BN1 Magazine May 2022

9 772752 515002

ISSN 2752-5155

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£3.99

May 2022

INW a pair d of weeken tickets to PUB IN THE PARK

TUR CL E RECIPES

Plus read about...

THE GREAT ESCAPE BRIGHTON FRINGE BRIGHTON FESTIVAL LOST VOICE GUY MUSIC GUIDE

EVENTS ART

FILM

STYLE FOD

BRIGHTON // SUSSEX // LONDON

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CONTENTS 8-14 16-18

The latest news Bridie Cummings

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Lee Ridley - Lost Voice Guy

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Property Advice

26

Cabarave

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Acid Box

30

BN1 Chats with CIEL

32

DFWU

34

Top bands and artists to see at The Great Escape

38

Get To Know: Alicia Edelweiss

40

BN1 Chats with ARXX

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Brighton and Hove Artists Open Houses

45

20 years of BIMM

46

Keith Allen interview

50

Brighton Natural Health Centre

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Staycation

56-58

51 Plastic Reducing Switches

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Festival Guide

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Mohamad Hafez - Brighton Festival

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Brighton Fringe

68-70

Film guide

72

TV guide

74

Tom Kerridge Recipes

80

Cryptic Crossword

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Quick Crossword

MAY 22

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Editor’s Letter...

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Bridie Cummings

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BN1 Chats with CIEL

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Mohamad Hafez

Let’s be honest. The Phantom Menace is by far the best Star Wars film. It’s not only got that super cool flying vacuum cleaner race, but also teaches us everyday people important lessons about childcare and the nuances of trade negotiations. I have to say, the world would be a better place if we all took it to our hearts.

That’s the beauty of art. You can take from it what you want. The only thing which matters is the conversations it provokes, even if it’s just expressing disappointment that you’ve waited 16 years for a film which forgot to include a protagonist.

All art is important - because it teaches us about human behaviour. You can be listening to music at The Great Escape, watching performance art at Fringe, marvelling at an installation at Brighton Festival, discovering local art at the Artists Open Houses or rocking out to the latest club sounds at Brighton Music Conference, but all informs us about what can inspire, inform and captivate our fellow human beings. From a child with crayons to a millionaire film director discussing how teddy bears might conduct warfare, almost anyone can use art to convey emotions which words can’t describe.

And those emotions work to make us understand the world and document it for future generations. If one person can be profoundly moved, then perhaps an entire community can.

May brings with it a plethora of opportunities to discover your next favourite theatre piece, a new comedian to laugh along with, the painting which will haunt you or an underground dancefloor-filler which will be getting you up and dancing for the rest of summer. Some of the finest creative endeavours are coming to Brighton & Hove in May, don’t let them slip through your fingers. Unless you’re stuck at home, considering if Jar Jar Binks provides a thoughtful analogy on confidence versus ability.

CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR IN CHIEF: Chris Sadler chris@bn1magazine.co.uk

EDITOR:

COVER: Damascene Athan Series, Photography by Alex Olevitch

Stuart Rolt Stuart@bn1magazine.co.uk

SUB EDITing team: Thom Punton charlie tomlinson

design & digital: bn1 media NEWSDESK/ GENERAL ENQUIRIES: Info@bn1magazine.co.uk BN1 MAGAZINE Unit 28, Floor 6, New England House, New England Street, Brighton, BN1 4GH 01273 022991

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Contact: Jenny Rushton - head of sales / 07917752133 Jenny.rushton@bn1magazine.co.uk or Charlie Tomlinson / charlie@bn1magazine.co.uk BN1 Magazine is a culture, community and lifestyle publication distributed across the whole Brighton, Sussex and into London on a monthly basis - found in shops and venues. if you would like to reach a large target audience, get in contact today and see how we can help!

CONTRIBUTORS: Lucy Sheehan Thom Punton Amy Stanborough Benjamin left tallulah taylor Ellie Talebian

INTERNSHIPS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES: Want to become part of the BN1 Magazine team and gain valuable media skills or submit articles, content and images?

Various internships are available for writers, photographers, marketing, sales, creative types and enthusiasts to join Brighton’s leading culture and lifestyle magazine! Just email your CV and a little about yourself to: info@bn1magazine.co.uk @bn1magazine All rights reserved including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by any means, including the making of copies by any photo process or by any electronic or mechanical device (printed, written or oral), unless permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietor. All textual content, design graphics, images and specific photographs used in the magazine are copyright © BN1 Media Ltd 2021 BN1 Magazine has taken every reasonable care to ensure the information contained within this periodical is accurate on the date of publication.

It is advisable that you verify any information before relying upon it. BN1 Magazine accepts no responsibility for the consequences of error or for any damage or loss suffered by users of the information, materials or third parties featured within this magazine.

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MUSIC FROM Cbeebies

PASSMORE AMBER T Jürgen from the

Great British Bake Off

SOUTH OF SATURN

FOOD Valentina Harris

BRIGHTON COOKERY SCHOOL

Local Craft Beers | Gin Bar | Rum Bar | Artisan Market | street food Masterclasses | Lifestyle Area | Cookery Demonstrations | VIP AREA

kids Pamper Boutique | Crafts workshops | Face paintING | Football Mini Toddler Softplay | Baby Area

Food & Lifestyle Festival 23rd & 24th July 2022 Victoria Park, Haywards Heath, West Sussex supporting

locallysaucedfestival.com bn1magazine.co.uk

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PUB IN THE PARK COMPETITION

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WIN a pair of weekend tickets and gain access to all 4 sessions across the Fri 16 - Sun 18 Sept A colourful celebration of the very best in food, drink, music and socialising is coming to Preston Park on Fri 16 – Sun 18 Sept. Pub in the Park is cooking up a tasty selection of chefs, including the hottest new names in the restaurant world, much-loved TV favourites and highly-acclaimed Michelin-starred legends, for demonstrations, talks and fun.

Mel C, Toploader, Basement Jaxx, Stereo MCs, Gabrielle, Dodgy and Craig Charles.

To enter just visit: www.bn1magazine.co.uk/competitions Tickets and further info available at: www.pubintheparkuk.com

Created by superstar chef Tom Kerridge, this travelling food festival is taking a delectable range of sights, sounds and tastes to nine towns across the UK in its biggest year yet.

For the peckish, there are award-winning pubs and restaurants doing pop-ups, demos, alongside a dedicated Kids Area. There are also bars serving anything from cocktails to the finest fizz, spirits to wines, and an enormous selection of beers. For those inspired by the afternoon, there’ll be an artisan food market and shopping village.

And if you fancy a bit of a boogie in the sunshine, there are some of Britain’s finest music acts performing across the weekend.

From club classics to classic indie, the delights include The Human League, Soul II Soul Soundsystem, local hero Russell Small,

THE LADYBOYS OF BANGKOK Fri 6 May – Sat 4 June

As Brighton Fringe returns this month, there’s only one show on many people’s minds.

Bolder and brighter than ever, The Ladyboys of Bangkok come to Sabai Pavilion in St Peter’s Square on Fri 6 May – Sat 4 June.

Now officially the largest and longest-running cabaret show in the UK, they’re declaring 2022 to be the Summer Of Fun. With 16 of the world’s most glamorous and beautiful showgirls, this brand-new show will take audiences from Hollywood to Bollywood and from the West End to Las Vegas. These diamante-dripping divas’ performance will perfectly recreate all your favourite and biggest hits from the world’s most famous pop icons. This is the must-see show for 2022, with plenty of fun-filled comedy, outrageous cheekiness, over 400 incredible costumes and more theatrical sequin-laden production numbers than you can shake a tail feather at.

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NEWS LOCALLY SAUCED FESTIVAL Sat 23 – Sun 24 July Victoria Park, Haywards Heath Proving that you don’t have to travel far for premium produce and experiences, Locally Sauced Festival celebrates food, drink, restaurants and lifestyle from across Sussex.

As reducing our impact on the environment becomes ever more important, it’ll platform a more sustainable way of life with amazing local businesses and producers.

There’ll be drink offerings from a variety of producers, including local craft brewers, plus gin and rum bars. For the foodies, there’s a packed line-up of top chefs and cookery demonstrations. Celebrity chef and awardwinning author of over 40 books on Italian food, Valentina Harris will be sharing her knowledge with you on the Cookery Demonstration Stage.

And The Great British Bake Off contestant and local legend, Jürgen will be sharing his baking tips. You can also explore a variety of food from Sussex’s finest traditional and modern eateries, alongside an exciting array of street food using local produce.

The weekend features a selection of the best local upcoming bands soundtracking your day, as well as shows from chart toppers Toploader and CBeebies children’s TV show, YolanDa’s Band Jam. They’re also partnering with FareShare Sussex, who do amazing work fighting food poverty amongst the community.

For every Locally Sauced Festival ticket sold, £1 is being donated to this amazing charity. Whether you’re enjoying some retail, letting the little ones go wild in the Kids Area, relaxing with friends or discovering your next favourite local shop, this is an unmissable weekend.

The Great British Bake Off contestant Jürgen.

Image by JJ Waller ©

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NEWS THE GREAT ESCAPE 2022 Weds 11 – Sat 14 May

Blu DeTiger

The Great Escape is kicking off this year’s festival season by hosting over 450 of the freshest music acts across 35 venues across Brighton. Taking place on Weds 11 – Sat 14 May, TGE also welcomes music industry heavyweights to its conference strand, all attracted by the festival’s fearsome reputation as the best place to hear new music.

Highlights include some of the most exciting talent on the scene, including Reading rockers The Amazons, GenZ grunge pop singer Baby Queen, US queer hyperpop artist Rebecca Black, post-punk Leeds success story Yard Act, Irish rapper Malaki, and post-punk poet Sinead O’Brien, alongside some of the most exciting unsigned acts in the world.

Again, TGE welcomes a host of upcoming indie and alternative talent, with the addition of indie wunderkind, singersongwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Alfie Templeman, Irish singersongwriter Ailbe Reddy, doctor by day, musician by night Ajimal, sarcastic indiepop from Isle of Wight singer Lauran Hibberd, South London five-piece moa moa, Australian musician Stella Donnelly, sister surf trio The Garrys, Melbourne goth-pop trio HighSchool and American pop rockers Laundry Day. Further developing the TGE line-up are the hottest new artists in grime and hiphop - including the confessional rapper Aby Coulibaly, the gritty, visceral, yet fresh Blackhaine and the man behind the smash-hit Smile, Bru-C. Offerings also include Cartel Madras, the two sisters renowned for their impactful live shows, CASisDead, Cristale, FelixThe1st, and nineteen97.

For fans of jazzier, groove-led soulful sounds, TGE features the smooth, guitar-driven electronic beats of Bad

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Alfie Templeman With Phones, South-East London’s liquid flow of BINA., the frank open honesty of Chrissi, eclectic jazz fusion of COLECTIVA and Parisian soul from Crystal Murray.

The festival will also showcase tender vocalist Debbie, Irish rapper Denise Chaila, Latin and R&B infusion artist Desta French, enchanting soulful pop from singer-songwriter Eloise, dreamy popR&B artist flowerovlove, atmospheric FL NEUSE, ethereal vocalist Gemini Aaliyah, smooth NorthWest London songstress India Shan, upbeat raw soul group Intergalactic Brasstronauts, psych-funk jazz singer songwriter JayWood, bedroom pop rising star Kamal. Scottish jazz singer Luca Manning, the vibrant and soulful Milo Clare, soaring R&B vocalist Morgan Munroe, atmospheric acoustic soul act Natalie Lindi, Chilean afro-funk troupe Newen Afrobeat, velvet vocalist Phoenix Laoutaris, delicate and melodic hit-maker Pip Millett, laid-back jazz-rap fusionist Saintè, grooving Neo-Soul afro-swing delight Tamera, freshly founded The Magic and Italian jazz band Westfalia also join the line-up.

As always, pop and dance are well represented at TGE, 32022 seeing shows from electronic pop group behind the hugely popular Silk Chiffon, MUNA, TikTok sensation Blu DeTiger, the menacingly powerful Manchester-born CONRAD, Canadian singer-songwriter JESSIA, the forwardthinking, razor-sharp powerhouse July Jones, Brazilian-born producer/vocalist taking over the experimental dance scene LYZZA, alongside ME REX, Moonchild, Sanelly, Namasenda, OSKA, Porij, Pyra, Rena, spill tab, and genre-blurring pop provocateur Willow Kayne - who won the Rising Star award at the Ivor Novello in 2021.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s plenty of punk, rock and metal acts heading to TGE – including badass emo from AlienBlaze, gal pal Brighton duo ARXX, fierce femme metal singer-songwriter Cassyette, mosh-pit carving experimental Anglo-French pairing Bicurious, post-punk artist Billy Nomates, stomping and explosive CRASHFACE, metalcore newcomers Defects, atmospheric heavy stadium rockers Fixation and gritty rock’n’roll rising star Kelsy Karter. Meme hyper metal-pop star Lil Mariko joins polyrhythmic power pop band Medicine Cabinet, avant-punk queen Nuha Ruby Ra, filth-funk from Brighton’s Opus Kink, fuzzy alt-rock duo PEAKS!, spoken-word Scouse outfit STONE, Australian punk rockers Pist Idiots, garage-rock UK debutants Taipei Houston, Birmingham electronic act The Nu and noise-punk Witch Fever complete the line-up.

As we expect, there’s numerous exciting Americana, folk and country being brought to Brighton for 2022, with shows from Austro-British folk singer Alicia Edelweiss, the widely acclaimed Oklahoma-born folk singer Samantha Crain, Dublin’s CMAT, fabulous trio The Mary Wallopers, Canadian folk trio Wild Rivers, and the London based, Nashville inspired James Riley and the Rooftop Assembly, who are behind Tottenham’s The Rooftop Sessions.

TGE is platforming some of the world’s most exciting electronic and ambient artists this year.

These include the ARIA-nominated Australian producer Alice Ivy, Brazilian newcomer Alissic, Czech electronic duo Bratři, Japanese singer Hatis Noit, the folk, jazz, pop, and chamber music

NEWS inspired instrumentalists Penguin Café, and the young Dutch producer Torus.

On the conference side of things, delegates have seminars, themed days, keynote speeches and networking events, to help them better understand where the industry is headed and how it may be impacted by constant innovations and changing audience habits.

TGE and CMU are bringing together music educators, music development organisations and the music industry to discuss the best ways to nurture, support and educate young musicians, early-career music-makers and future music talent – on and off stage.

Using research from CMU’s Pathways Into Music Foundation, they’ll be examining how DIY Phase artists build momentum and attract fanbases in 2022. Speakers include AudioActive CEO Adam Joolia, cSquaredLDN Artist Manager Charlotte Caleb, and Atlantic Records UK’s Head Of Audience Fiona Mcauley.

Another full day, in association with the BPI, places a spotlight on all the ways data now drives success in the music business – offering a fascinating range of talks, discussions, case studies and insights. Participants include Andrew Parsons from Ticketmaster UK, PRS’ Head Of Operations And Royalty Distribution Damon Rickard and Kevin Bacon, Chief Innovation Officer, at Family In Music. The schedule includes examining how a new track accumulates data, how music is discovered and tracked, digital marketing and the role of labels in a shifting landscape.

There’s also a day devoted to charting the intersection between music and video, with a focus on the big talking points, new trends and a look at developing platforms.

Participants include The Ko-Lab’s Ameena Badley, artist manager and creative director Bobby Brown, CMU Founder Chris Cooke and Head of Strategy at Cavendish Music, Joanna Gregory. The sessions will cover everything from collaborating with creatives, successful

Electronic music event brings industry heavyweights to British Airways i360 venue on Weds 25 – Fri 27 May Brighton Music Conference (BMC), the UK’s foremost electronic music and networking event announces the second wave of names for its 9th edition, including panel speakers, artists performing and exclusive networking events. New names announced include: Andrew Blackett (Fabric), ANOTR, Charlie Tee, Chords, Colin Dale, Connie Chow (Fuga), Critical Music, Danny Rampling, Judge Jules, Mighty Mouse, Mr C, Prok & Fitch, Sam Divine, Seamus Haji, Ski Oakenfull, Stanton Warriors.

Taking place at the iconic British Airways i360 venue on Brighton’s beachfront from 25th 27th May, BMC will be the perfect summer warm-up event for industry professionals and music lovers alike to inspire and educate, with a focus on getting ‘back to the music’. The prestigious beachfront complex will host four theatres, BMC networking Hub, Pro meeting Lounge, and a specialised exhibition/tech and services zone.

This year’s event will include keynote interviews with Grammy award-winning recording artist and DJ Dubfire, pioneering UK electro DJ Greg Wilson and Secretsundaze

There’s also loads of panels and seminars to help early-career music makers find better understanding of how the industry works, covering everything from marketing and copyright to signing streaming deals and receiving royalties.

Whether you’re a music fan looking for the freshest sound, an aspiring artist looking to release your first track or an established industry figure looking to better understand new markets, this is the one event which brings you all together.

For more information, head to: greatescapefestival.com

successful indie labels are built and run, The future of workplace wellbeing in the hybrid world, Representation of women in record labels, Mental Health, What is the Metaverse?, Songwriting negotiations, Music Management, Festivals and much more. There will also be workshops and masterclasses to deep dive into many topics including: Music Production, Djing, A&R, Remixing, Track Deconstructions and Social head honchos James Priestly and Giles Smith Media Analytics. talking about their 20-year milestone.

Networking is also a big part of the BMC ethos The packed programme will include panels and there are plenty of opportunities to meet and discussions covering the key topics colleagues and make new connections at the relevant to the industry including: Marketing many exclusive networking parties being held case study with Hexagon, How social 450 feet above the city in the i360 Pod observation media can help grow you and your brand, tower and Brighton’s hottest beachfront bars.

DJ Mixes on Streaming Services, The New Kicking things off on Weds 25 May will be the Creative Economy, Different royalty streams official BMC Welcome Party hosted by Sentric at available to electronic music creators, How Rockwater and on Thurs 26 May, Lady of the

BRIGHTON MUSIC CONFERENCE ANNOUNCE MORE HUGE NAMES FOR 2022 Weds 25 – Fri 27 May

TikTok campaigns, highlighting the opportunities in the metaverse and the evolution of technology.

NEWS House will host a networking event at The Southern Belle with DJs Charlie Tee and Carly Wilford. Shesaid.so will also return to host two networking breakfast events on Thursday and Friday mornings at the i360 complex.

The legendary pod parties on the i360 observation tower will not disappoint with a host of top DJs playing exclusive sets at BMC. On Thurs 26 May, Lady of the House will present the unadulterated house grooves of Sam Divine powered by Labelworx, followed by techno titan Dubfire who will also take to the decks at The Arch on Sat 28 May for the official BMC closing party and on Fri 27 May it will be Stanton Warriors’ turn to take to the skies for an exclusive pod party.

Speakers and artists taking part in the 2022 event include: Abi White, Abla El-Sharnouby, Aidan Doherty, Alex Mills, Andrew Blackett, ANOTR, Ash Howard, Badger, Bryan Chambers, Bushwacka!, Carl Loben, Carly Wilford, Charlie Tee, Clara Suess, Chris Goss, Colin

Dale, Connie Chow, Chords, Critical, Damien Fell, Danny Rampling, Dean Marsh, DJ Rae, Dom Howard (aka Ruckspin), Dylan Pasqua, Dubfire, East End Dubs, Ellie Talebian, Gareth Deakin, Gareth Mellor, Giles Smith, Greg Marshall, Greg Wilson, Hannah Helbert, Hayley Irwin, James Lightfoot, James Priestly, James Wiltshire (Freemasons), Jay Forster, JFB (DMC World Champion), Jim Gash, Joanna Gregory, Johnny Hudson, Jonathan Scratchley, Jono Heale, Judge Jules, Just Her, Kasra, Kier Tyrer, Kitty Bartlett, Laila McKenzie, Laura Leon, Leftwing : Kody, Made By Pete, Max Chapman, Megan Sayer, Michael Kill, Mighty Mouse, Mr C, Nick Baxter, Nick Sadler, Nikki McNeill, NOLAN, Paula Van Der Waerden, Paul Hamill, Peter Van Dongen, Prok & Fitch, Queen B, Rhys Bainham, Ridney, Sam Divine, Sarah Main, Scott Diaz, Seamus Haji, Shino Parker, Ski Oakenfull, SOLAH, Steven Braines, Tammy Tinawi, TJ Campbell, Tom Simpson, Tony Allen, Trevor Fung, Tristan Hunt, Vasja Veber, Wayne Dickson, Zara Kershaw Over 100 speakers and representatives announced from (In alphabetical order):

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL WELCOMES BACK CLASSICAL AUDIENCES WITH AN EMOTIVE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME Leading international performers, including the London Symphony Orchestra, La Nuova Musica & Iestyn Davies and the Philharmonia Orchestra, will perform works by Tchaikovsky, Florence Price, Handel and Kaija Saariaho in a welcome return to full-scale classical events at Brighton Festival. In a decidedly poignant yet hopeful programme, echoing this year’s theme of ‘Rebuilding’, established and emerging artists will showcase familiar and lesser-known works to the first capacity audiences since 2019.

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As part of her UK debut, Marta Gardolińska will conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin du printemps; Marc-Andre Dalbavie’s Concerto for Flute; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4 in F minor Op.36 and Silvestrov’s Prayer for Ukraine. Alongside the luminous optimism of the young Boulanger against the raw passion of Tchaikovsky’s semiautobiographical symphony, LSO’s Principal Flute Gareth Davies will highlight the dazzle and daring of Dalbavie’s 21st-century classic. Gardolińska and the LSO will also set the incomparable 19th

Absolute, AFEM, ACS Custom, Audio Mango, BBC Radio 1, Beatport, BIMM, Cavendish Music, Critical Music, Crosstown Rebels, Cubase, Defected, DJ, Fanbytes, Fuga, Future Music, Gaydio, Glitterbox, Global Publicity, Good Vibrations Society, He.She. They, Hexagon, Hospital Records, istreem, Labelworx, Lady of the House, Loopmasters, Mambo Ibiza, Meoko, NTIA, Patreon, Percolate, PRS, RCRDSHP, Remixology, RAM Records, Decadance FM, Secretsundaze, Sentric Music, shesaid.so, Shogun Audio, Streinberg, The Arch, The Weird and the Wonderful, TikTok, Trickstar, Undertone Industry Services, Ultra Records, UOR Consultancy Ltd, Viberate, Warm Up Festival, WaterBear.

BMC also supports the charities Help Musicians UK and Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, and is asking guest list attendees for a £10 donation to the these great causes.

