NEWPBEAT ......NEWPBEAT .....NEWPBEAT

OKTOBERFEST

Jun 10 - An Oktoberfest festival is being held over a few days at Newport's Tredegar Park. There will be three sessions over two days, held over Friday and Saturday, October 13-14 .
Firstly there's a Friday evening session, which runs from 6pm-11pm, while Saturday has two time slots, running from 12am-5pm and then again from 6pm until 11pm.
According to the organisers, the event's Bierhalle will be stocked with traditional cuisine to showcase the best Germany has to offer. There'll be a selection including würstl, schnitzel, pretzel, schweinshaxe, sauerkraut, spätzle, schweinebraten, steckerlfisch, knödel and käsespätzle along with a few others, so you'll be spoilt for choice.
And as for drinks, you can expect to find steins and steins of authentic German beer, coming from one of the countries best breweries.

MANSON GIG SELLS OUT

May 19 - Just three days after it was announced, Marilyn Manson's concert in Newport has sold out. The American rocker's show at Newport Centre is only one of five in the UK and takes place on December 8.

CROWD FUNDING APPEAL FOR CITY MUSIC FILM

May 1 - Crowd funding for a new Rock of Newport movie is looking to raise £20k from private donations. They state "In 1971 a venue opened in Newport that etched its way into music history. The Legendary TJ's would become synonymous with hosting great worldwide musicians throughout the decades until its closure in 2010. It would became the alternative venue to the working men's clubs, discotheques and youth clubs that hosted live music in Newport up until then. Already interviewed Selecter, Metallica and the Sex Pistols. We envisage the film to be a cinematic journey, delving deep into the heart and soul of Newport's music scene. The genre and its movement has been reported by local media and on TV for many years, but has never been documented to the extent that it rightly deserves or to this degree of intensity, highlighting the passion of the subject, which lends itself naturally to a Feature Film Documentary, to be released internationally in cinemas and festivals." More detail here

BRASS BAND TAKE THE HONOURS

Mar 31 - Newport Borough Brass Band took the honours at the Welsh Area Championships. Conducted by Robin Hackett they finished first in the third section in Swansea and will represent Wales in the National Championships.

LE PUB SETS NEW VISION FOR CREATIVE PROJECT IN NEWPORT

Mar 18 - From Le Pub's website "So……….. with a broken but excited heart we can confirm that the current building housing Le Pub is on the market. Our landlord is retiring fully and selling up. After 24 years, thousands of incredible gigs and so much support it’s regularly brought us to tears it looks like we may be coming the end of the chapter.
But, that’s all that is ending. The current chapter. We are in the process of setting up a co-op to secure our future and make sure we can begin chapter two.
Le Pub is an ethos, a mindset, something that doesn’t rely on a building to exist. We love our current location and the news it was to be sold was heartbreaking but we’ve had time to process it and we realised that we can take what we have and grow. We can fix some of the problems we haven’t been able to before.
We want to provide Newport with a bigger space, with more room for creative projects. Ideally we’ll be looking at somewhere with space for a gallery, rehearsal rooms, freelance office space and maybe a small cinema space as well as the bar and venue we already have. We want an outdoor space for sitting in the sun and enjoying a drink and a chat with friends. We want our doors to be open more often, daytimes and evenings, seven days a week. And most importantly to us we want to be more accessible to people with mobility requirements. We see no point in bringing incredible acts to Newport if they are not accessible to everyone that wants attend."

EASTER PANTOMIME AND MUSICAL SHOWS DOMINATE RIVERFRONT OFFER

Mar 18 - An Easter pantomime 'Wizard of Oz' starring Bobby Davro and Ashleigh and Pudsey (on April 20 and 21) is part of a busy month of shows at Newport's Riverfront. This week she a stage show 'F.E.A.R' followed by Abba and Fleetwood Mac tributes. A Carole King/James Taylor tribute (March 25) is followed by a performance of Annie from the Children's Academy of Stage and Theatre (March 29 to April 1). Comedian Carl Donnelly is in town on March 29. Upcoming comedy shows include Katy Brand (May 5) and Stephen Bailey (May 11).

KASABIAN SET FOR NEWPORT CENTRE IN APRIL

Mar 17 - Kasabian have also announced an intimate UK and Ireland tour leading up to their new album’s release. Check out the full list of dates below.

Wed 12 April – LLANDUDNO Venue Cymru / Thu 13 April – BIRMINGHAM 02 Academy / Sat 15 April – NEWPORT, Newport Centre

Sun 16 April – SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, Cliffs Pavillion / 18-20 April LONDON, The Forum / Sat 22 April – DUBLIN, Olympia

DOLMAN THEATRE TREAT

Mar 16 - Next up at the Dolman Theatre is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels from March 23-25 "New Ventures Players present: Two con men, a beautiful woman and the elite of the French Riviera collide in this sophisticated and hysterical comedy."

ELBOW BACK IN NEWPORT ON FRIDAY

Mar 5 - Elbow return to Newport on Friday for a sell out show at the Centre. Their gig – their only Welsh date – is part of their tour for their new album, and includes multi-night residencies in Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Manchester, alongside returns to towns last visited around the release of ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’. The final tour of previous album ' The Take Off and Landing of Everything' in 2015 saw the band play their longest ever theatre residences in London and Manchester. The decision to repeat this and then visit as many places as possible came from the feedback of fans who loved those shows as much as the band did.

RIVERFRONT TO HOST MISS WALES EVENT

Mar 4 - The Riverfront Theatre will host the finals of the Miss Wales competition next month. Contestants from across the country who have managed to progress to the last stage will descend upon the city on Saturday, April 8. More than 40 women of all ages have made the cut including several entrants from the area, with around 500 people expected to attend the event. The Miss Wales competition stretches as far back as the 1952 and has been organised by Cardiff-based events company, Vibe.

JON LANGFORD HEADS HOME
Feb 11 - Another candidate for greatest living Newportonian heads home tonight when Jon Langford and his Men of Gwent turn up at Le Pub in Caxton Place. Langlord lives in Chicago now and is a renowned post punk musician, a former member of the Mekons.

Profile - Born in Newport and brought up in the Gaer. Since the mid-1980s, Langford has been one of the leaders in incorporating folk and country music into punk rock. He has released a number of solo recordings as well as recordings with other bands outside of The Mekons, most notably the Waco Brothers, which he co-founded after moving to Chicago in the early 1990s. He is involved with the Chicago-based independent record label Bloodshot.
Langford was originally the drummer for the punk band The Mekons when it formed at the University of Leeds in 1977, but he later took up the guitar as other band members left.The Mekons were signed to Virgin Records but according to Langford they "got fired." They played their first U.S. appearance on New Year's Eve in 1980, gave up live performances for a while, and released 1982's The Mekons Story. They began performing again in public in 1984, playing their first shows as benefits for the National Union of Mineworkers.

LITHOGRAPH EXHIBITION AT NEWPORT MUSEUM

Feb 11 - An exhibition of lithograph prints (until June 3) curated by the Friends of Newport Museum and Art Gallery. A selection of prints chosen from a group of lithographs acquired by Newport Museum from the Redfern Gallery in 1953.
The Redfern Gallery was founded in London in 1923 as a small artists' cooperative, and is now one of the longest-established dealers of modern British and contemporary art in London. Highlights include signed prints by Picasso, Chagall, Henry Moore, Max Ernst, William Scott and Graham Sutherland.

THE DOLMAN SAYS HI DE HI

Feb 11 - The stage of the well known sitcom comes to Newport's Dolman Theatre next week from Feb 14 - Feb 18. Performances start at 7:15pm, with an additional matinee performance at 2:30pm on the Saturday.ADULTS £12.50 STUDENTS £8.50 (CONC £11 SAT MAT ONLY)

BUSTED HEAD TO NEWPORT ON FEB 9

Feb 5 - Busted continue their revival with a concert at Newport Centre on Thursday. Busted are from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, consisting of James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson. Formed in 2000, the band had four UK number-one singles, released two studio albums, Busted (2002) and A Present for Everyone (2003), one compilation album and one live album before breaking up in January 2005 following Simpson's decision to pursue a career fronting post-hardcore band Fightstar. They have also won two Brit Awards and won The Record of the Year in 2004 with their single "Thunderbirds", amongst other awards. Busted have sold over 5 million albums worldwide. They re-formed in 2015.

PANTOMIME SUCCESS

Jan 3 - Newport Live! are hailing the success of the Riverfront's pantomime 'Cinderella' . Over 25,000 tickets were sold for the performances over the festive period making it the most popular pantomime held at the venue. Next year the pantomime is Sleeping Beauty.

NEWPORT LIGHTS LINE UP UPDATED

Nov 11 - Four of Diamonds, the latest act to leave the X Factor, are jumping on stage in Newport city centre on Saturday as part of a terrific line-up of festive entertainment building up to the Christmas Lights switch on produced this year by Newport Now. The girl group were shocked to leave the X Factor process on Sunday after the overwhelming support they received from the public after Judges Houses. Since their elimination from the show, band member Lauren said: "We’re 100 per cent staying together as a band. If anything, the hard work starts now. We’ve had such a platform with this show, it is all down to us now to work hard and push the music. Anything can happen, we’ve just got to work hard."

NEON GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Nov 7 - Newport Neon seems to be going from strength to strength with new concerts being added all the team. Following recent successful concerts from Peter Andre and Skindred, ska legends Bad Manners will make an appearance on December 15 and Toploader in April. Comedy nights, tribute acts, hypnotists and UKIP will be using the entertanment venue over the next month or so.

ELBOW SELL OUT

Nov 6 - Northern poets Elbow have sold out their return to Newport Centre on Friday March 10. Their last visit was in 2008.

UNION J TO TURN ON NEWPORT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Oct 29 - Boy band UnionJ will turn on Newport's Christmas lights in a ceremony planned for November 12 starting at 5pm. The band came to prominence in the 2012 XFactor, where they finished fourth.

SECOND SERIES OF ORDINARY LIES TO HAVE NEWPORT THEME

Oct 15 - The ITV series Victoria gave Newport great prominence through the way it featured the Chartist insurrection and the role of royal household staff but the City is set to take centre stage again in a new BBC drama. The second series of Ordinary Lies will be based in a Newport call centre and sports warehouse and features Angela Griffin, Noel Sullivan, Kimberley Nixon and Griff Rhys-Jones amongst its cast. The series was filmed at a number of different locations in Newport and Cardiff. The series is written by Danny Brocklehurst who scripted the first series and has also written episodes for Shameless, Sorted and Clocking Out. It was a surprise hit in 2015, the first episode of the new series airs on October 18.

BUSTED HEAD TO NEWPORT CENTRE

Oct 14 - Reformed former boy band Busted have announced they will be playing Newport on their UK tour next year. Following the release of their first single in over a decade, the trio Busted have announced a string of dates which will kick off on January 29 at venues across the country, including Newport Centre on Thursday 9 February.

FOOD FESTIVAL DRAWS LARGE CROWDS

Oct 1 - The Food Festival drew huge crowds to High Street today to a wide variety of food and drink stalls despite heavy rain showers.

MUSIC AT VARIOUS CITY CENTRES THROUGH THE WINTER

Newport Centre - Thu, 24 Nov Bullet for My Valentine, Mon, 12 Dec Placebo

Riverfront - Oct 9 - The Three Degrees Nov 12 - Motown Nov 18 Bowie Tribute Nov 19 Martin Stephenson and the Daintees

Dolman - Nov 2 to 5 The Full Monty

Le Pub - Oct 15 The Fused & Falling Under Oct 19 High Lives

WELSH GOVERNMENT GIVES £5K to FOOD FESTIVAL

Aug 31 - Following a successful application to the Welsh Government's food festival grant scheme, Newport City Council was given an award of £5,000 of taxpayer's money. Nineteen food and drink festivals received funding, of between £2,351 and £5,000, to help support their events and strengthen Wales' reputation of producing high quality food.

GEEKEDFEST CONTINUES

Aug 7 - Newport's own comic book and film convention continues into its second day at Newport Centre.

FRIARS WALK HOSTS CRAFT AND FOOD MARKET

Aug 7 - Newport hosts its first Sunday food and craft market today in Friars Walk with twenty local producers (including bakers, candle makers and chocolatiers) displaying their wares.

EALING COMEDY HEADS TO DOLMAN

Aug 7 - After the summer break, from September 6 to 10 Newport Playgoers return with the Ealing comedy, the Titfield Thunderbolt. It is about a group of villagers trying to keep their branch line operating after British Railways decided to close it. Show Times - Performances start at 7:15pm, with an additional matinee performance at 2:30pm on the Saturday. Prices - adults £12.50 concessions £8.50

THEATRE SUMMER SCHOOL AT RIVERFRONT

Aug 7 - From August 22 - 26 Hatch Theatre will be hosting a summer school aimed at 6 to 12 year olds. Culminating in a live show it is £60 for a week of creative learning. For two or more children booked at the same time it is £50 each.

LION BACKS FESTIVAL

July 31 - The Golden Lion, Magor, has been announced as the latest company to become a supporting sponsor of Newport’s 6th annual food festival.

The Tiny Rebel Newport Food and Drink Festival 2016, takes place on Saturday 1 October, and thanks to the support of local businesses like The Golden Lion, this year’s festival promises to be the best yet.

RIDGEWAY TO HOST FESTIVAL SUPPER

July 3 - The Ridgeway Bar and Kitchen has been announced as the host venue for the pre-festival supper for this year’s Tiny Rebel Newport Food and Drink Festival. The best of local produce prepared by top chefs is being promised by the hosts for guests who want to kick-off their foodie weekend on the Friday evening before the main event.

Newport born Michelin star chef, Hywel Jones, patron of the food festival, is designing the main course for the four-course supper menu.

Diners will be welcomed by The Ridgeway team, who boast over 40 years of combined catering experience, with a selection of canapes before sitting down to culinary delights created using local produce and suppliers. There will also be a wine-pairing option with selections made to perfectly complement each course.

TINY REBEL TO SUPPORT FOOD FESTIVAL

June 12 - As Newport’s top culinary event enters its sixth year, there’s an exciting new taste on the menu as award-winning Newport brewery, Tiny Rebel, is announced as headline sponsor. To be known as the Tiny Rebel Newport Food and Drink Festival, the event on Saturday 1 October promises to be the biggest and best yet.

A company born and bred in Newport, Tiny Rebel will help the festival reach new heights, and has made a commitment to sponsor the event for the next three years. Bradley Cummings from Tiny Rebel, said: “We had a fantastic experience of the festival last year. Urban Tap House had yet to officially open but we ran a roaring trade from our pop-up bar and a huge amount of interest from the public in our beer and new venue. We’re a proud Newport business so coming on board as headline sponsor of the festival is a great honour. We look forward to helping develop the newly emphasised drink aspect of the celebration and raising awareness of the festival throughout South Wales and beyond.”This year’s Tiny Rebel Newport Food and Drink Festival will host around 80 stalls, as well as the return of the popular Teenchef competition and expert chef demonstrations. The main activities will centre on High Street, and the areas in and around Newport Market will again have a local focus.

RP TO HOST STREET FOOD AND BEER FEST

June 5 - The Big Feast, Newport Street Food and Beer Festival will take place at Rodney Parade on July 24. The event will include a vast array of beers, ciders, street food outlets, cooking demonstrations, a headline chef and live music.

COLOUR CLASH SET FOR RODNEY PARADE - JULY 23

June 5 - Rodney Parade is the setting for a day of dance music and paint drops on July 23. Colour Clash is based on popular house and dance-themed gigs which have run in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 2012. Clubbers dressed mostly in white attend the daytime music festival - and turn the place into a haze of colour as they douse each other in colourful powder. Some of the biggest artists and DJs on the music scene will also be attendance including Lethal Bizzle, Ultrabeat, Krept X Konan, old school legends like Artful Dodger, rapper and MC Big Narstie and acclaimed Cardiff house and techno outfit Mi Casa who'll be joining forces with Newport's drum and bass crew Koncept, both of whom will keep everyone moving at the festival's Disco Den. Tickets from £15.

NEWPORT BIG SPLASH FESTIVAL - JULY 16/17

June 5 - The Big Splash, Newport's city centre riverside festival, returns on July 16 and 17 with over 60 shows brought to you by 20 plus street performers and organisations from as far afield as Brazil and as local as Newport. "Add a dash of live music & storytelling and an abundance of workshops for kids of all ages in the heart of Newport and you have 2 days of toe- tapping, pie -throwing, beam -balancing family fun." All free.

MAINDEE FESTIVAL
Newport's main multi cultural carnival takes place on July 9. The Maindee Festival celebrating the diversity and richness of Maindee's cultural will take place in the grounds of Maindee School after a procession from Rodney Parade of floats and dancers at 1pm.

There will be stalls, music and street food available including live music from Peel Your Own Spuds and the Floral Wham Trams. Free admission.

NUTINI GIG SOLD OUT

May 28 - Paolo Nutini's gig in Newport has sold out. Nutini had announced that he would play a one-off show in the UK this year at Newport Centre on Wednesday 20th July 2016. The gig will be a charity show in memory of Bevlee Jones with all proceeds going to Bevlee’s 13-year-old son Ieuan Joel. On 8th March, 34-year-old mum Bevlee Jones passed away unexpectedly in the night, devastating family and friends. Her distraught 13-year-old son Ieuan Joel Jones took it upon himself to give his mum the best funeral possible.

Bevelee was a huge fan, so Ieuan appealed to Paolo through Facebook, asking Paolo to play at his Mum’s funeral. Unfortunately, Paolo was away in Europe at the time but Paolo wanted to offer his support to Ieuan and his family. Paolo commented: “When I heard of Ieuan’s plea, it was with regret that I couldn’t attend his mother’s funeral and do what he asked of me. I wanted to help him in any way that I could and I feel like a concert in aid of Ieuan himself and in memory of his dear mother was the right way to do so. Please come along on July 20th and join us in giving some love and support to the Jones family at this hard time”

NEWPORT HOSPITAL CARNIVAL EXHIBITION

May 21 - A renowned carnival from 1922 is remembered in a special free exhibition at Newport Museum from Tuesday including original Pathe footage of the Parade.

Here is an example from 1934 (opens in You Tube)

MINISTRY OF SOUND NIGHT AT NEON

May 15 - There is a Ministry of Sound Mixtape at the Neon on August 28 with DJs Dan Gre, Richi and Cabal promising dance anthems from 9.30 to 3am, tickets £10. Hedkandi record label are running a similar event at the Neon on May 29, tickets in advance £8.

STRICTLY SPECIAL AT RIVERFRONT

May 15 - On May 24 Strictly Come Dancing favourites Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe will perform a dance showcase spectacular designed to dazzle and wow you. The pro-pairing are best known for their high intensity performances on the hit BBC show. The blurb states "Ian and Natalie have become family favourites, as they are always pushing the boundaries of dance to bring the best out of their celebrity couple. On the night they will dance a mix of Ballroom and Latin, transporting you away to a place of wonderful moments with fun filled entertainment and a close up history of all things related to their life." Tickets £21 - £25.

GEEKEDFEST RETURNS IN AUGUST

May 15 - GeekedFest returns to Newport, South Wales for 2016 @ Newport Centre Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th August. The organisers say "‘GeekedFest’ is Newport’s own Film/TV & comic book convention since 2015!!!! We are committed to providing a fun, safe and friendly event for all involved and one that benefits our area" The event, launched in 2015 by Cwmbran comic book store owner Shane Richard Jordan, also hopes to raise money for several local charities.

LEGALLY BLONDE HEADS TO DOLMAN

May 15 - WAWWA The Musical Theatre Co. present this hilarious comedy musical 'Legally Blonde' at the Dolman from May 18 - 21, starting time 7.15pm, seats £12.

BALLET AT THE RIVERFRONT

May 14 - Two stories from the mind of the most popular storyteller in the world, Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl was born and grew up in Cardiff, and to celebrate the centenary of this famous author, two of his hugely popular stories are coming home to Wales in ballet adaptations.

Ballet Cymru has been granted permission from The Dahl Foundation to produce two works based on sections of the wonderful Roald Dahlǯs Revolting Rhymes, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. T performances at the Riverfront take place on May 20 and 21, seats £10 - £14.

MASON NOISE IN FREE NEON GIG

Apr 2 - XFactor's Mason Noise will perform at the Newport Neon tonight in a free show.

DARLING BUDS CELEBRATE 30 YEARS IN LONDON

Apr 2 - Newport band the Darling Buds celebrate 30 years in the music business with a special performance at the 100 Club in London. Last night they performed at Le Pub by way of preparation supported by the Sick Livers. The Darling Buds will be performing their iconic quirkfest Pop Said album in its entirety.

NEWPORT BANDS

BANDS HEAD TO CENTRE

Mar 19 - Bullet for my Valentine and Placebo are performing live at Newport Centre later this year. English alternative rock band Placebo will be at the Centre on 12/12/16 Welsh heavy metal group Bullet for my Valentine are in Newport on 24/11/16. On Friday 24th March the Bohemians are at the Riverfront performing their Queen tribute act.

TRANSPORTER RE-OPENING

Mar 17 - A Newport landmark and tourist attraction is due to re-open for the summer season in time for the Easter holiday. From 23 March until 30 September, the Transporter Bridge will be open between 10am and 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, as well as Bank Holiday Mondays until the end of August.

The last admission will be 4pm and the last ferry crossing from west to east at 4.30pm. Newport Transporter Bridge is one of only six transporter bridges that are still operational in the world. Opened in 1906, it was constructed as a shorter route for workers who were travelling to the newly created heavy industries on the eastern side of the city.

In recent years, its use as a main highway route dwindled especially after the opening of the Southern Distributor Road but it remains a popular tourist attraction. It has featured in a number of television programmes in the last year including BBC's Antiques Roadshow and documentaries

Charges for 2016 are as follows: Day visitor - £3 for adults, £2 for children (aged 16 and under). This gives access to the high level walkway, the motor house platform and unlimited crossings on the day of purchase. Single crossing - £1 for adults, 50 pence for children. Return crossing - £1.50 for adults, £1 for children

Children aged two and under travel free. Staff have the right to refuse access to children and young people who are not accompanied by an adult.

OSCAR WINNER WAS FORMER FILM SCHOOL STUDENT

Mar 8 - The winner of the Oscar for best documentary film, Asif Kapadia, was a graduate of Newport Film School between 1990 and 1992 achieving a first class degree. Recent changes by USW mean that the Film School no longer exists with all its courses transferred to Cardiff. The documentary tells the story of Amy's rise and fall from grace. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw said about the film "I was gripped: it is like a seance or a lucid ream. She is brought thrillingly, compellingly to life. We see all of her loneliness, her anger, her need to give and receive love, her musicianship and creativity, her addictions and her fragility in the face of celebrity."

Kapadia spent two years filming constantly in Newport and said he formed many of his ideas there. He made an earlier, ground breaking documentary about racing driver Ayrton Senna. His next film is Ali and Nino based on the Christopher Hampton novel about the romance between a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and Christian Georgian girl between 1918 and 1920.

THE NEON SET TO OPEN ITS DOORS

Feb 24 - The Neon is set to open its doors on Friday with its debut showcasing Rough Copy and supporting act Jamie Miller. Doors open at 7.30. The former Odeon cinema has been updated in a dramatic transformation. Andy Byers originally from Bolton has set to work on the refurbishment of the building with a 2,000 capacity auditorium, a recording studio, conference space and bar. A team of builders and electricians has been on site since the summer to get the venue ready for its first concert on February 27. Byers also intends to utilise the space for cinema, including art house and Bollywood movies. Other performances include Incognito (March 19) Mason Noise (April 2), Urban Shutdown (April 9).

The history of the Odeon - a unique Art Deco building.

EL SIECO'S SET TO RETURN

Feb 23 -El Sieco's, the predecessor of the legendary TJs music venue is set to return to Newport on March 4. In a Facebook announcement it states the new premises has a courtyard to the rear, two floors of music and an in-house recording studio. The kitchen will be provided by Pretentious Burger (High Street). More detail to follow on the venue next week. Update - the new bar is on High Street

CHARTISM LIGHT AND SOUND EVENT

Feb 14 - March 5 will see a Chartism Light and Sound Event in Westgate Square, John Frost Square, Friars Walk and the Riverfront by way of celebrating Newport's role in securing a wider franchise for the vote as a result of the last revolutionary upsurge in the UK in 1839. Events will be free and take place from 4 onwards. The next step has to be to bring the Westgate Hotel back into public use as it has stood empty and derelict for too long.

LIVE MUSIC AND THEATRE EVENTS IN FEBRUARY

Jan 31 - On February 6 at the Riverfront a special show Whitney Queen of the Night celebrates Whitney Houston with West End star Rebecca Freekleton playing the late songstress. The Dolman is featuring Bill MacIllwraith's play the Anniversary from February 9-12, admission £12.50. A Lovers Rock Showcase event is taking place at Newport Centre on February 13, admission £10m start 6pm. On from February 16-20 the Dolman is running its pantomime, Cinderella, admission £11. On Wednesday 24th the King is Back at Newport Centre celebrates Elvis with Ben Portsmouth in the lead role, start 7.45pm, tickets £22.50. From February 25-27 the Dolman is running the musical Summer Holiday, tickets £12.

Le Pub has a busy month including on February 12 Tom Roynan Blake, acoustic pop come hip hop and on February 21 they feature up and coming Southampton band Creeper. New bar Slipping Jimmy's on High Street has full month including GTFBi next Friday, Shooting the Crow on February 12, Butch Waters and Stan Daman on February 17 and big Sky on Friday February 19.

ZZARD BRINGS NEW SHOW TO NEWPORT

Jan 10 - Eddie Izzard bring his Force Majeure Reloaded show to Newport's Riverfront on Tuesday as he prepares for a four week residency in London at the Palace Theatre. Izzard's Newport show sold out in a couple of hours as punters snapped up a rare opportunity to see a major comedy star in Newport. The Riverfront venue hosts its own comedy event on the last Friday of our every month, Jarred Christmas, Marlon Davis and Jonnie Price will be at this month's Comedy Shed on 29th January, starting at 8.15pm, admission £12.50.

The NewpMap - a London tube map inspired vision of the City developed by Newport Now, the Business Improvement District team

IZZARD CONCERT SELLS OUT

Nov 16 - Eddie Izzard announced a one off show in Newport on January 12 (at the Riverfront) yesterday. It was sold out in a couple of hours as punters snapped up tickets for his pre-UK tour show at £26 a piece.

TWO YOUNG TALENTS FEATURE AT LE PUB

Nov 5 - Saturday sees Le Pub hosting a double header of young talent. The blurb reads thus -

Jack Watts: '20-year-old Brighton lad, Jack Watts is the kind of up-and-coming artist that will floor you the instant his ethereal vox hit your eardrums. New young talent...bringing raw, emotional songs beyond his years to his listeners. Influence from Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and Ryan Adams is clear in his music.' [Vulture Hound, 2015]

Dan Owen: 'When you listen to him sing, you’re transported to another place. Close your eyes and you don’t hear a prodigiously gifted 21-year-old from Shrewsbury. You hear a no-good, God-forsaken, 80-year-old Mississippi Delta Blues man! Dan's the real deal.' [Carlisle Blues & Rock Festival, 2015]

Entry is £5 on the door, show from 8pm.

CITY TO LIGHT UP FOR CHRISTMAS

Oct 29 - An evening of free fun and entertainment will take place in Newport city centre on Thursday, November 19 when the Christmas lights go on - just a week after the opening of Friars Walk. The event signals the start of one of the most exciting Christmas shopping seasons in the city for several years with many retailers and independent traders staying open late to welcome shoppers.

Activities will take place along Commercial Street from 4pm and visitors will be serenaded by Newport Rock Choir who will be singing Christmas carols. There will also be performances from members of Gwent Music. The mayor of Newport Councillor Herbie Thomas will switch the lights on at 6pm in Commercial Street. He will be accompanied by rugby players from Newport Gwent Dragons who will be in the city to meet their fans. To add to the party atmosphere, Danter's funfair will also be open along the riverfront walk between The Riverfront and University of South Wales buildings, ensuring there will be plenty to do all evening in and around the city centre.

FIREWORK DISPLAYS

Oct 28 -Rodney Parade will be hosting a firework display on November 5 with entertainment and food stalls. Entry is £5 for adults, £2 for children. Other displays are set for November 5 at Tredegar Park Golf Club, Celtic Manor and Whiteheads Sports Club. November 6 is the date for Caerleon RFC. November 7 will see displays at Caerleon AFC and Marshfield.

A history of damp squibs - fireworks in Newport

BEER AND CIDER FESTIVAL

Oct 9 - Newport's Beer and Cider Festival is taking place at Rodney Parade today and tomorrow, entry is £5. Nine craft brewers are in attendance including Tiny Rebel, sponsored by Nation Radio

COMEDY SHED GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Sep 20 - Newport's Comedy Shed at the Riverfront goes from strength to strength with another fine trio selected for the latest event on Friday 25th (entry £12.50). Joe Bor - A relatively newcomer to Stand Up Joe Bor is an expert communicator. He has an engaging style of delivery, slipping skilfully into characters when needs be, and effortlessly spreads good spirits with his chatty, confident and fluid manner.

John Gordillo - Stand-up John Gordillo has recently returned to performance after establishing himself as a comedy director, with credits that include Eddie Izzard’s Unrepeatable and Live At TheAmbassadors shows, a stint looking after sketch collective Ealing Live, and any number of Edinburgh shows.

Ellie Taylor - Five years on the scene and you might recognise Ellie from TV panel shows such as Snog Marry Avoid, Mock The Week, The John Bishop Show, 8 out of 10 Cats and more. Ellie is sharp, sassy and extremely funny which definitely makes her one to watch for the future!

LE PUB LIVE ACT ON TUESDAY NIGHT

Sep 20 - Le Pub has live music on Tuesday at 8 with He Was Eaten by Owls appearing. He Was Eaten By Owls are a guitar and drum duo, blending post/math-rock with chamber, jazz and world music. Accompanied by a small string and horn ensemble, they are currently in the process of completing their first full length release, due out later this year. Entry is £5.

TEENCHEF FINALISTS NAMED

Sep 19 - The final three teams from Newport who will battle it out to become Teenchef champions of this year’s food festival have been chosen after a nail biting semi-final competition that saw five youth clubs go head-to-head.

Held at the Rivermead Centre in Rogerstone, youth clubs from across Newport battled against each other for a coveted place in the Teenchef final sponsored by Western Power Distribution. The competition is organised by Newport City Council’s youth service with the teams being challenged to create a meal in 45 minutes with local, seasonal ingredients sourced from Newport Market on a budget of £7.50.

A panel of judges including Admiral Newport Food Festival Patron, chef Hywel Jones, decided that going through to the final, which will take place on the day of the food festival, will be Maindee, Caerleon and Cefn Wood youth groups. The theme of this year’s final is healthy family food with the contestants creating dishes which are tasty, well balanced and suitable for the whole family to enjoy.

NEWPORT AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Aug 23 - An exhibition commemorating the hard work, commitment and sacrifice made by the people of Newport during the First World War both at home and fighting abroad. Location : Newport Museum & Art Gallery Price : free admission

MRS BEETON MY SISTER

Aug 23 - Alison Neil has performed several of her previous one-woman plays at the Dolman Theatre, including "TRULY YOURS, C.B." (about Charlotte Bronte) and the premieres of "THE SHAKESPEARE LADIES CLUB" and "THE FOSSIL LADY OF LYME". She is delighted to be performing her brand-new show as a matinee on 1st September. Alison Neil's previous play "BELLA - THE STORY OF MRS BEETON" was hugely popular, and ran from 1988-2002. It was adapted for BBC Radio 4. Now, to mark the 150th Anniversary of Mrs Beetons' death, award-winning playwright Alison Neil provides a lively, all-new, retelling of this entertaining and moving story, using the latest research... Many years after Isabella Beeton's untimely death, Bessie Mayson muses on the extraordinary life of her famous big sister. They were the eldest of 21 children, brought up in the Grand Stand at Epsom Race Course. Quiet, obedient Isabella fell for a charming publisher called Sam Beeton, and joined his rackety life in journalism, culminating in her world-famous "Beeton's Book of Household Management". Her family disapproved. But were they right? Thirty years on, Bessie is not so sure... Dolman Theatre, September 1, 2pm, admission £7.

DIGITAL FRIDAYS

Aug 22 - Every Friday there are free, informal drop-in sessions where you can bring in a digital device that you may need help with, including laptops, iPad, tablet or smartphone.

Whether you want to look for a job, talk to your family abroad or shop and pay bills online, we'll show you how with one-to-one support.

Rogerstone Library 9.15am-11.15am

Bettws Library 9.30am-11.30am

Ringland Library 2pm - 4pm

Central library 2pm - 4pm

TINY REBEL WINS BRITAIN'S BEST BEER

Aug 12 - CAMRA has crowned a new national Champion Beer of Britain to kick off the Great British Beer Festival. In 2015, the UK's top beer was awarded to Tiny Rebel, based out of Newport. Its 4.6 percent ABV Cwtch Welsh Red Ale is officially Britain's best beer.

MEZE TO HOST COUNTY FUND-RAISER

Aug 7 - Newport club owner Iftekhar Harris has thrown his support behind the plan by the Supporters Trust to take control of Newport County by allowing the club to use his Meze Lounge club to run a 1990's club night following the Stevenage home game on August 15.

MOJO FOOD BAR SET TO OPEN ITS DOORS

Aug 7 - Mojo the Food Bar , a new hipster style cocktail and food bar in Newport's Clarence Place opens its doors on Tuesday August 11 for advanced reservation with a launch event on Thursday August 13.

CRUST PUNK BAND SET FOR LE PUB

July 24 - Extreme Noise Terror (often abbreviated to ENT) a British crust punk / grindcore band head to Le Pub next Friday. Originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crust/grind subgenre. Two other punk bands, Violent Arrest and Rash Decision are there on Saturday.

PARC PANTRY ARE IN THE PARK

July 18 - Parc Pantry are expanding from their highly successful Malpas site to set up a second cafe at Belle Vue Park from today.

To celebrate the opening of the new tearooms at Belle Vue Park there will be a FREE event from 11.00am to 03.00pm with something for everyone:

Great food from some of Wales’ best food suppliers
Crafts from unique local crafters and makers
LIVE music throughout the day radiating from Belle Vue’s own picturesque bandstand
Entertainment

Rare chance to discover the secret world of Newport Wetlands after dark

July 18 - This summer families in Newport and the local area are being encouraged to spend a night in nature’s home by taking part in the RSPB’s Big Wild Sleepout. Money raised will go towards saving nature. Join RSPB Cymru staff and volunteers for this unique chance to experience Newport Wetlands National Nature Reserve after dark, and find out which creatures go bump in the night.

The Sleepout will start on Saturday 8 August at 5pm, where families will be able to take some time to pitch their tents and have their own alfresco dinner, the reserve will bring the wildlife and some adventure. The event will finish the next day at 10am.

Helen Gottschalk is the Big Wild Sleepout organiser, she said: “Participants will have exclusive afterhours access to the reserve, and as part of this exciting sleepout there will be lots of activities including bat walks, star gazing and marshmallow toasting on the camp fire.” She adds: “In the morning there will be a chance for early risers to hear the dawn chorus and check out what was caught in the moth traps overnight, then after breakfast it’ll be time to break camp and pack-up.”

Booking is essential, with prices for adult RSPB members £25, non-members £30, child RSPB members £13, non-members £16. For more information or to book, please contact the visitor centre on 01633 636363. Participants need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow, warm clothes, waterproofs, outdoor shoes, food and drinks for through the night, a camera, a torch, insect repellent and a sense of adventure. The Visitor Centre cafe will be open at 6am selling hot drinks and bacon rolls for participants.

CAERLEON FESTIVAL UNDER WAY THIS WEEKEND

July 2 - The Caerleon Festival starts tomorrow with a fine line-up over ten days of performance and participation - drama, literature, poetry, comedy, music, dance, art and so much more -

Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate, will be appearing at St. Cadocs’ Church with musician John Sampson – as will –

The Morriston Orpheus Choir with award winning soloist Joshua Owen Mills, and

Daniel Llewelyn-Williams performing his one man play ‘Between the Crosses’

Literature on the Priory Hotel Lawn will provide the opportunity to meet authors Including John Lewis-Stempel, John Gower, Tiffany Murray and Tom Anderseon and enjoy The All Wales Comic Verse Competition

Theatre in the Amphitheatre will feature The Festival Players performing Henry IV.

Bands both plugged and unplugged will perform in pubs

The climax will of course be THE BIG FREE weekend – at The Hanbury, The Bell and on the Festival Field with live music from over forty bands including Peel Your Own Spuds, dancing both planned and impromptu, Arts and Crafts and Exhibitors

The full programme is here http://www.caerleon-arts.org/Programme.html

ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW AT RIVERFRONT

July 2 - Andy Fairweather Low is at the Riverfront tomorrow (tickets £21.50, start 7.30). Songs such as 'Bend Me Shape Me', 'HelloSuzy', '( If Paradise is ) Half As Nice' are included. Originally from Ystrad Mynach he founded the band Amen Corner. In a rich and varied carried he worked with many of progressive rocks star names.

AGINCOURT EXHIBITION

June 18 - Newport Museum and Art Gallery will host touring exhibition Agincourt 600 Wales-Cymru from 3 to 25 July. It is part of a programme of events and activities commemorating the contribution of Wales to the battle of Agincourt in 1415.

The exhibition illustrates the part that the Welsh archers and men-at-arms played in Henry V's expedition to France 600 years ago. Curator Bryan Davies will also lead a lunchtime tour and talk on the exhibition at 1pm on 14 July in the museum and art gallery. Admission to this event, and the exhibition, is free.

2RUDE AT THE RODNEY HALL

June 16 - Ska band 2Rude will be at the Rodney Hall, Rodney Parade on July 19 at 8.30pm as a pre-season event and to promote inclusivity at Newport County. The event is supported by Newport County Disabled Supporters Association.

DIGITAL 2015

June 8 - The highlight of the tech sector calendar in Wales Digital 2015 returns to Newport. On 8-9 June 2015, the Celtic Manor Resort will play host to a festival of digital inspiration and innovation, bringing together unrivalled insights from leading experts, engaging interactive panel debates, plentiful networking opportunities and much more.

This South Wales Argus sponsored event, now in its third year, aims to position Newport and Wales at the very forefront of the digital revolution by the blurb states 'embedding a true digital culture in the foundations of education and business in Wales'. Last year’s event was a roaring success, attracting nearly 2,000 visitors and over 2,300 online viewers over two days

SOLAS #BED FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN

June 8 - Solas, the Newport based homeless charity, is running a month long campaign to raise funds to fight homelessness. "It’s the end of a long day and all you want to do is go to bed, but what if you don’t have one? Something as simple as going to bed every night is often taken for granted. Potentially, we are all just a few steps away from being homeless. A relationship breakdown or losing your job, if you don’t have a friend to stay with or family to fall back on, where would you turn? Solas are there for people without a safety net."

Throughout June their Bed For Life campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for practical prevention, allowing us to break the cycle of homelessness ultimately resulting in people securing their own Bed For Life.

"We’re not about providing short term fixes…We offer more than a bed for the night. Providing a safe place to stay is just the beginning, we support people to move from day-to-day survival to living life to the full. We do this by supporting people to develop the skills they need to move on from homelessness and by helping people realise their aspirations to make their own Bed For Life."

You can donate to our charity by by texting BEDS00 (BEDS zero zero) followed by the amount you wish to donate, to 70070. You can donate £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. As an example, to donate £5, you would text the following to 70070: BEDS00 £5

NEWPORT CENTRE TO HOST SLAYER AND KEITH SWEAT

June 6 - Newport Centre hosts R&B and soul singers Keith Sweat and Black Street on Friday October 9. On November 21 after the opening of Friar's Walk on November 12 the venue welcomes American thrash metal band Slayer.

JACK PERRETT - RIVERSIDE TAVERN

May 31 - Acoustic singer Jack Perrett is appearing at the Riverside Tavern on June 26 following his performance this weekend on the Terrace stage at the Big Splash. He ruefully admits the purpose of the concert is to raise money so he can record his music. Tickets are £5 and the doors open at 8.

There are a few snatches of his music available including 'I've got it all but i want more" on You Tube. Find it here. Sounds promising.

BIG MAC'S 25TH BASH

May 13 - Big Mac's Wholly Soul Band celebrate 25 years at Newport Centre on June 6. Big Mac’s were formed in 1990 as the house band for the legendary Hollywood Club in Newport. Within months of their formation The Commitments film was released and the band, being of a similar size and specializing too in 60’s Soul music, were inundated with work, constantly playing in every club, pub and eat house in South Wales. In a short time they were supporting The Commitments. The line up is tenor sax, trumpet and trombone, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, two female vocalists and frontman Mike ‘Big Mac’ McNamara.

BIG SPLASH DETAILS ANNOUNCED

May 13 - Full details of the spectacular Big Splash Festival in the city centre have been announced.

Friday 29 May (7pm-11pm)

Comedy cabaret show SLIGHTLY FAT FEATURES, free live music on the cafe terrace including headliners ROGORA KHART.

Saturday 30 May (12pm-11pm)

ULTIMATE USK - International STREET THEATRE, Shaun the Sheep and Big Hero 6 film screenings, free live music, live performances on the COMMUNITY STAGE and the SUNSET SPECTACULAR (from 8.30pm).
URBAN EDGE will return to the Newport Centre with a B-Girl breakdance competition between 1pm-8pm.
MAINDEE FESTIVAL- For the first time ever the Maindee Festival will combine with Big Splash. The Maindee Festival Street Parade will start at 12pm and finish at the festival site with lots more fun and enterttainment until 7pm.
The Big Splash FAIRGROUND will also be on the banks of the River Usk throughout the weekend
Fun workshops and taster sessions available all weekend!

Sunday 31 May (12pm-4pm)
The cafe terrace will continue with free live music, boutique stalls will adorn The Riverfront foyer, Shaun the Sheep and Big Hero 6 film screenings and local ska band 2 Rude will close the festival at 4pm.

Principal Sponsor of the Big Splash is Friars Walk

LE PUB UPDATE

May 13 - This weekend at Le Pub. Highlives - Energetic pop-punk band that have shared stages with the likes of Neck Deep, As It Is, Kids Can't Fly and many others May 15 8pm. Wilson + JFK + Pembleton May 16 8pm. Coming up on June 13 - 8pm Stars in Their Eyes thebiannual charity event summer edition! Come see your favourite locals pretend to their famous idols! All live

MEAT BAR & GRILL OPENS

May 12 - A new burger based eatery opens today. Meat Bar and Grill in Clytha offers a simple, straightforward approach to burgers with beef and chicken opens served in a contemporary setting sourcing ocal products. Similarities in social media have been drawn to the established Honest Burger chain in the London area particularly in terms of menus and marketing. See below. Anyway, a welcome and hopefully successful addition to Newport's restaurant offer.

CALL ME MR ROBESON

Apr 22 - Tayo Aluko revives one of the 20th Century’s most impressive but overlooked figures in this powerful, compelling tour-de-force performance, which was seen at New York’s Carnegie Hall in February 2012, and in London’s West End in October 2013. Riverfront - 24/25 April evening performance £12.50 (concessions £10)

FOLK FESTIVAL BACK AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

Apr 22 - From May 8-10 three days of international music, song and dance at the Tredegar House . 26th annual folk festival. for a jam-packed weekend of music and dance, with performances from: Steve Tilston, Vicki Swan and John Dyer, Gordie Mackeeman and his Rhythm Boys, Allan Yn Y Fan, Jaywalkers plus many more. There'll also be displays from local and international dance teams- Degumnieki (Latvia) and Madhuka Sri Lankan Dancers. More information available at http://www.tredegarhousefestival.org.uk

LOFTUS GARDEN VILLAGE SPONSOR RECORD DAY

Apr 16 - Loftus Garden Village is the sponsor for Saturday's independent record store day. To celebrate Newport's mighty Diverse Music will be celebrating with a host of live music outside the Riverfront from 4.30 pm including Houdini Dax, the Vestals and Burning Ferns.

THE HEARTS UK TOUR

Apr 11 - Newport's finest set out on a UK tour next month, the details are below

FOUR FILMS FOR £16 OFFER AT RIVERFRONT

Apr 4 - The Riverfront Theatre is offering four films for £16 as part of its spring season including Selma, the second best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Whiplash and Selma with performances in the afternoon and evening. Pre-book the tickets to receive the discount.

BIG SPLASH RETURNS

Mar 26 - For the first time ever the Maindee Festival will combine with Big Splash this year from May 29-31. The Maindee Festival Street Parade will start at 12pm on Saturday 30 and finish at the festival site with lots more fun and entertainment until 7pm. The Big Splash FAIRGROUND will also be on the banks of the River Usk throughout the weekend. On Saturday there International STREET THEATRE, Shaun the Sheep and Big Hero 6 film screenings, free live music, live performances on the COMMUNITY STAGE and the SUNSET SPECTACULAR (from 8.30pm). URBAN EDGE will return to the Newport Centre with a B-Girl breakdance competition between 1pm-8pm. Fun workshops and taster sessions are available all weekend

ROBOT WARS AT NEWPORT CENTRE

Mar 22 - See over 50 mechanical monsters old and new at Newport Centre today including the 2014 and current Robot Wars Champion, Eruption, previous UK champion Ripper, crowd favourite Behemoth and many more robots from TV. See Major Damage, the star of the show house robot, 960kg of metal smashing, flame throwing, claw grabbing mayhem, there's also Matilda.... yes you know her, from the TV show, one of the original iconic robots of Robot Wars will also be in the arena against the competitors, along with the new breed of robots to have risen from the scrapheap! A limited number of VIP tickets are available with reserved seats and a backstage tour of the pits and battle arena.

