August 2020

The future is now

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, Bondholder Bloc Digital embodies the spirit of innovation as it has grown from a two person start-up company into a multi-disciplined digital visualisation studio.

EMA Flying High With HSG

East Midlands Airport has further improved its environmental credentials by adopting an innovative water conservation system at the Castle Donington passenger terminal.

EMA is the latest company to team up with Derby-based washroom water conservation specialists HSG and install the Ureco system which reduces water consumption, saves money on utility bills and improves the washroom experience for passengers departing and arriving at the airport.

HSG’s technical team took advantage of lockdown to install the system across the site.

Local People Asked For Their Views on Virtual Appointments

Patient health and social watchdog care Healthwatch Derbyshire is asking local people the reasons behind why they have not accessed virtual appointments with a doctor, nurse or carer during lockdown as part of a new research project.

The aim is to understand the knock-on effects of COVID-19 on Derbyshire residents who have either been unable to access virtual appointments by telephone or video or who have chosen not to.

Expanding Local Charity Launches Property Search

A specialist child exploitation charity is looking for new premises in central Derby to enable it to expand its team and support more young people and their families.

Safe and Sound, currently based in Darley Abbey Mills, supports children and young people across Derbyshire who are victims of or at risk of child exploitation which includes online grooming, sexual exploitation, County Lines, Modern Slavery and trafficking as well as raising awareness of the issues in local communities.

Further statues added to miners memorial

Fifteen new statues have been have been added to the ‘Walking Together’ mining memorial at our Markham Vale Business Park to commemorate miners who tragically lost their lives in 3 disasters at Markham Colliery.

Latest Markham Mining Memorial Unveiling

We are delighted to let you know that 15 further Walking Together commemorative figures have recently been installed to continue the Markham Vale mining memorial. We have moved our mailing list for the project into mailchimp due to increased interest and will be sending occasional updates out. We hope that you are happy for us to keep in touch in this way, but if you wish to unsubscribe you can do this at any time via the link at the bottom of the page.

BELPER ARTS TRAIL ONLINE

Sadly, the physical event this year has been cancelled but we will be holding Belper Arts Trail Online instead over the same weekend (August 30th and 31st) with the aim of making this digital experience as close to the real thing as we can.

Additionally, we will be hosting a ‘shop’ facility for artists so that they can hopefully make some sales in these troubled times for the creative industries.   This will be open for the event and also continue in place until Christmas.

All the latest news from LEVEL

WE'RE BACK

A N D  W E ' R E  O P E N I N G 
O U R  D O O R S  A G A I N !

It's been a little while since our last Newsletter - we've been busy behind the scenes here at LEVEL, running our programme online and working on new projects for when we can welcome you all back to the building...

And we're thrilled to announce that this will be happening on Monday September 7th 2020!

Read on to find out what's in store...

WHAT'S ON?

Folk favourite forced to bow out of Derby Folk Festival at Home

An impending operation has forced celebrated performer and festival patron John Tams to bow out of this year’s Derby Folk Festival at Home, meaning a change to the line-up.

This year’s live event, due to take place between 2 and 4 October, has been reinvented as four three-hour virtual concerts filmed and recorded in advance, available to watch online over the same weekend and for a week afterwards.

Derbyshire author Leonie Martin is offering a choice of four September dates on Zoom for her latest Writing for Wellbeing workshop

Derbyshire author Leonie Martin is offering a choice of four September dates on Zoom for her latest Writing for Wellbeing workshop on the theme of Kindness. All four workshops will include the same engaging writing activities and an opportunity to share your work within a safe and relaxing ‘virtual’ space.  You’ll need access to Zoom along with writing materials.  Early booking is advised as the number of places has been reduced to suit the online environment.

Dandelion: An Exhibition by Ed Burkes

Dandelion is a striking exhibition of paintings by artist Ed Burkes, winner of the eighth Jonathan Vickers Fine Art Award. This body of new work has been inspired by the people, heritage and landscape of Derbyshire.
Opens Friday 11 September at the Museum & Art Gallery

Supersonic deals for Rolls-Royce

Bondholder Rolls-Royce has signed with Virgin Galactic to design engines that would power the world’s first supersonic jet since Concorde was retired in 2003.

Moreover, the Derby-based technology company has also announced an engagement agreement to explore the pairing of one of its propulsion systems with aerospace company Boom Supersonic’s flagship supersonic passenger aircraft, Overture, aiming to build the world’s fastest civil aircraft.

Green light for rail deal

Bondholder Bombardier's merger deal, valued at more than six billion euros, with French company Alstom has received the green light, subject to EU conditions.

The combined Bombardier/Alstom business will create the world’s second largest train manufacturer, with the capacity to take on the top manufacturer, China’s CRRC Corp, and preserves a joint bid with Hitachi for the £2.75 billion contract to build new high-speed trains for HS2.

£6.85m nuclear win for Derby

The Government has agreed a £6.85m investment to help create a new permanent home for the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on Infinity Park Derby, creating 70 new roles.