A BMC Pro Pass is £145 (+b/f), and can be found at www.brightonmusicconference. co.uk/buy-tickets

Century Russian Tchaikovsky in context with the hauntingly moving work by 21st Century Ukrainian Silvestrov, marking the horror of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The ever exciting La Nuova Musica, join forces with one of the world’s best counter tenors, Iestyn Davies, to explore exceptional arias from Handel’s operas in their critically acclaimed programme, Handel’s Unsung Heroes. Under the baton of conductor David Bates, Davies and LNM’s soloists – violinist Thomas Gould, oboist Katharina Spreckelsen and bassoonist Inga Maria Klaucke – perform a selection of obbligato arias highlighting how Handel’s compositions were as virtuosic and lyrical for his instrumental ‘unsung heroes’ as for their singing counterparts. Intimate and often deeply moving, this irresistible performance on Fri 20 May promises to be a showcase for sublime musicianship and operatic bravura.

NEWS The long-established pairing of the Czech Republic’s Pavel Haas Quartet and Moscow born-Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg has resulted in an exquisite musical partnership. The quartet are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and Giltburg will perform two piano quintets at Glyndebourne Opera House on Sun 8 May from the masters of late-Romantic music – Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor Op 34 and Dvořák’s Piano Quintet in A Major Op 81 No 2. Giltburg also performs Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No 2 Op 14, a piece of enormous emotional contrasts.

Brighton & East Sussex Youth Orchestra, who recently combined to form an exciting new youth orchestra for the area, are joined by vibrant young pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and conductor Peter Davison in a concert on Tues 9 May, again echoing the Festival theme of ‘Rebuilding’.

Showcasing the best of the region’s young classical talent, fresh from being mentored by players from the LSO throughout their rehearsals, the performance celebrates major African–American composer Florence Price, alongside Gershwin’s An American in Paris. With the rebuilding of Price’s longoverlooked reputation in recent years, her Piano Concerto and Third Symphony reflect the warmth and authority of her music from the riches of full-blown European Romanticism to the eloquence of African– American Spirituals.

Making their Brighton Festival debut are the UK’s leading contemporary instrumentalists Riot Ensemble, who bring their dynamic contemporary classical virtuosity to the atmospheric All Saints Church on Weds 11 May. In this fascinating programme, echoing ideas across the Festival, Xenakis’ Paille in the Wind celebrates the centenary of the architect and master composer whose pioneering works reveal a unique fusion of music, maths and design. Pieces

by Finnish composer, Kaija Saariaho - a favourite of this year’s Festival Guest CoDirector, Marwa Al-Sabouni - combine with Brighton-based composers Peter Copley

and Patrick Harrex and those of Outi Tarkianen and Anthony R. Green, part of a new generation of composers whose work responds to the world around us.

On Thurs 26 May, All Saints Church will play host to an evening tribute to Syria’s rich musical culture. Beginning with In Damascus - a moving elegy for a country torn apart by war from composer Jonathan Dove, performed by tenor James Gilchrist and the UK’s Sacconi Quartet.

Reflecting on a bleak vision of lost beauty and culture, Dove’s powerful musical expression of empathy, sorrow and outrage at the destruction wreaked by conflict. Set to words by the Syrian poet Ali Safar and providing a vivid account of life in a war-torn country, In Damascus is an eloquent plea for hope: for renewal; for reconciliation; and for peace.

Later that evening, one of the few women oud players in a traditionally male-dominated field, Rihab Azar, will take to the All Saints stage with her Trio to perform classical and contemporary Syrian and broader Middle Eastern music. A graduate of the Damascus Conservatoire who remains strongly connected to her Syrian roots, Azar’s collaborations with London Sinfonietta, Stile Antico and Cantata Dramatica have seen her perform on stages from the Royal Albert Hall to St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Marian Consort’s Brighton Festival Commission on Fri 13 May is a typically imaginative performance, entwining the Baroque magnificence of Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien alongside the world premiere of specially commissioned work by contemporary Irish composer David Fennessy. This unique dusk concert at All Saints Church interweaves old and new and contemplates mortality and immortality.

Combining the austere ritual of ancient chant with the colour, urgency and pathos of 17thcentury solo singing, Fennessy’s new pieces responding to the startling themes of Schütz’s masterpiece capture the nobility of faith and the human spirit in times of torment.

The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov, and featuring acclaimed soloists Gweneth-Ann Rand, Duncan Rock, and the

Brighton Festival Chorus will also celebrate the work of Kaija Saariaho, ranked the ‘greatest living composer’ in 2019 by BBC Music magazine.

Saariaho’s Oltra Mar conjures voyages and marine moods in a composition of profound power and beauty, as texts from poet Abou Saîd and author Amin Maalouf remind us of humankind’s place in the order of Nature. Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, set to words by poet Walt Whitman, is an epic companion piece and marks Williams’ 150th anniversary. This vast evocation of the ocean and depths of the human condition will bring Brighton Festival to a close on Sun 29 May. For the first time, Brighton Festival welcomes two Guest Co-Directors - Syrian architect and author Marwa Al-Sabouni and Tristan Sharps, Artistic Director of Brighton-based theatre makers dreamthinkspeak. Marwa and Tristan have chosen the theme of Rebuilding as the inspiration for this year’s programme, exploring it from two different yet complementary perspectives.

The Netherlands-based Ruysdael Quartet, noted for their passion and refined eloquence, perform a programme looking back to Purcell and Beethoven’s unrivalled mastery of the string quartet. Bringing the form into the 21st century will be their take on Louis Andriessen’s Miserere, inspired by Allegri’s Renaissance classic Miserere. An unmissable evening of music that simultaneously honours and develops the repertoire in exciting, unexpected ways.

Across the Festival, Brighton Dome Concert Hall and All Saints Church will host a series of hourlong lunchtime concerts featuring international classical stars of the future, including the awardwinning British countertenor Hugh Cutting, the French harpsichordist Béatrice Martin, and the Ukrainian pianist Alexei Grynyuk.

Brighton Festival returns to full capacity for 2022, with an extensive international programme of over 150 events taking place across Sussex from Sat 7 – Sun 29 May. Explore the full programme at: www.brightonfestival.org

NEWS CHARLESTON FESTIVAL 2022 Global icons from Benedict Cumberbatch to Bob Geldof and Joanna Lumley to Hayley Atwell will be heading to Charleston Festival when it returns on Thurs 19 – Sun 29 May. 2022 This year’s festival explores themes around fashion, families, history, scandal, mental health, psychology, science, belonging, travel, the environment and much more.

and collaborator, photographer Nikolai von Bismarck, about the role of art in his creative practice and the ongoing influence of the Bloomsbury group on his work. With readings of the Bloomsbury group’s letters and texts featured in his upcoming book The Fendi Set: From Bloomsbury to Borghese.

Charleston has always brought people together to engage with art and ideas. The modernist home and studio of the painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, it was a gathering point for some of the 20th century’s most radical artists, writers and thinkers - known collectively as the Bloomsbury group. Here they came together to imagine society differently, and this ideal to bring together art and experimental thinking lives on in Charleston Festival.

The programme for this year’s festival offers over 100 speakers and more than 40 live events. Staged over 10 days, it brings together a star-studded line-up of leading and emerging artists, writers, thinkers and changemakers.

“Charleston Festival is back, as bold and beautiful as ever,” said Melissa Perkins, Head of Programme and Events at Charleston.

“From global icons to explosive new talent, the programme brings together the most exciting voices of the day for the conversations that really matter.”

conversation about class, race and shaking up the establishment, but also the reality of daily family life.

Looking back on his life, singer-songwriter and political activist Bob Geldof discusses how his beliefs have evolved over the years and the truths he stands by today; with Oscarnominated screenwriter William Nicholson.

Acclaimed actors Simon Callow and Jonathan Pryce will be giving a live reading of Bloomsbury group writer Lytton Strachey’s candid personal letters. They reveal a playful and uncensored portrait of a queer universe shared in glorious detail with trusted friends.

Actress, activist and national icon Joanna Lumley will be recounting tales from a lifetime of travel that has taken her to the furthest reaches of the globe.

Fashion and textile designer Zandra Rhodes explores her life on the British fashion scene and looks back at her archive of iconic designs worn by the likes of Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury, and the work of the Fashion and Textile Museum which she founded in 2003.

From phone hacking to social media and misinformation Emily Maitlis, journalist and lead anchor of BBC2’s Newsnight, considers the issue of trust in journalism.

In a magical family event, the master of storytelling, Michael Morpurgo, will be discussing the role of animals as protagonists, our relationship with the natural world and how we can all live more harmoniously with the planet.

An architect of the rise and reign of New Labour, Peter Mandelson offers an insider’s guide to the mechanics of politics today. In a frank conversation ranging from the domestic to the global, he opens up about personalities, power and politics.

In a world exclusive, actor Benedict Cumberbatch makes his debut appearance at Charleston Festival to narrate T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land in its centenary year. Anthony Burgess, best known for writing A Clockwork Orange, set the poem to music in 1978.

Bringing the score to life in an extraordinary performance are Britten Sinfonia and soprano Anna Dennis.

Host of award-winning comedy podcast The Guilty Feminist, Deborah Frances-White is joined by Marvel Cinematic Universe star Hayley Atwell, supermodel and activist Lily Cole and actor and writer Susan Wokoma.

Inspired by Charleston’s Famous Women Dinner Service they reflect on the women who have pushed back against the culture of sexualisation and stereotyping – from Virginia Woolf to #FreeBritney.

Visionary fashion designer and artistic director of Dior Men, Fendi Womenswear and Fendi Couture, Kim Jones, will be talking to his friend

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Touching on the often overlooked AfricanArab culture and heritage, Nobel Prize winner in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah is joined by CNN correspondent Nima Elbagir. Together they explore the art of uncompromisingly yet compassionately narrating the effects of colonialism.

Damon Galgut, the 2021 Booker Prize-winning author of The Promise reflects on a literary career spanning nearly 40 years and his experiences growing up in the politically toxic environment of his native South Africa.

Bestselling author of Brick Lane and Love Marriage, Monica Ali, and multi award- winning novelist Charlotte Mendelson discuss sexual politics and writing with humour. They explore who we are as individuals and in a marriage, and how we love in today’s Britain.

Two of the UK’s most high-profile campaigners for social justice – crossbench peer and director of Operation Black Vote, Simon Woolley, and civil rights specialist, the attorney Clive Stafford Smith – come together for a frank

For the first time, Charleston Festival 2022 also features a programme of inspiring events for children, young teens and their families. As part of our Under 30s supporter scheme, launched on 16 February, younger adult audiences can now access £10 tickets for all festival events.

Charleston presents a dynamic year-round programme of exhibitions, events and festivals.

It platforms the power of art, in all its forms, to provoke new ways of thinking and living “Charleston Festival is always a highlight in the region’s cultural calendar,” says Nathaniel Hepburn, Director/CEO at Charleston. “This year’s programme captures everything about what makes the festival so exciting and distinctive: conversations across different genres and disciplines, the most interesting, challenging and provocative thinkers and creatives, and a host of new commissions and exclusive performances Charleston Festival takes place at Charleston near Firle, East Sussex BN8 6LL, on Thurs 19 – Sun 29 May. For more information, visit: charleston.org.uk

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Open events for our creative industries degrees Art, Design & Media | Theatre Arts | Music Why visit us?

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Saturday 11 June 2022 10am-3pm West Durrington Campus

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MEET BRIGHTON CREATIVES BRIDIE CUMMINGS

By Lucy Sheehan You’ve met Brighton’s trailblazing musicians, actors and artists, forging vibrant careers on the international stage with trademark originality. In this series, we introduce you to the people who make it all happen, who make Brighton the culturally renowned city it is from behind the camera, behind the mixing desk, back in the green room.

Shooting Tigercub playing a sold out show at Chalk was also super fun, literally the entire venue turned into a mosh pit. I’ve never seen anything like it!

In this issue, we meet Bridie Cummings, a Brighton-based photographer. Bridie’s camera has taken her across Europe on tour with some of the world’s most exciting acts. Her style – which balances boldness with a sense of intimacy from her subjects – has also made her one of the South East’s most sought after photographers for musicians and artists. BN1 chatted with Bridie about the incredible people and stages she’s shot, how she works with her subjects, film vs digital and of course, how to take a great photo.

I love working with people who are relaxed in front of the camera, but I know that’s not the easiest thing, as it’s quite a weird experience having a lens to the face and trying to act natural. I always try to make my subjects feel as comfortable as possible, get them to put on some music they like, get the drinks flowing if they want and just get in a relaxed party mode! I tend to converse with them throughout the whole experience and get them relaxed and laughing. By the end of the shoot they probably know my entire life story! Haha!

Who are some of your influences, photographer or otherwise?

Do you remember seeing a photographer or photo and thinking “I want to do that!”?

Many people might not know that photographers are now a regular part of the team on tour. What’s it like touring as a photographer, and what are you trying to capture?

Yes! So I studied photography at A Level and already knew I enjoyed having a camera in my hands.

I won’t lie, being a tour photographer is hard work. It really is. There have definitely been meltdown moments. But it’s also so rewarding.

Typically on tour, I’ll be editing and capturing from the moment I wake up (8am-ish). I try to get up before everyone else does so I can get content ready to post on socials before lunch time from the night before so the photos are posted while it’s still relevant and fresh in everyone’s minds.

There are so many amazing photographers out there – my older sister Katy Cummings has been a massive influence on me. She’s amazing. When I was at uni she went off on her first ever tour with The Hunna who ended up taking her around the world. She was a fly on the wall for every little moment, and being so in love with music, I thought, “right, I want to do that too!”

You’ve been a big part of the Brighton scene, photographing everyone from Blood Red Shoes and Yonaka to Demob Happy and Penelope Isles. What have been your highlights?

Oh gosh, there have been so many “pinch me” moments, it’s honestly difficult to pinpoint.

My first ever tour was with Demob Happy on their UK run with Jack White, that was crazy. Jack’s a genius, he didn’t play to a set list and just played whatever he felt on the night. On the last night, he invited us into his dressing room to have a drink with him. I just remember him sitting in the corner soloing on a custom guitar that a fan had made for him.

I’ve honestly had so much fun with all the bands I’ve worked with – I found Yonaka super fun to work with because Theresa is such a fun subject! She’s always up for trying all my crazy ideas and absolutely loves being in front of the camera. We have a lot of fun.

Being on stage at the O2 arena with them was almost too much to handle. The stage is actually much smaller than it seems, but the venue is absolutely mega and you’re absolutely bursting with adrenaline from the moment you get there.

Being on the main stage at Reading Festival after Covid with the Demob boys… Being with them for years I’ve had the pleasure of watching them grow. That was super emotional.

Another recent pinch me moment was standing in a music room backstage in an arena with The Amazons and Royal Blood while they had an after show jam session. Two incredible rock bands jamming in a tiny room with a disco ball straight after coming off stage and performing to thousands of people in a sold out arena?

Surreal.

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What do you most enjoy and look for in a subject? I imagine a person who can relax in front of the lens is a big one!

Once the band are up and ready for the day, we’ll be out and about with the camera capturing every little moment right up until the early hours of the next day. I’m trying to capture photos with meaning that the fans can relate to, I want people to almost be able to hear the music and feel like they were at the gig when they see a live shot I’ve taken on instagram.

Being a music photographer is a very unique position because you want to slot yourself into the team very quickly and make them feel like they’ve known you for ages. Usually the band have been together for a long time and know each other very well, and in order to get the best content and have the best time you don’t want them to feel awkward and uncomfortable in your presence, especially as you’ll essentially be living together for weeks!

Great Escape takes over the city this month – what are you looking forward to?

Yes! I’m so excited, I love TGE and I’m so sad that we haven’t had it for the last couple of years. This year really is going to be better and bigger than ever, without a doubt!

There are so many acts I’m looking forward to seeing, The Amazons in particular are some of my best friends, so having them play here is going to be super fun. I’m also really looking forward to Eloise, LibraLibra, July Jones, Beach Riot, Cassyette, Dora Jar, Alfie Templeman, SO MANY AMAZING ACTS THIS YEAR! What would you tell a young photographer to explore, learn or get to grips with as they get into photography?

Honestly just get out and snap, snap your friend’s band, snap your family, and do as many gigs as possible. There are so many free gigs on in Brighton that you can go to with your camera without having to worry about a pass and bands love content. Don’t worry too much about camera technicalities, I learned by doing it and I know you can too.

CONTINUED

How do you feel about the popular resurgence in film – do you enjoy working with it or is digital where it’s at for you?

Ah yes, film. I love film. I really do love it so much, it’s so full of character and really makes for thought-provoking images. The trouble is that for me I’m usually working with a group of at least three people, and there’s always going to be one person who isn’t happy with how they look in a photo. Also when I’m touring I usually take at least 1000 photos a day.

I think film is awesome in the right situation, but for me it would be too expensive and I need the versatility of a digital camera.

Especially in gig settings where the lighting is changing every two seconds!

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Finally…someone has a smart phone with a camera in their hands right now, what are your quick tips for taking a good photo?

Ooooh, interesting question. Honestly it sounds a bit weird but I pretend my eyes are the camera and I kind of frame the image with my eyes before I actually take it. Do you see an interesting setting that you think would look great on an instagram grid?! Take the pic, play around with wide angle and different angles and settings, just have some fun.

Insta: @bridiebridiebridiebridie Web: https://bridie-florence.format.com

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19

LEE RIDLEY LOST VOICE GUY Winning a national competition is always going to be a gamechanger for a rising talent, and it was no different for Lee Ridley aka Lost Voice Guy after his glorious triumph in 2018’s Britain’s Got Talent. He’s likely to have enough material from the things that have happened in his life after appearing on that ITV show to keep him in comedy tours for years to come.

“This tour, Cerebral LOL-sy, is a look back at all the random stuff that’s happened since then. And that includes dancing with Paul from The Chuckle Brothers at the Royal Variety Performance aftershow party – definitely a career highlight! There are plenty of other stories; for example, I regularly get called ‘him off The X Factor’ by people in the street. Obviously, I have a great singing voice! People always seem to get my name wrong as well. The main reason that I chose a stage name was so I would stand out from the crowd of all the other new comedians. I thought it would make me more memorable when I was starting out. But you’d be surprised at the many variations of that name that I have been called, from No Voice Boy, to Misplaced Voice Man, to The Guy With No Voice.”

Despite having a solid career in comedy behind him when he entered Britain’s Got Talent (he performed his first gig six years earlier), Lee’s life has altered just like that of any other talent show victor. “Obviously, I’m a lot richer for a start, but please don’t tell the Department Of Work And Pensions! Seriously though, winning the show has changed my life in so many ways. I’m busier than ever: I’ve been on a nationwide tour, I have written a book called I’m Only In It For The Parking. The general public have been so supportive and I’m always getting stopped for selfies. I’m very grateful for all the kind words I’ve received. People are engaging with me a lot more than they would have in the past, and for the first time, some will be comfortable talking to a disabled person. I’m used to being stared at, but it’s nice to be stared at for positive reasons for a change.”

Another perk from his success is that he even landed his own festive special, Christmas Comedy Club With Lost Voice Guy on ITV, in which he hosted a night of stand-up and chat with the starry likes of Bill Bailey, Rosie Jones and Omid Djalili. “It was such a fun thing to make,” Lee recalls. “I’ve always loved Christmas and spreading that festive cheer, so this seemed like the ideal way to do it. I’ve always dreamed of having my own television show, so this was a massive moment for me. I couldn’t believe it when I found out I got a Christmas Eve slot. I’ve always loved watching television on Christmas Eve so it was amazing to think that now people have done that with my show.”

Now, after a truncated period thanks to the C-word (that’s Covid, of course), Lee is back on the road and keen to get in front of audiences once again. Going on tour can be a tough proposition for most comedians, but when you have cerebral palsy and can only talk through an automated voice on your iPad, then the demands of touring are cranked up a notch. “I can’t wait to be allowed to go out and meet my fans face to face. One of my favourite parts of the last tour was doing the ‘meet and greets’ after the show and meeting some of them in person. After all, I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support. Of course, I’ve missed people laughing at my jokes as well. It’s the best noise in the world. The thing I’m least looking forward to is staying in a different hotel every night. I like my home comforts a little too much, so sometimes I struggle when I’m away. It’s all part of the experience though.”

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Talking of that automated voice, fans might notice a slight (well, dramatic) alteration at his shows. Out is the posh-boy voice and in is a Geordie accent. This too has its pros and cons. “I don’t think my current voice really represents where I am from. And it isn’t exactly the voice that I would have had, if I wasn’t disabled. There’s nothing wrong with my current voice, except from the fact that it sounds very posh and like I should be reading the shipping forecast on Radio 4.

But creating a Geordie accent isn’t a simple thing to do. Because of the new technology involved, it costs quite a lot to create one, and it’s a long process. So when a company called CereProc, who have lots of experience in creating voices, approached me offering to make me a Geordie accent for my communication device, I jumped at the opportunity. And, of course, most ladies love a Geordie accent. I’ve had the same voice for most of my life, and it’s part of me now, so it’s going to be a big change. My fans are always asking me when I’m going to get a Geordie accent, so I think they’d be quite pleased if I used it in my comedy routines. I do think that swearing in a posh voice is much funnier though.”

Lee has long has his fingers in various pies with a book out in paperback, his Radio 4 sitcom Ability having been on air for three series (the fourth series has just been commissioned), and now he’s back to live work: Cerebral LOL-sy follows on from his debut tour which contributed to him being named by listings website Ents24 as the hardest working comedian for that year. “I enjoy doing all three, but I’d say that stand-up is still the thing I love doing the most. You just can’t beat the feeling of getting that instant reaction from the audience after you’ve said something on stage. It’s such a high, and something that I fell in love with during my first ever performance. I’ve been chasing that high ever since. When I’m writing a book or doing something on radio or television, I miss the feeling of getting that reaction when a good joke lands.”

Like many of his peers over the course of the pandemic, Lee tried online gigs but couldn’t quite make stand-up à la Zoom work. “It just isn’t the same. Comedy relies on interaction with the audience, and you just don’t get that when you’re looking into a webcam in your kitchen telling jokes in your boxer shorts. I think the world is going to need some comedy right now.” Thankfully, Lee Ridley, the Lost Voice Guy, is here to get those live audiences laughing once again.

Lost Voice Guy brings his new show, Cerebral LOL-sy, to Shoreham’s Ropetackle on Tues 10 May and London’s Bloomsbury Theatre on Sat 21 May as part of a nationwide tour.

Lee Ridley 2022 Tour photocredit © Steve Ullathorne

Lee Ridley 2022 Tour photocredit © Steve Ullathorne bn1magazine.co.uk

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The parent guide

Small adventures through the North Laine

By Ellie Talebian *A tween is defined as child aged between 8 and 12 that is no longer a small child but not quite a teenager. In parental terms they’re basically an articulate toddler full of hormones that thinks they’re 18 and knows everything.