1pm Sunday 22 March 2015 / Price : £14 children, £16 adults, family £54 / Dates & Times : Sunday 22 March , 13:00

BBC YOUNG DANCER 2015 AT THE RIVERFRONT

Mar 17 - This brand new award joins BBC Young Musician as a showcase for talented and dedicated young performers. Since it was first held in 1978, BBC Young Musician has helped to launch the careers of many of the UK’s most successful classical music stars including Nicola Benedetti, Natalie Clein and 2014 winner Martin James Bartlett.

Now dance takes centre stage as BBC Young Dancer 2015 turns the spotlight on the UK’s best dance performers. The BBC are working with Sadler’s Wells to find and celebrate the very best of young dance talent across the UK. We’re looking for dancers aged 16-20 across four categories: Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop and South Asian Dance.

The BBC Young Dancer CATEGORY FINALS take place from 19th-22nd March at The Riverfront

Thursday 19 March - CONTEMPORARY FINAL
Friday 20 March - HIP HOP FINAL
Saturday 21 March - SOUTH ASIAN FINAL
Sunday 22 March - BALLET FINAL

Five talented dancers per category will perform in front of an audience and expert panel of judges. The performances will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Four to be shown in April and May.

MUSE SELL OUT IN MINUTES FOR CENTRE GIG

Mar 14 - Muse have announced details of a new single, album and six UK tour dates including Newport Centre on March 19. Tickets for the Newport gig sold out in a few minutes. The Muse concert is a huge coup for Newport Centre following the recent appearance there of Royal Bloods. The British band will kick off their Psycho tour in Belfast on Sunday, before playing venues in Glasgow, Newport, Exeter, Manchester and Brighton. The album, which is released on 8 June, will be called Drones.

MUSEUM TO RUN 'DOWN YOUR LOCAL' SESSIONS

Feb 14 - For two weeks, starting on 16 February 2015, Newport Museum is running ten ‘Down your Local’ sessions. These free, informal learning sessions are taking place in pubs, cafes and social clubs all across Newport and cover all sorts of historical topics from King Arthur to the First World War. These events are taking place for The Festival of Dangerous Ideas, a campaign which will highlight the current economic situation and how it presents serious challenge for policy makers, providers and practitioners.

Faced with the reality of drastically reducing budgets, now is an opportune time to think about innovative and sustainable ways to deliver public services such as education. Led by NIACE Cymru, with support from Welsh Government and Big Lottery Fund Wales, the fortnight will stimulate and start a discussion between providers and the general public, around a range of dangerous ideas surrounding education. Emma Harris, communications officer at NIACE Cymru, said: “These events are perfect for individuals who want to learn something new or return to learning in a welcoming, informal environment. At a time when local authorities are facing budget cuts and a lack of resources, this is an innovative way of offering adults new opportunities which help them refresh and update their skills and knowledge and to stay active.”

The first ‘Down your Local’ session will take place at the Murrenger Inn in Newport on 16 February 3pm – 4:30pm and will cover ‘Newport in the Time of Richard III’. These events are free and informal so there’s no need to book in advance. For a full list of events, please visit www.cymrufodi.co.uk/calendar or call Newport Museum on 01633 656656.

HENNING IS BACK FOR MORE

Feb 5 - German comedian Henning Wehn is back at the Riverfront on February 21 as part of his Eins, Zwei, DIY Tour. The show starts at 20:00 with limited ticket availability. Price £15.

BRUSH UP ON YOUR BASIL

Feb 5 - Irrepressible fox Basil Brush will be at the Riverfront on June 6th (11am and 2pm). Tickets - £12, children - £10. Family of four - £38.

Basil has been on tv for fifty years. His publicity blurb states "Basil Brush is a star with an outstanding ability to entertain and make people of all ages laugh and smile. He’s cheeky, irreverent, charming, naughty, quick-witted, scheming and foxy, but at the same time he’s kind, caring and affectionate."

ACCRINGTON PALS

Feb 5 - Newport Playgoers present 'Accrington Pals' next week (Feb 11-14) at the Dolman Theatre. The 'Accrington Pals' is a moving and hard-hitting play set in Accrington during the first few years of the First World War. It follows the story of the innocent and enthusiastic men who volunteered after Kitchener's call for a New Army. Their experiences of life on the Western Front are contrasted with the women who are left behind. These women come together as friends when facing financial, social and sexual deprivation, as well as being thrown into the social changes that come along with the absence of so many men. The play has light hearted moments which are starkly contrasted with the terrifying reality faced at the Battle of the Somme. Tickets £12.50, concessions £8.50.

LE PUB HOST WORLD vs WORLD

Feb 5 - Le Pub host West Wales rockers World vs World tomorrow night (supported by Swift Arvel). On Saturday its indie punk from Woahnows , Remedy, Something Anorak, Jesults, Think Pretty. £5 on the door.

HARRY POTTER BOOK NIGHT

Feb 3 - Newport City Council’s community learning and libraries are joining the worldwide celebrations for the first ever Harry Potter book night on Thursday 5 February. Between 5.30pm and 6.30pm, staff at Rogerstone Library will be sharing the wonder of JK Rowling’s unforgettable stories and introducing the next generation of readers to the magic of Harry Potter.

Young wizards, witches and muggles will be treated to quizzes, craft and magical activities. It will begin with the sorting hat deciding who goes in which house and they will compete for points.

THE HEARTS DEBUT EP IS OUT

Jan 26 - Newport’s The Hearts, who have spent the summer breaking out on the festival circuit with support slots under Arcade Fire and Paul Weller have now released their first 2 track EP including the song 'Celebrate'. See the video on their Facebook site or here. The Hearts will be heading out on tour with Pretty Vicious throughout January and Febuary. A full list of live dates can be found below:

Fri 30th Jan - Blackwood Miners Institute
Sun 1st Feb – Sin City, Swansea
Weds 4th Feb - Wrexham Central Station
Thurs 5th Feb - Chester Live Rooms
Sun 8th Feb - Ebbw Vale Institute
Mon 9th Feb - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

YOUNG CHEF COOKING UP A TREAT

Jan 18 - Young Celtic Manor chef Vivienne Read will bid for a place in the final of the Junior Chef of Wales competition when she cooks up her own three-course meal for judges in the South Wales heat .

Vivienne has already impressed enough with the menu she entered for a sea bass starter, a duck main course and a chocolate orange dessert to reach the semi-final. She will now cook the dishes head to head with other chefs aged under-23 at Coleg-y-Cymoedd to try to reach the national final.

“I see this as a stepping stone to go further in my career,” said Vivienne. “This is the first big competition I’ve entered but I want to push myself and test myself against other chefs.”

A former pupil of Newport’s St Joseph’s School, Vivienne has worked full-time in the Celtic Manor kitchens for just over a year, having previously combined part-time work at the resort with catering studies at the Crosskeys campus of Coleg Gwent.

“My dad was a chef in the military,” she added. “But it was my auntie who really inspired me to have a passion for cooking.”

If Vivienne is successful in the semi-final, she will progress to the final on February 16.

MILK TEETH ON SHOW AT LE PUB

Jan 17 - The incredible Bristol based punk rock outfit Milk teeth will be stepping over the boarder to play Le Pub. Be sure to check this one out if you're a fan of those early 90s late 80s grunge vibes! Friday January 23 from 8.

LANGFORD AT LE PUB

Jan 6 - Newportonian Jon Langford will be coming home to perform at Le Pub on Saturday evening. Admission is a fiver. The publicity blurb from New City Chicago is compelling "Jon Langford has grit in his voice and melody in his soul. A punk-rock pioneer, a leading light of alt-country, a troubadour for our times, a musicians' mentor, a visual artist of uncommon skill, a singer-songwriter who writes with the authority of having lived a life rather just having imagined it."

He made his name as part of the post punk band the Mekons, but also the Waco Brothers and later the Three Johns The 57 year old is also considered to be the founder of cow punk, a mixture of country and punk. Langford is also a renowned artist combining his musical talents with striking portraits of rock and country icon. He was responsible, with fellow Newportonian Colin Morton, for the much admired alternative cartoon strip Great Pop Things. He is supported by the Meg Cox Band and the Johnstown Flood.

DOCUMENTING THE CHARTISTS

Jan 6 - November 4th marks the 175th anniversary of the Newport uprising which took place outside the Westgate Hotel in 1839. The Museum cares for an important Chartist collection which includes documents, letters, pamphlets, posters and prints which tell the story of the Newport uprising and the events that followed. These items do not feature in the Chartist displays in the Museum, as constant exposure to light damages paper items. Documenting the Chartists is a special opportunity to see the highlights of this collection brought together in a temporary exhibition. Its at Newport Museum and Art Gallery until Jan 25.

CELEBRATE HEN GALAN IN CAERLEON

Jan 6 - Saturday sees the return to Caerleon of the Mari Llwyd after over 70 years, with the Chepstow Widders and Mummers. Its at The Bell Inn on Bulmore Road (6.30pm)and The Hanbury Arms (7.30pm) followed by a Celtic music session at the same venue.

DOCK STREET TOUR HIGHLIGHTS HISTORIC AREA

Dec 13 - Find out more about historic Dock Street in Pill on a walking tour organised by Newport City Council on 17 December. This fascinating area has been home to many different businesses over the years. Join the council’s Pillgwenlly regeneration team who will take you on a journey through its development using photographs and stories. Two walks will be held Wednesday 17 December at 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. To reserve a place contact 01633 260896.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS

Dec 7 - Christmas events in Newport are well under way. Here is a pick of some of the best. Tredegar House used to be brilliant at Christmas and under National Trust control still runs a series of festive events combining the house and a visit from Father Christmas. Its on today, Dec13,14,20,21 from 11am until 4pm and has 'A Christmas Carol' theme including dear old Scrooge. In addition to the Panto at the Riverfront the Dolman Theatre's New Venture Players are presenting Miracle on 34th Street from December 17 to 20 (adults £12, children £10). At St Woolos Cathedral a Christingle service will take place at 4pm on Saturday December 21 and a carol service on Christmas Eve at 3pm. The Celtic Manor is running its Christmas Kingdom event through until the beginning of January including ice skating, a festive market and Santa. The hotel has a wide range of parties, festive breaks and dining options including the big day itself. Some of Newport's other hotels, pubs,and restaurants have enticing dining offers and some including the Waterloo Hotel and Bistro are open on Christmas Day. In town there are a wide range of traditional gifts in the indoor market and also Santa is resident in the Kingsway Centre. Check websites for more precise details and enjoy the break!

DICK WHITTINGTON SET TO LIGHT UP RIVERFRONT

Nov 30 - The latest festive pantomime, Dick Whttington, runs at the Riverfront from December 2 to January 14. The promotional blurb states "In association with His and Boo we bring you all the delights and the dare devil antics of one very special Tommy the Cat (Emma Goodwin) and his master, Dick Whittington (Gareth Tempest). Attracted to the idea of London’s streets being paved with gold, the two friends arrive in the city only to discover it is infested with rats. Tommy quickly comes to the rescue of the beautiful Alice (Elin Llywd – S4C Stwnch), her father, Alderman Fitzwarren (Mike Onslow) and their larger than life and hapless cook Sarah (Lee Mengo – the finest dame in panto land), killing the rats in their shop. However, super baddie King Rat (Richard Elis – Eastenders) has plans to take over the world, and these do not include Dick and Tommy. Their battle takes place on the high seas and onto the exotic shores of Morocco." Tickets range from £5.50 to £18. The box office number is 01633 656757 or book online on the Council's website.

CHRISTMAS FOOD MARKET SET FOR CITY CENTRE

Nov 30 - A festive food market will be held in Newport City Centre on Saturday 6 December from 9.30am with around 40 exhibitor stalls set up on Commercial Street and Westgate Square showcasing the region’s food, drink and craft producers. The event is a spin off market from the annual Newport Food Festival and will bring together a variety of businesses from in and around the area. The event promises to be extra special with live music, street theatre and a visit by real reindeers courtesy of Roman Farm in Caerleon.

Some of the exhibitors who have confirmed that they will be attending include: Avril’s Country Kitchen, Caws Cenarth Cheese, Clam’s handmade cakes, Flapjack Fairy, Hardwick Hampers, Pieroth Wine, Tudor Brewery and Varsity Coffee.

CITY CELEBRATES CHARTIST PAST

Nov 7 - Newport City Council is celebrating 175 years of the Chartist movement with a special day at Newport Central Library on Saturday 8 November.

There will be a chance to view some of the Chartist treasures during special tours on the local history gallery. The special Chartist collection in the reference library has the original transcripts of the trials as well as copies of original newspaper articles. Spaces are very limited so please book in advance.

RIVERFRONT TO HOST FESTIVE POP-UP SHOP

Nov 1 - The Riverfront will host its first pop up shop throughout November. Utilising the gallery space in the theatre and arts centre to showcase a range of more than 15 local and regional artists and designers it will also provide an extra shopping outlet in the heart of the city.

Branded as The Christmas Creatives, the ground floor space will accommodate screen prints and original artworks by artists including Paul Fisher and Bill Chambers, hand crafted Christmas decorations by Mandy Nash, cuff links and bracelets by Fragment design and Sarah Codd, cards by Katie Loves Peppa, modern ceramics by Ave a Go Ceramics and Kina Ceramic Design as well as handy home accessories including tote bags, note pads and mugs created by Hey there Bear.

HISTORIAN COMMEMORATES CITY'S WW1 CASUALTIES

Oct 28 - Newport City Council will be commemorating the Newport residents who died during the first year of World War 1 with a presentation by local historian Shaun McGuire. He has delivered insightful, detailed and moving talks about the casualties of both World Wars over the last three years.

He will be sharing his new research the people of Newport who made the ultimate sacrifice during 1914-1915 in two presentations in the city’s libraries. These will take place in Newport Central Library on Friday 7 November from 2pm to 3pm and Malpas Library on Wednesday 12 November from 11am to 12pm. There is an admission fee of £2 per person.

EXAMPLE AT THE CENTRE ON WEDNESDAY

Oct 25 - Example and support act Delta Heavy play Newport Centre on Wednesday. Example (real name Elliott John Gleave) has just released a new album 'Live Life Living'. Some tickets are still available.

JENKINS SET FOR BBC SHOW AT NEWPORT CENTRE

Oct 21 - Katherine Jenkins OBE is set to ensure that Christmas will be coming early to Newport this year as BBC Wales’s star-studded seasonal concert, The Really Welsh Christmas Show, is staged at the Newport Centre - and free tickets are now available. The show will be the first of two celebrity events at the venue. The Christmas show will be recorded on Thursday, November 13 and, the following evening - on Friday, November 14 - all eyes will be on Newport as it becomes the focus in Wales of the annual spectacular of entertainment and fundraising for BBC Children in Need.

The Really Welsh Christmas Show recorded from 7.45pm on Thursday, November 13 with special guest Katherine Jenkins, who will be performing songs from her new album, and hosted by singer and actress Sophie Evans. Featuring the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, more stars will be confirmed for the show before the event, and highlights will be broadcast in the run-up to Christmas on BBC One Wales.

Free tickets for the show will be available from the Newport Centre on 01633 656656 (lines open at 9am) and also from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales audience line on 03700 101051 (standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply) - lines are open 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday. Tickets are limited to four

WIMPY KID SPREADS THE READING MESSAGE

Oct 17 - Fifty copies of one of the books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series were given out to young Newport readers by the city council last weekend.

Libraries across the country joined with Good Morning Britain to give away thousands of copies of the first book ahead of the publication of the latest in the series this November.

Ringland and Central Libraries each had 25 copies to give away as well as a sneak preview of the new book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. It certainly sparked the interest of children in the city, some of whom were queuing up before staff even arrived. During the event, they listened to an excerpt from the first book as well as hearing all about the new one. The children created their own covers including some for their own diaries ( the imaginative Diary of a Robot, Diary of a Great Dancer and Diary of a Man called Christiano Ronaldo) or for some of the Wimpy Kid books before playing a game.

JASON MANFORD IN TOWN TONIGHT

Oct 11 - Comedy Port hits another high tonight with the arrival of headline act Jason Manford in town. Manford's show is a near sell out (there are two tickets left in the stalls and five in the circle) at the Riverfront Theatre starting at 8pm. The 33 year old comedian is one of the current stars of UK comedy. He hails from Salford In Manchester and has a host of tv appearances under his belt. His first UK tour was in 2010.

TELEVISED UK DANCE COMPETITION SET FOR RIVERFRONT

Oct 11 - Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre is to host the category finals of a prestigious national dance competition next year.

Talented dancers aged 16 to 20 are being invited to take part in the first ever BBC Young Dancer competition with four categories in ballet, contemporary, hip hop and south Asian dance. The BBC Young Dancer 2015 Grand Final will take place at Sadler’s Wells on Saturday 9 May and will be broadcast on BBC 2. In the first round, video submissions will be narrowed down to 80 successful entrants who will then be invited to take part in the second round. The award then steps up a notch in the category finals which are being staged at The Riverfront in March.

Five successful dancers from each category will perform two solos and a pas de deux, duet or, for hip hop dancers, a battle against unknown opponent. The category finals will be filmed for broadcast on BBC 4.

For entry details and more information visit www.bbc.co.uk/youngdancer. The closing date for entries is 1 November 2014.

THOUSANDS ATTEND FOOD FESTIVAL

Oct 6 - Newport Food Festival was a roaring success bringing large crowds in to Commercial Street, the Market and the Riverfront Theatre. Demonstrations and master classes in the Riverfront and Market proved attractive as did the 70 plus stalls set up in the city centre. Despite early poor weather the clouds cleared and a festival atmosphere developed. Participants included James Sommerin, Ping Coombes and Tiny Rebel Brewery Company.

SHEEN TO RE-TRACE CHARTIST RISING

Sep 29 - Michael Sheen is to retrace the Chartist Uprising of 1839 for a BBC Wales documentary. He will follow in the footsteps of around 3,000 people who took part in the protest which led to bloody rebellion in Newport.

The Hollywood actor previously criticised Newport council after a Mural was torn down in a spectacular public relations own goal to make way for the Friars Walk shopping development. The BBC programme will mark the 175th anniversary of the march. Filmed over five days, Sheen, who was born in Newport and is the star of films including Frost/Nixon and The Queen, will travel the route taken by the marchers. He will visit shops and pubs to meet people in the area and find out their views on politics and social change.

A commission was set up to find a replacement for the Chartist Mural, with Dr Rowan Williams, Newport West AM Dame Rosemary Butler and Patrick Drewett, chairman of the Chartist Anniversary Committee, appointed. A timeframe to decide on a replacement has been announced with a public consultation set to begin in March next year.

LAST CHANCE TO VISIT TRANSPORTER BRIDGE

Sept 24 - You have one last chance to visit Newport’s Transporter Bridge this season before it closes for the autumn and winter. The last day of operation (Sunday 28 September) will be a little different as Transporter Bridge workers and the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge will be dressed as Edwardians.

Zip Slide UK will also be running a zip-slide event for charity fundraisers. Places are still available if you’re feeling brave - for information go to www.zipslidesuk.co.uk/. The Transporter Bridge is open Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm.

NEW ART EXHIBITION

A new exhibition from the Upmarket Galleries group. Work from different artists will be showcased on the mezzanine level of Newport Market next week.

Location : Newport Market Price : Free

Dates & Times : Shopping Hours - Mon 15 Sep - Sat Sep 20

NEWPORT LIBRARIES AND STORIES GROUP

Story Clubs are held during term time to help parents foster a love of reading in pre-school children. Join in with songs and rhymes, listen to stories and enjoy a craft activity relating to the theme of the week's story, entirely free of charge.

Held during term-time at: Carnegie Library - Monday 11am - 11.45am /
Rogerstone Library - Tuesday 2pm - 2.45pm / Caerleon Library - Wednesday 11am - 11.45am / Maindee Library - Wednesday 2pm - 2.45pm / Central Library - Thursday 11am - 11.45am / Malpas Library - Friday 11am - 11.45am

NEWPORT AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

An exhibition commemorating the hard work, commitment and sacrifice made by the people of Newport during the First World War both at home and fighting abroad is at the City's Museum in Kingsway until June next year. It is free of charge.

DIGITAL FRIDAY LAUNCH

Sep 12 - Next Friday (19 September) sees Newport City Council’s official launch of Digital Friday – free drop in sessions providing advice on computers and the internet.

If you have a question about computers, tablets or the internet or want advice on how to use email effectively, look for a job, search online or just have help with basic computer use then Digital Friday is for you. There will be tutors on hand to answer questions, give advice and help where needed. Whether you want to apply for a job, talk to your family abroad or shop online you can have one-to-one support to help you get IT savvy.

The free drop in sessions will be held in local libraries every Friday across the city at the following locations, on the following times:

9.30am - 12.30pm: Bettws, Carnegie, Pillgwenlly, Rogerstone, St Julian’s, Tredegar House.

2pm – 5pm: Caerleon, Malpas, Central library, Maindee, Ringland.

The official launch takes place at Central library on 19 September at 1:30pm.

The sessions are funded by Welsh Government’s Communities 2.0 scheme.

EXAMPLE SET FOR NEWPORT CENTRE

Sep 1 - Example is heading to Newport Centre on Wednesday October 29 supported by Delta Heavy. The singer, songwriter, producer, occasional rapper and all round king of the club banger is set to release his brand new single ‘10 Million People’ on 5th October. The track has been taken from his top ten album ‘Live Life Living’ which is out now.

The live arena is where Example is a true master. Renowned for his monstrous live sets, he is set to once again transform venues across the country in to colossal party scenes. Announcing a tour taking him to 26 towns and cities later this year, he said: "I haven't covered the UK properly for such a long time. The last two arena tours were superb but we missed some corners of the UK and a lot of people can't travel hours to see a gig, especially on a week day. It’s a marathon tour, even for me but I've carefully chosen all the venues myself - some of which I've played in loads of time and others which I've never been to. Expect all the hits from the last 3 albums plus all the bangers and singles off album no. 5 in a spectacular show."

Contact : Newport Centre tel : (01633) 656757 e-mail : info@newport.gov.uk

QUEENSBERRY SPONSOR FOOD FESTIVAL VENUES

Aug 12 - Queensberry Real Estate will be official venue sponsor for Newport’s Food Festival. Queensberry Real Estate is one of the UK’s leading developers of retail and leisure destinations and is currently developing Friars Walk, Newport’s new city centre retail and leisure development which will open autumn 2015.

The fourth Newport Food Festival will take place on Saturday 4 October and QRE will be The Riverfront venue sponsor for the event. Speaking about QRE’s involvement with the festival, Stuart Harris, commercial director and co-founder, said ‘We are delighted to support Newport’s fourth Food Festival at The Riverfront Theatre, this venue provides a great setting to showcase food made by chefs from the area.

“We will have a Friars Walk information stand at the theatre for people who wish to find out more about the development which is being built just opposite. “Food and leisure are key aspects of Friars Walk (Usk Plaza) and will help to attract people back into the city centre both in the day and evening. “Usk Plaza will include an eight-screen Cineworld cinema, 11 family restaurants including Nando’s, GBK, Cosmo, Prezzo, and Chiquito.” The programme for the Food Festival has been unveiled and tickets for chef demonstrations are now on sale.

Delivering free chef demonstrations which will be held at The Riverfront will be Tom from The Fig Tree restaurant in Penarth, Stuart Spice chef at Lodge Brasserie from joint sponsors Celtic Manor Resort, Michael Hendry of Llansantffraed Court Hotel and Diane Corrister from HoneyBunch Cake company. Tickets need to be reserved in advance for the demonstrations. As well as chef demonstrations there will also be masterclasses which will also be held at The Riverfront. These classes are charged for and delivering these will be Newport Food Festival patron and Lucknam Park chef Hywel Jones, Sergio and Pasquelle of local restaurant Gemelli’s, James Sommerin, Anand George from Purple Poppadom and Emma Evans of Secret Supper Club.

FOOD FESTIVAL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

July 31 - The programme for the fourth Newport Food Festival (Saturday October 4) has been unveiled and tickets for chef demonstrations and talks will go on sale at 10am on Friday (1 August). One of the most popular demonstrations is set to be the one delivered by Ping Coombes who was crowned BBC’s MasterChef champion in May this year. This demonstration is free, however, you will need to reserve a ticket as spaces are limited. Ping was crowned MasterChef champion after eight-weeks of gruelling competition and battled her way through a field of 60 contestants to reach the final three before announced as the winner.

Born in Malaysia, Ping now lives in Bath with her husband and 18-month-old daughter and has previously worked with Newport Food Festival patron, chef Hywel Jones, when she worked in the conferencing and banqueting section at Lucknam Park hotel and spa. Also delivering free chef demonstrations which will be held at The Riverfront will be Tom from The Fig Tree restaurant in Penarth, a chef from joint sponsors Celtic Manor Resort, Michael Hendry of Llansantffraed Court Hotel and Diane Corrister from HoneyBunch Cake company.

As well as chef demonstrations there will also be masterclasses which will also be held at The Riverfront. These classes are charged for and delivering these will be Newport Food Festival patron and Lucknam Park chef Hywel Jones, Sergio Pasquelle of local restaurant Gemelli's, James Sommerin, Anand George from Purple Poppadom and Emma Evans of Secret Supper Club. Newport Market will hold chef demonstrations, again these are free events and tickets do not have to be reserved in advance. Talks range from topics such as Welsh breakfast to Welsh tapas and one from Masterchef 2014 semi-finalist Angela Langford.

Newport Food Festival partnership chair, Rob Haines, will have a cook off with local restaurant Poppadoms. Three local city centre venues will also host events with Waterstones hosting different demonstration classes from latte art to cake and icing decoration. Again no charge is made for these classes. Beer banter sessions will also be held in an as yet undisclosed city centre venue, these are charged at £3 a session and tickets must be booked in advance. Among the speakers will be Gareth from Tiny Rebel Brewery, Jamie at Tudor and Untapped’s Martin as well as others.

DRAWING NEWPORT

July 31 - A temporary exhibition of drawings inspired by the city from the collections of Newport Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition also features a selection of historical photographs dating from the mid 1800s to the 1960s. From now until October 11.

This is accompanied by an exhibition developed by The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, working in partnership with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Since the late 1950s, Falcon Hildred's mission has been to make a visual record of the buildings of a disappearing industrial culture. In many areas, old industries were collapsing, long-established communities were being replaced by mass housing schemes and ambitious urban redevelopment was taking hold. Falcon could do little to halt this, but as a skilled designer and illustrator he could at least ensure that monuments to the past did not disappear without some record being made. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of Falcon Hildred's drawings of Newport commissioned by Newport Museum and Art Gallery in 1988 and runs until September 27.

MANFORD TO HEADLINE COMEDY PORT

July 28 - Jason Manford will headline this year's Comedy Port with a performance at the Riverfront on Saturday October 11. Shappi Khorsandi is at the Riverfront on Thursday October 9. Other performances include Eric and Little Ern on October 8 at the same venue.

CAFE OPEN FOR SUMMER VISITORS

July 25 - Visitors to Newport’s beautiful Belle Vue Park can enjoy refreshments in the café on seven days a week for the rest of the summer. Run by the city council, the pavilion café is open from 10am-4pm serving drinks, snacks, delicious cakes, cream teas, ice-creams and lollies.

With tables and seats inside as well as out, and views across the park, it is a great place to take a short break in the historic park. It also offers friendly and welcoming atmosphere. During the week, the café offers training opportunities for people with learning disabilities and mental health illnesses during the week and at weekends it is staffed by a social enterprise. The café and pavilion also caters for functions such as weddings.

NICKY WIRE SLAMS CULTURAL DEMOLITION OF NEWPORT AND BEYOND

Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire has taken to the pages of NME to condemn 'Coalition cuts' and the cultural demolition of Newport. Wire says "I live in Newport and in the last few years I've seen such a ...wholesale hammering and demolition of culture. The Chartist Mural has been knocked down, the Art Gallery's Temporary Exhibition Programme has been axed, and now the Welsh Music Foundation, which supports local music, is being forced to close." He says the country has lost its sense of priorities and describes it as a sick political joke that the only nationalised industry we have is the banking sector. He calls for the Foundation to continue as a it costs a small amount but creates so much.

Comment - although these decisions are due ultimately to UK Government cuts the political decisions have been taken by the Welsh Government and Newport City Council.

CHAS & DAVE AT THE RIVERFRONT

Chas & Dave began writing and performing songs together in 1972, having been friends since the early sixties. now celebrating their 50th anniversary by recording their first original album in 27 years which is a mixture of vintage rock & roll songs and new renditions of their own rockney classics. the album also features special guest stars such as Jools Holland, Buddy Hollys drummer Jerry Allison & Hugh Laurie. Location : The Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre Price : £23.50 Dates & Times : Friday 18 July , 19:30

ROBERT PLANT TO PLAY CENTRE

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters start their UK tour with a gig at Newport Centre on November 9. Tickets are available from today.

Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters, is a heady brew of blues, gospel and psychedelia inspired by the roots music of Mississippi, Appalachia, Gambia, Bristol and the foothills of Wolverhampton.

The group comprises the former Led Zeppelin frontman, members of his former backing band Strange Sensation and regular collaborator Justin Adams.

PHOTOGRAPHER CHOSEN FOR BIENNALE

Jun 14 - A Newport-based photographer will be the first woman to represent Wales in a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Helen Sear, whose work crosses over between photography and fine art, has been chosen for the event described as the Olympics of contemporary art in 2015.

The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) said there was growing acclaim for her "high quality, conceptually rigorous work". Ms Sear said it had long been her ambition to represent Wales in Venice.

Confirming her selection, the ACW said her work "shows particular maturity and sophistication, seamlessly moving between expanded notions of photography, sculpture and video, with the artist exhibiting great command of different materials and production processes". Based at the University of South Wales in Newport, Ms Sear was joint winner of the visual art prize at the 2011 National Eisteddfod.

DOWN YOUR LOCAL SESSIONS

Jun 14 - Newport Council is presenting six special Down Your Local sessions to celebrate adult learners’ week.

Each of the events, organised by Newport Museum and Art Gallery, will begin with a short talk on a different theme.

Councillor Mark Whitcutt, cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “The Down Your Local programme has proved very popular since beginning last year.

“The sessions next week are being held in a variety of locations and times so I hope even more people will go along and discover just why they are so successful.”

Full details are as follows:

Monday 16 June: 7pm, Ruperra Arms, Bassaleg, for a discussion about the Barland’s Farm Romano-Celtic Boat.

Tuesday 17 June: 11am, meet at Cedars Café, Skinner Street, and then take a stroll down Commercial Street, reminisce about long-gone eateries and end in the museum for a short talk about the story of tea.

3pm, meet in The Murenger, High Street, for a talk about Newport’s Workhouse

Wednesday 18 June: 7pm, the Hanbury Arms is the first visit to Caerleon for Down Your Local. The topic will be the Newport medieval ship and it is an opportunity to meet the project’s curator, Toby Jones, and hear the latest news about this maritime discovery.

Thursday 19 June: 3pm, at the Lyceum Tavern, Malpas road, for a short film, talk and discussion about the Newport docks disaster.

Friday 20 June: 10am, The Lamb, Bridge Street, is a regular venue for Down Your Local but this is the first “brunch-time” session and will look at coins, pottery and more before ending with a fun quiz.

Down Your Local was started by Newport Museums & Heritage Service in 2013 in answer to calls from local people to have an informal forum where they could discuss Newport’s heritage

TEENCHEF

Jun 10 - Newport Food Festival’s Teenchef competition, sponsored by Western Power Distribution (WPD), will start this week with youngsters battling it out to secure a place in the quarter finals.

Competing in this year’s competition are youth clubs from Maindee, Underwood, Bettws, Gaer, Stow Hill, Alway, Ringland, Cefn Wood and Rivermead as well as St Julian’s youth project and Duke of Edinburgh life after gold group.

“I would like to wish all those taking part in Teenchef the very best of luck,” commented Newport City Council cabinet member for skills and work, Councillor Deb Davies. “Teenchef is a competition that develops a youngster’s interest in food, how to plan and budget a meal, their cooking skills as well as team work, ability to work to a deadline and under pressure.”

The first group to take part will be Underwood youth club who will have their cook off at Underwood Community Centre at 6pm on Wednesday 11 June. They will closely be followed by Maindee youth club on Thursday 12 June while St Julian’s project will hold their cook off on Monday 16 June at 5pm.

Different teams from within the youth group will battle it out in the first round to select one representative from that youth club who will go onto the quarter final stages.

TINY REBEL ACCOLADE

Jun 7 - Newport brewery Tiny Rebel scooped the Champion Beer of Wales accolade after being chosen by a panel of experts from Campaign for Real Ale (Camra). Camra experts declared Tiny Rebel’s Fubar – a 4.4% Golden Ale – as the best in Wales, naming it winner ahead of rival beers entered across 10 categories. The announcement was made in front of more than 1,000 representatives from across the beer and pub sectors at the Celtic Manor.

TRANSPORTER BRIDGE AWARD

May 25 - Newport Transporter Bridge has received a 2014 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. This prestigious award recognises businesses that consistently earn top ratings from TripAdvisor Travellers.

Councillor Mark Whitcutt, Newport City Council’s cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “This is fantastic news. Visitors from all over the world come to see the Transporter Bridge and they clearly enjoy the experience.”

Newport Transporter Bridge, which opened in 1906, is one of only six operational transporter bridges left in the world. The visitor centre is operated by the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge.

It only now opens from Wednesday to Sunday between April and the end of September including Bank Holidays. Last admission is at 4pm and the last ferry crossing from west to east is at 4.30pm. Prices include £2.75 for an adult day visitor (£1.75 for a child) and that includes access to the high level walk way and the motor house platform as well as unlimited crossings on the day. A single crossing costs £1 for an adult (50 pence for a child) and a return is £1.50 for an adult (£1 for a child).

MUSIC NOTES

Vocalist Sarah Campbell Horner (left) is performing at the Lamb in Newport from 9pm on Friday (May 23).

Cardiff based Chain of Flowers are at Le Pub described on the Great Escape as "They’re guitar-heavy, a bit 80s and a bit shoegazey. There’s elements of The Jesus and Mary Chain and a blunt nod to The Cure, which we assume is the reference in the band name."

BAND PEN PULIS TRIBUTE

May 17 - A well-known Irish folk group, the Corrigan Brothers, have written a song to show their support for Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis after his miracle job retaining Premiership status for the club.

Having performed for the US president the band are now hoping Pulis wins the accolade this month and say they want to play for him too. Guitarist Brian Corrigan told This is London: “What Tony Pulis has done this season to keep Palace up has been amazing – he had an impossible task when he joined in November and delivered five Premier League wins in a row on April 19.

“There is no better managerial performance in world football this year". It is Tony's second tribute following an earlier venture by GLC.

Tony Pulis - profile

LIGHT NIGHT PLANS REVEALED

May 12 - Newport’s first Light Night will give people a chance to walk in the steps of the Chartists or help to create a large scale collage. These are just two of the activities taking place on Friday 16 May as the city joins the national Museums at Night festival for the first time.

There’s even a chance to win a prize by identifying city centre buildings from photographic clues. Entry forms will be available on the evening from the Newport Museum and Art Gallery.

Every year hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events.

People will be welcomed in Newport Museum and Art Gallery until 8pm to look around or take part in some special sessions.

Paybox, an exhibition by artist Penny Hallas, represents initial work for an ongoing Arts Council Wales-funded research and development project exploring the real and imagined contents of three museums in South Wales.

Families can help her create a large scale drawing, using collage, based on her work between 5pm and 6.30pm while Paybox Meet the Artist, from 7pm to 8pm, will launch Penny’s drawings and a film made in response to the collection in Newport Museum.

PATHE NEWSREEL HIGHLIGHTS PRE-WAR NEWPORT

Portsmouth v Newport County 1949

Newport Carnival 1939 / Newport Carnival 1924

Newport v Cardiff rugby 1951

The Queen opens the new Llanwern Steelworks 1962

International Cross Country athletics race - Caerleon 1933

WESTERN POWER SPONSOR TEENCHEF

May 7 - Western Power Distribution (WPD) has been confirmed as the official sponsor for the Newport Food Festival’s Teenchef competition 2014.

Teenchef is a key strand of the festival that sees youngsters from youth groups across Newport go head-to-head in a cooking competition. Youngsters are allocated a set budget and have to prepare, cook and present a main meal for two people in just 45-minutes.

Speaking about their support of the competition, WPD’s distribution manager, Maurice Eshelby, explained: “We are pleased to be associated with the Newport Food Festival, and to sponsor the Teenchef competition.

ONLY BOYS ALOUD AT CATHEDRAL

May 4 - The Friends of Newport Cathedral Choir presents 'Only Boys Aloud' supported by The Gwent Brass Youth Ensemble, and violinist, Charlie Lovell-Jones. Tickets are available from the Cathedral Shop or via email: secretaryfncc@gmail.com. Location : St Woolos Cathedral Price : £15 (£12 concessions) Dates & Times : Saturday 10 May , 19:00

OPEN SESSION AT THE RIVERFRONT

May 4 - The blurb states "Boutique stalls adorn the foyer from 5pm until 11pm and performance fills the air in the café from 7pm. All types of performers are welcome to come along from comedians to poets and musicians and all you need to do is turn up on the night. The event is not aimed at under 16's acts after 9pm may be unsuitable for children." Its the Open Session at the Riverfront on Friday May 9 and Friday June 13.

A WALK AROUND CITY'S MEDIAEVAL BOUNDARY

May 4 - Organised by the Friends of Newport Museum and Art Gallery. A guided walk around the mediaeval boundary of Newport with local historian Richard Frame exploring the history and the growth of the city. The final part of the tour will take in Vicarage Hill, which is quite steep, and after a few hours walking quite strenuous. You have been warned! Meet outside the Newport Cathedral of St. Woolos. Please bring a packed lunch and a drink. The walk will take around 3 hours. Cost £2.

INSIDE WELSH HOMES

May 4 - An exhibition of photographs from the collections of The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical and Monuments Wales (RCAHMW), which gives an historic glimpse inside Welsh homes, from the humblest of cottages to the grandest country houses is on display at the City Museum until July 5.

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW HEADING TO THE PORT

Apr 27 - BBC One’s ever popular Sunday evening programme Antiques Roadshow will be filming for its 37th series in the grounds of Tredegar House & Park on Sunday 22 June 2014. Doors open 9.30 to 4.30. Entry is free.

ROBOT WARS AT THE CENTRE

Apr 27 - The Robot Wars live tour is back. See your favourite robots fighting in the Newport Centre arena - LIVE !! An action packed 2 hour show not to be missed Saturday 6:00pm, Sunday 1:00pm. See www.RobotWars.tv for ticket prices. Saturday 10 May 2014 and Sunday 11 May 2014

DOLMAN PRESENTS OKLAHOMA

Apr 27 - STC Musical Society Presents the award winning high spirited musical hit “Oklahoma” at the Dolman Theatre in May 2014. This timeless masterpiece features some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history including Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, Kansas City, People Will Say We’re in Love and The Farmer and the Cowman. Tuesday 20th May 2014 - Friday 23rd May 2014. Ticket Prices :- Rows A-G £9.00 Rows H-Q £10.00 Times: 7.15pm. Dolman Theatre Newport NP20 1HY

NEWPORT SHIP OPEN DAYS

Apr 24 - The Newport Ship starts its season of open days this Saturday. They are free and open to everyone. Members of the Friends and the Ship Team will be on hand to explain everything to you. You'll be able to

They will take place at the Ship Centre and run from 11:00am - 4:00pm with the last admission at 3:30pm. at the Medieval Ship Centre, Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate.

JOINT SPONSORS FOR FOOD FESTIVAL

Apr 18 - The Celtic Manor Resort and Coleg Gwent have been announced as joint sponsors for the 2014 Newport Food Festival. The fourth food festival will take place on Saturday 4 October with events in Newport’s market, Riverfront Theatre and city centre.

The festival has successfully grown year-on-year, with 2013 seeing a record number of exhibitors and visitors.

Newport has a strong, diverse and vibrant food sector, including manufacturing and retail, and this annual event brings food enthusiasts to the vibrant menu of events in the city centre. Celtic Manor Resort executive head chef, Mike Bates, said: “We are delighted to be one of the sponsors for this year’s Newport Food Festival.

“We’ve seen the festival grow in size and stature over the years and look forward to participating in this wonderful celebration of all the food industry assets we have here in Newport and the surrounding area.”

There will be a full packed menu of events and activities for visitors to the festival including exhibitor stalls selling a range of wonderful produce, free chef demonstrations by top regional chefs, special chef masterclasses which are ticketed events and the final of the Teen Chef competition.

CITY JOINS MUSEUMS AT NIGHT FESTIVAL

Apr 17 - Newport will stage its first “light night” event next month as part of the national Museums At Night celebration.

Every year hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events. In Newport, other organisations and businesses in the city centre will be joining the city’s Museum and Art Gallery and staging a range of activities on 16 May.

Penny Hallas family workshops will be held in the museum between 5pm and 6.30pm while there will be a Turner talk in the art gallery. A member of the museum staff will also lead a historic pubs walk while Pat Drewett, of the Chartist anniversary committee, will help people retrace the footsteps of the 19^th century campaigners for democracy.

With shared reading and bedtime story sessions in Newport Central Library and other activities in The Riverfront, The Space and Caffe Nero in Commercial Street, there will be plenty going on for all ages in the city centre that evening.

EASTER HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES OFFER FROM COUNCIL

Apr 12 - Newport City Council has launched its programme of Easter activities for children, young people and families taking place from 12 - 27 April in locations across the city. A new online activities list has also been produced enabling residents to plan what to do on the days they are free. It’s easy to use and contains descriptions for all activities making it easy to choose the activity that suits children or families.

The Easter Holiday Fun brochure contains information about activities at Active Living Centre, Newport International Sports Village, Newport Museum & Art Gallery, Riverfront Theatre, Newport Centre and all Newport Libraries.

Activities at leisure centres include Free Swim, cycle tots, tae kwondo and track cycling at the Velodrome.

The Riverfront has organised an arts and crafts workshop for children under 5, while there is also an art station and Riverfront trail for all ages.

There is story time and craft with friends in libraries across Newport for children aged 5-12.

Holiday club childcare is available for children aged between 5-12 years at NISV stadium from 8.30am-5.30pm, at a cost of £23.40 per day. Children will take part in art and craft sessions, swimming and team sports and these are just a few of the activities available.

Early bookings are recommended to ensure a place on these popular activities. The activities list is available to view at www.newport.gov.uk/holidayfun where booking information can also be found.

XFACTOR IN TOWN

Apr 3 - The X Factor team will be at the Kingsway Centre between 10am and 3pm to hold the first stage of mobile auditions for the signing competition. The show’s judges, which this year includes the return of Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell, will not be present for the first stage of auditions, but producers will be set -up in an empty unit inside the shopping centre.

Michael Hine, Kingsway Centre manager, told the Argus: “We are hoping for a good response. The producers say they can’t tell how many will turn up, but are expecting a high turnout."

MET OPERA BEAMED TO RIVERFRONT

Apr 2 - The hugely popular Metropolitan Opera's Emmy Award winning series of live performance transmissions are beamed to The Riverfront direct from New York starting on Saturday (5/4) at 17.55. You can be part of a world wide audience that experiences the production at the same time as the audience sitting in the Metropolitan Opera itself. It lasts 3 hours 25 mins. Price: £15, Reductions £12 or £25 for a 2-Opera Saver Ticket, if you purchase two full price tickets for the MET Opera season, you can save £5.

LOVE STORY THE MUSICAL AT THE DOLMAN

Apr 1 - Howard Goodall's "chamber musical" is a stage adaption of one of the most romantic films of all time. "This celebration of love and life will win your heart... and may just break it too." It starts at the Dolman Theatre from April 2 at 7.15 with a Saturday matinee at 2.30.

Price - ADULTS £12.50 STUDENTS £8.50 CONC £11 SAT MAT ONLY

MONOPOLY GETS NEWPORT TREATMENT

Mar 6 - It is exactly six months to the day until Newport will be catapulted onto the world map – and it has also been announced that the south Wales city will be propelled onto the world MONOPOLY map too.

The announcement was officially made this morning at Tredegar House where it was revealed that Newport is to get the full official MONOPOLY treatment with its’ very own customised board. This news comes exactly six months ahead of the NATO Summit, which Newport is hosting.

Dan Taylor, head of custom games at regional MONOPOLY makers Winning Moves UK, said: “We are delighted to be making this exciting announcement that Newport is ‘Passing GO’. The public will be invited to vote the landmarks onto the board and we will also be doing our best to get votes from the White House and Downing Street too, as well as from other countries whose leaders are visiting Newport in September. The board will be out in October and on shop shelves in time for this Christmas.”

