News from producers around Derbyshire

Rosa the UK Fund for women and girls has launched a new £2.2 million "Women to Women" Fund. Supported using funds from the ‘Tampon Tax, local women's organisations across the UK can apply for grants of up to £25,000 to support a wide range of charitable work that benefits women from building confidence and leadership skills, tackling harassment and violence, to training in financial literacy and increasing engagement in decision-making; etc.

The Fawcett Society, which is one of the UK's leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women's rights has launched the Spirit of Women Changemakers Small Grants Programme. The Spirit of Women Changemakers small grants programme has been launched to mark and celebrate the centenary of the iconic moment in 1918 when women first won the right to vote. Changemakers will fund projects that creatively challenge the damaging gender norms and stereotypes which continue to limit women's freedom to express themselves and live as the lives they choose.

Belper Arts Festival 2017 is set to be the biggest yet as it incorporates theatre, art, music, dance, comedy, literature, photography and film. The  fifth Festival will run from 29 April to 29 May.
Confirmed so far are:

Derby College has been singled out for praise by Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw in his annual report (2015/2016).

The College’s work with employers to design and deliver the curriculum, as well as its work with high needs learners, were both deemed as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted following their inspection visit to the College’s campuses in Derby city and Erewash in March (2016).

A new book has been produced to commemorate the end of the plague at Eyam 350 years ago, published by St Lawrence Church, Eyam.
 
We are now one month on from the last plague death in Eyam 350 years ago and the village is recovering from the trauma of losing one-third of its population.

Pupils at Royal School for the Deaf Derby (RSDD) will perform a specially choreographed dance and contemporary circus piece as the curtain-raiser for a family show at regional dance house Déda on Tuesday December 20.

Brian May and Kerry Ellis today announced with great regret the indefinite postponement of their December concert dates in the UK. May and Ellis were set to perform 11 ‘Candlelight Concerts’ in the three weeks leading up to Christmas.  Apologizing to fans through  a personal message posted on his official website, (www.brianmay.com) Queen’s Brian May explains that he is fighting ‘a persistent illness which is destroying my energy and my will’, and doesn’t feel confident to perform the shows to the standard expected.

Today, producer Mark Goucher has confirmed that following the phenomenal success of the recent UK tour, the smash hit production of Hairspray will embark on a further major tour visiting Buxton Opera House from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 October. The big, bold and beautiful production of this much loved musical comedy will visit more than 30 venues across the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland until early summer 2018. Star casting will be announced in due course.

Champagne will be flowing at Buxton Opera House this New Year’s Eve when the beautiful theatre rings in 2016 with its popular Gala Concert.

It’s now officially time to talk about the ‘C word’ over in Buxton, where there’s a stunning array of events on the agenda to make your festivities extra sparkly this year. Of course Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the annual traditional family pantomime and what better place to watch it than the fairy-tale setting of Buxton Opera House.