The Easter holidays are over, but another half term is right around the corner.

As the parent of a ‘tween’, we’ve reached that stage where all of the usual childled activities in Brighton & Hove are still brilliant fun!

However, we need a little more substance on days out that provide opportunities for the independence tweens so desperately crave and those real life teachable moments as we prepare them for adolescence.

So what does that look like?

To be Frank, despite the plethora of incredible baby groups, creative workshops and activities for dancers, skaters, and little artists, Brighton & Hove becomes relatively thin on the ground when fully accommodating this particular age group – unless they’re into specific clubs, sports and hobbies. Let’s face it, not all children are, and that’s ok.

Enter the North Laine, a paradox of enigmatic Bohemia and the perfect backdrop for a tweens grand day out.

Do you remember the first time you stumbled across the North Laine? No? I don’t, but as a Brightonian, I remember fondly that trips to the North Laine as a child always felt extraordinary.

Being ‘born and bred’ means occasionally I take this magical part of our city for granted – tweens don’t. Tweens I’ve found, find it as one should, absolutely fascinating.

At first glance, it might feel like the North Laines are not primed for tweens, but from Bond Street through to Trafalgar Street, the pocket money burning a hole in their tiny pockets can be spent on budget friendly, weird, wonderful, unnecessary childhood necessities.

Is this an article about a trip to the shops? Not quite. It is about the fabric of the North Laines, its spectacle, history, importance and the formative role it plays growing up in the city.

The tiniest slice of London, it’s a magical playground which starts on Bond Street at ‘Route One Brighton’ a dedicated skate shop perfect for wannabe Hawks or those inspired by our own little local legend Autumn Dreaming. Once you’ve checked out the boards head to Shakeaway established in 1999; it’s become a Brighton classic. It’s where all of your milkshake dreams can come true – here, you can enjoy customised shakes, never-ending flavour combinations, no washing up, and they’ve got a great selection of vegan options.

If shakes aren’t your thing there’s walking art to be found over the road at the ‘Irregular Choice’ window display – be amused, discuss the whacky out of this world designs, sneak upstairs for the Disney collection and if inspired cross back over to Clarks of Sussex. Providing art supplies to Brighton and Hove since the 80’s this little indie isn’t so small and has floor to ceiling art supplies, Clarks staff are knowledgable art enthusiasts that’ll help you get your at home projects off the ground.

Over on Gardner Street, there’s plenty of choice for the lightest of bites, whether your tween still favours the beige diet or is a sweet or savoury snacker. We love FilFil Café; affordable, always on point, delicious and exciting. Gardner Street has lots of toy shops, but your tween might feel too old for that, so take them to Photomatic instead and get snapped 1925 style from one of their three booths.

With not a screen in sight, Photomatic is the home of old school photo booth fun plus they’ve got props too AND a wind machine, yes you read that right, a wind machine! Who needs Snapchat when you have a wind machine?!

Once at the end of Gardner Street, you will see GAK - The Guitar, Amp & Keyboard Centre in its red and yellow glory, adorned with artwork from local street art duo The Postman Art. If you have a budding musician with you, GAK’s the place to geek out and have a gawp.

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Just a short walk up North Road sits the ever popular Painting Pottery Café. To try your hand at making your own masterpiece, painting and throwing, make sure you book in advance for a shared art experience.

Now onto the busy bit and the heart of the North Laine, Kensington Gardens. Not only chocker with chocolate, cake and clothes shops, this Laine boasts Resident record shop. With all ages welcome, under 14’s can attend Resident live music in store events for free – check out their website for terms and event listings and take your tween to their very first gig!

Our all time favourite of all time, the wondrous Snoopers Paradise, also resides in Kensington Gardens. Packed to the brim with quirky, cool, old school collectables, there is something for everyone to be delighted by here. The vast collection of items provides plenty of opportunity to reminisce and share stories. At thirty years old and with over ninety ‘utterly unique stalls’ Snoopers is a Brighton institution and has been named one of the six greatest places to shop in the UK. Cloud 9 must be mentioned here because as pleasing as their cakes are on the eye, they’re good to the belly too. Situated opposite the dearly loved Ideya, which recently reopened its doors, these independent eateries hit all the right spots, providing comfort food to the max.

Onwards and onto Sydney Street, home of The Graphic Novel Shop Dave’s Comics, with two for the price of one, both Dave’s Comics stores accommodate all ages. Take note some of the merchandise and action figures reflect the more sinister horror themed graphic novels so parental guidance is needed when perusing the stores.

Sydney Street also has a stack of vintage clothes stores and the beautiful Bonsai KO, yet another independent that feels as though its part of Brighton’s rich tapestry Bonsai KO is the go to for all your Bonsai questions and needs. With The Guitar Shop Next door and To Be Worn Again just down the road Sydney Street covers all bases for exploration of Brighton culture.

Finally, on Trafalgar Street, three absolute treats steal the show before you turn back around through the North Laine to explore the unseen.

Be sure to pop into Adaptatrap, the home of instruments of the world.

Head to Mad Hatters & Friends, ‘Brighton’s longest standing hat shop’ and finally visit the award winning secret wizards shop Olivers Brighton because absolutely nobody is too cool or too old to enjoy Harry Potter.

And if you still have energy after meandering through the North Laine, be sure to pop into our beautiful Brighton Museum before heading home.

Residents can enjoy the museum for free, its timeless architecture, displays dedicated to the city, and interactive Egypt collection is always a winner.

So, we invite you this May to experience the North Laines through your child’s eyes. Let the North Laines evoke sweet nostalgia of the old familiar and take on new meaning as together you explore its array of shops with the wonder and hope of a tween about to embark on an adventure.

Property Advice with Russell Chilvers

Over the last couple of years, particularly through the hardship of lockdown restrictions, it would be fair to say that the property market across the country has been booming. One key area of the UK which has been affected most of all is certainly our wonderful little seaside city – Brighton & Hove.

March 2020 was a time that most of us had never experienced before, being asked to lockdown in our homes. No going outside except for essentials and certainly no mixing with family or friends.

The result of this weirdness, it made many of us re-evaluate our lives, making us feel we wanted more space both in and out of our homes, not being stuck in a city but being able to walk around the downs or along our beautiful coastal paths.

As I am sure many have noticed, the influx of people moving in from cities around the UK (not just London) to our city has gathered momentum at a huge pace. The real knock-on effect from this is that there is a severe shortage of properties to both buy and rent, causing asking prices to rise. Even with the tragedy of our neighbours in Europe and the costs of living rising, the market remains buoyant.

If you are currently trying to sell your property and yet, even in these busy times, you’re not attracting people through your door to view the property, it will probably be that your asking price is too high or it is not being marketed in the correct way by your agent. Any estate agent can walk into a home and give you the highest asking price in an attempt to win your business but, can they back this up with hard facts of similar properties that have actually sold (exchanged or completed) close to this price? You may think you’re helping your cause setting your price as high as possible but quite often, it has the opposite effect.

Once you’ve found a home, make sure you have everything in place. When you submit an offer, I strongly recommend putting it in writing to the agent, along with your Solicitors details and mortgage in principle along with your brokers details. Putting an offer forward in this format makes you look more credible and serious, often putting you ahead of the queue from other purchasers. Using a recommended Solicitor and Mortgage Broker is worth its weight in gold and will often save you time, money and heartbreak further down the road.

The same applies to when you are looking to rent a property, there is so much competition at the moment due to the low supply of housing. Make sure you have your references, bank statements and all your admin in place so as soon as you have found your next home, you’ll be ready to strike. Another piece of advice I would offer is, be as flexible as you can when looking for your next home, its stressful for everyone and the more we can help each other and offer a little bit of goodwill along the process goes a long way, especially in our loving city.

Speaking of our home town, I thought Easter was one of the best bank Holidays I’d seen in Brighton & Hove for a while. It was so nice to see people out and about, local businesses, bars and restaurants busy again with smiles on faces. We are truly lucky to live where we live and as much as the property market is a huge air of frustration right now, I am sure things will calm. I mean, who can blame people for wanting to live, here?

For further property advice visit: www.russellchilvers.exp.uk.com

bn1magazine.co.uk

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FROM ATTIC TO STAGE – THE ROLLER COASTER WORLD OF

by Thom Punton

CABARAVE

When I went round to chat with twins Nina and Esme Sarfas, two thirds of the core Cabarave team, it was like reentering the club night they had put on at the Volks the previous Friday to celebrate the fifth birthday of their booming carnivalesque enterprise. Their flat acts as the Cabarave headquarters, with the props and scenery from their events spilling their joyful kaleidoscopic aesthetic throughout. I sat in their turret-like attic room with its panoramic views over Brighton, a vintage rocking horse beside me, and it felt like a temporary dimension, conjured up by them, to be kept in stasis until the next event.

The last time I saw Nina and Esme, their party was in full swing. They were both dressed exquisitely as ambassadors of the night’s theme, Fool’s Gold, falling as it did on April 1st. I had managed to catch a quick chat with them before they were whisked off in the flow of the crowd to attend to the constant tasks running such an event demands. It was a glimpse into the whirlwind of responsibility it must be to put on a night like this.

“Usually, one of us is stressing and the other two are propping them up. And then we swap that role. We swap who’s the stressed out one,” Nina later tells me. They must be ready at any moment between 11pm and 7am to liaise with performers or fix part of the set. A bum bag filled with a staple gun, cable ties and sellotape is a necessary accessory.

Ordinarily a stark, no-nonsense drum and bass bunker, they managed to transform the Volks into an opulent warren of festivity, decorated with gold tinsel fringes, satin drapes, bunting and happy birthday

banners, all illuminated in a riot of coloured light. Like all great parties, everywhere you went there was something happening.

The newly beefed-up downstairs soundsystem was helmed by the Skallywag Party crew, turning an area which can feel slightly sparse into an exuberant sweatbox. The outside area featured a van selling the shiny new Cabarave merchandise and refreshments like crumpets and tea for those in need of some mid-party fuel. Whilst, in the corner, Nina and Esme’s mother, Ruya, could be found giving tarot readings. She’s a regular at her daughters’ events with her readings often sparking revelations and return visits.

Alongside the managing and booking roles they share with Jerome Prud’homme – the other leg of the Cabarave “tripod” – Esme plays host, announcing the DJs and performers; while Nina takes photos throughout the night and DJs as DJ Can’t Say No. The team extends to a host of walkabout performers who help create an immersive atmosphere by handing out party hats, painting faces and interacting with the early revellers, as well as setting examples for the night’s theme with their high-concept costumes, burlesque and drag routines. This collection of friends, performers and family all combine to create the feel of an off-season festival or circus troupe, bringing contagious new life to an unexpecting environment.

I learn it had been a marathon 24-hour shift for the team, starting at midday with them taking all the props and equipment down to the Volks. Then, they were setting up the decor, doing sound techs and rehearsals, and getting themselves ready until 11pm when the doors opened. “We’re there all

day and then the night starts and we’re already exhausted,” Esme says, “We’re already in this hyper-focused mode, and then all of our people start coming and you just go through waves of emotion.”

I’ve often wondered how club promoters do it – having to be there until the sun comes back up, dealing with people who are in various states of exuberance and disarray, and any of the fallout that results from such an unpredictable environment. Chatting to Esme and Nina, it’s clear they have the energy, drive and creativity to power them through those shifts. When I went round to visit, they talked non-stop for about an hour, with the unity of twin sisters with a very clearly shared vision, finishing each other’s sentences and keen to share the Cabarave story.

They grew up in Brighton as “festival kids”, going to as many as they could as teenagers, and they wanted to recreate the community and escapism, as well as the eclectic range of music of the festival experience. Esme says this is something they felt was needed: “I think so many people in this country long for the summer and they’re waiting for festivals when they can feel that kind of freedom and sense of empowerment to express the side of themselves that they feel is trapped throughout winter… The ethos of it was very much that it was just going to be a silly festival night where people could get dressed up, and I really thought that Brighton was missing that.”

As well as the themes that ignite people’s creative sides with the costumes and fancy dress, the Cabarave team aim to create eclectic line-ups, always including

a live element – whether it’s an MC or the full-on brass power of a group like Dutty Moonshine Big Band – whilst catering for the ravers and the long haul drum and bass crowd with a selection of DJs. Cabarave was conceived in 2017. Jerome, who grew up in Belgium, lived in Egypt, India and Australia before settling in Brighton, where he found himself in an events management role at the Volks. He needed to fill a monthly Wednesday slot and Esme suggested the idea of her and her friends doing some immersive walkabout and calling themselves “cabaravers”, which led to the night’s eventual name and its wider synthesis of cabaret and rave culture.

Nina got involved doing photography and helping out with the decor. She had been working in events management for some time at that point and was resistant at first, and though neither of them originally intended to run events, they soon developed a sense of ownership over it.

As Cabarave developed and grew in popularity, they looked to expand to new venues, aiming to create unique experiences in places where you wouldn’t normally find a club night. For New Years’ Eve 2019 they filled Stanmer House, the Grade I listed mansion in Stanmer Park, with jugglers, mimes, pole dancers and a crowd of decadently dressed revellers to welcome in the new decade.

Then, for New Years’ Eve 2021, they took over several of the function rooms in Brighton’s Hilton Hotel, including the spacious chandelier-lit Clarence Suite, originally the first casino in Brighton. This event was a test for the team in many ways.

They had to rent fencing and outdoor toilets, and at one point it seemed a possibility that someone’s car was going to be parked in the middle of the smoking area because it had been hired out as a private parking spot. “I’ve never broken down about fencing before,” Nina jokes.

The run-up to the event was a particularly stressful time, because, with the omicron Covid variant on the rise, the threat of cancellation cast an ominous shadow over the preparation. Nina recalls, “We got so many messages in the run-up to New Year’s Eve, not knowing whether it would happen, so many people saying, ‘I’m going to be heartbroken if I can’t come out, if I can’t go to your event.’ The pressure was unreal.”

This underlines the reciprocal relationship between the people going to events like this and the people putting them on.

The community is key. “We’re very much part of a very strongly creative group of people,” says Nina, “And we have a very large extended network of friends and colleagues. We all just help each other out.” Esme agrees: “I think there’s just a lot of people in Brighton who carry the same ethos as us so it’s nice to create a place where people can kind of express that, but it definitely feels like a big mycelium network

where lots of things come together.”

They often enlist their friends to help with the decor. For the Hilton party, a giant glitter disco ball was meticulously created out of cardboard and foil stuck onto a giant beach ball over the course of two days – only to be ripped down in a matter of hours. The decor, which is so central to their shows, is often recycled and repurposed. Even the remains of the glitter ball are somewhere in their attic, whilst any material used for the wall hangings is reused as bunting when it gets tatty.

There are crossovers between Cabarave and other nights in Brighton, such as Farmaggedon at the Komedia, Party in Your Pants, and queer-friendly nights like Gal Pals, which put women, trans and non-binary folks at the forefront. As well as getting people dancing, there’s the common goal to create an inclusive environment.

“We don’t do it for women, we make it for everyone,” says Esme, “But I think if you can see that women are in power in a certain space, you feel more empowered.”

At a club like the Volks, which they still see as their spiritual home, it can be a tricky task to monitor who’s coming in, but they hope the fact that they, as women, are clearly at front and centre of the night will empower anyone who is feeling uncomfortable to go and talk to them. Putting effort into providing facilities like the café, which offer comfort and a break from the sensory overload of the throbbing music is important to making it a space where everyone is welcome, whatever their gender, sexuality or age.

“We love the fact that we have quite a diverse range of people who go there,” Nina says, “There are young’uns and there are older people who go there and obviously it’s never going to be tons of people in there who are middle aged going out partying, but it’s nice to think if someone who was sober and was in their mid-50s wanted to go out, they would feel comfortable to go to our event.”

The creativity of the Cabarave enterprise continues its upward trajectory this summer as they embark (literally) on a new venture on July 9th. The Pirates of the Cabaravean, a party on a 350+ capacity boat, will set sail along the Thames on a 4-hour sunset round trip. Along with DJs including the (wonderfully apt) Spongebob Squarewave, Slamboree Soundsystem and Ms Pink, there will be a live band, the shanty singing The Captain’s Beard; and a treasure hunt with performers playing characters like Captain Hook, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, offering clues that lead to the hidden prizes of Davy Jones’ Locker. It promises to be their most immersive experience yet.

in a questionnaire, take a polaroid, and let the Cabarave angels set them up with the person of their dreams.

Beyond that, they are happy to keep the disco ball rolling for as long as they can, notwithstanding the risks and volatility of the industry, or as Nina jokes, if they all suddenly have children. But even if they do suddenly “become adults”, they think they would still find a way to do it. There’s a strong sense of freedom and expression that goes beyond the desire to go out dancing into the early hours of the morning. It’s being able to captain a ship on the Thames dressed as a pirate, it’s providing the opportunity for people to see some cabaret or drag that they might never have come across before, it’s giving people genuinely transformative experiences. Esme says, “We want people to walk in whichever event or club it is and to think, this doesn’t feel like a club, this doesn’t feel like the foyer of the Hilton, this feels like something a bit special and mad, where I fit in…by not fitting in. That’s the ideal.”

They haven’t really had the conversation about where they intend to take things in the future, but having a regular stage or even their own festival could be something to work towards. It will inevitably keep going, because they’re addicted to it, to “the pleasure, the pain, the beauty, the stress”, as Nina puts it. Esme agrees: “It’s a roller coaster. It’s anxiety then pure elation, then having to think on your feet as well.

There aren’t that many opportunities in life to have that…The main thing is that people are having fun. I’m always there, thinking, oh, I’ve got to put on this event, and you’re focusing so much on other things, and then it’s a really amazing moment when you just see people having fun and you think, this is why I’m doing this thing. Wow.” “I love hearing stories about something that happened at a Cabarave event,” Nina continues, “Like ‘I met my boyfriend at your event’. It makes me think, wow, real life stuff happens and we’re working it. But actually, this is why events are so important because often these are the places where big moments do happen. ” The Pirates of the Cabaravean Boat Party sets sail from Tower Millenium Pier, London, at 7pm on July 9th.

Jerome’s van is available for events as a pop-up smoothie and cocktail bar, One for the Road All photos by Nina Sarfas

They’re also to be found at festivals across the summer in various guises, including Shindig Festival in the West Country where they’ll be running a tent called Shinder, a matchmaking service which aims to reinsert the human element back into dating.

People will come and create a profile, fill

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By Lucy Sheehan Polly Miles launched her promotions company Acid Box almost nine years ago with a single show, a big DIY attitude and enormous faith in Brighton’s vibrant music scene. It paid off. Eight years later, Acid Box is one of the leading promoters of alternative music in the South East, bringing in giants of psych, rock and garage from the US and Europe, whilst giving hundreds of local artists vital exposure with their club nights and festivals. We caught up with Polly about what she looks for in a band, how the music industry needs our support more than ever, and eight years of wild nights.

I think I remember one of the first Acid Box shows, at the Blind Tiger Club, in 2013? It was so exciting! Do you remember how it felt forming AB at that time, and why you did it?

That’s right, 10th December 2013 at the beloved Blind Tiger! That seems like a lifetime ago now and never did I imagine we’d still be going strong eight years later.

It was all so new and exciting – I had no idea if people would turn up, but they did! Watching people dance, mosh and crowdsurf to the bands playing was a special moment. There’s something about seeing people enjoy themselves through something you’ve put together that is quite magical, I still think that to this day.

Now you’re one of the big promoters in the South East, bringing some incredible international acts to Brighton. What have been the highlights?

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Haha, it’s funny I still don’t see us as a big promoter, but maybe we are? It’s hard to pinpoint the highlights, every show has its own. I think the main thing is I get to meet so many amazing people from all over the world and share an experience with them and a bunch of other people in some venue down in Brighton.

Here’s a few that come to mind…

Sticky Mikes Frog Bar – most shows here were pretty wild, but especially our Bitch Craft Great Escape after-party and the very last night of Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar. Demob playing with wireless guitars at our TGE show in the Brighton Youth Centre back in 2016. Watching one of them jump off the 8ft high speakers was a moment!

The Limiñanas at The Hope and Ruin in 2018.

Snapped Ankles at Concorde 2… This was the first big show we did and that was a huge achievement for me. I remember travelling up from Eastbourne as a teenager to see bands there, so to be putting the bands on there myself was a huge moment. While we’re on the topic of Snapped Ankles, the set at East Street Tap during our Super Fuzz weekender was something to behold.

You’ve given hundreds of local bands a leg up by putting them on as a support act. What do you look for in a band?

I always look for something that’s maybe a little different to what everyone else is doing, the more unusual the better. A strong social media presence helps, and how you interact with the audience – also if you’re nice people!

The live industry obviously suffered during Covid, what have been the challenges and after effects? How have you felt the music community come together?

The first bunch of shows post-pandemic went crazy, super busy and everyone wanting to go out. Now ticket sales have come to a massive halt. It’s been pretty scary the last few months. The way people buy tickets has changed massively. Resident have stopped selling physical, which was where a lot of our regulars went to find out about shows, so they now begrudgingly go online, but I’m finding people are buying tickets a few days before or on the door, which is terrifying as it looks like you’re losing money on a show but two days before, you’re breaking even. Everything has gone up of course, which means tickets have had to go up. I always try to keep them low so everyone is able to attend. Then you have the issues of bands getting stuck at borders because it’s taking longer to go through passport control, meaning they then miss their ferry here and finally get to the venue an hour or two late!

Massively, I really feel like there’s a new wave of respect and support from everyone in the industry and punters. It’s a little overwhelming sometimes how supportive everyone has become.

People are more aware of the struggles, what’s going on and doing their best to support the scene around them. I’ve really never felt so supported since starting up Acid Box. It’s a very beautiful thing and I’m very grateful people are here for it.

Ohh, Stickies :( Hahaha yeah, there was always something cooking in the green room! For me it helped us cut our costs a bit, meant the bands had a good healthy home cooked meal and gave it a personal touch. We became known for our cooking as well as our gigs. People really appreciate the little things. It always amazed me the amount of bands you’d get saying how they never get fed or looked after in the UK. For me, that’s part of the experience. Any band coming through, I want to make sure I’m at the show, they’re getting the best experience in our city and they have some food and a place to sleep. Then hopefully they’ll want to come back. It also means I get to build a better relationship with them, working and friendship. I’ve built a lot of great friendships from doing this.

What shows are you most excited for this year at Acid Box? All of them of course! But mostly Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Automatic, Death Valley Girls, Bobby Lees, Dumbo Gets Mad, Night Beats and most importantly WITCH – I still can’t quite get my head around that one.

And finally, why should a reader go and buy a ticket to a local show right now?

The local scene needs all the support it can get. Times are tricky for everyone, but coming together makes it a lot more fun! Also, you get to discover some of the best new music and be a part of something unique.

