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FOOD FESTIVAL SUCCESS
Oct 7 - Despite the poor
weather thousands thronged the streets of the city centre to support the
Tiny Rebel sponsored Food Festival yesterday.
JOBS FAIR
Oct 4 -Newport City
Council is holding a jobs fair on Thursday 11 October between 10am and
2pm in Newport Centre.
Hundreds of jobs will be on offer again at the event which is organised
by the council's Work Based Learning Academy (CHECK) in partnership with
Jobcentre Plus.
A range of businesses will be looking for new recruits, including
Admiral, Allied HealthCare, Amberport Security, JD Sports, HMRC, Q Care
and many more in a range of sectors at the event in Kingsway.
Last year more than 1,500 people visited the jobs fair in Newport Centre
and the feedback from both businesses and those looking for work was
extremely positive.
Councillor Gail Giles, Newport City Council's cabinet member for
education and skills, said: "Assisting people into employment is a high
priority. This follows an extremely successful similar event in Pill in
the summer and our previous annual events in the city centre.
BANDS HEADING TO CENTRE
Aug 25 - The Wombats head
to Newport Centre on January 28 to play material from their new album
'Beautiful People
Will Ruin Your Life', tickets are on sale on Thursday on the
Ticketmaster site from 9am. Tickets are already on sale for the US boy
band Why Don't We in Newport on October 24.
INTO THE ARK HEADLINE
PORTSTOCK
Aug 16 - Portstock will be
a celebration of live music for Newport and the surrounding area whilst
being a fundraising income stream for St David’s Hospice Care. It aims
to raise awareness of the many services that St David’s provides
locally, whilst giving supporters a great family day out. On August 18
in Tredegar Park, Into The Ark headline.
BEACH RETURNS
Aug 5 - John Frost Square
will be transformed into a beach between August 21 and 27 after the
success of last year's event.
NEWPORT BOROUGH CLAIM
BRASS HONOUR
Aug 5 - Newport Borough
Brass Band claimed first prize in the National Eisteddfod Brass Band
section 2 in Cardiff yesterday.
BIG SPLASH RETURNS
July 7 - The Big Splash
family street theatre festival is returning to Newport for a weekend of
FREE family fun on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July 2018. Expect a weekend
jam-packed with dare-devil performances, immersive experiences and
plenty of laughs as performances pop up in six Big Splash zones across
the city centre, transforming Newport into one gigantic outdoor stage!
TRANSPORTER BRIDGE
FUND-RAISER
Jun 10 - An evening of
entertainment to kick start a public fund raising push to secure the
future of Newport’s Transporter Bridge takes place this month. The
longest day of the year – Thursday, 21 June – has been chosen to
celebrate an evening opening of the bridge when people can watch the sun
going down from the upper level by walking over the top until sun down
at 9.30pm.
The City of Newport Male Choir will be performing at the event and
regular bridge crossings will continue into the evening until 7.30pm
followed by the special ticketed event with pedestrian only gondola
crossings from 8pm until 9.30pm.
Tickets are limited and those interested need to register in order to
get a ticket on the night, £5 for adults and £3 for children. To express
your interest and reserve your ticket please e-mail
transporter.bridge@newport.gov.uk
with your contact details and number of tickets required. (Please note
the event will only go ahead if the weather allows). Newport City
Council and the Friends of the Bridge, which is a registered charity,
are organising this special event to ask the local community to support
the fund-raising initiative to raise £100,00.
CARERS EVENT
Jun 8 - Newport City
Council is holding free events including afternoon tea and an art
session to mark Carers Week 2018 next week.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of carers,
highlight the challenges they face and recognise the contribution they
make, not just to families but to communities.
Places at the Newport events will be allocated on a first come, first
served basis but can be booked by telephoning 01633 235650 or email
community.connectors@newport.gov.uk . Barnardo's is also holding a
number of events for young carers and young adult carers during the
week. The Council recognises the dedication of the 17,319 carers in the
city and a warm welcome awaits them at the events from the carers team.
There will be an opportunity to meet other carers for a chat and find
out what support is available.
