now available.

Kerry Andrew
Thy flight be fleet: Trainsongs! (Première)

Elgar
The Music Makers

Parry
I was glad

Britten
Psalm 150

Plus a selection of English choral works for children performed by pupils of William Gilbert Primary School.

Artist Call Out - Contemporary Visual Arts Network, East Midlands

Document is a project that seeks to tell the story of the artist, at this time, in this region, in their voice. We will work with a group of artists to capture and present their experiences of working professionally in the contemporary visual arts, to shine a light on their creative process and give an insight into how they pursue their practices, and their lives, during the course of our programme.

Indietracks

Indietracks are very pleased to announce that Emma Pollock, Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern, Comet Gain and The Lovely Eggs are among 16 artists added to their 2016 line up today. This year is the tenth anniversary of the festival!

Sinfonia Viva Pushes Out The Boat To Win National Award

Derby-based orchestra Sinfonia Viva has won a national award for its family concert 'The Boat & The Blue' at last year's Get Creative Family Arts Festival.

The annual Get Creative Family Arts Festival is a national festival offering families an extraordinary range of arts activities to enjoy. Voted for by a panel of expert judges from the arts sector, the Awards recognise the outstanding events that took place within 2015 Festival and the organisations and venues that participated.

Sinfonia Viva won the national award for the festival’s Best Family Event.

Families To Join Bear Hunt at Little Explorers Family Forest School Day

Derby College’s Little Explorers Day Nursery at the Broomfield Hall campus in Morley is inviting families to an outdoor event designed to bring some of the best-loved children’s story books to life.

The Family Forest School Day will be held on Saturday April 16 between 9.30am and 1pm with outdoor story-telling and exploration activities based on well-known stories. Taking inspiration from the book ‘We're going on a bear hunt’ – families will follow the nature trail around Broomfield and make musical instruments.

Opening of the Old Station Gallery Spring Show

You are warmly invited to the opening of our 'Spring Show' at The Old Station Gallery in Rowsley.

The Show opens on 9th April from 3-5pm - please feel free to join us for a glass of wine and an exhibition of work by 7 fine artists and 2 ceramicists. The work in the show includes landscapes, still life, floral work,  ceramic vessels & bowls - a diverse and beautiful Spring show in our main gallery area.

The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 2016 Call for Entries

Now in its 29th year, The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition is the largest and most prestigious prize for contemporary watercolour painting in the UK. Generously supported by Smith & Williamson, the accountancy and investment management group, the competition aims to celebrate and reward brilliance and innovation in the medium of watercolour.

Derby College Students Gain Specialist Skills At German Twin Town

A group of 24 Derby College Engineering students have just returned from a two-week trip to Derby’s twin town of Osnabrück where they gain specialist training in robotics at a local company.

The trip was organised as part of the College’s Erasmus+ programme which gives students work experience in other European countries and hosts learners and staff from Colleges abroad. All the students receive a Europass Mobility certificate at the end of the trips to enhance their CVs for future job searches.

April 17 Fringe Deadline Approaches!

Buxton Festival Fringe is gearing up to this month's final deadline for performers with nearly 100 events lined up already!

Says Fringe chair Keith Savage: '‘This Fringe is the last time we’ll have events in the Old Hall’s Pauper’s Pit theatre and it is with mixed feelings – of excitement and regret – that we see the programme for July filling-out.' Now he says there is likely to be further activity in the run up to Sunday April 17, the final deadline for the printed programme.

Part Time Courses at Derby College

A wide range of part time and short courses will be starting at Derby College during April and May.

Courses are designed either for leisure and hobbies or to support people to re-train and develop their careers with options available at the College’s campuses in Derby, Ilkeston and at Broomfield Hall in Morley.

Courses available in Agriculture, Animal Care, Beauty, Conservation and Countryside, Electrical Installation, Motor Vehicle, Equine, Floristry, Cookery, Public Services, Security Services, Sport and Teacher Training as well as the Learning for Leisure programme.

Super Heroes, Comedy and Entertainment Blast Off in Derby Cathedral Quarter

Derby Comedy Festival will burst into life in the Cathedral Quarter on Saturday 16th April with a day of free entertainment for all the family in the Market Place.

‘Blast Off!’ will be the launch event for Derby Comedy Festival (Friday 29th April to Sunday 8th May). It has been produced by Furthest from the Sea and supported by the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID).

Folk Rock Festival Fundraiser

Blackbeard's Tea Party, who were named THE band to see at Glastonbury by the Huffington Post and voted best band at last year’s Cropredy Convention, are bringing their brand of gutsy folk rock to New Mills for the first time when they perform on Friday 6th May to help raise funds for New Mills Community Festival.

Tickets are available from Priscilla's Hallmark Cards, Market Street, New Mills or http:// www.newmillsfestival.co.uk for the event that starts at 7.30pm at New Mills Town Hall.  

New Mills Festival Launches Call For Visual Arts 2016

New Mills Festival is delighted to invite submissions from artists across the UK to take part in a two-week long Art Trail. The Trail forms part of the Festival which takes place across New Mills from the 9th-25th September 2016. Submissions open on 20th March 2016 and close on midnight 15th May 2016.

Full entry details can be found at: www.newmillsfestival.co.uk - click on the Art Trail button.

Dismaland Model Village Comes To New Mills for Festival Big Weekend

Didn't make it to Banksy's Dismaland when it took over a corner of Weston-super-Mare in the summer? Fear not, because a slice of the bemusement park has made it to New Mills, in the form of the Aftermath Dislocation Principle — a model village with a difference…
 
As part of New Mills Festival’s Art Trail 2016, New Mills has been chosen as one of the locations for Jimmy Cauty’s stunning installation work, “The Aftermath Dislocation Principle” (ADP).

Buxton Festival of Opera, Music and Books 2016 Programme Announced

The internationally renowned and award-winning Buxton Festival, featuring opera, music and books, will take place from 8th to 24th July. Much-anticipated opera performances include Beethoven’s Leonore, Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Handel’s Tamerlano. The impressive opera programme also includes a concert performance of Vivaldi’s La Senna Festeggiante and a UK Premiere by Music Theatre Wales of The Golden Dragon by Peter Eotvos.

THE BELPER GAMES UPS THE ANTI!

The Fifth Annual Belper Games lands on 15th July at Belper Rugby Club, rounding off a fantastic year for the town.

One of Belper’s best loved events is set to be bigger and better than ever this coming July. Now in it’s fifth year, The Belper Games will be running over the course of 3 days from 15th - 17th July, with on site camping available and plenty to keep everyone entertained.

Derby College Launches RHS Courses

Derby College has become the first College in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to launch a broad range of courses designed by the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

A full range of courses will be launched later this year and the first evening course will start on Thursday 14th April aimed at enthusiastic gardeners who want to increase their knowledge and skills or who are looking to re-train and work in the horticulture industry.