Thanks, Polly!

I remember playing a show for Acid Box at Stickies (RIP) and there was a huge pot of homemade stew waiting for the bands in the dressing room. That was a real European touch that you so rarely see in the UK, where you’re often just chucked a few beers. Is it about bringing that community spirit to touring?

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BN1 CHATS WITH

CIEL

By Lucy Sheehan

person, I like analysing situations and my own and other people’s feelings and thought processes. I think this often reflects in my lyrics, they tend to be quite introspective.

How do you approach songwriting? Is it with the energy of a live show in mind, or is it more about craft, or purely a cathartic exercise?

When songwriting I like to let go of the idea of how it should sound live, just to not limit myself creatively. I write what I am excited about in the moment. If one day that would be to make an album with only synths and percussion, I guess we would adapt our live set to it. I always try to songwrite from different perspectives to keep it exciting for myself. Sometimes I start with writing a drumbeat, sometimes a bass or guitar line and other times I start with crafting an interesting sound that inspires me. This could be a synth sound or my voice processed through equipment and plug-ins. We also work a lot on the ideas as a band, reworking them and trying out sounds together, which keeps the process fresh and inspiring for us.

What are you most excited for at Great Escape?

CIEL are one of Brighton’s most exciting new alternative acts, with a sound all their own that encompasses the dirtier side of rock and electronic soundscapes, complemented by their knack for addictive hooks. We caught up ahead of their Great Escape shows to talk songwriting, the artistic influences that feed their music and inclusivity in an industry that still has much to do in the name of equality.

Your new track Fine Everything is such a banger, I was listening to 6 Music when it came on the Roundtable to everyone’s delight. How did that track come together?

Fine Everything used to be quite an old demo I made years ago back in The Netherlands. It was just a really lo-fi recording with me singing some gibberish over it. One evening I showed some ideas to Jorge and Tim and they really liked this particular idea a lot. Last year we reworked it as a band. We completely took it apart and rearranged a lot of the parts and I wrote new lyrics.

How has the last year treated you? Any highlights?

Our first BBC Radio 1 play in Jack Saunders’ indie show, as well as being discussed in Steve Lamacq’s Roundtable and being booked for The Great Escape was a good start of our year!

What themes are you most interested in exploring lyrically right now?

The lyrics I write mostly come to me subconsciously. I always start with making the music and write vocal melodies over them, singing gibberish. Sometimes the meaning is there when I start writing the song, sometimes I have to search for it. I am quite an analytic

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I am quite excited about our show at Paganini Ballroom – that venue looks sick! I will also definitely try to catch Goat Girl, Pretty Sick, Momma and Highschool.

What would you change about the music industry right now?

More space for women and gender minorities in music! Especially in underrepresented roles. This may sound like the cliché answer and has obviously already been a hot topic over the last years – it’s great to see that a lot of organisations, labels and festivals are doing their best to make a difference. However, a lot still needs to change in my opinion, so it is of importance to keep addressing it. As a woman in music, I still often experience not being taken seriously in what I do. People sometimes presume that I am just a singer and don’t write the songs, have no vision on sound or any knowledge about sound design and technical stuff. I see this a lot with female colleagues in music too and it gets tiring at times.

Are there any influences in your music that fans might not expect, musical or otherwise!

Visually, I think, the art of Miró and Kandinsky. I like the darkness and chaos but at the same time beauty and cohesiveness in those paintings. I like the imperfections as well, that is what I like in music too. Although I think our music is more polished, the initial ideas always sound a bit more messy, as it’s really made quickly in the moment. We clean this up but at the same time try to keep the good parts and catch the essence of the original demo. www.instagram.com/cielcielmusic

Image by © Percy Walker-Smith bn1magazine.co.uk

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DFWU began as a DJ night founded by two Brighton musicians as a way to champion female, queer and non-binary artists.

Every first Thursday of the month since summer 2021, Annie Dorrett (CLT DRP) and Lucy Sheehan (PROJECTOR, O Hell) take over the Hope & Ruin with a DJ set that opens with classic Breeders, Warpaint and PJ Harvey, accelerates with RnB superstars like Lizzo, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion before turning hyper pop ’til the early hours with Britney, Kim Petras, SOPHIE and Beyonce.

On 26th June, they will launch the first DFWU festival. Part of the Hope & Ruin’s summer Ruinfests, the festival will be across two stages, with a variety of femme and non-binary acts ranging from folk, electronica, rock and punk, complemented with crafts and talks from local designers.

The festival and DFWU is, as Lucy says, a natural progression from conversations when the two first sat down for a coffee in Brunswick Square, two years ago. “Annie and I became friends in summer 2020, but we’d known each other for years and shared stages several times. We talked a lot about the way in which – when we were coming up in the scene – the press and live industry fetishise female musicians as a niche, advertising our bands as ‘femalefronted,’ which isn’t a genre. We realised how that can create a competitiveness between female performers, the industry tells you there’s only room for one of you.”

Annie continues, “At the end of the day, change starts with attitude, visibility and representation. You give room for women, queer and

non-binary folk to be seen and heard, the culture starts shifting and it grows in a healthier discourse. Sometimes it feels impossible to shift the endless sexism that’s rooted in the music industry and sometimes you have to take work you don’t want to take. Lucy and I, the punters and all the artists on the bill are lucky to have a day where we don’t have to deal with that reality for a moment.

The Ruinfest funding kindly brought to us by Sally Oakenfield who runs the Hope & Ruin was a great way for Lucy and I to create a predominately femme lineup that celebrates our community in a safer space. It’s all the small steps from individuals doing their bit in the scene that help make positive progress – this is just one of those small steps!”

What does DFWU mean? “You can guess what the acronym stands for. It came from those discussions all female artists have about the nonsense women have to deal with in the music scene, having to cultivate a hard shell that says “do not mess with me”, just to stay safe and be heard. But also the name’s from that first summer Annie and I drove around town blaring everything from Cardi B’s WAP to Le Tigre’s Deceptacon, feeling the girl gang power.”

Follow @wearedfwu on instagram to keep up with the festival CLT DRP: @cltdrp PROJECTOR: @projectorprojector (photo credit: libby malandrone)

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TOP BANDS AND ARTISTS TO SEE AT

THE GREAT ESCAPE 2022: Chosen by Benjamin Left

The Great Escape- the No.1 festival for new music- is just around the corner. Get ready for Brighton’s annual exposure extravaganza with this list of must-see bands and artists who will be playing this year’s festival.

KID KAPICHI

The Hasting’s heavyweights are taking the music world by storm, their furious, full-throttle anthems providing the pure punk passion that has been missing since UK duo Slaves went on an extended break in 2019. Fresh off the back of supporting Liam Gallagher at the Royal Albert Hall and Nothing But Thieves across Europe, Kid Kapichi are making 2022 their breakthrough year, with slots at Reading & Leeds festival following their performance at The Great Escape. Kid Kapichi are making 2022 their breakthrough year, with slots at Reading & Leeds festival following their performance at The Great Escape.

BILK

Hailing from Chelmsford, Essex, rap-punk trio Bilk have been building an impressive following since 2018. One famous fan is former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, who the band will support at a few dates in April. They don’t sound much like the 1D boys though- Bilk’s songs are gritty, in-your-face tales of suburbia and escape, spat out by frontman Sol Abrahams. If Dizzie Rascal performed The Jam, this is what it would sound like. Exhilarating.

SPRINTS

Dublin-based post-punk outfit Sprints are leading the way when it comes to scratchy, scathing Irish guitar music. Like a female fronted Fontaines DC, but with a bit more of that IDLES bite, Sprints provide burning takedowns of sexism and homophobia over classic punk progressions. Their last Brighton gig, at the semi-legendary Hope & Ruin, was a sweaty, shouty night of shared mindsets, flowing frustration, and, of course, lots of Guinness.

Glastonbury beckons them this June.

THE CLOCKWORKS YARD ACT

Perhaps the most successful band yet to be bestowed with the post-punk label, Leeds quartet Yard Act are witty, wiry, and warm, whilst retaining a healthy dose of sardonic sarcasm. Frontman James Smith talk-sings over boisterous basslines and jagged guitar cuts on debut album The Overload, which was very nearly a No.1 record back in January, nipping at the heels of Years & Years before coming in at No.2. Even Jimmy Kimmel’s a fan.

The Galway four-piece have released a string of top-notch singles over the past year, culminating in April’s self-titled EP, a blistering, four track statement of intent which sees them show off their raw post-punk credentials. Creation Records founder Alan McGee, who was instrumental in the rise of the likes of Primal Scream and Oasis, signed them after the band messaged him on Instagram in 2019, and says they’re the best band he’s signed since Oasis.

ENGLISH TEACHER

Leeds four-piece English Teacher are the embodiment of the self-aware ‘smart-rock’ popularised by fellow Northerners Yard Act, and look set to follow in their very successful footsteps.

Signed to Nice Swan, home of Sports Team, the band are set to release their debut EP Polyawkward in late April, before a string of festival appearances, including End of the Road. Frontwoman Lily Fontaine is a woman of colour, and not afraid to affectingly challenge indie stereotypes.

LOLA YOUNG

The 21-year-old South London star has made her name with her deep, expressive vocals, which won her fourth place on the BBC’s influential Sound of 2022 list. Her sound is a husky, soulful interpretation of pop, and has unsurprisingly attracted the attention of both Amy Winehouse’s former manager and the man who signed Adele, who both now co-manage her. Signed to Island Records and touring the UK, Lola Young looks set to become pop royalty.

ERNESTO DIAZ BOB VYLAN

London grime-punk duo Bob Vylan have been slogging it out sine 2017, but only truly broke through last year with their unflinching album We Live Here. Tackling systemic racism and police brutality with brutal honesty and unprecedented urgency, Bob Vylan are a band with a truly vital voice, one which they plan to keep on using via their new album Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life, out in late April. They’ll be sensational live.

Born in Athens in 1996, Greek master-guitarist Ernesto Diaz is one of Brighton’s hottest new talents. Taking his musician father’s love of latin and salsa and mixing it with his own passion for 60s and 70s rock music, Ernesto has taught himself to play electric guitar to an impressively high standard, his signature sound a stylish mix of Santana, Pink Floyd, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. A real rock star in the making.

Chosen by Tallulah Taylor

MAGI MERLIN

CHLOE LEIGH

BALMING TIGER

TEMS

EFÉ

GOAT GIRL

TORA-I

BUFFALO NICHOLS

To the Beach, she says herself, is a song about growing out of people and being naked. New single Free Grillz sees Magi Merlin experiment with a sharper and more confident rap sound, compared to her slower previous R&B songs.

Lyrics like “Oh, you like that, all cash, free grillz and a real fat ass” show off her sensuous vocals and icy wit.

The Nigerian singer quit her digital marketing job in 2018 to dedicate herself full time to music. The result was instantly promising.

Her luscious vocals are upbeat, clever and staunchly feminist. Unconcerned with your approval, or the shitty behaviour of men, Tems sings in Damages, “Back then when I was a baby girl, I was yours and you were my world, tell me what you wanna do for me now, take it down and I would hold you to run my race.

Could you run it right there?”

Heavily influenced by R&B icons like Mariah Carrey and Destiny’s Child, along with artists who experiment on the fringes of the genre like FKA Twigs, Tora’s versatile voice sits on the edge of the genre, culminating in soft piano-backed vocals, swinging from more raw acoustic sounds to soulful and brass backed.

The single Serial was released last year, to widespread acclaim.

Leigh’s Spanish heritage fuses with her love of folk to create a unique sound. Currently living in Brighton, she released her first bilingual single Momentos Así last year and is gearing up to release her second EP this summer, alongside touring festivals in the UK. There is something Hindi Zahra-esque about her sound, evoking soul, blues and gypsy jazz. Her lyricism conjures similar tones, edging around themes of love and longing with a political edge to them, as all good folk does.

This 21-year-old artist hailing from Dublin released her self-recorded EP in 2020. What Should We Do This Summer sees gentle guitar rhythms interwoven with soft synth in a playful bedroom pop style. EFÉ is a pianist and violinist and draws on influences such as SZA and Zack Villere to create her unique soul/lo-fi sound.

Buffalo Nichols husky voice sings the blues in a way which hasn’t been heard in a few decades. The 30-year-old singer grew up in Milwaukee and his repertoire includes punk, hip hop and church music. After ending up in a blues bar in Kiev, he decided to try his hand at the blues again after loving and listening to it as a child. His fingers deftly and delicately pick the guitar alongside political lyrics as powerful as the likes of Gil Scott-Heron and Bob Dylan.

“Why wear a hood when a badge is just as good” sings Nichols in Another Man.

The alternative K-pop band also doubles up as an arts and culture collective aiming to represent the younger generation and popularise Asian culture around the world.

Their music is energetic and dynamic, with a very millennial aesthetic of VCRs and cheap restaurants. The collective consists of performers Omega Sapien, sogumm, wnjn and Mudd the student; producers San Yawn and Unsinkable; video directors Jan’ qui and Leesuho; DJ Abyss; and writer Henson Hwang.

This favourite female post-punk band hailing from South London is doing the rounds headlining UK festivals this year. Definitely try to catch lead vocalist and guitarist Clottie Cream, guitarist and occasional lead vocalist L.E.D., bassist Holly Hole and drummer Rosy Bones. Signed by Rough Trade in 2016, they came out of the South London music scene alongside Shame and Black Midi.

BALIMAYA PROJECT

The Balimaya Project contains some of the most impressive and inspiring jazz musicians in this country. Count yourself lucky if you get to see one of their passionate and energetic live performances. The Balimaya project was formed in 2019 by percussionist Yahael Camara Onono, a second-generation Londoner who wanted to use the repertoire of the Mande peoples of Senegal and Mali as the bridge between folkloric West African music and jazz, along with the sounds of Black London.

SPOTLIGHT SHOW

FRIDAY 13TH MAY 2022

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FACE

TEMS ENNY GABRIELS SPOTLIGHT SHOW

SATURDAY 14TH MAY 2022 IN ASSOCIATION WITH TIKTOK

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G E T TO K N OW : ALICIA EDELWEISS

By Tallulah Taylor

Alicia Edelweiss’ ethereal voice floats through choruses of lulling accordion and a myriad of eerie string melodies. In Leonie, she sings “at night, when all the world flies home, we shall have a party in our castle with all the freaks and the children, the clowns and the trash eaters”, conjuring up a curious and eccentric beauty.

Whilst travelling around Europe for four years, the Viennese musician began teaching herself the accordion, going on to record a 7-track EP in Portugal which was heavily influenced by the antifolk movement in New York. Alicia’s haunting voice and accordion compositions complement her intimate lyricism as she writes and sings from a raw, creative and joyful place.

Her most recent album When I’m enlightened, everything will be better features eclectic and bizarre songs The Cockroaches and Me, Feeling Like the Last Unicorn and To-Do List of a Party Pooper.

Alicia’s lyrics and music feel unrestrained. Her irony in songs like The Cockroaches and Me is mocking, yet her dedication to the craft is completely serious. The production isn’t seamless; you can hear her process within the sound. This rough-around-the-edges result is intentional as Alicia endeavours for a DIY approach. She recorded her first album herself, explaining that she “loved stuff that sounded really trashy and lo-fi at the same time”. She says she wants to feel joy doing things, no matter how well they’re produced.

Alicia’s EP I should have been overproduced is an ode to this. The tracks were written and recorded with friends in Portugal, without the help of a major label or much money, subverting the more established routes into the music industry. The lack of production in her music isn’t noticeable to novices but creates a subtle audio aesthetic that matches the homemade quality of her videos. Alicia explained that visuals are very important to her, and she likes to perform in outfits which make her feel comfortable and herself.

When asked about what her favourite thing to wear on stage is, she smiles and says anything that’s golden, kind of elegant and like a magician or queen. She says she wouldn’t feel authentic going on stage in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

For a couple of years, she experimented with making music without having management or a label tell her “this is how you make an album”. She thinks this uncompromising approach is why her music has developed the way it has. Alicia also notes that it’s not purely record labels or management that influence the direction of her music, but the idea of what fans desire as well. She has found herself wondering whether to continue in the same musical direction as her last album or to be more experimental. Compromising on the sound that has accumulated a fanbase is something many musicians deliberate.

Her inspirations have been changing recently. She names the London-based musician Douglas Dare as a key influence. Alicia

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explains that a few years ago she didn’t see the polished sounds of a produced track as authentic, but now is realising that this is a creative process much like anything else. The production of a track is a process and collaborations can help form it. She laughingly explains that she likes to do things by herself and struggles with any interference on her creativity.

Alicia’s lyricism, although playful, can sometimes become dark, satirical and subtly political. The songwriting of the anti-folk movement was especially inspiring to her because it taught her to not take the world too seriously and gave her the self-belief to play and write her own music. “All the songs I listened to as a teenager or a kid, such as folk songs, were always very serious, beautiful and poetic.” When she heard the humour and irony of the anti-folk scene, it resonated with her, and it was the first time she felt like “yes, this is how I want to write songs”. As a child she listened to Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears but today she says she “can’t stand listening to voices anymore”. She finds it very hard to have music on in the background. “When there’s a voice, I listen so hard I can’t do anything.” Now she’s found herself listening to composers such as Yann Tiersen, who made the score for Amelie. For the next album she would like these inspirations to come together.

Alicia’s recent song Drek is a brilliant, humorous track celebrating getting dirty. It came as a spontaneous response to a songwriting workshop she held in Vienna. She asked students to write down a list of things they loved, including in her own list Drek, which translates as “dirt”. The music video shows Alicia, barefoot, rolling around in mud, swimming, dancing and singing “dirt is freedom, dirt is good”. In Fools Believe in Moons, Alicia’s sorrowful voice accompanies a lone accordion with “I swear, I swear I saw a white balloon. When I tell you, why don’t you believe me?”.

This uncanny expression resides also in The Cockroaches and Me, where she befriends a group of insects who form an anarchist collective. Humorously poking fun at the restrictive ideologies of marginal political groups through the lens of the benevolent, equality-promoting cockroaches. “God sent me a harem of insects, who didn’t judge me for my lack of intellect, drinking tea and singing Let It Be.” The song also satirically delves into climate change, the education system and inequality all at once: “As the human beings were destroying themselves, the cockroaches gave a crash course on endurance and health”.

The Great Escape Festival is a festival showcasing Alicia Edelweiss and other emerging talent from around the world. The line-up includes The Balimaya Project, Bina and Goat Girl amongst many other up and coming artists. It starts 11th and finishes on 14th May. You can purchase tickets at www.greatescapefestival.com/buyfestival-tickets

Alicia Edelweiss, Image by Olesya Parfenyuk bn1magazine.co.uk

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BN1 CHATS WITH

ARXX

Image by © Rosie Powell

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By Lucy Sheehan Ahead of their shows at this year’s Great Escape, we chatted to Brighton’s gal pal power-duo ARXX. Since their inception, Hanni and Clara have displayed the enviable ability to channel killer pop hooks through their punchy two-piece grunge. Recent singles like ‘Deep’ are instant earworms, with a level of popcraft that Charli XCX would be proud of. They’re sonically ambitious, with newer tracks bringing in synths and drum machines, but with the raw, joyous energy of a drummer and a guitarist totally in sync with each other.

How did you end up a two-piece, was that a plan from the beginning? What are the challenges and joys of being a twopiece?

I (Hanni) am a big Deap Vally fan, so I always have that in the back of my mind.

But when I met Clara, it just clicked and we knew we didn’t need anyone else. We love being a two-piece, we’re very portable, we don’t have to have a group chat and we can get on all the rides together.

You’re well known for your matching boiler suits and epic videos – is that about creating an ARXX universe?

That’s a big word! We wouldn’t say we’re trying to create a universe, but we really like putting our personality into everything we do, so we see everything as an opportunity to put a bit of ourselves out there. Music videos are just fun, and we always have way too big an idea for our budget, but work with very talented people (Rosie Powell and Emma Hiley) who make them happen.

You recently signed a publishing deal with Sub Pop! It sounds like big things are on the horizon. Can you reveal anything about plans for 2022?

Thank you so much! We can promise a lot of touring, festivals and new music and niche merch (getting nicher by the minute).

Touring Europe with Pillow Queens in May, and all over Ireland in October, and of course Brighton Pride. The rest we can’t say just yet.

Your sound comprises lots of sonic elements strung very elegantly together – I can hear pop, grunge, punk, country(!).

What are the sounds and influences that guide ARXX? Or is it more about the songwriting for you?

We both love pop music, but when we play, something else happens. We try to limit ourselves in terms of what we write, just whatever feels right for the song, but we were both brought up on a range of music, so it’s ended up a music soup.

Creating art can be a very self-critical process, especially in an industry that demands artists constantly produce content, look a certain way and release a banger every three months. What are the three things you’d tell young artists to be fearless of?

My god can’t it!?

There is no “making it” – as soon as you start a band, pick up an instrument or write a song, you’re doing it.

You don’t have to wait for things to happen, you can find a way to do it yourself.

Do it with the right people, you spend an hour on stage and 23 hours sweating in a car!

What are you most excited for at Great Escape?

MUNA... and there’s a really good Indian street food van on the beach. And the tiny pancakes.

You recently participated in an AA Sessions, culminating in the April single ‘Can’t Stand You’ – how was that?

It was a dream! We did it with Lucy from Projector and she’s a powerhouse. Little bit intimidated by her talent. We made a banger.

Compose a supergroup of your influences!

Hanni: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dolly Parton, Charli XCX. Clara: Haim, Florence and the Machine and P!nk.

Thanks ARXX!

Image by © Rosie Powell

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BRIGHTON AND HOVE’S ARTISTS OPEN HOUSES Weekends May 7–29 2022

This May, with an exceptionally brilliant range of artists’ houses and studios, the Artists Open Houses festival celebrates its 40th birthday. This year’s festival is also a commemoration of its founder Ned Hoskins who, in 1982, created a movement enabling access to art for everyone, by simply opening his Fiveways front door and inviting the public inside to view his work.

Open House trails now happen all over the country and beyond, but it all began here in Brighton, with one man deciding to remove the invisible barriers that kept people out of art galleries by inviting them in to view art in a domestic setting.

The Artists Open Houses has evolved to be not only the original, but the largest, most respected event of its kind, now encompassing the entire city of Brighton & Hove, reaching out across the Downs to the village of Ditchling and beyond.

For the 40th anniversary, a series of special exhibitions connect through the theme Towards the Light, taken from a title of one of Ned Hoskins’ paintings and reflecting his concerns with nature and the natural world. Exhibitions include work of students, emerging artists, neuro-diverse and learning-disabled artists, established AOH

artists and some of the earliest members of the Fiveways Artists’ Group; work is shown at Brunswick Square’s Regency Town House and Basement in Hove and at Devils Dyke Farm. Accompanying the exhibitions, an oral-history film explores the history and legacy of the Artists Open Houses movement.