4,500 jobs boost for Derby

A huge new inward investment, creating 4,500 jobs, has been announced today.

The £300m SmartParc - a 140-acre campus on the former Celanese site - will combine world-class food production facilities with shared utilities, amenities and services to provide a highly sustainable production base for food manufacturers.

The announcement has been hailed by city leaders as a “massive boost” to Derby’s post-Covid recovery plan.

Welcome back to Derby Libraries

The final preparations are being made to welcome members back to Derby Libraries. A phased re-opening of our sites will take place over the next month, allowing as much use of library facilities as is safe and practical at this time.

While we are very much looking forward to seeing our members again, inevitably there will be changes to the services available, and opening hours. The safety of our customers and staff is our priority.

The Home Library Service has now resumed, and Derby Local Studies and Family History Library is taking enquiries, by phone, text and email.

Genre Fluid wins big at Morecambe Fringe

Genre Fluid, the self-confessed ‘not quite a poetry show, not quite a comedy show’, has been named best solo show at this year’s Morecambe Fringe Digital Festival.

Written by Derby based spoken word artist Dan Webber, ‘Genre Fluid’ is a study into labels in the arts, in everyday life and in the LGBTQ+ community.

The show has toured extensively since 2019, being performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Reading Fringe Festival and The Leicester Comedy Festival and was about to begin a second run of tour dates when the Coronavirus pandemic hit.

Glad to announce the reopening of the Anvil in September!

Firstly, thank you very much for all the lovely messages and continued support over the last few months. You may have noticed communication went a little quiet but don’t you worry, April Young has been busying herself, creating new sculptures, developing new paintings and coming up with ideas for the rest of 2020. Making plans, Plan A, Plan B and all the way through to Plan Z so the Anvil can share contemporary art with you in as many safe ways as possible.  

Reopening! Thursday 3rd Sept 2020

Writing for Wellbeing with Leonie Martin on Zoom: the theme of Kindness

Derbyshire author Leonie Martin is offering a choice of four September dates on Zoom for her latest Writing for Wellbeing workshop on the theme of Kindness. All four workshops will include the same engaging writing activities and an opportunity to share your work within a safe and relaxing ‘virtual’ space.You’ll need access to Zoom along with writing materials. Early booking is advised as the number of places has been reduced to suit the online environment. To choose a date and book your place, please click on the link below: 

 

The search is on to find Derby’s favourite book

Sunday 9 August is Book Lovers Day, and to mark the occasion Derby Libraries are launching a competition to find the city’s favourite book.

One of the effects of the lockdown has been a surge in reading, with Derby Libraries seeing a massive increase in free loans of eBooks and Audiobooks. In April, there were 6,044 downloads of eBooks and Audiobooks by members, compared to 3,242 downloads during the same month in 2019. High street book retailers Waterstones also saw a 400% increase in book sales during lockdown.

Get 50% off at Derby Museums' Coffee House

We're taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

 

The Coffee House at the Museum and Art Gallery is happy to be part of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. This means that every Tuesday and Wednesday between 3-31 August, we’ll be offering 50% discount when you eat or drink in at The Coffee House, up to the value of £10 per person. Terms and conditions apply.

Life in the new normal at Cromford Mills!

Cromford Mills is delighted to be welcoming visitors back to the Mill Yard.

We have been working hard to ensure that our site conforms to the Government COVID19 Guidelines, and quietly opened our doors on Saturday 4th July. 

FORMAT Open Call Early Bird Offer

Deadline - 23rd August 2020

“If you don’t control your mind, someone else will” - Barbara Kruger

Don't miss this opportunity to take part in FORMAT21: CONTROL and send us your projects and curatorial ideas based around your interpretation of control.

Do it before August 23rd to take advantage of the Early Bird offer of €17.

To find out more about how to submit, discover who is on the international jury and read about the amazing awards and benefits available to successful applicants click on the banner.
 

Support Widens For Butterfly Appeal Recycling Programme

A mobile phones recycling initiative has been further expanded to help a local charity help more young people and families affected by child exploitation.

Mobile phone and tablet accessory and services retailer Yoo Kase at East Midlands Designer Outlet near Alfreton is now collecting disused handsets and unclaimed phones from the centre’s lost property.

These are then recycled by Sinfin-based Century Mobile and proceeds donated to Safe and Sound’s Butterfly Appeal which was commended as fundraising project of the year in the recent East Midlands Charity Awards.

Wathall’s Encourages Family Discussion About Funeral Wishes

Family-owned Wathall’s funeral directors Wathall’s have produced a free booklet to encourage people to talk calmly and openly to their families about death and document their funeral wishes to ease the burden on their loved ones.

The initiative has been spearheaded by Helen Wathall MBE who is the fifth generation of her family to run the company which has offices in Derby, Alvaston, Ashbourne, Borrowash and Burton-on-Trent.

GAZING - ADVERSE CAMBER’S ONLINE SERIES

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.

Rescued Cheetah Cub named in Pollyanna’s memory

In remembrance of what would have been the much loved late Matlock wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering’s 78th 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.