HUGE free arts project which aims to inspire, excite and give people across the borough the chance to have a taste of the arts is set to launch this month – with 12 weeks of free taster sessions to give people the chance to have a go at something new.
I Am Tamworth is the biggest and most ambitious arts project ever to take place in Tamworth, and is the culmination of two years of hard work by the borough council’s Arts & Events team.
Its aim is to encourage people of all ages who may never have attended arts events or taken part in anything creative to get involved, by trying out different things for free, including dance, drama, visual arts, music and writing – and even a ground-breaking dance performance by one of the country’s top dance companies.
And to launch the exciting programme, everyone in the borough is being given the opportunity to join in free taster sessions, taking place in venues throughout the borough from January 12 to April 5.
The sessions include drama workshops, songwriting, guitar playing, singing, street dance, tap dancing, ballroom and Latin dancing, creative writing, theatre, painting, upcycling, dress making and crafts.
Venues for the sessions include St Francis’ Church in Leyfields, Tamworth Rugby Club, Tamworth Library, Amington One Stop Centre, Wilnecote Library, Tamworth Community Fire Station, St Martin’s Church in Stonydelph, Glascote Library and Tamworth Assembly Rooms.
All the sessions are completely free of charge, and people can join in with as may as they like. No experience is necessary, as the idea is to give Tamworth residents the chance to try something new.
Full details of all the sessions, including times and venues, are available by visiting the I Am Tamworth website at www.iamtamworth.co.uk, where the full brochure can be downloaded.
The I Am Tamworth project has been funded by Arts Council England, which has awarded the Arts & Events team a £78,000 grant. It will involve accomplished artists from across the genres bringing their skills to Tamworth and working with the public.
It is split into 15 areas, each celebrating a different form of the arts. Projects throughout the year-long festival include:
- I Am Dance – including a spectacular outdoor performance using Tamworth Castle and the Castle Grounds by award-winning dance company MotionHouse and Tamworth Dance Company.
- I Am Visual Art – shops and empty spaces across Tamworth being turned into pop-up art galleries, creating a portrait trail across the town.
- Trotters Trail – a trail of pigs throughout the town, inspired by the famous Tamworth Two. Pigs will be created by local artists, community groups, schools and local businesses.
- I Am Music – raising the profile of the existing local music scene and encouraging new and emerging musicians.
- I Am Words – creative writing and poetry project, encouraging the people of Tamworth to tell their own stories in their own words. It will include the publication of a book and the creation of poetry trails.
- I Am Drama – a number of drama groups to be established across the borough to cerate short pieces about their areas. This will be brought together in a summer showcase called Tales of Tamworth.
- I Am Heroes – inspired by the stained glass windows in St Editha’s church which were funded by the people of Tamworth to honour those who died in the First World War. Residents, working with artists, will be encouraged to create their own artwork based on the windows, which will be displayed in the church and Tamworth Library.
- I Am Development – a series of events and workshops to support local artists and give them the chance to share their knowledge and skills.
- I Am the Beat – giving families the opportunity to learn a new skill together.
- I Am Art – the finale of the year-long festival will be a huge celebration which will put the community of Tamworth centre stage.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economy, said: “I Am Tamworth is the most ambitious arts project which has ever been put on in the borough and will give every single person in the borough a chance to have a go at the arts and try something different.
“I would urge everyone to try out at least one of the free taster sessions – they may enjoy it so much that they decide to take up a new arts activity or join a group as a result.
Children under eight must be accompanied by an adult to take part in the sessions. Children under 16 must provide a consent form completed by a parent or guardian to join any of the sessions.
THE Ugly Sisters need a dress for the ball – and they want your help.
The Tamworth Pantomime Company are looking for designs for two dresses that will be worn on stage this Christmas during their production of Cinderella.
Company manager Alex Farrell, who plays one of the Ugly Sisters alongside Terry Batham, explains: “This a unique opportunity for somebody to create a costume that will be designed and then worn every night by the Ugly Sisters.
“There will be two winning dresses chosen, one for each Ugly Sister, and then the winners will also get a free pass to watch Cinderella at the Tamworth Assembly Rooms and come back stage to meet the cast.”