Over the 40 years, Artists Open Houses has become a major arts event that embraces the entire community, encompassing all generations, from school students to residents of a seniors’ centre; from artists just starting out on their careers, to those with national reputations. Visiting artists in their homes and studios, viewing amazing art, meeting the artists and makers, hearing about how the work is made and what inspires its makers, is always a great day out. Many Open Houses offer tea and cake in artists’ gardens. Explore the city and travel out to surrounding villages, meeting the artists, buying new artworks for your home; the Artists Open Houses offer illumination, inspiration and fun!

Venues opening times and days may vary, so take a look at individual listings on our website.

IMAGE CREDITS

1 : Chris Lewis - South Heighton Pottery 2 : Sanni Falkenberg – Robertson Yard 3 : Clara Wilkinson. Photo: Syl Ojalla 4 : Miranda Ellis - Escape 5 : AOH brochure cover image: Gary Goodman 6 : Emily Jolley – Summer Light

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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SUCCESS AT

B I M M BIMM (Brighton Institute of Modern Music) opened its first college 20 years ago in Brighton. Since then, across all of their colleges, they’ve had over 15,000 students make their way through the doors. Over that time, their graduates have amassed an enormous amount of success between them. Martin Wright, College Principal of BIMM Institute Brighton has been there for most of that time:

With this chart success and critical acclaim, awards have followed. Graduates have picked up an impressive number over the years. In fact, former BIMM students have amassed over 20 BRIT award nominations, including Izzy Bizu’s Critics Choice Award nomination, that time Tom Odell lost out to David Bowie for Best British Male Solo Artist, and James Bay’s three nominations and a win in 2016.

“I joined BIMM back in 2005 as a lecturer when it was one building, 300 students and only the Brighton college. This was just as the music industry was about to tip into a new era of digital steaming, social media and artists being able to make their own careers. Since then, I have watched BIMM grow into Europe’s leading creative institution made up of eight music colleges and now performing arts and film schools forming an incredible community of over 9000 aspirant creative professionals. I have been lucky enough to work with and help develop some of the best and brightest over the many years I have been with BIMM, with so many of those alumni now very much driving the creative industry forward into a very exciting future.”

Furthermore, there have been two Ivor Novello awards for songwriting, MOBO, MTV, Q and Kerrang! Awards, and a Grammy nomination and award for Fontaines D.C. and Ella Mai respectively.

Ella Mai also won a Billboard award.

When BIMM Institute first opened in Brighton, the music industry was a very different landscape. From CDs to MP3s to iTunes and streaming on platforms like Spotify, they have helped their students find success whatever the format, achieving over 20 Top 10 UK albums, including a few number ones – George Ezra’s Wanted On Voyage and James Bay’s Chaos and the Calm. Not to mention the billions of streams collected by artists like Tom Odell, who currently has over 16 million monthly listeners and is presently Spotify’s 250th most streamed artist globally.

Many amazingly successful session musicians have walked through their doors.

Diploma graduate Nathan Curran has been drumming professionally for over 20 years.

He has toured and played with Basement Jaxx, Lily Allen, Elton John, Roots Manuva, Kano, Tinchy Stryder and Paloma Faith, amongst others. Nathan now teaches drums and music production at The Rhythm Studio and works as a freelance lecturer giving masterclasses to a wide variety of students at colleges across the country.

Another is a more recent graduate, Emanuel J Burton. He’s toured with Little Simz, FKJ, Tom Misch, Misha B, Children of Zeus, The Mouse Outfit, Yazmin Lacey, Steam Down and KOKOROKO. Isabel Torres has also had some fantastic opportunities as a session musician; she’s spent time on tour with Foals, Cage The Elephant, Norah Jones and Bastille, as well as playing for fellow BIMM graduate Mimi Webb and being Declan McKenna’s current tour guitarist.

It’s easy to get carried away with the shiny baubles and chart-toppers, but BIMM students have been making an impact all across the music industry, not just as performers and producers, but also in the running of the music business and events.

Natasha Bent is one of those people; after being named in Music Week’s Women in Music Roll Of Honour, she joined forces with her brother to launch artist management and live agency Mother Artists, guiding the likes of Heavy Lungs, Ry X, BIMM graduates IDLES and The Magic Gang, and many more.

Bex Redwood also found success in the industry by co-running Republic of Music’s artist management arm. She oversaw 300 digital release campaigns during her time there, including artists such as Disclosure, Tame Impala, Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party, and more.

Laura Davidson has seen enormous success in the live music sector. She boasts the record number of consecutive shows at Brixton Academy – a massive seven shows with The xx – and was instrumental in the founding of All Points East, a two-weekend music festival held in Victoria Park.

Students have also made a name for themselves on a more local scale. Patrick McNaught started his own multi-venue music festival spanning Brighton & Hove. Currently selling tickets to the third instalment of Washed Out Festival, the festival has grown each year.

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KEITH ALLEN

ICONIC BRITISH ACTOR BRINGS PINTER’S THE HOMECOMING TO THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON BY STUART ROLT 46 bn1magazine.co.uk

“It’s the writing, first and foremost.

There’s an excitement and challenge to interpreting it.” Keith Allen, veteran actor and Iconic British geezer, is talking about his huge enthusiasm for Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming. Taking place on a single set, in the home of four warring men, this uncompromising play asks questions about tradition, family dynamics and personal values.

The finest of all Pinter’s works, this stunning play is seeing a revival half a century after its London premiere.

Director Jamie Glover is taking Allen and a host of brilliant actors around the UK, including a visit to Theatre Royal Brighton on Mon 2 – Sat 7 May. Allen says the venture, and its responsibility to the source material, can be viewed as two distinct works of art here. “One is the actual play he wrote, which itself is a magnificent piece of literature, and hopefully your interpretation of it will qualify as another.

Your job is to interpret it to the max.

Excuse the pun. I think we’ve managed to do that, certainly under Jamie Glover’s direction. And the company is a great ensemble.” This play is as significant as ever, confounding, shocking and beguiling audiences with its visceral portrayal of family power structures.

Teddy, played by Sam Alexander (Emmerdale, Chichester Festival Theatre’s The Watsons), is a philosophy professor at an American university. He unexpectedly returns to his childhood home, accompanied by his wife Ruth, a bored and lost young woman, played

by Shanaya Rafaat (Around the World in 80 Days at St James Theatre, Doctor Who).

What they interrupt is a perpetual existential struggle between Allen’s Max, the resentful patriarch, and Teddy’s brothers. Lenny, played by Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne, is enigmatic but hides a darker side. RSC regular Geoffrey Lumb (Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and The Light) plays Joey, a demolition worker and aspiring boxer.

While four-time Olivier Award nominee Ian Bartholomew (Into The Woods, Mrs Henderson Presents, Coronation Street) plays Sam, Max’s shady brother who drives for a car service.

An uneasy status quo is disrupted by the visit, sparking distrust, outbursts and struggles for dominance. These range from subtle passive-aggressions to grand gestures, and all add to an overriding sense of dread. “In Max’s case he does perform for his family, but he also performs for himself. He’s an old

man coming down the hill, and he’s very aware of that.”

The tone of the play effortlessly drifts from social realism to brutal farce, as this family and their menacing interplay demand our attention. “We’ve had some great reviews. The audience has been… I’m not sure ‘enjoyed’ is the right word, but they’ve responded and appreciated the work. It’s been really good.” While The Homecoming has won numerous awards, including a Tony, its ambiguous narrative has left it wide open for interpretation. Various issues around control are prevalant throughout, whether this is the control of a father over his progeny, sexual politics or abusive relationships.

“It’s very relevant. Unfortunately, very little has changed. If you want to view misogyny on a nuclear scale, and man’s extraordinary desire to get in front of another man, then this is the play to see.” But, perhaps the real homecoming belongs to Ruth. Perhaps her marriage isn’t idyllic. And perhaps her own search for meaning has implications for this awkward family dynamic. Like much of Pinter’s work, the play is less focused upon story arcs than its delicious and poignant language.

Allen is quite comfortable talking in depth about his craft, and equally comfortable to deflect any questions which fail to interest him. I was half expecting this, and don’t take it as an affront to my unquestionably majestic interview style. While notorious for being part of a lively Soho late night scene which included Stephan Fry, Damien Hirst and a plethora of Cool Britannia indie bands, he has built a fearsome reputation through his acting work.

After breaking through on the stand-up circuit in the late 70s, he was part of a rich alternative scene which married perfectly into the edgier ambitions of a newly founded Channel 4. There he’d spend quite a substantial amount of time wearing just underpants and a leather driving coat in The Comic Strip’s The Bullshitters, a hilariously robust buddy cop satire – as well as The Yob, which inserted football hooliganism into a familiar body horror trope.

Enter the 90s and Allen was everywhere, from appearing in Carry On films to finding worldwide fame as the mysterious and suddenly rather dead new lodger in Danny Boyle’s breakout film, Shallow Grave. He’d reprise the role for Boyle’s masterpiece Trainspotting, and subsequently appear in everything from Black Books and Spaced to Robin Hood and 24-Hour Party People. The

fascination with Pinter came at the turn of millennium, when the writer cast Allen in two of his plays at London’s forwardlooking Almeida Theatre, first playing Lambert in Celebration and then Mr Sands in a revival of the playwright’s powerful debut, The Room.

Allen says when Pinter was directing, he’d often recruit certain actors just because he liked them. “He’d see something in them, and just knew instinctively that they can do what he wants. You don’t spend a lot of time acting with him, you spend a lot of time ‘being’. In this production, that has resonated with Jamie Glover. He’s cast people that can do certain things.”

Allen asserts that this style of working isn’t that tricky. You’re halfway there just by being part of the group of actors chosen to do it.

He’s already starred in two productions of The Homecoming, and now gets to perform as its dysfunctional father. “It’s a part I’ve always wanted to play… and I’ve been on stage with two very good exponents of it. I’ve been watching with a very keen eye.” Throughout the play, history is always hovering in the background. There are past mistakes and crimes, the passing of the family matriarch and unmentioned heartache.

Power is also an important theme in the play. All its characters are locked into a struggle to establish dominance. They squabble and attempt to outsmart one another, but violence is the ultimate tool to demonstrate their superiority.

And something which can distract from the ever-present fear of emasculation.

All the men have different reasons to demonstrate their dominance, from selfloathing and hatred to an attempt to prove how much they’ve grown-up and evolved. There’s little surprise this is widely considered Pinter’s finest work.

On the surface his plays appear to be naturalistic and brutal but examining them deeper reveals absurdity and a rich understanding of human nature.

Emerging as one of English theatre’s Angry Young Men, Harold Pinter’s oeuvre is crammed with nuance and ambiguity. His characters talk like real people, often repeating themselves, trailing off and unable to properly manifest their thoughts. “In the text, there is a difference between silence and a pause. When we did Celebration, I remember him saying: ‘If the pause doesn’t work, don’t do it.’ Obviously, what he meant was the way you’re doing it is wrong. That’s why the pause doesn’t work.” While these protagonists may not be able to express themselves

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The Homecoming - All images by © Manuel Harlan clearly, their foibles or uncomfortable stillness unwittingly speak volumes about the human condition and prompts profound questions about social structures and individuality.

“Jamie is an extraordinarily talented man when it comes to forensically going through the text, looking for exclamation marks and pauses with a real rigour.” Allen likens the dialogue to performing a piece of music, with the actors as instruments. Pinter’s ultra-realistic speech rhythms only add to the dark comedy of the ludicrous circumstances he thrusts his characters into.

This might be a career defining role for Allen, his portrayal of the embittered Max in this modern classic drawing rave reviews. But I suspect he’ll just take it all in his stride before

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moving onto the next challenge. Playing serial killer John Cooper in ITV’s The Pembrokeshire Murders last year, making a documentary about lottery winner Michael Carroll or taking a group of Scottish people with Tourette’s to visit the Parisian hospital where the condition was first diagnosed, there’s always been a wild punk rock attitude to his work.

This is the guy who tracked down quintessential TV chef Keith Floyd for one last interview, or just happened to co-write New Order’s only chart-topping single, the evergreen football anthem World In Motion. Allen’s might not have been a conventional journey, but it is a genuinely fascinating one. His path has been charted simply by what feels right. These days, it’s commonplace to be known for working in

different fields, especially as there are so many different outlets for creative endeavours. But in the 80s, career roles were more defined. “You’d be an actor, a writer, a musician, whatever.

People who acted in films would never consider doing TV, whereas now everyone is everything. I was doing all these things and being considered a bit weird. But it’s always suited me down to the ground, as I’ve never had a gameplan.”

Keith Allen tours in The Homecoming until Sat 21 May, including a run at Theatre Royal Brighton on Mon 2 – Sat 7 May. www.atgtickets.com/brighton

Artists Open Houses 40th anniversary

7-29 May 2022

Spring Garden: Gary Goodman

aoh.org.uk bn1magazine.co.uk

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Image © Luca Sage

BRIGHTON NATURAL HEALTH CENTRE With the height of the pandemic behind us, it’s now more pertinent than ever to take some time for ourselves and give our physical and mental health wellbeing some added attention. That’s why we caught up with the Brighton Natural Health Centre to discover how we can get started on a healthy path in 2022.

How long has Brighton Natural Health Centre been running and how did it form?

The Brighton Natural Health Centre has been running for just over four decades! It was founded in 1981 by Infinity Foods and was born out of the founder’s original vision of ‘healthy individuals, healthy communities and a healthy planet’ which has now evolved into “Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy planet.” Originally, the space the centre now inhabits was a warehouse for Infinity. Following a fire which destroyed thousands of pounds worth of stock and the building, the founders made the decision to create The Brighton Natural Health Centre out of the ashes. The centre was rebuilt in 1981 and became a charity in 1984.

Over the years the centre has offered a diverse range of workshops and classes and offered a home to many significant practitioners and teachers. Inspired to ensure that the Brighton community could access practices that were vital to their wellbeing, the centre has always offered a variety of classes and workshops – historically including cookery! Now the centre focuses on offering movement practices and providing a calm haven nestled in the heart of the North Laine for its community.

Since the pandemic, a lot of people have been looking to regain their physical and mental health wellbeing. Will BNHC offer advice on the best course or classes to take?

Brighton Natural Health Centre offers a wide range of movement modalities, all of which support the participant to take care of their physical and mental wellbeing through exploring different ways of moving in a safe and supportive environment.

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We recommend trying one of our weekly drop-in classes to see what fits. These span across a wide range of movement practices including Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Qi Gong, Contemporary and Lyrical Dance, Meditation and beyond. Levels vary from beginner to advanced and our reception team are always on hand or a phone call away to talk through the best option for you.

We also run repeating and one-off courses which offer the opportunity to deep dive into the above classes or to start from the beginning and learn the foundation of the movement practice to build confidence before joining drop-in sessions.

Our courses currently include: Beginners Ashtanga with Kathryn Duckenfield, The Ancient Practice of Clubs and Sticks: A Dynamic Moving Meditation with Laurie Booth, Yoga for Men with Randall Evans, Contemporary Dance with Emmeline Cresswell and Laurie Booth, and Pilates with Suzy Titford.

I understand BNHC is a charity. Can you tell us about the kind of work you do?

At the heart of BNHC is the belief that everybody should be able to access high quality movement classes and be empowered to live an embodied and well life summed up through our charitable aims: To help people learn how to better look after themselves and support their minds, bodies and spirits.

To help build a healthy and happy community and contribute to a peaceful and sustainable world.

Our outreach work includes a partnership with Together Co, a loneliness charity in Brighton. Their aim is to connect people, places and ideas to create a society that everyone can be part of. We’ve become involved in their Befriending scheme, where clients who are 50+ years, with a physical or sensory disability, or a chronic health condition get together on a monthly basis. Many of these clients are socially isolated and are able to do little or no physical exercise.

CONTINUED

We’ve been awarded grants from Chalk Cliff Trust and Homity Trust to provide a teacher and support Together Co to deliver a collection of adapted movement sessions for 12 months.

We also offer free talks and weekly drop-in low-cost classes, each priced at £5, open to everybody. Choose from Gentle Yoga, Qi Gong, Breathwork, LGBTQIA+ Yoga and Meditation or we have two free classes held at the centre to support specific groups within our community: Trauma informed Yoga for identifying women and Yoga for identifying female Refugees, migrants and Asylum seekers.

How important is it to ‘move’ regularly and is this something all ages should be doing?

Living an embodied life is central to maintaining overall health on both a physical and emotional level. Moving regularly allows the body to create endorphins which are key in boosting immune function, lowering stress levels and bringing feelings of calm and joy as well as helping to improve brain function. Moving regularly can also help to both heal and prevent physical pain and injury, soften stiffness and gently undo old patterns of movement that have been causing physical discomfort as well as bring benefits including developing greater levels of fitness, stamina, mobility and flexibility. All of our movement classes also combine connection to breath with the movement, allowing the participant to connect more deeply with their physical body and find a sense of belonging, understanding and calm within themselves. Adults of all ages are welcome at our centre and we offer a range of concessions.

How do I know which Yoga class is right for me? What are the different classes available?

We offer a range of Yoga classes suitable for beginners, those in between and advanced practitioners. We offer Hatha, Iyengar, Restorative, Yin, Flow, Dynamic Yoga. We are also the home of the Brighton Ashtanga community offering early morning Mysore practice and evening classes and courses.

One of the best ways to discover what is right for you is to try each class and see what feels good and you really enjoy, as enjoying your class is essential to feeling willing to develop an ongoing positive habit. BNHC’s membership package offers the first month at £39.50 to allow new

students to join and see what they love most before choosing whether to continue with a membership, purchase discounted 10 or 20 class packs or attend as a weekly drop-in. Pop in or call and chat through where you could begin.

What sort of workshops are available over May and the summer period?

The Brighton Natural Health Centre is proud to be celebrating our 40th birthday and we are all very excited to be collaborating with The Brighton Spiegeltent, as part of The Brighton Fringe festival to bring a day and night of classes and workshops into the magical and playful circus top!

On May 18th 2022 come and say hello to us and book into any of the following or hang out for the whole day and night! Tickets are available through the Brighton Fringe box office: 01273 917272 or www. brightonfringe.org/whats-on/ 10am Reconnect: Yoga and Thai Massage with Leonie Taylor @ centredspace 11am Ashtanga basics with Sarah Miles @astangayogabrighton 12pm Body Medicine: Yoga with Brydie Rowan @brydierowanyoga.

Or if you have a little one with you Lucy Lindner’s 1:30pm Family Yoga workshop is perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

We also have a range of workshops on at our home in our North Laine Centre throughout the summer.

Check out; Polyvagal Theory: A Deeper Dive with Rachel Cooper on Sunday May 22nd. Introduction to TRE with Deborah Brown on Saturday May 7th. Dance of Awareness with Marcela Wakeham on Saturday 21st May. Thai Massage Training course with Natasha De Grunwald on Saturday and Sunday 4th and 6th June. Yin Yoga and Alchemy Soundbath with Siobhan Swider on Sunday 5th June. Creative Contemporary Dance with Julie Havelund on Sunday 12th June. Hatha Yoga Workshop with Khadine Morcom on Saturday 18th June. Somatic and Mindful Yoga with Charlotte Watts on Friday 17th June and Friday 15th July More workshops are programmed all the time so check out our website: www.brightonnaturalhealthcentre.org.uk What are the benefits of joining your membership?

Our full price membership offers unlimited access to weekly classes, 10% discount of our weekend workshops, one free guest pass when you introduce someone new to the centre and a concession discount on our membership price. The first month is half price and gives you access to all our classes and to become part of our warm and friendly community.

Pop in any time and say hello, we love a chat and would love to help you find a movement practice that benefits you.

Image © Luca Sage

Image © Luca Sage 52 bn1magazine.co.uk

Image © Jo Thorne

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STAYCATION STAYCATION STAYCATION! Our choice of hotel breaks in the South

by Thom Punton

Port Hotel, Eastbourne

Somewhere in between “maybe we could get some cheap last minute flights?” and “let’s just call the whole thing off, it’s too stressful” lies “how about we go somewhere nearby?” – the staycation, touted during the height of Covid as the recommended, responsible option, now often seems like it just makes sense. No waiting around for delayed flights or months of planning for an expensive holiday that leaves you more drained than when you left. Don’t get me wrong, travelling the world is invariably a transformative experience, but there are treasures to be found not much more than an hour’s journey from Brighton. Here are some ideas for unique hotel stays if you go down the staycation route.

The Rooftop at The Standard, London Located in the heart of King’s Cross and minutes away from St. Pancras Station, this is perfect for those who yearn for minimum travel time from Brighton. Housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex, the 1974 Brutalist building has been meticulously restored and is The Standard’s first hotel outside America. Its 266 rooms range from

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the snug Cosy Core rooms to terraced suites with outdoor bathtubs overlooking the dramatic St Pancras station itself.

The hotel complex encompasses numerous luxury facilities. On the ground floor is the Double Standard, a street-facing bar and restaurant where you can get a high-end burger, slushie cocktails or the Bottomless Sunday Brunch. Next door is The Library Lounge, a carefully curated library that pays homage to the building’s original use, and Sounds Studio, home of their culture hub, Sometimes Radio. Isla, a restaurant with tables both inside and out offers an approachable seasonal menu, with a brand new wine and cocktail list. Then, there’s the 10th-floor restaurant, Decimo, where Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias showcases his livefire cooking.

The rooftop bar offers panoramic views of London, to enjoy while you sip something sparkling as the sun goes down. Their ‘High Standards’ package could act as the luxury bookend for a hotel tour. It includes two cocktails, a room for the night and breakfast in the morning.

Port Hotel, Eastbourne One of the south coast’s rising stars as a getaway destination, with the glorious Towner Gallery and growing range of bars and restaurants, Eastbourne is a top choice for a Sussex staycation. Port Hotel is a boutique townhouse hotel, situated on the Royal Parade, just a stone’s throw from the beach. The building has been lovingly restored to create 19 modern bedrooms and a contemporary open-plan restaurant and bar.

Tapping into the renowned local art scene, Port showcases Eastbourne based artist JFK Turner whose work focuses on giving new life and form to found objects. His art appears throughout the restaurant and bar area and will be available to buy.

With Alex Burtenshaw as Head Chef, drawing on his experience at Hotel du Vin Brighton, Drakes and Harbour Hotel, Port’s restaurant proudly sources its ingredients from within a 30-mile radius of the property.

The hotel continually strives to support Sussex’s businesses, putting locally sourced food at the heart of their dishes.

occasions, and later again from King George V. As the focal point of St Leonards, it became a favourite rendezvous of the royal family. Queen Victoria’s signature can be seen in the distinguished visitors book alongside many other famous royals, so if history is your thing, this hotel will provide a real thrill of heritage.