The board will see 22 property landmarks swapping places with the famous MONOPOLY London streets. Also, many of the Community Chest and Chance cards are being customised too, with plans for one to say: ‘You are fined for visiting Cardiff!’

Nominations and suggestions on which Newport landmarks to include on the board can be made by emailing suggestions to newport@winningmoves.co.uk or at www.facebook.com/newportmonopoly or by post NEWPORT MONOPOLY, Winning Moves UK, 7 Praed Street, London W2 1NJ. Deadline for suggestions is 25 March.

NEW BAR SET TO OPEN

Mar 1 - Newport's night life is set to be boosted later next week by a new bar, Linekers, owned by Garry Lineker's brother, Wayne. The bar will be based at 43-44 High Street near the entrance to Newport Arcade. It is the first of chain set to be opened across the UK

YOUNG NEWPORT AUTHOR UP FOR AWARD

Feb 13 - Newport author Beth Reekles is celebrating her nomination for a Romantic Novelette Association award. Beth Reekles' The Kissing Booth (Corgi), first published by the teenaged writer on Wattpad, is nominated for the Young Author category. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 17th March, presented by Darcey Bussell. An overall winner, chosen from the category winners, will then be announced, winning £5,000.

CITY FILM SCHOOL SCOOPS TWO AWARDS

Feb 8 - James Button, who graduated from the University of South Wales in 2013, has scooped two awards at this year’s prestigious Kingston Arts London Film Festival. His film, Rocket Boys won both the awards for Screen writing, and Performance in Screen for its two convincing child actors, Ethan Smith and Jake Talbot. Rocket Boys is a charming realist short film based in 1969 about two best friends who want to escape from their broken homes. After watching the moon landing together they get inspired to build a space rocket and go to the moon, leaving their old lives behind them.

James’ film greatly impressed judges at The Kingston ARTS London Student Festival (KALSF) who have described Rocket Boys as “charming and convincing”. The festival provides a common platform for screen and performing art students from various institutions around the world to exhibit their projects at a professional level achieving acknowledgement and acclaim in the process. Winning these two awards is an excellent achievement for James, who said, “I am thrilled with the success of Rocket Boys. It took a lot of hard work but was well worth it in the end, especially as it enabled me to win my first Screenwriting award! I am also very grateful for my time at the Newport Film School, which was a great platform in terms of education and resources to start my career as a film maker. It opened my mind to the possibilities of film and I always look back with great fondness on my time there.”

JMW TURNER?

Feb 3 - A temporary exhibition showing a collection of ink and pencil sketches attributed to JMW Turner (1775-1851). The sketches relate to places in Europe including modern-day Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. JMW Turner visited the European continent on numerous occasions throughout his life. He filled hundreds of sketchbooks on his travels with architectural studies, landscape views and notes relating to local costume and tradition.

Turner did not always travel alone. He was sometimes accompanied by his sponsors, other artists or students. Some doubt therefore remains whether all of the sketches in this collection originate from Turner's hand. From the collections of Newport Museum and Art Gallery. At Newport Museum and Art Gallery until June 14; free admission.

LIFE IN LIBRARY CAUGHT ON FILM

Jan 31 - Newport Central Library is screening a documentary about life inside its walls on Saturday 1 February. University of South Wales students Santa Aumeistere and Zak Campbell made the eight-minute film.

They say: “The library is a place full of stories and life by the bucket load, this film shows how the library brings together people from all walks of life to share the same space. “Discover how the library is still a big part of the daily life of many people even in the 21st century and will go on being a part of their lives for many years.”

The film will be screened in the library in John Frost Square between 1pm and 2pm on Saturday 1 February. Admission is free.

Audience members will be asked to fill in a comment card about the film at the end of the showing. The cards will be entered into a draw and one lucky winner will receive a £25 book voucher.

CIRCUS OF HORRORS

Jan 28 - The Circus of Horrors presents what is undoubtedly its greatest show to date, London After Midnight. They head to the Riverfront on February 5. The show that stormed into the finals of BRITIANS GOT TALENT is back with an awe-inspiring rock n roller coaster of show that flies like a bat out of hell to celebrate an astounding 18 years of shock n’ roll.

Ever since it’s conception at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival the show has toured the World achieving cult status and dragging circus screaming and shouting into the 21st century and beyond. The new sensation is inspired by the legendary & sinister lost movie ‘London after Midnight’ and is packed with new shocks will take you on a whirlwind journey though a plague ridden London in 1665 & culminating during the great fire of London in 1666. The story will twist & turn as 5 murder’s are committed in various London landmarks, each one becoming more & more horrific and all intermingled with some of the greatest, most daring, bizarre & beautiful circus acts on earth.

Tickets - £20.50, concessions - £18 Ticket line - 01633 656757

REGULAR LITTLE HOUDINI

Newport born actor Daniel Llewelyn-Williams will bring his one-man show, A Regular Little Houdini, to the Riverfront later this month (January 23, 24, 25). The play is set in the Newport docks between 1905 and 1913; the two occasions that Houdini visited the city.

The story is told through the eyes of a young boy who is obsessed with magic. His story tracks the massive industrial growth of south Wales, the building of the transporter bridge and the Newport dock disaster of 1909. There are magic tricks and fantastical stories of monsters and Cyclopes and even an appearance by Houdini himself.

ARCHAEOPETRYX

Jan 9 - A travelling exhibition developed by the Department of Geology at the National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Cymru comes to Newport Museum from tomorrow

Archaeopteryx is an iconic fossil, often thought of as the 'missing-link' between dinosaurs and birds. It was first described 150 years ago by the German palaeontologist Hermann von Meyer (1801-1869). Since then Archaeopteryx has been the focus of controversy surrounding the origin of birds and their links with dinosaurs. Only ten specimens and an isolated feather have ever been found, all coming from a few quarries near the Bavarian town of Solnhofen in southern Germany.

NEWPORT ARTIST EXHIBITION AT MUSEUM

Dec 2 - Fredrick Charles Richards was born in Newport and studied at Newport Art School before being awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art in 1909. Fred travelled across Britain, Europe and the Middle East, creating countless drawings of buildings and urban landscapes, which he would later make into etchings. Always a firm supporter Newport Museum and Art Gallery; Fred donated over 400 drawings, etchings and watercolours. A selection of which can be seen in this exhibition. Admission is free. Location : Newport Museum & Art Gallery. December 3 - January 11.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PANTO

Dec 1 - Newport's Riverfront hosts its annual pantomime from tomorrow. With a cast including S4C Tag presenter and Pobol Y Cwm star Elin Llwyd, Eastenders and Gwaith Cartref's Richard Elis, and everyone's favourite Dame, Lee Mengo. Directed by Colin Blumenau and from the winning team who brought you Jack and The Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Cinderella and last year's hit, Robin Hood! Ticket Prices: Christmas Cracker Performances 3 & 5 December: £5 (no reductions) Off-Peak Performances £10, £13.50, £16 Reductions: £2 off, Groups 20+: £2.50 off Brownies/Senior Citizens: £10 all seats Family Tickets: £44, £50 Peak Performances £11, £15, £17.50 Reductions: £2 off, Groups 20+: £2.50 off Family Tickets: £48, £56. More details here.

RIVERFRONT CINEMA UPGRADE

Oct 19 - Thanks to a successful Arts Council of Wales Lottery Capital funding bid, matched by Newport City Council, The Riverfront has been able to upgrade their 35mm film projector to a brand new digital film projector.

From the beginning of November 2013, all films shown at The Riverfront will be screened on this new 4k digital projector. The new projector has a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels (around 8.8 million pixels) which will make the image 4 times sharper than our old film projector. With a contrast ratio of 1:8000 you’ll now be able to enjoy a picture almost as clear as the human eye.

Not only that but the sound will become crystal clear and will be free from the problems of dropping out like it did for some of the old 35mm prints. The Riverfront Cinema will also have a new screen to enjoy all the benefits of this amazing new system and a greater choice of films to choose from.

NEWPORT FOOD FESTIVAL SUCCESS

Oct 14 - Newport Food Festival has been hailed a huge success and looks set to become a permanent fixture. Over 10,000 people thronged the city centre attending a wide arrange of events and sampling a variety of cuisine.

JONNY PERKINS: POP GOES THE SHOW

A history of punk and pop and their connections with Wales.

You can't hold down the history of music; pop memorabilia travels worldwide. In his years as a promoter Jonny worked with hundreds of bands, many who came to Wales as unknowns but soon became members of the well-known "Pop Brigade," including The Stranglers, The Jam and The Police to name a few. In his time collected lots of memorabilia about lots of memories and is proud to say: Pop has no boundaries! Jonny will be offering a Q&A session daily (Mon-Sat) between 1-2pm during the exhibition as well as inviting local music celebrities to join him too!

Free at the Riverfront until September 14.

PANTO TIME!

Aug 31 - 'Beauty and the Beast' is this year's Riverfront pantomime from December 5 to January 3. Here is the promotional blurb "The colourful cast of Beauty and the Beast at The Riverfront is now complete! Prepare to be whisked away this Christmas with a truly magnifique monster of a pantomime! Beauty and the Beast is the spell-binding story of a selfish prince who is destined to spend the rest of his life hidden in his castle in the guise of a grotesque beast (Robert Vernon, of Pontypool/Panamanian decent). Resourceful heroine Beauty (Elin Llywd – Pobol Y Cwm, Stwnch) rushes to the rescue with her madcap French pals. Can our heroine save the day and learn to love the Beast? Crammed with comedy chaos, magical music and a big dollop of seasonal sparkle! There will be our “baddest” ever baddie Scaramouche (Jay Worthy – Brunel, Olympic Games Opening Ceremony) who you’ll love to boo, panto Dame Dominique Derriérre (Lee Mengo – Seasoned Riverfront Dame) and her slapstick son “Potty” Pascal (Richard Elis – EastEnders) with their crazy capers to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Completing the colourful cast are Monsieur Bertrand, Beauty’s father (Mike Onslow) and the Beast’s hare-brained servants Croissant (Lizzie Franks) and Baguette (Nerine Skinner)."

WALES ART REVIEW UNCOVERS UNBLEMISHED VIEW OF NEWPORT

Aug 27 - Wales Arts Review 2.20 is a Newport Special, an issue dedicated to the cultural and creative life of The Review’s birthplace and hometown. "It is a city of remarkable character and energy, a city of 140,000 people, whose artistic and political achievements are often overlooked." Here Wales Arts Review offers an unprecedented insight into one of Wales’ most culturally and historically significant urban areas. It is stunning and unblemished view of our City at a time when its Arts provision is under attack from, some would say, a philistine and clueless Labour Council.

http://www.walesartsreview.org/wales-arts-review-volume-2-issue-20/

Ben Glover - "A brilliant campaigner, writer, and political force, Margaret Haig Mackworth (Viscountess Rhondda as she later became known) was one of the most remarkable products of Newport’s radical past that it seems an immense shame that the only monument to her legacy in Newport is a battered old post box on the Risca Road."

Craig Austin "The Newport music scene to which I was initially and hypnotically drawn, was unapologetically tribal in its make-up, a gloriously rag-bag collective of the artistic, the creative, and the terminally disaffected; a standalone community of goths, glam metallers, and a puritanical military wing of what constituted the post-punk scene of that era. Writ through it all though was an underlying leitmotif of working class peacockery, a manner of dressing that harks back to the late 1940s and which differentiates between those who undertake jobs grounded in drudgery and repetition, and those whose working lives are either more moneyed or more personally fulfilling.At its core is the simple premise that the working class love to ‘glam up’ for a night out (and more importantly, are good at it), and the middle class who don’t (and aren’t)."

Gary Raymond "Newport, in many ways, is as defined by its relationship with ENGLAND as it is by that of Wales. And just as much by its lack of a relationship. Until recently, if you worked at a warehouse in Chepstow, your employer paid you a higher hourly wage if you lived in Bristol than if you lived in Newport. Newport was subject to a curious mixture of English and Welsh law until 1972’s Governance Act which moved its then mother-county Monmouthshire under Wales’ exclusive auspices. Wales has never seemed particularly grateful for the donation, it must be said. The significance of this almost Dickensian story of orphanage has had its effect on the people within the walls, and has had its effect on me. I have always felt quite strongly a Newportonian, more so than a Welshman, and only slightly more so again than an Englishman. For over twenty-five years I called myself British. Newport is the child that neither parent wanted in the divorce, and Newport, in the main, has responded by resenting both parents."

NEWPORT CENTRE MANICS

Aug 25 - Newport Centre plays host to the Manic Street Preachers on September 13. The tour entitled Rewind The Film 2013, with special guests Public Service Broadcasting. Tickets £29.50 maximum of 2 ticket. Doors 7pm, under 14s must be accompanied by an adult. Pakistini singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is in concert there on September 8.

RIVERFRONT ICONS OFFER
Aug 24 - The Riverfront are celebrating the forthcoming autumn season with an eclectic programme featuring some of the 20^th Century’s greatest icons from the theatre, dance and music worlds. With a programme featuring the work of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Dusty Springfield and Oliver Reed, The Riverfront are offering a ‘buy for three and get the cheapest half price’ offer on tickets for these 20^th Century Icon shows, ensuring audiences don’t miss out on any of these stand-out performances. Click the lick above for 'Riverfront listings'.

FOOD FESTIVAL RETURNS

July 27 - Newport’s Food Festival returns to the city centre on Saturday 5th October with producer stalls, street entertainment and chef demonstrations. The Festival is being funded by Newport City Council and Newport Unlimited and has secured a grant from the Welsh Government under the Food Culture Grant Scheme.

Hamish Munro, Head of Regeneration at Newport Unlimited, said, “The food festival is contributing to the wider regeneration strategy of the city by improving its economic prosperity. Food producers and those involved in the sector have an important role to play in ensuring the success of events like this, and I would encourage businesses to get in touch and ensure they have a presence at the popular event.”

GERMAN COMIC HEADS COMEDY PORT

July 3 - Opening Comedy Port 2013, German born Henning Wehn is the self-appointed German Comedy Ambassador to the UK, not the easiest of jobs because the Germans allegedly do not have a sense of humour. Henning does not find that funny.

His 'beautifully crafted diatribes' are delivered with a passion that seems all too real and his material covers topics from football to the price of second-hand shoes, what the Germans think of our beloved 'Allo 'Allo series, to why humour is overrated and stand-up comedy pointless.

Date: Mon 7 Oct 2013, 19:30 / Prices: £12, Reductions £10, Students £7.50 Venue: Theatre

SINFONIA CYMRU COMING TO NEWPORT

June 29 - This July, Wales' most progressive professional chamber orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, will be performing a brand new orchestral piece by a composer described by Music Theatre Wales as 'one of Wales's most exciting emerging young talents', Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama graduate Mark David Boden.

'Chaconne for Strings' will form part of Sinfonia Cymru's trailblazing 'Classic Conversation' summer tour, which features an exciting, eclectic programme of orchestral works put together by the young musicians of Sinfonia Cymru themselves, in collaboration with conductor Gareth Jones, as part of the orchestra's wider mission to empower young musicians and to democratize classical music culture. PROGRAMME: STRAVINSKY: Concerto in Eb 'Dumbarton Oaks' MARK DAVID BODEN: Chaconne BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4 in Bb major, Op. 60 RAVEL: Mother Goose (Complete Ballet)

Sophie Lewis, Sinfonia Cymru's Manager, explains, 'By giving young musicians the power to decide what they want to play, and where, we're definitely breaking new ground culturally, but for Sinfonia Cymru, it is also part of our commitment to developing the skills of young musicians and to making Wales one of the best places in the world to launch into a career in classical music.' 'Sinfonia Cymru's musicians feel strongly about showcasing the talents of musicians in a similar position to themselves - at the start of their careers. Mark David Boden, who is a Royal Welsh College graduate and a recipient of the Composers of Wales William Mathias Award, fits the bill exactly', she added. Boden's relationship with Sinfonia Cymru dates back to his undergraduate years at Royal Welsh College. He said, 'During my time in Cardiff I watched Sinfonia Cymru concerts with great interest and always admired the energy and intensity with which the orchestra delivered its interpretations of a vast range of repertoire. These qualities are what inspired me to write for the orchestra and I'm delighted that my piece has been selected by the players to receive its premiere in Cardiff'. Location : The Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre / Price : £10, Reductions £7, Under 27s £4 Dates & Times :
Friday 5 July , 19:30

BIG SPLASH SUCCESS

Jun 6 - More than 10,000 people attended the three-day Big Splash event which was organised and funded by Newport City Council and activities included free workshops, a dance competition, live music, a funfair and a spectacular firework display.

“It was great to see so many people at Big Splash events over the weekend,” commented Councillor Debbie Wilcox. “The highlight was the Sunset Spectacular which not only saw fireworks light up the Newport sky along the Riverfront but also amazing stunts on high ropes that dangled from the Wave sculpture and also the wheel of death which really took your breath away.

WESTWOOD COMING TO REVOLUTION

May 30 - Radio 1's self styled Big Dawg Tim Westwood heads to Newport on Friday together with Calvin Demba at the Revolution Bar in Griffin Street

10pm-3am / admission: £3 from 10pm

Tim Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride. He is often referred to by other DJs and artists appearing on his shows simply as Westwood. He hosts a show on Saturday nights which runs from 21:00 until 23:00 which is broadcast simulcast on BBC Radio 1 and on BBC Radio 1Xtra.

TREVOR NELSON HEADLINING AT MOJO

TREVOR NELSON COLLECTION - LIVE PARTY JUNE 1st EXCLUSIVELY AT MOJO NEWPORT WITH MISTA IFSTA PRESENTS and SUGAR AND SPICE
The name Trevor Nelson is synonymous with R&B and great parties! Trevor 'Madhatter' Nelson was a pioneer in the blues / house parties in the 80s with his Madhatter sound system. His Hackney house parties got him notoriety and respect from the likes of Jazzie B (Soul II Soul) who made him a resident at the legendary Soul II Soul nights at the Africa Centre, and Gordon Mac bringing him onto the original Kiss FM. Having been an A&R at EMI/Cooltempo launching the careers of D'Angelo and Lynden David Hall he then went on to host the iconic MTV Lick show, and parties across the UK & Europe. Trevor Nelson now presents radio shows across BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and Radio 2.

TREVOR NELSON - MOJO NEWPORT 1st JUNE Event Flyer

BIG SPLASH - ALL THE DETAILS HERE

Status by Emma Henley and Rachel Bishop - Riverfront

This exhibition explores the elevated status of ordinary people in today's world. Combining personal experiences and imagination, the Artists render figures ranging from cultural icons and personal acquaintances to fictional characters inspired by celebrity culture as they consider the role that these individuals play in inspiring others.

May 31 - June 7

MARKET'S 125 YEARS COMMEMORATED

May 17 - Newport Museum and Art Gallery, Wales' second oldest public museum, celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2013.

To celebrate, this special exhibition explores the history of the museum and gallery, including the staff, visitors and collections, in 125 objects and artworks. Free admission,

DAVID GARNER

This exhibition will be the last temporary exhibition at the art gallery.

For over 40 years the art gallery has showcased Welsh, British and International artists through its acclaimed programme of exhibitions.

To mark the closure and to show appreciation and support for all that has been achieved over the years the Gallery is hoping as many supporters as possible can join them one last time as they open David Garner's powerful and poignant exhibition.

BIG SPLASH IS BACK

Big Splash 2013 is set to return on Friday 31 May - Sunday 2 June 2013.

There will be four fun zones in the centre of Newport:

ULTIMATE USK - fun along the river banks for all to see, including the highlight of the weekend, the 'Big Splash Spectacular'. As in previous years, there will be amazing circus acts with fire and pyrotechnics combined with fabulous fireworks that light up Newport's riverbanks. The Riverfront Theatre will also have a number of free shows in the theatre spaces and have live music on the outside cafe terrace.

FUN OF THE FAIR - throughout the weekend there will be funfair rides along the riverbank between The Riverfront and the University of Wales, Newport City Campus.

URBAN EDGE - The Newport Centre will be hosting Urban events; skate ramp, live urban music and DJ sets and the STOMP Dance competition.

PARKLIFE - the Sunday Family Funday will return at Rodney Parade.

RUTHIE HENSHALL

Mar 17 - A unique opportunity to spend an intimate evening with Musical Theatre's Leading Lady and her Band, Ruthie Henshall, one of the world's best loved and most captivating performers. Ruthie Henshall and her band will take you on a musical journey through her extraordinary career, from working with Lionel Bart to playing in Chicago on Broadway and from starring in Les Misérables to receiving her Olivier award.

This brand new and personal show is your chance to hear Ruthie's story in her own words as well as some of the defining songs of her life, onstage and off. The evening draws from a broad range of genres, right through from the great American songbook to contemporary tunes significant to Ruthie now. Brand new 'charming arrangements' (The Stage), hand-picked musicians and Ruthie's 'dazzling burst of star power' (The Times) make this an unforgettable evening.
Ruthie will be joined on the tour by Nathan James, star of ITV's Superstar.

Thursday March 21. £20. 7.30pm Riverfront Box Office - 01633 656679

TRANSPORTER BRIDGE SET TO RE-OPEN

Mar 17 - Newport's Transporter Bridge will be opening for the season on Good Friday (29 March) and Councillor Debbie Wilcox has welcomed the new activities which are being introduced this year to give visitors an even more enjoyable visit. The Grade 1 listed Transporter Bridge is one of just six such working bridges worldwide and Newport’s will boast new activities for the forthcoming season.

Councillor Wilcox, said: “Newport’s Transporter Bridge is an important tourist attraction for the city and the new activities that will be offered this season serve to add to its appeal. I hope that as well as visitors outside the city, residents will take the opportunity to visit this heritage attraction.” New activities include visitors being able to walk across the top of the bridge as part of a normal visit (previously this was restricted to a few special open days). If you’ve never tried it, and you’re feeling energetic and fit, then why not have a go at climbing to the high level walkway, some 177 feet up. The views from the top are spectacular and well worth the climb!

Also newly open to the public this year will be the mysteries of the motor house, the heart of the bridge operations. Look inside and learn how it’s been operating for more than 100 years.

ToyPOP!

ToyPOP! performing 'Simulated Imitation' live at the University of Wales, Newport. ToyPOP! are a 4 piece girl band from Newport, South Wales. The band was developed by Sarah "Shifty" Pountney for her degree project in Creative Sound and Music at Newport University with the intention of creating something fun, new and interesting! ToyPOP is critically acclaimed by Adam Walton of BBC Radio Wales as and being full of "joyousness and youthful exuberance". Sarah (Singer/Songwriter/Melodica Player), Jenna Thomas (Toy Pianist), Hannah Baker (Keyboardist) and Isabel Stead (Singer/Ukelele Player) joined forces in 2012.

See and hear their song here.

ARTOPSY

Artopsy are a group of local artists who formed in Spring 2012 inspired by the 'Empty Shops' & U.R.B.A.N projects in Newport, where they have been allowed to use otherwise unused retail spaces for use as studio space to create artwork. The group of approx 20 artists are currently residing in the old 'Pumford & Sons' fruit and veg shop in John Frost Square. Their work includes sculpture, painting, collage and performance. Their work is on display at the Riverfront.

Performers flying high over audience as they eat...

FACADE

A theatrical circus feast for the senses… including the tastebuds! Crashmat Collective present Façade; an intimate and theatrical three course meal, during which, stories unfold in thrilling and touching ways, encircling you as you dine. From Thursday 21 – Saturday 23 Feb 2013, Façade unleashes an in depth circus-theatre experience that blurs the boundaries between performer and audience.

At the beginning of 2012, we premiered a work-in progress performance called Super Pseudo, which gained wonderful reviews from audiences and media alike and Façade is the finished product. Become enthralled as the Crashmat performers absorb you into their world, where anything is possible and their innermost secrets are exposed. The performance varies from beautiful to funny and is always unpredictable.

The performance itself features an international cast of seven performers who perform aerials, dance, circus, theatre and more. They will even serve you drinks at your table whilst they perform! Crashmat are supported by: Arts Council of Wales and this production is in association with Wales Millennium Centre, The Riverfront and Creu Cymru. Tickets for Façade are £22 which includes a three course meal and can be bought online at www.newport.gov.uk/panto over the phone on 01633 656757 or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office in person.

MUSIC ACADEMY LAUNCHED

Jan 13 - Legal & General, The Riverfront and the Pentalk Lab have joined forces to create an exciting new music academy to nurture new local talent and provide free workshops to four local community groups. The project will culminate with an exciting showcase performance for four local musicians on the cusp of fame and performances by the young people involved in the community groups. This showcase will be at The Riverfront on Thursday 24 January 2013 and will guest star LADY LESHURR.

Four young musicians have been given free recording studio time and expert guidance from Pentalk Lab producer DJ Jamie Winchester to complete their albums. All four will take part in photo and video shoots and will act as mentors to the community groups also involved in the project to help inspire and influence them in developing their own talents. The four artists are 22 year old artist FERNQUEST, 21 year old EATON MC (Rhys Eaton), MISS A and ASHANTI WEBB, both 26 year old singer/songwriters – all from Newport.

For more information on the Legal & General Music Academy at The Riverfront please call 01633 656679 or see the website: www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront Facebook: facebook/theriverfront and twitter: @riverfrontarts and #LandGAcademy for the latest updates.

LES MIS FLASH MOB STUNS CINEMAGOERS

Jan 12 - A so-called flash mob stunned cinemagoers at the Newport Cineworld this week as part of the publicity for the release of Les Miserables. Performed by the Dolman Theatre's New Venture Players its on YouTube by here.

PANTO EXHIBITION

Dec 17 - To celebrate this year's panto season, The Riverfront and Newport Arts Development team up with young people in Newport to produce a series of artwork relating to the theme.

Who was Robin Hood? Are the stories really true or myth? For those budding young historians interested in getting involved, free workshops will start running shortly (from tomorrow onwards at 10). Please contact the Box Office (6567557) for further information or for tickets for the panto

100 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Nov 30 - A special website celebrating 100 years of photography at the University of Wales, Newport has been set up following a launch event today. The link is here.

NEWPORT COUNTY CENTENARY EXHIBITION

The 2012/13 season marks 100 years of professional football in Newport. A new exhibition at Newport Museum and Art Gallery (until January 26) celebrates this historic event, a century during which Newport County AFC has played a major role in raising the profile of the city and taken generations of supporters on an emotional roller coaster, ranging from glorious successes to the depths of despair!

LOST PROPHETS AT CENTRE

Nov 11 - The Lost Prophets finish their UK tour at Newport Centre on Wednesday, They are supported by We are Ocean and Pure Love. There are a small number of tickets available. Call 01633 656656 for details.

DISCOVER DANCE AT THE RIVERFRONT

Nov 4 - Discover Dance, Newport’s annual dance festival returns from 20 – 24 November and includes performances, workshops, visual arts exhibitions, dance-battles and more. This year you will see local talented dancers performing next to internationally renowned dancers, watch quirky vintage-inspired dance and see the young guys battle it out in B-Boy Battle time! Plus there will be an exciting exhibition by Ballet Cymru in The Riverfront Art Gallery.

CHRISTMAS KINGDOM AT THE CELTIC MANOR

Nov 3 - The Celtic Manor will be hosting its own Christmas Kingdom this year including ice skating rink, Santa's Grotto and opportunity to meet Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

http://www.celtic-manor.com/christmas-kingdom.aspx

FOOD FESTIVAL SUCCESS CLAIMED

Oct 13 - Thousands of people thronged the city centre for the 2012 Newport Food Festival. Sponsored by the Backyard Company, and supported by Newport Unlimited and the University of Wales, Newport, the sun shone on the second city council organised event.

The weekend kicked off with a celebration supper showcasing the talents of chefs from local restaurants, The Waterloo Hotel and Bistro, The White Hart Village Inn, Llangybi, and Vittorio’s. On Saturday, crowds enjoyed stalls selling a wide range of food and drink, chef demonstrations in Newport Market, Commercial Street and The Riverfront while masterclasses, a new feature this year, were sold out.

Musicians RSVP and the Vegetable Nannies roamed the streets with their own delightful brands of entertainment. Young people’s workshops in The Riverfront also proved extremely popular.

BUILD UP TO FOOD FESTIVAL BEGINS

Oct 2 - Newport Food Festival takes place on Saturday 6 October. As well as the chef dems and masterclasses, there will be stalls offering food to buy and taste, entertainment and the final of the Teenchef competition. Events and activities will be taking place indoors and outside in various venues in the city centre.

There are still limited places available at the Food Festival supper which is being held on the eve of the Festival in The Riverfront and tickets are available through the box office on 01633 656757.

More information is available on facebook.com/newportfoodfestival; www.newportfoodfestival.co.uk; or telephone 01633 656656. You can also follow the festival on Twitter @newportfoodfest

COMEDY PORT

Sep 23 - The schedule for Newport's upcoming comedy festival has been announced. Link here

CHEF MASTER CLASS PLANS FOR FOOD FESTIVAL

Sep 15 - A new feature being dished up at this year’s festival is sure to be a big hit with food lovers.

Newport Food Festival 2012 is hosting a series of master classes for those who want to learn about specific cuisines and techniques from leading culinary experts.They are Great British Menu winner Hywel Jones; Anand George, of Purple Poppadom, the 2012 Welsh Indian Restaurant of the Year; Norman Musa, executive chef at Ning and Tim McDougall, of Terry M at the Celtic Manor Resort. Only available for 20 people per session, tickets cost just £5 (plus 50p fee) and include a complimentary drink but must be booked in advance. To get your ticket, telephone 01633 656757.

CAPTURING ART COLLEGE DAYS

Sep 9 - In 2003 Jo Haycock joined a BBC Radio Wales crew who were recording a programme Art College Days about the derelict listed building that was Newport Art College. It was classed as something as a cultural Mecca in its heyday - where Magnum photographer, David Hurn founded the world class Documentary Photography course back in the 1970's. She went with Hurn and fellow lecturers, along with the crew as they walked over broken glass and discarded film reels recording their stories and anecdotes of time spent there.

The photos Jo took that day of the building itself capture the majestic neglect, ghostly corridors, vandalism and living quarters of squatters back then.

On display from the 15 September to 6 October at the Riverfront. Free

THE NEWPORT MONOLOGUES

Sep 2 - Josie d’Arby is best known as a popular television personality. She has worked extensively on both stage and screen on some of the nations best loved shows.Josie was born and raised in Newport and has spent several months interviewing residents about their experiences and feelings regarding the City. The stories have been put together in a very special night of theatre.

“ I started to collect these stories and it was becoming very clear that there was a very special story to tell about life in Newport in 2012. My research has only strengthened my passion for our city . I wanted to give us a night at the theatre that was just for us, where you could relate to every word and you saw characters you actually knew on stage and then throw in a few surprises. The play is quite simply for Newport and about Newport, because there are so many wonderful stories hidden here, it’s a night to get dressed up and come and share a wonderful night with us”

September 26 - 28th 2012. 3 performances only. Show starts 7.30pm.Tickets available at www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront. To mark its 10th anniversary as a city.

FOOD FESTIVAL SUPPER

Aug 25 - After the success of our 2011 Food Festival Supper in Newport’s Market Hall, the City is holding this year’s event in The Riverfront Theatre on Friday, 5th October 2012. The publicity blurb states "This year we are being served up some culinary treats from The White Hart Village Inn, The Waterloo Hotel and Bistro and Vittorios. The cost of the supper is £30.50 (plus booking fee) which includes a welcome drink, three course meal and coffee plus entertainment on the night."

Before booking place, you may wish to peruse the menu below. To book please contact The Riverfont Theatre box office on 01633 656757. Once you have made a booking, a form for your menu choices will be sent to you for completion and return. Tickets go on sale Tuesday 28th August. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

The menu is here

MEET FOR WETLANDS WALK

Aug 25 - Join Newport City Council's Green Services team for an invigorating coastal walk which takes in Newport Wetland Reserve. The terrain is generally flat, however sections of the walk will include field and rural footpaths with stiles and gates to negotiate along the way. Meet at Newport Wetland Reserve car park on August 29 ready to start the walk at 10am. Distance 6.5km, finish 1pm (approx)

OPEN DAY FOR SHIP

Aug 10 - 2012 is the ten year anniversary of the discovery of the Newport Medieval Ship. At a themed open day on August 18 visitors will have the opportunity to find out more about the medieval ship project and medieval life through re-enactors and displays. Tours of the facility will be carried out by volunteers and the Friends of the Newport Ship. Coracles, costumed fun and craft activities. Free parking available and good disabled access.

I am a big fan of Rossini's restaurant so I hope they do not mind me using this photo from their Facebook site. Tony Rossini (blue shirt) recently hosted Joe Calzaghe, Mickey Rourke and Gareth Thomas. The group were out on a Friday night before a charity function at the Celtic Manor on July 16 for the Gareth Thomas Foundation, a charity set up to assist young people to access music and sport.

DIRTY GOODS

Newport's finest have their new single out, see below.

More detail to follow.

OUR SINGLE “SURELY NOT” IS OUT NOW on iTunes!
DOWNLOAD HERE FOR ONLY £0.79 - http://bit.ly/Lrgp7S

BIG CROWDS FOR BIG SPLASH

Jul 15 - Newport's event weekend was only slightly affected by the weather as big crowds turned out for the Big Splash at the Riverfront and elsewhere in the city centre including live music, street entertainment and other outdoor performances. The Council's publicity blurb states "

This year’s Big Splash managed to dodge most of the bad weather and entertained thousands of people last weekend in the centre of Newport. This year was a varied event with lots of family activities, a live music stage, street entertainers, an urban teenage zone, a hip hop legend gig and a stunning firework spectacular and attracted over 16,000 people over the whole weekend.

Friday night was kicked off by live band RSVP and local dancers with a giant Bhangra dance off. A night of free live music on the Admiral Soundwave Stage followed with appearances by Inc.A, RSVP and headline act 2Rude who went down a storm.

Saturday then saw over 1000 shoppers entertained in John Frost Square with professional street entertainers and over 800 free tickets given to free theatre shows, film screenings or taster dance sessions at The Riverfront. Thousands wandered between the six entertainment zones and along the riverbanks, visiting the Fairground, The Riverfront, Newport Centre, the outside music stage and food stalls. Finishing off the day, over 4000 people watched a free outside spectacle of live music, a floating heliosphere, acrobats, fire jugglers and fireworks. "

CAMPAIGN TO SAVE LE PUB

The unmistakeable exterior of Le Pub, below Dirty Goods on stage there

A campaign is underway to save Newport’s very own independent music venue Le Pub. Le Pub has been the heart of the alternative music scene in Newport for over 20 years and has become a regular stomping ground for local talent and emerging bands such as Kids In Glass Houses and Save Your Breath amongst many others.

The building has this week been listed for sale and already loyal customers and staff have taken to twitter, using the hashtag #savelepub to campaign for music fans to get involved with saving LE PUB. The campaign states "The concern for staff, customers and Newport folk is that whoever purchases the building on Caxton Place in Newport will strip Le Pub of its unique and undeniable character to become a faceless organization."

One customer took to twitter to argue:‘TJ’s was a massive loss, but arguably a relic of past scenes that had maybe passed it’s heyday. No one could say that of Le Pub’ And local talent Save Your breath tweeted that Le Pub was a ‘place that meant the world to us’. The campaign states "There’s a feeling you get from being in Le Pub that you won’t get from anywhere else in Newport – full of creative and passionate musicians and fans alike there is real warmth of character and a sense of home from home – it really is a place where everybody knows your name. " Currently the staff are trying to raise enough funds for a staff takeover – and are looking to raise around £20,000 in order to do this through benefit gigs and crowd-funding. Le Pub has played host to some of South Wales’ biggest emerging talents and even comedian Rhod Gilbert graced the stage at one of the very successful comedy nights in years gone by.

If you have any suggestions or would like to donate to the cause, or even just to help the #savelepub campaign then get involved with the debate on twitter or contact longstanding and dedicated manager Sam Harries via email on sam@lepub.co.uk

HEADLINERS FOR BIG SPLASH
Jul 2 - 4^{th Street Traffic} ^{are confirmed to headline Saturday’s
line up on the Admiral Soundwave Stage at the Big Splash 2012. The
Screaming Martinis have also won the Admiral band staff competition and
will be kicking off the line-up on Saturday at 1pm. Live music will be
played on the outdoor stage near the red wave on Friday 13 and Saturday
14 July 2012.}

4th Street Traffic are from the South Wales Valleys and mix classic rock with spiky guitar riffs and powerful vocals on thorax exhausting harmonies that rattle around in your head for days. Following their prestigious support slot with Welsh rock legends, the Stereophonics in June 2010, the band have toured the UK and will now be headlining the Saturday line up at the Big Splash Admiral Soundwave Stage. 4th Street Traffic will be playing live at 8pm on Saturday 14 July.

The Screaming Martinis are a four piece rock/alternative band from Porth, Cardiff and Newport. They have a live dynamic sound with catchy hooks and quirky riffs and an energy crazed presence. As well as winning the Admiral staff band competition they are also currently in two national competitions, Surface Festival where they are in the 2nd round and Live and Unsigned where they are in the area final and one step away from playing the O2 London in the final. They are also due to have an audition in front of a major record label in the next month. The Screaming Martinis will be playing live at 1pm on Saturday 14 July.

SUPER DRAGONS RETURN!

June 16 - SuperDragons 2 will be hitting the streets of Newport from July 2012 and will be on display at locations throughout the city until September.

Like their predecessors, which were on display as part of the Ryder Cup year in 2010, the 60 new SuperDragons will be created during spring 2012 by local artists with every dragon bringing a unique commentary to the city. Thousands of people followed the project in 2010 and you are invited to become involved and support Newport's newest generation of SuperDragons! The new SuperDragons are being created and will soon be ready for artists to decorate with whatever creative concept sparks their imagination.

RIVERFRONT TO BE AT CENTRE OF BIG SPLASH

June 4 - The Riverfront is set to be one of the seven fun zones in this year’s Big Splash event and will see free family theatre shows, free animation film showing and free film showings of The Muppets, taster sessions, performances by local young people and a selection of free drop in workshops throughout the weekend for people to join in with and keep the kids entertained.

THE RIVERFRONT FREE HOUSE zone will have free entertainment in the shape of the monthly open mic event SESSIONS on Friday 13 July from 7pm, family show Beauty and the Beast presented by Multi-Story at 11am and 2.30pm and the animation Jerry the Tyke shown at 4.30pm all on Saturday 14 July and free showings of The Muppets at 12pm and 2.30pm on Sunday 15 July.

Throughout the day on the Saturday 14 July there will also be taster sessions in Older Adults Dance, Little Uns Dance and Circus Skills and performances by The Riverfront Youth Theatre and youth dance group NUxclusive in and around the venue.

The Big Splash is a weekend of fun for all ages and will be the biggest event in Newport which celebrates Newport at its best. There will be seven fun zones in Big Splash 2012; ADMIRAL SOUNDWAVE STAGE, RIVERFRONT FREE HOUSE, URBAN EDGE, SQUARE TASTIC, FUN OF THE FAIR, ULTIMATE USK and PARKLIFE. Big Splash 2012 will return on the weekend of Friday 13 until Monday 16 July and will contain live music, family friendly entertainment, BMX displays, street entertainers, a Sunset Spectacular and The Legends of Wu-Tang closes the event at the Newport Centre.

For the latest updates on the events, sign up to facebook.com/bigsplashnewport or follow @newportfestival #bigsplash2012 on Twitter. A more detailed timetable will also be uploaded to the website www.newport.gov.uk/bigsplash closer to the time.

The Big Splash is delighted to welcome back Admiral as sponsors of the Soundwave Stage throughout the weekend.

POEM FOR SHIP BUT STILL NO MUSEUM

May 29 - The National Poet of Wales will pay tribute to Newport's medieval ship at a special event to mark the 10th anniversary of its discovery. Gillian Clarke has written a poem about the vessel found in 2002 during construction of the Riverfront theatre.

Members of the project team will also take part in the Decade of Discovery event at the venue on Friday evening. Ship curator Toby Jones said: "Our ultimate goal is to reassemble the ship and put it on display to the public. We'd like to see the ship rebuilt in a large gallery in a new museum in Newport. It's going to be a process of rebuilding the ship from all its component pieces in the same way that they built the ship back in the mid 15th Century."

Mr Jones said Newport City Council had asked a team of consultants to look at the best site for a new museum to house a reconstructed ship and other artefacts.

The project team has previously indicated that it could be another five or six years until such a museum opens. The celebration kicks off a programme of events to celebrate the 10 year anniversary.

WORK IN PROGRESS!

May 25 - **WORK IN PROGRESS** Jack Dee, the grumpy old man of comedy, is at The Riverfront as he road-tests brand new material ahead of his yet to be announced 2012 tour. After six years out of the stand-up spotlight, Jack Dee is back, agonizing over the slightest annoyances and misdemeanours and trying out fresh material with a series of 'Work in Progress' gigs! Dee is there on 29 May. The event is sold out.

BIG SPLASH IS BACK

May 5 - Newport is set to host another fantastic weekend of events and entertainment for all ages between Friday July 13 and Sunday July 15. Entry is free

Big Splash 2012 will have seven fun zones:

ULTIMATE USK - fun on the river for all to see, including the highlight of the weekend; the 'SUNSET SPECTACULAR' which will be an incredible show that will light up Newport's riverbanks, across the water and in the air.

ADMIRAL SOUNDWAVE STAGE - on Friday evening and throughout Saturday, the outside stage at the Red Wave will showcase a great range of music for all tastes, featuring Welsh and UK talent.

FUN OF THE FAIR - throughout the weekend there will be funfair rides and entertainment situated near the train and Riverside Car Park.

URBAN EDGE - During Saturday, the Newport Centre will be hosting indoor and outdoor Urban events from BMX displays to street dance crews.

SQUARE TASTIC - family friendly entertainment and activities in John Frost Square during Saturday.

PARKLIFE - relocated from its previous home at Tredegar House, the Sunday Funday will be at Rodney Parade.

RIVERFRONT FREE HOUSE - throughout the weekend there will be adventurous new theatre and circus companies at The Riverfront for all ages.

COMEDY PORT RETURNS WITH AL MURRAY AND TIM KEY

May 5 - Its back this October, read it here

COMIC PRAISES SCHOOL

May 4 - Comedian Rhod Gilbert has eulogised about his recent time at Monnow Primary School, Bettws. It is part of a television series where Gilbert undertakes different professions to give the public an insight in to the world of work. He told Wales Online "“I suppose I must have teaching in my blood, but my three days at Monnow Primary School in Bettws, Newport were the most inspirational of my life by a mile. It was just this incredible oasis of peace and positivity, with ‘thinking zones’ and ‘multi-media zones’, so different to when I was in school – my childhood was like that Coal House programme by comparison. I mean, they even took the kids out to a forest for their maths lesson and got them engaged and learning through play, whereas in my day it was rows of bored pupils slumped over their desks learning facts and figures parrot fashion"

Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience returns to BBC One Wales on Monday at 10.25pm

UNIVERSITY ACKNOWLEDGED IN FILM AWARDS

Apr 26 - Students from Newport University’s multi award winning BA documentary film course are celebrating a double success. Films made on the course have been nominated in two of the most prestigious national film competitions – The Sheffield International Documentary Festival and the Royal Television Society Student Awards (RTS) 2012.

‘Mostar’ by Seb Feehan and Josh Bamford is on the shortlist for Best Student Documentary at Sheffield 2012. The film tells the story of the destruction of the ancient bridge in the Muslim area of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Balkan conflict.
It captures the terror of the times and explores the aftermath for modern Mostar. Sebastian and Josh have already enjoyed success at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival, having won the Best Student Documentary award last year with their uplifting film about a pensioner, called ‘88’.

‘Vince and Cherry’s Greatest Hits’ by Lucy Liddel, Sam Smith-Higgins and Ez Byrne, which received a nomination at the prestigious Grierson Awards last year, has been shortlisted for the 2012 Royal Television Society Student Awards for Best Factual Film. The documentary tells the intriguing story of Vince and Cherry – itinerant musicians in the 1960s who have since found God and set up a church in the Welsh Valleys.

CITY TO SEA WALK

APR 25 - To celebrate the opening of the Wales Coast Path in May, a special ‘City to Sea’ walk along the Newport coastline has been organised for Sunday May 6.

Starting at 11am at the Newport Transporter Bridge, walkers will follow the coastline along the banks of the River Usk, through the Wetlands nature reserve and finish at the east Usk Lighthouse.

Everyone is welcome to come along, join in and discover for themselves the historical areas of interest, and natural beauty spots, that Newport has to offer.

The Wales Coast Path creates an 870 mile continuous walking route around the whole of Wales.

For more information, transport and parking arrangements visit www.newport.gov.uk/countryside

UNI TOPS FILM AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Apr 12 - The University of Wales, Newport has topped the nomination tables in this year’s British Student Film Festival, with three students bagging more nominations between them than any other University.