The programme in Newport is as follows:
Monday 11 June - 1pm to 3pm, afternoon tea in the Bellevue Park
conservatory and tea rooms. Carers are invited to meet other carers for
refreshments and a chat.
Tuesday 12 June - 10.30am to12pm, a social breakfast for carers in The
Pot in Newport Arcade, High Street.
Thursday 14 June - 10am to 1.30pm, art session and light lunch in The
Riverfront. Carers can enjoy a creative time and no previous experience
is needed.
The council's community connectors carers team will be in Central
Library in John Frost Square between 10am and 2pm on Friday 15 June
offering support, advise, information or just join them for a chat.
Carers Week also sees the launch of new drop in session at Central
Library on the second and fourth Friday of the month between 10.30am and
12.30pm.
RHONDDA RIPS IT UP!
May 26 - Rhondda Rips It
Up! will premiere at The Riverfront, in Newport, on June 7 with opera
star Lesley Garrett at the helm before starting a UK tour. Speaking
about the project, Jayne Bryant AM for Newport said: “Lady Rhondda was
an inspirational figure. A Newport suffragette who went on to have a
national influence. She never stopped campaigning all her life and
fought for the rights that we have today.
More about Lady Rhondda
here
SUFFRAGETTE EXHIBITION
May 25 - To mark the
centenary of the passing of the Representation of the Peoples Act
(1918), which gave 8.4 million women in Britain the vote, Newport Museum
and Art Gallery will be rotating our small collection of women's
suffrage banners. At any one time, two banners will be on display, one
in the Museum and one in the Art Gallery. Until Dec 29
CAR RALLY BACK IN JUNE (PICS
OF THE EVENT HERE)
May 25 - A classic car
rally is set to return to Newport city centre. The Festival of Classics,
first staged by the Newport Now Business Improvement District in the
city centre last year, takes place on Saturday, June 9, from 11am to
4pm.
High Street, Commercial Street and Griffin Street will be closed from
9am to 5pm to allow the event to take place safely.
MARKET TO HOST FOOD
FAIR
Mar 31 - Newport Market
will host a fair featuring vegan food and cruelty free products - with
some prehistoric fun for children - on April 7.
Stalls offering hot and cold food, make-up and gifts will be upstairs in
the gallery from 10.30am to 4pm.
Those taking part will include Babita's Spice Deli, serving gluten-free
Asian cuisine; Mr Nice Pie; Lotties Vegan Bakery; Eat Petite Bakes;
Welshman's Lunch; Jane's Better Butter; Rosie's Raw Foods; Happy Daisy
and Handlebar Barista Brew Bar.
Skin care stalls will include Neal's Yard Remedies, Tropic Skin Care and
Do Terra Oils.
A free kid's craft corner will help keep the younger members of the
family amused. It will have a prehistoric theme with dinosaur figures
and soft toys; colouring books and stickers. Children are also invited
to dress up.
There are still opportunities for stall holders who would like to take
part, particularly if they sell vegan burgers, pizza or chocolate. Free
space is being offered to animal rescue centres.
PARTY IN THE PARK
TAKING SHAPE
Mar 9 - Top musical talent
will be descending on Newport in the summer for a festival in Tredegar
Park. Soul II Soul, the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club and Aswad will
be taking to the stage of Party At The Park on Friday, July 13.
Organised by the team who brought Billy Ocean to Rodney Parade in 2017,
the festival has been moved to Tredegar Park for its second edition.
Tickets for the festival go on sale at 9am on Monday, March 12 and those
wishing to attend can pre-register for discounted tickets.
SUFFRAGETTE EXHIBITION
Mar 7 - To mark the
centenary of the passing of the Representation of the Peoples Act
(1918), which gave 8.4 million women in Britain the vote, Newport Museum
and Art Gallery will be rotating a small collection of women's suffrage
banners. At any one time, two banners will be on display, one in the
Museum and one in the Art Gallery.
ORIGINAL PEOPLE'S POET
AT RIVERFRONT
Feb 25 - There are still a
small number of tickets available for John Cooper Clarke at the
Riverfront on Friday - tickets £16-£20. The original people's poet mixes
riffs, classic verse, punk ponderings in his view of life, music, art.