Stepmother wants you to design a dress for each of the ugly sisters
The Tamworth Pantomime Company are also appealing to local dress makers and artists who wish to come forward and help transform the winning idea into the real thing.
Alex said: “The Ugly Sisters think they are fabulous, and wear a variety of colourful costumes throughout the show.
“The bigger and the brighter is is, the better it is, so we are looking for a dress that really stands out.”
The competition is open to people of all ages, and the design will need to be drawn on an A4 sheet of paper and either emailed to [email protected] or posted to Tamworth Pantomime Company, 401 Watling Street, Mile Oak, Tamworth, Staffs, B78 3ND.
There isn’t long until Cinderella goes to the ball, so entries must be in by December 1st. For more information, please call 07825 213197.
Cinderella runs at the Tamworth Assembly Rooms from 17 – 23 December and then from 2 – 4 January. Tickets are £12 adults, £9 children and £38 for a family ticket, and can be purchased from the Tamworth Tourist Information Centre on 01827 709618 or from www.TamworthAssemblyRooms.co.uk.
A HUGE free arts project which aims to inspire, excite and give people across the borough the chance to have a taste of the arts is set to launch in January – giving Tamworth people a real year to remember.
I Am Tamworth is the biggest and most ambitious arts project ever to take place in Tamworth, and is the culmination of two years of hard work by the borough council’s Arts & Events team.
Its aim is to encourage people of all ages who may never have attended arts events or taken part in anything ‘arty’ to get involved, by trying out different things for free, including dance, drama, visual arts, music and writing – and even a ground-breaking dance performance by one of the country’s top dance companies.
I Am Tamworth has also been timed to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Tamworth Assembly Rooms – although a lot of the events won’t be happening there, but out and about in the community and in venues throughout Tamworth.
The I Am Tamworth project has been funded by Arts Council England, which has awarded the Arts & Events team a £78,000 grant. It will involve accomplished artists from across the genres bringing their skills to Tamworth and working with the public.
It is split into 15 areas, each celebrating a different form of the arts. Projects throughout the year-long festival include:
- I Am Dance – including a spectacular outdoor performance using Tamworth Castle and the Castle Grounds by award-winning dance company MotionHouse and Tamworth Dance Company.
- I Am Visual Art – shops and empty spaces across Tamworth being turned into pop-up art galleries, creating a portrait trail across the town.
- Trotters Trail – a trail of pigs throughout the town, inspired by the famous Tamworth Two. Pigs will be created by local artists, community groups, schools and local businesses.
- I Am Music – raising the profile of the existing local music scene and encouraging new and emerging musicians.
- I Am Words – creative writing and poetry project, encouraging the people of Tamworth to tell their own stories in their own words. It will include the publication of a book and the creation of poetry trails.
- I Am Drama – a number of drama groups to be established across the borough to cerate short pieces about their areas. This will be brought together in a summer showcase called Tales of Tamworth.
- I Am Heroes – inspired by the stained glass windows in St Editha’s church which were funded by the people of Tamworth to honour those who died in the First World War. Residents, working with artists, will be encouraged to create their own artwork based on the windows, which will be displayed in the church and Tamworth Library.
- I Am Development – a series of events and workshops to support local artists and give them the chance to share their knowledge and skills.
- I Am the Beat – giving families the opportunity to learn a new skill together.
- I Am Art – the finale of the year-long festival will be a huge celebration which will put the community of Tamworth centre stage.
I Am Tamworth will be launched in January with a 12-week taster programme, giving people the chance to try out new things and develop new skills – all completely free and taking place in community venues throughout the borough.
Taster sessions will include arts & crafts, painting, dress making, street dance, songwriting, salsa, singing, guitar playing, creative writing and drama, as well as many more.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economy, said: “I Am Tamworth is the most ambitious arts project which has ever been put on in the borough and will give every single person in the borough a chance to have a go at the arts and try something different.
“We really hope that a large number of people will get involved in some way and enjoy it so much that they go on to take up an arts activity or join a group as a result.”
