April 2021

Former Derby College Welding students all offered Doosan Babcock national apprenticeships

Five former Derby College Group (DCG) level 3 Welding students saw off strong competition to secure apprenticeships with leading power systems company Doosan Babcock.

Around 500 students nationally applied to the coveted training scheme but the Derby College students, all from the same course in Ilkeston, are among only 20 to get a place.

They are spending their first year at Doosan’s national welding school in Tipton in the West Midlands where they are honing their welding skills before going off on site.

Get Crafty in Derbyshire this Summer with Workshops and Kits

Crafty You Crafty Me started up during the pandemic designing and making craft kits here in Derbyshire. To date kits have predominantly been retailed online, but with covid restrictions lifting founder Sarah Hodgkinson is excited to grow the company's list of stockists across the region and to restart outdoor workshop.

Only The Lonely? Exhibition of Photography by Tony Fisher

An Arts Council England project, created by photographer Tony Finsher, is hosting an exhibition this year at the Peak District Mining Museum, Matlock Bath.

The exhibition is open everyday from Monday 17th May - Sunday 27th June 2021, 11am - 4pm. Free admission, everyone welcome!

Arts & Health Newsletter - May 2021 - Funding

The Steel Charitable Trust

The Steel Charitable Trust has five current funding priority categories: Arts & Heritage, Education, Environment, Health, and Social or Economic Disadvantage. Applications will be considered from charities, CICs and CIOs.

Applications must be for charitable purposes that fall into one of the five core categories below:

FORMAT News: Back in the galleries

Following the successful 3D virtual presentation of FORMAT21 International Photography Festival, selected exhibitions will be shown across Derby in the city’s cultural institutions and retail spaces.

If you are in or visiting Derby come and enjoy the face to face experience of seeing some amazing photography from 17th May - 5th September.

Exhibitions

The World’s Oldest Department Store Invests in Delivery Vehicles

Bennetts: The World’s Oldest Department Store has returned to its roots and invested in a fleet of vehicles to ensure its centuries-old reputation for customer service is matched in the modern world of online shopping.

Bennetts returned to the virtual high street last Autumn with the official launch of a new retail website https://www.bennettsofderby.co.uk/ and sales of family gifts, home, garden accessories, food and drink have since soared.

A year of wins for Baker Consultants - Creating a solid foundation for 2021 & Beyond

2020 and early 2021 has been typified by a year of chaos across the UK, impacting huge swathes of the economy and the way we lead our lives.

Although the impacts of Covid19 and the lockdowns have been far reaching for many businesses, at Baker Consultants we’ve had some great successes whilst our team has been working remotely at home and on fieldwork through the past year. As we’ve reached our twelve-year anniversary this month, we’ve taken some time to reflect on how far we’ve come.

New Mills Festival 2021 - Take Part!

                                       

Anyone can participate (subject to committee approval) but it is up to you to find and book your venue. Once you are sure of your venue, dates, event description, times and prices then you are ready to submit your event using our online submission form. It's simple and the festival is fun! 

Charity CEO Rolls Up Her Sleeves In Honour of Captain Tom

A Derbyshire charity chief executive has set herself a fundraising challenge to complete 100 jobs and good deeds as part of the campaign inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Tracy Harrison heads up Safe and Sound which supports children and young people who are victims of child exploitation including online grooming, sexual, drugs lines, modern slavery and radicalisation. The charity also supports the wider family and raises awareness amongst other professionals and the general public of the dangers facing young people in local communities.

DCG Students Launch Environmental Campaign

Three students at Derby College Group’s Broomfield Hall land-based and leisure college in Morley have launched a campaign to reduce pollution in the River Derwent.

The campaign is part of the ‘My World My Home’ annual environmental leadership programme for young people, which is supported by Friends of the Earth.

Radio Drama Writing Opportunity for 16-25-year-olds

IGNITE Radio have launched a writing development programme for UK-based 16-25-year-olds in partnership with RADA and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

So, what is the opportunity about? The Radio Drama Writing project involves six 16-25-year-olds who will be selected to develop 10-minute audio play over a series of zoom workshops with industry mentors, all of which will then recorded at RADA before being published as podcasts.

David Lowther Live Interview and Art in Windows

Live Interview on Instagram | Saturday 24th April - 10:30 am

David Lowther - Mixed media

David works predominantly in the High Peak area , often en plein air using a variety of materials including gouache, ink and collage. Markmaking is very important in David's work and he often uses found things with which to make marks.  He is interviewed on Saturday by Charlie Collins

LEVEL Centre are looking for new Board Members

Join us in supporting The Art That Difference Makes! We're Developing our Board of Trustees to support LEVEL Centre's vision and aspirations.

