Heart of 3 Cities 2014
Arts, cultural stories and events from Charnwood Summer 2014
Charnwood Arts was founded in 1976. We are involved in a wide range of arts, creativity and culturally based areas of work and are a key participatory arts organisation in the East Midlands with a national and international reputation. Charnwood Arts is core funded by Charnwood Borough Council and Arts Council England, East Midlands. Leicestershire’s largest independent community arts and media organisation resides in the heart of the Three Cities area of the East Midlands. Our main area of work is in Charnwood itself but we also support regional developments, work internationally and have connections with other organisations and artists world wide.
Charnwood Arts works:
To develop, co-ordinate and support longer term community arts projects.
To develop exciting workshop programmes in a wide range of art forms with groups of all ages.
To support cross-cultural projects and events and to promote community cohesion.
To develop and deliver regular arts and media based work with young people in a wide variety of settings.
To bring innovations through the arts to the fields of health and well being.
To create and publish work for print, video and new media distribution.
To celebrate creativity, diversity and the enormous power the arts have to create benefit.
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
To provide help and advice to artists and groups.
Welcome to
Heart of 3 Cities 2014 The Heart of Three Cities newspaper is an annual publication from Charnwood Arts that highlights a variety of arts and cultural events and stories relevant to the borough. This year’s publication covers a longer period than previous ones as we move into a new phase of our approach and project work with new initiatives, goals and a range of new partnerships. In so many ways this is a seminal year for reflection as we remember the world changing events that sent ripples down through the last century resulting in circumstances that still influence conflicts and tensions in the world today. A major new project partnership for Charnwood will address many aspects of the Great War from remembrance of the fallen of so many local families to the re-siting of war memorials in All Saints with Holy Trinity Church and a series of concerts and other cultural events.
As other articles in this newspaper will attest, from our work with asylum seekers and refugees of other conflicts, our support for Art Camping Aleppo to our film projects related to the Invasion of Europe in 1944 and Auschwitz, wars have been and still are a defining aspect of our experience. Yet, despite the devastation and disruption to our lives and communities, wars also create cultural and social change, spur technological innovation and stimulate arts and cultural production.
Thankfully, social and cultural changes also happen without such traumatic events! Charnwood Arts is firmly committed to acting in ways that constantly focus on building contact and relationships between people through arts, cultural, heritage focused and media activities. To this end we are announcing that our highly successful People Making Places 2000 project will be re-visited as a vanguard project for the organisation until 2020 building unique events and a dynamic archive for Leicester(shire). Kevin Ryan - Charnwood Arts
Pre 1914: Colonel Horatio Kitchener, father of Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener, spends the last few years of his life in the Charnwood village of Cossington. During this time, his famous son makes several trips to the village. Local people remember him as being “remote, austere and reserved”. In 1894, after his father’s death and burial in Cossington, he is quoted as saying: “Pray every night that war doesn’t come until we have rebuilt the navy”. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Charnwood : Heart of 3 Cities
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March 27th, 1914: ‘Sunlock’, a Loughborough bred horse, wins the Grand National at odds of 100/6. Owned and trained by Loughborough man Tom Tyler, it wins by 8 lengths. There is a field of 20 runners, only four of which complete the course. The jockey is William John Smith.
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
Contents Welcome ..................................................................................................................... Map of Charnwood ................................................................................................. Contents ...................................................................................................................... Read Me, Write Me, Draw Me, Tell Me - Children’s Literature Festival ................................................................................ Leicestershire and Rutland Young Artists Open Exhibition ArtZone on the Move ............................................................................................. Celebrating 10 Years of Glastonbudget ............................................................ Free Art Friday (visual arts) - Leaving Earth (rock band) ............................... Charnwood Arts on ISSUU .................................................................................... A Sense of Place ........................................................................................................ Majid Saeedi .............................................................................................................. Charnwood Great War Centenary Project ....................................................... Groups at Charnwood Arts’ Next Level ............................................................. Here Our Voices ........................................................................................................ Picnic In The Park ..................................................................................................... Film Season: For The Love Of Children ............................................................. Bradgate Park Outdoor Performances .............................................................. anon.creatives ........................................................................................................... Changing Spaces - Trading Places ...................................................................... Charnwood Arts - The Film: Moving Forward ................................................ Creative Exchanges: Taiwan/UK ........................................................................... Loughborough Mela ................................................................................................ D-Day Film .................................................................................................................. People Making Places - Charnwood Arts PMP2020 .................................... PMP: Lost In The Great War ................................................................................. Loughborough Town Hall: What’s On? .............................................................. Local Markets and Town Centre Events...............................................................
