News from producers around Derbyshire

Wirksworth Festival has commissioned acclaimed filmmaker, Gavin Repton, to create a short film in celebration of its annual Art & Architecture Trail, as the centrepiece of its first Online Festival, taking place on its Facebook channel from 11 – 13 September 2020.

Cromford-based storytelling company, Adverse Camber, are sharing a series of super-short story and stargazing moments over on their Facebook and YouTube channels every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm during the summer.

GAZING invites you to look up and out to the stars, the Moon and into the future… a little look into how and why across time and cultures, people have found many ways to make connections between life on Earth and the possibilities of the Night Sky.

I've just launched a writing development programme for UK-based 16-25-year-olds in partnership with RADA and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In remembrance of what would have been the much loved late Matlock wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering’s 78^th birthday, the Born Free Foundation are honouring her by naming a rescued cheetah cub in her memory.

Pollyanna was word renowned for her paintings of endangered species sketched from life during expeditions which took her to some of the most remote and inhospitable parts of the world.  She acted as a Patron of The Born Free Foundation for many years, and was always delighted when her artwork could help to raise funds for a cause so close to her heart.

Despite ongoing social restrictions, local friendly society Derbyshire Peak Oddfellows has revealed big plans for its annual Friendship Month celebrations.   

The group, based at Saltergate, Chesterfield, is a non-profit membership organisation which holds regular social events in the Derbyshire Peak District area.

Friendship Month, held in September, is an annual celebration designed to encourage anyone interested in meeting new people locally to give one of their special no-obligation social events a try.

We know what a devastating impact the pandemic has had on local festivals and events and understand that, even with the easing of restrictions, planning for the future is incredibly challenging.  Recovery planning in Derbyshire is however now taking place and we want to ensure that festivals and large-scale events are fed into these plans.

Derby Museums and NAS are excited to announce the 2020 cohort of UK Creative Community Fellows, comprised of 25 creative entrepreneurs working to drive transformational change in their communities through the power of arts and culture. From Edinburgh to Brighton, Fellows were selected amongst communities throughout the UK to explore proven tools and frameworks with faculty and form a community of practise, enriching projects that advance a more equitable world.

Buxton International Festival is pleased to announce the opera and musical theatre programme for the 2021 Festival. The dates for 2021 have now been confirmed as:

Thursday 8th July – Sunday 25th July 2021

La donna del Lago

Music by Giochino Rossini, libretto by Andrea Leone Tortola
Adrian Kelly, Conductor
Jacopo Spirei, Director
Madeleine Boyd, Designer
Ben Pickersgill, Lighting Designer

Viva La Diva

Music by Gaetano Donizetti

First time Fringe chair Stephen Walker has summed up this year’s extraordinary Buxton Festival Fringe in a heartfelt blog that includes the announcement of one formal award and a number of Picks of the Lockdown Fringe.

We write to tell you of a small (£1,200) commission to offer artists,
creatives and practitioners who are keen to explore how we can
develop audiences in new ways at a school setting through the theme
of connectivity through 3D artforms.

We especially welcome Black Shale members and/or practitioners
who are based in Amber Valley and Bolsover.

If this is you - we would absolutely love to hear from you!