News from producers around Derbyshire

More than 80 young people from Firs and Becket primary schools, The Bemrose School and Derby College have performed alongside Derby-based regional orchestra and Grammy-nominated Sinfonia Viva at two special concerts at Derby Theatre.

The concert was the culmination of Viva’s annual education residency ‘AlgoRhythms’, in partnership with Rolls-Royce plc and Derbyshire Music Education Hub.  It took a creative approach to STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and used the power of music to bring coding to life.

Picture shows, from left: Bec Wathall, the sixth generation to work at the family-owned funeral directors, Fay Bloor and Neil Beresford holding the Shrovetide ball that his father goaled in 1949

A £35,000 refurbishment and repurposing of local friendship society, Derbyshire Peak Oddfellows’ former administrative offices has resulted in the creation of a new social space for Chesterfield town centre, found at 126 Saltergate.

On Thursday 14 March, Society staff, members and guests were joined by The Mayor of Chesterfield Councillor Stuart Brittain, Mayoress Anne Brittain, and the Oddfellows’ CEO, Jane Nelson (all pictured), to officially open the new meeting place and welcome its first visitors through the doors.

(Rachel Hayward, Ask the Chameleon recives award from category sponsor Tom Wade, Regional Business Manager of Worldpay)

Local business Ask the Chameleon has won a prestigious regional award in recognition of its success and will now represent the East Midlands in the national finals.

Ask the Chameleon, headed by director Rachel Hayward, was crowned micro business of the year at the East Midlands Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Awards 2019.

In April 2018, Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin) retreated to a remote cottage in Ulpha, western Cumbria. They breathed in the mountain view, banked up the fire, and took their many instruments out of their cases. Then they sat down, and wrote. Tired of the navel gazing tendencies of sad song-writing, and the terrible events frequently depicted in the folk ballad tradition, they decided to turn their attention to an oft overlooked but vital facet of our lives: hope.

On Saturday 20 April local theatre company The Lost Boys will be leading the St George’s Day celebrations through Derby City Centre, between 11:30am and 3pm.