p3 p4 p5 p 6-8 p9 p 10 p 11-15 p 16 p 17 p 18-19 p 20-23 p 24-27 p 28 p 29-31 p 32-34 p 35 p 36 p 37 p 38-41 p 42 p 43 p 44-45 p 46-47 p 48 p 49-55 p 56-61 p 62-63
August 3rd, 1914: 5th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment is recalled to Loughborough from their annual camp at Bridlington and mobilised the next day under the command of Lt Col C. H. Jones of Uppingham. Their colours are deposited in Loughborough Parish Church. They go first to Derbyshire, then on to a stiff training course in Luton before moving to East Anglia. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Children and Young People
Read Me, Write Me, Draw Me, Tell Me Children’s Literature Festival
2013 was the very first year of running the ‘Children’s Literature Festival’ and it was a huge success! Everyone who came along had so much fun, that we are going to do it all over again. Having crammed a week full with so many exciting events and workshops last year, we are delighted to announce this year’s festival will run for two weeks! We have so many events offering a wide variety of activities by some fantastic artists who specialise in presenting and exploring literature in exciting and creative ways; you will be sure to find something you will love. We are still in our planning phase and we will publish full details soon! All venues in Loughborough.
Would you like to make sweets at Willy Wonka’s sweet factory? Or maybe create a mask for a super hero? You could travel round the world in 8 objects in the amazing ‘Karvan’ or go on an Explorers Expedition around your own imagination! Following the popularity of the Giant Comic Strip on Queen’s Park last year we have asked James Parsons to come back again and entertain us with his silly jokes and amazing cartoons! Don’t miss him this year! Or maybe you would just like to learn the art of shadow puppets, or story telling; where you can help tell the story through performance. Or do you fancy acting? Or making your own puppet for a starring role in a show? There are also workshops that will teach you the East Asian art of paper cutting, song writing or even how to create your own graphic novel! This exciting multi-art form event has activities for children and young people from the ages of 3–16 as well as family events. The festival is now entering its second year and we hope the success helps us to see it grow year on year. Details of all the events during the festival can be found in th the following pages. It runs from Monday 21 July rd to Sunday 3 August 2014 at venues across Loughborough Town Centre.
21 zhJul to rd 3 Aug 2014
For full details go to the address below. Tickets can be booked online at:
www.bookwhen.com/charnwoodarts
August 4th, 1914: A handsome chestnut horse called ‘Songster’ is mobilised with many other horses in Loughborough Market Place. Aged 14, he narrowly escapes being rejected as too old for military service. He is one of over a million horses sent to France during the war.
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Read Me, Write Me, Draw Me, Tell Me
Children’s Literature Festival
‘The Invention Room’ with Georgia Tilley
‘Ladybird Book celebration’ with Danielle Kennel
10am-11am / 11.30am-12.30pm / 1pm-2pm / 2.30pm-3.30pm
How would it feel to be Willy Wonka? You no longer have to imagine. Recreate Willy Wonka’s factory by creating your very own sweet! Join Georgia Tilley and other children as you let your imaginations run wild and create your sweets using various arts & crafts. Get your parents involved too. Suitable for 6-10 years with family
‘Techniques of East Asia’ with Rachel Marsden 10am-1pm / 2pm-5pm
The beautiful art of paper cutting has been perfected in East Asia, and now it’s coming to Loughborough for you to join others in a workshop where you can learn to do it yourself. With the guidance of Rachel Marsden, you will create your own pieces of work and be able to take them away with you to keep. Suitable for ages 8-16 years
‘Story Telling through Dance’ with Claire Wright 11am-4pm ongoing through the day
If you like a good story, you will know how the words on the page make your imagination run wild in your head. Now using the book, everyone can get involved by letting the story come to life through dance.
All day
‘Judging a book by its back cover’ with Andrew McWilliam 10am-4pm ongoing workshop
After running this workshop at various festivals with great success, Andrew McWilliam is bringing it to Loughborough for all to enjoy. How well does a blurb on the back of a book describe what you find on the inside? Come along and with the use of the back of a book (with some important information missing) see where your performance takes you and what you can create when you let your mind run wild.