RECORD STORE DAY TO BE
SUPPORTED WITH FREE MUSIC IN CITY
Feb 23 - Diverse Music &
Vinyl, in conjunction with Newport Now are hosting a free multi-venue
event across six venues in Newport City Centre for Record Store Day 2018
on Saturday 21st April! 20 bands and performers will be performing in Le
Pub, Slipping Jimmy's Bar&Grill, Ye Olde Murenger House. Tiny Rebel
Newport, McCann's Rock N Ale Bar and The Gallery Space.
CIRCUS OF HORRORS
VAUDEVILLE
Jan 21 - It stormed into
the finals of Britain’s Got Talent,now a West End and worldwide hit!
Awoken by the Ouija board, a voodoo curse causes devastation in New
Orleans! While the city sleeps, the night creatures rule the underworld
with bizarre circus acts, devilish rock and the darkest of magic.
“Youhave to see this, one day something will go wrong, and you’ll want
to say you were there when it did” Graham Norton
Riverfront - Tuesday 23
January at 7.30pm
Tickets - £24, concessions - £21, restricted view - £15
Running time approximately 2 hours
Age guide – 16+
THEATRE EVENT COUNTDOWN
Dec 17 - The countdown has
begun to next year’s Wales Theatre Awards,(WTAs), which will be held in
Newport for the first time. The annual event will take place at The
Riverfront on January 27, 2018, and the South Wales Argus will be one of
the show’s many partners. Billed as the celebration of the best in
theatre, opera and dance from across the nation, the ceremony will
present winners with coveted trophies while offering an evening of
entertainment for some of Wales’ finest new and established performers.
UB40 SET FOR CENTRE
SWITCH
Dec 11 - Originally
planned for the Neon some
fans ave been left disappointed after an upcoming concert has been moved
to a new venue and on a new date. The
December 14 show has now been moved to the Newport Centre and is set to
take place on Tuesday, December 12. The ticket price of the event has
also increased from £37.50 to £41.53.
Dec 12 - Jan 7 Ice
Skating
Tickets from £8.50 for children aged 3 - 12 years and from £10.50
for adults. Full non-refundable, non-transferable pre-payment required
at the time of booking. A booking fee of .80p per ticket plus a £2
transaction fee for the total order.
Location : Celtic Manor Resort
Price : Children from £8.50, adults from £10.50
MARILYN MANSON SET TO
ROCK NEWPORT CENTRE ON DEC 8
Dec 3 - Friday night sees
notorious rock star Marilyn Manson play Newport Centre in a sold out
concert as part of a short tour. He is supported by Amazonica. The star
is continuing to work towards walking again after a nasty on-stage
accident. The Antichrist Superstar rocker had his leg snapped in two
places back in September when a piece of his stage set collapsed onto
him. The tour is promoting his new album Heaven Upside Down.
MAINDEE LIBRARY VENUE
FOR FIRST MINISTER BOOK LAUNCH
Nov 26 - A launch event
for the autobiography of former first minister Rhodri Morgan, who died
in May, will be held at Newport's Maindee Library. The event at the
library in Chepstow Road on Friday, December 8, will be presented
by Newport East AM John Griffiths. Mr Morgan's widow and Cardiff North
AM Julie Morgan and ITV Wales' Adrian Masters (a local resident) will
also be in attendance to discuss the book at the former first minister's
storied life.
BEAUTIFUL SOUTH DUO HEAD FOR CENTRE
Nov 26- The Beautiful
South stars Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott are heading to Newport
tomorrow on a UK tour to coincide with the release of their new album,
Wisdom, Laughter and Lines. This record is the second from Paul and
Jacqui following the critically acclaimed What Have We Become, which saw
them return together on record for the first time since the
multi-million selling days of The Beautiful South, who in the 1990s and
early 2000s released a string of critically-acclaimed records.
Paul also had resounding success with The Housemartins and was
responsible for writing hits such as 'Rotterdam', 'Don’t Marry Her' and
'Perfect 10'. The concert is at the Newport Centre.