Though the setting is opulent, the Sea Terrace Restaurant offers classic á la carte dining that won’t break the bank, and the sea views make it a dreamy setting for a summer evening meal. Their 50 unique rooms range from comfortable standards to grand suites with separate lounge area.

Hastings is just down the road, with its charming old town and growing boutique appeal.

Harbour Hotel & Spa, Chichester The Harbour Hotel group are an awardwinning brand with 15 properties across the UK. Their Chichester hotel has had all its 37 rooms freshly renovated, including one extra special private cottage. It bills itself as a “modern meets classic” boutique hotel.

Set in a Grade II-listed Georgian property, it mixes contemporary interiors with Georgian and Regency period features: flowing central staircases, grand fireplaces and full-height sash windows. Located in the heart of historic Chichester, it’s the perfect base to explore the upmarket, charismatic town. With its famous cathedral, Pallant House art gallery and Chichester Festival Theatre, there’s plenty to do.

Emphasis has also been given to the drinks experience with local artisanal brands behind the bar, including Gun Brewery beers, Ditchling Gin, Rathfinny Estate, Bolney Wines and Chilgrove spirits.

Port offers an affordable, tranquil getaway by the sea, and with the South Downs on its doorstep there’s plenty to explore.

Royal Victoria Hotel, St Leonardson-Sea Offering a taste of affordable regency luxury, the Royal Victoria Hotel is situated on the St. Leonards’ seafront. The hotel was built in 1828 by architect James Burton and is filled with charming period features, antique furnishings and a breathtaking Grade II listed marble staircase with 22ft mirror, which leads to the Piano Lounge and Bar, where you can sit and have a drink and imagine you’re a 19th century nobleperson.

Originally named the St Leonards Hotel, the Royal Victoria was built as part of a grand vision to create a new seaside resort.

The hotel received the Royal Charter from Queen Victoria, who visited on numerous

If you fancy staying on site, there’s an inhouse restaurant, The Ship, serving fresh, locally-sourced produce with seasonal menus, helmed by multi-award-winning Chef Patron Alex Aitken. Then, for an extra luxurious time, visit the newly opened subterranean HarSPA, which features a steam room, a hydrotherapy pool, a compact gym, four treatments rooms, and Temple Spa treatments and products.

The South Downs and Chichester Harbour aren’t far away for hiking and cycling. On request, the hotel can also prepare you a sumptuous picnic, or arrange bike hire.

The Mermaid Inn, Rye For a location truly steeped in history, The Mermaid Inn in Rye, with its sloping ceilings and creaking floorboards evokes the era of smugglers. It’s the only hotel in Rye’s Medievel citadel, with cellars dating back to 1156 and a main building that was rebuilt in 1420. Experience a drink in the Giant’s Fireplace Bar and imagine how the Hawkhurst Gang, local smugglers in the 1730s and 1740s, caroused in the bar. You might even spot the entrance to the secret passageway local criminals used to escape the law.

for the wall carvings of the Catholic priests fleeing to the continent at the time of the Reformation. The Small Lounge overlooks the cobbles of Mermaid Street, which was once the main route to the anchorage in Rye in years gone by.

The Inn has a reputation of being haunted and there have been many vivid, terrifying stories of the ghosts who have been spotted in the rooms and walking the corridors. So, depending on your constitution and level of interest in paranormal investigation, this place could be a dream experience or a total nightmare!

The Master Builder’s House in The New Forest The Master Builder’s House is located on Lord Montagu’s Beaulieu Estate in the New Forest National Park, just a few minutes’ drive from Beaulieu Palace House and the National Motor Museum. The setting, at the end of the grassy street of Buckler’s Hard village, once a shipbuilder’s yard, has picturesque views over the Beaulieu River.

The hotel offers a range of accommodation including two rental cottages, The Harbourmasters and The Shipwrights, both with views over the village itself as well as the glorious Beaulieu river. These cottages are ideal for a family or group holiday and come with the added benefit of having both the bar and restaurant at the hotel opposite should you want a break from self catering.

The hotel and cottages are surrounded by the New Forest, making this perfect for exploring the outdoors. The nearest town is Beaulieu which is home to a Cistercian Abbey as well as the National Motor Museum. Lymington and Lyndhurst are also within easy reach, while the North Solent National Nature Reserve, with its variety of wildlife, is just over three miles away. Other attractions nearby include Marwell Zoo and Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway.

The Master Builder’s offer fresh, seasonal food, good quality wines and ales. Their AA Rosette awarded Riverview Restaurant offers fine dining, in discreet and comfortable surroundings overlooking the Beaulieu River. Weather permitting, you can also enjoy your food and drink on the terrace, or in the gardens, also overlooking the river. They even have the dog-friendly Garden View Room available for guests who bring along a four-legged friend.

Sample the ambience of the large Linen Fold panelled restaurant, the cosiness of the Dr Syn dining room or the privacy of the Boardroom for your evening meal, lunch and breakfast. Enjoy the comfort and atmosphere of Dr Syn’s Lounge and look bn1magazine.co.uk

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SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS SERIES: 51 easy plastic reducing switches to make this May

By Emma Rix, sustainability and accessibility executive at Projects, Brighton’s flexible workspace provider with purpose As it stands plastic production is set to double in the next 20 years. Let me repeat that, the production of plastic is set to double in the next 20 years.

This May Greenpeace is leading the biggest investigation into plastic waste there has ever been with The Big Plastic Count, a weeklong, country-wide count for households, schools, communities and businesses. The aim is to put the single-use plastic crisis under a microscope forcing the government to take real action and commit to reducing single plastic use by 50% by 2025 by switching to reusable options that work for everyone – and ban sending our waste to other countries.

As well as getting involved in The Big Plastic Count, you can help by reducing your plastic usage every day. Here are 51 easy ways to try:

SAY NO TO PLASTIC! • • • • • •

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Say YES to bamboo. Bamboo biodegrades, unlike plastic.

You can replace many popular plastic household items with bamboo alternatives such as…

Toothbrush Cotton buds Tupperware Cooking utensils Organic make up pads (bamboo and washable cotton)

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Tote bags - say ‘No thanks’ when shopkeepers ask if you’d like a bag, keep a few tote bags/folding reusable bags on you instead

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Reusable water bottle - make sure to keep it clean

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Reusable coffee cup - most takeaway coffee cups are nonrecyclable or are made of products which are not widely recyclable

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Metal straws - we all know by now that plastic straws = dead turtles

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Reusable and refillable deodorant - Wild (brand) for example, provides a monthly subscription in which you get biodegradable refill packets for your refillable roll-on deodorant. What’s more, they plant a tree for every purchase!

Available online and at Boots.

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•

Swap your plastic hand soap bottles for refillable dispensers or soap bars

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Reusable razor - replace the blade rather than the whole razor to avoid regular plastic waste. They are often made from bamboo or metal and are widely available. Estrid, a sustainable razor company, donates profits to charities all over the world.

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Choose a tea bag that is plastic free or try loose leaf tea and a tea strainer - plastic free tea bags include PG tips, Yorkshire Tea, Clipper, Lipton, Pukka, Tea Pigs, Twinings (to name a few).

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Switch to biodegradable dental floss - such as Wisdom re:new Clean Dental Floss from Superdrug which boasts biodegradable packaging as well as animal friendly ingredients

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Make your lunch for work at home - no extra packaging from your sandwich from Co-Op and less food wastage at home

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Use beeswax wrap, to cover sandwiches and lunches instead of cling film or foil (or vegan wraps). You can buy special wax blocks to re-wax your paper (bee or vegan) to make it last even longer! Berts (Western Rd and Kensington Gardens) sell these a plenty.

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Paper-wrapped presents. Instead of sellotape to wrap presents use paper tape or Sellotape Zero Plastic (available from Sainsbury’s) and use paper wrapping paper instead of plastic wrapped.

1. REDUCE – the best approach to waste is to reduce it at source.

2. REUSE – if you cannot reduce it, then try to re-use it.

3. RECYCLE – if you cannot reuse it, then try to recycle it.

REDUCE YOUR CONSUMPTION

SHOP ETHICALLY

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Switch to low energy LED light bulbs - they use 90% less energy than standard bulbs

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Buy food that is local, seasonal and certified for responsible production (such as fair trade and organic)

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Say no to fast fashion! The clothes are poorly resourced, and synthetic, they are built to fall apart, so need replacing and updating so often they are essentially disposable items.

This includes Primark, New Looks, Zara, Asos, BooHoo, Misguided, H&M and many more. Instead shop second hand or from ethical and environmentally responsible brands such as Finisterre, Lucy and Yak, Mud, Ninety Percent, Beyond Retro, Nudie, KoolKompany, and THTC clothing.

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Say No to Amazon! They are taking business from our local highstreet, they do not pay tax, they do not ensure good practice across their warehouses and often come into the firing line for human rights breaches. Find local (UK based) online alternatives or shop at your local highstreet.

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Turn the tap off whilst you brush your teeth - a running tap wastes over six litres per minute, meaning if adults brush their teeth the NHS recommended twice a day for two minutes – they could be wasting over 24 litres of water a day – more than is used in the average modern dishwasher cycle.

Loo roll - Brand ‘who gives a crap’ offers toilet paper made out of bamboo, as well as 100% recycled paper. None of their products contain plastic and they donate 50% of their profits to fund water, sanitation and hygiene projects all over the world OR shrink your carbon footprint even smaller by trying the slightly more expensive UK produced EcoLeaf

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Go ‘flexitarian’ - If you can’t quite bear to cut out all meat and dairy, just cutting back makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Or try a month off by joining in on Veganuary.

Buy second hand where you can - refurbished phones, upcycled furniture, charity shop clothes. When you purchase something that has already been purchased before, you are reducing the amount of stuff that needs to be produced.

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- A standard Western meat-based diet produces 7.2kgCO2 per day, compared to a vegetarian diets at 3.8kg CO2 per day, or vegan at 2.9kgCO2 per day.

Buy in bulk - often results in significantly less packaging, and less petrol for travel/delivery

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- Meat, especially beef, production is a major cause of tropical deforestation so cutting your meat consumption saves the environment and reduces your carbon emissions

Take reusable bags/containers shopping to avoid bringing home unnecessary single use plastic - for example to hold your fruit and veg, or bakery bits

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Purchase environmentally friendly/plastic free, sanitary products such as Flo Organic - OR - swap all your disposable sanitary products to a Moon Cup or period pants.

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Make sure that beauty products are not harmful to animals (always read the label!). Many companies are no longer testing on animals but it is important to check whether their practises or ingredients are. Brands such as Lush, The Body Shop, and Natura are pioneering eco and animal safe beauty products.

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•

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Walk/Cycle/Car share - Projects have a locked area you can store your bikes

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Steam vegetables instead of boiling - save water!

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Switch to Green energy providers

- e.g. Octopus Energy, they provide 100% Green electricity, Green gas: 0% - but 100% carbon offset, and invest in renewable resources: Anaerobic digestion, solar, wind, and hydro.

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Get involved with community garden projects - plant trees and flowers even if you don’t own a green space yourself and participate in local composting schemes.

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Ditch the car and utilise Brighton’s incredible public transport links when you can

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If you’re getting a taxi - try using Free Now (app) as it collates all the local Brighton taxi drivers who are not affected by ‘Uber’s tax avoidance or misogynistic corporate culture’ (as noted by ‘Ethical Consumer’) AND tends to be cheaper!

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Shop local - it’s pretty difficult to keep track of what brands are okay to buy, and which aren’t, so the best way to avoid funding unethical practises is by supporting small, local businesses.

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Attend local markets: The Open Market, Upper Gardner St (every Sat 8am-5pm), Florence Road (every Sat 9:30am1:30pm)

Hold out on buying new technology - if your current phone/ laptop/washing machine does not need replacing, don’t! And if it does need replacing, recycle it. The UK consumes 1.8 million electronic items per year and less than 20% of that e-waste is recycled. Refurbished phones and tablets are often as good as new!

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If your clothes you no longer wear, want, or need are in good condition, pass them onto charity shops, family, friends, or food banks

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Explore what our shores have to offer - go on a ‘staycation’ rather than flying to an international holiday destination.

RECYCLE! Utilise the Waste Hierarchy strategy to reduce our waste consumption:

.

- If we all switched, then energy companies would have to generate more renewable energy to meet demand •

•

•

•

LIVE LOCALLY

Be mindful of how much you print - save paper and ink by creating easily accessible electronic copies of important documents and email them to share when possible instead.

Request ebanking rather than post and the same with your bills. Challenge yourself to go paperfree!

Unplug your appliances - do not just let them rest in sleep mode. Chargers continuously draw power from an outlet, even if your device is not connected. Although this amount could be as little as 25 watts, imagine that over 4-5 devices combined for a year consume more energy than you passively consume. Another common way to lose energy is to connect a device to a charger after it is already fully charged. This can consume up to ten times more passive energy without any added benefit!

Swap flying with other transport such as the train

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•

Voting - consider the environmental policies of the party you are voting for, demand change and use your vote wisely

-Transport -Waste -Climate Change -South Downs National Park (fight for it’s protection, not to get sold) or the Food Ethics Council which promotes healthy and sustainable food, and helps to get more fair trade products into Brighton. They: Fight for animal welfare - Fight for ethical farming - Focus on food Waste and Climate Change

MORE MORE MORE! •

•

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Switch internet browser to Ecosia - Each search with Ecosia removes roughly 1kg of CO2 from the air. So, searching helps to make carbon removal part of your daily routine!

Mend old clothes - if you can’t sew, learn or utilise your local tailor, it is often much cheaper to get clothes mended than to buy new and saves the planet Compost food and green waste - examples of what you can compost in a home compost:

‘GREENS’ (NITROGEN-RICH INGREDIENTS) Grass cuttings Uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings Tea bags (biodegradable bags only) Soft green prunings Animal manure from herbivores

OTHER COMPOSTABLE ITEMS Wood ash (in moderation) Hair and nail clippings Egg shells Natural fibres E.g. wood and cotton

‘BROWNS’ (CARBON-RICH INGREDIENTS)

Cardboard E.g. cereal packets, toilet roll tubes and egg boxes Waste paper and junk mail, including shredded confidential waste Paper towels and bags Bedding from vegetarian pets E.g. hay and straw from a rabbit Tough hedge trimmings Woody prunings •

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Support climate and environmentally focused charities such as WWF, Amnesty International, or more local charities including Friends of the Earth Limited whose main campaigns are:

bn1magazine.co.uk

•

Sign and share online petitions

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Grow your own fruit and veg

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Use nature-based laundry detergent - introduce fewer chemicals and plastics to the water supply and your skin.

Good brands include Bio-D, EcoLeaf, and Faith in Nature.

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Cook and freeze food that is going off to preserve it

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Avoid palm oil, choose products that contain clearly labelled oils, such as 100 percent sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or canola oil.

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If you have unwanted books, DVDs, CDs and tech don’t send them to landfill. Sell them through services such as Music Magpie or CEX or donate them to charity.

FINALLY… Educate yourself - there is so much to learn about how we impact the planet, whether it’s news, books, or documentaries.You will be able to make informed decisions and raise awareness among your own community about what’s going on. If you don’t know where to start, try here…

The Best Environmental Films, Movies & Documentaries of All Time (environmentshow.com) Best Environmental Books (944 books) (goodreads.com) Environment | The Guardian

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BN1 2022 SUMMER FESTIVAL GUIDE: With all coronavirus restrictions finally lifted, this summer looks set to be a triumphant return for the muddy fields, mislocated tents and sunset singalongs that make the UK’s festival scene so special.

Let this guide of 2022’s best British music festivals help you decide where you’ll head this year for warm beer, open air anthems and mass euphoria…

by Benjamin Left

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GLASTONBURY

READING & LEEDS

If you were lucky enough to bag a ticket back in 2019 when they originally went on sale- before two years of coronavirus complications put paid to plans for the iconic festival to celebrate its 50th birthday in June 2020- then you are in possession of the music equivalent of Wonka’s golden ticket. Even if you’re not, and will instead be watching from the comfort of your sofa, this year’s Glastonbury festival looks set to be something truly special, with the eventual lifting of two-year restrictions and a huge milestone to mark bound to make it one for the history books. Although in a way, aren’t they all? Glastonbury is the biggest greenfield music festival in the world, and the benchmark for everything that has come since. First put on in September 1970 by founder Michael Eavis, who invited 1,000 Somerset revellers to Worthy Farm to watch headliners T-Rex, all for the just £1 a ticket, Glastonbury has grown into the largest and most influential music festival in the world, which explains why, year in year out, it attracts some of the most stellar names in music. And this year’s event is no different. Friday night will see SoundCloud superstar Bille Eilish become Glastonbury’s youngest ever solo headliner, before Paul McCartney takes to the stage on Saturday night for what will surely be a historic set of his most beloved hits, Beatles and beyond. US rapper Kendrick Lamar will close proceedings with a spectacular Sunday night show, preceded by Diana Ross in the Sunday afternoon legends slot. And if there wasn’t enough sheer variety and ground-breaking talent in those 3 headliners alone, there is an unbelievably eclectic extended line up over the festivals 100+ stages, with everyone from Doja Cat to Dry Cleaning, Joy Crookes to Jarvis Cocker performing.

The go-to festival for teenagers celebrating GCSE and A Level success, the two-site Reading & Leeds is a staple of the British festival calendar. As summer draws to a close, it acts as the glorious final blowout for the festival season, taking place over the August bank holiday and spanning 3 energetic, drink-fuelled days.

Originally known as the National Jazz Festival, Reading festival was conceived by Marquee Club founder Harold Pendleton, and first held in 1961. As the 60s progressed contemporary R&B acts such as The Rolling Stones began to replace the traditional jazz bands, and by 1969 jazz had completely disappeared from the line-up, having been replaced by now-classic rock bands like The Who and Pink Floyd.

Since then, the festival has embraced everything from punk and grunge to pop and hip hop, with The Jam, Nirvana, Paramore and Stormzy all having headlined previously. This year will see 6 headliners take to the stages across both sites, with Dave, Arctic Monkeys, Megan Thee Stallion, Bring Me The Horizon, Halsey, and Rage Against The Machine all set to give sensational performance at both Reading and Leeds. The line-up is noticeably more equal in terms of gender and race, a positive step in the right direction for a festival that has publicly struggled with representation in the past.

From the debut headline appearances of rappers Dave and Megan Thee Stallion, to the return of much-loved rock bands Rage Against The Machine and Arctic Monkeys, this year’s Reading & Leeds has something for everyone, with the rest of the line-up reading like a who’s who of fresh talent; Wolf Alice, Fontaines DC, PinkPantheress, Glass Animals, Jack Harlow, Maneskin, Black Honey and Kid Kapichi to name a few. For students and seniors alike, Reading & Leeds’s 2022 edition will not disappoint.

ILSE OF WIGHT

BST HYDE PARK

Its roots lie with hippy hysteria- the 1970 edition was an aciddrenched, badly organised yet distinctly euphoric spectacle which saw Jimi Hendrix play one of his last performances before his death, alongside the likes of The Who, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, and the Moody Blues- but these days the Ilse of Wight festival is a much tamer, more middle-class affair. That isn’t to say that Ilse of Wight has lost all its original spirit though, far from it. There are plenty of positive vibes and a real sense of collectiveness at the 3-day festival at Seaclose Park, Newport, which is famously the first major festival in the UK summer calendar, this year marking the much-anticipated return of festivals after almost two years out.

Heralding in what some are already calling the third summer of love are headliners Lewis Capaldi, Kasabian and Muse, as well as legendary dance music DJ Pete Tong. Also on the bill are Madness, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Blossoms, Tom Grennan, Sigrid, Jessie Ware, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, The Vaccines and Happy Mondays.

Perhaps most thrilling though, is the presence of hometown heroes Wet Leg, at the festival they cut their teeth at in 2019, and doubtless attended previously as they grew up on the island. Having outsold the rest of the top 5 combined with their chart-topping, self-titled debut album, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers have brought guitar music back into the mainstream with style and a knowing smile, making their late-afternoon slot at the Big Top a homecoming of sorts, sure to be filled with fun and absurd, hands-in-the-air energy. Not to be missed.

Less one festival and more a series of gigantic gigs held over three weekends at London’s Hyde Park, British Summer Time Hyde Park has become one of the most anticipated music events of the year since its inception in 2013. Having previously had the likes of Black Sabbath, Blur, Barbra Streisand, The Strokes and Florence & the Machine performing to crowds of 65,000 people, BST Hyde Park is the place to be if you want your shows big and your stars even bigger. The 2022 edition lives up to expectations with a stellar line up of music legends performing between June 24th and July 10th: Elton John, The Rolling Stones and The Eagles kick things off on the first weekend alone, followed by Adele, whose popularity is so phenomenal that it demands her play both the Friday and Saturday of the second weekend, before the Stones return for their final bow on the Sunday, concluding their 60th anniversary celebrations.

This is followed by grunge-pioneers Pearl Jam, also playing both the Friday and Saturday nights, before new romantic icons Duran Duran close the festival on Sunday evening. Although The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Adele are yet to announce their support acts, you can imagine they’ll be some pretty special guests indeed, with Pearl Jam enlisting the Pixies, Duran Duran calling upon Nile Rodgers & Chic, and the Eagles bringing power-duo Robert Plant and Alison Krauss along for the ride. Assuming the weather holds out, it will be a magical 3 weeks of timeless songs under the central London sun.

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LIAM GALLAGHER DOWNLOAD AT KNEBWORTH PARK Although not a festival officially, the youngest Gallagher brother’s triumphant return to Knebworth Park- the site of Oasis’s record breaking 1996 gigs- certainly feels like one. Essentially a two-day open air music extravaganza, with a plethora of top-notch support bands performing and huge crowd’s day drinking beneath the Herefordshire sun, before the self-proclaimed rock ‘n’ roll star takes to the stage for a set of strong solo cuts and Oasis classics, think of Knebworth as a one-off BST Hyde Park, but dedicated to one man and set at a historic stately home. Knebworth Park is, indeed, historic, with legendary bands and artists such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Paul McCartney and, of course, Oasis, all having played there in the past, making Liam’s return something quite special indeed. For a frontman whose postOasis band Beady Eye were nothing short of a shambles, and whose private and professional life were seemingly going nowhere until the launch of his solo career in 2017, Liam Gallagher has turned things around most dramatically. He’ll be playing to 80,000 people each night at Knebworth, and so will his carefully curated line up of support acts: young Manchester band Pastel, Aussie punks Amyl and the Sniffers, soulful Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini, and Leicester rockers Kasabian on the Friday, followed by Peckham rock band Fat White Family, post-punks Goat Girl, Grammy nominated soul singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka and Kasabian again, on the Saturday. It’s quite the line-up, and the dates will be some of the most celebratory, infectiously hedonistic gigs of the year. Liam described the original 1996 Knebworth as the “Woodstock of the nineties”, and considering the national feeling of wanting to get out and live again, the 2022 version could be a similar expression of peace, love, and rock ‘n’ roll.

