So we’ve made it to double figures! Yes that’s right, our little blog is all grown up. Still, even though we could spend many pages celebrating this, quite frankly, monumental achievement, we won’t. Why not, I hear you ask? Well it’s a good question, but we must save the back-patting and high-fiving for another day and press on with what we do best. It has been another fabulous week here at Rural Arts, and with equally fabulous events coming up, our first duty is to you, loyal readers, to make sure you are all clued up on what is going on in the Rural Arts world. With that in mind…
What’s been happening
Lindsay Hannon and #CREATEtour
On Saturday, the Courthouse was full of the smooth, soulful sounds of jazz… and the Lindsay Hannon Plus weren’t bad either! Supported by Lindsay, young people from Redcar and East Cleveland who participated in the #CREATEtour performed an original set of songs, which was followed by an amazing set by the band themselves. Forget Guy Fawkes, it was Lindsay and her band who provided Rural Arts with some fireworks (albeit beautifully sung, musical ones). We need to extend a huge thank you to Lindsay, who was a wonderful performer and an equally wonderful workshop leader, and of course the young people who were talented, dedicated and professional. We will miss having them around, and the ON Tour team can’t stop singing the songs they made (to see one of those in action, see our videos on our Facebook page – click HERE and they are down the side). Until next year #CREATEtour!
All of the Art!
Our weekly workshops continue to be a hit with people of all ages. On Wednesday, our adult art club ‘A Taste Of’… sessions continued with an introduction to plaster impressions, and the results were brilliant. We also have had 30 cubs in to do wood burning, the introduction to print making workshops are still producing amazing results and the kids at Thursday art club did some cubism (Picasso eat your heart out). This is not even including our two Saturday art clubs…. as you can tell it’s been a busy old week, but a completely creatively corking one at that (we love alliteration here, for proof please see the title of our blog…)
Some of the fruit of our labours this week!
Edwina Hayes (sort of)
So yes. This is a little bit of a cheat and we can only apologise for that. Our problem is we have so much coming up next week we have had to do a bit of moving around to fit it all in! Edwina Hayes, the ‘sweetest voice in England’ (as proclaimed by Nanci Griffiths) is back at the Courthouse this Saturday 14th November for what is sure to be a smash performance. Now although this fits into what’s been happening, there are a very very limited number of tickets left, so you have the chance to go all Marty McFly on us and buy tickets for a past event by clicking HERE (is anyone else confused?!) Edwina is a superb performer who has delivered many amazing shows here before and Saturday promises to be no different.
What’s Coming Up
Of Mice and Men
Can you believe this is next week?! It feels like only last Rural Review it was officially announced that we would be hosting National Theatre live… where does the time go eh? We are incredibly excited for the first showing of a National Theatre performance, and it is a cracker as well. Come to The Courthouse on Thursday 19th November to see the new adaptation of the classic book that has had 15 year olds all over the country rejoicing as they get to go to the cinema as English homework. Starring global superstars James Franco and Chris O’Dowd, this performance has been lauded as ‘a moving masterpiece’ (Time) and ‘a stirring revival’ (New York Daily News) and you can still get tickets by clicking HERE!
(I know we share this photo every week but seriously look how nice it is…)
Salaam
Our next ON Tour performance is a pretty darn exciting one. Acclaimed dance company Sonia Sabri are coming to North Yorkshire and East Cleveland for their amazing show Salaam (which translates as peace). Created in response to all the troubles in the world, it combines beautiful Tabla music by maestro Sarvar Sabri – who performs outstanding compositions of rhythm, with complexity and speed, through his unique finger work with movement from Sonia, who presents sheer magic through expressive and rhythmic Kathak dance. We have two shows of this amazing event, one in Loftus on the 20th November and one in Masham on the 21st. Tickets for either show can be bought HERE and you really don’t want to miss out on these, we at Rural Review have already purchased ours!
Porcelain Christmas Decorations
So the John Lewis advert is out (we cried), the decorations are out in the stores (we scoffed) and the mince pies are on the plates (we scoffed but in a different sense…) It just would not be a Rural Review without you being told about an amazing workshop you can do and this week is no different. However, what is different is that this one is all about the C-word. Yes, it’s happening, don’t pretend it’s not- you can’t hide from it for ever. So dust off your Christmas Jumper and head down to Rural Arts on the 23rd November where you can make some beautiful Porcelain decorations to give your presents that personal touch. Click HERE to sign up. Maybe you could even make a lovely porcelain telescope…attach some balloons… and then send it to the moon? *eyes begin to well up*
We are stopping here before we start crying again (that pesky store really does know how to pull on the old heart strings) and let you know we will back next week with another blog. However – cliffhanger alert!- it may be slightly different than what you are used too..See you next time!