COLEMAN KEEPS HIS
PROMISE
Nov 19 - Despite obvious
distractions outgoing Wales manager Chris Coleman kept his promise to
the people of Newport by turning on the lights for the 10,000 or so
attending the Christmas celebrations in the city centre last night. He
departs the international job to return to league football with
Championship sleeping giants Sunderland having guided Wales to the semi
final of Euro 2016. Speaking to Polly James he said he would like to see
a "passionate Welshman" succeed him. Coleman was joined by Into the Ark
and a host of other acts and entertainments as Newport celebrated the
start of the Christmas season.
LESLIE THOMAS EVENT
Nov 18 - LESLIE THOMAS
FILM : CWTSH NEWPORT (cwtsh.org) presents film makers MONTY & TOM DART
talking about & showing their film on the the life and work of Newport
born writer, LESLIE THOMAS, author of THE VIRGIN SOLDIERS Dec 1st, 2017.
7.30 pm. £3-00. Licensed bar.
Since its closure as the
Stow Hill Library by Newport City Council in March 2013, a small
committed band of volunteers have been working together to re-open it.
This vision was finally achieved at the beginning of April 2015, when
the newly refurbished community arts space that is Cwtsh opened its door
to the public for the first time.
A ‘community library’ and arts space (but not as we know it Jim!), Cwtsh
is a not very big ‘white box’ designed to accommodate a wide variety of
arts, crafts, literary, educational and recreational activities. Not
simply a library as before, although we will continue to host a small
children’s library.
CHRISTMAS AT TREDEGAR
HOUSE
Nov 12 - Tredegar House
will be decked out with lavish traditional decorations to get you in the
festive spirit in time for Christmas. Travel through time at Tredegar
House this Christmas as they explore traditions past and present. Get
stuck into traditional Christmas activities, soak of the festive
atmosphere and treat yourself to a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.
Booking not needed. Wrap up warm - scarves and mittens will be essential
to enjoy the festivities across the whole site.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tredegar-house. Admission £8.36 adults,
£4.18 children
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Sat 25 - Sun 26 Nov 2017 |
10:30 to 16:00 |
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Wed 29 Nov - Sun 3 Dec 2017 |
10:30 to 16:00 |
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Wed 6 - Sun 10 Dec 2017 |
10:30 to 16:00 |
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Wed 13 - Sun 17 Dec 2017 |
10:30 to 16:00 |
FLATMATES HEAD TO LE
PUB
Nov 12 - The Flatmates,
part of the mid-1980s British indie pop boom, head to Le Public Space on
High Street on Wednesday 15 November. They were part of The Subway
Organization, a Bristol record label formed by Martin Whitehead.
GALLERY SPACE TO
SHOWCASE EVENTS
Nov 11 - The Gallery Space
is hoping to run events ranging from film nights to musical
performances, according to a report in the South Wales Argus. David
Daniel, of The Escape Rooms, said they had the idea after having a
screening of the Alien movie in there in Hallowe’en night, with food and
drink provided by brewery Tiny Rebel and Sicily to Seattle. A further
event will include a Die Hard Christmas special.
CITRUS ARTS HEAD TO
NEWPORT
Nov 11 - A professional
development opportunity is being provided for performers in Newport with
Citrus Arts. This Creative Aerial weekender is aimed at Dancers who want
to expand their repertoire into aerial work, and commence a creative
journey with new ways of using alternative centres of gravity. This
workshop will introduce you to the cross over style of Citrus and will
be a good opportunity to meet the company and see whether this is an
area of practice you want to further develop.
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th December at Wern industrial estate in
Rogerstone £35-60. The details are on the Citrus Arts website.
PANTO TICKETS SELLING
FAST
Nov 4 - Tickets for the
traditional holiday pantomime are selling fast at Newport's Riverfront
(this is not fake publicity we have checked, particularly in the week
before Christmas). ALADDIN - THE RIVERFRONT PANTO 2017-18, runs from
uesday 5th December 2017 to Sunday 7th January 2018. A whole host of
colourful characters join him in his story as he struggles to see that
good is rewarded and that bad is punished. There's wicked Abanazar who
tells everyone that he is the long lost brother of Widow Twankey's late
departed brother Dafydd. There's the beautiful Princess Jasmine and her
slightly domineering mother, the Empress Double Chinn. And at
Suds-U-Like poor old Widow Twankey and Wishee Washee must wash a
mountain of smalls for the Royal Wedding. Full of song, dance, drama and
spectacle, this year's panto at The Riverfront offers two hours in the
company of some of the greatest characters in the world of pantomime
fighting the good fight in some of the most exotic places.