10.30am-12.30pm
Come along and listen to the team from Distraction Theatre tell you a story. After that, see what you can remember and through dressing up and the use of props, be as creative as you can and try and re-tell that story through performing it. Suitable for 8-12 years
Charnwood Museum Suitable for ages 7-12
Suitable for all ages 8+
‘Giant comic strip’ with James Parsons ‘Be a superhero’ with Zara Bojovic 10am-12.30pm / 1pm-3.30pm
Who is your favourite superhero? Spiderman, Batman, Superman? Join Zara and other young people to discuss what makes a great superhero and who is the best. If you were a superhero, what would your name be? What powers would you have? How would you stop the bad guys? Then create that superhero character and a mask to go with them and share it with the whole group, before taking it home and showing off your new powers. Suitable for all ages 8+
All day
Having been such a huge success at last year’s festival, the best selling cartoonist James Parsons from the Crazy Comic Club is back to create a unique GIANT COMIC STRIP, but he needs your help! So come along and learn from one of the best and help other young creative people and together you will make an epic giant comic strip Queen’s Park, Loughborough Suitable for ages 7+
‘Creative writing’ with Thomas Sillito 10am-12pm / 1pm-3pm
Suitable for all ages 8+
‘Be part of the story’ with Distraction Theatre
Everyone knows Ladybird books, you read them at school and so did your parents. But did you know that its origins come from your very own town of Loughborough? Next year will be the celebration of 100 years since the first print of a Ladybird book and we are starting the party early with a day of fun. Join Danielle Kennel as she talks about your favourite books, before getting creative and making masks and props which will allow you to join in with others in re-telling some of those famous Ladybird stories.
‘Around the world in 8 objects’ with Emma Dawson 10am-5pm ongoing slots throughout the day
Around the world in 8 objects welcomes you into a world of discovery and adventure within the creative space of the ‘Karvan’. This exciting creative space will be the venue as you step inside and learn all about world literature, music and cultural traditions from across the globe. Seeing, touching and smelling your way through the items will unleash your imagination and you won’t want to leave this amazingly adapted vehicle.
Do you fancy yourself as a writer, or just a fan of stories and poetry? Why not come along and join Thomas Sillito as he teaches you the techniques of creative writing while celebrating the local area and communities that we come from. Suitable for ages 11+
Suitable for all ages
August 4th, 1914: Two Loughborough men, Archie Richardson and Frank Stockall are trapped in Germany by the declaration of war. They were working at a branch of the NMC Hosiery Factory recently opened in Chemnitz, Saxony. They are interned for the rest of the war in a civilian prison camp near Berlin. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Read Me, Write Me, Draw Me, Tell Me Children’s Literature Festival
‘Storytelling’ with Hema Acharya Hema Acharya, Charnwood Arts resident storyteller, is back for the second year. Well known locally and internationally, she has been part of so many great things both in the local area as well as far away as China! During the last few years alone, Hema has worked on numerous events including ‘Loughborough Mela’, Belgrave Mela, an ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘Picnic in the Park’ along with her fantastic community work within schools and libraries within Leicestershire. Hema is also a talented Indian dancer in both classical and Bollywood dance. She works with a diverse group of people including school children, parent and baby groups and adults from various cultural backgrounds. Hema is a multi talented, activities and workshops leader. She runs a variety of activities including storytelling, dancing, puppetry and various crafts, there is nothing she can’t do! A performer through and through whose enthusiasm and creative versatility always shines, with an infectious personality that soon spreads, so if a fun filled time is what you are after, then look no further than Hema Acharya!!
‘Puppet workshop’ with Vanessa Rose 10am-1pm / 2pm-5pm
Come along and meet Vanessa Rose and her friends (they are puppets) as they put on a show especially for you. After, spend time learning the art of puppet making and create your very own puppet to take home with you. Suitable for families
‘Explorers expedition’ with Emma and Charlotte 3pm-5pm
Are you a wild explorer at heart, explore your imagination, and go on a crazy adventure with Emma and Charlotte with their large interactive cubes in this improvisation workshop before finishing off the day with a film showing. Queen’s Park, Loughborough Suitable for ages 6+
‘Shadow puppet theatre’ with Emma and Charlotte 9.30am-11.30am
Come and see a fun shadow puppet show and even learn how to create your own so you can join in the fun and tell your own story with help from the experts. Suitable for 6-14 years
‘Underwater Worlds’ with Emma and Charlotte
‘Songwriting’ with Matt Sage Time tbc Have you ever listened to the radio or one of your favourite songs and thought to yourself, “How do they write them?” Well here is your chance to learn. Join Matt as he runs a songwriting workshop, which will allow you to be creative and write your very own songs. Suitable for 8s and over
12pm-2pm
Come along all you budding actors, join us to learn the techniques of acting - try them out as you explore new underwater worlds, what will you see, and who may you happen to meet along the way? Suitable for 6-14 years
Suitable for families
Read Me, Write Me, Draw Me, Tell Me in Local Schools The 2014 Festival will also celebrate digital writing once again with a partnership project with Loughborough University and Dr Melanie Ramdarshan Bold. Melanie will be working with Limehurst Academy and students from the University’s student led Enterprise, Lamplight Press. They will engage the children in a ‘zine’ assignment, this will involve working on the planning, design and publication of the programme and marketing material for the festival. A great opportunity for any young budding publicists!