2000 TREES The independent, alternative rock festival- based at Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire- is a visceral and vital event that leans towards the punkier side of things, providing a platform for emerging bands as well as inviting bigger artists to headline, attracting 15,000 music lovers over 3 nights, with camping, locally sourced ciders and ales, great food, and an intimate atmosphere being big selling points for punters. It’s essentially an antientablement festival that the public and press loves, with Kerrang calling it “Britain’s coolest festival” and Rock Sound describing it as “A magnificent weekend”, and this is in no small measure down to the diverse yet consistent line up of brilliant, boisterous alt rock and punk acts: this year’s headliners are Jimmy Eat World, Thrice, Turnstile and IDLES, with 120 acts playing across the festivals five stages, including a plethora of punky bands such as Anti-Flag, Pup, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, John Times Two, The Chats and the Reading-bound Kid Kapichi; if you like your music loud, fast, and aggressive, then this is the festival for you. It was founded in 2006 by 6 music fans who were fed up with big festivals that cared more about profit than people, hence 2000s Trees’ all-encompassing DIY punk ethic, the kind which has previously attracted the likes of Frank Carter (who asserts that it’s his favourite UK festival) and Slaves. The rolling Cotswold hills might not seem the best place to stick it to the system, but thanks to 2000 Trees, it has become just that.

The independent, alternative rock festival- based at Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire- is a visceral and vital event that leans towards the punkier side of things, providing a platform for emerging bands as well as inviting bigger artists to headline, attracting 15,000 music lovers over 3 nights, with camping, locally sourced ciders and ales, great food, and an intimate atmosphere being big selling points for punters. It’s essentially an antientablement festival that the public and press loves, with Kerrang calling it “Britain’s coolest festival” and Rock Sound describing it as “A magnificent weekend”, and this is in no small measure down to the diverse yet consistent line up of brilliant, boisterous alt rock and punk acts: this year’s headliners are Jimmy Eat World, Thrice, Turnstile and IDLES, with 120 acts playing across the festivals five stages, including a plethora of punky bands such as Anti-Flag, Pup, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, John Times Two, The Chats and the Reading-bound Kid Kapichi; if you like your music loud, fast, and aggressive, then this is the festival for you. It was founded in 2006 by 6 music fans who were fed up with big festivals that cared more about profit than people, hence 2000s Trees’ all-encompassing DIY punk ethic, the kind which has previously attracted the likes of Frank Carter (who asserts that it’s his favourite UK festival) and Slaves. The rolling Cotswold hills might not seem the best place to stick it to the system, but thanks to 2000 Trees, it has become just that.

TRNSMT Taking the place once occupied by Scotland’s popular T in the Park festival, TRNSMT, staged at Glasgow Green in Glasgow, is held on the same weekend as its predecessor, and has a similar focus on rock and indie. First held in 2017, the festival has previously hosted the likes of Liam Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, with 120,000 people attending the first incarnation of the festival, over 3 days. In 2018 the event was 6 days long, split over two weekends, but this year the festival is back to 3 days, running from the 8th to the 10th of July 2022. The line-up is another impressive collection of the best acts- both old and new- from the world of rock and indie, with headliners including Sam Fender, The Strokes, Paolo Nutini, Foals, Fontaines DC, Wolf Alice, Mimi Webb, Lewis Capaldi and Griff. Those bands and artists will all be playing the main stage, but at the festivals two smaller stages- The King Tut’s Stage and The River Stage- you can also catch the likes of Beabadoobe, Brooke Combe, Jimmy Eat World, Self-Esteem, Wet Leg, Baby Strange, Pip Bloom, Gang of Youths, Alfie Templeman, The Reytons, Crawlers and more. It must be said that TRNSMT is, unlike all the other festivals mentioned (bar Knebworth and BST Hyde Park), not a camping festival. But don’t let that put you off- with 50,000 people per day gathering on Glasgow Green for a big Scottish singalong, TRNSMT is a great time if you’re looking for a real sense of spirit and rowdy, communal celebrations.

Image © ryanjohnston.co

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Mohamad Hafez, Credit © Cole Wilson

MOHAMAD HAFEZ

By Stuart Rolt

Born in Damascus, raised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and educated in America’s Midwest, Mohamad Hafez is the epitome of a global citizen. But these travels have given him a burning need to connect with his home, a yearning which was magnified by finding himself temporarily exiled. In reaction, he started creating miniature cityscapes. Studying architecture at Iowa State University in 2003, he started using found objects to create intricate dioramas, combining a surreal view of the Middle Eastern streets from his childhood with a powerful humanistic message.

Many migrants suffer from cultural bereavement as the upheaval of leaving presses against a forced revaluation of identity.

Hafez’s response was to literally build the homeland present in his dreams. “I had a lot of homesickness for Syria. My visa was originally stamped as single-entry only. So, I was stuck here for about eight years. I channelled my model making skills into making these sculptural pieces.” The works occupy a fascinating crossdisciplinary position, bringing together the intricate sculptural forms of architecture with the ad hoc aesthetics of street art.

The comforting normality of city life contrasts with spray-painted revolutionary protest and juxtaposed moments of surrealism, creating an otherworldly snapshot of a place which seems real but may never have existed.

To reinforce the notion that memories are ours alone to take with us, many of the pieces are presented in suitcases – a perfect metaphor for migration and movement. “I’ve been very interested in physical and metaphorical baggage, and what people carry around with themselves, for a long time. The suitcase in itself is a very universal tool, which a lot of folks can relate to. You don’t have to go through a war to know what it feels like to live out of a bag. It’s a way to humanise without romanticising.”

He says exhibiting his work wasn’t an intentional end point in their creation. Along this journey, lots of friends would visit his home and admire the sculptures hanging on his wall. They would try to push him more and more, saying his endeavours need to be shared more widely. “I was too young to understand what therapeutic art was at that time. But I knew that it felt good and connected me to home.” At the height of the Syrian war, when members of his own family became refugees, he realised showing his art could work to humanise the conflict and tell a different narrative to the world, which wasn’t represented in the media.

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Journeys From An Absent Present To A Lost Past comes to Brighton Festival

“I’m interested in painting a picture which shows refugees come from established lives and have left something worth living for. It’s a very rich culture, and it’s meant a lot of hardship to leave. This is contrary to the narrative being portrayed for refugees, immigrants, and the region in general.” More recently, these reimaginings of his childhood Damascus have been influenced by the atrocities of the Syrian war. These miniature municipalities now capture the magnitude of the devastation in this hopeless conflict, and poignantly expose the fragility of existence. Now his works are being shown in the UK for the first time.

Running at Fabrica until Sun 29 May, as part of Brighton Festival, Journeys From An Absent Present To A Lost Past is both romantically nostalgic and potently political. Each of the pieces represents hundreds of hours’ work and, while being therapeutic in intent, they speak to a universal set of emotions.

“I’m a heavy believer in the power of art. I believe it can reach much further than any rhetoric, to the right or the left. And if done properly, it can go to quite a deep level without anyone seeing it coming.” There are plenty of individuals who rely on creating a culture of fear to maintain power and popularity. Predominantly negative media coverage increasingly plays a role in generating intolerance towards all migrants, whether they’ve relocated for economic or educational needs, or been displaced by famine or war. Challenging the legitimacy of asylum seekers, or negatively portraying immigration’s impact on social and cultural structures is easy if you can dehumanise the people in question.

Hafez’s own experiences living in America, a nation often comfortable with ‘othering’ immigrants and refugees, has brought a new focus to his own experience with displacement. “A lot of the spicy rhetoric against immigrants, Arabs, Muslims and refugees comes from the United States. But if you look back, you realise it’s a country built by immigrants for immigrants.” This kind of history is often forgotten, especially when a nation is still trying to figure out its own identity. Compared to some civilisations, 300 years isn’t that long. There are doorknobs in downtown Damascus which are older than that. “If people realised some of their ancestors here in the United States might have undergone the same xenophobia that they’re making others go through, they would maybe think twice about doing it to other nationalities.”

He says the poisonous messaging is still very much out there, aided by the connections of technology. And if it’s not social media radicalising your angry cousin, there are authority figures happy to spread negative language for personal gain. “There are very powerful people who have been elected to the highest offices of the land based on that rhetoric. You can say crazy stuff on TV and people will still think you’re suited to be a leader.” There’s a lot to unpack, and a lot which intrigues him as an artist, and as somebody fascinated by culture, history and anthropology. Even with the war in Ukraine, a double standard has emerged for dealing with refugees of different ethnicities.

Perhaps what makes his sculptural work so compelling is how deliciously intersectional it is. It lets art, architecture and social history wash through in equal measures, informing each other and offering more than the sum of their parts. It doesn’t set out to be confrontational, but there’s an identifiable political edge.

His background in architecture has allowed an understanding of how buildings can influence behaviours on a subconscious level.

Although most of our built environment prioritises function over form, it can often be used to instil a sense of wonder or emotional attachment. “There’s a reason why you take a deep breath when going into a church. That’s a reaction to spatial qualities, design and light being used together. You can similarly grab people’s attention through similar harmonics, by appreciating beauty and detail. A lot of folks have mixed feelings. They say: ‘Your work is so beautiful, but it’s haunting and heart wrenching.’ There is something there to uncover. That luring of design and beauty.” Like architecture, art is something which similarly encourages audiences to use their own emotions to lend narrative or meaning to works. Successful buildings or art not only use form but materials to project beauty.

Hafez’s use of abandoned and forgotten objects generates a further poignant resonance with the viewer.

The practice of creating these pieces is diametrically opposed to his day job. Instead of meticulous research and planning, he takes a more evolutionary approach. Often the sculptures will be constantly dismantled and adjusted, or even shelved for a while.

The final product is less important than the process. “They’re very organically made. When you use found objects in this way, you can’t remember all the details. So, when you go to a piece after a month or two, you’ll have forgotten maybe 50% of the detail and look at it with a fresh eye.” Obviously, if you design buildings in this manner they might not even stand. But the lessons he’s learnt while designing skyscrapers and corporate headquarters around the world have unquestionably informed his work.

He was working in Lebanon on such a project when he last had the opportunity to cross the border and visit his hometown. This was a Damascus just before the revolution; distrust and unrest bubbling under the surface. “I began photographing daily life, as I had this feeling that it might be my last chance to capture it in such detail.”

It’s a phenomenally varied city. Walking through the streets of the old city, you’ll see Roman columns rising only three metres above ground. The rest are buried deep below the streets, alongside a wealth of history. “It’s the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Roman, Greek, Islamic, you name it, many civilisations came through that spot. That’s how culturally rich it is, and why I’m so in love with it.”

Stepping away from designing huge edifices to create something on a more personal level, Hafez’s new project is opening a café in New Haven, Connecticut. “There’s no shortage of contrasts in my life,” he admits. Here he’s creating another representation of his homeland.

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MOHAMAD HAFEZ Image bn1magazine.co.uk by - Paul Specht

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MOHAMAD HAFEZ Image by - Paul Specht

Damascene Athan Series Photography by Alex Olevitch

Customers are transported to the sights and tastes of the Mediterranean Middle East with French Baroque-style design and authentic food. The recipient of a 2018 Connecticut Arts Hero Award for his extensive and continuous body of work, he also serves as a 2018 Yale University Silliman College Fellow, Interpreter in Residence at U-Chicago Oriental Institute, and artist-in-residence at the Keller Center of Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago.

Art has taught him a lot about his identity, and maybe encouraged him to change over the last few years. The work has made him appreciate much about different cultures. He’s a self-confessed introvert and has possibly become more introverted recently. “I’ve zero interest in politics, but I am interested in human connections.

I don’t really believe in doing art for the sake of beauty. It’s such a powerful tool to use, especially in today’s world.” For better or worse, his work goes beyond a simple exercise in form. It demands a discussion about the feelings it triggers: wonder, joy, belonging, hope, understanding.

The ambition for Journeys From An Absent Present To A Lost Past is for audiences to develop an appreciation of the culture he came from, and to be intrigued enough to learn more. We’re often confronted with a narrative that migrants can’t wait to leave their homes, or the only thing which distinguishes nations is war, bombs

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MOHAMAD HAFEZ Image by - Paul Specht

and destruction. “These lands are so rich, and it takes so much for people to ride the sea. Unless the sea is calmer and safer than the land, you would not risk the life of your child in a little dinghy across the Mediterranean.”

Migration is a complex subject, with numerous causes, experiences and influences. But it has inarguably contributed to the cultural richness of countries across the world. Those who undergo it experience multiple stresses, which impact their sense of identity and sometimes wellbeing. Hafez wants people to better appreciate his culture and its beauty. By understanding his family’s story perhaps everyone can start regarding immigrants as fellow humans. “I’m trying to build empathy in a very subtle way and find common denominators. Because if you establish these grounds between humans, you push back against nationalist xenophobic movements. That’s the best way that art can serve today’s world.

We live in a very divided society, with lots of misinformation and fear of others. It’s my responsibility as an artist to bring people together.”

Mohamad Hafez’s Journeys From An Absent Present To A Lost Past is at Brighton’s Fabrica until Sun 29 May, as part of Brighton Festival. mohamadhafez.com fabrica.org.uk brightonfestival.org

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Returning in full after taking a two-year hiatus, Brighton Fringe will again be lighting up venues across Brighton & Hove and Sussex on Fri 6 May – Sun 5 June. It brings over 700 shows to both familiar and unusual spaces, offering the best in everything from theatre and dance to comedy and visual arts.

To try and categorise this massive event is impossible, giving its diverse range of performers and artists. It’s recognised across the world for combining award-winning international acts alongside the creative heart and soul of the city and its unique cultural heritage.

This vast celebration of the weird, wild and wonderful has grown out of, and is inspired by, local talent. More than 30% of events are put on by artistic companies based in Brighton & Hove.

We should point out that it’s simply not possible to see every show listed in this year’s brochure. But with a careful bit of planning (or taking a risk and blithely just diving right in) you’ll sure to find something to delight and amaze.

Lachlan Werner Voices Of Evil

The sublime Lachlan Werner, combines comedy, ventriloquism and horror in an exciting new show. The fabulous Voices Of Evil comes to Rotunda Theatre (Squeak) in Regency Square on Fri 6, Tues 31 May, Weds 1 and Sun 5 June. The winner of the Culture Connex x Brighton & Hove Pride Bursary, this is an hour of ventriloquism like you’ve never seen before. Expect ‘The Muppets’ meets ‘The Exorcist’...

For the initiated, a good place to start is the enormously popular Fringe City. Taking place every Saturday during May, with a Bank Holiday bumper edition on Sat 3 - Sun 4 June, this free event brings an extravaganza of theatre, comedy, cabaret, circus and music to Brighton’s New Road area. This features everything from impromptu parties with Brighton School of Samba and English Disco Lovers to the best international street performers – alongside pop-up bars and some of Brighton’s best street-food traders. Every weekend will showcase those performing at Brighton Fringe, with a chance to get some advice and tickets from the pop-up box office.

Brighton Fringe also hosts the Fringe Family Picnic at Pavilion Gardens on Sat 7 May and Sat 4 June, offering family-friendly performances from a variety of events at the festival, with games and activities suitable for all ages. You can experience an interactive Storytime with Living Paintings, Fringe favourite Mr Pineapple Head, the silent clown, family-friendly folk-Americana group the Cheer Up Mollys and the not-to-missed HeadFirst Acrobats.

Presenting the best in art, sculpture, debate and creative workshops, Cultureground is the interactive gallery B.Fest / Brighton Youth Centre Mon 30 May – Thurs 3 June. This will showcase young people’s work from across the city. Whether you view, talk or make, it asks you to challenge your perceptions of how we categorise ‘youth’ art.

Comedy duo The Awkward Silence bring their first ever musical to the Laughing Horse at The Walrus on Sat 28 May. A father and son are imprisoned together, when they inadvertently bungles their defence. Louis wants nothing to do with his dad and his wacky escape plans in prison. But can they survive without each other?

The Awkward Silence’s Big Break is directed by Julian Spooner of the award-winning Rhum and Clay theatre company, and promises to be a fast-paced, anarchic comedy with toe-tapping songs and laughs galore.

The Foundry Group present the World Premiere of Underdogs, a new play by Brian Mitchell (The Ministry of Biscuits) and Joseph Nixon (The Shark is Broken) at Rialto Theatre on Tues 24 – Sat 28 May. In an overlooked pub in a left-behind town, an unlikely hero and his would-be agent plot to put themselves on the map via an insane World Record attempt – the longest time buried alive. That’s five months in an oversized coffin, under a tiny beer garden in the middle of Mansfield. It’s a true and often hilarious tale of courage, endurance, hope, despair, love, lies and media manipulation.

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Phrases 10 by Liam Keown

Dance artist Lewys Holt is bringing his hit show Phrases to the Brighton Fringe Festival on Sat 21 May at Conclave Brighton on Queen’s Road, a one-man dance, multimedia and spoken word performance exploring the anxiety and confusion in language and miscommunication. Phrases can be complicated, nonsensical and misleading and yet, somehow, we all know what they mean. Or do we?

Nathan Cassidy

As if there isn’t enough to see already, multi-award-winning comedian Nathan Cassidy stages three solo shows at this year’s Fringe. The host of global hit podcasts Psycomedy and Daily Notes brings Observational to The Quadrant on Sat 7 – Sun 8 May. He joins a gym and a big, strong man changes his life forever, in this uplifting and magical show. Bumblebee, at The Caroline Of Brunswick on Sat 7 & Sat 14 May, is a hilarious and thrilling true crime stand-up show. You get home, there’s a burglar, let’s play! And in his brand new show Hot Tub God, Sat 7 – Sun 8 May & Sat 28 – Sun 29 at The Caroline Of Brunswick, Nathan tries to find something uplifting from this cruel world of war and lying leaders, as he works out what the hell to say in a speech for his best friend’s third wedding.

Newtimber Church on Sat 7 May, Brighton’s St George’s Church on Thurs 19 – Sat 21 May and Hurstpierpoint’s Danny House on Sat 28 May.

Following their sell-out run in 2019, Something Underground return to Fringe with Betsy: Wisdom of a Brighton Whore at the Fishing Museum Loft on Sat 7 May –Sat 4 June. Written and directed by award-winning writer Jonathan Brown and performed by award-winning actor Isabella McCarthy Sommerville, this is a tale of sex, seduction and survival, set in the underworld of 1800’s Brighton. This show promises to surprise you.

Discovered in a subterranean chamber, beneath the historic arches of Brighton seafront, Betsy tells her story…

Award-winning theatre-maker Hanna Winter brings her ingeniously stupid, yet provocative, solo show Snowflake to Rotunda Theatre Squeak in Regency Square on Sat 7 – Sun 8, Thurs 19 and Sun 29 May. All snowflakes are unique. Some snowflakes also happen to be generation-defining artists. A one-woman sledgehammer breaking the ice of fractured family dynamics with some truly bewildering comedy performance art. Ambitious, absurd and ass-kicking, it will also resolve everyone’s centuries of inherited trauma (maybe).

The Breakup Monologues podcast makes a Brighton debut at Spiegeltent on Sun 22 May. The award-winning comedian, author and speaker Rosie Wilby shares funny, bizarre and poignant tales of heartbreak and recovery with special guests – comedians Zoe Lyons and Hal Cruttenden plus broadcaster Bibi Lynch – in a live recording.

Obviously, we can’t fit all of Brighton Fringe’s best shows into this limited space. And we’d be denying you the fun of discovering unique and moving performances for yourself. One of the best ways to find out what’s going on is by talking to people at festival hubs like Spiegeltent. Or waiting upon New Road for a bright-eyed young actor to thrust an interesting flyer into your hand. There’s an extravaganza of theatre, comedy, cabaret, circus, music and dance waiting to be discovered, and half the experience is embracing the unexpected.

A darkly comic emotional rollercoaster of a play, full of laughs, shocks, secrets and vengeance, Vermin comes to Laughing Horse at The Walrus on Sun 15 – Mon 16, Thurs 19, Sun 22 and Sun 29 – Mon 30 May, along with Sat 28 May at The Caroline of Brunswick, This isn’t your usual love story. A dramatic encounter on a train causes Billy and Rachel’s lives to irrevocably intertwine, but their whirlwind romance takes a dark turn when they discover their new home is infested with rats.

Rising Tides and Unmasked Theatre present a new play by Luke Ofield at The Rialto on Tues 10 – Thurs 12 and Sat 14 – Sun 15 May. The darkly funny Accidental Birth of an Anarchist sees two novice activists get jobs on a North Sea oil rig with the sole intention of staging a sit-in protest. Trapped in a room full of drilling instruments and forced to negotiate, the lines of protest, activism and terrorism are debated, as the threat of military action looms closer.

Brighton Fringe comes to venues (and open spaces) across Brighton, Hove and Sussex on Fri 6 May – Sun 5 June.

For tickets and more information, head to: brightonfringe.org

Even if you can’t make it to the city, Brighton Fringe is offering works which you can enjoy from the comfort of your own sofa. PlayCo (New York) and Por Piedad Teatro (Mexico) present Django in Pain, an uplifting table-top puppet play about depression, created within the isolation of the early days of the pandemic. Available for streaming on demand on Fri 6 May – Sun 5 June they invite us into a whimsical world to reflect on these unpresented times.

Following her first US tour and millions of views over lockdown for her blunt takes on dating and being a child-free badass, the award-winning Eleanor Conway heads to Laughing Horse at The Walrus on Fri 6 May – Sun 5 June with Talk Dirty To Me. In a world where women in heterosexual relationships still do the bulk of housework and childcare yet orgasm the least during sex – Conway asks if we’re really that far into the fight for gender equality?

A new comedy show pays homage to 90s TV favourites at Komedia on Sat 21 - Sun 22 May. MATES: The Improvised ‘90s Sitcom is a hilarious spoof of classics such as Friends, Frasier and Seinfeld. But here’s the twist – it’s all completely improvised. The show was created by the awardwinning comedians behind CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation and Sex, Lies & Improvisation.

Sarah Archer presents a new comedy drama, all inspired by Real Human Shortcomings. Crunch comes to The Latest Music Bar on Fri 6, Tues 10, Thurs 19 – Fri 20 May, and offers the perfect solution for those who want a good story and a light-hearted escape. Arthur is an over-promoted HR Manager, trying to find the path of least resistance in a world that has changed dramatically. Paula is the long-suffering HR advisor who keeps the ship afloat and herself sane by poking fun at her boss. And Jackie is the ambitious, and highly-strung new girl who is struggling to find her place .