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ARTIST JOHN SELWAY DIES
Nov 4 - An artist with significant
links to Newport has died. John Selway passed way earlier this
week. A contemporary of David Hockney and Peter Blake at the
Royal College of Art in the 1960s, he was a senior lecturer at
the Newport School of Art for many years.
He died in Abertillery, where his striking 15-piece Stations of
the Cross is on permanent display at St Michael's church. His
piece 'Innocents Abroad' is on display in Newport Museum and Art
Gallery. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University
of South Wales in 2017.
Selway's art, which as well as print-making and painting, also
included sculpture and engraving, led to collaborations with
several writers. Subjects included the Holocaust and post-war
Europe, while he was also fascinated with his home country Wales
and the writings of Dylan Thomas.
He had been been born in Askern, Yorkshire but the family moved
back to their home town Abertillery when he was three. |
NEWPORT EVENTS COMING
UP
Oct 21 - Dragon Pro brings
more high flying wrestling action to Newport, featuring WWE:UK stars
MARK ANDREWS and THE BRUISERWEIGHT: PETE DUNNE
on SUNDAY 3rd DECEMBER
at The Neon
UB40
are at the Neon on 14th December on their 'Towns and Cities Tour'.
Tribute shows include Shirley Bassey (Nov 4), Spice Girls (Nov 25), ELO
(Nov 18) and the Beatles (Dec 21). Two Rude host their Christmas show on
Friday December 8.British blues guitarist Chantel McGregor is in town on
December 11. Newport Centre hosts Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott
on November 27 and Marilyn Manson on December 8. The Riverfront
hosts comedy from the Comedy Shed (Oct 27), Sofie Hagen (Nov 9), Rich
Hall (Nov 10) and Ellie Taylor (Nov 19), music from the Cann Twins (Nov
5) and Sinfonia Cymru/Michael Petrov (Oct 29), ballet from Ballet Cymru
(Nov 3 and 4) one man / woman shows from Michael Portillo (Nov 6) Ned
Boulting (Nov 17), Saba
Douglas Hamilton (Nov 11) and tribute concerts for Neil Diamond (Oct28)
and Spandau Ballet (Nov 18). Slippin' Jimmy's welcomes the Royal
Valentines (Nov 24). The Dolman Theatre presents Sister Act (Oct
25-28) Musicals and Memories (Nov 2-4) and the Trial of Edward Byfleet
(Nov 8-11).
THOUSANDS ATTEND FOOD
FESTIVAL
Oct 7 - Thousands visited
Newport Food Festival yesterday to confirm the popularity of the event.
Sixty stalls lined the end of Commercial Street, Bridge Street and all
the entirety of High Street with demonstrations and specialist stalls in
Newport Market. The event provided a boost for High Street traders but
also brought increased trade along Commercial Street and within Friars
Walk, both main car parks were full at various times.
NATIONAL LIBRARIES WEEK
Oct 7 - A host of events
for all ages are due to take place in and around Newport to celebrate
National Libraries Week. And for youngsters who took part in our Summer
Reading Challenge there is a special event taking place on Saturday, 7
October.
Shoo Rayner, who has written and illustrated hundreds of children’s
books and has had more than 30 million views on his YouTube drawing
videos, will be the special guest at the celebration at the Riverfront
Theatre with two sessions – one at 9.30am and one at 11am.
Youngsters who received a Summer Reading Challenge medal can book for
this event at any library, just take your medal with you when you do.
On Monday, 9 October award winning romantic suspense novelist Evonne
Wareham will be visiting Malpas Library from 5.30pm so go along and say
hello. This event is free. Traditional storytelling with a theme of
myths and legends will be given a modern twist by Carl Gough, who will
be at Caerleon Library on Tuesday, October 10 from 7.15pm. All welcome
and admission is free.
Screen writer and crime author M R Hall is the guest speaker at
Rogerstone Library on Wednesday, October 11. Again admission is free.