‘Graphic Novel workshop’ with Bob Moulder 10am-2pm
Graphic Novels are an art that is increasingly popular and now you have the chance to be part of this growing creative art form. Learn from the experienced Bob Moulder how to write and draw to create your very own graphic novel. 3pm-5pm
In this second workshop by Bob Moulder, learn all about how to create a graphic novel before putting your learning into practice and making your very own mini book to take home with you. Suitable for 6-12 years/10-16 years
Also following on from the success of last year’s ‘Sockman’ animation project by Charnwood Arts, in house film and media specialist, James Chantry, will be undertaking another animation project with students from Rawlins Academy. The students will be creating a number of short animated films that will go on to be screened during the Festival. This is a fantastic opportunity for children from both schools to get involved with the festival, which runs from Monday 21st July – Sunday 3rd August. For more information on the digital writing projects, email:
rebecca.abrahams@charnwoodarts.com
August 4th, 1914: The local squadron of the Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert’s Own) mobilises at Loughborough in the North Midland Mounted Brigade. In November, they move to France and join the 3rd Cavalry Division.
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
Leicestershire & Rutland
Young Artists
Open Exhibition Your chance to exhibit in the prestigious Atkins gallery space in Hinckley. All works in different age categories will be judged by a panel of experts and prizes awarded including an opportunity for someone in the 1619 years category to experience mentoring for a week within a major regional design company.
Exhibition dates:
Wed 2 July – Fri 1 August 2014
The Main Prizes: 8 -11 years First Prize - £100 Runner up - £50 12 -15 years First Prize - £200 Runner up - £100 16 -19 years First Prize - £300 Runner up - £150 Special Graphics Prize of work experience with H Squared Design Studio
Submission Guidelines: 1- The Leicestershire and Rutland Young Open Art Exhibition 2014 is open to anyone aged 8 to19 years living in Leicestershire and Rutland. 2- Art work submitted will be judged in three age categories: 8 to 11 years, 12 to 15 years and 16 to 19 years. 3- One piece of unframed art work can be entered per young person and may be produced in any 2D medium including digitally generated works and photography. Individual entries only. 4- Entries are for two-dimensional works in one of three sizes. All work selected for the exhibition will be framed by the Gallery so we therefore require each entrant to strictly adhere to the one of the following sizes: A5 148 x 210 mm A4 210 x 297 mm (size of a standard sheet of printer paper) A3 297 x 420 mm
Free entry competition to any young person aged 8-19 years living or studying in Leicestershire and Rutland.
For full details and entry forms go to http://www.charnwoodarts.com/news/2014/04/ leicestershire_and_rutland_young_artists_open_competition_20141
A partnership project with Creative Hinckley and Charnwood Arts. be securely packaged. We suggest hard back envelopes or cardboard sleeves. NB. If you want your entry posted back to you after the exhibition please enclose a self addressed label with the correct value of postage stamps attached in an adequately protected package. Pleased make a note of this on the form. 7- Artists will be contacted by email if their submission has been selected for the exhibition by Friday 20 June 2014 8- A short artist’s statement will be required from successful entrants to be used in the exhibition and for publicity material. Creative Hinckley and Charnwood Arts reserve the right to reproduce works in print and on-line for publicity and promotional purposes. All works remain the copyright of the author. 9- The Atkins Gallery and Charnwood Arts does not provide insurance cover for any contents of an exhibition or display. Exhibitors are advised to make private arrangements for insurance cover if necessary. 10- All artists submitting work will be invited to the Private View event on Thursday 3 July when the winners will be announced and prizes awarded. 11- Art work can be for sale. A 20% commission will be charged on work sold during the exhibition. 12- All entries whether selected or not will be available for collection from 11 August. The work will be held for up to one month.