TAMWORTH voices member, Sophie Cox from Ashby de la Zouch has made it through to the Regional Finals of the prestigious Open Mic UK singing competition, and will now be performing in the live showcases of the competition.
Open Mic UK 2014 is the biggest search for unsigned talent in the UK, and travels the country every year in search for the UK’s best singers, singer-songwriters, rappers and vocalists of all genres performing either covers or their own original material. The competition is brought to you by Future Music, the company behind the discovery of artists such as Atlantic Record’s Jacob Banks, Warner Music’s Birdy, Sony Music’s Jaymi Hensley from Union J and Jahmene Douglas, Luke Friend and Columbia Record’s Lucy Spraggan. Over the years the competition and Future Music have discovered some of the best new talent and propelled them to the big stage, working closely with Sony, Universal, Warner and Syco.
Thousands of hopefuls entered Open Mic UK nationwide and hundreds of auditionees attended on the day for their turn to impress the judges. Those who made it through the audition stage will now take part in a live head-to-head battle alongside the best talent in their region, performing in front of hundreds of audience members and a music industry judging panel in their bid to win a place at the National Grand Final.
Events Coordinator and Head of Future Music Chris Grayston said: “Every year that we hold this competition the bar is raised and the quality gets higher and higher. We’re really looking forward to experiencing the raw talent from across the country. For promising singers, song-writers, rappers and vocalists, Open Mic UK provides a real opportunity to open the door to a music career by showcasing their talent to music industry professionals and audiences across the country”
The competition is divided into age categories – Under 16, 16-20 and 21 and over, and all types of singers, vocal performers, groups and acoustic singer-songwriters are invited to enter. All participants are all aiming to make it to that prestigious Grand Final, where the spotlight will be shone on them and they’ll have the chance to be win the main prize of £5,000 to spend on the development of their music career.
The latter stages of the competition will also provide acts with the opportunity to impress many guests from the music and entertainment industry. Previous judges to Future Music competitions include DJs that have worked for Radio 1 such as Ras Kwame, Daniel P Carter and Annie Nightingale MBE, four time Ivor Novello award winner Mark Hill, Noddy Holder and before he deceased the legendary Malcolm McLaren along with A&R representatives from the three major record labels – Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group.
Previous Future Music competition winner Birdy’s career has gone from strength-to-strength since winning Open Mic UK, after securing a deal with Warner Music and watching her debut album achieve gold status in the UK and platinum status throughout Europe, and receiving a 2014 BRIT award nomination.
For more information go to the website www.openmicuk.co.uk, or better still come down and support your local talent performing! You can purchase tickets from the website, on the door subject to availability, or from Sophie Cox.
From rock ‘n’ roll to hard rocking, from the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to the Man in Black – there’s a tribute band to suit all tastes during the autumn season at Tamworth Assembly Rooms.
Two of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll legends of all time – Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley – come together on stage for the first time in The Buddy Presley Show on Saturday September 13.
The Buddy Presley Band is a five-piece outfit made up of seasoned musicians, joined by four-piece vocal group The Harmonaires, and singer Dave B, who all come together to treat audiences to the ultimate musical experience.
Tickets are priced at £14, £11 concessions and £8 for children. Doors open at 7.30 for an 8pm start.
Queen fans will be transported back to the 70s and 80s on Friday September 19, when The Bohemians return with an amazing show celebrating Queen’s finest live performances from 1973 to 1986.
The internationally-renowned Bohemians bring their new show, new costumes and new set to Tamworth, where they will recreate highlight of Queen’s performing career, including the Hammersmith Apollo show of 1977, the Crazy Tour in 1979, the Live Aid performance in 1985 and the Magic Tour of 1986.
All the great hits will get the audience rocking, including Fat Bottom Girls, Don’t Stop Me Now, A Kind of Magic, I Want to Break Free and One Vision.
Tickets are priced at £17.50 and £15 concessions. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
Bee Gees Fever is set to sweep through Tamworth Assembly Rooms on Saturday October 4, when a stunning live tribute to the music of the Brothers Gibb takes to the stage.
From soulful ballads to high-energy disco classics, the band faithfully recreates the songs which made the Bee Gees musical legends.