Bettws Library will be hosting an afternoon event on Thursday, October
12 at 2.30pm when Andrew Hemmings, author of ‘Secret Newport’ will be on
hand to reveal hidden facts that even the most local person doesn’t
know!
In the evening of Thursday, 12 October, radio presenter, sports
commentator and author Phil Steele will be at Newport’s Central Library
at 7.15pm.
Come along and hear what Phil has to say. Admission is £5 and includes a
glass of wine.
The week ends with a Fun Day at Central Library on Saturday, 14 October
running from 10am until 3pm.
Youngsters can enjoy face painting, balloon making, storytelling, crafts
and much more. Admission is free and everyone is very welcome to join in
the activities.
Newport City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure,
Councillor Debbie Harvey, said she is delighted the city’s libraries are
hosting events to celebrate National Libraries Week.
“I would like to congratulate everyone who took part in the Summer
Reading Challenge who won a medal for their efforts. It is great to see
youngsters enjoying the wide variety of books on offer.
“I hope people will also take advantage of the events taking place to
mark National Libraries Week, most of which are free and offer a wide
variety of talks and entertainment for all age groups.
“Our libraries play an important part in local communities and we hope
people will take the chance to explore what is on offer not just this
week but all year round,” said Cllr Harvey.
UBER EATS SERVICE
STARTS TODAY
Oct 5 - Uber is bringing
its food delivery service to another Welsh city meaning hungry residents
can get their favourite meals with the touch of an app. UberEATS, an
on-demand food delivery service, is launching today (Thursday, October
5) in Newport and it'll be working with 15 restaurants in the city.
“We’re hugely excited to be launching in Newport today. People in the
city can now use UberEATS to get the food they want, when they want it,
in just 30 minutes or less," said Mathieu Proust, general manager of
UberEATS.
TINY REBEL SUPPER AS
CITY GETS READY FOR FOOD FESTIVAL
Sep 29 - On 2 and 3
October, Tiny Rebel, headline sponsors of the Newport Food and Drink
Festival, will be hosting a special supper at their brewery in
Rogerstone.
It promises to be an experience to remember with fantastic food
alongside award-winning beers.
Executive chef Rickie Ash has packed the menu with locally sourced
ingredients, and created dishes full of warm, spicy, and autumnal
flavours.
Each of the five courses will be served with one of Tiny Rebel’s tasty
beers, selected by their experts to complement each dish – making the
evening that extra bit special. The fully-stocked bar will have plenty
of wine and spirits on offer as well.
This is a real feast for foodies and an unmissable event in Newport’s
culinary calendar.
For more information and to view the full menu visit
www.tinyrebel.co.uk
Tickets cost £45 per head and must be booked in advance from Eventbrite
.
ACTOR TAKES THE BATON
Sep 4 - Newport actor
Gareth David-Lloyd is no stranger to Dr Who and Torchwood fans for his
portrayal of Ianto Jones.
And Gareth is joining in the celebrations in the city next month when we
play host to the Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the Gold Coast
Commonwealth Games in 2018.
He will be joining a host of local people who will be parading the Baton
through Newport on the morning of Wednesday 6 September. Among the Baton
bearers is Howard Mason, 51, the event director for Parkrun Newport, a
well known and respected member of the running fraternity in the city
having set up Caerleon Running Club in 2003.
LIFE'S A BEACH IN
NEWPORT CITY CENTRE
Aug 26 - 11 tonnes of sand
has been dumped in Newport City Centre as part of a bank holiday weekend
plan to create a beach there for shoppers and residents. Newport BID
also plan to hand out 600 sticks of rock.
FOOD FESTIVAL SET FOR
OCTOBER 7
Aug 23 - The Tiny Rebel
Newport Food and Drink Festival returns to the city centre on Saturday 7
October 2017. Last year’s event saw around 14,000 people flock to the
city centre for the Tiny Rebel Newport Food and Drink Festival 2016. 70
stall holders are already signed up for this year's event. It should be
a busy day coinciding with Newport County's match with Yeovil.
Traders, chefs and entertainers braved some seasonal wet weather and
provided culinary delights, packed out demonstrations and brought smiles
to the crowds.