Submissions for the competition can be handed in at these Collection Points. We have made special arrangements with all of the centres for specific times and days, so please adhere to them. Loughborough: Charnwood Arts, 27 Granby Street, Loughborough LE11 3DU -Tel: 01509 822558 Mon 9th June - Friday 13th June: 10am to 6pm Hinckley: The Atkins Gallery, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley LE10 1DY Tel: 01455 440500 Monday 9th June – Friday 13th June: 9am to 4pm Leicester: New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, 53 New Walk, Leicester LE1 7EA Wednesday 11th June: 10.00am to 5pm Oakham: Catmose College Campus, Huntsmans Drive, Oakham LE15 6RP Monday 9th June – Friday 13th June: 9.00am to 3pm Market Harborough Library The Symington Building, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough LE16 7LT - Tel: 0116 305 3627 Tuesday 10th June – Friday 13th June: 10 -6pm Tues, Thurs & Fri and 1-6pm Wednesday Coalville: Snibston Discovery Park, Ashby Road, Coalville LE67 3LN Monday 9th June – Friday 13th June: 10am to 5pm
Dates to Remember: Submissions: Monday 9 and Friday 13 June 2014. 9.30am-4pm Monday – Friday. Other times may be agreed by prior arrangement and subject to availability. Friday 20 June All artists will be notified by email if they have been successful or not. Monday 30 June to Wednesday 2 July 2013 Selected work will be hung in the Creative Hinckley Gallery at the Atkins
5- Art works will be accepted between Monday 9th and Friday 13th June 2014 - see guidelines Wednesday 2 July to Friday 1 August 2014 for full details of times and alternative collection points in other parts of Leicestershire. Works may Exhibition dates. also be posted. Thursday 3 July ‘Private View’ and prize giving from 6pm - 8pm 6- All work must have the entry form completed for all submitting artists, their families and friends. and attached to the back of the work and must
August, 1914: Donington Hall and a large part of the Donington Park is requisitioned by the British government and turned into a prisoner of war camp. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Children and Young People
‘ArtZone on the Move’ ArtZone has been running for several years and continues to provide an exciting, original and diverse programme for young people throughout the area. For the past 8 years it has been operating in partnership with Charnwood Museum, but has had to cease operating due to funding cuts, so it is with great pleasure that we would like to announce that we will be running a summer programme following a partnership with ‘The Rawlins Community Trust.’ ‘ArtZone On The Move’ will be visiting local villages as part of our rural programme with children and young people, including Mountsorrel, Barrow Upon Soar, Sileby, Woodhouse Eaves and Wymeswold. These villages will play ‘host’ to some fantastic venues both indoor and out which will be sure to bring out the creative in you! Our aim is to provide a range of workshops and activities to introduce young people to exciting new art forms and techniques. The varied events taking place ensures there will be something for everyone, whether you want to learn the skills of a circus performer, get involved in a STOMP-style body percussion class, visit the exciting creative space of the ‘KARVAN’ or be creative with the nature that surrounds you up at the Outwoods discovering wild delights! ‘ArtZone On The Move’ will run from
Saturday 19th July to Sunday 3rd August and is open to children and young
people aged 8 and above.
For more information about ‘ArtZone On The Move’ please visit www.charnwoodarts.com Or call Rebecca Abrahams on 01509 821035 or email rebecca.abrahams@charnwoodarts.com
August, 1914: A Refugee Committee is set up in Loughborough to cope with the stream of fugitives from Belgium, which became a torrent after the fall of Antwerp.
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
Ten years on! ... ... Keeping the music
live!
www.glastonbudget.org
August 14th, 1914: Even at this early stage in the war, prices were beginning to soar. On this day, the Loughborough Trades Council made a “respectful appeal to the Mayor to call a conference of representative citizens... to guard against the unnecessary exploitations of the inhabitants by a cruel inflation of prices of sheer necessities...� Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Celebrating 10 years of Glastonbudget When three rather excited, but slightly concerned people, came into Charnwood Arts at Loughborough Library just over ten years ago and asked for our advice and take on the idea they were working on, we had no idea it would grow into one of the UK’s favourite small festivals. The first year of Glastonbudget was a really steep learning curve for them but the event has persisted through everything that life could throw at it to grow year on year. It is now the largest tribute and new bands festival in Europe if not the world! Charnwood Arts is proud to have been associated with Glastonbudget from the very start. This year we are happy to announce that as we move on we are now handing over the ‘Charnie Arnie’ marquee and stage to our partners at Loughborough College to carry on giving young people the chance to experience providing the technical services at such a large event. The new ‘Loco Stage’ is born! We would like to wish the festival every success for the future and express our gratitude to their enormous generosity over the years. We would also like to thank all the volunteers and staff who have helped out with the Charnie Arnie and all the fantastic bands and musicians who have played there!
Autumn 1914: Men awaiting call up drill voluntarily in Loughborough’s Queen’s Park and route-march in the countryside.
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
Celebrating 10 years of Glastonbudget Headlining... with The Bootleg Beatles! There are Tribute Bands and Tribute Acts - combining the music, the image and the performance of the band at the highest level might take you to perform at the Albert Hall... Glastonbudget prides itself on presenting some of the best Tribute Acts and Bands around. If you live locally and you don’t yet know about Glastonbudget, and love the music you see on the next two pages you won’t be disappointed by this festival. You will also find a whole host of stalls and food, real ales, a friendly and enthusiastic crowd and an event that welcomes families. All on our doorstep!! Booking via the website:
September 13th, 1914: The newly opened Empire Cinema in Loughborough presents a Grand Patriotic Concert with proceeds going to the Prince of Wales’ National Relief Fund. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Main Stage & Big Top Acts...