Joseph Wallace's film The Man Who Was Afraid of Falling is nominated in the 'Best Animation' category. Alex Hancock's John and Betty is nominated for 'Best Sound Design', 'Best Film', 'Best Animation' and 'Best Screenplay'. Samo Chandler has been nominated for 'Best Director' with True Repose as well as 'Best Film', 'Molinare award for Best Post-Production' and 'Best Cinematography'

It is the first film festival of its kind, screening student films nationwide and seeking to bridge the gap between young talent and the industry. The festival is touring the country screening over 130 short films including animation, drama and documentary

TIME TEAM UNCOVER ROMAN REMAINS

Mar 23 - Caerleon will be the focus of Channel 4’s Time Team this Sunday which will see the team investigate the area’s Roman fortress. The team, led by Tony Robinson, joined archaeologists working in the area in the summer of 2011 and investigated a Roman dock, along with a mysterious building that had experts baffled – but you will have to tune in to find out what it is.

Deputy leader of Newport City Council, Councillor Mike Hamilton, who is an archaeologist by trade, said: “Many people may not be aware that in The Roman Legionary Fortress at Caerleon, we have a site of international importance sitting on our doorstep in Newport. I hope that many people tune in to discover Newport’s exciting past.”

During the days of the Roman Empire, Caerleon was one of the most important military sites in Britain and was the home of the 2nd Augustan Legion from which it took its name, Isca Augusta. During this time it housed 5,000 soldiers and horsemen, with an amphitheatre, baths, shops and temples. The episode, Rome’s Wild West, will air at 4.10pn on Sunday 25 March.

ROGERSTONE CONDUCTOR MAKING HISTORY
Mar 4 - Jamie Jones (left) became the conductor of the Rogerstone Brass Band at 18, and at aged 22, he remains the youngest professional brass band conductor in the group's history. Currently a teaching assistant at Caerleon Endowed Junior School, Jamie hopes to study for a PCGE placement in order to embark on a career teaching music to other pupils. From a young age Jamie became interested in brass band music, and began to play the cornet at aged 13. At 15, he began to teach brass to other individuals before shortly achieving a Grade 8 Mark in the Torfaen Rotary Competition. Jamie has also represented Wales in the National Youth Brass and Wind Bands. Through his membership of brass band ensembles, Jamie has played in competitions and to audiences in New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Canada and the Czech Republic. Rogerstone are going from strength to strength and are members of the 1st section of the Welsh region.

See Rogerstone's competition results here

ED SHEERAN TO PERFORM AT NEWPORT CENTRE
Mar 4 - Ed Sheeran has been the break out star of the last few years coming from seemingly nowhere to huge chart success and a massive following of fans. His first single, The A Team, brought him to the public’s attention and this was secured with follow ups, You Need Me I Don’t Need You and the smash hit Lego House. He is at Newport Centre on October 20.

DIRTY GOODS MINI ALBUM OUT ON MARCH 10
Mar 4 - A new mini album from Newport's finest Dirty Goods will be available on March 10. The album can be ordered from the band's website or purchased at gigs.

The band will also be in action at the Six Feet Under celebration of TJ's and the life of John Sicolo taking place on March 10 and 11.

LE PUB HOSTS THE AUTHORITIES

Feb 13 - THE AUTHORITIES! - AUTHENTIC EIGHTIES WEST COAST AMERICAN PUNK IN THE VEIN OF ANGRY SAMOANS AND ADOLESCENTS WITH A NEW ALBUM ‘KUNG PAO AU-GO-GO’ AND THE CLASSIC ‘SOUNDTRACK FOR TROUBLE’ RE-RELEASE EP AND ‘PUPPY LOVE’ LP OUT NOW ON GET HIP! WITH LOCALS BAD SAM AND GRAND COLLAPSE £7.00 ON THE DOOR 8 ‘TIL LATE

CIRCUS AT THE RIVERFRONT

Feb 13 - Join NoFit State Circus, National Theatre Wales & Théâtre Tattoo with The Torch Theatre (Wales) & Scène nationale de Sénart (France) at the Riverfront Feb 23-25 £12-£14. Circus exists in a parallel world. A place where the extraordinary seems commonplace - where weird, wonderful, and seemingly impossible feats of human skill are the norm. Join acrobatic performers as they enter this other realm. Moving from dollhouse streets to life-size rooftops, they populate a world filled with their own dreams, hopes and memories. A world in which everyone strives to be extraordinary. In this breathtaking new Welsh tour, NoFit State abandons the Big Top and takes to the stage with National Theatre Wales. Combining circus and theatre in spectacular ways, Mundo Paralelo weaves together stories that unfold amongst swooping aerial moves and gravity defying skills. Under the direction of Mladen Materic and a world-class cast, NoFit State continues to reinvent circus.

MUSIC MEDLEY

Feb 11 - The Riverfront will play host to a Medley of Music concert in aid of St David's Foundation Hospice Care on February 18. It promises to be an amazing evening for all music lovers with Risca Male Choir, Blaenavon Town Band, local vocalist and pianist, Richard Harris, together with local band, Duality.

All of the acts enjoy a history of magnificent performances at many prestigious events. All funds raised will support the Foundation's work in the community. Every day, St David's are caring for around 1,000 patients with life threatening illnesses, providing vital at home care and supporting their families through difficult times.

COMEDIAN AT CITY SCHOOL

Jan 28 - Comedian Rhod Gilbert has been filming for his latest BBC Wales series Work Experience at Monnow Junior School in Bettws. The series will be televised in April.

UNIVERSITY EXHIBITION HEADS FOR PRAGUE

Jan 24 - An exhibition created through the co-operation of Ffotogallery, Cardiff, and the University of Wales in Newport has opened in Prague.

The Silent Village is an innovative presentation of the events in connection with the tragic fate of the village of Lidice, which was destroyed by the Nazis in 1942.

The exhibition is derived from the film The Silent Village (1943) made by the British avant-garde film maker Humphrey Jennings only a few months after the razing of Lidice. Inspired by Viktor Fischl’s poem “The Dead Village”, Jennings found an analogy of Lidice in the village of Cwmgїedd in South Wales, and with the participation of mining families produced a version of the story of the Lidice massacre translated into a Welsh environment for the film. The exhibition sees contemporary artists Paolo Ventura, Peter Finnemore and the writer Rachel Trezise offer their response to the film and its theme in a series of black and white photographs, video and audio recordings and texts.

The exhibition was created through the co-operation of Ffotogallery, Cardiff, and the University of Wales in Newport. Exhibition curator, Russell Roberts, Professor of Photography at the European Centre for Photography Research at University of Wales, Newport comments:

CITY PANTO

Dec 11 - A giant pumpkin, a broom, some white mice, an ugly sister or two, a charming Prince, a cheeky chappy named buttons, a magical fairy Godmother and a downtrodden young girl called Cinders can only mean one thing... the panto is coming to town!

This year The Riverfront and Hiss and Boo bring you the best loved of all pantomimes - Cinderella.

Will dear sweet Cinders be teased mercilessly by her two ugly sisters? Could she love dear Buttons? Will the Prince be charming? What we do know is that the show will be full of laughter, memorable songs, fabulous costumes and with its very own snowstorm.

Starring a fabulous cast of professional actors including Melanie Walters (Gavin and Stacey), Keiron Self (My Family), Richard Elis (Eastenders), Nichola Lagan as Cinderella and seasoned Riverfront dame Lee Mengo. Until Jan 2 at the Riverfront. Prices start at £6.

MOVIES AT THE RIVERFRONT

Dec 11 - January's line up of films has been announced including A Week with Marilyn

http://www.newport.gov.uk/theRiverfront/index.cfm/showCinemaListing/

BIG SPLASH PHOTOS - here

CHRISTMAS ICE RINK

Oct 16 - Whether you are an experienced ice skater or a beginner make sure you visit Newport city centre’s ice rink this winter. Adding extra Christmas sparkle to the festive offer, the rink, situated alongside The Riverfront Theatre, will open on Saturday 10 December and skating will be available until Monday 2 January.

The rink will hold up to 100 skaters a session and there will be eight sessions a day, every day, (excluding Christmas Day). Skating will start from midday until 8pm offering early evening skating under the stars. There will also be a variety of seasonal entertainment including street theatre, junior discos and competitions.

The rink will come with special dual skate blades and ice scooters for toddlers so youngsters as young as three years old can have a go. There are also wheelchair assisted skating options. Cabinet member for leisure and culture, Councillor Mike Hamilton, said: “We are delighted that Newport will have an ice skating rink in the city centre over the festive period and are particularly proud to have an environmental rink. The rink will be canopied which means that skating can happen whatever the weather.” Ticket prices start from £3 for children, (3 -15 years old), with family tickets priced at £12 for up to 45 minutes skating. Group bookings, schools and corporate enquiries are also welcome.

BIG READ AT RIVERFRONT

Oct 15 - Newport community learning and libraries is hosting the fourth annual Big Read event at the Riverfront Theatre on 26 October. Adults and children are welcome and will be treated to talks and displays from a variety of successful authors, storytellers and illustrators.

Speakers at the adult sessions include best selling author Lesley Pearse, national poet of Wales Gillian Clarke, the new queen of gang thrills, Kimberley Chambers and crime writer Edward Marston, whose novels span over a thousand years of history. Fun sessions for children and families include a chance to meet Beano cartoonist Gary Northfield, storytelling by Rob Lewis and for the brave, gory stories by Daniel Morden. New this year are dedicated Welsh language sessions for adults and children, from basic learners to fluent speakers. Places for the day must be booked in advance.

THE BIG SPLASH LAUNCH!

The Big Splash festival is set to kick off on Friday 7 October with a series of workshops and fun street performers including a circus plate spinner, comedy caricaturist and a spectacular Wheel Show. The Festival will then be formally opened at 6pm by 120 local school children in a magnificent flag parade and a daring stunt by escapologist, Chris Cross.

The workshops and street performers will begin the festivities from 4pm, entertaining all ages until the Flag Procession begins at 6pm. Part funded by SPARK, 120 children from two local Newport Schools; Alway and Pillgwenlly have taken part in a series of workshops to create flags that will be used in the procession. The procession will begin at 6pm from The Riverfront and will march up to the Newport Footbridge. The children will then perform a choreographed flag twirling routine on the bridge. Then at 6.30pm, Escapologist, Chris Cross will perform a new stunt under the Newport Footbridge that will have even more danger than last year!

The rest of the evening’s events will include live music throughout the night on the Café Terrace by Wonderbrass, Batatan, RSVP, The Cherry Beats and Zen Hussies and a performance on the main stage by Ralph McTell and the fantastic Long Spoon Circus in the studio theatre.

The Big Splash Festival will be on from Friday 7 until Sunday 9 October 2011 and will include a number of big stunts and a massive free firework spectacular. The launch of The Big Splash will take place from 6pm – 7pm on Friday 7 October.

COMEDY PORT

The line up and venues for this year's comedy festival have been announced here

BIG START TO BIG SPLASH

Sep 27 - Three of South Wales’ roller derby leagues are putting on a roller derby extravaganza on Saturday 8 October at the Newport Centre as part of the Big Splash weekend. Roller derby is an all-female, action packed, full contact sport played on quad roller skates and it’s taking South Wales by storm. The headline ‘bout’ sees the Tiger Bay Brawlers Travel Team taking on the best of the Cardiff Roller Collective.

The Tiger Bay Brawlers will be available from 14:15 for anyone who wants to find out more about roller derby and how to get involved. This introductory session will be excellent preparation for the main event which starts at 17:00.

Tickets are £7.00 in advance and £9.00 on the door. For further information and to purchase tickets please visit

DISPLACED

Janire Najera, Photographer. Ballet Cymru´s dancers have been portrayed re-interpreting the role they play as performers in relation to their private life.

Displaced II explores into the interplay of two worlds: the performed and the lived, the fictional and the real. The project is a result of a unique collaboration between the dancers and photographer trying to reveal that the real can also be fantastic.

Now on display at the Riverfront - in a free exhibition.

SPECIAL SUPPER OPENS CITY FOOD FESTIVAL

Sep 18 - A special supper will mark the opening of Newport’s first food festival on Friday 28 October. The supper, a three course meal cooked by chefs from three local pubs and restaurants, will provide a special dining experience for 170 people set within Newport’s market.

The meal will be cooked by chefs from The Bell Inn, The Waterloo Hotel and Bistro and Gemelli restaurant and will showcase Newport’s culinary talent. Adding some colour and fun to the evening will be Railroad Bill who will fill the market with some raw, fast, gutsy skiffle music. Compere Jools Constant will talk to the chefs as well as some local food and drink producers.

The indoor market will open to guests from 7pm with the supper starting at 7.30pm. A bar will be available for drink orders with the evening closing at 11pm. Ticket prices are £30.50 which includes a drink on arrival, three course meal with coffee and chocolate and two glasses of wine or non-alcoholic drinks. A bar will be available for drink orders with the evening closing at 11pm.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday 9 September and are available from the Riverfront Theatre box office by calling 01633 656757 or online by visiting http://www.newport.gov.uk/theRiverfront/index.cfm/showBookTickets/ . The menu choices can be viewed online by visiting www.newportfoodfestival.co.uk

CINDERELLA AUDITIONS

Sep 17 - Open auditions for the pantomime Cinderella will take place at The Riverfront on Saturday 1 October between 10am – 1pm with registration at 9.30am (last registration at 11am).

The auditions are open to any talented youngsters who live and go to school in the Newport City Council area and The Riverfront is keen to see the children’s personalities as well as their singing, dancing and acting skills.Produced in collaboration with the Hiss and Boo Company, Cinderella is a high-quality, professional pantomime starring Melanie Walters (Gavin & Stacey), Keiron Self (My Family), Richard Elis (Eastenders) and Riverfront’s seasoned Dame, Lee Mengo.

FAWLTY TOWERS AT THE DOLMAN

Sep 11 - Taking three episodes from this classic comedy series: Hotel Inspectors, Communication Problems and, of course, The Germans, the Dolman Theatre guarantees great fun for all the family this week. They say "Our wonderful cast have once again brought to life manic Basil, domineering Sybil, the capable Polly and who can forget Manuel..Qué! We look forward to seeing you and don't forget.."don't mention the war!"

Tickets - ADULT £11 STUDENT £7 OAP SATURDAY MATINEE ONLY £10

September 13th - September 17th, 2011. Performances start at 7:15pm, with an additional matinee performance at 2:30pm on the Saturday.

PILL CARNIVAL ENJOYED BY THOUSANDS

Aug 30 - Thousands of festival goers enjoyed Pill's multicultural carnival yesterday. In chilly, dry weather 13 floats thronged the streets in a colourful parade including gold medal winning boxer Sean McGoldrick.

PARKLIFE SUCCESS

Aug 1 - More than 10,000 people came to the free Parklife event held at Tredegar House recently. Visitors took advantage of the dry conditions to flock to the fun family day out organised by Newport City Council.

Among the many highlights of the day included Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle on the main stage. Amy Whittle, who sang On My Own, was judged the winner of the Newport’s Got Talent final by Rhys and Eggsy from GLC, Councillor Debbie Wilcox and Elinor Thorne from Newport Radio.

Councillor Matthew Evans, leader of Newport City Council, said: “It was a brilliant day and it was fantastic to see so many people joining us for the annual Parklife event. I hope everyone who came along enjoyed themselves. I would like to thank all those who worked so hard to put together such a great event. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Parklife.”

FOOD FESTIVAL FOR END OF OCTOBER

July 21 - Newport’s first City Centre food festival being held on 28th and 29th October 2011. Focused around the Indoor Market and The Riverfront Theatre area alongside the River Usk, the City Centre event will be alive with local producer stalls, chef demonstrations, music and family activities.

True Taste Gold Award Winner Stephen Terry, Chef/Patron of The Hardwick Restaurant near Abergavenny is one of the headline chefs signed up already with fun things on the menu including local cook offs between Newport neighbourhoods, as well as a chance to enjoy some time out with a plate of food and some music from Newport’s local bands.

PARK-LIFE

July 21 - Newport will be celebrating Parklife on Sunday July 24 at Tredegar House from 11am to 4pm. The free event will include fun interactive stands, music, dance, sporting opportunities, play activities, taster sessions, arts and crafts, 5 for Life healthy living, and lots more!

SINFONIA CYMRU AT THE RIVERFRONT

July 16 - Sinfonia Cymru brings to The Riverfront a truly special programme of chamber orchestral music tomorrow night. Joining the orchestra will be the stunningly talented cellist Philip Higham, a former member of the orchestra and current Young Concert Artists Trust recipient. Philip is rapidly emerging as one of the most prominent young cellists from the UK as his recent competition success, winning 2nd Prize at the prestigious 2010 Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann Competition in Berlin, goes to confirm. In 2008 he won 1st Prize in the International Bach Competition in Leipzig and in 2009 1st Prize in the Lutoslawski Competition in Warsaw.

Price : £10, Reductions £7, Friends of Sinfonia Cymru £9 Date & Time : Sunday 17 July, 19:30

CAERLEON FESTIVAL UNDER WAY

July 9 - Caerleon Festival gets under way this weekend. The focus is on the arts and performance and the programme of activities promised this across a range of venues is rich and varied. Details here http://www.caerleon-arts.org/Entertainment2011.html

GLADIATOR GLIDE

July 9 - Taking place today a 300m charity zip slide from the iconic Newport Transporter Bridge across the River Usk into Coronation Park in aid of the Stroke Association. A fantastic once in a lifetime experience with a photographer and prizes for best fancy dress, refreshment wagons and of course your limited edition T-shirt and certificate. Registration £10.

MAINDEE FESTIVAL

July 1 - The Maindee Festival, Newport's finest multi-cultural street festival will again take over the east of the City tomorrow.

The amazing parade assembles at Newport Rugby Club at 11.00am on and departs at 12.00pm to arrives at the Festival site near Maindee Primary School 1.00pm.

Music on the main stage includes Flow Dem and Belladonna.

ROMANTIC NOVELISTS COME TO TOWN

July 1 - Two romantic novelists will be sharing their secrets at an event in Brynglas House community learning centre on Wednesday, 6 July. Roger Sanderson is Mills and Boon’s only male author and writes under the pseudonym Gill Sanderson. He believes that writing is a craft that can be taught.

Jan Jones is an award-winning author of Regency romance who also writes contemporary romantic comedy, short stories for women’s magazines, poetry and stories for children. She believes everyone is entitled to at least one happy ending. Both authors used different routes into the world of publishing and will share their experiences, hints and tips. Tickets for event, which begins at 10am, cost £2. Call 01633 656656 for more information.

FIRST BLOOD AND TIGER PLEASE HEAD TO LE PUB

July 1 - Metallic hardcore band First Blood play Le Pub (Caxton Place, City Centre) on July 21 - the blurb for the band states "“We just wanted to play music that was right to the point so kids could sing-along, let out their aggressions, and kill each other on the dancefloor,” states frontman Carl Schwartz about the band’s early, no-frills attitude. “We never thought we would be playing shows outside of California, let alone San Francisco.”

Local band Tiger Please play on July 25. They were formed around frontman Leon Stanford in 2007, who at the time was singer in no fewer than three bands. His bandmates Luc Morris, Tyla Campbell, Jimmi Kendall and Lewis Rowsell coalesced with him into a group that quickly became the focus of his attention. Their songwriting, although influenced by the likes of Sigur Ros, Kings Of Leon, John Mayer and Counting Crows, quickly developed its own characteristic of soft but powerful, rounded classic rock with contemporary elements.

Another Californian band Erin Brazill and the Billionaires are there on July 30.

CAERLEON ARTS FESTIVAL

Jun 27 - Old favourites and new attractions should once again make this July’s Caerleon Festival a not-to-be-missed - experience. It is one of the many exciting events in the programme for this year’s Newport Festival.

Three sculptors from previous years will be on the Hanbury Field on 16 and 17 July. Giles Kent, from London, and Mark Folds, from West Wales, will both carve in wood while Zimbabwean sculptor Hilary Manuwha will work in stone. Members of the British Woodcarvers Association and blacksmith Ross Smith will be joining them.

Craft stalls, musical entertainment, workshops and refreshments will also feature over the main weekend. Archaeologists from Cardiff University will exhibit local Roman finds. Other events will include Monty Python’s Life of Brian (Ampitheatre, 8 July); The Johnny Ned Band (Celtic Manor roof garden, 10 July); Blaenavon Male Voice Choir and Angharad Watkeys (St Cadoc’s Church, 12 July); Bath House Bards (Roman Baths, 13 July); The Taming of the Shrew (Ampitheatre, 15 July). Newport City Council and the Celtic Manor are major sponsors of the festival. For more information visit www.caerleon-arts.org or call Caerleon Tourist Information on 01633 422656.

JUDAS PRIEST START TOUR IN NEWPORT

Jun 19 - The legendary heavy metal band, Judas Priest, are set to tour the UK with seven dates in July 2011 - tour starts in Newport! Tickets for the shows are priced at £36.00 in advance, and door opening times will be 6.30 pm. The UK tour will be part of the band’s world tour entitled the ‘Epitaph Tour 2011’. Tickets are available online and by calling 01633 656757.

In addition in another coup Roger Daltrey performs The Who's Tommy on 10th July 2011 at the same venue.

TAXI TO NEWPORT!

Jun 15 - Three people. Three stories. One Cab. Take a cab-ride around Newport like no other...

Take a cab ride and eaves drop on the twisted conversations three strangers would only ever dare share with a cabby. Take a fly on the wall glimpse at Newport's strangest taxi fares whilst they retell the hilarous story that links them all. All in the back of a moving taxi.

Tin Shed Theatre Co. is a collective of three performance artists who want to explore the world through story. Having gained early success with their debut performance 'Office 212' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2008 they have since been working on a variety of performances in unusual locations.

CAFE RE-LAUNCH AT RIVERFRONT

Jun 14 - After having a franchise operation in place for the café and bar in The Riverfront for the last six years, the Riverfront has now taken it over and it is being officially re-launched on 23 June 2011. The café menu has been revamped and a breakfast menu and children’s menu introduced. The food will remain high quality, mostly home-made, use natural products that are locally sourced and organic where possible. The menu will also cater for many dietary needs including vegetarian and vegan. The menus will be downloadable from the café section on the home page of The Riverfront website www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront from the day of the launch.

As well as daily specials there will also be a number of special offers each day including a Friday Curry Club, hot drink and cake deals, student discount and free Wifi Access. The Riverfront Café on the ground floor and the first floor bar has acquired more seating and has a wide selection of bottled beers and lagers, wines and spirits to suit all tastes.

The bar is open every evening (Monday to Saturday) and is not just for customers attending shows or events at The Riverfront, it is open to everyone! The Riverfront Café will be relaunched on 23 June 2011 with a number of special offers throughout the day.

JON LANGFORD - CITY ICON PERFORMS IN CHICAGO

May 7 - See preview here.

VISUAL ARTS AT THE RIVERFRONT

Apr 30 - The Gallery at The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre in Newport has an upcoming exhibition from Friday May 13 - Saturday May 21. The show is called Resist - an exhibition celebrating traditional and experimental print practice, by iPrint, a group of contemporary printmakers whose aims are to promote modern printmaking skills and innovative printing techniques.

Resist presents a rich vocabulary of visual images, which are produced using a variety of print processes: Intaglio, Silk Screen Print, Collagraph and Monoprint.

This diverse range of work captures the essence of unique and individually hand-created prints in a world of digitally produced images. The exhibition features imaginative and original work exploring a range of cultural, social and political issues

RIVERFRONT CLAIMS SPRING SUCCESS

Apr 25 - Despite the recession Newport's Riverfront Theatre is claiming its best spring season ever. The total attendances at film and professional performances was up by 95 people compared to the venue’s previous best – The Riverfront’s highest for January to March since opening. The average attendance for professional performances also beat the previous high by 12%, taking figures over 200 for the first time. The intimate studio theatre is included in these figures and that has a maximum capacity of 128.

MUSICAL SPECTACULAR AT DOLMAN

Apr 10 - Jesus Christ Superstar /

Newport Operatic Society presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's show Jesus Christ Superstar.

7.15pm, tickets £8 and £10. Advance bookings can be made on 01633 440707. Reserve early to avoid disappointment.

Location : The Dolman Theatre
Dates & Times :
Tuesday 12 April, 19:15
Wednesday 13 April, 19:15
Thursday 14 April, 19:15
Friday 15 April, 19:15
Saturday 16 April, 19:15
Contact : Newport Operatic Society / Tel : 01633 440707

CHAS AND DAVE AND BOOBS AT THE RIVERFRONT

Apr 8 - Cockney musical duo Chas and Dave are at the Riverfront on April 16. Tickets - £20 - 22.50. The night before Busting Out, a celebration of all things bosom-related is at the Theatre. The release states "No matter what your age, gender, shape or (cup) size Busting Out! is an uplifting celebration of bouncy songs, wobbly jokes, knicker-wetting sketches and practical demonstrations of how to have bags of fun with your fun bags! An unforgettable night out for the girls (and the fellas will love it too) - you'll be busting to tell your friends about the feel-good show of the year!" (Tickets are £17)

SPORTS TEAMS SUPPORT CHARITY ABSEIL

Mar 18 - Newport Gwent Dragons and Newport County have both pledged their support to the Mayor’s charity abseil on Saturday March 19. Both the rugby region and football club have donated £100 to the charity event which will go to Tenovus as well as a shirt for two of the participants to wear during their abseil down the 150ft clock tower at the civic centre. The Mayor’s son, Damian Langsford, will wear the Newport Gwent Dragons shirt during his abseil while the wearer of the Newport County shirt will be unveiled on Saturday.

WEDDING FAIR AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

Mar 17 - Are you planning your wedding? Looking for ideas about where to get married? Then why not tie the knot at Tredegar House. On Sunday 20 March, Tredegar House will be open for you to look around the stunning state rooms used during a wedding ceremony or civil partnership. You can also visit the reception rooms that can be used for the wedding breakfast and celebrations. Visitors will also have the chance to walk through the breathtaking grounds and formal gardens which offer a perfect backdrop for wedding photography.

NEW CITY FILM

Here

DIRTY GOODS HEAD FOR LE PUB

Mar 17 - City pop pretenders Dirty Goods are playing a homecoming gig at Le Pub on March 26. The band have finished their album but there is no release date as yet.

TREDEGAR HOUSE TO STAR ON TV

Feb 13 - Newport’s Tredegar House is set to star on TV this spring after film crews visited the house recently. The Dr Who film crew are regulars at the house having filmed on nine different occasions while the programme, Being Human, was filmed for the first time at the house at the end of last year. The Hairy Bikers duo filmed both inside and outside the house for an episode on posh food which will be broadcast on Thursday 24 March at 8pm on BBC 2.

Tredegar House also features in 100 Lle (100 places) broadcast on S4C. The series is based on the book, 'Cymru, y 100 lle i'w gweld cyn marw' (Wales, the 100 places to see before dying) – and Tredegar House is considered a must see. Tredegar House has a range of rooms, from lavish dining rooms to huge kitchens, from servants bedrooms to cellars, attics and Bell’s Corridor – there is plenty on offer to visit. There are lots of events planned at Tredegar House over the next few months with Murder Mysteries and St David’s Day and Spooky Tales tours. The house will open for tours in April while the 90 acres of parkland are open all year for visitors to enjoy.

CITY STUDENTS WORK ON BBC DOC

Jan 29 - Animation students at Newport University are looking forward to seeing their work featured across the UK on BBC FOUR next week, after completing an exciting collaboration with BBC Cymru Wales. The Children who built Victorian Britain (Tuesday 1st Feb 9pm, BBC Four) uncovers new evidence about the lives of British child workers during the industrial revolution.

Newport students worked with staff from the BBC Cymru Wales Graphic Design department to produce a fresh and creative take on the challenge of illustrating historic experiences prior to the age of photography. The animations illustrate the testimonies of child workers across Britain during the industrial age. Caroline Parsons, Programme Leader in Animation at the International Film School Wales, part of the University of Wales, Newport said: "This collaboration allowed our students to work with some of the most creative and professional animation teams in Britain.

DIRTY GOODS START ALBUM RECORDING

Dec 28 - Newport's Dirty Goods have confirmed the start of the recording session for the debut album. They state on their Facebook site that the first day of the session in Manchester was yesterday and that their highly anticipated album will take a month to produce.

CHARTIST EVENTS

Nov 13 - Newport celebrates Chartism this week. The details are here.

CITY BENEFITS FROM FESTIVAL GRANT APPLICATIONS

Nov 9 - More than 50 grant applications have received funding as part of the Newport Festival and more than 10,000 people have enjoyed the various events and activities.

At the start of 2010, Newport City Council launched the Newport Festival, a series of events to get people feeling good about the city. A key part of the Festival was to involve local communities and community groups were encouraged to apply for funding from the Newport Festival to hold their own events, projects and activities. Leader of Newport City Council, Cllr Matthew Evans, said: “2010 has been a memorable year for residents of Newport. We have had the SuperDragons project, spectacular city centre events with the Big Splash and Fire Finale and also the smaller community focused events.

“We wanted people to participate in the Festival and always stressed The Ryder Cup was as much about community engagement as the tournament itself and through the various events and projects we have achieved this.” A key part of the Newport Festival was to include everyone in the city in the celebrations through a programme of events and activities. At the start of 2010 a special pot of money totalling £125,000 was set aside for people to apply for funding to host events, run projects or put on activities.

A People’s Panel comprising of residents from across the city meet once a month and have made a huge contribution to ensuring 2010 events have been a success. The People’s Panel grants sub group are responsible for shaping the community events by approving which applications should receive funding.

EIGHT SUPER DRAGONS TO REMAIN IN CITY

Oct 21 - Following the fantastic public response to the SuperDragons project, eight of the statues will remain in Newport for residents and visitors to see on a permanent basis. The SuperDragons have been extremely well received with thousands of people visiting the statues and following the trail across Newport and the surrounding area.

Leader of Newport City Council, Cllr Matthew Evans, said: “The SuperDragons project has exceeded all expectations and proved immensely popular with residents and visitors. It is really great news that some of the SuperDragons will remain in the city on a permanent basis as a reminder of the project and its success.” The eight SuperDragons that will remain in the city are, Eyesee created by Newport Young Peoples Information Shop, Children of the Gwent by artist Stephanie Roberts, Hands of Friendship by Community House, Philatelic Relic by Shaun Featherstone, Water is Life by Maindee Festival Community Association, Grymuso by Newport Women’s Aid, Hearth by Charter Housing Association and Graffiti by Lucy Bateman of St Julian’s High School. Over the next few weeks it will be decided where these SuperDragons will permanently remain.

FIERY END TO BIG SPLASH

Oct 6 - Live music, special effects, flame-wielding performers and a fantastic fireworks display will ensure Newport's Big Splash ends with a big bang on Saturday. Two Tribes, which promises to be an extraordinary event, has been imagined and directed by David Eveleigh, of the Dept. of Enjoyment, the creative spark behind Hay on Fire and the summer's Big Splash festival.

Enjoy the entertainment from 6.30pm outside The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre and at 7.30pm Wonderbrass and Newport's own Batatan Samba will lead two lantern-lit parades over Town Bridge and the City Footbridge. In the grounds of Rodney Parade - home of Newport Gwent Dragons and Newport RFC - spectators will be able to watch the finale (Newport play Pontypool on Saturday). Thirty performers form Organised Kaos Youth Circus will join SWICA's glittering human dragon and a fire-breathing robot dragon in front of massive fire sculptures made by David Eveleigh. Extra drama will be injected by Any Effects which has provided special effects for Dr Who, Torchwood and Top Gear.

CASTLE LIGHT UP

Sep 21 - On Tuesday 21 September at 9pm new eco Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting will officially be switched on at Newport Castle. In a joint venture between Newport City Council (NCC) and Cadw, the floodlighting has been replaced and improved to highlight the historic landmark. As the castle is alongside the London to Wales rail line and Clarence Bridge, it will act as an iconic gateway for visitors entering the city.

Plans to ensure the castle remains a focal point for the community and future visitors are also in development. Free guided tours will be given on 25 and 26 September and there is a view to use it for future historic and creative activity. NCC and Cadw have also been working with the local Probation Service who, through their new Community Payback Scheme, will carry out regular litter picking programmes and other site maintenance work at the castle. Leader of Newport City Council, Councillor Matthew Evans said: “With the eyes of the world on Newport over the next few weeks, I am pleased to see this long-awaited project has become a reality.

MORNING WOOD AT THE IVY BUSH

Aug 20 - Up and coming Blaenavon band Morning Wood are at the Ivy Bush in Clarence Place tomorrow night. Their biography states "Brainchild of mighty virtuoso/songwriter/CMM level 1 programmer Steven Priest, he set out and found 3 mediocre human beings to aid him in his quest to bring something interesting to the pubs of Blaenavon." Their talents deserve a wider audience. I saw them cutting up a storm at World Heritage Day outside the Pottery (?) in blazing heat led by the fine vocals of Kirstin Major. The other three members are Steven Priest - Guitar, Rhys Anslow - Bass Gavin Vella - Drums/Lute/Cello/Triangle. They are fine musicians, do excellent contemporary covers and have an increasing repertoire of the own material. Worth a look, worth a listen. See their YouTube channel by yer

EYE CREATE EXHIBITION

Aug 17 - Newport Youth Service has created an exhibition called ‘Eye Create’ to celebrate the wealth of artwork created by the young people of Newport. The Empty Shop Project is part of Newport Festival 2010 and is a community arts programme that turns vacant retail space into creative workspaces to display local artistic talent. The project aims to regenerate the city centre and display local artists work.

Eye Create is a mixed media exhibition and has come from different projects within Newport Youth Service, such as the Youth Work in schools, ALF (Alternative Learning Forum), the Information Shop, and Youth Clubs across Newport.

To highlight the diverse range of artistic mediums, the Empty Shop Project is proud to display a ‘totem pole’ which has been designed and built by the students of Duffryn High School. This is an expression of the group’s individual motifs, ranging from family to technology and how this has an impact on their lives.

COMEDY PORT

Newport’s very first Comedy Festival, Comedy Port, will take place from Saturday 9 – Sunday 16 October 2010. One City. One Week. Tens of venues. Hundreds of funny people. Thousands of laughing faces. Immeasurable jaw ache. Funny things will be happening all over Newport city centre this October and tickets have now gone on sale.

There’ll be comedy for grown-ups, comedy for little-uns, comedy for everyone. There’ll be sketch shows, stand-up, kids shows, musical comedy, late-night shows, day time dates, big names, up-and-coming acts, brand-new-never-seen before acts, funny films, Welsh people and more. Confirmed; Elis James, Maeve Higgins, Nick Helm, Junket Club, Tony Law, comedy films (including Big Lebowski fancy dress party, new releases, made in Wales and classics) Tin Shed Theatre Company, Max and Ivan, clowning workshops with Paddy the Clown, Henry Widdicombe, Ben Partridge, comedy quizzes and more! For more information, please visit www.newportcomedyfestival.co.uk or www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront. Tickets will be on sale from The Riverfront Box Office. Call 01633 656679 for more details. Follow its on Twitter www.twitter.com/portcomedyfest

WOULD BE JOURNALISTS TO COVER CUP

Aug 12 - Two aspiring journalists are getting the chance to work alongside the elite corps of world golfing correspondents at the Ryder Cup in October. Cardiff University students Benjamin Price and Johanna Scammell will write golf reports for the tournament's website and be on hand at assist a bevy of more than 1,000 international journalists at the event in Newport.

They were chosen from more than 30 applicants for two voluntary internships to work in the tournament's media centre at the Celtic Manor resort. Applicants had to write a 1,000-word article on a current golfing issue, live or study in Wales, play golf and demonstrate media experience.

Benjamin, 21, pictured top left, has a golf handicap of 12 and writes for Cardiff University's student newspaper, Gair Rhydd, while studying history. He said: "When I heard about the internship I thought it was too good to be true because I get to combine my career aspirations with my hobby."

JOHN FROST SQUARE SET TO SPARKLE

Aug 10 - This Saturday, John Frost Square will become a hub of action-packed family fun. In conjunction with Sparkle, the entire square will be decked out with things to do and see for children of all ages.

Highlights include a traditional Punch and Judy show, football competitions and a large games area. There will also be a range of traditional stalls including hook-a-duck, lucky dip and hot pancakes. Children can get their face painted, play in the Ezeeplay family area and have fun on our large slide. Anyone making a donation on the day will automatically be entered into a free prize draw to win a Mini for the weekend, so come along and bring your family and friends.

The Sparkle Appeal is a local charity aiming to raise £1.5 million to equip a purpose-built centre for children with complex disabilities in the south area of the City. The centre will be a bespoke facility providing treatment, care, information, leisure facilities and consultations to 1,200 young people, all under one roof. Reducing the need to travel will bring ease to the family unit and continuity of care to the children.

GRADUATES SHORTLISTED FOR FILM AWARD

Aug 6 - Two graduates of the University of Wales, Newport have been shortlisted for the Best Newcomer Award at the 2010 Grierson British Documentary Awards. Lauren Muchan and Joe Sharp, who graduated in 2009 from Documentary Film & Television course, have already sampled success with their film 'Letters to Angola', which won the Best Documentary award at the National Student Royal Television Society Awards in May this year. Lauren paid tribute to Chris Morris, Head of the Newport Film School, whose support encouraged them to enter their film. "This competition is fierce," she said, "just being shortlisted is brilliant for the CV. Thanks for everything!" Shortlisted entries go through to the next round of judging by independent panels, meeting in mid September to select a final four nominations in each category, one of which will be the winner. The nominations will be published on 17 September and the winners will be announced at a ceremony at BFI Southbank in London on the evening of Tuesday, 2 November.

DIRTY GOODS SIGN DEAL

Aug 3 - As if Friday's momentous Newport music night at Six Feet Under was not enough, headlining band Dirty Goods have started to realise their amazing potential by signing a deal with London based Necessary Records.

The publicity blurb we have received states "Hailing from Newport, South Wales, Dirty Goods make dirty, electronica-infused and guitar driven music, with a sound that calls upon the vocal styling of Prince, mixed up with the synth-led sounds of Chromeo and MSTRKRFT. In addition the band have a blues roots side, sighting influences such as Free and the Rolling Stones. The band comprise of lead vocalist and guitarist Wylee (originally from Southampton but who wound up on the streets of 'the port' attending art college), Woody on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals and Mikee Greg who plays drums. The last twelve months have been an exciting time for Dirty Goods with tours of France and the United States. The American tour saw the lads play iconic venues in New York which included Fontanas and Arlene's Grocery. In Los Angeles they appeared at Les Deux, The Rox at the Roxy and Swinghouse."

The other bands at last Friday's gig, Drafts, Dead Beggars Club, Straight Lines and Town providing a stunning show, highly accomplished and thoroughly entertaining before a large crowd, underlining the buzz about our City's music scene at the moment. The Goods next performance in the Port is on Sunday August 29 at the Riverside Tavern, 10.30 kick off. They are performing as part of the Newport Festival all dayer.

Drafts are next up on 29/8 also as part of Love Music, Hate Racism at Six Feet Under. Their passionate song 'Everyone Makes Mistakes' is by yer. Facebook pages for Newport bands -

Dirty Goods / Drafts / Town / Dead Beggars Club (I know there's more - this is not an exhaustive list, there loads more Calling Card, One Hundred Cannons etc)

Dirty Goods' front man Wylee performing at their November 2009 performance in the City Centre

NEWPORT'S FINEST ARE BACK

July 29 - Newport's finest up and coming bands are back in the City tomorrow night. The stunning Town (left) are performing alongside another outstanding city trio Dirty Goods (right). Dirty Goods recently signed with London based Necessary records.

Joining them are Dead Beggars Club and Drafts. The gig is taking place at Six Feet Under, the new 500 capacity venue at 12-20 Stow Hill, tickets are £6 in advance from Diverse Records. Not to be missed. I'll be there. Clicks the links above for info.

TREDEGAR HOUSE RECEIVES COVETED AWARD

July 29 - Tredegar House is proudly flying its first ever Green Flag. Newport City Council stated it is delighted that the stately home’s parks and gardens have achieved the honour.

Belle Vue Park has also received its third success award under the national scheme which sets the benchmark standard for parks and green spaces.

Newport’s Mayor Councillor Bill Langsford was among those present at a ceremony as the flag was hoisted at Tredegar House. He paid tribute to the hard work of council staff as well as the Friends of the Park, Friends of the Ornamental Parks, Friends of Tredegar House and Growing Space.

The Green Flag scheme was first launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. Con-Dem Councillor Mike Hamilton, cabinet member for leisure and lifelong learning, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Tredegar House has received its first ever Green Flag while the continued excellence of Belle Vue Park has rightly been recognised again.

COMMENT - It is pity therefore that Newport's finest building is closed for the duration of the Ryder Cup and US and European tourists will not have an opportunity to sample our proud heritage! New Best Kebab will however be open for the duration of the tournament (October 1-3).

SUPER DRAGONS APPEAR

July 17 - This summer Newport is being invaded by more than 100 SuperDragons. Local artists have been involved in the project through painting and decorating the five foot high fibreglass statues while local schools have also been involved in their own special project.

All primary schools in Newport received their very own mini SuperDragon in mid-April and have spent the last three months working on decorating their dragon.

Headteacher at St Joseph’s RC School, Mrs Brenda Bispham, said: “The SuperDragons project has been wonderful for pupils to get involved with and they have loved it. Our school SuperDragon design has hundreds of fingerprints on it, and every child put their fingerprint on the dragon. We asked the children what they would like to see on their SuperDragon and they were all in agreement that they wanted the school emblem to feature and this is on the chest of the dragon.” The mini SuperDragons will create their own trail across the city centre and will be located in retail units around the city as well as at tourist hotspots such as Tredegar House and Caerleon.

The Parklife event at Tredegar House on Sunday July 18 will see the official launch of the SuperDragons trail. Eight of the painted and decorated SuperDragons will be at the event and will be the first time for members of the public to see the finished dragons.

Parklife is a free family day out that will start at 11am and end at 4pm. There will be music and activities for all the family as well as sporting opportunities and play activities. There will also be a number of stands including craft workshops, story telling, a climbing wall, adventure play and bouncy castles. BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway will also be at the event signing copies of his new book.

MAYOR APPLAUDS ACTOR'S SUMMER SCHOOL

Robert Shaw has embarked on a successful theatrical career since leave his home city – now he is returning to Newport to pass on his skills to other budding young performers.

West End to Wales takes place at the Dolman Theatre from July 26 to July 30.

Newport’s mayor Councillor Bill Langsford will be visiting the performance summer school on July 28. “It is wonderful that Robert is coming back to Newport to help young people who would like to follow in his footsteps.

“He has achieved so much for such a young man and hopefully will inspire other talented youngsters to follow their dreams.”

Founded by Rob, West End to Wales is open to seven to 18-year-olds who will have the opportunity to take part in workshops and classes in singing, dancing and acting. All will be lead by industry professionals who have worked in shows such as Cats, Starlight Express, Evita and Hairspray and at the end of the five days there will be a short showcase. Rob, who now performs professionally under the name of Rob Wilshaw, is a former pupil of St Julians School. He trained at the Guildford School of Acting and his theatre credits include Eddie in Blood Brothers, the UK tour of Evita, Call Me Madam in Upstairs at the Gatehouse and Aladdin in the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.

VETERAN BATTLE OF THE BANDS

July 6 - Talented older musicians will be taking part in a Battle of Bands final at The Riverfront on Friday, July 16. Judges at the heats had a tough time selecting the finalists but eventually chose four groups, all with members over 50.

Folk and rock group Matt Rafia will be taking on mixed music band Amber Light, rock and rollers The James Boys and Still Got the Blues. Organised under the theme of Life Gets Better, the competition was open to artists aged 50 and over. Twelve bands entered and each performed a 20-minutes slot in front of two professional judges who felt the new age group was an exciting addition to the event.

Legendary British musician Geoff Downes is coming on board as compere and judge for the final. The keyboardist and founding member of Asia and Buggles, who had a huge hit with Video Killed the Radio Star – has had one of this songs, Extraordinary Life, selected by NBC to promote America’s Got Talent.

COMEDY PORT FESTIVAL

July 1 - Newport’s very first Comedy Festival, Comedy Port, will take place from Saturday 9 – Sunday 16 October 2010. The full schedule of acts to date is listed here - more details to follow.

AWARD WINNING AUTHOR TO VISIT CITY

June 30 - Nick Arnold has just become the first children’s author to win the UK’s top award for science writing. The Horrible Science writer will be visiting both Bettws and Newport Central libraries later this summer. Mr Arnold won the prestigious Thomson Reuters Record Award for Communicating Science for his book Wasted World. He will be in Newport on August 5. The events in Central Library between 11am and 12pm and Bettws Library between 2pm and 3pm are free but booking is essential so call into your local library or telephone 01633 656656.

CAERLEON ARTS FESTIVAL

June 10 - This year’s Caerleon Arts Festival will field a truly international team and while there may be rivalry on the golf course in October when The Ryder Cup comes to Newport, on the festival field in Caerleon there will be a more co-operative approach.

The Caerleon festival will run from July 2 until July 11 at various venues in the area but in the run up to the festival there are three events to enjoy. On June 13, Romeo and Juliet will be performed at the Roman Amphitheatre, on June 18 Jerry Donahue and Doug Morter (the wood and fire tour) will be at Llanhennock Village Hall and an afternoon tea concert featuring the Markham and District colliery band will be at the Roman Amphitheatre on June 27.