Tickets to Bee Gees Fever are priced at £16 and £14 concessions. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
One of the hot new shows set to draw the crowds is One Night of Tom Jones, with the hugely talented Glen Leon transforming himself into the Welsh sex bomb.
The show, which comes to Tamworth on Friday October 31, features Tom Jones classics from five decades, including Delilah, It’s Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat, A Boy From Nowhere and many more.
Glen is joined on stage by the 13-piece Connection Orchestra, direct from the West End, with backing vocals from the award-winning Black Voices.
Tickets are priced at £18. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
The largest touring Elvis tribute show in the UK is coming to Tamworth on Friday November 7. A Vision of Elvis, starring Rob Kingsley and his sensational band and singers, is recognized as Europe’s most authentic tribute to the King.
The show features all the classic hits from every Elvis era, backed by a world-class band and featuring full HD projection.
Tickets are £19.50 and £10 for children. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
Purple Zeppelin brings together the sound of rock giants Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin on Saturday November 8, in a unique show dedicated to two of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Both Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin will be recreated by the same group of musicians – creating the best concert that never happened. They will be playing more than 30 classic Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin songs, and promise costume changes and authentic stage equipment.
Tickets for the show, which starts at 7.30, are £16 and £14 in advance.
World-famous Stones tribute band The Rollin’ Clones return to Tamworth Assembly Rooms on Saturday November 15 – 51 years after the real Rolling Stones played on the same stage.
The Rollin’ Clones will be re-creating the live power and energy of the Stones, playing many of their hugest hits. The band are widely regarded as the best Stones tribute act. The Daily Mail called them “without a doubt the most exciting tribute to the Rolling Stones”, while Empire magazine described them as “frighteningly accurate”.
Tickets to the show, which starts at 7.30, are £12.50 and £11 for concessions.
The ELO Experience takes to the stage at Tamworth Assembly Rooms on Friday November 21, when the audience will be treated to a two-hour trip through the music of Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra, complete with hits including Mr Blue Sky, Living Thing, Telephone Line, Sweet Talking Woman and Wild West Hero.
Tickets are priced at £20 and £19 for concessions. The show starts at 7.30 and doors open at 7pm.
The only tribute to the Man in Black to be endorsed by the Cash family rolls into Tamworth on Friday November 28. The Johnny Cash Roadshow is fronted by Clive John who, along with The Spirit Band, truly captures the essence of what it was like to be at a real Cash show.
The Johnny Cash Roadshow – which also features Jill Schoonjans as June Carter Cash - takes the audience from the 1950s right up to 2002, with all the greatest hits including Ring of Fire, Walk the Line and Jackson.
The show is so authentic that Cash’s daughter Roseanne described the likeness as ‘uncanny’, while Cash’s granddaughter Caitlin Crowell said: “Clive captures my grandfather just as he was.”
Tickets are priced at £18 and £10 for children. The show starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets to all shows are available online at www.tamworthassemblyrooms.co.uk, in person from Tamworth Information Centre in Corporation Street or by calling the Box Office on 01827 709618. Please note that there is a £1 transaction fee for phone and online bookings.
The White Hart Tea Room in Atherstone is playing host to an exhibition from the Hinckley and District Photographic Society.
Based at the bottom of Long Street in the town you can see a variety of landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, architecture and trains.
The group which meets in the Holy Trinity Church Centre on Fridays 7.30 – 9.30pm September – April heard about the exhibition space through a friend who used to work in Atherstone. They have a varied programme of speakers, competitions and tutorials, but thought it would be nice to get some of their work in a public place for the public to enjoy.
Secretary Martyn Fisher says: “We are grateful to the Volunteer Centre North Warwickshire for letting us display our work. The staff and volunteers have been very accommodating.”
The prints are for sale at a reasonable ten pounds each, with blank cards priced at just 50p. If you would like to have a look at the photos you can pop in and enjoy tea and cakes in the tea room at the same time.
From Monday the Volunteer Centre North Warwickshire and tea room is changing its opening hours. You will be able to visit the exhibition Mondays and Fridays 10 – 1pm. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 – 3pm.