Oct-Nov 1914: The Leicestershire Yeomanry sees service at the First Battle of Ypres in western Belgium.
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
... and over 100 other acts! November 1914: Loughborough’s November Fair is extended for another day and brought in over £60 to be divided between the National War Fund and the local hospital.
Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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FREE ART FRIDAY - Visual Arts Members of Charnwood Arts groups RawArt and CAFE_space took part in an art drop in Belgrade, Serbia earlier in the year. Fine Art student Sarah Hodgkiss also included several of her sprayed stencil works. British Free Art Friday artist Grebo Gray who lives in Belgrade put out the artwork for us in some choice locations. On June 13th for the eve of Picnic In The Park we will be doing another drop on the town around the Queen’s Park area. Please follow the Free Art Friday Loughborough’s progress on Facebook!
‘Leaving Earth’ – Creating a new Rock Scene in Loughborough Newly formed Metalcore band, ‘Leaving Earth’, have vowed to create a ‘Rock Music Scene’ in Loughborough. Speaking after their highly successful gig supporting punk poet Attila the Stockbroker, female guitarist, Amaia De Almeida said….”Both Leicester and Nottingham have great scenes for our type of music but there’s nothing as yet in Loughborough. We’ve played two gigs recently and were impressed and surprised by the positive responses.” Anyone interested should get in touch with Amaia on the band’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/leavingearth
November 1914: The horse ‘Songster’ is taken to France to begin his war as part of the Leicestershire Yeomanry, ridden by Trooper Bert Main. He proves to be a remarkable horse, not only able to climb up stairs but also to perform the far more difficult task of climbing down as well!
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Heart of 3 Cities 2014
CHARNWOOD ARTS on Charnwood Arts has a long history of publishing, from magazines, newspapers and book production to different forms of multi-media, extensive web productions and video as well as countless exhibitions.
young people and young adults, based in Loughborough, from France, Italy, Taiwan, the UK and China to teach them the processes of magazine production from initial visualisation to print ready production.
In 2013 we subscribed to the on-line reader site ISSUU as part of our growing strategy to build People Making Places 2020 (PMP2020).
Our latest production on ISSUU is the fantastic Tea With Alice book produced by people working with our former Corporart and current Raw Art groups following a highly successful exhibition at Charnwood Museum.
Our use of ISSUU is not just to publish material in an electronic format but also to use it as a platform for generating new work with people. The results of publishing in this way are impressive - our works are being read and viewed around the world by thousands every week. The images on this page are of our new Charnwood Artslink International (an old title from the 1990s). We worked with
There are many titles from our backlist to share through ISSUU and a host of new publications to come over the next few years. We are also happy to consider sharing this site with others in Charnwood and Leicestershire to help generate audiences for other publications that link to People Making Places 2020. To access our publications go to:
http://issuu.com/charnwoodarts
December 11th, 1914: Captain Jesse Gibson, Head of St Paul’s School, Woodhouse Eaves since 1896, enlists in the National Reserve in the rank of 1st. Lieutenant. Kate Stubbs is appointed as Acting Head of the school. Fourteen ex-pupils of St. Paul’s School are killed between 1914-1918. Their names are listed on the Memorial on Church Hill. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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A Sense Of Place
‘A Sense Of Place’ is the first project in a series commissioned by the NHS in Leicestershire to put
artwork into hospital corridors. It focuses on wards where older people spend their time in hospital with work specially designed to suit each location. At Rutland Community Hospital in Oakham many patients are local but people also end up there from all over the region. When designing the work it was important to reflect this but to also look at different themes to do with being in hospital. So there is a reminiscense feel about the work but it’s broader than that too.
The team working on the project comprises Lisa Pidgeon and Jacqui Booth of Little Bird SOS based at Cross Corners in Leicester, the painter Dave Pidgeon, Jemma Bagley from Charnwood Arts and Tim Sayers, Arts In Health coordinator for NHS Leicestershire. The team spoke to patients and left notebooks and materials on the ward in order to gather information. They asked questions like ‘What Does Home Mean?” ‘Whats The First Thing That You Will Do When You Get Home?” From these responses and research done in and around Oakham the artwork for 15 box frames and a corner cabinet were created. Jemma said; “ We wanted the artworks to have a common feel about them so we used photographs taken by Jacqui at the Museum in Oakham and of things mentioned by the patients and created a series of cyanotype prints onto heavy cotton sheet material found by Jacqui in a charity shop. These were then put together as patchwork, applique and embroidered pieces. Scraps of fabric and vintage wall paper used by Lisa are also blue, with yellow, green, brown and grey being represented to reflect the beautiful countryside around Oakham”.