We are looking for individuals to provide skills, knowledge and lived experience as:

Rotherham based film crew head into Derbyshire looking for the conversation.

In these Covid and post covid times, the world has remembered the importance of conversations.  Sure, screen time has its function and place, but EVERYTHING ties back into having meaningful conversations.  

Mobile phones have made the original purpose of the Red Telephone boxes (connecting with people) all but extinct. So how are different communities across the country working to keep this British icon maintained and useful in keeping conversations in their community going?

Dronfield Hall Barn - Re-Open To The Public!

We're back open at last! After 156 days since we were forced to close at the beginning of November, it has been great to welcome customers - both new and old - back to the Barn. Thank you to everyone who has visited us so far, and we hope that you will continue to help us share the word with your friends and family. 

Thankfully, the weather has been kind to us so far this week - it has been lovely to enjoy the sunshine in the courtyard, and see the gardens starting to look their best for the spring. 

New Museum of Making is opening

Photo credit: Pictoria Pictures

After 300 years in the making, the new Museum of Making in Derby is delighted to be opening its doors from Friday 21st May 2021. On the site of what is widely regarded as the world’s first modern factory at Derby Silk Mill, the new museum will share Derby’s history of making and innovation.

Designed and made with the people and industries of Derby, the Museum will display over 30,000 objects, many of which have never been seen by the public before.

Local Colleges Highlight HE Options

Three local colleges have joined forces to raise awareness of the options available to study a university-level course close to home with the flexibility of fitting studies around their work and family commitments.

Derby College Group (DCG) Burton and South Derbyshire College and Chesterfield College all work in partnership with leading universities and professional awarding bodies to deliver first class nationally recognised qualifications which meet the needs of individuals, employers and society.

Spinning Tales in Darley Abbey

Constella OperaBallet brings the heritage of Darley Abbey to life on 8th May with an innovative online festival of newly commissioned dance, music and drama, including the premiere of Darley Abbey’s very own song, as well as giant decorated bobbins, and threads of bunting, all created in collaboration with the local community.

Book your table at Derby Market Place

Tables and chalets are now available to book ready to welcome you back to Derby's alfresco dining experience, which re-opens in Derby Market Place at 6pm on Friday 23rd April. The website will be open for bookings from 5pm tonight, initially for up to Sunday 13th June.

Last year the venue attracted more than 28,600 additional visitors to the city centre to enjoy outdoor dining, entertainment and markets. It was launched to create a new COVID-secure area for socialising while providing a much-needed boost to the city's hospitality industry.

New Museum of Making in Derby to welcome first visitors from Friday 21 May

Opening will kick off city and Derbyshire-wide events in a year of celebrations 

The New Museum of Making in Derby is delighted to announce it will be throwing open its doors to its first visitors from Friday 21 May 2021. After much planning and anticipation, this brand new museum, on the site of what is widely regarded as the world’s first modern factory, is excited to be able to welcome visitors to this new destination.

Timms Solicitors’ First Virtual Conference Supports Local Charities

Leading law firm Timms Solicitors has presented cheques to Derby and Burton Child Contact Centres following its annual childcare conference for fellow professionals.

Timms is recognised as a leading Family Law firm with an experienced childcare team working across its offices in Derby, Burton-upon-Trent and Swadlincote.

The firm held its annual conference virtually this year which focused on the issue of child contact.  

CreativeMornings/Derby 2nd Birthday - Tickets Out Now!

We are so excited to have another stonking CreativeMornings/Derby lined up for this Friday 16th April 2021 from 08.30am online.

We have world class speaker Mark Shayler. Thinker. Doer. Creator. Speaker. Author. Entreprenure. Coach. Design Council Design Associate. He's also a founding partner of the mighty Do Lectures. You are not going to want to miss this guy!

If that's not enough it's also CreativeMornings/Derby 2nd Birthday and we've treats and giveaways lined up to make sure we all get in the party mood.

Lin Cheung Live Interview and Three new artists' on video

Lin Cheung - Mixed media | Saturday 10th April -10:30 am

Lin is a painter who lives in Buxton. Her art has an expansive, contemporary, immediate expression that lifts the spirit and evokes a sense of joy and delight. Her paintings speak of the human existence in the here and now. She is interviewed on Saturday by Andrea Joseph.

LIVE on Instagram, watch again on Facebook or the Website:

Déda: Academy Courses Return to Déda in April

Déda reopens for Déda | Academy, the regarded programme of dance classes for children and young people from 19 April 2021.

Déda is delighted to announce the return of in person children and young people’s classes as Déda | Academy reopens in their Chapel Street building in Derby this month, following government confirmation that children’s indoor activities can recommence from 12 April.