The theme of this year’s festival, which is part of the Newport Festival 2010 will be story telling benches in wood and stone and will promote the link between story telling and seating. Most of the story-telling chairs will find their way to local schools and, as part of the BBC Cymru Wales Breathing Places campaign, the Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon has a space which will house one of the storytelling chairs from the festival.

25 YEARS OF NEWPORT CENTRE

June 8 - Some of the biggest names in music have performed there and it is also home to a major sporting event as well as a popular leisure attraction. This month, Newport Centre celebrates 25 years of offering first-class entertainment with sports and leisure facilities.

It will celebrate the landmark anniversary with an open day on June 26. Join the party from 11am to 5pm and enjoy free sporting taster sessions, competitions, climbing wall, face painting, an exhibition marking past musical concerts and much more.

It opened to much fanfare on June 29, 1985 with a gala dinner. In the first two months more than 110,000 people used the pool with its flume and wave machine. Built for £7.3 million, the long-awaited centre fulfilled a difficult brief – combining the latest in sports and leisure facilities with a top-class concert hall for everything from a rock group to a symphony orchestra. REM, Elton John, Stone Roses, The Smiths, Genesis and the Manic Street Preachers have all taken to the stage there over the years. And it is still able to attract some big names. Kasabian, Duffy and Dizzee Rascal have made sell-out appearances recently.

RIVERFRONT IN UK ARTS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

June 7 - Newport’s Riverfront is one of just eight theatres in the UK – and the only one in Wales – which participates in a highly successful and exciting arts education project.

It features prominently in a new evaluation report on the Provident Financial Spark scheme with many of the photographs taken at Newport workshops. Over the last four years, Provident Financial has invested £100,000 in the city project and hundreds of primary schoolchildren have been involved each year.

Nicolas Young, director of the Riverfront, is delighted that the company has agreed to continue funding in Newport. “It confirms the quality of the work we are doing and it means there will be another series of workshops in the autumn which are being planned at the moment. The project has had a number of benefits including improving self-confidence, better school attendance and enabling children to take up a new hobby. Nearly 90 per cent of children involved in Spark said it made them feel really proud, one of our key aims in Newport.” A teacher from the city, who is among those quoted in the report, described the effect of the confidence-building among the children as “phenomenal”.

MAYOR'S GALA CONCERT

June 6 - The Mayor's Gala concert takes place at the Riverfront on Tuesday June 8 (tickets £6, start time 7pm). It will will showcase the wide ranging creative talents of Young People from across the city featuring Bassaleg, Bettws, Caerleon, Duffryn, Hartridge, Lliswerry, St Josephs RC and St Julians High Schools.

Many of the performances will have been part of the examination curriculum which allows the audience to view the high standards achieved by our young people. Performances by the Vanessa Clarke School of Dance and students from Gwent Music will also feature during the evening. All proceeds raised on the evening will be donated to the Mayor of Newport's chosen charities.

CRAFT FAIR HEADS FOR CITY CENTRE

June 4 - For four days next week, Commercial Street will be bustling with stalls selling a wide range of products from calligraphy to ceramics, pancakes to pewter ornaments. As part of the Summer in the City programme, Craftfolk is running a market in the city centre from June 9 to June 12.

It is the third year that the successful event has been held in the city. Traders come from across Wales including Newport. Operations manager Jane Hall said: “Nothing beats the bustle of a city centre street and Newport’s hospitality in welcoming us again onto Commercial Street is something we look forward. “Even in these challenging times, the quality and craftsmanship of our products means that shoppers get a great product at a good price and come back time and time again.”

DRAGON CARNIVAL COMES TO NEWPORT FESTIVAL

June 1 - Belle Vue Park’s Bandstand will be playing host to a battle between two tribes of warring dragons at the Newport Dragon Carnival spectacular on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 June.

The free event, which is organised by South Wales Intercultural Community Arts (SWICA) and Newport City Council is part of the Newport Festival 2010 and will feature two 30 minute shows each day, one at 2pm and one at 4pm.

The project has involved community workshops in Pill and will feature Newport Pill Youth Dance Group and Newport Community Circus. The carnival is set to global musical written by Musical Director Rob Smith, which involves drumming from West Africa and the Caribbean including local samba drummers Batatan.

KINGS CHURCH BRINGS HOPE

June 1 - The Kings Church is running Hope 2010 as part of the Newport Festival. The publicity states "HOPE spans 3 days of action packed community action projects and fun. Including gardening / clean-ups / decorating / shopping and much more. A practical way to positively affect the people of our city. You will be working with appointed youth/team leaders. All leaders are CRB checked. There are also sports events, girls nights and huge youth events taking place. Anyone over the age of 11 can get involved in HOPE. Come and join us and let's invest in our city."

LILYGREEN REACHES EUROVISION FINAL

May 27 - Newport musician John Lilygreen and his band the Islanders with the song 'Life looks better in spring' have qualified from the semi final tonight in Oslo and will play in Saturday evening's final. Lilygreen is 22 years old and is a professional working musician who has been involved with many styles of old and contemporary music. As well as singing, Jon composes his own songs and is a very talented guitar player. He is well known locally where he performs acoustic sets at local clubs.

Lilygreen finished on 27 points in 21st place ahead of the UK who were last with 10 points.

OBJECTS RETURN TO TREDEGAR HOUSE

May 26 - More than 40 objects once owned by the Morgan family are back in Tredegar House after more than half a century away. Friends of Tredegar House kindly funded the once-in-a-life time opportunity to return items ranging from a Cartier watch to cleaning brushes to their original home. They belonged to Mike and Jeanette Smith, who live in Western Australia. Mr Smith’s grandfather was William Sayzeland, butler and companion to companion to Courtenay Morgan (Lord Tredegar 1913 to 1934) while his father Henry was valet to Evan Morgan (Lord Tredegar 1934 to 1949).

His collection was built up through gifts, such as the Cartier watch; purchases, such as a telescope from Courtenay’s yacht and being invited to take things from the House which included drinking glasses and even cleaning brushes. There are also some interesting and personal photographs including one of Mr Smith’s father with Evan Morgan’s parrot, Blue Boy, which was renowned for its bad language. Staff at the House and the Friends are very excited that such varied and interesting items have been returned. They will help to tell the story of the Morgan family as well as the people who worked for them in their stately home and on the estate.

WELSH WATERWAYS FESTIVAL

May 25 - Hosted by the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canals Trust (MBACT). The Festival is supported by Newport and South East Wales Business Tourism and the Inland Waterways Association.

The Welsh Waterways Festival 2010, incorporating the 2010 IWA National Trailboat Festival will be held in Newport over the Spring Holiday weekend. A full programme of events, competitions, exhibitions and live entertainment is planned and two trip boats will operate during the three days for visitors to enjoy the re-opened stretches of water.

In preparation for the Festival sections of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal are undergoing a transformation in order to offer over two miles of open water canal and five working locks. The programme of works, which commenced in January 2008 is almost complete. It will re-open the canal to navigation between Pentre Lane on the main line in Torfaen down to Barrack Hill in Newport and up to Waen Lock at Allt-yr-yn on the Crumlin arm.
11am - 4pm each day.

GRAPHIC / ADVERTISING DESIGN

May 19 - With projects from Advertising Design, Animation, Computer Games Design, Graphic Design and Interactive Media, a special exhibition at the Riverfront this week provides an opportunity for you to see an eclectic range of work from the 2010 graduating class of the Design Department of Newport University. The exhibition runs from Thursday May 20 to Saturday May 29 opening at 10.30am, entry free.

FASHION SHOWCASE AT RIVERFRONT

May 18 - Produced by the University of Wales, Newport The Fashion Show 10 will showcase students work from the BA (Hons) Fashion Design Course at University of Wales, Newport. The show will feature collections from 1st and 2nd year students, as well as collections from this year's graduating students. Do not miss this opportunity to see this year's hottest new talent in fashion. Cost - £10 venue - Riverfront - Wed 19 May, 19:30 / Thu 20 May, 14:00 / Thu 20 May, 19:30 / Fri 21 May, 19:30.

HAY FESTIVAL 2010

May 16 - We don't normally publicise non-Newport events but this is worthwhile - a listing of music events at the Hay on Wye Festival, it's not far away, it's much more than this, a major festival of the arts, and starts at the end of this month. Follow the link.

HAT TRICK FOR FILM SCHOOL

May 15 - For the third year in a row, the prestigious Royal Television Society National Award for Best UK Student Documentary has been won by Newport students.
The winners are from the multi-award winning Documentary Film and Television degree course at the University of Wales, Newport. The award, presented at a glittering ceremony in London, went to Lauren Muchan and Joe Sharp for their campaigning graduation film Letters to Angola: An Unlikely Friendship, the story of the relationship between a young British woman and an American Black Panther who has been incarcerated in solitary confinement for the past 37 years in Angola Prison in Louisiana. The Royal Television Society (RTS) jury described the film as "Fantastically inventive, curious, poetic and unique," saying, "It was a film that kept the viewer thinking long after it had finished. It was slick, beautifully filmed and edited with subtle and compelling music. It didn't stray into drama and was effortlessly thought-provoking."

FAKESPEARE AT THE RIVERFRONT

On Saturday May 15, Russell Kane is at the Riverfront Theatre. Following a complete sell out run at this year’s Edinburgh fringe, nascent playwright Russell Kane brings you his celebrated blank verse bonanza, Fakspeare: the tragickal Saveings of king Nigel. Shakespeare has been reinvented in modern form many times, but Russell turns this on its head and takes our silly, modern woes and re-works them into Fakespeare verse. Tickets available from the Riverfront Theatre £12. He's in the Studio. In the main theatre Glenn Miller and his Orchestra return, prices £13-£15.

STUDENT'S PLAY EXPLORES MINDS OF MOORS MURDERERS

May 11 - A play which examines the home life of two of the UK’s most notorious serial killers has been written and directed by a student at the University of Wales, Newport as part of a graduate showcase staged by Performing Arts students. Mark Hickman’s one act play, ’16 Wardle Brook Avenue’, which is being presented at the city’s Dolman Studio Theatre on 12th and 13th May, is already a sell-out. “I realise that this is a very controversial subject to tackle,” said 21-year-old Mark who is in the third year of the Performing Arts course at the University.

CANDOCO RETURN TO RIVERFRONT

The Riverfront and Newport Festival 2010 welcomes back Candoco Dance Company, the contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers on Thursday 13 May at 7.30pm, with their new work Renditions. This triple bill of new works by choreographers Emanuel Gat, Sarah Michelson and Wendy Houstoun in an evening that will show the diversity of dance and the excellence of performance and "will make you re-think what dance is and who can dance". The three works are being presented under the umbrella title RENDITIONS: “We chose the title because each dance is the signature of each one of those artists,” comments Candoco’s co-artistic director, Pedro Machado. “It’s their version, or ‘rendition’, of Candoco that audiences will be seeing.”

CITY PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY

On Friday 7 May at 2.30pm photographer John Briggs will be at Newport Central Library to discuss his newly-published book Newportrait, which looks at the continually-changing face of Newport.

A native of Minnesota, John Briggs came to study in Wales in the 1960s. He has lived and worked in Newport for 35 years and is now a self-described ‘Newportonian’.

NEWPORT FESTIVAL EVENTS WEEK

On Thursday 29 April until Saturday 1 May, the Riverfront Theatre will host the Performing Arts Graduating showcase. This is a three-day rich blend of live theatre, film and multi media performances by graduating students on the BA (Hons) Performing Arts degree course at the University of Wales, Newport.

On Friday 30 April, Fashion Wales Live will take place at the Newport Centre. A fantastic fashion, music, and art charity extravaganza there will be showcases from singers, rappers, live bands, break dancers, gymnasts and contemporary artists alongside designers, hair and makeup artists and models and celebrity guests. Tickets are available from the Newport Centre and will start at 7pm.

RUBY WAX AT THE RIVERFRONT

Losing it starring Ruby Wax and Judith Owen (Directed by Thea Sharrock) is at the Riverfront on Wednesday evening (8pm start). Ruby had it all - career, dream house, husband, kids - but people soon realised something was wrong when she painted her house the same colour beige for the 47th time. There was only one thing for it - send her to the Priory! Ruby Wax's acerbic wit and worldly wisdom combined with Judith Owen's touching and poignant songs "create a show that is at once vulnerable and surprisingly thought-provoking as well as being laugh-out-loud funny". Tickets £22.

SUMMER SESSIONS RETURN

Apr 21 - Summer Sessions Open Mic Night & Boutique Market launched at The Riverfront in June ’09 and these Sessions are now a monthly fixture in The Riverfront calendar. The next Sessions in on Friday 14 May from 5pm until 11pm. Sessions at The Riverfront are a unique, chilled out evening of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe. If the weather is good, the Open Mic is held on the terrace overlooking the River Usk. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer.

A Brush With Light Takes Photography Back to Basics

Youngsters in Newport are learning from top photographers and discarding their hi-tech digital cameras to discover how to make photos using pin-hole cameras as part of an event organised by the University of Wales, Newport.

‘A Brush with Light’ is an innovative series of film and photographic works produced in collaboration between the University and partner institutions in Brazil. Professional photographer Miguel Chikaoka has travelled to Newport to run workshops in traditional photographic techniques such as basic pin-hole cameras at the city’s Riverfront Arts Centre.The event’s organiser, lecturer Celia Jackson, explained, “We are committed to celebrating the resurgence of interest in traditional photographic processes, including the use of simple, low-tech cameras and film. The work produced in the workshops will form part of an exhibition at the Riverfront which is on from 14th - 30th April.

GLC RECORD RYDER CUP ANTHEM!

Apr 19 - According to a BBC report Goldie Lookin' Chain has recorded a Ryder Cup anthem called Golf Is Coming which will be released in advance of the big event which takes place at the beginning of October.

GLC producer and band member Rhys thinks it could be as big as Skinner and Baddiel's football song Three Lions. "So many people are in to golf. It's huge, bigger than speedway," he said. "People are even playing on the street or in a field. When I was 15, I had a party at my parents' house and we made our own golf course. Luckily nothing got damaged." Newport's finest are joined by the City's male voice choir in their tribute to the event.

BAFTA NOMINATIONS FOR FILM SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Apr 19 - A Film Lecturer and Director at the University of Wales, Newport has received two nominations for the forthcoming BAFTA Cymru awards. Peter Watkins-Hughes has been nominated for his independently produced film 'A Bit of Tom Jones?' which was filmed in Tredegar and stars Gavin & Stacey’s Margaret John, Loose Woman Denise Welch, Soul Singer Geno Washington and The Mighty Boosh’s Matt Berry. The film received a London premiere after it proved to be so popular when it was screened in local venues - even out-performing some Hollywood blockbusters, including the hit Michael Jackson film 'This Is It'.

NEWPORT COUNTY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Apr 18 - To celebrate the extraordinary 2009/10 season a celebratory day of music. See the poster here.

SUPER DRAGONS DEN IS OPEN

Apr 16 - The SuperDragons den was officially opened this afternoon by the Mayor Councillor Glyn Jarvis. The Mayor was joined by the leader of the council, Councillor Matthew Evans and Newport Gwent Dragons rugby players Ashley Smith and Lewis Evans. Situated in the newly created artists quarter on Upper Dock Street, the SuperDragons den will be used by artists who have been selected to paint and decorate the SuperDragons to work on their creations.

Residents and visitors to the city will be able to pop in and watch the artists at work as well as ask artists their inspiration behind their design. The SuperDragons den is part of a newly created artists quarter which has been formed along Upper Dock Street and transformed retail units in the area into art spaces. The scheme has received funding from the Arts Council for Wales and aims to make art more accessible. The retail units have been turned into creative spaces and workshops and there will be amateur and professional art exhibitions, a photo exhibition as well as workshops for anyone interested in art. The initiative will run from April 16 until 31 October and will become a focal point for anyone interested in the arts.

TREDEGAR HOUSE RESTORATION DANCE

Apr 14 - Be transported back to 1672 and learn the steps of a dance to celebrate the grand opening of Newport’s stately home.Those taking part in the Restoration Dance will also then be able to sample food and drink of the period – both good and bad. Tickets for the event, which starts at 7pm on Thursday, April 22, cost £9.95 for adults or £8.95 concessions. Contact 01633 815880.

BRUSH WITH LIGHT EXHIBITION

Apr 13 - A Brush with Light is an exciting exhibition from the University of Wales, Newport which showcases a series of photographic projects in Wales and Brazil that underline the diverse approaches that contemporary practitioners employ. This exhibition will include work from national and international guests and participants to the "Brush with Light Project". Apr 14 - May 1 at Riverfront Theatre Gallery, free entry.

CERYS MATTHEWS AT RIVERFRONT

Apr 12 - Cerys Matthews, former Catatonia front woman is at the Riverfront tomorrow night in a solo concert. After releasing what is widely considered by media and music fans alike to be the best album of her career, Cerys Matthews took the songs from "Don't Look Down" and incorporated them into what was more or less a one woman show on her October sell out UK tour. Telling her life in music and witty asides, through the songs she has collected dating back from her childhood in Swansea through her travels, as well as her now considerable catalogue of solo and band songs. It was a magical tour that audiences loved, which prompted a demand for a second run. Cerys now has a weekday afternoon radio show on BBC Radio 6 ('Cerys on 6'), which saw the stations' afternoon ratings increase week on week. Ticket price - £20. Start - 7.30pm, Riverfront box office for tickets.

SHEEN OPENS DEDICATION TO CHARTISM

Apr 8 - Newport-born actor Michael Sheen officially opened the Chartist exhibition at Newport Museum and Art Gallery yesterday (Wednesday). Speaking at the opening, Michael Sheen, said: “I was delighted to be at the opening of the exhibition and back in the city of my birth. It is an honour to be associated with the exhibition as the Chartists are one of the most important political movements of our time.It is obvious to see the hardwork and enthusiasm that has gone into the exhibition which aims to make Chartism relevant today.”

The exhibition is now open to the public and will display the historically significant collection of items related to the Chartist movement in Newport. On display are images, weapons, newspapers, silver and documents from the time of the Chartist protest in 1839. Cabinet member for Leisure and Continuing Learning, Councillor Mike Hamilton, said: “I am delighted that actor Michael Sheen found time in his busy schedule to open the new Chartist exhibition. The Chartist protest is a significant date in Newport’s history and this new exhibition is great for the city.”

BISHTON SINGER TAKES FLIGHT

Apr 8 - A Newport-based singer who performs his own material and on demos for some of the world's best-known songwriters, is in the spotlight this month thanks to Skoda using his song Bluebird in an advert.

Talking to the Western Mail, James Hooper from Bishton explained, "I recorded that song about five years ago and I remember about two years ago it was used in the Uma Thurman film The Accidental Husband. Then about three weeks ago I was lying on my sofa and it just came on the Skoda ad. Since then my phone hasn't stopped ringing and my e-mail inbox is constantly full. I'm having to work the song into my shows because it's so popular right now."

EMPTY SHOPS PROJECT SET TO LAUNCH

April 1 - Empty Shops Project is a community arts programme that will use vacant retail shops and turn them into creative spaces and workshops. In doing so the organisers want to help regenerate Newport’s retail centre with ingenious, thought-provoking arts. They say "Our ultimate aim is to engage the general public with the arts and the arts with the general public (and have lots of fun at the same time!)".

The concept of uniting empty retail premises and local artists to aid city centre regeneration has been around in the UK for a few years. The idea gained greater prominence when the UK government recognised the contribution that these collaborations could make to their city centre regeneration plans and started supporting the programmes financially. Until now, no major projects involving vacant retail spaces have taken place in Wales. Community Arts Development have taken on the task of taking over some of the empty shops in the City Centre and are pushing to make it the first, prominent empty shops project to take place in the area. With support from Newport City Council’s Economic Development and Estates teams with regards to rate relief and access to the premises plus the invaluable voluntary help in organising the project; the Empty Shops Project is able to extend opportunities to artists, community groups and anyone who is interested in the Arts, to express themselves for free and have their work easily accessible to the public of Newport. Friday 16 April, 2.30pm till 4.30pm - 34 Upper Dock Street, Newport. The launch of the project, which will be attended by the Mayor of Newport, will involve the opening of three premises on the Upper Dock Street Site, including the Dragon's Den, which will be home to the SuperDragons project, which is also part of Newport Festival 2010.

WOMEN'S FORUM AWARDS SCHEME

Mar 30 - The Newport Women's Forum Awards scheme, which is headed by Rosemary Butler, is inviting women to apply for grants under the latest round of awards. The scheme is aimed at women who need help with personal development and the growth of confidence. Women aged 18 and over who live in Newport are invited to apply for a grant of up to £1000. Applications can be made by individuals or groups of women. Grants are given to help women in their personal development. This will mean different things to different people so you should consider your own development needs. In some cases it has helped artists, women changing their careers or women who want to develop community services.

All application forms must be completed and returned by Wednesday 12th May 2010 to Newport Women's Forum, C/o Rosemary Butler AM, 1 Transport House, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP20 2EH. For further information please contact Gail Giles or Gillian Johnson on 01633 222523, or email: newportwomensforum@live.co.uk .

CITY RISES TO SPORT RELIEF CHALLENGE

Mar 25 - Nearly 350 local people turned out in force on Sunday at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile in Newport. Milers of all ages rose to the challenge and were sponsored to do one, three or six miles for Sport Relief.

The day was a massive success with friends, families and work mates joining together in friendly rivalry to rise to the challenge. All money raised will help transform lives here in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.

SICOLO MEMORIAL CONCERT ANNOUNCED

Mar 24 - TJ's will open its doors for a John Sicolo Memorial Show on April 10 and 11. Firestar Promotions state "We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people saying they are coming and also the lovely messages. We can tell you that John's family are very touched. Due to the amount of people attending we are having to do a presale of tickets as we don’t want a surge of 900 odd people trying to get into the gig. The capacity of TJ's is 350 and we are aware that not everyone will not come for the whole weekend so we have decided to do a ‘Festival Ticket System’. This means that different types of tickets will be on sale. We feel this is fair for everyone as some people will only want to come for an evening and some people will only come for an afternoon etc."

FIRST SUPER DRAGON APPEARS

Mar 23 - Newport's first Super Dragon has appeared. Designed by Stephanie Roberts it has been spotted near the Usk Footbridge. There will be 50 in total, each about two metres (6ft) tall and 35kg (5st 5lb) in weight. In addition there will be 48 smaller dragons. The event, known as Super Dragons, is being hosted by Newport City Council and will last 14 weeks as part of the celebrations for the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament. A similar event recently held in Liverpool based on penguins was highly successful. Once decorated, the SuperDragons will be placed at various locations throughout the area for a 10-week period, enabling residents and tourists to discover some of Newport’s hidden gems. They will be displayed on Newport’s streets, parks and open spaces and in late October, the SuperDragons will be auctioned and money donated to charity. Design ideas will be decorated and painted by local artists and those who wish to submit designs have until Friday 26 March to get their ideas in.

MUSIC IN THE PARK

Mar 22 - Newport bereavement support charity, Hold out a Hand, is organising a number of ‘Music in the Park’ events which will take place in Beechwood Park during April and May.

After securing funding from a community grant from the People’s Panel, the charity has arranged three music events to raise awareness of the support the charity provides as well as raise money and work with the community to celebrate the Newport Festival 2010.

All of the events are free and the first event will be held on Easter Monday and will feature a brass band ensemble drawn from local Newport bands together with a local blues/70s music band which will open the event.

On Sunday 18 April two bands with a big following will perform, Big Mac and Under the Driftwood Tree, while on the May Bank Holiday, Monday 3 May, the Midnight Jazz band will perform with singers from Cor Casnewydd, so there will be music to suit all tastes.

The events will be held at Beechwood House and Marenghi’s Park Café which is run by Hold out a Hand. As well as live music there will also be food and drink available from the cafe, and face painting and activities for children. Director of Hold out a Hand, Mike Coombes, said: “The music in the park events are designed to bring people in the community together to enjoy great music in beautiful surroundings. It is thanks to the grant from the People’s Panel and support from Venture Wales who manage Beechwood House that we are able to put these events on and we hope that people from the area will come out and show their support.”

KOH-I-NOOR MISSES OUT ON TOP AWARD

Mar 21 - The Koh-I-Noor restaurant missed out on the top award of Welsh Curry House of the Year in the awards ceremony at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay sponsored by Kingfisher Lager and the Welsh Assembly Government. The Maindee restaurant fought it out with three other restaurants from Mid and North Wales as South Wales representative but could not carry off the crown. The winner was the Spice Cottage based in Rhayader.

JOHN SICOLO FUNERAL

Mar 19 - The funeral service for John Sicolo will take place at St Paul's Church, Newport, next Thursday March 25. The will begin at 2pm, to be followed by interment at the city's St Woolos Cemetery.

SKINDRED GIG MOVED

Mar 18 - The Skindred homecoming concert scheduled for TJ's tomorrow evening has been moved to the Basement on Stow Hill. All tickets are valid.

NOMINATE YOUR CITY LANDMARK

Mar 18 - What is your favourite Newport city landmark? The museum and art gallery wants to know your favourite Newport landmark and is creating an exhibition titled ‘Your Newport’ which will feature residents favourite landmarks.

If you have a favourite landmark that you would like to see feature in the exhibition which will run from 20 September 2010 until 26 March 2011, then you can either email the information to museum@newport.gov.uk or send a postcard with the details direct to the museum at the following address: Newport Museum and Art Gallery, John Frost Square, Newport, NP20 1PA.The closing date for entries is Friday 14 May and included in the exhibition will be the most popular places.

Mar 16 - Newport International Sports Village will host the Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21 March and residents are being urged to sign up for the fundraising event. Sport Relief is one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events and the Sport Relief Mile is open to anyone regardless of ability or age. Participants can choose how far they want to go from one mile, three miles or six miles and the distance can be completed at a walk, jog or run.

Starting at the Velodrome at the Newport International Sports in Spytty at 10am, participants will need to sign up online before the event where they will automatically be set up with a Sport Relief giving page which can be emailed to friends and family to collect sponsorship.

Sport Relief is a biennial charity event and has been running since 2002. At the heart of the campaign is the Sport Relief Mile. The charity encourages people to get together, get active and raise cash which will be used to change people’s lives both in the UK and overseas. To sign up for the Sport Relief Mile challenge visit www.sportrelief.com/the-mile/newport-mile

MORE TRIBUTES TO CITY ICON, JOHN SICOLO

BBC Wales blog

Newport journalist, Andy Barding

MARCH OF THE GIANTS MARKS START OF CITY'S YEAR

Mar 8 - The first event of Newport Festival 2010 started in style on Saturday with more than 500 youngsters taking part and hundreds of people lined the streets to watch the March of the Giants parade. School children helped to bring to life Welsh characters of myth and legend and worked alongside Malarky arts to create the 15ft high gods, giants and dragons for the city centre parade.

The parade was led by thundering samba drummers and youngsters were dressed as druids, birds and flowers. The schools taking part were Gaer Juniors, Eveswell Primary, Fairoak Nursery, Millbrook Primary, St Woolos Primary, St Andrews Primary and Ysgol Ifor Hael. Following the parade there was a special performance from the samba drummers and Paddy the Clown and George Orange entertained the crowd.

CHUCK BERRY GIG CANCELLED

Mar 5 - The Chuck Berry concert at the Newport Centre has been cancelled, due to a financial dispute between the artist and the promoter. A Council spokesperson stated "If you have purchased a ticket for this event a refund is available through the point of purchase. For more information please call 01633 656757."

SINFONIA CYMRU AND REBECCA EVANS

Mar 3 - As part of the Newport Festival 2010 celebrations, Sinfonia Cymru will be joined by special guest international soprano Rebecca Evans on Sunday 7 March at 7.30pm. Sinfonia Cymru brings an exciting programme connecting opera and the voice with ballet and dance. Rossini's overture from the opera La Cenerentola will set the scene beautifully for Welsh soprano Rebecca Evans to take the stage for a performance of 4 Concert Arias by Mozart.

Rebecca Evans was born in Pontrhydyfen near Neath, She studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has performed on stages worldwide. She received a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 2008 and was awarded an honorary degree Doctor of Music at the University of Wales in 2009. The programme for the concert includes: Rossini - Overture: La Cenerentola; Mozart - 4 Concert Arias; Respighi - Ancient Airs and Dances and Stravinsky - Pulcinella Suite. Tickets are priced at £10, with reductions available. To book tickets, call the Booking Line on 01633 656757, visit www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront or go to The Riverfront Box Office. For more information about Newport Festival 2010, please visit www.newport.gov.uk/newportfestival

SAVE TJ's SITE ATTRACTS HUGE RESPONSE

Mar 1 - One of Newport's greatest modern-day institutions, TJ's, has attracted a huge response to news that it is attempting to stave off losses and potential closure. Owner John Sicolo is being forced to sell off memorabilia in order to raise much needed cash. The city music venue, that opened in 1971, has seen some of rock and pop's greatest bands ply their wares including Green Day, Oasis and Nirvana.

Now nearly 5000 Facebook users have signed to express their support for the club here.

MAINDEE POLICE OFFICERS' RACE NIGHT

Mar 1 - Four Maindee Police officers, have for the last year dedicated their lives to raising money for the Meningitis Trust after one of them lost a loved one to the disease. Their fundraising will culminate in trek from The Amazon to The Andes at the end of April. Support group officers PC Helyn Harris and PC Holly Richardson and PC Gemma Price and PC Sian Taylor who work in Maindee will be joined by Sian's sister Sarah Taylor and friend Chloe Chapman. As part of their fund raising activities, the women have organised "A Night at the Races" at Rodney Parade, Newport taking place on Friday March 5th from 7pm until 12 midnight where computerised "horse racing" will be played all night, as well as live bands and raffles. Anybody who would like to attend "A Night at the Races" is asked to reserve tickets at www.justgiving.com/helyn-harris and donate £5 for a ticket.

CAERLEON ARTS FESTIVAL COUP

Feb 27 - Jackie Oates will be entertaining folk enthusiasts on behalf of Caerleon Arts Festival on Sunday, March 7. Caerleon Arts Festival is one of the regular events that will be part of the celebrations for Newport Festival 2010. Running from 2 July to 11 July, the Caerleon festival will feature internationally renowned sculptors creating works of art, children’s art, Shakespeare in the Roman amphitheatre, music, singing, dancing as well as art and craft exhibitions.

Jackie Oates has won a string of awards despite being a relative newcomer to the British folk scene.Jackie is a singer and fiddle player hailing from Staffordshire whose unique treatment of English ballads and songs and pure, haunting singing style has attracted increasing attention. She was chosen to perform at a special English folk showcase at the South-By-South-West music conference in Austin Texas in March and will be performing in New York with the showcase line-up three days earlier.

PARADE TO MARK START OF FESTIVAL

Feb 24 - The first main event of the Newport Festival 2010 will start in style thanks to the efforts of youngsters from across the city. School children have been busy making gods, giants and dragons for the city centre parade which takes place on Saturday March 6 starting at 12.30pm in John Frost Square.

March of the giants will see the Welsh characters of myth and legend come to life and youngsters have been working alongside Malarky Arts to ensure the parade is colourful and vibrant.

The parade will be led by thundering samba drummers and the eye-catching procession will make its way through the city centre.

Youngsters will be dressed as druids and the mythical history of Wales will be replicated through the giant figures of characters such as Rhiannon, Teyrnon, Cernunnos, Blodeuwedd, Ceridwen complete with cauldron and Taliesin. Helping to make these characters have been pupils from Gaer Juniors, Eveswell Primary, Fairoak Nursery, Millbrook Primary, St Woolos Primary, St Andrews Primary and Ysgol Ifor Hael who will also take part in the parade. Councillor Matthew Evans, leader of Newport City Council, said: “I am looking forward to the start of the 2010 festival and what promises to be an exciting and memorable year for the residents of Newport.

DIRECTOR CRITICISES WELSH BAFTA VOTING PROCESS

Feb 21 - A film director from Newport has criticised the voting system for the Welsh Baftas claiming most voters will not have seen all the entries. Director Susan Luciani said copies of all films submitted should be sent to members at the initial voting stage or made available to them online. She said not doing so put independent films like her feature debut Burlesque Fairytales at a disadvantage. Bafta Cymru said it was aware of her complaint but declined to comment.

Burlesque Fairytales, described as a dark fairytale, stars a number of well known actors including Benedict Cumberbatch, Lindsay Duncan, Jim Carter, Barbara Flynn and Stephen Campbell Moore. Ms Luciani said it was shot on a budget of £35,000 and was only made as the cast and crew of 200 gave their services for free. It has won a number of awards at film festivals in north America but has yet to be screened in Wales.

Ms. Luiciani's feature debut follows an acclaimed short film "Dolls" starring Joanna Lumley and Denis Lawson. Inspired by a story that appeared in a 1950s newspaper, this short film plays out a year in the life of a young girl, Mouche. Deemed too skinny to make a living at the Moulin Rouge, Mouche is cast out and saved from suicide by a group of puppets traveling from town to town performing street puppet shows for a few paltry francs. "I thought Dolls was just extraordinary. One of the keys of making short films, you want to create your own universe, have your own voice and this film has a spectacularly different significant, coloured voice. I’ve not seen a short film like it before.” - Jeremy Howe, Head of Short Films, at the BBC.

'WELCOME TO WALES' CONCERT TO START RYDER CUP EVENT

Feb 15 - To celebrate The Ryder Cup being staged in Wales for the first time, organisers have announced that they have appointed Live Nation, the world’s largest producer of live concerts, to stage Welcome to Wales; a unique multi-artist concert, introduced by celebrities and golf stars. ‘Welcome to Wales’ will be staged at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Wednesday 29 September 2010.

‘Welcome to Wales’ will be the signature event that will galvanize The 2010 Ryder Cup celebrations in spectacular style. Set in stunning surroundings and featuring musical performances by international superstars including popular Welsh artists, along with appearances by special guests, ‘Welcome to Wales’ will also incorporate the introduction of The Ryder Cup teams from Europe and the United States.

NEWPORTONIAN TO REPRESENT CYPRUS IN SONG CONTEST

Feb 9 - Jon Lillygreen from Newport has won the right to represent Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest. On Sunday night, Cyprus TV channel CYBC voters and a panel of music judges chose their favourite song, "Life Looks Better in the Spring", performed by Jon Lilygreen and The Islanders and composed by Nasos Lamprianidis and Melis Constantinou. The song is a guitar led ballad with a gospel backing group. The 55th Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 25th, 27th and 29th in Oslo, Norway. Cyprus' entry will perform in the semi final on 27th.

Mr Lilygreen, who attended Bettws High School, Newport, said: "It was a hell of an experience. We turned up not knowing if we even stood a chance. It feels good to come out on top."

See Jon's my space site here.

ARTIST LIGHTS UP NEWPORT GALLERY

Jan 27 - Simon Fenoulhet has created Lucent Lines to make the most of the temporary exhibitions space in Newport Museum and Art Gallery. It will feature Curtain, a nine-metre wall of shifting light made from 448 electro-luminescent wire and 5,000 plastic drinking straws, and two other works. The artist, whose medium is light, will completely transform the gallery space for a visitor experience that is not to be missed. It opens this Saturday (January 30) and runs until April 3. Simon Fenoulhet will be conducting two gallery tour-and-talks on March 6 at 11.30am and March 24 at 2pm. Both events are free and all are welcome.

NEWPORT FESTIVAL LAUNCH

Jan 14 - Newport Festival 2010, a celebration of Newport in Ryder Cup year will be launched on January 21.

According to the City Council Cabinet Report on the subject the Festival has four strands

• Festival of Spectacle including the free spectacle event funded through the City. Enhancement project over 4 weekends.

• Festival of Festivals – making existing events in Newport bigger and better.

• Festival of People – community based, participatory events and activities including small scale projects funding through the Community Events and Activities Grant which is being run with the Newport People’s Panel. To date 48 expressions of interest have been received for the grant.

• Festival of Sport

DRAGONS AT THE RIVERFRONT

From January 30 2010 until February 27, there will be a photographic exhibition in the Art Gallery at The Riverfront, by Bhutan-born Chubzang Tangbi, entitled Dragon Kingdoms. Chubzang was accustomed to travelling through his own country of Bhutan: a pristine environment set against the magnificent backdrop of the High Himalayas, but had been intrigued by pictures and tales of Wales. Two countries geographically far apart; lands of mountains, rivers and valleys; both symbolised by dragons - was this more than a coincidence? Travelling through Wales, at first he was unprepared for such an elaborate infrastructure and built-up landscape. However, he soon came across more isolated cottages and farms; hills and mountains where sheep were more common than people, and green valleys where ancient bridges crossed crystal clear rivers. He comments, “Indeed, I found a land steeped in ancient culture, a strong people with strong beliefs and a desire to protect their beloved land. This photographic journey of discovery truly astonished me!” Chubzang now lives in Newport and his exhibition depicts beautiful and vibrant images of his home country, Bhutan and his current home, Wales. The Art Gallery is open from 11am until 7pm daily, Monday to Friday and 11am until 5pm on Saturdays.

JACK GETS HIS CHANCE

Jan 9 - A TV dance contestant has been given a chance after the intervention of a sympathetic viewer. Jack Bradshaw, 14, from Newport was told he needed more training on Sky's 'Got to Dance'. He told the judging panel he had to ditch dance lessons after cancer hit both his parents. His mother has breast cancer and his dad unfortunately died from the illness. Now according to the Sun Online Terry Michael is offering Jack a place at his nearby Port Talbot academy.

IN THE SHADOW OF A GUM TREE

A touring West Australian company are scheduled to arrive in a Newport gripped by winter on Friday to present a novel musical entitled 'In the Shadow of a Gum Tree'. The Midnite Youth Theatre Company (Perth, Western Australia) are touring the UK. The story is as follows - A small troupe of travelling players arrive in an outback town in Western Australia. The players have as much drama going on in their own lives as that which they portray on stage! Based on the 'Pagliacci' story, In the Shadow of a Gum Tree weaves love and betrayal against the backdrop of a sometimes hilarious mixture of 'theatrical types' with 'country-bumpkin' characters. So, do not be surprised when soaring love-duets are followed by murder and mayhem!

Directed by award-winning Director Anthony Howes, the Midnite Youth Theatre Commpany is Western Australia's foremost youth theatre. This new Australian musical is composed by Simon Holt, with libretto by Chris Kabay. Choreography is by Mitchell Goode with designs by Jay Brien and Dean Morris. Venue - Riverfront Theatre, start time 7pm, tickets £5 (01633 656757).

SHIP STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE!

Dec 22 - An accurate model replica of the one of the most precious maritime finds of recent times in Wales will soon be complete - thanks to an innovative manufacturing process perfected at Cardiff University. The Newport Medieval Ship, which dates back to the 15^th^{century,
was discovered in the banks of the River Usk in June 2002. Excavated by
a team of archaeologists and lifted from the ground timber by timber,
international specialists have been cleaning and digitally recording all
1700 ship timbers for the last six years to produce a digital record of
the ship's structural elements, specifically the hull. These
three-dimensional digital recordings are now being used by the
University’s Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) to build an accurate
virtual solid model of each timber, as part of a four-year project to
reconstruct the ship’s original hull. The ShipShape project is being led
by the University of Wales Lampeter in conjunction with Newport City
Council, and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The
project will see the Ship produced in a precise 1:10 scale model format,
using the timbers and MEC’s Selective Laser Sintering expertise.
Selective Laser Sintering is a fast process using laser beams to
selectively melt successive layers of fine plastic dust. Wherever the
lasers are directed, the plastic dust is melted. When the lasers are
switched off, the powder remains unmelted, and creates a void. This will
allow the archaeologists to accurately model all of the major fastener
holes on the ship timbers.}

Peter Pan at the Riverfront

PANDEMONIUM!

Dec 13 - Peter Pan has been spreading his magic in Newport now for almost two weeks and will continue to do so from now until Sunday 3 January 2010. Prices range from £5 - £16 and with reductions and family tickets available, not only is this a fun, traditional panto, but it is one that won’t break the purse strings! Hurry though, ticket sales are through the roof, meaning Peter Pan is on track to be the most successful Riverfront panto to date! Peter Pan stars dastardly Welsh villain Brian Hibbard as Captain Hook, Phylip Harries as Dame Delia/Smee, Gillian Elisa as Mrs Darling/Myrtle the Mermaid, Anna Campkin as Wendy, Francois Pandolfo as Starkey, Ashley Rolfe as Michael, Sarah Cortez as Tiger Lily, and with Kate Rawson as Peter Pan. The cast will of course be joined by lots of talented local young performers and Sam Rabbitt from Newport as one of the Lost Boys. For more information and to book your tickets, please visit the glorious new panto web page at www.newport.gov.uk/panto or call Box Office on 01633 656757.

DELI MOVES TO NEWPORT ARCADE

Dec 10 - For over 110 years Baldocks has been feeding the people of Newport through recessions, depressions, boom times and world wars. Having spent the last 40 years at the same stall in Newport Market the family-run firm has relocated just across the road, providing more space and longer opening hours in the Victorian shopping arcade between High Street and Cambrian Road.

Keeping pace with the changing population of Newport over the years has meant constantly expanding the food range and these days the shop offers meats from around the world (and around the corner), as well as over 40 different cheeses including Stinking Bishop - famously wafted by Grommit to bring Wallace back from the dead. The deli's selection of wines and spirits has also grown with the tastes of Newport, introducing many to easy-drinking McGuigan wines back when a bottle of Blue Nun was the limit for most. These days the focus is on good value and top quality, like the award-winning Penderyn Welsh whisky, which is taking the world by storm and beating many Scottish malts into the top 20 list. Owner Paul Smith chooses his stock with a highly scientific selection process. "If I like it, then I know customers will like it. It's that easy." He stands proudly behind the local Welsh products on sale, "Fortunately we are blessed in this area by wonderful countryside and down-to-earth people. Put those two together and you get a lot of great products at honest prices. We're not a supermarket, and it's important that we can talk to our customers with honest opinions, and let them choose on flavour and style. There's not much point in giving a taster if you've got no faith in the taste."

As the only Newport supplier of MacSween haggis, Gorno's Italian sausages, and hampers and cheese boards made to order, it is easy to see why customers keep coming back for something a bit different. Paul is not threatened by the growth of the supermarket giants, "It's great to go to the supermarket and get the basics on special offer but when you're looking for a treat there's no substitute for real flavour, you just can't fake that. Our customers know they're getting the real stuff from us."

Established back in 1898 by Arthur Walter Baldock, a pork butcher, Baldocks passed down the family until 2003 when Ann & Brian retired. Paul took over in 2006 and began modernising equipment and growing the range of local products. Newport Arcade was built in 1893 and is a Grade II listed building. Other shops in the arcade include a traditional sweet shop, cafe and goldsmiths. http://www.baldocks-deli.co.uk/

SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA HEAD FOR CITY IN JANUARY

Dec 2 - Chris Dean's Syd Lawrence Orchestra will be heading to the Riverfront on Saturday January 30 for two performances at 3pm and 7.30pm. The SLO is the leading swing orchestra in the country keeping this wonderful music alive and any help would be greatly appreciated. Featuring the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and many, many more. Box Office - 01633 656757.

PETER PLAN FLIES IN TO THE RIVERFRONT

Nov 26 - This Christmas, The Riverfront in Newport brings you the magical tale of Peter Pan, the boy that never grew up, from Tuesday 1 December 2009 to Sunday 3 January 2010. There's also extra festive fun with the new Peter Pan website, festive markets, foyer giants made by local schools as well as the pantomime itself! Rehearsals are well underway and everything is set to bring to life the Panto of all Pantomimes! Peter Pan will star dastardly Welsh villain Brian Hibbard as Captain Hook with Phylip Harries, Gillian Elisa, Anna Campkin, Francois Pandolfo, Ashley Rolfe, Sarah Cortez, with Kate Rawson as Peter Pan. Prices range from £5 - £16 and with reductions and family tickets available, not only is this going to be a fun, traditional panto, but it is going to be one that won't break the purse strings!

For more information and to book your tickets, please visit the glorious new panto web page at www.newport.gov.uk/panto or call Box Office on 01633 656757. During every Saturday before Christmas (December 5, 12, 19) there will also be a Festive Market from 12.30pm until 5.30pm in the studio theatre.

CRIME NOVELIST SPEAKS AT CENTRAL LIBRARY

Nov 25 - Top crime novelist Peter James will be speaking at Newport Central Library 2.30pm on 2 December, to celebrate the publication of the paperback version of his latest novel Dead Tomorrow.

Peter has sold over 4.5 million copies of his books worldwide, which are published in 32 different languages. He is known for the extensive research he undertakes before writing a novel and for his most recent novel he spent time with children on the streets of Romania to learn more about people trafficking.

While his Roy Grace detective series of books is currently being made into a series for ITV which will be aired in 2010, with Peter overseeing the script-writing. Tickets are free but need to be booked in advance. To book please call 01633 656656.