December 26th, 1914: The annual Boxing Day meet of the Quorn Hunt in Loughborough Market Place is cancelled.
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A Sense Of Place
The colours are also found on the specially designed ‘yarn-bomb’ feature for the tree outside the main entrance that can also be seen from the activity room window. Members of Charnwood Arts Big Knitting Group and the Knit2gether group from Birstall as well as friends of the team made 20 by 20cm knitted squares. To reflect the fields and countryside. Knitted bunting and flowers have also been made, which will be put up temporarily on the ward. One patient, Dorothy, said “They don’t like you to have flowers in hospital, but once my daughter-inlaw knitted some flowers and it was lovely”. Fine-artist Dave Pidgeon is also making work for the project, he has been co-opted by wife Lisa and is producing paintings inspired by the Osprey breeding programme in Rutland and has made a series of
monoprints with his children on the subject of ‘Ospreys’ and ‘Home’. A series of photos taken by Jacqui whilst walking and exploring in Rutland will hang together in a set . The box frames all have a 3cm space in them expect to find some found objects and collage elements added to the artworks. The project is to be launched on the 7th May, the artworks forming a permanent display for patients, staff and visitors to enjoy. The team would like to thank the hospital staff especially Maria Ward for their cooperation and enthuasiasm. The next project will start at the end of May on Ward 1, St Lukes Hospital Market Harborough. Further projects on the East Ward, Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital and on the Thringstone Ward, Coalville Community Hospital are planned to start in late 2014 and early 2015.
1914: Approximately 100 Belgian refugees, mainly from Antwerp and Louvain, are housed in Loughborough. They stay, among other places, at Stanford Parsonage, at the Red House in Burton Walks and with NUT member Bernard Pratt on Heathcote Street. Refugees are also housed in Quorn and other Charnwood villages. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Majid Saeedi
‘LIFE IN WAR’ Two young girls are playing, just like children on every continent, except that the ‘toy’ one of them holds is an artificial hand, and the setting is south of Kabul in Afghanistan. Elsewhere, a farmer collects his harvest in Panshir, north of Kabul. Again, it’s a scene that could take place in any field in the world, but he stacks the crops onto an old tank, abandoned from a battle that has long since ended but which continues to leave its mark on the landscape and its people. These are typical of the images shot by award-winning Iranian photojournalist Majid Saeedi, who spent years living among the ordinary citizens of Afghanistan. His work concentrates on the small details of their lives against the background of a wartorn country. Majid has described his photos as documenting “the daily life of people living with conflict. People don’t expect to return home every time they go out. War is death. It is all around them but they go on living. This is a paradox. Life in war. Nobody should live in a war but they do.” A collection of Majid’s images from Afghanistan was shown in Britain for the first time at the Creative Hinckley Gallery in the Atkins Building, Hinckley. The exhibition, ‘Life in War’, ran from February to March 2014 and was organised by Charnwood Arts as part of their well known ‘Pixel and Grain’ photography programme. Co-organiser of the exhibition Natalie Chabaud said “We were very happy to secure Majid’s important work which was sent to us from another exhibition in Tokyo. We were so lucky it was available to us and we are proud to have given Majid his first solo exhibition in the UK. His work should be seen far and wide.” The photographer also plans to publish the pictures in book form.
1914: Wounded soldiers are cared for at Loughborough Hospital and at the Charnwood Convalescent Home in Woodhouse Eaves run by the Voluntary Aid Detachment.
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As a collection, ‘Life in War’ presents scenes that are strangely calm overall, while the details subtly reveal a more troubled situation. Majid’s work goes far beyond the images of soldiers and aid workers that usually dominate news reports from Afghanistan. “The real Afghanistan may be the image of a humble child looking at my camera without a smile,” he said. “If you are a photojournalist in Afghanistan you get used to these faces. For me the real Afghanistan is the smile on the faces of these children when they take pictures with my camera or, by contrast, the despairing women who have set themselves on fire, or images of victims of landmines.” Majid has photographed the men, women and children of Afghanistan for more than a decade, and spent four years there continuously after being forced to leave his native Iran in 2009. His next project will take place in Africa. “The most important thing for a photographer,” said Majid, “is to live with the people as they live. To experience life as the people experience it. I reached that in Afghanistan. They have become part of my memories, both good and bad, and their happiness and sadness have become my main concern.” At its heart, ‘Life in War’ is about survivors. There are children without parents, and widows having to carry on with ‘ordinary’ life after their husbands were killed. The war affects people in different ways; social problems include poverty, poor education, drug addiction and physical and mental trauma. According to the UN Mine Information Network, every month more than 60 people are estimated to be killed or injured in Afghanistan because of landmines. “I have never been able to find out how much these people have been traumatised by life,” said Majid. “They have always remained impassive in front of my camera but I am very interested to discover the reaction of the people that see my images. The main question I have been asking myself over these years is: what is the result of all these wars? Every time I see a young Afghan boy or girl in the streets, so unhappy compared to the happy children of European countries, this question echoes in my head.”