Stainsby Festival: Newsflash April 2021

In these current uncertain times we’re planning to run again! But -isn’t there alway- the festival will need to adapt.

We want to run something that’s as magical as ever but also something that’s legal and – above all – safe, so we will probably have to make changes as we go. Whatever we do we’ll still be aiming to create that magical Stainsby atmosphere and that magical Stainsby experience.

Who’s on?

Working Creatively with Young People online

This online workshop is a brief introduction, designed for professionals working with young people. This workshop is aimed at anyone who is currently working creatively with young people remotely.

About this Event

We will be providing a brief introduction to

Announcing our #LEVELResidencyLab Winners

We're so excited to announce the recipients of our #LEVELResidencyLab 2021. We were overwhelmed by the volume and quality of applications received and it was so incredibly hard to select the artist for each category that we actually picked 6 instead of 5!

                    

Dronfield Hall Barn Video Blogs - Episode 1

Last month, we recorded the first of what we hope will become a more regular series of video blogs from the Barn, and we're delighted to be able to share the first of these with you today!

We hope you enjoy this short video which takes a look at what our garden volunteers have been up to throughout lockdown, and be sure to let us know what you might like us to feature in future. A thank you must go to Mark from Bracken Media for helping us to record this footage.

Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site: Invitation to "Spin A Tale" 8th May 2021

You are cordially invited to join us for the online premier of “Spin A Tale” on Saturday 8th May at 11am – the final of our Great Place Scheme major arts commissions for the World Heritage Site. 

Constella OperaBallet will take you on a virtual journey of enchanting performances, spinning tales through music, dance, song, theatre and design to explore and celebrate Darley Abbey’s place in history and the wider Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Steve Haywood: Bio and New Songs

Over a career spanning 30 years in the music industry, Steve has formed various bands that have performed throughout the country and music that is eclectic, covering country/blues, folk and popular music.

Steve is a prolific singer songwriter having worked on a wide range of solo and collaborative projects over the years. Throughout his music career, Steve has worked as a singing teacher at Palfreymans Music, Chesterfield, and since 2002 to date has taught in various schools around the county. 

Level Centre: March Newsletter

A warm welcome to Spring 2021 from the team at LEVEL! We've got great things planned for this year and we're so happy to have you here with us to share them with.

New Job Opportunities

We're so excited to announce four new Associate job opportunities at LEVEL. We're looking for creative people with exciting ideas to join us for a year on a freelance contract, helping us to develop our programme and projects.

We're looking for:

Thornbridge hall - Derbyshire’s quirkiest little stately home - throws open its doors for the first time in years

Thornbridge Hall, the delightfully different 12th century stately home that lies on the outskirts of Ashford-in-the-Water, in the heart of the Peak District, is getting ready to invite the public in for the first time in two years.

The gardens, shop, plant nursery and the Carriage House Café will fully reopen on Monday 12 April at 10am. They will be open seven days per week from 10am-4pm. The cost of entry to the 12-acre gardens will be £7 per adult with no charge for children.

Bids invited for UK Community Renewal Fund

Organisations in Derbyshire are being invited to bid for funding to deliver projects that will get people back into work and boost the local economy.

We have been identified by government as the lead authority in the county to deliver the new national Community Renewal Fund which has been set up to support people and communities most in need, tackle disadvantage and break down the barriers to employment and better skills.

The ‘Poet -Trees’ are coming!

A brand new event, where trees in various locations will display a unique collection of poems and verses for all ages, created by the local community. 

‘Poet-Trees’ starts at St Peters’ Church, Belper on Saturday 17th April - 12th May (Some poems change 1st May, so visit again!)

Look out for the series of six special poems within this display for our younger visitors too. (Guess the mystery creature described in six special poems, using the first letter of each creature to make up a word!

Cathedral Quarter BID Achieves Quality Kitemark

Derby Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) has become one of the first in the UK to be awarded a BID industry kitemark for the quality of its work.

The Cathedral Quarter BID, which was first established in 2008, is one of more than 300 business-led partnerships operating in the UK.

Its governance and quality have been scrutinised against 11 new standards which have been developed by The BID Foundation alongside governments and BIDs to encourage transparency and responsible governance in the sector.

Belper library to play host to Poet Laureate’s national tour

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is to visit our newest library as part of his national A to Z Libraries Tour.

The idea of the tour is to work through the alphabet and visit libraries representing each letter. At these venues he will give readings from his work and be joined by local poets.

Libraries in areas beginning with A and B were encouraged to invite Simon to visit on his tour and our invitation was accepted for Belper to represent a place beginning with B.