NEWPORT CENTRE SET FOR MASSIVE ATTACK

Nov 24 - SJM Concerts presents trip hop duo Massive Attack, along with Special Guests, at the Newport Centre on Monday 8 February 2010. Tickets are £28.50 and inclusive of a charity donation to The Hoping Foundation. To book call 01633 656757 or visit www.ticketline.co.uk

RIVERFRONT WINTER SESSIONS

Nov 24 - The Winter Session is here! Summer Sessions Open Mic Night and Boutique Market launched at The Riverfront in June and returns for a Winter Sessions Festive Special on Friday 4 December from 5pm. Sessions at The Riverfront are unique, chilled out evenings of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer, so start saving your pennies for one-off Christmas gifts as you will be treated to everything from hand-made toiletries, vintage-inspired ceramics, vinyl, arts and crafts, vintage clothing, hand-made fashion, jewellery and accessories and more! This is a one of a kind boutique shopping experience and will be the place to buy yourself and your loved ones a present or two with a difference. The best thing is that all the stall holders are local, so you will be supporting local creative folk by coming along! The Open Mic part of the night will begin at 7pm, running until 11pm and will be hosted by a local performer. Everyone is encouraged to perform some festive songs that the crowd can sing along with! Attenders can relax with a drink whilst being entertained by an array of local performers. Last time there was everything from poetry, comedy, storytelling and plenty of live music. There will be festive fodder and special offers on in the café. There will also be a top secret after-party at another venue which will be revealed closer to the time.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE COMES TO ST.WOOLOS - GALA EVENING AT THE CATHEDRAL

Nov 23 - For the fourth year running the Cathedral Campaign are holding a Christmas Gala Evening at the Cathedral on the last Thursday in November.

Music and readings by celebrities, followed by a champagne reception.
Thursday, November 26th at 7pm
Tickets: £25

HEAD OF FILM SCHOOL SCOOPS INTERNATIONAL GOLD

Nov 23 - The Association for International Broadcasting announced the winners of the 2009 Global Media Excellence Awards at a gala event in London last week, which saw documentary filmmaker Christopher Morris, the new Head of the Film School at the University of Wales, Newport, come away from the evening with a Gold Award for ‘Best Current Affairs Radio Documentary’.
The awards recognise creativity and innovation in global broadcasting across TV, radio, cross-media, marketing and technology. The winning documentary, entitled ‘Children of God’ (made with Cardiff based production company Tinderbox) tells the story of the youngest ordained minister in the world - American child evangelist prodigy Terry Durham.

CHUCK BERRY TOUR POSTPONED

Nov 21 - Legendary rock 'n' roller Chick Berry has postponed his upcoming U.K. tour, just two days before the trek was due to begin. The guitarist was set to perform in Liverpool today before hitting a number of cities around Britain including Newport on December 1. Earlier this week he cancelled a planned 28 November show in London – and now the whole tour has been pushed back until next March. Promoters for the shows have released a statement, insisting the tour schedule has been hampered by ”a lack of lead-in time to prepare the marketing and advertising for what promises to be a great rock ’n’ roll tour”.

FESTIVAL LANTERN PARADE

Nov 16 - This Festive Season on Thursday 26^th November, Malarky Arts are back with their Lantern Parade. The event sponsored by Newport’s Urban Regeneration Company, Newport Unlimited hopes to consist of 250+ local school children from areas such as Bettws, Maindee, Pill & St. Woolos, just to name a few. The parade will start at The Riverfront Theatre at 5.30pm; make its way through the heart of the City Centre before congregating in John Frost Square around 6.30pm* for a small staged music event involving local choirs and dance acts including Cascapella, Newport Gospel Choir, Cor Casnewydd, GLD school of Dance & Newport Devils. A giant magical star will be leading the way; with the samba band ‘Batatan’; the children will be joined by a wintry, colourful band of followers including a variety of mythical creatures - yeti, ice queen and holly & oak kings doing ‘battle’! Malarky Arts have been busily working with local schools to provide workshops; giving children the opportunity to learn new skills of making the lanterns; which they will later use in the parade.

INDIE MOVIE HITS THE BIG TIME

Nov 10 - A feature film written and directed by University of Wales, Newport lecturer Peter Watkins-Hughes is set to do battle with Hollywood blockbusters at the box office when it goes on general release in Welsh cinemas this week.

The film 'A Bit of Tom Jones?' stars a host famous faces - including 'Torchwood' star Eve Myles, 'Loose Women' host Denise Welch, Matt Berry from Channel 4's 'IT Crowd', and Gavin and Stacey star Margaret John. The film is being screened at cinemas and multiplexes across Wales, in the widest cinema release enjoyed by a Welsh film for many years.

WILDINGS HOLDING BEAUTY EVENING

Oct 27 - Estee Lauder At Wildings in Commercial Street is presenting an 'Exclusive Beauty' evening on Wednesday 28th October 09. Presentation by Estee Lauder Guest make up artist Christine Cartwright.

The evening will include:
Mini makeovers
Hand massages and mini manicures
Beauty consultants available to offer tips and advice
Win a pampering presentation pack
Goody bag for each guest
Free Gift wrapping service
Raffle in support of St David’s foundation

Time 5.30 Bucks Fizz & nibbles / (In the coffee shop area) / Finish 7.30
ticket price £5* *£2 ticket donation to St David’sFoundation / *£3 redeemable against any purchase on the night

HYPE ON TV HITS YOU TUBE

October 25 - A channel promoting original content from the city of Newport is now available on You Tube. Hype on TV includes music from J-Us, Brighty, Kaos and an interview with Benjy from Skindred.

The site blurb states "Entertainment just got better. Our very own local 'youtube with a twist' HYPE-ON.TV will bring you the best mc & dance battles along with singing, fashion and so much more for you to view, judge and decide who has the HYPE factor."

http://www.youtube.com/user/hypeon

BIG READ COMES TO NEWPORT

October 22 - This year’s Big Read takes place at The Riverfront Theatre in Newport, on Wednesday 28 October 2009 between 9.30 and 4.30pm. Whether you want to learn how to get your work published, how to create book illustrations or discover how to make your own characters for stories, there will be something new for all ages.

Activities include workshops in Creative Writing, Arts and Crafts, Storytelling and Poetry and talks from authors such as Lynne Barrett-Lee, Niall Griffiths, Phil Carradice, Peter Finch, Trevor Fishlock, Bernard Knight, Dai Smith and local up-and-coming talent Mathew Scott. Tickets are £8 for Adults, £5 for children under 16, or free for children under three. There is also a family ticket option, which is £20 for two adults and two children.

CHUCK BERRY AT NEWPORT CENTRE

October 19 - Rock ‘n Roll pioneer Chuck Berry will be performing at the Newport Centre on Tuesday 1 December 2009. Support acts Paul Jones and The Blues Band will kick off the evening and doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £45 and available by calling 01633 656757 or visiting www.ticketline.co.uk.

BBC VISITS CITY TO PROMOTE 'MY STORY'

October 18 - A hunt to find the most remarkable real-life stories in Britain visited Newport yesterday. The BBC is looking for people with extraordinary tales to tell on subjects from achieving goals against the odds, humour and heroic acts of courage. The top 15 will be featured on BBC One next year. Famous people who have had their stories published, including Falklands War veteran Simon Weston, will be on hand to offer tips and advice.

Saturday's road show took place at The Riverfront Theatre where visitors were invited to take part in hands-on filmmaking workshops. Those who cannot make it to one of the road shows can submit their entries, between 300 and 1,500 words long, online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/mystory/.

BLOC PARTY GIG CANCELLED

October 15 - Unfortunately, Bloc Party has announced the cancellation of their gig on Friday 16 October at the Newport Centre due to personal circumstances. According to NME the band have had to pull out because Russell Lissack needs to undergo a medical procedure. According to a spokesperson for the band, the guitarist's condition "while not being serious, cannot be delayed until the end of the tour". Refunds are available from point of purchase. The gig will not be rescheduled.

HALLOWEEN SELL OUT AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

October 14 - The Halloween nights at Tredegar House are proving to be a resounding success. The Friday and Saturday nights (30th and 31st October) are sold out. Tickets are still available but selling fast for Thursday 29th October. Call 01633 656757 for tickets.

UNIVERSITY CLAIMS KING ARTHUR FOR CITY

October 13 - A new video produced by the University of Wales, Newport, aims to bring to life the legend of King Arthur, by examining historic evidence and the literary tradition which points to the area as the home of this famous character.

'Reclaiming King Arthur’, produced by the University’s Institute of Digital Learning in conjunction with Dr Ray Howell, Director of the University’s South Wales Centre for Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies, examines the relevance of King Arthur as most widely known through legend, myth, historical evidence, literature and the literary tradition which include explanation of how Caerleon in Newport can stake its claim to Arthur’s round table, following 200 years of Roman occupation and how the legend has inspired writers throughout the centuries since.

With the eyes of the world focussing on Newport and the surrounding area in the lead up to and during the Ryder Cup in October 2010, being held at the nearby Celtic Manor Resort, this new video aims to enable an international audience to learn of the history of this South Wales site. ‘Reclaiming King Arthur’ is the second in a series of free access online videos highlighting how Newport’s University is helping to lead the way in which the Science and Heritage sectors are coming together to benefit cultural traditions and economic prosperity. See the video here.

NATIONAL BOOK START DAY

Friday October 9, from 10am-11am, toddlers in Newport will be crawling along to Tredegar House to celebrate National Bookstart Day. An invited audience of children, early year’s workers from the Children’s centre in Duffryn and Health Visitors will enjoy a day of stories, rhymes and a Bookstart treasure hunt. Bears will be hidden for children to find and take home as a reminder of the day.

Bookstart is a national gifting scheme co-ordinated in Newport by Library Services and delivered by Health Visitors. The scheme aims to share books and rhymes with babies and children to help form the basis of language and literacy development. Bags of books and information are given to babies and toddlers at nine months old and a second bag at 18 months. Book shine bags will be given to children with a hearing impairment and book touch bags to children with a visual impairment. Throughout October Library Services will be handing out special Bookstart bears to any Bookstart babies who join the library. Also during October, new weekly Story and Rhyme sessions will start in Maindee, Rogerstone and Newport Central Libraries

GALLERY TURNS INTO STRANGELAND

October 4 - The 2nd of a series of exhibitions, Strangeland is a collaborative project undertaken by Swansea-based mixed media artist Paul Hughes, and Newport-based photographer Mansel Davies and is now showing in both The Riverfront Gallery and The Riverfront’s subterranean Gallery in the basement. As a starting point for the work it was decided to draw on their own personal relationship with the three towns of Swansea, Newport and Aberystwyth, where both Paul and Mansel spent their formative years. Strangeland is on show at The Riverfront Newport until Saturday 24 October. There is also a chance to meet the artists between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday 8 October.

DRUMMERS HEAD FOR RIVERFRONT

September 24 - Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers celebrate their 15th birthday with an extensive UK tour this autumn, truly living up to their name of “limitless reverberation”. With concerts at 44 venues across the country, this tour is in all likelihood the most extensive UK tour by a world music group in 2009. A spectacular concert of heart-pounding excitement, and an unmissable opportunity to see this innovative and visually stunning group as they celebrate their 15 year anniversary. Thundering rhythms on huge taiko drums interweave with layers of percussive soundscapes and delicate bamboo flute in a spellbinding display of precise choreography & sheer athleticism. Saturday 10th October 2009 - The Riverfront, Newport - 7.30pm Tickets £15/£1 3.50/£10 01633 656 757

FASHION STUDENTS GRADUATE TO SUCCESS AND TV FAME

September 22 - Two high-flying students who have set up their own fashion business will be featured on ‘The Wales Show’ this Thursday showing them preparing to launch their first collection at London Fashion Week in February. Natalie Thomas and Carolina Soler-Avila, who recently graduated from the Fashion Design degree course at the University of Wales, Newport, have just returned from Paris where they were sourcing fabrics for their Cardiff Bay-based company Oonica. “We’re very excited about everything that’s happening,” said 42-year-old Natalie, who has already tasted success with her jackets which have been worn by pop star Little Boots in her latest music video, as well as having her designs modelled by Jade Jagger and photographed by Mary McCartney.

‘The Wales Show’ featuring their fashion company, Oonica, will be screened by ITV Wales this Thursday (24th September) at 10.35pm. For information about Fashion Design, and all other courses, at the University of Wales, Newport contact the University information centre on 01633 432432 or visit www.newport.ac.uk.

MALPAS COURT OPEN DAY

Sept 17 - As part of the Open Doors 2009 programme Malpas Court will be open to the public on Saturday 26^th and Sunday 27^th September 2009 from 10.00am to 4.00pm (free admission).

This is your chance to see the house, learn about its history, and discover how it has been brought back into use. If you have any information, photographs or stories to tell about Malpas Court then please bring them along to the open day. The event will include an exhibition about the building, its historical development and its recent restoration.

SEARCH FOR CHRISTMAS STAR

September 14 - The search is on to find a local choir to switch on the Christmas lights in Newport. The hugely popular event will take place on November 22 in the city centre. The successful choir will not only get to switch on the lights with the Mayor of Newport, but will also perform on the day in front of thousands of people.

If you think your choir has got what it takes then we would love to hear from you. There are no age restrictions and the competition is open to both traditional and contemporary choirs. Newport city centre manager Sarah Williams, said: "We are looking for a local choir to add an exciting twist to this year’s event. Last year’s competition for a young solo singer saw an unprecedented number of talented entrants. We hope this year will be just as successful.”Last year’s overall winner was Shelby Morgan who performed on the day in front of over 10,000 people.

This year’s city centre Christmas festivities begin on Sunday 22 November with the Christmas light switch-on event. From 12 noon, visitors will enjoy live music and dance, seasonal markets, street entertainment and interactive acts. The lights will be switched on at 5pm followed by a firework and live band finale. For further information call 01633 656656, visit www.newportcitycentre.co.uk or look out for October’s edition of Newport Matters.

DISCOVER DANCE

September 6 - The time to Discover Dance is just around the corner! This exciting, week long event will take place at The Riverfront, both inside and outside of the building, from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009. This is your chance to experience dance in various unique settings in Newport! Osez! is a remarkably successful FREE outdoor dance project which came to The Riverfront last year for the first ever UK version of the event. This year, five Canadian dancers and seven from Wales will work with choreographers Louise Bedard from Quebec and Sean Tuan John from Wales to create a new dance each day of the week. The music will be live, too. Performed on the quayside around The Riverfront, each day will be different. Each performance will also draw on the previous day’s experience, so you can follow the threads of the piece if you come on separate days. The dancers performed Osez! in both Quebec City and Gaspe this Summer and are very excited about performing in Newport. “It really was one an amazing experience. I can now safely say that I am thoroughly looking forward to Newport in September”. Said Welsh dancer Suzanne Firth. Come along to see Newport in a new light, and to enjoy the fruits of this international exchange. The café and bar will be open. Meet up in the foyer of The Riverfront and the dancers will lead you outside on Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009 from 6.30pm.

DIZZEE COMING TO THE PORT

September 4 - Tickets went on sale at 10am today for Dizzee Rascal at Newport Centre on Friday 26 February 2010. The ticket price is £20 in advance, doors open at 7pm. rts present. The first official release from the 2008 Dirtee Stank camp, "Dance Wiv Me" featuring Calvin Harris & Chrome shot straight to number one in the UK charts heralding a new era for the hip hop impresario in spectacular style. His music is a blend of garage MCing, conventional rap, grime and ragga, with extremely eclectic samples and more exotic styles.

The rapper, real name Dylan Kwabena Mills, was born in 1985. He came to fame in 2003 with his acclaimed album 'Boy in da Corner'. Recently, Dizzee Rascal has apparently criticised the 2012 Olympics for turning east London into a 'hole'. The singer, who grew up in Bow, said whenever he goes back to the area he gets angry at the state of the place, the Sun reports. "The whole area is just a big building hole," he said.

AWARD WINNERS GO TO THE EDGE

September 3 - To celebrate the 5th anniversary of his On The Edge project, Michael Kelligan will be presenting a new play ‘Dandelion’ by Blackwood-based poet and writer Patrick Jones at The Riverfront on Thursday 10 September at 7.45pm. Many of Jones’ plays have been strong and challenging and whilst there is an underling questioning of the system, this play has a great deal of gentleness and beauty as we observe Rachel, Ernest, Mary and Mrs Hartson enjoying and depending on each other’s company as their days begin to draw to an end. Of course a Patrick Jones’ play has to have a rebel and Ernest, played by Kelligan fights the establishment determined to retain his individualism and dignity come what may.

Other plays in this current autumn season include Burton by Gwynne Edwards of Aberystwyth, a new one-man play in which Swansea Actor Rhodri Miles recreates the life of one of Wales’ most famous sons, currently receiving great reviews at The Edinburgh Festival. Straight Talk by Cardiff-based Dan Anthony, a surreal good cop/bad cop comedy and a revival of Ian Rowlands’ Marriage of Convenience to be directed by Gareth Potter who created the original role when the play was first produced in 1996.

Dandelion will be performed at The Riverfront on Thursday 10 September at 7.45pm in the intimate studio theatre and costs £4. A bargain to experience something that little bit different!

THE BRIGGS AND STRAWBERRY BLONDES TO HIT TJ'S

August 31 - TJ's in Clarence Place. Upcoming gigs and shows including Bank Holiday Manic Monday today featuring Rave in A Cave. Tomorrow is under 18's rock night (entry £3), followed on Friday by metal mayhem including Sworn Amongst, Brabazon, Lifer and Iridium 123 (entry £3). On Saturday there is a tribute to Foreigner and Journey (entry £6). Next week, on Wednesday 9th, the Briggs (top right), Los Angeles punk rock band are headlining supported by Newport's finest the up and coming Strawberry Blondes (the likely lads are bottom left). Entry is £6.

Found this fantastic 'rock journo' write up on the latter in 'Mutiny Festival' -

"The Strawberry Blondes, slash n burn two minute blasts of guitar driven punk rock n roll, their mini anthems-should-be-Top-30 missives. This is sheer pop perfection. The heartfelt vocals, the amphetamine rush of guitars, struck with a passion and fired with the burning frustration of living on the wrong side of nu millennium boom time Britain. Turning their cynicism and world-weariness into highly charged angry pop is what the Strawberry Blondes excel at.

Front man Mickie Stabbs is so wild eyed in his conviction that rock n roll will change the world that he has already burned out several line ups of the band, in his pain staking search for perfection. Not many can keep up with his vision".

Website - http://www.myspace.com/strawberryblondes

RIVERFRONT SUMMER SESSIONS FINAL RUN

August 16 - The Riverfront Summer Sessions launched in June and is growing from strength to strength every month. It is a chilled out evening of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe. The last of the Summer Sessions will take place on Friday 11 September at 5pm. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer, so start saving your pennies as you will be treated to everything from vintage-inspired ceramics to fair trade scarves, vinyl, arts and crafts and hand-made fashion, jewellery and accessories. This month there will be two huge music stalls with prices ranging from 25p to £1. This is a unique boutique shopping experience and will be the place to buy yourself or your loved ones a present or two that is a little bit different. The Open Mic part of the night will begin at 7pm until 11pm and will be hosted by a local musician and performer. Attenders can relax with a drink whilst being entertained by an array of local performers. Last time there was everything from poetry to storytelling and plenty of live music. If the rain starts pouring then the Open Mic night will take place inside the café. There will be food and drink offers in the café. If you’d like to be involved with Summer Sessions, The Riverfront would love to hear from any of you creative people out there, from fashion designers and vintage fashionistas to arts and crafts makers and even those selling something a little bit out of the ordinary. The Riverfront is encouraging all types of performers to go along, from comedians and beat poets, to musicians and story tellers.

DISCOVER DANCE IN SEPTEMBER

August 13 - Discover Dance is a an exciting event that will take place at The Riverfront, both inside and outside of the building, from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009. Discover Dance is a showcase of local and international dance and incorporates Osez Outdoor Dance Project from Canada which came to The Riverfront for the first time last year; Wardrobe Diaries is presented by Citrus Arts and is a rich mix of acrobatic skills, dance, honest imagination and quirky humour and finally Independent Ballet Wales present How Green Was My Valley. Osez! is a remarkably successful FREE outdoor dance project which came to The Riverfront last year for the first ever UK version of the event. This year, five Canadian dancers and seven from Wales will work with choreographers Louise Bedard from Quebec and Sean Tuan John from Wales to create a new dance each day of the week. The music will be live, too. Performed on the quayside around The Riverfront, each day will be different. Each performance will also draw on the previous day’s experience, so you can follow the threads of the piece if you come on separate days. Come along to see Newport in a new light, and to enjoy the fruits of this international exchange. The café and bar will be open. Meet up in the foyer of The Riverfront and the dancers will lead you outside. Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009 from 6.30pm.

UNI STUDENTS SET FOR EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

August 3 - A stunning blend of video and sound will be woven into a modern re-telling of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ when it is performed at the internationally renowned Edinburgh Festival by students from the University of Wales, Newport. Entitled ‘My Mind’s Eye’, this exciting and stimulating adaptation of the Bard’s most famous work explores the many strands of love, uncertainty and death that run through the play. Performer Amanda Mulford, said, “Studying at Newport means we have all the facilities of the International Film School Wales available to us so we study techniques for acting both on stage and on screen. We created all the multimedia for the production ourselves and worked closely with students from the Advertising Design course to help us market the play for the highly competitive Edinburgh Festival.”

My Mind’s Eye’ will be at the Sweet ECA venue at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 24th - 31st August 2009. For details of the Performing Arts and all other courses at the University of Wales, Newport contact the University Information Centre on 01633 432432 or visit www.newport.ac.uk.

UNIVERSITY SPONSORS GAMES EVENT

July 20 - Year ten students from eight Newport schools have become the first to use a state-of-the-art £50,000 computer suite in a games development workshop organised by Newport university. The two-day course showed its young participants how to put together the story, characters, graphics and music to their own game, letting them sample what it's like to work in games development. "The computer games industry is one of the biggest in the world and events like this help to give young people a taste of what being a computer games designer is all about," said Dr Mike Reddy, programme leader for the BSc (Hons) Games Development and Artificial Intelligence course at Newport Business School. "Newport's University has two courses that were developed by liaising with the computer games industry to meet the growing demand for graduates. We believe it's essential to maintain close links with the games industry to enable our students to successfully find jobs when they graduate. We already have graduates working for major games companies such as Sega and Blitz, and recently, we were proud to be the only Welsh venue in the first ever Global Game Jam, a worldwide game creation event."

"There are lots of opportunities for people in Wales to find work in creating computer games and Newport's University is one of the front runners in producing graduates for today's multimedia industries," added Steve Rowlands, lead advisor for education with Newport City Council, who helped judge the best game. The overall winner, awarded a prize donated by GAME, was based around a boy transported into a war film and made to fire hot dogs at his enemies.

SPORTS VILLAGE OPEN DAY

July 16 - Newport City Council are inviting citizens to come along to Newport International Sports Village for a free taste of some of the best sporting facilities south Wales has to offer. On Sunday 19 July, between11am and 4pm, Newport’s premier sporting facility will open its doors and invite everyone to join in this fun filled, active day out. Take a walk round the fantastic Velodrome, one of only two in the UK and the Great Britain cycling team’s training venue for the Beijing Olympics 2008. Visit Newport County’s football stadium; take a tour, meet the players and take part in fun and activities for all the family. Take a dip in the pool, try snorkelling, water polo and underwater hockey! Try tennis, table tennis and badminton. Or why not find out what zumba and spinning are all about? You can take part in any of our sporting challenges where you can keep fit, learn a new sport, have fun and be in with the chance to win some great prizes.

CITY YOUTH CHOIR ESTABLISHED

July 9 - Today, an exciting new venture was announced, in partnership between Newport City Council’s Arts Development Office and the Joyce Marshall Academy of Performing Arts. ‘Côr Casnewydd’, Newport’s only open-access community children’s choir, will launch on Friday September 11th 2009 at the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, as the only all-inclusive choir in Newport for young people with a love of singing. The choir will be open to all young people aged 8-18, and is completely non-selective, with no audition to join and no experience necessary.

The choir’s Director, Emma Rowland, said: "we are delighted to be able to offer the young people of Newport a fantastic opportunity to be part of something truly special. Singing is what inspired me as a teenager, and I hope to be able to pass on my enthusiasm for music to other young people from our city."

Tuition will take place on Fridays during term time, in the Dance Studio of the Riverfront Theatre, Newport, from 4:30-6:00pm, and will cost just £1.50 per session. The choir will learn gospel, jazz, folk and pop music, as well as classical songs, and will work towards a number of incredible performances over the coming months.

NoFit State brings circus act to Newport Market

July 7 - Wales' best-kept artistic secret will be wowing audiences with a gravity-defying performance at Newport Market this weekend. Nofit State has a long track record of creating extraordinary circus productions at all scales: from small community performances to large scale professional productions; from tented tours to theatre shows. Their mission is "to be the circus everyone wants to join". This weekend (Saturday 11 July) they’ll be bringing their trapeze to Newport Market and will stage three performances at 12 noon, 12.30pm and 1pm. This free event is a show not to be missed!

DRAMA GIVES SCHOOLCHILDREN AN ANTI-DRUGS MESSAGE

June 30 - Delivering the anti-drugs message to younger school children is being achieved through the medium of theatre. A specially written drama about drugs called ‘Wings to Fly’ was performed by St Julian's High School pupils to more than 3,000 Year Six children, aged between ten and eleven, from across Newport. The production is staged at Newport’s Dolman Theatre on June 29, June 30 and July 1.

The play, which is performed annually to children in their last year of primary school, has become a huge success throughout Gwent for more than 10 years. Since 1998 hundreds of youngsters have performed ‘Wings to Fly’, which is part of the All Wales School Liaison programme. Newport SMAT (Substance Misuse Action Team) and the Gwent Police Shrievalty Trust sponsored the 2009 production of Wings to Fly. The play tells the story of a group of teenage friends who have differing encounters with drugs. It focuses on topics such as the influence of peers, upbringing and personalities - and how each can have an effect on a person’s experience of drugs. ‘Wings to Fly’ reaches its climax as one character’s life is left hanging in the balance.

WETLANDS WEEKENDER

June 24 - The public are being invited to come along to a weekend of events at the award winning Newport Wetlands environmental, education and visitor centre on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June. Activities will start at 1pm on Saturday with the ‘Beginner’s guide to medicinal plants’. Children and adults will be shown the magic of medicinal plants that can be found around the reserve, look at their history and how they were used to cure ailments.

A solar event will be held on Sunday 28 June (weather depending) from 10am until 4pm in partnership with Cardiff Astronomical Society (CAS). RSPB and CAS staff will be on hand to provide a safe look at the sun through telescopes, and provide information about other astronomical objects of interest. Whether you're a plant enthusiast or enthusiastic planet watcher, the weekend will give you a chance to do something different and enjoy the outdoors.Newport Wetlands environmental education and visitor centre can be found on West Nash Road, Nash, Newport NP18 2BZ.

RIVERFRONT OPEN DAY ON JUNE 27

June 16 - The Riverfront Open Day is just around the corner. Next Saturday, 27 June, from 11am until 4pm there will be lots of free, fun activities and performances for the whole family to watch, enjoy and join in with. Whether you’ve never visited The Riverfront before or you are a regular attender, there is sure to be something to catch your eye. There will be performances from participants of the weekly workshops that are held at The Riverfront, including Youth Theatre, Dance and Music Groups and you can get to see backstage on an access all areas theatre tour! You can enjoy a lace-making demonstration or for some hands-on fun, decorate the pavement with your own chalk drawing! There will be drop in taster sessions for the brand new workshops Little’uns Arts and Little’uns Music as well as a foyer full of stalls, balloons and face-painting. There are activities to keep both the young, and the young at heart, entertained all day and The Riverfront Café will be open to serve food and drink.

RIVERFRONT SUMMER SESSIONS PROMISE NEW EXPERIENCE

Jun 16 - The Riverfront Summer Sessions will launch this month on Friday June 26 at 5pm. It will be a chilled out evening of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe and the first event will be completely free as part of The Riverfront’s Open Weekend. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer, so start saving your pennies as you will be treated to everything from vintage-inspired ceramics to fair trade scarves, vinyl, arts and crafts and hand-made fashion, jewellery and accessories. This will be the biggest boutique shopping experience Newport has ever seen!

The dates for Summer Sessions are...Friday 26 June - FREE / Friday 17 July - £1 ENTRY / Friday 7 August - £1 ENTRY / Friday 11 September - £1 ENTRY

The Open Mic part of the night will begin at 7pm and will be hosted by local musician and performer, Jon Lilygreen out on the café terrace. Attenders can relax with a drink whilst being entertained by an array of local performers. If you’d like to be involved with Summer Sessions, The Riverfront would love to hear from any of you creative people out there, from fashion designers and vintage fashionistas to arts and crafts makers and even those selling something a little bit out of the ordinary. The Riverfront is encouraging all types of performers to go along, from comedians and beat poets, to musicians and story tellers. Please contact Rachel Kinchin, Marketing Officer on rachel.kinchin@newport.gov.uk for more information. The Riverfront will be charging performers, stall holders and audiences/shoppers a £1 entry fee on the July, August and September Dates.

UNIVERSITY'S OPEN DAY INVITATION

June 15 - More and more people are finding the best way to open up new career opportunities – or find a fresh challenge in life – is to gain qualifications, and the perfect way to find out how to do this is to go along to an Information Evening at the University of Wales, Newport – the next one of which is on Tuesday 23rd June. “Information Evenings are an ideal opportunity to chat informally to staff about the range of part-time and full-time courses we have available at the University,” said Marketing Officer Emma Winkley.“It’s an ‘Open Door’ policy where people can come along any time between 4.30pm and 7.30pm and gain expert advice on courses, student support, bursaries and grants by chatting one-to-one with lecturers and representatives in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.”

SPRINGWATCH EVENT AT THE WETLANDS

June 3 - With the BBC’s popular Springwatch series returning to our screens, Newport residents and visitors can join in the fun at Newport Wetlands National Nature Reserve, on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.

The Springwatch and RSPB event on the reserve – owned and managed by Countryside Council for Wales – offers visitors a unique opportunity to discover the secrets of some of south Wales’ wildlife at the height of the breeding season. RSPB staff and volunteers will be on hand to show visitors birds such as bearded tits and swallows, as well as dragonflies, butterfly and moths in this wetland haven. Families can join in with an organised guided walk around the reserve and learn more about the lives of spring inhabitants such as bearded tits, sedge warblers and great crested grebes currently living there.

CANAL FESTIVAL COMING TO NEWPORT IN 2010

June 1 - The Inland Waterways Association has announced that the venue for the 2010 Inland Waterways Association National Trailboat Festival will be at Newport on a stretch of the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal. It will run over the Spring Bank Holiday between Saturday 29 May and Monday 31 May. The Festival is to be hosted by the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal Trust, and is being marketed as the Welsh Waterways Festival 2010. The organisers have the full support of Newport City Council who have financially supported the volunteers who have rebuilt the slipway at Bettws Lane and spent the last 3 months scrub bashing and clearing sections of the canal above Bettws Lane Lock. The 2010 Festival marks an important milestone for the City of Newport and falls in the year that they will be playing host to the Ryder Cup. The Festival is also seen as an important vehicle with which to promote the Canal, its potential to local politicians and the Welsh Assembly Government. The Trust plans to use two trip boats over three days for public trips. The Festival will be sited at Kimberley Park at Malpas offering over 2 miles of open water canal.

WALK THE DEAD DOG

May 26 - Walk the Dead Dog is a macabre cabaret that delves into the world of culture and entertainment, to see how the spotlight affects those who live in the shadow. Expect a musical freakshow with laughs, masks, dummies and real people who sing and dance.

Unknown Pleasures is a series of experiments in theatre brought to you by Volcano Theatre Company, Taliesin Arts Centre and Swansea Metropolitan University. This innovative partnership brings together Wales's finest artists and its best emerging talents, creating adventurous new work that laughs in the face of commercial pressure and tweaks the nose of convention. Unknown Pleasures aims to nurture and inspire the next generation of theatre artists and spread the tentacles of risk and innovation across Wales and beyond. Unknown Pleasures is a wellspring of vitality in contemporary theatre. Its at the Riverfront this Saturday starting at 7.30pm, tickets £7.

MAINDEE FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

May 26 - Entries are invited for the Maindee Festival Photography Competition. The Festival itself takes place on Saturday July 4.

To enter this year’s ‘Forests of The World’ photography competition…….Take a photo of any kind of forest or wood related theme that takes your fancy.
Entry is free with a limit of up to 5 entries per person (if you would like your
photos back, please send a stamped self addressed envelope.) They accept entries via email, CD or through the post.

There are 3 age categories : 5-11 years, 12-17 years and adults.
First Prize for each category is £50.

Full list of Rules: Images may be black & white or colour prints, minimum size 18cm x 13cm (7” x 5”), maximum size 21cm x 29.7cm (A4). All images must be a minimum of 300 DPI when being emailed. Digitally manipulated photographs are ineligible. State clearly on the back of each photograph where and when the picture was taken. Mark each photograph clearly with your name, address, telephone number & email address. The photograph must not have been published anywhere else. Closing date is June 15th 2009.All entrants must complete and sign this official entry form. Send all entries to Alison Starling at: Charter Housing Association, 11 Devon Place, Newport, NP20 4NP. Or email to: alison.starling@charterhousing.co.uk. Entry form here

NEWPORT CHEF IN TV COOKING FINAL

Newport boy James Sommerin represents Wales in the finals of BBC TV's Great British Menu next week. Sommerin is the executive chef at The Crown restaurants at Whitebrook, near Monmouth and the Celtic Manor, Newport. The Crown at Whitebrook is the only restaurant in Wales to hold a Michelin Star. Mr Sommerin, a father of two, is originally from Caerleon, but now lives in Pontypool with wife Louise, 29, and daughters Georgia, 10, and Angharad, six. He says his grandmother, Eleanor, 93, is his biggest influence.

CITY STARTS JUMPIN' IN JUNE

May 21 - A fifth year of free summer entertainment starts next month in the city centre. Organised by the council in conjunction with several key partners, the events cover the whole of the summer period.June kicks off with the return of the Festival of Classics car display on High Street. Taking place on June 6, organiser John Gibbon is looking at a line up of vehicles including a 1920s Austin Clifton and a 1980s hearse which featured on MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’. TJ’s nightclub is also providing music throughout the afternoon.

Craft Folk will also be back on June 10 - 13 on Commercial Street selling a range of handcrafted goods as well as specialised food and drink.The rest of the summer promises a variety of street theatre, arts and crafts workshops, giveaways and promotions by several council services including libraries, theatres and sports, and local companies EzeeePlay and Childsplay Café.Jo Courtney, from Childsplay Café on Commercial Street, who will be providing arts activities and face painting, said: “As a new business in the city, we’re really happy to be involved in getting out to speaking to families and sharing the great services we offer all year round. Making a child’s day is one of our main aims at Childsplay and we aim to do that at the summer events on the city’s shopping streets”.All events take place in the city centre with most activities free to any visitors. To find out more visit

On The Edge: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as told to Carl Jung by an inmate of Broadmoor Asylum

Michael Kelligan’s Look Who’s Talking Now season revives this fascinating play by Cardiff’s Mark Ryan. "Civilisation requires us to wear a mask or persona. We wear this mask when we play our part in society" — Carl Jung

Jung’s theory of duality is illustrated by the uncontrollable, animalistic Hyde in his Broadmoor cell. Jung’s struggle with this creature also reveals an interesting angle on Dr Jekyll…A script-held performance directed by Simon West

The Riverfront, Newport Thurs 14 May, 7.45pm - £4

NEWPORT SNEAK A PEAK EVENT

May 6 - Createdgifts.org, the trading arm of leading development and relief agency Tearfund, is holding a 'Sneak a Peak' event in Newport this week. The event brings handcrafted home, gift and jewellery products to the UK from around the world.It will be brought to life with presentations about the stories, craftspeople and communities behind the items. Createdgifts.org is committed to providing jobs and a fair salary for craft workers from some of the poorest communities in the world. The Event is happening on Friday 8th May at Bethesda Baptist Church, 48 Risca Road, Rogerstone, Newport. Doors open at 2pm until 9pm, final entry at 8pm, with presentations at 3pm and 7pm.

HIP HOP COMEDY AT RIVERFRONT

May 5 - Sleeveface Dance from Flhip Flhop, a Hip Hop comedy is on tomorrow (May 6) at The Riverfront, Newport. Visitors are urged to arrive early - at 7pm you can see the pre-performance showcase of local breakdancers, MC's and Newport's very own in-house DJ Winchester. The main performance starts at 7.45 pm - call 01633 656675 for details.

RIVERFRONT WORKSHOPS FOR THE OVER 55's

Apr 29 - As of Wednesday 6 May 2009, The Riverfront will be running a series of workshops called Wednesday Club for the over 55’s. Each month there will be the chance to try several different workshops, from ceramics to dance, mosaic-making to felt-making. These exciting workshops are every Wednesday. This season, older adults can try their hand at painting, drawing, felt-making, ceramics, digital storytelling, creative writing and dance. The workshops are in addition to, and compliment the other Wednesday lunchtime events that take place during the daytime at The Riverfront including First Wednesday classical concerts, cinema screenings and talks and events organised in association with the University of Wales, Newport.

Danielle Rowlands, the Education and Participation Officer responsible for organising these workshops said, "I am so pleased that The Riverfront is able to offer these workshops to the local community, I think The Riverfront is the perfect place to spend time with friends being creative and learning something new!" The first workshops will take place on Wednesday 6 May at 10.30am and there is a choice of ceramics and experimentation in painting and drawing. Prices for workshops will be £3 and Wednesday lunchtime events vary in price. For more information or to book tickets for these events, please visit www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or call 01633 656679.

AWARD WINNING IRISH COMEDY DRAMA IN NEWPORT NEXT WEEK

Apr 23 - Only a week to go now until the 10 year Anniversary Tour of Stones in His Pockets comes to The Riverfront, Newport from Wednesday 29 to Thursday 30 April 2009 at 7.30pm. Stones in his Pockets is a theatrical phenomenon which has played to packed houses in London's West End for five years, a stint on Broadway as well as several international tours and now returns to Newport for the second time. This simple irresistible comedy has also picked-up just about every major award that the industry has to offer - including two Laurence Olivier Awards, an Evening Standard Theatre Award, a New York Outer Critics Circle Award, together with three nominations for Tony Awards. Marie Jones was inspired to write Stones in his Pockets after her often hilarious experiences as working as a film extra in Ireland. Way before Ricky Gervais explored the subject in his TV series, Marie was creating great comedy out of the lives of two ordinary-ish Irish fellows - Jake and Charlie - working as extra's on a big Hollywood film. Universally adored by critics and audiences, Stones in his Pockets gives audiences the opportunity to see the very best of ingenious, hilarious and triumphant theatre.

Tickets cost £16.50, Reductions £14.50, Restricted View £7.50, £8, £10. Please call the Booking Line on 01633 656757 for more information or to book tickets or via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront

EXCITING DRAMA AT THE RIVERFRONT

Apr 21 - A play exploring the battle of the sexes is just one of the exciting pieces of drama being staged at the Riverfront Theatre by students who are about to graduate in Performing Arts from the University of Wales, Newport. 'Fred and Alice', a post-modern tragicomedy about the differences between men and women as seen through one relationship, was written by third year students Lauren Brown and Paul Tonkin.

“We wanted to write something that’s our own, which both men and women can relate to,” said 20-year-old Lauren, who comes from Malpas in Newport. “It’s been fun working together and we hope people will come along and enjoy it and the other plays being produced.” Paul, who comes from Swindon, added, “We’ve both really got a lot out of studying performing arts at Newport – not least because it has one of the UK’s leading film schools so we’ve been able to experience acting in front of the camera as well as for the stage.” Their play is one of six very diverse pieces of drama - ranging from the love life of infamous murderer John Christie to an adaptation of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ – which will be presented by performing arts students as their graduation show at the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre from Thursday 30th April to Saturday 2nd May.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE HEADS FOR CITY

The programme consists of two brand new dance works, fusing contemporary dance, street dance, popping and break-dance. Introducing BBoy Flypz (Welsh BBoy Champion 2007) as part of the all male cast, EXIT & OUT are a crossover between contemporary and hip hop dance culture that challenges new dancers and new audiences. The double bill also includes original music by Katherine Summers and vocal percussionist beatbox Imran Kaiza Khan.

Venue - The Riverfront, Newport 25th April- 7.45pm Tickets £8.00/£6.00 Box Office: 01633 656757

ROBBINS LANE EXHIBITION AT THE RIVERFRONT

In recent years Robbins Lane Studios Newport, has been transformed from a series of run down buildings into a creative hub for aspiring and established artists.

The exhibition will showcase the diverse range of artists currently based at the studios encompassing ceramics, sculpture, fine art, graphic design and textiles.

The exhibition runs March 28 to April 25 in the Art Gallery and Basement at the Riverfront

NEW NEWPORT BAND MAKING WAVES

Dirty Goods - include Woody and Wylee formerly of indie outfit Jump the Underground, a band referred to by the NME as “Super Scratchy Indieists”, Dirty Goods play '80's influenced electro-pop influenced by such masters as Daft Punk, Prince, Chromeo and MSTRKRFT. Woody told the BBC "We were fed up with seeing audiences in local venues turning up to watch bands and standing still - we want to fill the venues with energy and excitement." They recently performed a session for Radio 1's Bethan Elfyn. They will be playing as part of Fashion Wales Live at the Newport Centre on April 23. See / hear them here - http://www.myspace.com/dirtygoods

LEARN MORE ABOUT CITY'S PAST

Apr 11 - The City Council is encouraging residents to come along to one of their new courses to explore the history of Newport.

19th Century Newport: Exploring the history of Newport in the 1800’s this course will cover such topics as life in the workhouse, everyday life in the slums, entertainment and theatres, crime and punishments, smuggling in the port, early hospital care and more! 12 weekly sessions on Saturdays 9.30-12.00 pm starting 25th April 09

The War Years 1939-45: Follow Newport's wartime journey, from the preparations for war - blackouts, air raid warnings, Anderson shelters, food rationing - to death and destruction - enemy plane crashes and bombings! Discover what life was like on the Home Front and the local heroes who gave their all to protect our town. 6 weekly sessions on Thursdays 6.30-9.00 pm starting 4th June 09

Classes are based at Charles Street Community Learning Centre but walking tours of the town will take place throughout the courses. To book a place telephone 656656, or pop in to any of the learning centres or book on line at www.cleo.newport.gov.uk

FASHION LIVE WALES RETURNS TO NEWPORT

Apr 10 - Fashion Live Wales returns to Newport Centre on April 23. Expect to see singers, rappers, live bands, breakdancers, streetdancers, gymnasts, street, graffiti and contemporary artists alongside opera, drama, capoeira, DJs, designers, hair & makeup artists, models and celebrity guests. This year’s special guest artist is Bashy performing ‘Kidulthood to Adulthood’ from the film, ‘Adulthood’. Entertainment is guaranteed with the antics of Eggsy and Rhys of Goldie Lookin Chain. With all the excitement planned for this showcase event, you realise that getting your tickets early is the only smart and fashionable thing to do. Project Manager Stephanie Pike had this to say, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working once again on what is a fabulous addition to the high quality entertainment calendar for Newport. The over 1300 spectators of all ages that attended in March 2008 was full proof of the great need for more events like this in Newport and indeed Wales. The young people gave riveting performances and the communities truly got involved. The young models for me were a special highlight.”Creative collections covering everything from funk to fabulous will be displayed by past and present fashion students of University of Wales, Newport alongside independent designers and retailers. Coleg Gwent will be providing theatrical artistic presentations and lavish hair and makeup for the many performers and models. The event starts at 7pm, tickets are £12, for details telephone 01633 656757.

DIRTY SANCHEZ STAR BREAKS ARM IN SKATEBOARD ACCIDENT

Apr 9 - The star of a television show which specialises in dangerous stunts has broken his arm while using a new skate park in Herefordshire. Lee Dainton, from Newport, who appears in Dirty Sanchez, broke his left arm in several places while skating in Holmer Road, Hereford. He said his future as a professional skateboarder could be in doubt. Mr Dainton, who broke his arm last week, said: "If I do it again, I'm in deep trouble." Mr Dainton was at the top of the bowl when he came off his board. He told the BBC: "I fell flat from the top, about 10ft. I totally shattered the radius on my wrist. It was probably the most pain I have ever been in - worse than any injury I've had on the TV. I just wanted to drive to Newport but it was that bad I couldn't stand the 45-minute journey. I've got lost of metal, screws, plates, in my wrist. It's in total fragments."

Wales National Poet Presents Prizes to Writers

Mar 25 - Budding writers from south Wales will be presented with prizes for their poems and short stories by one of the UK’s top poets at a celebration of prose and verse at the University of Wales, Newport this Thursday (26th March). Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales will present the prizes to the winners of the University’s annual writing competition before giving a reading from her own work. Ieuan Morgan Thomas, Subject Leader in English at the University’s School of Education stated "Newport School of Education would like to invite both members of the public and students from the University to the reading by this highly acclaimed poet.” The reading will take place in the Main Hall at the University’s Caerleon Campus at 2pm.