And not all shows are in familiar surroundings. A new play by Duncan Hopper and Mike Wells deals with the triumphs and tragedies of the life of famous Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. The Maestro brings live performances of some of his greatest arias, and reveals his dramatic and tragic life at a time of the stirring of Italian independence. This moving and dramatic mixture of drama and opera will be in three wonderful venues:

The Treason Show Saturday 14th May 8pm - Ropetackle Arts Centre

A fast-paced, satirical comedy sketch show that impales the great and good with wit and panache.

Shoreham by Sea, BN43 5EG www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk bn1magazine.co.uk

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FILM DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS FRI 6 MAY // CINEMA

After the multiverse-based meddling in Spider-Man: No Way Home , Loki and Wandavision, Dr Stephen Strange now has even less time to address his GP practice’s lengthy waiting list. The Master of the Mystic Arts will embrace new allies and confront new foes, as the thin barrier between realities starts to crumble. Joining him, fresh from her surreal stint as a sit-com housewife, is the mighty Scarlett Witch – whose powers are only starting to manifest. But this unlikely pair must face both the consequences of their actions and alternate versions of themselves. There’s also, potentially, a beloved member of a sister franchise popping up…

THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE WED 11 MAY // CINEMA

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Shot on location in London and Brighton, Andrew Dominik’s new feature documentary captures Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ creative relationship. A companion piece to Dominik’s 2016 film One More Time with Feeling. It reaches into their deep friendship, something glimpsed in Cave’s 2014 pseudo-documentary, 20,000 Days on Earth. Another significant moment in their journey, it explores the mood and spirit of the pair as they move into a new, optimistic phase.

It also brings to life songs from their last two studio albums, Ghosteen and Carnage through the first ever performances of these albums during 2021, ahead of their extensive UK tour.

FIRESTARTER FRI 13 MAY // CINEMA

A girl with extraordinary pyrokinetic powers fights to protect her family from the sinister forces seeking to capture and exploit her. This new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic thriller sees parents Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) on the run. They’ve tried to teach their daughter, Charlie, to supress her ability to create fire, which is usually triggered by anger or pain.

But as she grows up, the episodes become harder and harder to control. When an incident reveals the family’s location, a mysterious operative is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie so she can be used as a weapon of mass destruction.

MEN

FRI 20 MAY // CINEMA It’s two years since the release of Alex Garland’s high-concept sci-fi miniseries Devs, and now he returns with something even more cryptic and unsettling. Starring Jessie Buckley (I’m Thinking of Ending Things), Rory Kinnear (Black Mirror), and Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), this horror drama looks like his most twisted venture to date. A young woman’s is holidaying in the English countryside, hoping to find time and space to heal after a personal tragedy. Soon it becomes clear that something from the nearby woods is stalking her. What starts as a sense of impending dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears.

FILM TRIVIA DID YOU KNOW:

While most MCU films are released under the genres of “Action”, “Comedy”, “Drama”,” “Sci-Fi”, and “Fantasy”, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be the first film in the MCU to be released under the “Horror” genre. bn1magazine.co.uk

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THE ROAD DANCE FRI 20 MAY // CINEMA

Based on the novel by John MacKay, this Scottish drama takes us to the Outer Hebrides islands, just as The Great War begins to unfold. The young Kirsty (Hermione Corfield) loves her home and family but yearns for something beyond the harsh land and strict religion of her island. These ambitions were nurtured by her father, who taught her to be strong and independent. Tragedy strikes twice, once at a village party, and once again, when her boyfriend is sent to war. Inspired by a true story, the film offers a believable window on the rhythms of island life at the turn of the twentieth century.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK FRI 27 MAY // CINEMA

Tom Cruise once again pops his booster cushion into a fighter het and flies jolly fast to protect our freedom! After three decades of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell is pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank which would ground him.

Then he finds himself training a detachment of brilliant new Top Gun graduates. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

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VORTEX

FILM

FRI 20 MAY // CINEMA

Cinema fans familiar with Gaspar Noé’s oeuvre may be surprised this month, as it welcomes his most intimate and tender work yet. An elderly couple live in a cramped Parisian apartment, their only company each other, a feckless son and a subconscious feeling of impending doom in the face or their declining health. He’s a writer and she’s a retired doctor, and while they both clearly love each other, their home has become a prison. Shot using two handheld cameras which follow the pair relentlessly, this is a claustrophobic, ruthless and captivating exploration of old age. As it,s strapline tells us, life is a short party that will soon be forgotten.

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE FRI 27 MAY // CINEMA

The long-running Emmy-winning animated series has finally got a big-screen, musical comedymystery-adventure. The Belcher family run a lively burger joint in a seaside community, but still find time for some crazy escapades. A ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of their premises, blocking the entrance indefinitely and ruining the Belchers’ plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep their business afloat, the kids attempt to solve a mystery which could save their family’s restaurant.

As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong.

FILM TRIVIA DID YOU KNOW:

According to IMDb In the pilot demo for the show, the character of Tina Belcher does not appear. Instead, the eldest Belcher child is a son named Dan. Although Dan's appearance is distinct from Tina's, the two characters are voiced identically by Dan Mintz. bn1magazine.co.uk

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TV GUIDE THE PENTAVERATE

TEHRAN

What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347?

Seems unlikely, but let’s go with that. One unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. But the Pentaverate must never be exposed, or the consequences could be unimaginable. This ingenious new comedy series stars the magnificent Mike Myers, as he again channels his inner Peter Sellers and assumes multiple roles with hilarious effect. Joining him are the brilliant talents of Jeremy Irons, Keegan-Michael Key and Jennifer Saunders.

This powerful espionage thriller from Moshe Zonder (Fauda) tells the thrilling story of a Mossad agent on a dangerous mission. Being born in Iran, but raised in Israel, then working deep undercover in Tehran places her and everyone around her in dire jeopardy. Created by Zonder, Dana Eden and Maor Kohn, and directed by Daniel Syrkin, our protagonist is tasked with helping negate the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons. What she encounters is more complicated than anyone had considered, and soon there’s estranged relatives, pro-democracy activists and constant pursuit from by head of investigations of the Revolutionary Guards to contend with.

NOW AND THEN

OBI-WAN KENOBI

Set in Miami, this bilingual and multi-layered thriller explores the differences between youthful aspirations and the reality of adulthood.

The exceptional ensemble cast includes Academy Award nominees Marina de Tavira and Rosie Perez, Ariel Award winner José María Yazpik, multi-Goya Award winner Maribel Verdú, Manolo Cardona, Goya Award winner Soledad Villamil, Emmy Award winner Željko Ivanek, Jorge López, Alicia Jaziz, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Alicia Sanz, Jack Duarte and Miranda de la Serna. The lives of a group of college best friends are forever changed when a celebratory weekend ends up with one of them dead. Two decades on, the remaining five are reluctantly reunited by a threat which puts their seemingly perfect worlds at risk.

Everyone’s favourite flying space wizard gets his own show, to fill in some of the gaps between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

The Jedi Master and part-time dressing gown model is hiding out on Tatooine, after the fall of the Old Republic. He’s quietly watching over the young Luke Skywalker, who perhaps offers the last hope for galactic freedom. No pressure then. A superb cast is headed by Rupert Friend, Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, O’Shea Jackson Jr and Kumail Nanjiani, as old Ben Kenobi contends with dodging the Empire’s elite Jedi hunters, vexing Tuscan Raiders and brushing troublesome sand off his lightsabre.

THURS 5 MAY NETFLIX

FRI 20 MAY APPLE TV+

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FRI 6 MAY APPLE TV+

FRI 27 MAY DISNEY+

CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS

42 DAYS OF DARKNESS

Adapted from the award-winning debut novel by Sally Rooney (who also wrote Normal People), Conversations With Friends follows Frances, a 21-year-old college student. Navigating a series of relationships forces her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time. She and her ex, Bobbi, are still virtually inseparable. When they perform at a spoken word show in Dublin, they meet Melissa, an older writer who is fascinated by the pair. They begin to spend time with Melissa and her husband Nick, a handsome but reserved actor. But events start to test the bond between Frances and Bobbi, forcing them to reconsider their identity and friendship.

As part of mission to develop new and exciting drama which is globally relevant, Netflix takes us to Chile. When Veronica goes missing, her sister begins a race against time to find her. In her search, Cecilia must fight against the negligence of the authorities, the prejudices of society and the harassment of the media. Inspired by real events, this police thriller follows a race against time to find a missing woman.

A talented cast includes Aline Kuppenheim (Machuca) playing Verónica and Claudia Di Girolamo (Post Mortem) playing Cecilia, signalling that this is another stand-out offering in a new golden age for Latin American TV drama.

STRANGER THINGS

PISTOL

It’s been three years, but Stranger Things is returning bigger and more bizarre. Last season saw the Hawkins gang split, following the showdown at Starcourt. Chief Hopper has been transported to a USSR prison. Joyce, Jonathan, Will and Eleven went to California, leaving the others behind. Being separated is difficult, and that’s without having to navigate the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. While all the crew are feeling vulnerable and alone, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces. There’s a gruesome new mystery to investigate. But if they can solve it, we might finally see an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.

Modern life is bewildering, so Danny Boyle’s new drama takes us back to a time when the Government were in disarray, a war with Russia was looming and parents couldn’t get their heads around the strange alien music their kids were listening to. Er… Oh… This new series looks at the legendary Sex Pistols, the potty-mouthed punk upstarts who changed the face of British culture forever. It’s a hilarious, emotional and at times heart-breaking journey, as Toby Wallace Jacob Slater Anson Boon, Christian Lees and Louis Partridge take us through a kaleidoscopic telling of three of the most epic, chaotic and mucus-spattered years in the history of music.

SUN 15 MAY BBC THREE

FRI 27 MAY NETFLIX

WEDS 11 MAY NETFLIX

TUES 31 MAY DISNEY+

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73

TOM KERRIDGE RECIPES

Tom Kerridge will be appearing at Pub in the Park Festival. Tickets and further info available at www.pubintheparkuk.com.

Recipes taken from Tom’s website www.tomkerridge.com

CREAMY MUSHROOMS, POACHED EGG AND ASPARAGUS (Serves 2) Ingredients: •

1 tbsp half-fat margarine

•

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

•

150g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced

•

100g oyster mushrooms, roughly torn

•

8 asparagus spears, woody ends

•

trimmed and lower part of spears peeled

•

2 medium free-range eggs

•

1 tsp thyme leaves

•

1 tsp liquid aminos

•

1 tsp porcini and truffle paste

•

2 tbsp light single cream alternative

•

2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

•

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve: •

2 slices of granary bread, freshly toasted

•

Salad cress or micro-cress, to finish

Method: 1. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add the margarine.

Once it has melted, add the garlic and both types of mushroom and cook, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften and brown.

2. Meanwhile, add the asparagus spears to a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 2–3 minutes until tender. Remove with tongs, drain and set aside; keep warm.

3. Stir the boiling water to create a whirlpool and crack in the eggs, one at a time.

Poach at a simmer for 2–3 minutes until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

4. While the eggs are poaching, stir the thyme, liquid aminos and porcini and truffle paste into the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Stir through the ‘cream’ and chopped parsley, then taste and season with a little salt and pepper, if needed.

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5. Place a slice of hot toast on each serving plate, lay the asparagus spears on top and spoon on the mushrooms. Using a slotted spoon, drain each poached egg (as soon as it is ready) and place on the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little seasoning and scatter with cress to serve.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

BLUEBERRY, LEMON AND THYME PANCAKES (Serves 4) Ingredients: •

200g plain flour

•

1 tsp cream of tartar

•

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

•

2–3 tsp granulated sweetener

•

1 tsp lemon thyme leaves, chopped

•

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

•

175ml semi-skimmed milk

•

1 large free-range egg

•

50g ricotta

•

200g blueberries

•

Sunflower oil spray

•

2 tbsp agave

Method: 1.

Combine the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, sweetener, thyme leaves and lemon zest in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.

2. In a jug, whisk together the milk, egg and ricotta. Pour into the well in the flour mixture, then whisk until you have a thick, smooth pouring batter. Fold in half of the blueberries.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a few sprays of oil.

Spoon 3 dollops of batter into the pan to form 3 pancakes. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan.

Keep warm, wrapped in foil, while you cook the remaining pancakes.

4. Serve 3 pancakes each, scattered with the remaining blueberries and drizzled with agave. bn1magazine.co.uk

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Crab mayo on griddled sourdough square

CRAB MAYO ON GRIDDLED SOURDOUGH (Serves 4) Ingredients: •

6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, halved

•

1 sourdough loaf

•

1 tbsp olive oil

•

12 asparagus spears, trimmed

•

1 tbsp butter

•

100ml water

•

1 ripe avocado, thickly sliced

•

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pickled radish: •

16 radishes, thinly sliced

•

25g caster sugar

•

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

For the crab mayo: •

75g brown crab meat

•

75g reduced-fat crème fraîche

•

75g reduced-fat mayonnaise

•

A squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

•

300g white crab meat

To serve (optional): • 76

Tabasco bn1magazine.co.uk

Method: •

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

•

For the pickled radish, mix the ingredients together in a bowl and leave to pickle.

•

Lay the bacon on the baking tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until crispy.

•

Meanwhile, cut 4 long slices from the middle of the sourdough loaf, each 1cm thick. Preheat a griddle. Brush both sides of the sourdough slices lightly with olive oil and cook on the hot griddle until lightly charred on each side.

•

Place the asparagus in a small frying pan with the butter, water and some salt and pepper.

Cook over a medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes or until tender and all the liquid has evaporated.

•

Meanwhile, for the crab mayo, mix together the brown crab meat, crème fraîche, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and gently fold through the white crab meat.

•

Lay each piece of griddled sourdough on a plate.

Spread with crab mayo, then top with 3 pieces of bacon, 3 pieces of asparagus and a couple of slices of avocado. Drain the radish from its pickling juices and scatter over the top. If you like things spicy, add a little Tabasco before you tuck in!

SLOW-ROASTED SHOULDER OF LAMB WITH BOULANGÈRE POTATOES

Method: •

Preheat the oven to 130°C/Gas Mark ½.

•

Mix the potatoes, onions and thyme leaves together in a bowl and season.

Roughly layer the potatoes and onions in a roasting tray and put the lamb on top, skin side up. Use a knife to pierce the lamb all over, then put a clove of garlic into each hole. Pour over the chicken stock.

•

Put the baking tray in the oven and roast the lamb for 4–5 hours, until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Remove the tray, cover it with foil and leave the lamb to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

(Serves 4) Ingredients: •

6 large waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

•

3 onions, thinly sliced

•

leaves from 1 bunch of thyme

•

1 shoulder of lamb, about 2kg

•

1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

•

600ml chicken stock

•

salt and pepper, to taste

slow cooked shoulder of lamb & boulangere potatoes

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Atul Kochhar - Chicken Tikka Pie

ATUL KOCHHAR’S CHICKEN TIKKA PIE Ingredients:: For the first marinade: •

1 garlic clove, peeled

•

1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

•

1 teaspoon chilli powder

•

Juice of ½ lemon

•

Chicken thigh, boneless, skin-off - 750gms

•

Salt

For the second marinade: •

250g greek-style yoghurt

•

1 teaspoon each garam masala and ground coriander

•

50ml vegetable oil

•

½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, chilli powder and dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)

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•

2 teaspoons gram flour

•

Salt

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For brushing: •

Small knob of butter

•

2 teaspoons lime juice

•

1 teaspoon chaat masala

For the mash potato: •

250g potato (desiree / king edwards)

•

½ teaspoon sea salt

•

50g cold unsalted butter

•

30ml double cream

For the masala: •

1 small onion, peeled

•

2 garlic cloves, peeled

•

Vegetable oil

•

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

•

2 level teaspoons each ground coriander, chilli powder and garam masala

•

½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)

•

½ large bunches of fresh coriander, leaves picked

•

3 ripe tomatoes

•

20ml double cream

Method • For the first marinade, finely grate the garlic and ginger and place in a bowl.

Add the chilli powder, lemon juice, chicken & salt and mix well, then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

•

For the second marinade, add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly, Add the chicken, mix together well, then leave to marinate for a further 4 to 6 hours.

•

Skewer the marinated chicken pieces and cook over a barbecue, or in a hot oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6, for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Brush with a mixture of butter, lime juice and chaat masala and set aside. Dice them into smaller pieces (approx 2cm dices)

•

For the mash potato, boil the peeled & washed potatoes, mash (pass it through Moulin or Sieve for better results) and add the butter, cream and seasoning.

•

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ gas 3. For the masala, chop the onion and garlic, then add with a little vegetable oil to a pan over medium heat and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and golden brown.

Finely grate the ginger into the pan and cook for 2 minutes until golden.

•

Stir through the spices, then chop the coriander and tomatoes and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Stir for a couple more minutes until everything is cooked through and the tomatoes are mashed up. Toss the chicken in the masala along with cream and stir well.

Add to a dish roughly 20 x 20 x 6cm

•

Add the mash potato onto the top of the filling. Sprinkle Garam masala and couple of cubes of butter.

•

Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes and the potato topping got a golden brown crust.

Atul Kochhar will be appearing at Pub in the Park Festival. Tickets and further info available at www. pubintheparkuk.com. Recipe taken from Atul’s website www. atulkochhar.com

Atul Kochhar will be appearing at Pub in the Park Festival.

Tickets and further info available at www.pubintheparkuk.com.

Recipe taken from Atul’s website www.atulkochhar.com bn1magazine.co.uk

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Cryptic Crossword 1

2

5

3

10

10 See 14 Across

6 Exposed type of metal, durable but hollow (4) 8 Regularly tugs van across the pond (3)

12 Drink in formal environment (3) 18/1 Go out and draw overcoming kiss being repelled (4) 20/4/13 Hopper's overly liberal at first, bringing mushroom (9)

9 Audibly utilise pronoun in Scotland? (4) 11 Losing head, cause fear and concern (4) 13 See 20 Down

11

14/10 Ever so distressed about source of umpteenth strain (7)

12

15 Often seen with tatty tops from Next, evading eccentric policemen (4)

13 14

16 Backing for settled money? Not a penny (3)

15

17/19 Begins again as craft coming in breaks (8)

16 17

20

5 For instance, Sirius Black, one in Bowie album (4)

7

8 9

19

Across

4

6

18

18

19

20

Down 1 See 18 2 Surf's up! Treat waves with anger (9) 3 Travelling Canada with son to find snakes (9) 4 See 20 5 Man with affirmative upswings heard to a greater extent (7)

Across

10 See 14 Across

7 Former politician surrounded by homesick aliens grants immunity (7)

5 For instance, Sirius Black, one in Bowie album (4) 6 Exposed type of metal, durable but hollow (4)

SUDOKU 8 Regularly tugs van across the pond (3)

12 Drink in formal environment (3)

18/1 Go out and draw overcoming kis being repelled (4)

20/4/13 Hopper's overly liberal a first, bringing mushroom (9)

9 Audibly utilise pronoun in Scotland? (4) 11 Losing head, cause fear and concern (4) 13 See 20 Down 14/10 Ever so distressed about source of umpteenth strain (7) 15 Often seen with tatty tops from Next, evading eccentric policemen (4) 16 Backing for settled money? Not a penny (3) 17/19 Begins again as craft coming in breaks (8)

EASY

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HARD

CRÈME BRULEE (Serves 6)

Ingredients: •

750ml double cream

•

2 vanilla pods, split lengthways

•

4 large free-range eggs

•

20g erythritol (sugar replacement)

•

6 tbsp inulin (sugar replacement), to glaze

Atul Kochhar will be appearing at Pub in the Park Festival.

Tickets and further info available at www.pubintheparkuk.com.

Recipe taken from Atul’s website www.atulkochhar.com

Method: •

Put the cream and vanilla pods into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring just to the boil. Take the pan off the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

•

Bring the infused cream back up to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the eggs and erythritol together to combine. Pour on the hot vanilla cream, whisking as you do so, then pour the vanilla custard back into the rinsed-out saucepan.

•

Cook the custard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, over a medium-low heat until it thickens enough to lightly coat the back of the spoon; it should register 87°C on a cook’s thermometer.

•

Pass the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool for 20 minutes.

•

Once cooled, scrape the custard into a blender and blitz for 20 seconds - this will give it a nice, glossy finish.

•

Divide the mixture between 6 ramekins or similar heatproof serving dishes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to set.

•

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle the inulin on top of the set custards in a nice, even layer.

Using a cook’s blowtorch, caramelise the inulin until it forms a deep, caramel crust (or place briefly under a preheated very hot grill). Leave for a minute or so to allow the glaze to set before serving.

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QUICK C OSR R W D

14

29 30

31

Across 9 More impoverished (7)

Down 1 Playing well (2,4)

10 Find out quantity of (7)

2 Married (6)

11 Bit in between (3)

3 Perjurer (4)

12 Regular / hospital attendant (7)

4 Knitting style (6)

13 From Riga? (7)

5 Person on the payroll (8)

14 Catching babies (9) 16 Announcer of news in town (5)

6 Substance produced in the body during exercise (6,4)

17 Exchanging (7)

7 Trial performance (8)

20 Disney animation featuring the family Madrigal (7)

8 Renaissance man / Actor / Ninja (8)

21 Type of Japanese curry (5) 22 Mammal whose name means 'little armoured one' in Spanish (9)

15 Acts of wickedness (10) 17 Sold for consumption away from place of sale (8) 18 Cinema aimed at a niche market (3,5)

26 Took on (7)

19 Most magnificent (8)

27 Game featuring cannons and kisses (7)

23 Design made by fitting together small pieces of coloured marble, glass, etc.

(6)

29 Time (3) 30 Inflamed swelling (7) 31 Time batting (7)

24 Predilection (6) 25 Surge / our NHS (anag) (6) 28 Dominates (4)

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Crossword provided by @thompuntoncrosswords - answers at www.bn1magazine.co.uk

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‘A wildly imaginative, exhilarating piece of theatre’

êêêêê The Daily Mail

Wise Children’s

Adapted & Directed

by Emma Rice Theatre Royal Brighton

Tue 17–Sat 21 May UK Premiere

Brighton Dome Concert Hall

Sun 15 May

Poetic tenderness.

Raw emotion.

Physical strength.

Theatre Royal Brighton

Mon 23–Sat 28 May

‘A killer rhythm section, mighty wall of horns and moments of sparkling call-and-response between instruments and dancers.’

Evening Standard

Ticket Office 01273 709709 | Full programme at brightonfestival.org

23 – 26 JUNE

TICKETS NOW LIMITED GOODWOOD.COM 84

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