Author Event - Maggie O'Farrell

Derbyshire Libraries & Libraries Connected are delighted to host Maggie O’Farrell!

About this Event

On Thursday 15th of April, 7pm BST, Derbyshire Libraries & Libraries Connected are delighted to host Maggie O’Farrell in conversation about her latest Women’s Prize winning novel Hamnet, along with insights into her writing and previously published works.

Artcore: April Gallery Upcoming

  • Cabin Fever – Residency Launch

Artcore is hosting a residency programme Cabin Fever - a series of residences which invites artists to make new work within a cabin located on Osnabruck Square. Our first two artists in residence are Dan Webber and Nicki Dennett.

Artcore: March Gallery Updates

In Memoriam: Online Exhibition Launch and Silent Auction

As part of In Memoriam, we hosted an online Silent Auction of all the artworks submitted as part of the exhibition.  One of our featured artists, Nick Hersey, played a live DJ set, during the online launch of the auction.

Artcore: April Programme Overview

New Bee-ginnings' April 2021 Programme

This April, we invite you to join us as we look at the New Beginnings ahead with the arrival of spring, the positive movements in the lockdown roadmap and the world around us starting to reopen. 

Arts and Health Newsletter - April 2021

This month we have a huge range of exciting events and opportunities to share, and with spring just around the corner, lockdowns slowly easing and daylight savings bringing up brighter days, it really does feel like the world is opening up with opportunity. 

Take a look below at some of the brilliant stuff happening in April..

News

Live & Local | Job Opportunities

Live & Local have two job opportunities; Community Engagement Officer and Audience Engagement Officer. Live & Local is seeking a Community Engagement Officer to begin in June 2021.

Community Engagement Officer
£24,556 pro rata (Annualised hours 1,274 per year (0.7FTE))

The Old Lock Up Gallery: Gallery News

We wanted to create a short newsletter for you all with some latest news and a brief update. All being well the gallery will re-open on 24th April with a group show - From the Land.

We will be in touch near to this with further info once re-opening is confirmed.

                   

Straight Curves: April in the loop

Lockdown has been tough for everyone, but I have found it really useful as an opportunity to regain my weekends, rediscover my love of gardening and address my work life balance significantly. It has also been great to spend more time designing and excitingly our cute comforters crochet kit is now ready to purchase and in stock in a variety of colours.

FORMAT News: What's on

FORMAT21 Online has been visited by over ten thousand people from all over the world. If you haven't had a chance yet to drop in to our virtual festival you still have time, just click the link above to enter the information centre.

If you would like to join a tour of the virtual galleries we are running four special festival guided sessions next week. Click on your preferred date to book your free slot.

One Week To Go! Dronfield Hall Barn Re-Opens From Monday 12th April

After many months of restrictions and lockdowns, we can't wait to start welcoming you back to the Barn from next Monday.

Outdoor hospitality venues are permitted to re-open from Monday 12th April, and in preparation for this, we are delighted to announce that we are now taking bookings for our outdoor courtyard space, where you will be seated under gazebos. Indoor seating will become available again at a later date, subject to official confirmation from the government. 

April News from Derbyshire County Council

Our opening hours this Easter

We'd like to wish you a Happy Easter from all at Derbyshire County Council. 

If you need us over the Easter period we're still here for things like community testing, libraries online, our Community Response Unit, household waste recycling centres, and for urgent social care calls.

Not all services are available on bank holidays, of course, and you can get more details about Easter services on the link below.

Derby Museum: We want to hear from you!

Have you engaged with Derby Museums online over the past year? If so, we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Derby Museums would like to find out how you have engaged with our digital activity over the past year and what motivated you to do so. This interaction could be as simple as visiting our website or social media, or even attending an online event. Your answers will help us to better understand who's engaging with our activities and to shape future programmes.

City Pools Re-open to Public

The charitable trust which manages two swimming pools in the city is starting a phased re-opening of both facilities to the public from April 12.

Lonsdale Swimming & Sports Trust manages Gayton Pool in Littleover on behalf of Derby City Council and also runs Lonsdale Pool in Mickleover, which it is currently hoping to replace with a new facility nearby.

Pre-lockdown, more than 3,000 people a week used the pools ranging from parent and baby sessions and children’s lessons to adult swim sessions and aqua fit classes.  

Sinfonia Viva To Receive Further Culture Recovery Support

Grammy nominated Sinfonia Viva, the Orchestra of the East Midlands, is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Sinfonia Viva, which is based in Derby, works across the region – performing concerts and providing opportunities for hundreds of people of all ages to take part in creative projects.

The Orchestra has received a grant of £36,000 to help the organisation recover and reopen.