STUDENT ON THE BUSES

A student at the University of Wales, Newport has found a novel way to show off her talent for portrait photography – by having her work displayed on the city’s buses as part of an advertising campaign. Emily Twissell was commissioned to take the photos by Castle Bingo, where she works part-time, as part of the company’s latest advertising campaign.

“They knew I’m studying photography and asked if I’d take the photos of the members of staff and the building to promote their slogan that bingo is for everyone,” said 20-year-old Emily (pictured, left, with one of her bus-side photos).“I was only too pleased to do it – having my photos on the side of buses is a great way to show off my work to a very wide audience. It’s like a mobile photo exhibition!” Emily, who comes from Coventry, is on the second year of the Photographic Art degree course at Newport School of Art Media and Design – and enjoying every minute of it.

SILENT MOVIE CLASSIC WITH CLASSICAL BACKING!

Mar 10 - Get transported back to the silent era of cinema when classic silent film ‘The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari’ is screened at The Riverfront on Tuesday 28 April at 7.30pm, accompanied by live musicians from The London Mozart Players. Composer Lynne Plowman has written a new score to accompany this fantastic film, for this special cinematic experience in the Main Theatre of The Riverfront. The London Mozart Players is the UK's longest-established chamber orchestra, founded in 1949 by the great Harry Blech. Since then it has had Jane Glover, Matthias Bamert and Andrew Parrott as its Music Directors. ’The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari’ is regarded as one of the most influential German expressionist films and also as the first true horror film. Made in 1920, it tells the tale of Dr Caligari and his sleepwalking friend Cesare, who is an attraction at a local carnival and he prophesises someone’s death. The villagers chase Dr Caligari and Cesare as they suspect their involvement with the murder. The plot twists and turns to bring the film to an unexpected end. It will make for an entertaining evening combining great music and great cinema.

STUDENT SUCCESS AT FILM AWARDS

Short Shorts winner: ‘Run’ by Thomas Edwards & Lisa Culis

Mar 2 - Students from the International Film School Wales (IFSW) swept the board by scooping eight of the 15 awards at Ffresh, the annual student moving image festival of Wales. The roll call of honour for the students at IFSW, which is based at the University of Wales, Newport, included awards for animation, music media and the best of festival.

They also claimed the best factual, postgraduate fiction, undergraduate fiction, short shorts and TV titles. Newport students also won three awards from the Royal Television Society Wales, which were announced at Ffresh, for Best Animation, Best Documentary and Best Drama. ‘Halb’ by Rabea Gorny won awards for best factual film and best of festival .

Humphry Trevelyan, Head of IFSW, said, “I would like to congratulate all of our students who once again did so well in winning awards at this prestigious festival. The Ffresh Awards are a showcase for the best work created by tomorrow’s top talent in the film and TV industry. Newport has a long and proud tradition of film-making and it is very rewarding to see the high quality of our students’ work being recognised.”

DR WHO FILMING IN NEWPORT AGAIN

Feb 28 - Filming on the second Doctor Who special continued last night in Newport with some returning monsters from the show making an appearance. Spotted on-set, alongside David Tennant and Lyndsay Duncan, was an Ood. The creature was clothed similarly to "Ood Sigma" from last year's Planet Of The Ood. Earlier this week filming took place in a quarry where David Tennant was seen wearing the orange spacesuit from a previous episode involving the creatures. According to the Den of Geek website fake snow filled the streets of Newport last night suggesting that this could well be the Christmas episode.

CLASSICAL SERIES CONTINUES

Feb 24 - The Riverfront’s four part Celebrity Classical Concert Series will be concluded on Thursday 9 April, at 7.30pm, by Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Founded in 1959 by Sir Neville Marriner, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields spearheaded the 1960’s baroque revival. From its beginnings as a small, conductor-less string group, it has grown to encompass many different formations from chamber group to classical-sized orchestra. What remains unchanged is that Academy players are drawn from the cream of musical talent, producing a richness of sound and virtuosic skill recognised the world over.

HUGH CORNWELL HEADS FOR THE RIVERFRONT

Feb 23 - Hugh Cornwell, the singer/songwriter/guitarist with The Stranglers, from inception to 1990, brings Hooverdam, his groundbreaking new album, to The Riverfront on Saturday 21 March, at 8pm, as part of a nationwide UK tour. The man responsible for bringing the world ‘Golden Brown’, ‘Always the Sun’, ‘Peaches’ and ‘No More Heroes’ amongst others too numerous to mention, shows once again why his song writing remains unique, outstanding and legendary. Jack Daniels recognised his importance to rock history by inviting him to become their rock icon in the US, UK and Ireland for 2008/9.The new album, available on Invisible Hands Music, will be performed in its entirety, together with innovative new arrangements of the old classics. This time Hugh will be performing in the main theatre.

Don’t miss Hugh Cornwell on Saturday 21 March at 8pm at The Riverfront. Tickets are priced at £15. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757, via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office.

'POET IN NEW YORK CONCERT' AT THE RIVERFRONT

Feb 19 - Keith James and Rick Foot will be performing 'Poet in New York' at The Riverfront, Newport on Saturday 28th February at 8.00pm, celebrating New York’s abundant musical and poetic history with a concert of unique and evocative music.

NEWPORT SHIP OPEN DAY

Feb 19 - The first Newport medieval ship open day of 2009 will be on Sunday 22February between 11am and 4pm. National and local interest continues in this remarkable find which was buried in the banks of the River Usk and discovered during construction of the Riverfront in 2002. It acts as an inspiration for creative work and as a spur to children’s education. Entry is free and there will be an activity area for visitors to get involved. The Newport ship can be found at Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate, Newport, NP20 2NN behind Parcel Force. It will be signposted from the city centre and the A48. There is good disabled access and parking.

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG AT THE RIVERFRONT IN MARCH

Fresh from the continued success of his BBC Radio 4 comedy series and recent run at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Count Arthur Strong will be performing his latest show, The Man Behind the Smile, at The Riverfront on Thursday 12 March at 8pm at The Riverfront. As Arthur, showbiz legend and raconteur, himself says, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just turn the telly on after a hard day at the abattoir... or whatever it is you do... and there I was, smiling back at you, in my own programme again, again, ”reminding us just what we’ve been missing since his last television series, The Robin Hood Club, was axed in 1960-something. Count Arthur Strong has been nominated for Best Sketch, Variety, or Character Act at this year’s Chortle Awards. “Forever the nearly man of show business and an expert mangler of words, Count Arthur is nothing less than wonderful... One of the greatest comic creations of this century, Count Arthur is compulsory viewing.” The Mirror. Tickets are priced at £12, with reductions available.

WORLD COMMUNITY ARTS WEEK AT RIVERFRONT

Feb 16 - During spring half-term, The Riverfront will be offering a week of events to celebrate World Community Arts Day. From Monday 16 - Friday 20 February there will be workshops from around the World, performances by local talent, art exhibitions by local artists and a huge showcase event on Friday 20 February at 7pm. Throughout the week there will be a variety of World workshops on offer. For adults there will be Rumba, Capoeira and Indian Dance sessions and youngsters can try their hand at drama, aboriginal dot painting, African mask making and Oriental Arts!

Both of the Art Galleries at The Riverfront will be exhibiting work by over 65 different artists from Newport and the surrounding areas! There will be a large range of work, including digital photography, sculpture and ceramics. Some of the work will be available for sale, so make sure you come and see it and get your hands Newport’s next work of art! On Friday 20 February from 6pm, there will be a special viewing for all of the art being exhibited in the Basement Gallery, where work will again be available for sale. Everyone can come along and meet the artists involved. This will be followed at 7pm, by a special showcase event in the Main Theatre. The showcase will feature 23 groups and individuals, including bands, breakdancers, singers and a collective from The Pentalk Lab (The Riverfront’s own in-house recording studio). It will be a celebration of community arts, and will be a chance for the people of Newport to showcase their talents, across a wide range of genres.

THE MUSIC SCENE WITH LULU McPARTLIN - HERE

LANDMARK PLAY TO PREMIERE AT RIVERFRONT

A new play by Alan Harris is to premiere at the Riverfront Theatre. Aimed at family audiences and set during World War II - Miss Brown to You follows the plight of Emily, a young woman with Down’s syndrome who is evacuated from the dangers of the city to a small Mid-Wales village to live with a fierce aunt she hardly knows. Here she has to come to terms with a new life full of unknown challenges, loneliness and prejudice. The publicity states" Hijinx Theatre are delighted to announce a totally new initiative: in March we will be touring Miss Brown to You – . We are working in Association with The Riverfront, Newport where the world premiere will take place on Wednesday 4^th March. The production will tour to theatres throughout Wales and England up to 4^th April when there are 2 performances at the Wales Millennium Centre’s Weston Studio. This will be our first Theatres-only tour and is in addition to our usual 2 annual touring productions for small venues - these will go ahead as usual later in the year. "

RIVERFRONT ADD EXTRA DATE THIS WEEKEND

Feb 3 - Due to demand, The Riverfront has added an extra date for Thear Pena's House of Bernarda Alba by Lorca. There will now be a matinee on Saturday at 2pm. The Riverfront Theatre report "We have also had some great news about the performance...Only Men Aloud have recorded some music especially for the show! "

NEWPORT CITY RADIO LAUNCH NIGHT

Jan 30 - Full details here.

UNI PARTICIPATES IN GLOBAL GAME JAM

Jan 30 - Newport will be the only Welsh venue for a worldwide computer game creation marathon that will challenge students, lecturers and professional game developers to come up with the most innovative new games in just 48 hours. The University of Wales, Newport is staging the Global Game Jam (GGJ), in which participants in timezones around the world work in teams to make a complete video game in the same limited time period. “We are proud to be the only Welsh venue in this first ever global event - a game jam that takes place in the same 48 hours all over the world,” said Dr. Mike Reddy, Programme Leader for the BSc (Hons) Games Development and Artificial intelligence course at Newport Business School.

GLC ALBUM INSPIRED BY 'WEED AND CURRY'

Jan 23 - The new album from Goldie Lookin' Chain has been inspired by weed and curry, according to the group's main writer Rhys Hutchings. Hutchings, aka P Xain, revealed in Digital Spy that the disc will be released on April 6 and will be preceded by a full UK tour by the Newport hip-hop band. The first date on the tour is February 27 at TJ's in Clarence Place.

The songwriter, who also produces and mixes for the outfit, claimed that the disc has come to fruition through two main factors. "Mainly curry, weed and the constant wish it was summer, especially during summer," he said.

Hutchings added that he would like to see the group's new song become a hit on the continent, saying: "I would like to get the single 'By Any Means Necessary' played in all the nightclubs on the coast of Spain. If we could get it to be played in Fuengirola I would be well happy." 'By Any Means Necessary' hits the shops on March 16.

NEWPORT TO HOST MASSIVE HARDCORE EVOLUTION DANCE EVENT

Jan 21 - Newport is set to host the third in a series of hardcore dance events in Wales. In February 2007 Hardcore Evolution presented The Real Deal which was seen as 'the biggest indoor dance event that Wales had seen for a decade'. With well over 1600 ravers this was then followed last year by The Real Deal 2. Since the demise of the Evolution venue in Cardiff the publicity states 'there has been no major hardcore events to this point but after securing the 1700 capacity Fire and Ice venue in Newport it is time to bring to the people of South Wales “Hardcore Evolution – The Real Deal 3”.' The event takes place on Friday February 13 at the Bridge Street venue from 10am to 6pm, tickets are £15 on the door. Fire and Ice will be split in to two arenas. The line up for arena one includes Gammer, Sy, Dougal, Joey Riot, Brisk, Recon, Marc Smith, Squad E and Supreme. Arena two includes Chuck-E, Barbers and Blitz, Fattman and Ice, Random Heroes, DJ Mos, Steve EP and Rob EJ, Fitz and Dan Summers. The event will include visual screens, chill out seating areas, merchandise stall from Bassline Records and on site food. The event poster is here.

CELEBRITY CLASSICAL CONCERT SERIES AT THE RIVERFRONT

Jan 21 - The third instalment of the Celebrity Classical Concert Series at The Riverfront will be performed by Tom Poster on Friday 30 January at 7.30pm. Winner of the keyboard section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year and Royal-Overseas League competitions, Tom Poster is rapidly emerging as one of the most talented and versatile pianists of his generation. As concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, he has appeared in major venues throughout Britain, Ireland, continental Europe, Macau and the Middle East. Festival appearances have included Edinburgh, Brighton, King’s Lynn and Spoleto, at the personal invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti. Tom’s programme will consist of Mozart’s Sonata in E flat major, K 282, Brahms’ Klavierstück, Op. 118 and Chopin’s Sonata in B Minor, Op. 58. Tickets are priced at £5, £8 and £10, with reductions available. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757, via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office.Special Offer: Buy tickets for both Tom Poster and Sinfonia Cymru (Sunday 25 January) for just £15.

CHANDLERY RETAINS FOOD AWARD

Jan 20 - The Chandlery in Lower Dock Street has retained its Bib Gourmand award from Michelin. This is awarded for 'good food at moderate prices'. It is the only restaurant in Newport (or Cardiff) to receive the recognition. This follows the three AA rosettes awarded to the new Crown at the Celtic Manor restaurant recently.

CUPID'S POISON ARROWS

Jan 19 - Tredegar House murder mystery evening, Friday 13 February. Are they the perfect couple, or is their marriage a perfect sham? Are they, as some believe, the reincarnation of Romeo and Juliet or is the truth far more sinister? And just who was it that shot the late Lord Tredegar through the heart with a golden arrow? A perfect way to spend Friday 13, and see in the Valentines weekend. Interrogate the characters in the sumptuous state rooms at Tredegar House then retire to the Morgan Room to deliberate over a three course meal for only £30. Call Tredegar House on 01633 815880 for more information or to make a booking.

OMAR AT THE RIVERFRONT

Jan 19 - Soul star Omar is at the Riverfront on January 29. The publicity states " Winters Night is a unique series of events that's has a commitment to live, soulful music with an audience with kind of feel to it. This will be a chance not just to see a great artist, but also to here the biography, history, journey and memories of the artist's career.. Finally having the opportunity to post questions directly to them. After a five-year recording hiatus - during which time he's built his own studio, set up his own label and been touring like a madman - the one and only Omar is back. Best known for the hit single "There's Nothing Like This" back in 1992 and more recently with "Sing" (if you want to) and "It's So" Omar is our best Soul export to date." Thursday January 29th 2009 Doors 7:30pm Show Starts 7:45pm. Tickets:£10-£15. 01633-656679.

TALENTED YOUNG MUSICIAN JOINS SINFONIA CYMRU IN NEWPORT

Jan 18 - On Sunday 25 January, Sinfonia Cymru return to The Riverfront and will be joined by Huw Morgan, playing the trumpet, who is a current member of the orchestra and brass winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006. Hailed in The Times as an artist of “high intelligence and immaculate professionalism”, Huw was the youngest ever winner of the International Trumpet Guild Solo competition in 2005 and now, aged just 21, is preparing a concerto tour with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and his return to London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall. Sinfonia Cymru will play a programme featuring Stravinsky’s Danses Concertantes, Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E Flat and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A Minor ‘Scottish’. The orchestra will be conducted by Gareth Jones. Sinfonia Cymru combines diversity and excellence to create a unique platform for young players at the beginning of their musical careers and to take chamber music of an exceptional quality to the people of Wales. Tickets are priced at £10, with reductions available. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757, via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office. There is also a special offer for this performance. If you buy tickets for Sinfonia Cymru and Tom Poster (Friday 30 January) you pay just £15!

LEGENDARY FILM DIRECTOR JOINS UNI FILM MAKING EVENT

Jan 16 - “Hollywood’s best kept secret” will be one of the topics discussed by an internationally renowned group of film-makers, including acclaimed director Ken Russell, at a free two day event exploring how to develop skills for directing and acting in films. Organised by the University of Wales, Newport, and supported by Skillset Screen Academy Wales, the conference, on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th January, will appeal to anyone interested in screen acting and directing.

“Ken Russell, Professor Louis Scheeder from New York University (NYU), and other internationally recognised professionals in the film industry will be talking about how they have worked with students on developing their skills and ideas about future trends in acting and directing,” said Nigel Orrillard, Programme Leader in MA Film at the International Film School Wales (IFSW), who is organising the event with Dr. Andy Smith, Academic Leader, Performance.

Youngsters Show off Artwork Created Aboard Newport Ship

Lindy Davies pictured above with her graduation piece, an installation created around one of the last Bristol cutters built in Newport Docks

Jan 11 -Newport youngsters have created an exhibition of artwork based on the Newport Ship with the help of a Fine Arts graduate of the University of Wales, Newport. Lindy Davies, who became Artist-in-Residence at the Newport Ship after gaining her degree at Newport School of Art Media and Design, worked with the pupils from Fairwater Comprehensive School to create a mural, a medieval-style bench and wooden planters for the exhibition, entitled ‘Community and the Newport Ship’, which can be seen at Newport Museum from 9th January until 31st March. The young artists, aged 14 – 16, will be attending the exhibition to view their work at 10am on Tuesday 13th January.

Lindy was appointed to the post on the strength of her graduation piece, an installation created around one of the last Bristol cutters to be built in Newport docks, which is now on show alongside the Newport Ship.“ The young people really enjoyed themselves and they produced some lovely artwork after seeing the Newport Ship,” said Ms Davies

FLUFFY ZOO HEADS FOR NEWPORT MARKET

Jan 7 - Newport Market will be home to a mini petting zoo this Saturday (10^th). After the success of the Halloween creepy crawly zoo, Petwise are back and this time they have brought animals of the fluffier kind! Come along between 11am and 4pm to meet rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, chinchillas, birds, poultry and more. All ages are welcome and admission is free.

BRING IN THE NEW YEAR IN STYLE AT THE RIVERFRONT

Dec 26 - Kick off your New Year in style with a Fancy Dress New Years Eve Party at The Riverfront. A fun way to start a night of celebrations for adults and children alike with no babysitters required. Customers with tickets for either performance of the pantomime Sleeping Beauty on New Years Eve will be invited to a special fancy dress party starting at 3.30pm. All customers are invited to dress up as their favourite fancy dress character and enter the fun fancy dress competition. There will be prizes on offer for the best dressed and most creative, adults and children. Prizes are donated from Vellacine, HMV, Cadbury and Musgraves. The grown ups will be offered a free glass of bubbly with a mince pie and special drinks offers at the bar and they will be able to relax, safe in the knowledge that their kids will be entertained with a fun disco. Sleeping Beauty is this year’s professional pantomime at The Riverfront and runs between Thursday 4 December 2008 and Saturday 3 January 2009. Starring the irrepressible Brian Hibbard, Welsh stars Gillian Elisa and Phylip Harries and a host of local talent. Tickets are still available for either performance on New Years Eve. The earlier show begins at 1.30pm and the later show begins at 5pm. The Fancy Dress Party will take place between the two performances of Sleeping Beauty on Wednesday 31 December 2008 and will start at 3.30pm. Tickets cost between £5 and £15.50 with family and group discounts also available and can be booked by phoning 01633 656757 or online at www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront.

SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA RETURNS TO CITY

Dec 26 - The internationally renowned Syd Lawrence Orchestra returns to The Riverfront , Newport on 24th January with a breathtaking concert of music billed as Presented by Britain's foremost Big Band leader and featuring star vocalist and vocal group the programme features the music of the Swing era. From Syd's faultless transcriptions of the Glenn Miller repertoire, through the hits of the legendary Count Basie and into the great music still being written for this orchestra today. Also featured will be the music of Tommy Dorsey, Neal Hefti, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton. Having recently been voted "Best Band in the Land" for the consecutive year, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra is on top form. Their recent album has been endorsed by some of the most respected names in the big band world, and the energy of this swinging young band has been thrilling live. Don't miss the opportunity to hear this world beating orchestra in concert. Tickets are available from The Riverfront Box Office or via www.sydlawrenceorchestra.com.

RESTORATION ROMP AT THE RIVERFRONT

Nov 24 - ‘The Man of Mode’, which is set in a London obsessed with having it all, is presented by third year Performing Arts students from Newport University at the Riverfront Theatre from 27th – 29th November. The play's director, and senior lecturer at Newport School of Art, Media and Design, Roger Wooster, said, “This comedy of bad manners by George Etherege is a classic of Restoration comedy. We have adapted it so that the second half is in modern dress to underline the many similarities to life today. The cast are all extremely talented and have enjoyed putting the show together. We’re now all very keen to move on from the rehearsal stage and looking forward to presenting it at the Riverfront Theatre.”

Student Graham Hill who plays the central character, Mr Dorimant, said, “It’s a demanding character to play. It’s been a real challenge but a pleasant one as he’s the exact opposite to me in real life. I’m quite shy and he’s definitely not!”

CITY STUDENTS CLAIM FILM AWARD NOMINATIONS

Nov 18 - Newport students have received a record 20 nominations at this year’s Ffresh Awards which recognise the best up-and-coming moving image talent in Wales. The students, at the International Film School Wales (IFSW) gained four out of five nominations in two sections, best undergraduate fiction film and best TV film, and three out of five nominations for best animation film.

Commenting on the high number of nominations, Humphry Trevelyan, Head of IFSW, said, “I am very pleased that so many of our students have received nominations for awards, especially as many of them are second year students. “The Ffresh Awards are a showcase for the best work created by tomorrow’s top talent in the film and TV industry. Newport has a long and proud tradition of film-making and it is very rewarding to see the high quality of our students’ work being recognised. Last year, our students scooped six of the nine category awards at Ffresh and one of them also won the coveted Audience Award.”

The winners will be announced at the festival which will be held in Aberystwyth from 11th – 13th February 2009.

NEWPORT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON

Nov 15 - The winner of Newport’s Search for a Star competition, Shelby Morgan will switch on the city’s Christmas lights with the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Noel Trigg, tomorrow (16 November).

The 14-year-old St Joseph's High School pupil who is a member of musical theatre group We Are What We Are (WAWWA) and has performed in school productions for years is currently having singing lessons to help make her West End stage dreams come true.

Shelby will perform live at the big switch in front of thousands of people expected to visit the city centre for this year’s hugely popular event. From early afternoon they can enjoy street entertainers, seasonal markets, live music, dancers and entertainers, culminating in a firework finale

STUDENTS SAMPLE TASTE OF UNIVERSITY

Nov 10 - Workshops on creating eye-catching fashion and snapping professional photographs were on the menu at taster days for sixth-formers and FE students from all over the UK at Newport School of Art, Media and Design. Students from Bassaleg School in Newport rose to the challenge of recycling white fabrics and transforming them into dazzling designs of their own. “We’ve all really interested in fashion design and found the taste of the course at Newport's University very useful,” said 16-year-old Emily Yearsley, who along with her fellow Bassaleg students staged an impromptu fashion show of their creations.

Louise Kedward, from Crickhowell High School has already signed up to do the Foundation Art course at the University and hopes to go on study fashion design. She said, “I thought the taster day was very good especially as it was so hands-on, and we actually got to create something. It was so much better than simply having a tour of the university. The tutors here are very friendly and the student ambassadors were especially helpful.”

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DIGITAL ARTS HEADS FOR NEWPORT

Nov 9 - A major new festival has moved from Swansea to Newport. The International Festival of Digital Arts is a celebration of sound, video and still images with a competition culminating in an awards ceremony at the Riverfront on October 3 2009. For more details see here.

MINT AT THE MEZE

Mint presents... MINT II
Filthy electronic music wrapped up in techno and hip hop with a dash of rock & roll sauce.

Headlining DJ JUILIAN LIBERATOR
Acid techno from London's favorite free party crew - stay up forever

Live Acts

STAEDLER AND WALDORF
The original beat muppets unveiling a new set before invading the USA with their hypnotic brand of live breaks, and supaphat bass.

BOMB CULTURE
Giving you an onslaught of rotten rock n roll, bleeps, squeaks & blistering beats

NO SLEEP POLICE
Straight outta Blackwood with kick ass hip hop to rock & shock the nation

PROJECT SERPO
Giving us the best in electro acoustic fun and bleeps

plus DJs
DR NITROGEN form critical mass on the decks
DUBSTEP GROOVES ON THE ROOF TERRACE FROM
MONDO, ONE MAN DUB, SLIPPERS
THE DARKSIDE GALLERY VISUAL SLUT

Thursday 20th November @ The Meze Lounge, Newport 8:30 -3:00am £5 before 10:30 £7 after

NEWPORT FILM GRADUATE TO BE MENTORED BY BRANAGH

Nov 5 - An up-and-coming film writer and director who studied at the University of Wales, Newport has been chosen from over 500 people to be mentored by one of the great names of British cinema - actor, director and producer Kenneth Branagh. Keri Collins is one of 25 people chosen for the Guiding Lights mentoring scheme, which aims to help develop the skills of aspiring talent in the film industry.

“I’m really pleased to have been selected for this scheme, especially as I’m a big fan of Kenneth Branagh and his work,” said 30-year-old Keri, (pictured left), who is originally from Caldicot but now lives in Cardiff. Branagh has so much respect from everyone in the film industry and being an actor himself he’s a great director because he knows exactly how to get the best out of actors he’s working with.”

Keri was so inspired by Branagh’s film of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ he adapted the bard’s ‘Comedy of Errors’ – updating the setting to Baghdad - and his screenplay will be one of the things he will be working on with Kenneth Branagh. "He's going to read my script and give me comments and notes on how to improve it," said Keri, who has already met with the actor backstage at his latest West End success, Chekhov's ‘Ivanov’, to discuss the mentoring scheme.

THRU THE ARCH CLUB HOSTS BURLESQUE REVUE

Oct 31 - See the attached link

Burlesque = Burlesque is theatrical entertainment of broad and parodic humor, which usually consists of comic skits (and sometimes a strip tease). Some authors assert burlesque is a direct descendant of the Commedia dell'arte; the term "burlesque" for a parody or comedy of manners appears about the same time as the first appearance of commedia dell'arte. The word "burlesque" comes from the Italian burla, which means a joke although it may come from the French word burlesque itself, which indicates a piece of art that is ridiculous and slightly outrageous, most of the time in a funny way.

CITY CELEBRATES CHARTIST PAST

Oct 30 - Newport will be celebrating the 169th anniversary of its Chartist past over the next week.

Newport Chartist Weekend 1st – 4th November 2008

On 4th November 1839 thousands of men from across south Wales marched on Newport. Over twenty died in this protest to seek the vote for all – and three of the leaders were convicted of treason and exiled to Tasmania.

Join in and Celebrate the pioneers of democracy

Saturday 1st Nov Chartist Convention
09.30am start at Newport Museum and Library
10.30am guided ‘Chartist Walk’ to the Westgate Hotel
11.30am – 4.30pm continues at St Mary’s Church, Stow Hill.
Explore the Chartist stories – Programme includes: ‘Chartist Trials’ documents and artefacts on display; a guided walk; talks by leading chartist historian Prof Owen Ashton and by people who have discovered chartist ancestors; films about the Chartists – old and new.
Entrance is FREE, but as last year’s event was a ‘sell out’ please book tel 01633 414859 (Rosalin). Lunch is available (bread and soup).

Sunday 2nd Nov Chartist Coach Tour Knowledgeable guides will take us around sites in south east Wales connected with the Chartist Movement – such as Blaenavon, Bedwellty House and Blackwood.
Departs St Woolos Cathedral 9.30am. Returns 5.30pm.
Tickets £7 per person Contact HERIAN to book 01685 723968

Tuesday 4th Nov Chartist Remembrance
A group of children from Newport will retrace the steps of the Chartists down Stow Hill to the Westgate Hotel 1.30pm. At 6pm - annual commemoration at the Chartist memorial stone in the churchyard of St Woolos Cathedral.

FEEDER SHOW STILL ON

Oct 29 - Feeder's upcoming gig at Newport (November 2) is still on despite the blaze that destroyed the band's tour bus earlier this week.

CIDER WITH ROGER

Oct 27 - An excellent 2008 Graduate Film by Adam Millbank of the BA (Hons) Documentary Film and Television Programme, part of the International Film School Wales (ISFW) at Newport School of Art, Media and Design. See it here.

CITY GETS BEHIND THE BIG READ!

Ever thought how many words you read every day? Newport’s Big Read is going to count just that – and encourage you to read even more than usual!

The City Council is asking everyone in Newport to let us know how many words you read on Wednesday 29 October.

Events are being held at The Riverfront and libraries, but you can read anywhere! Take a book or newspaper on the bus, pick up a magazine during your lunchtime, and don’t forget all those everyday things you read without even thinking about it. The running total will be displayed at The Riverfront on a giant totaliser, designed by local school children and Newport’s Arts Development team.

How many words have you read?

Let the City Council know by…

- Popping in to a library or the Riverfront

- Calling 01633 656656

- email - central.library@newport.gov.uk

Newport graduate's work features in Bond film

Oct 23 - A graduate of Newport’s University has created one of the hi-tech special effects for the latest James Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace’, which opens in London on Wednesday 29th October. Alistair Burleigh designed and operated a huge illuminated cube that pulsates to Latin rhythms at a glitzy South American party thrown by the film’s villain. This top secret mission for the latest 007 blockbuster is the latest success for Alistair who graduated from the University’s Fine Art degree course two years ago.

His innovative work, which combines light with sculpture, has gained growing recognition since his installations were among the highlights of the prestigious Tent London design festival, which attracted over 18,000 visitors. “The response to my work has been overwhelming,” said 27-year-old Alistair, who is now a visiting tutor at Newport School of Art Media and Design.

RIVERFRONT NOVEMBER LISTINGS

Oct 22 - Now available see above.

MUSIC SCENE INFORMATION

Oct 21 - For the impressive Joy Collective website follow this link. The latest Joy event takes place on Thursday at the Meze Lounge in Market Street on Thursday, see the detail here.

TIME FOR DANCE AT NEWPORT MARKET

Oct 14 - The latest in a series of tea dances at Newport Market will take place on Wednesday 15 October.

The tea dances will be held upstairs in the Gallery of Newport Market, High Street on a monthly basis, as part of Newport City Council’s ongoing work promoting healthy living and its Nutrition Strategy for Older People. The event, which is funded through the Assembly’s Older Persons Strategy fund, is free to the over-50s who wish to dance or just watch the fun between 2pm-4pm.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE SHIP FOR SOME TIME

Oct 3 - Members of the public are being invited to see the on-going restoration work on Newport Ship at an open day on Sunday 5 October. The Newport Ship Recording Project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in partnership with Newport City Council, and the facility at Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate will be open to visitors between 11am and 4pm.

The Friends of Newport Ship will be leading guided tours and talking about their experiences of the project. Archaeological experts will be hand to answer any questions.This will be the last open day before work starts on the conservation phase of the project, which is expected to last between four and six years.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR RIVERFRONT EXHIBITION

Sep 25 - The Riverfront in Newport, South Wales is currently housing an incredibly exciting exhibition which explores themes of history, loss and regeneration and involves over 20 local artists. The exhibition, ‘Ghosts in Armour’ opened to the public in the basement gallery at The Riverfront on Friday 5 September. The spectacular launch night was attended by over 400 people, including approximately 200 ex-employees of the steel works on which the exhibition is based. With well over 1,000 guests having visited so far and over 4,000 visitors to the ‘Ghosts in Armour’ website, the exhibition is open until Friday 17 October 2008 and is not to be missed. Metro newspaper gave the exhibition a glowing 5/5 review, and visitors have left hundreds of enthusiastic comments with the artists. What started as a personal project for two local Newport photographers, Matt Wright and Janire Najera, has now, with the support of Corus, the Arts Council of Wales, The Riverfront and many others, expanded to become a major exhibition. ‘Ghosts in Armour’ is centred around the former Whiteheads steel plant in central Newport, now demolished, and as such is deeply relevant to the current redevelopment of the city. The exhibition contains 360 degree photography of the steel plant as it has never been seen before, including the site as it was when derelict. There are portraits of former Whiteheads workers photographed where they used to work, film footage of the factory and an installation built with objects found in the factory before its demolition.

CHARTIST WEEKEND PLANNED FOR CITY

Sep 25 - November 4 is the anniversary of the Chartist March on Newport. The Chartists are celebrated in Newport as part of a special weekend. See details here.

DISCOVER DANCE AT THE RIVERFRONT

It’s time to Discover Dance at The Riverfront this September. This month, Newport welcomes an International exchange and outdoor dance event, local and national choreographers, circus and a whole lot of imagination. Kicking off Discover Dance is Osez!, a FREE outdoor dance project from Canada, who will perform at The Riverfront with between Tuesday 16 –Saturday 20 September. Seven Canadian dancers and seven from Wales will work with choreographers Karine Ledoyen from Quebec and Sean Tuan John from Wales to create five different dances, a new dance every day, which will be performed on the quayside outside The Riverfront. This project is a chance for dance artists from Wales and Quebec to exchange techniques and knowledge, and also to perform together. The cafe and bar will be open for food and drinks. Entry is free and you can either come along to just one performance, or all five! The choice is yours.

On Wednesday 24 September at 7.30pm, there will be another dance performance choreographed by Karine Ledoyen. This time it is the Canadian dance company Danse K par K in a performance called Cibler. This is a performance positioned half way between theatre and dance, where three dancers reflect on isolation and the ways in which people come together or separate. First performed at the Grand Theatre de Quebec, Cibler received excellent reviews, and this performance at The Riverfront is the only UK performance. Tickets are priced at £8 with reductions available.

HYSTERICAL POLITICAL SATIRE AT THE RIVERFRONT

Dario Fo’s brilliant comic masterpiece, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, is one of the most performed plays in the world and will be performed by the incredible Northern Broadsides at The Riverfront on Tuesday 21 (7.30pm) and Wednesday 22 October 2008 (2pm and 7.30pm).

A devastating political satire on police corruption, it tells the true story of an Italian anarchist who mysteriously fell to his death from the window of a police station. The appropriately named ‘Maniac’ investigates, and in doing so reveals the idiocy of lies spun by officialdom. Sharp, hilarious, fast-paced, slapstick, filled with anarchy, irreverence and sheer lunacy, this specially commissioned new version, set in a contemporary northern England police station, is filled with topical gags and a corrosive perspective on the great British constabulary: think Life on Mars meets Have I Got News For You.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist is performed by Northern Broadsides, who are renowned internationally for their vigorous performance style and unsurpassable talent for broad comedy that hits the spot with deadly accuracy. Tickets for Accidental Death of an Anarchist are priced at £14 with reductions available. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757 or via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront.

WETLANDS ART INSPIRATION

Artists are invited to a workshop where they can learn more about techniques and gain inspiration from the beautiful scenery of Newport Wetlands. The workshop will be lead by artist Susie Bright whose work includes painting, photography, drawing and making tableaux.

Susie was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to Britain nearly twenty years ago. After studying art part-time for several years, she left work to study art full-time, completing a BA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College in 1999. She moved to Wales in 2001.

The workshop will be held at the Wetlands education and visitor centre on Saturday 18 October, between 10am and 4pm. Weather permitting, artists will go out on to the reserve to draw. Reference material will be provided. This workshop is for artists aged 17 and over and costs £12.50 (includes tea and coffee). Call 01633 636363 for further information and to book places.

NEWPORT MARKET EVENTS

Sep 8 - Newport Indoor Market has published a listing of the events planned for its gallery area in the run up to Christmas. See the details here.

ATARIS TO PLAY TJs

Aug 31 - Leading US punk band the Ataris from Anderson, Indiana will play TJ's on October 24. This is the only UK date so far announced at the end of their US tour.

CENTRE TO HOST BREAK-DANCING CHAMPIONSHIP

Aug 27 - The Welsh Open B-Boy Championship will take place at Newport Centre on Saturday 27 September. Organised by B-Boy Wales, this year’s breakdancing competition promises to be the best yet.

This event has certainly grown from strength to strength with its spectacular displays of skill, stamina, daring moves, acrobatics and mind-boggling flips. All these go to show that age is not really an issue, as breakdancing and hip hop are passions and a way of life. There will be crews from the UK, Korea, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Latvia, Turkey and USA battling on the day.

Not only will there be the traditional crew battles, but also two-on-two battles and the feature event, B-Boy Wales’ ‘Last Man Standing’ one-on-one international solo battles. International b-boy Alien Ness will be a special guest judge, along with Dyzee who will be flying in from Canada to join other distinguished b-boys judging the event.

ROBERT OWEN EXHIBITION

Aug 20 - The legacies of Robert Owen, one of Wales’ most famous sons, are the subject of a new exhibition at Newport Museum and Art Gallery. The touring exhibition was launched by the Welsh Assembly Government in February. Siân Williams, the librarian at the South Wales Miners’ Library at Swansea University, has developed the bilingual exhibition with a grant of £49,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Robert Owen is considered to be the 'father' of the co-operative and trade union movements and one of the most famous Welshmen of all time. His legacy has had a great impact on the world. The exhibition runs from Tuesday 19 August – Tuesday 30 September in the museum on the second floor. Admission is free.

EXHIBITION TAKES FRESH LOOK AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

Aug 17 - An exhibition of photos takes a fresh look at Tredegar House by picturing people from a local housing estate in the rooms of the beautiful 17th century building. ‘A place in the past, a place in the present’ is the work of student Janire Najera who is about to graduate in Documentary Photography from the University of Wales, Newport.

“Last year I worked with residents on the Duffryn Estate and by taking them to be photographed in Tredegar House my aim was to make this historic building a part of the present,” said 26-year-old Janire, who comes from Madrid.

“Through this exhibition, which is on at Tredegar House until 30th September, I’ve tried to create photographs which re-interpret this beautiful building which is home to the Morgan family,” added Janire

BRADFIELD LOOKS FORWARD TO NEWPORT RETURN

Aug 16 - Manic Street Preachers front man James Dean Bradfield has hailed Newport's contribution to the music scene in an interview with the Western Mail.

The Manics play Newport Centre on Thursday 21st as a warm up for their headline set on the Radio One stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals next weekend. It’s exactly 11 years since the band last played at the Newport. “Funnily enough the last time we played there in 1997 was a warm up for Reading,” he told the Western Mail “Newport Centre reminds me of all the great bands I used to go and see there and of Newport’s history, like the apocalyptic Smiths’ gig there that was front page news. (On October 19, 1986, Morrissey was pulled off stage by fans and had to abandon the gig for hospital treatment. A riot ensued).

“Newport has TJ’s as well as Newport Centre and for a period in the ’90s it was known as Seattle In Wales because of its influence in Britain, so it’s always good to go back.” That gig, on August 22, 1997, was the Manics’ only Welsh date of the year and sold-out the 2,024 ticket allocation at the rate of 20 per minute, with queues forming around the block when they were put on sale.

DUFFY TO PLAY NEWPORT CENTRE

Aug 13 - New sensation Duffy is scheduled to play Newport Centre as part of a short UK-wide tour prior to Christmas, according to a Virgin Music press release.

The 24-year-old's debut album is the UK's biggest selling album this year, selling over one million copies here and over three million worldwide to date. A source close to Duffy said: "It doesn't seem that long ago that Duffy was singing in local village pubs and at college. To think she's now performing in front of thousands on some of the world's major stages, is amazing. She's come so far." Duffy will kick off the tour in Dublin on November 24, before heading to Belfast, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Newport (December 7) and finishing with two dates at London's Brixton Academy in December. The singer, from the village of Nefyn in North Wales, has been a smash hit this year. She has also wowed crowds at several festivals and won the 2008 Song of the Year MOJO Award for Mercy.

COMMUNITY DAY FOR MAINDEE POLICE

July 29 - Maindee Neighbourhood Policing Team is inviting people of all ages to a Community Fun Day in Lysaghts Park on Tuesday 5^th August. The free summer event, which will run from 10am to 4pm, has been organised by the police in conjunction with South Wales Fire Service, Newport City Council, local businesses and ward councillors. There will be lots of activities to take part in and plenty of prizes to be won.

One of the highlights will be an opportunity for local youngsters to pit their sporting skills against local police officers. Ward councillors are also hoping to sponsor a climbing wall to test the nerves and skill of more adventurous youngsters. PCSO Darryl Morgan, of Maindee Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "The Community Fun Day promises to be a great day of entertainment during the summer holidays. The public have told us they would like to see such an event and we hope to build good relationships with the public while having fun on the day."

STEEL CATHEDRALS CAPTURED

The Riverfront in Newport will be housing a one-off and incredibly exciting exhibition which explore themes of history, loss and regeneration and involves over 20 local artists. The exhibition, ‘Ghosts in Armour’ opens in the basement gallery at The Riverfront in Newport on Friday 5 September and will be open to the public from Thursday 6 September until Wednesday 17 of October.

What started as a personal project for two local Newport photographers, Matt Wright and Janire Najera, has now, with the support of Corus, the Arts Council of Wales, The Riverfront and many others, expanded to become a major exhibition. ‘Ghosts in Armour’ is an exploration of the themes of history, loss and regeneration centred around the former Whiteheads Steel plant in central Newport, now demolished, and as such deeply relevant to the current redevelopment of the city. The exhibition will contain 360 degree photography of the Steel Plant as it has never been seen before, including the plant as it was when derelict. There will be portraits of former Whiteheads workers photographed where they used to work, film footage of the factory and an installation built with objects found in the factory before its demolition.

NEWPORT FESTIVAL SET TO START

Jul 24 - A range of events have been planned for the Newport Festival over the next five days. See here.

MORE EVENTS AT NEWPORT CENTRE

July 21 - Enter Shakiri play Newport Centre on October 23, Feeder on November 2, Pendulum on November 27 and Heaven 17, ABC and the Human League on December 12. For tickets call 01633 656757.

MANICS SET FOR NEWPORT DATE

Manic Street Preachers will play Newport Centre on Thursday 21 August as a warm-up date ahead of their Reading and Leeds festival appearance.

This is the first time the Welsh trio have played the venue since 1997 and is sure to be an electrifyingly must-see for fans. The band, who received NME’s Godlike Genius Award earlier this year, will headline the magazine’s stage at the Reading site on Saturday 23rd August and Sunday 24th at Leeds.

Bassist and Newport resident Nicky Wire said: “We have not played the Newport Centre since 1997 and that was a warm up for a Reading headline appearance. That night was pretty special, and as this will be the band’s only performance in Wales this year we are all really looking forward to it and sure it will be just as memorable.” You can call the City Contact Centre for tickets on 01633 656757 or the 24 hour cc hotline: 0871 2200 260 / www.gigsandtours.com. Tickets on sale Friday 18th July at 9.30am priced £25

RIVERFRONT OPEN WEEKEND

Jul 8 - The Riverfront is gearing up for the annual Open Weekend on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July between 11am and 4pm, and can promise loads of activities, arts and performance of all kind throughout the weekend. Visitors will get the chance to get backstage, listen to live music, try out various exciting arts and crafts and watch local talents perform.

LEGENDARY DIRECTOR TO MARK START OF CITY CENTRE CAMPUS

Jun 23 - Legendary film director Ken Russell will be leaving his handprints and autograph in concrete on the riverside site of the new City Centre Campus of the University of Wales, Newport to mark the start of the construction phase of the £35m project.

The acclaimed director of films such as ‘Women in Love’ and ‘Tommy’ will be immortalised in concrete similar to the famous Hollywood Forecourt of the Stars at Mann’s Chinese Theatre during the ceremony which takes place on the banks of the River Usk on Monday 30th June.

The new campus will be home to two academic Schools with international reputations - Newport Business School and the digital media, film and design elements of Newport School of Art, Media and Design.

“I think the City Centre Campus is a brilliant idea – and the sooner it’s completed and producing tomorrow’s film-makers, artists and entrepreneurs the better!” said Ken, a Visiting Professor at the University’s International Film School Wales (IFSW), when he presented the award for the best film made by students on the Film and Video degree course last week.

“I’m looking forward to the ceremony and leaving my handprints in the cement. I built my own house so I know all about working with cement,” he added.

CRAFT FOLK FESTIVAL COMING TO CITY CENTRE

Commercial Street, Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 June, 10am to 5.30pm

With up to 30 stalls hosting genuine artists and crafters selling their own work, interspersed with a selection of seasonal food and wines, the Craft Folk festival is the perfect place to pick up a present – or even a treat for yourself.Passers-by will be tempted by pewter work, heritage images of Wales, metalwork, photography, silver and precious stone jewellery. There will be traditional wooden items and toys, art works and cards for all occasions, plus glasswork and needlework together with many original decorative items for the house and garden.Commission personalise gifts or taste the seasonal food and drink on offer. Choose from a selection of home made Welsh fudge, wines, fruit and cream liqueurs, fresh hot pancakes, honey roasted nuts and a traditional hog roast.

PIGEON DETECTIVES TO PLAY CITY

June 2 - Rising stars the Pigeon Detectives are to play Newport Centre on Thursday - ticket prices £13.50 performing songs from their hit debut album "Wait For Me".

TOP ANIMATION STUDENTS SET UP STUDIO IN CITY

May 6 - Two talented film-makers who recently added the British Animation Award to their ever-growing collection of trophies – bringing their total number of awards to a staggering 28 – have set up their own studio in Newport. Tom Brown and Dan Gray scooped the awards for their film ‘t.o.m.’ which they made as their graduation film while studying at the University of Wales, Newport.