The next exhibition will go up at the start of September. Vintage Volunteer Centre is an arts and crafts display from the new North Warwickshire Wellbeing Group. For more information go to www.vcnw.org.uk or www.whiteharttearoom.org.uk
Artists at the exhibition
This year’s outdoor cinema screenings have been hailed as a ‘reel’ success after pulling in even bigger crowds than last year’s events.
Both showings were a complete sell-out, attracting a total of 1,500 people, who sang and danced along to the first film, and screamed along to the late-night showing.
The earlier showing saw the 1,100-strong audience transported to Rydell High School in 1950s America for all-time favourite Grease. Largenumbers of people got into the spirit of the event by dressing up as Pink Ladies and T-Birds, and there were also quite a few hen parties.
Then as midnight approached, it was the turn of a very different kind of film, with a showing of slasher horror classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which pulled in an audience of 400.
Tamworth Borough Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Rob Pritchard, said: “The event was an absolute success and both shows completely sold out. Thanks to the popularity of the event, we can do this again next year.
“This is a great example of local people supporting the outdoor events programme and having a great evening. Have a look at the Tamworth Assembly Rooms website for more outdoor events which happen throughout the year.”
Music fans will be in for a treat this weekend - with two free bandstand concerts featuring four acts in the Castle Grounds.
The third in a series of eight free summer and concerts takes place on Saturday (August 9), when Tilted Smile, Great Uncles and Carl John will be performing in the bandstand in the Castle Grounds between 1pm and 4pm.
Then on Sunday (August 10), Liquid Brass will be taking to the bandstand for the fourth concert, after wowing the crowds last year. They will also be performing between 1pm and 4pm.
Dates for the remaining concerts this year are:
- Saturday August 9 – Tilted Smile, Great Uncles and Carl John
- Sunday August 10 – Liquid Brass
- Saturday August 16 – My Favourite Things
- Saturday August 23 – Amington Band (as part of We Love Tamworth event)
- Saturday August 30 – The 58’s Blues Band
- Sunday August 31 – Martin Atterbury
All the concerts are free of charge, so bring your picnic baskets down to the Castle Grounds for a lazy afternoon of music.
Tamworth Borough Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Rob Pritchard, said: “The free bandstand concerts are an opportunity to have a lovely afternoon enjoying live music for free and this weekend, there are two days of free music to enjoy. If you like live music, why not pop down and enjoy what’s on offer.”
More information is available on the Tamworth Assembly Rooms website at www.tamworthassemblyrooms.co.uk
Local musicians will be shining on at Tamworth Assembly Rooms on Friday August 8, as they celebrate the music of one of the world’s most iconic and successful bands, Pink Floyd.
After months of planning, Echoes of Pink Floyd promises to deliver a typical Floyd spectacle, with amazing light, sound and visual displays. Helping to deliver the event will be a host of local musicians, playing their own interpretations of Pink Floyd classics.
Event organiser Jock Ross, from Tamworth Borough Council’s Arts & Events team, said: “After the success of our 50th anniversary Beatles and Rolling Stones night, public feedback and interest convinced us to carry on and celebrate another giant of rock music, Pink Floyd.”
James Attwood will open the night with a set of acoustic covers, followed by Tamworth favourites Driven Like the Snow and Structures. There will also be Pink Floyd themed real ale and a Pink Floyd album art exhibition in the bar area.
Tickets, priced at £5, are available from the Tourist Information Centre or online at www.tamworthassemblyrooms.co.uk
New urban era hosted there Annual urban arts festival on the wettest day this summer, last weekend, Saturday 19th July.
The heavy rain was not allowed to make the day a wash out.
The wet weather did not dampen spirits and crowds flocked to see world class artists and local performers showcasing their skills at the event held at Tamworth graffiti tunnels.
Local dance crews Sync and Urban fusion opened the event followed by live vocal performances DJ’s and the NUE international Beatbox battles.
NUE spokesman Vic Brown says: “The event was scaled down on the day due to the weather.
“We had planned to include a skate competition, live music and more artists at the skate park. However everyone pulled together on the day to make the event a success and the community spirit was just fantastic.
“We would like to thank everyone involved and for the support from I am Tamworth and Tamworth Round Table “
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