Hywel Jones, patron of the food festival and executive chef at Lucknam
Park Hotel and Spa, said: “…it really felt like we’d ‘got it’ – Newport
and the food festival has achieved so much in just a few years and I’m
very proud to have been involved.”
TINY REBEL SUCCESS
Aug 10 - Tiny Rebel
scooped top prizes at the Great British Beer Festival and was named as
the overall third best beer in Britain.
Tiny Rebel's red ale Cwtch - which was named Champion Beer of Britain in
2015 - won the gold award in the Best Bitters category and was third
overall in the best beer category.
NEW RESTAURANTS AND
CAFES
Aug 9 - An artisan-style
grilled cheese shop - called Holy Cheesus - is heading to Newport. The
new venue , found on Bridge Street, will be aimed at commuters and the
lunchtime office crowd.
A new restaurant is coming to High Street, and it'll be stocking steak
from Argentina along with Welsh Celtic Pride beef.
The team behind Mojo the FoodBar , Niche Hospitality, is set to launch a
new venue, Sixteen, in the city centre, which is being described as an
"innovative sharing eatery". It opens on September 30.
LE PUBLIC SPACE
July 23 - Le Pub has been
born again as part of the new Le Public Space on High Street in the
former Argus/Front Page building. The building has been converted into
an entertainment venue but after initial Friday opening while close
again for 4-6 weeks until the internal works are complete.
ESCAPE ROOM EXPANSION?
July 16 - The founders of
Newport's first escape room game attraction are plotting an expansion
following a successful opening according to Insider Media Wales.
Siblings David and Elinor Daniel launched The Escape Rooms in May 2017
for an initial 'pop-up' in the basement space below Newport Market.
Following strong support for the venue they have now opened additional
slots on weekends and are extending their booking period.
Plans are in place for a second and third room. The first, named
'Torture Corp', is said to be inspired by the Chartist Uprising which
took place in the streets surrounding The Escape Rooms.
David and Elinor Daniel said: "We have been overwhelmed with the support
from Newport residents as well as Newport City Council who have really
helped this project take off. The feedback from players has been really
positive and we are starting to see Escape Room fanatics travelling from
as far afield as Swansea, London and Birmingham to try out our room.
"We were born and raised here so we are thrilled at the prospect of
becoming a permanent tourist attraction, bringing people into the City
to see what Newport has to offer."
COLOUR CLASH RODNEY
PARADE - July 15 £15
here
 |
BIG SPLASH - July 22 and 23
Free
|
THE DOLMAN AT 50
June 24 - An evening of
entertainment is promised on July 1 to celebrate 50 Golden Years at The
Dolman Theatre. A variety of local talent will be performing at this
Gala Evening. A complimentary drink on arrival. Tickets - £15.
BILLY OCEAN - PARTY AT
THE PARADE
June 24 - There are still
a few tickets available for Party at the Parade to see the legendary
singer and songwriter Billy Ocean on Friday 14th July as he performs at
Rodney Parade, Newport. He will also be bringing you supports acts from
Rozalla, Abbalicious and Big Macs Wholly Soul Band - it's going to be
the ultimate Feel Good Friday.
Get your tickets today for Party At The Parade
Billy Ocean Live, Friday 14th July
4pm - 11pm, Priced £24.89 – £44.25
Billy Ocean has sold over a staggering 30 million records in his
lifetime. He has collected a pile of Gold and Platinum records across
the world.
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.
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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.
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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 19th
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 20th
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 20th
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. |
 |
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.
 |
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 -
4th 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.
SIGN UP FOR THE
NEWPORT MILE
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 15th 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 26th
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 26th and Sunday 27th
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.
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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
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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.
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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
|
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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
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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.
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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 22 February 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.
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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
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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 4th
March. The production will tour to theatres throughout Wales
and England up to 4th 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
J
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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 (10th). 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 5th 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 21st century 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 8th
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
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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!
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Showing on 19th July The
Studio @ The Riverfront NEWPORT The Riverfront Box Office,
Bristol Packet Wharf, Newport, NP20 1 HG BOX OFFICE - (01633)
656757
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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
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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 |
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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.
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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)
 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.
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