Having established their own animation film company, Holbrook’s Films, they are now busy working on animated station identities for Fuse TV, an American music TV station to fund their next animation film. “This and other work will help us to raise the capital to make our follow-up to ‘t.o.m.,” said 30-year-old Dan who comes from Caerleon. “We could have moved to London but decided to stay in Newport as we wanted to work for ourselves, and the regeneration taking place here is transforming the city into an exciting place for creative talent.”

SHOCK TACTICS AT THE RIVERFRONT

Apr 11 - Legendary film director Ken Russell will be among a team of experts examining the way art can challenge boundaries by using shock tactics, at an event organised by the University of Wales, Newport at the Riverfront Theatre on Wednesday 16th April.The event, entitled ‘Transgressions’, will look at film, performance and photography that uses strategies such as shock, chaos, disorder and disruption to make points about resistance and subversion in the face of a global society where culture is becoming increasingly standardised.

Ken Russell who has been Visiting Professor at the International Film School Wales (IFSW) since 2004, will be talking about how he has used shock tactics in his work and then screening two of his short films. The celebrated and controversial British film director is well known for producing cult classics such as the award-winning 'Women in Love, ‘The Devils’ and the Who’s rock opera ‘Tommy’, and was recently included in the Daily Telegraph’s Top 100 Living Geniuses list.

The event is organised by the Centre for Photographic Research at Newport School of Art Media and Design.

CUTTING EDGE CIRCUS COMES TO CITY

Mar 28 - The Riverfront will present NoFit State Circus with tabú standing on the edge of the wilderness at Tredegar Park in April 2008! The award winning, critically acclaimed NoFit State Circus preview their new show tabú in Newport as part of The Riverfront summer season.

Dates: 10,11,12,17,18 & 19 April at 7.30pm
Saturday 12 & Saturday 19 April at 3pm
Prices: £15, Reductions £12, CLC £11.50, special offer for NP postcodes on 10,11,12 April £10, Reductions £7, CLC £6.50
Venue: Spaceship big top, Tredegar Park, Disabled access- Tel 01633 656757 for tickets

NEW RESTAURANT AT CELTIC MANOR

Mar 26 - The Celtic Manor Resort will open a new restaurant, the Crown at Celtic Manor, on 29th March. Set within the site’s 330-room hotel, the new venue will be run by Michelin star chef, James Sommerin from the Crown at Whitebrook, Monmouth.

UNSEEN BRITAIN

Mar 26 - As part of the Sony Alpha Unseen Britain campaign, renowned climber and photographer Mike Robertson has toured the country scaling new heights and legendary landmarks to create unique images. In conjunction with Enjoy England, Visit Scotland and Visit Wales, six structures across Britain were selected by Mike, based on the challenge of the climb, the geographical location, the visual impact of their surroundings and the opportunity to capture a never seen before image. These were Spinnaker Tower (Portsmouth), Blackpool Tower, Newport Transporter Bridge, Snowhill Plaza (Birmingham), Glasgow Tower (Glasgow) and the Park Plaza (Leeds). See the images on our bridge here ->

TOP COMEDY AT THE RIVERFRONT

Mar 21 - The Riverfront's reputation for top comedy is continuing to build. Star comedian Rob Brydon takes his all-Wales tour to the Riverfront on November 25. Tickets are selling fast and are priced at £17.50. Brendan Burns will be at the Riverfront on April 11 with tickets priced £10. He is fresh from his triumphant run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer where he was awarded comedy's highest accolade, The If.comedy award (formerly the Perrier Award). The laconic Jo Brand will be in town on April 25, tickets are £15. In addition, the Riverfront boasts the Comedy Shed on the last Friday of every month - next up March 28 - where you can sit in a cabaret style atmosphere and enjoy performances from established comedians. This month features Wayne Deakin, with a "likeable laconic style" that's guaranteed to get you laughing and thinking, Jo Enright, who over the years has developed a brand of humour described as "fresh, honest and thumpingly funny" and Andy Askins, who's "expertly crafted routine" is littered with an eclectic mix of offbeat comic songs and parodies. Tickets £10. All tickets can be booked at the theatre or by calling Newport 657757.

THE DOLMAN THIS SPRING

The Dolman Theatre is home to Newport Playgoers Society who manages and owns the theatre for the community. Boasting a fabulous 400 seat auditorium as well as an intimate studio space, the theatre has long been a favourite with over 20 performing societies including WAWWA, Beechwood Dancers, Nidus Theatre Arts School and Newport Operatic Society. For a fabulous night out, why not visit one of the following in April?

2-5 April- The Company presents Anthems and Idols- the very best of Motown, swing and musical theatre in one spectacular show. Tickets:01633 868239.

14-19 April- Newport Playgoers Society presents Misery. A writer is trapped in a house during a Colorado winter- prepare to be frightened by this Stephen King classic! Tickets: 01633 251338 or 263670.

22-26 April- Newport Operatic Society presents Thoroughly Modern Millie. A chance to see this much loved musical. Tickets: 01633 440707 or 891363.

29 April- 2 May- Lyric Musical Society presents Carmen. A wonderful operetta- a real musical treat. Tickets 01633 2636670 or 02920 851583.

NEW SCULPTURE UNVEILED

Mar 2 - The seasons have been set in stone in Newport, following the unveiling of a new sculpture in Belle Vue Park. Revealing the seasons as seen through the eyes of a gardener, the sculpture compliments the sweeping walks and ornamental trees that make up the 26 acres of the park. Carved in sandstone, the artwork depicts a central sun surrounded by twelve relief carvings. Each carving illustrates a natural event or animal associated with a certain month of the year.

Having been crowned Wales’ undisputed floral champion for the ninth time last year, the “Gardener’s Calendar” has been developed in support of the city’s Newport in Bloom campaign. Artist Sebastian Brooke, who designed and carved the sculpture, was joined by local school children to explain the sources of inspiration for his artwork, as well as the process of creating the piece.The unveiling of the artwork follows many years of improvement work within the park. Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the council has restored the parks rich architectural history, while updating it for the 21^stcentury visitor.

ST. DAVID'S DAY SHOWCASE FOR CITY ART SCENE

Feb 22 - Newpart's 6th Creative Showcase event at TJ's Clarence Place Saturday 1st March - brings you a diverse selection of live & local talent in a creative, friendly environment. Includes Team Brick, Fallen Painting, Big Mack, Jonathon Baines. Compere is Jools Constant. Entry £4 (£3 concessions). The promo states "All welcome, so come along and see what the Newport arts scene has to offer. "

FILM SCHOOL STUDENTS SWEEP AWARDS

Feb 18 - Young film makers from the University of Wales, Newport have won six of the nine category awards at Ffresh 2008, the student moving image festival of Wales.The coveted Audience Award at the two-day festival in Aberystwyth was also presented to a student from the University's International Film School Wales. Tara Cody's factual film, Skin Deep, is about showing the ageing process in reverse.

At the awards ceremony at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, the Best of Festival award was also given to one of the six category award winners from Newport, Yiorgos Moustakis, for his fiction film, Mari.Newport also won two awards from RTS Wales, which were announced at Ffresh, for Best Animation and Best Documentary.

Festival chair Maggie Russell said, "Some incredible talent has emerged this year and I am really excited to see how projects and ideas we have seen at Ffresh develop in the coming months and years. We were also able to report back on what award winners from previous festivals are now up to which I know was inspirational for the students who made this year's event such a great success. It also demonstrates that the educational establishments across Wales can both work closely with the media industry and also act as trail blazers in giving traditional media a glimpse of the future."Humphry Trevelyan, Head of the International Film School Wales said that he was delighted, but not too surprised by the results. "I am supremely confident in the talent and ability of our students here at Newport and, once again, the results of the Ffresh Awards shows this to be justified. Newport has a long and proud tradition of film-making and it is also great to see that we are being recognised in new fields for us such as creative sound and music."

The International Film School Wales is a lead partner of the Skillset Screen Academy Wales and has been approved by the UK film industry as a centre of excellence for film education and training. Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the audiovisual industries, has awarded Screen Academy status to only six HE/FE consortia across the UK. This provides funding for masterclasses, mentors, bursaries, industry placements, production costs, festival attendance and advanced equipment.

LARFALOT - NEWPORT'S ONLY FRINGE COMEDY NIGHT

Feb 4 - February 7 venue Le Pub - Newport's only Fringe comedy night, according to newpart.co.uk. It is run as a not-for-profit event run to give new comics a place to perform in Newport.It runs on the first Thursday of every month.Each month usually sees a top name from the comedy circuit headlining the gig supported by new comics developing their set.. and established comics trying new material.All are welcome to come and have a go. So far 14 people have jumped onto the comedy stage for the very first thanks to Larfalot.Great atmosphere, reasonably priced beer, great rock style venue. Resident MC Jools Constant (The only comic in the village!) Entry - £4 (£3 concessions).

CHANDLERY AND WATERLOO TO GO FOR SUNDAY LUNCHES

Jan 28 (updated) - Newport's only Bib Gourmand restaurant the Chandlery is set to announce that it will be serving Sunday lunches in response to customer demand. The new service is expected to start in late February/March. According to their website it appears the service will start on Mothering Sunday with a £19.95 set menu. Details here

Metro Newspaper 2007 Restaurant of the Year, the Waterloo Hotel, will start out on a Sunday from this weekend - February 3 offering three courses at £17.95, two courses at £14.95. See here.

RIVERFRONT SPRING SEASON

Jan 8 - Why not blow away any festive cobwebs with one or more of the enlivening performances The Riverfront has to offer this spring. There’s theatre a-plenty this season, starting with some local talent when UWN’s Vista Theatre present a gut-wrenching version of Café Grand Guignol and followed by a Welsh language panto for schools with Macsen by Cwmni Mega. Sole Abode by Madrugada fuses text, physical performance and striking set – and a man who decides to live in a fridge! Funeral Games will be presented by Unpacked who tell darkly comedic stories, using high-octane physicality, new writing and a distinctive puppetry aesthetic, so for you risk-takers out there, try something new and come along to either of these pieces of striking new theatre.

Finally, bard-busters themselves, the Reduced Shakespeare Company will return with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). There will be young people’s theatre with the Shakespeare Youth Festival and Riverfront Youth Theatre show back. Families can choose from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Witch’s Bogey, Does a Monster Live Next Door and Dragon Fish. The Witch’s Bogey is during half-term, while the other three shows are on the first Saturdays of February, March and April. There’s a special offer for those of you who book for all four performances too! Classical music lovers will be delighted to know there will be a return visit from Sinfonia Cymru, a performance from violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and pianist Olga Sitkovetsky and the Doric String Quartet. Other music includes the incredible Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Pluck, who combine great humour and excellent musicianship will return with The Specialists, and former Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwell will perform an intimate gig in the studio theatre.

Newport Male Choir will perform at the Mayor’s St David’s Day Gala and The Buddy Holly and The Cricketers Show, Joe Brown, The Glenn Miller Orchestra and The Barron Knights all drop in again. There will be some Jazz with Harlem Hot Feet hosted by Tony Jacobs and don’t miss this season’s opera classic The Magic Flute by Swansea City Opera. BBC Radio 4’s Count Arthur Strong brings some comedic capers with The Musical? There will be extraordinary dance with Candoco, the leading contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers and cinema at its best with Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford, And When Did You Last See Your Father to name but a few of the great films this season. Don’t forget the array of workshops and art exhibitions The Riverfront offers and the regular monthly events, Comedy Shed the monthly comedy club night, First Wednesday lunchtime recitals and Second Wednesday public talks. There are loads of great special offers this spring season so be sure to contact Box Office on 01633 656757 for more details and to book tickets.

CHRISTMAS AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

The Morgan family held their festive celebrations at Tredegar House for over 500 years. Now you can step back in time and experience the very special atmosphere of Tredegar House at Christmas. Plans are well in advance for this year’s activities including a small Christmas market place created in the Lesser barn selling traditional punches, fruits and spices. Visitors will arrive at the Victorian entrance to the house, where they will be greeted by staff in period costume. The House will be decked out with traditional decorations of holly, ivy, mistletoe and seasonal fruits and spices. The traditional theme will be complimented by real Christmas trees each one lavishly decorated. In the Great Kitchen there will be a chance to stir the Christmas cake, as the cook prepares for the festive season. Mulled wine and mince pies are served in the Medieval Hall, seasonal music and merriment all add to the festive spirit.

The stables will be magically transformed into Santa’s grotto where he has a gift for every child. That is unless Scrooge, who is in his bedchamber, has cancelled Christmas – a threat he makes every year!

Christmas at Tredegar House will be held on the following dates:

Saturday 8^{th
and Sunday 9th December, 2pm – 5.30pm}

^{Thursday 13th and Friday 14th December,
6.30pm – 8pm}

^{Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th December, 2pm
– 5.30pm}

^{Tickets are £9 for adults and £3.50 for
children. Tickets are now on sale and booking in advance is strongly
advised to avoid disappointment. To book call 01633 656757.}

POLISH AND EAST EUROPEAN MARKET

Nov 16 - Running this Friday through to the Switch-on of the Christmas lights on Sunday, this is a first for Newport! This small market is new to the UK this Autumn and is selling a range of crafted goods including Russian Dolls, clocks, and traditional Christmas decorations and candles as well as foods such as dried sausages, sweets, breads, pancakes, soups and of course dumplings! It’s a perfect winter market from an area of Europe that creates Christmas Markets really well.

Wesołych Świąt! (That's Merry Christmas in Polish by the way!)

NEWPART SHOWCASE

Nov 16 - Newpart, the Newport arts forum, is putting on its next showcase on December 8th at Langton's Cafe Bar on Charles Street. The line up for the event includes some of the best local musical talent, from Ballbag Express, Bubbalicious, Lt Meat, Bosch, The Hallams, and (for one night only) the king of rock'n'roll - Elvis. There's also poetry from James Sadler of New State Radio , an installation from Starling Vendetta, backdrops from Ariel (Bosch), live painting and video art. Tickets are £4 on the door (£3 NUS).

For Newpart's other good works see here.

PUCCINI IN THE PORT

The ever marvellous Mid Wales Opera will be returning to The Riverfront after their sell-out Carmen in 2005, with Puccini’s La Boheme on Thursday 15 November at 7.30pm. There are still some tickets available, but act now, they are selling fast!

In Puccini’s most popular opera, his ravishingly beautiful score and celebrated arias brilliantly portray the passions, laughter and tragedies of the young bohemians. Few other operas succeed in engaging the audience’s emotions so powerfully, as the action flows swiftly from boisterous gaiety to heart-rending tragedy.

Once again award-winning Mid Wales Opera has assembled a cast of lively young singers from the National Opera Companies for another of their original and heart-warming productions.

Mid Wales Opera will be accompanied by Mid Wales Opera Chamber Orchestra and the Conductor will be Keith Darlington. La Boheme is directed by Director Martin Lloyd-Evans and designed by Bridget Kimak.

Mid Wales Opera is now firmly established as one of the foremost British touring opera companies. Tickets are priced £12.50, £17.50 and £19.50. To book, please contact Box Office on 01633 656675 or visit www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront

JOE STRUMMER MONTH AT RIVERFRONT

Joe Strummer Month Diary

Thursday 1 November

Opening of Josh Cheuse’s Joe Strummer photographic exhibition in

the gallery (this exhibition will be on for the whole of November)

7pm – 7.45pm Local band A470 will play their own tunes in the Art Gallery, as well as a Clash cover.

8pm Meeting Joe Strummer in the studio theatre

After-party in TJ’s (free entry with your Meeting Joe Strummer ticket)

Friday 2 November

7pm – 7.45pm Local band The Hyde will play their own tunes in the Art Gallery, as well as a Clash cover.

8pm Meeting Joe Strummer in the studio theatre

Saturday 3 November

7pm – 7.45pm Local band The Clay will play their own tunes in the Art Gallery, as well as a Clash cover.

8pm Meeting Joe Strummer in the studio theatre

Monday 12 November

7.45pm Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten in the cinema

Tuesday 13 November

7.45pm Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten in the cinema

Don't miss Joe Strummer Month November 07!

GLC DUO TO DJ FOR XFM

GCap Media's new Xfm station in south Wales will feature local DJs including Goldie Lookin Chain's Rhys and Eggsy and ex-Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable when it launches on November 29.

Rhys and Eggsy - part of the Newport collective behind songs such as Guns Don't Kill People Rappers Do and Your Mother's Got a Penis - will take on the drivetime show between 4pm and 7pm.

FIRST FILMS AWARD EVENING AT THE RIVERFRONT

Oct 22 - For the past eight months, groups of young people from all over Newport have been experiencing film-making first-hand by producing and crafting their own films with fantastic results!

In order to celebrate the achievements of these young people The Riverfront are hosting an "Oscars" ceremony, called the First Films Award Evening.

This will take place in the 493 seat theatre of The Riverfront on Wednesday 24 October 2007 at 7.30pm.

It will be a red carpet event, at which the films will be premiered and awards presented for various categories of film-making including best Documentary and best Director.

There will also be live music and performances by Holly Holyoake (Newport’s very own Kathryn Jenkins), A470 Battle of the Band Winners and Pentalk (in John Peel’s favourite top 50 band list).

CHRISTMAS MARKET DATES ANNOUNCED

Oct 2 - The Newport City Centre team has announced the dates of festive markets in the run up to Christmas. They are as follows:

CHRISTMAS ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIRS, Upper Gallery, Newport Indoor Market - DEC 1 & DEC 8

FARMERS MARKETS, Westgate Square, Commercial Street NOV 9,23, DEC 14 and 20

FRENCH MARKET, Commercial Street NOV 16-18.

EDITORS THIS THURSDAY NEWPORT CENTRE

Birmingham's finest The Editors are at Newport Centre, Newport (Thursday October 4): Support from Denmark’s critically-acclaimed The Kissaway Trail. Box Office: 01633 662666

ULTIMATE GIRLS NIGHT OUT

The Riverfront will host an extra performance of The Vagina Monologues in October because the first show has almost sold out! Following a sell-out performance last autumn, The Vagina Monologues smash-hit tour is returning with a different cast to the Riverfront on Tuesday 2 October and Wednesday 3 October at 7.30pm. The Vagina Monologues is an incredible collection of hilariously witty and moving stories, which guarantees to induce laughter and tears, touching women of all ages across the globe. Bring your mum, your best friend, your sister or even your granny – this is the ultimate girls’ night out…Since its first tour, The Vagina Monologues has been to more than 400 different theatres in the UK alone and continues to wow audiences throughout Britain.Tickets for The Vagina Monologues range from £12.50 to £16.50 and are available from the Box Office on 01633 656757 or by visiting www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront

A STUNNING, PLAYFUL AND DEVILISHLY SAUCY DRAMA…

The award-winning Kaos Theatre will make a return visit to The Riverfront with a brand new production based on Shakespeare’s classic text, A Midsummer Night’s Dream when it arrives on stage from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 October at 7.30pm.

Raunchy, physically fuelled and musical, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a sexy Shakespearean spectacle set to dazzle and amaze. Adapted and Directed by Xavier Leret, the production is set to star Matt Fraser as Puck, well known for appearing in Thalidomide The Musical.

As one of the UK’s most exciting band of theatre visionaries, Kaos continues to build on the success of Moll Flanders in 2005; this internationally acclaimed ensemble is destined for repeat success with this breath-taking and highly original performance. Don’t be an ass and miss out!

Tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream range from £7.50 to £12 and are available from the Box Office on 01633 656757 or by visiting: www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront. This show contains some nudity and is recommended for ages 15+

BANDS IN THE PARK LINE UP ANNOUNCED

Jul 26 - This summer Belle Vue Park will stage a series of seven free concerts every Sunday from 22nd July – 2nd September. The concerts will be great opportunity to spend your lazy Sunday afternoons, relaxing in the sun and listening to you favourite brass band. Our open spaces, historic building ,conservatory café and new bandstand offers a great place to unwind on a Sunday and listen to free live music. The following bands from across South Wales will be playing from 2.30pm – 5pm.

22nd JulyRisca Salvation Army Band29th JulyRogerstone Band 5th August Radyr and Morganstown Band 12th August Midnight Special Jazz & Blues 19th August Crosskeys Silver Band 26th August Newport Borough Band 2nd September Severn Tunnel Band Call 01633 656 757 for more information.

RIVERFRONT ANNOUNCE AUTUMN SEASON

Jul 8 - A wonderfully diverse autumn season at The Riverfront has just been announced. For theatre fans there’s another performance of The Vagina Monologues with a different cast, The Seagull by UWN, Picasso and Me by Mike Maran and as part of the Shakespeare season, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Kaos Theatre, Henry V for youngsters and The Shakespeare Revue.

Circus of Horrors will return with yet another new and gruesome show and for music buffs there’s something extra special with a season focusing on one-time Newport resident Joe Strummer. This season features screenings of Julien Temple’s film Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, the award-winning play Meeting Joe Strummer and there will also be a Joe Strummer exhibition in the Art Gallery. Think Floyd, The Searchers, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Ralph Mctell, Bev Bevan’s Move, The Blues Band and a family carol concert also join the programme. For classical music lovers The Riverfront will host another Celebrity Classical Concert Series and Sinfonia Cymru will pay a return visit. Mid Wales Opera return after a sell-out Carmen with La Boheme and there will be more opera with The Parson’s Pirate and Lights, Camera, Action which features opera favourites from the movies . For lovers of dance there will be another return visit by Diversions, the Darkin Ensemble will present Augustine and Independent Ballet Wales will perform The Bride of Flowers. There’s comedy with Marcus Brigstocke, Rhod Gilbert, Mark Steel and the Comedy Shed on the last weekend of every month and the infamous Welsh drug smuggler Howard Marks will be here with his new show Senor Nice.

Finally, for children there’s Mischief and Monster Hits and of course this year’s panto, Jack and the Beanstalk! Last year’s favourites Brian Hibbard and Lee Mengo, who played the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella will be returning, joining Ieuan Edwards from Pobl Y Cym and for those of you who remember Rainbow, Jane Tucker of ‘Rod, Jane and Freddy’ fame will also be joining the cast! Add to this, stacks of regular workshops, four exhibitions in the Art Gallery and some spectacular cinema screenings and it all adds up to a choc-full autumn season. For more information please call The Riverfront Box Office on 01633 656757 or visit www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront

EDITORS TO PLAY CENTRE

Jul 8 - Editors have announced their UK tour and will play a date at Newport Centre on Thursday, October 4. They are currently at number one in the album chart with their second long player An End Has A Start while the record’s lead single, Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors, landed at number seven. The Birmingham four-piece also played on The Other Stage at Glastonbury.

NEWPORT HAS GOT TALENT

Jul 3 - Red Dragon and Newport City Council are holding auditions for ‘Wales Has Got Talent’, an X-factor styled competition for children aged 8 – 16yrs old on Saturday 7th July between 12 – 2pm at the Newport Centre. Five talented children from the auditions judged by Red Dragons very own presenters will go through to the final at the Jumpin in July festival on Saturday 21st July, where they will perform live on the High Street Stage. One child will then go through to be crowned the winner of ‘Wales Has Got Talent’.

BLACK GOLD ON FILM

Fairtrade campaign organisers have arranged for hard hitting film ''Black Gold'' to be shown in Newport this summer.

The film is a hard hitting story of how multinational coffee companies dominate an $80 billion dollar industry, while at the same time coffee farmers cannot earn a decent living. It''s been highly praised.

Campaigners are anticipating the promotion of Fairtrade coffee on the day as well as inviting a key speaker to the event. The film also had the following awards Official selection 2006 Sundance Film Festival! - Official selection Rome film fest 2006! - Official Selection London Film Festival! Official Selection Rio De Janeiro International Film Festival!

Showing on 19th July The Studio @ The Riverfront NEWPORT The Riverfront Box Office, Bristol Packet Wharf, Newport, NP20 1 HG BOX OFFICE - (01633) 656757

PETE AND DUD CANCELLED

The Pete and Dud show scheduled for June 11 to 13 at the Riverfront has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

YIPPEE!!!! CITY TAKES PART IN DANCE FESTIVAL

May 20 - The Riverfront is looking forward to welcoming back The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs on Tuesday May 22 at 7.30pm for a return visit and an all new show "YIPPEEE!!!" This performance will also mark the Launch of Horizons, South Wales Dance Festival.

Take your seats and hold on tight as choreographer Lea Anderson presents her much acclaimed all-female Cholmondeleys and all-male Featherstonehaughs in "Yippeee!!!"

There will be live music by Yum Yum Band and it is a show that is not for the faint hearted! A Kaleidoscopic chorus line-graph of complex geometric production numbers and an elaborate Busby Berkeley-esque numbers, makes this one piece of physical theatre not to be missed. Glance sheepishly at your neighbours as the infectious Electro-squeak groove of Composer Steve Blakes new Yum Yum Band induces an involuntary yet fervent cry of "Yippeee!!!". South Wales is host to another superb programme of collective dance across five of its key venues this May and June, as Horizons Dance Festival presents an exhilarating range of international dance in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.

FOLK FESTIVAL

Newport will become the focus of UK folk culture this weekend when the city hosts one of the biggest music and dance festivals in the country.

The 18th annual Tredegar House and Park Folk Festival (Friday, May 11- Sunday 13) will feature dance bands from Sweden, Belgium and Ireland, as well as groups and singers which perform regularly on the European folk music circuit.

The festival is the most important in the calendar for local dance groups, with almost 20 putting on displays inside the historic house and its picturesque grounds.

ARTHUR MILLER CLASSIC AT THE RIVERFRONT

The Compass Theatre Company will perform The Price by Arthur Miller at the Riverfront on Tuesday 8 May and Wednesday 9 May at 7.30pm.

From Arthur Miller, one of the world’s greatest playwrights and the writer of Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View from a Bridge and All My Sons, comes a compelling and deeply-moving drama.

The Price is set in the attic of a Manhattan brownstone in 1968. Solomon, a 90-year-old antiques dealer, finds himself in the middle of an uneasy reunion between two long-estranged brothers.

The adult lives of these brothers have taken very different turns and rumbling away are the echoes of a long-gone disaster – the Wall Street crash.

For artistic director Neil Sissons, The Price is his 58th show for Compass and follows Hard Times, Moby Dick, The Seagull, The Rivals, The Winter’s Tale and Death Of A Salesman.

KASABIAN TO PLAY THE PORT

Kasabian have announced a one-off gig in Newport.

The mighty Leicester outfit will take to the stage at the Newport Centre in South Wales on June 21, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The gig is the day this year’s Glastonbury, for which Kasabian are one of the headliners, so the Newport date will be a nice warm up for them.

All proceeds from the gig will go towards Teenage Cancer Trust building the first Welsh unit at the University Hospital of Wales. "It's great we can support Teenage Cancer Trust and help them make a difference," said singer Tom Meighan.

"After meeting some of the teenagers with cancer at the Albert Hall gig, it really made us want to do more and this show will help the cause, we hope to do more with TCT in the future."

KASABIAN - according to NME.com "Taking their name from Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson's getaway driver for his brutal 1969 murders, Leicester based Kasabian fuse every influential period in British rock music from the last two decades. They took off after 2004's festival season, and their debut album charted at number four - leading to a support slot on Oasis' 'Don't Believe the Truth' tour."

SUMMER AT THE RIVERFRONT!

Apr 5 - April begins with a sell-out Mike Doyle show followed by magical Chamber Ensemble Academy of St Martin’s in the Fields. Welsh comedian Chris Corcoran arrives with some top notch stand-up and The Comedy Shed welcomes Richard Morton, Ninia Benjamin (3 non blondes) and Dave Fulton. If you like a bit of 60’s music then Reelinandarockin is the show for you.

In May, Hijinx Theatre are back with Ruling the Roost. This will be a new play for people with learning disabilities and community audiences alike. Their production Seize the Day received glowing reviews all round. Local funny lad Steve Williams will return to his native Newport for a homecoming gig which will make you giggle with pride.

Compass Theatre pay Newport folk another visit with The Price by all time great Playwright Arthur Miller. Joe Brown also makes a return visit with his wide array of musical genres to tempt many tastes and Roy Harper will be welcomed at The Riverfront for the first time. Leading authority obn the Holy Grail, Professor Roland Rotheram brings his lecture The Da Vinci Code: Righteous or Rubbish.

If Dance and Physical Theatre is your thing, or even if you’ve never been and you fancy trying something new, there are three spectacular companies for you to come along to...there’s Yippeee!!! by the all-female Cholmondeleys and the all-male Featherstonehaughs, Justitia by magnificent choreographer Jasmin Vardimon and in June there’s EDge, performed by the artists of tomorrow.

As for the rest of June, John Shuttleworth plans on cooking up a comedic feast on stage and Pete and Dud will be here; this is the first tour of the West End comedy celebrating one of the greatest British comedy partnerships of all time between Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. The people’s poet Pam Ayres returns to The Riverfront again with her new show In her Own Words which includes work from her recently published book. Waste in Space is a hilarious new one man show and for those disco divas out there...prepare for some Abba loving with Supertroupers.

The award winning local treasures, Independent Ballet Wales return with Coppelia in June and Perspectives in August. For schools there’s a return from the fantastic Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch with The Impossible Parents Go Green in both Welsh and English. Lower Machen Festival present Only Men Aloud who inject some new blood into the Welsh Male Voice Choir Tradition and then June is wrapped up with The Riverfront’s first annual Summer Open Weekend on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July. This is a free, two day event and there will be something to appeal to everyone with hands-on activities, performances from local talent and backstage tours.

Add this to the many workshops, great free exhibitions in the gallery, cinema screenings, regular monthly performances of First Wednesday Lunchtime Recitals, Second Wednesday Lectures and The Comedy Shed and there’s many reasons to come along to The Riverfront this sizzling summer season. And of course, you could always just come and bask in the sunshine on our café-bar terrace and watch the world go by...

TICKETS : 01633 656757

JUMPIN' IN JULY SET TO RETURN

The Jumpin’ in July programme of free Summer events in the city centre is taking shape with organisers committed this year to on street entertainment every weekend in July. Including in the line up is a Vintage Military Day with traditional entertainment and displays on High Street and Griffin Street, a children’s street theatre festival and urban youth day.

The Urban Youth Day is the brainchild of Newport’s online radio station Manger, Dennis who is working on providing opportunities for youngsters to have a go at DJing, MCing, Radio and broadcasting in various locations along Commercial Street and High Street. They’ll also be making use of a large stage for entertaining the crowds with hip hop and other youth music. The highlight of the month is the free music weekend towards the end July. In partnership with Red Dragon Radio, a roadshow and mad cap games are planned with both nights rounded off with fireworks. Cover band The Beached Boys went down well last year and a line up appealing to both families and early-night revellers is planned. Mike Hogan, organiser of the community circus skills activity, commented: “It’s great to be part of the free Jumpin’ in July entertainment this year. We had great success last summer in getting members of the public involved in plate spinning and juggling and will be out on the streets of Newport again.”

GREAT EXPECTATIONS AT THE RIVERFRONT!

Using only Charles Dickens' extraordinary words and a chameleon ensemble of eight actors, Neil Bartlett's powerful stage version of this much-loved story brings its settings and characters to thrilling theatrical life. From its opening image of little Pip, alone on the windswept marshes, to the haunted darkness of mad Miss Haversham's cobweb-strewn lair, this brand-new adaptation especially commissioned by Aberystwyth Arts Centre takes its audience on a journey right to the heart of Dickens' great exploration of childhood terrors and hopes - and of adult dreams and regrets. Neil Bartlett is one of the country's leading theatre-makers; his previous adaptations have been staged by the RSC and the National as well as regional theatres across Britain and America. Award winning director Alan Lyddiard was until last year Artistic Director of Northern Stage Ensemble, his recent productions touring to Wales have included Animal Farm and George Orwell's 1984. Alan started a two-year bursary, awarded by Arts Council England, in January of this year. The bursary allows Alan to work on a range of international arts projects as well as exploring new ways of working as a creative artist.

Dates: Friday 30 & Saturday 31 March at 7.30pm.

TICKETS: £7.50 - £14.50 AND ARE AVAILABLE BY CALLING THE BOX oFFICE ON 01633 656757.

HALL TO PLAY RIVERFRONT NEXT WEEK

Fringe favourite and Perrier Award winner, Rich Hall is going on tour around the UK with the one-man-and-a-mike show he first showcased at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival and he will making a return visit to The Riverfront on Tuesday 20 February at 8pm.

The man behind the redneck, jailbird character Otis Lee Crenshaw has made numerous live and television appearances to great acclaim in the UK and around the world and will be supported by Craig Campbell who has played The Riverfront’s Comedy Shed.

BOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR COMES TO NEWPORT

Jan 25 - A Bollywood filmmaker is searching for a Welsh actress to star in a movie to be filmed on location in Wales. Sandeep Marwah revealed his plans on a location viewing trip at the invite of the Welsh Assembly Government. "I am looking for a girl from Wales to be the opposite of [act with] Sanjay Kapoor in a Bollywood film," he said.

During his trip, he was shown sites like Tredegar House in Newport, Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan and the Blorenge landscape in Torfaen.

"I've been shown some fantastic locations and I would love to shoot in Wales," he said.

CHANDLERY RETAINS TOP HONOUR

Jan 25 - The Chandlery Restaurant has been awarded a Bib Gourmand in the latest Michelin Guide to restaurants in the UK and Ireland. Two restaurants in Wales receive Michelin stars (one in Powys, one in Monmouthshire). The Bib Gourmand is awarded to restaurants that provide good food at moderate prices. It has also added The Hardwick, Abergavenny to this section. The guide's restaurant ratings are probably the most recognised and influential gastronomic gradings in Europe. No restaurant in Cardiff currently features in the guide.

RIVERFRONT ANNOUNCE SPRING PROGRAMME

Jan 10 - A spectacular assortment of creative goodies are on offer at the Riverfront this spring.
Theatre offerings for this season begin when Pilot, who previously brought East is East to the Riverfront, will present Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads. This is a hard-hitting drama based in a pub during the last game at Wembley. As the game is played on the big screen, a racial divide is exposed and other rivalries come to the fore.

Next there’s Snow White and Rumble in the Jungle, which is a drama starring performers with learning disabilities. Black Atlas follows, telling the tale of two slaves in parallel and coincides with the bicentenary of the Parliamentary Bill passed to abolish the slave trade in the former British Empire.

Rounding off drama for spring is Aberystwyth Arts Centre Productions who bring to life Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. For families, Sixth Sense return after Toad’s Great Western Railway Adventure with Jabberwocky, a fun and creative production for youngsters aged seven and over. A notorious, female pirate is next to arrive with The Last Pirate, full of sword fights, battles and sea and treasure to be found.

The third piece of family fun will be Tattercoats about a girl who lives in a castle surrounded by the sea and what happens when she sets off to find out what lies beyond. For the music lovers there is a celebration of the best of Broadway and the West End with Masters of the Musical and Gerry (of Gerry and the Pacemakers fame) arrives with Gerry Cross The Mersey.

The Samba Story Tour 2007 toe-taps into the Riverfront with Os Sambistas and a celebration of Brazilian Music. Absolute Swing makes a return visit celebrating the music of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin and, for opera fans, Swansea City Opera will perform The Daughter of the Regiment.

There is also an awesome Gruff Rhys gig planned for February. The main songwriter for Wales’ most experimental band, Super Fury Animals, will be performing his new acoustic guitar and vocal album, Candylion. Comedy fans have plenty to tickle their fancy with a return visit from master of absurdist irony Rich Hall, Welsh comic wonder Rhod Gilbert and hotly-tipped as the funniest woman in the world, Sarah Kendall.

For those of you who are students, there is a special comedy 3 for 2 offer on these three shows. Pick up The Riverfront brochure for more details. Comedy Shed continues on the last Friday and Saturday of the month offering you a relaxed comedy club set up and this season welcomes Dave Fulton, Craig Campbell, Andy Askins and Richard Morton to name a few.

There’s dance aplenty with Newport-based Madhvi with Stretch, who performed at the Riverfront last year, and Protein Dance perform Big Sale - a fantastically fast-moving news show which is a satire on celebrity and consumer culture. For film buffs, cinema brings you everything from Casino Royale to Hollywoodland and Borat to Sixty Six.

MCFLY NAME DATE FOR NEWPORT GIG

Dec 7 - Chart-toppers McFly are set to play Newport Centre as part of their upcoming UK tour. The date has been confrmed as Friday March 30th. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday December 9th at 11am. McFly have had one No. 1 hit and three others in the top 5 since coming to prominence in 2004 following their performance as support act on tour for Busted.

Jack Frost & Friends Festive Parade

Saturday, 2nd December, Commercial Street & High Street

Midday onwards

Following the successful City Xmas light switch on attended by 6,000 the City has another family event planned.Co-ordinated by Malarky Arts and supported by Hasbro in the Community and Ezeeeplay, everyone is invited to come along and either take part or watch the parade as it makes it way through the city centre! Kids can dress up as ice imps, sprites or Santa’s helpers and take part in a enchanting afternoon of activity. A festive Punch & Judy and street entertainers will be amusing the kids from midday onwards.
The parade starts in John Frost Square at 4pm and moves through Commercial Street, finishing at the Welcome Stage on High Street where music is provided by Urban Circle and Newport Community Gospel Choir until 6pm.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON

Newport’s Christmas Lights switch on, which takes place on Sunday 19 November has assembled a medley of celebrities including Brian Hibbard, Isla St Clair and the rest of the cast who are performing in the popular Cinderella pantomime at The Riverfront, Red Dragon Radio presenters Tony Wright (MBE) and Matt Lissack to join the Mayor at the switch on stage at High Street.

The most recent addition to the dream team has come courtesy of Newport Gwent Dragons who confirmed that Welsh international Ian Gough will also be making an appearance.

VISIT NEWPORT'S DUNGEON

As part of the Halloween festivities Newportonians are being invited to visit the City's dungeon. The area in the cellar of the Indoor Market was recently used in the filming of Dr. Who. The tour is said to be ideal for little horrors aged between 5-13, grown ups and and parents who dare. It is free. The dungeons were used over a hundred years ago to house prisoners. Contact 01633 265069 for details.

ART IN THE PARK

Oct 18 - Saturday morning art classes are going to be launched in the newly renovated Belle Vue Park Pavilion.Those taking part will learn how to paint trees and landscape from sketches and photographs in a picturesque setting.Classes will begin on Saturday 11 November, between 10am-12pm. The duration of the course will be six weeks. Fee £21.90 (concessions available).Further information is available from the City Council on 01633 656656.

RIVERFRONT TO HOST INTERNATIONAL PIANISTS

Oct 10 - Six of the world’s finest young pianists will compete at an international competition at the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre in Newport on October 11-14. The Newport International Competition for Young Pianists is a triennial event open to pianists under 25 years of age.The first of two semi-finals will be held on Wednesday 11 October and will feature performances by Melissa Gore, Youki Bessho, and Jordi Farran-Lapeña.

The following night, Ishay Shaer, Miho Kawashima, and Sarah Hiller will compete for a place in the final, which will be held on Saturday 14 October.During the final, concertos by the three chosen finalists will be performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Jac van Steen.

COLIN JONES RETROSPECTIVE AT CITY GALLERY

Oct 4 - Described as one of the most promising artists of his generation Colin Herbert Beyne Jones was born in Newport in 1928. He became both an accomplished landscape and portrait painter but found painting commissioned work too restrictive.Many of his paintings feature the Welsh industrial landscape and the valleys of south Wales. Included in his most notable work is Pit Head Funeral, which was painted shortly after the Aberfan Disaster, which had a profound affect on him.
Born an Anglican he was received into the Catholic Church by the chaplain of Cardiff University Fr Leo Caesar, who he later captured in oils. Jones was said to be fond of abstract discussion, primarily regarding Catholicism and Wales, both of which inspired his art. He frequently visited the Languedoc region of France, where he sketched and painted local Catholic nuns and churches. He also completed a beautiful series of murals for a Catholic church in Newport. The Colin Jones retrospective recently opened at Newport City Art Gallery and runs until November 18.

CROW POINT FESTIVAL (INCLUDING GLC)

GLC - Headline Crow Point Festival SEP 16 - The two day festival of music and entertainment to celebrate the centenary of Newport's Transporter Bridge starts tomorrow. The event is expected to attract 15,000 spectators. For more details refer to the festival website at http://www.crowpoint.co.uk/

ZUTONS TO PLAY NEWPORT CENTRE

Aug 22 - Leading indie band the Zutons are to play Newport Centre as part of their UK tour on November 12. The Liverpool outfit enjoyed major chart success with their debut album originally titled "Who killed the Zutons?"

ALL STAR CUP LINE-UPS CONFIRMED

Aug 22 - Dallas star Patrick Duffy and Hollywood actor William Baldwin are among a host of stars to tee off in Ant and Dec's celebrity golf tournament. They are joining rocker Alice Cooper and The Usual Suspects' Chazz Palminteri on Team USA.

The All Star Cup takes place this Bank Holiday weekend at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. Last year a European team led by Catherine Zeta Jones stormed to victory.

The line-up for Team Europe includes Bruce Forsyth, Ronan Keating, James Nesbitt, Bradley Walsh, Ross Kemp and Chris Evans. Ronnie Corbett will provide the commentary. The US side also includes former Olympic athlete Michael Johnson, actors Richard Burgi (Teri Hatcher's ex-husband Karl in Desperate Housewives) and Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler in The West Wing) and Irish screen heart-throb Aidan Quinn.

The final three Team USA players, captained by professional golfer Todd Hamilton, will be announced live on Saturday's launch show on ITV1, hosted by Ant and Dec.

ROBBIE TO PLAY AT CELTIC MANOR?

Aug 7 - Superstar Robbie Williams has booked a week off from his European tour - to play golf at Newport's Celtic Manor Resort. Robbie, 32, has signed up for Ant and Dec's ITV celebrity golf tournament this August for the second year running. Alice Cooper will join the US team for the event starting on August 26.

Reigning champions Europe, will be led for the second year by Scot Colin Montgomerie. Ex-Eastenders star Ross Kemp, DJ Chris Evans, model Jodie Kidd, actor James Nesbitt and singer Ronan Keating will also play.

NEW NEWPORT TOP 20 LAUNCHED

JUL 31 - The Urban Circle Crew, online radio station has contined to provide an innovative internet based alternative to the dross that passes for local radio on the AM/FM dial.

The Crew recently performed in John Frost Square at the opening of Refugee Week as part of a multi-national stage showcase featuring art, music and dance.

Now the station has announced plans to launch the first ever NEWPORT TOP 20 MUSIC CHART. This it is said will be similiar to the internationally known Billboard Charts, playing all genres and based on a weekly voting system.

You can hear the Urban Circle Crew on http://www.urbancircle.co.uk/

Last updated 12.5.06

Hey Newport!!!!!!!!!!! There is a rocking gig in Tredegar House!!!! Tomorrow there is a folk festival in Tredegar House and it is held every year. I learn the guitar and I will be playing . There will be a review on the folk festival on this website so get ready for a rocking review tomorrow!

HEY NEWPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This page is the Newport beat! ( not all music!) This time we have written about the BEST stage school in South Wales! Do any of you remember a band called the Darling Buds ??????? Well, the lead singer (Andrea Lewis) and a professional actor (Jamie Jarvis) have opened a stage school called CAST (Children's Academy of Stage Training) in Caerleon Comprehensive school. It is just sooo good and holds lots of brilliant performances. In the Summer there was Bugsy Malone and soon there will be HONK!!! I am really enjoying going to CAST because it is sooo enjoyable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So if you are age 5-15 and are interested go to http://www.thecast.org/

There is also another CAST held in Whitchurch High School in Cardiff.

wWwW

Status by Emma Henley and Rachel Bishop - Riverfront

TRANSPORTER BRIDGE SET TO RE-OPEN

ToyPOP!

A Brush With Light Takes Photography Back to Basics

CITY YOUTH CHOIR ESTABLISHED

NoFit State brings circus act to Newport Market

DRAMA GIVES SCHOOLCHILDREN AN ANTI-DRUGS MESSAGE

NEW NEWPORT BAND MAKING WAVES

LEARN MORE ABOUT CITY'S PAST

FASHION LIVE WALES RETURNS TO NEWPORT

DIRTY SANCHEZ STAR BREAKS ARM IN SKATEBOARD ACCIDENT

Wales National Poet Presents Prizes to Writers

LEGENDARY FILM DIRECTOR JOINS UNI FILM MAKING EVENT

Youngsters Show off Artwork Created Aboard Newport Ship

Join in and Celebrate the pioneers of democracy

Dates: 10,11,12,17,18 & 19 April at 7.30pm Saturday 12 & Saturday 19 April at 3pm Prices: £15, Reductions £12, CLC £11.50, special offer for NP postcodes on 10,11,12 April £10, Reductions £7, CLC £6.50 Venue: Spaceship big top, Tredegar Park, Disabled access- Tel 01633 656757 for tickets

Dates: 10,11,12,17,18 & 19 April at 7.30pm
Saturday 12 & Saturday 19 April at 3pm
Prices: £15, Reductions £12, CLC £11.50, special offer for NP postcodes on 10,11,12 April £10, Reductions £7, CLC £6.50
Venue: Spaceship big top, Tredegar Park, Disabled access- Tel 01633 656757 for tickets