1914-18: A large percentage of the webbing used by the armed forces in both World Wars is made in Quorn at M. Wright & Sons Ltd (Quorn Mills), the village’s major employer for decades. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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He added: “Just imagine you were born in Afghanistan. How would you look at the world or at countries you have only seen and known through their armed forces and weaponry?” These points were seemingly not lost on those who saw the exhibition in Hinckley. According to one visitor, writing in the comments book, “This exhibition opens your eyes to another world, one we hear about but have very little real knowledge about or even understand. The day-to-day life of people in a country at war but who still have to get on with everyday life is something for us all to think about. These images bring it all to life.” Another noted: “Even when the children are smiling, their eyes tell the story of the hardships they endure. A stunning show.” Majid’s interest in photography began when he was 16. Within two years he was on the Iran-Iraq
border taking photos of refugees. Social problems caused by conflicts, wars and revolutions are a recurring theme of his work. During the 2009 protests in Tehran, Majid was arrested, detained for 40 days, tortured and then barred from working in his home country. Majid left Iran and relocated to Kabul. He first went to Afghanistan in 2001 on assignment for Time magazine. This was for a more conventional piece of war reportage. However, between 2009-2013 he chose to embed himself with Afghan citizens instead of the troops, sometimes at great personal risk. As well as enabling him to capture this extraordinary insight into the country and its people, Majid’s work has earned him prestigious international awards, including The Prix Lucas Dolega and a World Press Photo Award. Speaking to FotoEvidence this year, Majid explained, “Living with people who have suffered 30 years of war has had a
1914-18: The First World War has a huge influence on Brush Engineering. As well as the change in products to match the needs of war, many more women are being employed to replace the men in the forces. Aircraft production begins as well as rolling stock for the special narrow gauge railways at the Front.
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big impact on me. Nobody can understand where is safe and where is not safe in Afghanistan. Life goes on and people continue to live with hope for a better tomorrow.” Majid’s book, ‘Life in War’ will be published through FotoEvidence in the Autumn of 2014. For more information see Majid’s official website at
www.majidsaeedi.com Article written by
Ian Calcutt
1914-18: Charnwood Hall is commandeered by the military for use by injured soldiers. The hall had been given to the people of Loughborough to act as a convalescent home for those recovering from illness or surgery. The donor was Joseph Griggs, a wealthy timber merchant who went on to become the town’s first Mayor. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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An Introduction to
The Charnwood Great War Centenary Project We are delighted to announce that a local partnership formed between Charnwood Arts, Participation in Action, Bill Brookman Productions and All Saints with Holy Trinity Parish Church has been awarded a grant of £96,200 by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Over the next two years we will work on a range of projects in Loughborough and Charnwood to create and leave behind a legacy of events, productions and publications and we will have initiated a number of debates to deepen understanding of the period of the Great War. The grant also covers the re-siting of the war memorials at All Saints with Holy Trinity Church in Loughborough. The war memorials of Loughborough All Saints Parish Church and of the now decommissioned Holy Trinity church are kept at All Saints but they are very poorly positioned. This project, the development of the subsequent partnership and the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund arose out of initial conversations about the siting of the memorials and a deep concern from Loughborough resident, Janet Grant to do something more to remember the men that lay behind the names inscribed upon them. An important part of the application for funding supports the aim to reposition the memorials during this centenary year of the onset of the Great War. We will also research the stories behind the names on them and on other memorials in the borough and explore other aspects of the local history of the time in order to tell the story of the Great War in Charnwood. We are currently planning a series of events, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and debates covering aspects of the war and the importance of working for peace. There will be activities for schools, the community and young people - including making a film with young people exploring local history and their feelings about the Great War, and war and peace in general. We will publish a book of local Great War stories and establish an online community history project as well as create a unique Book of Remembrance recording those who lost their lives during this and other conflicts - including people from incoming communities to the borough.
The Fallen
Those who lost their lives are being researched in partnership with living relatives that can be found. They will be remembered in our Community History online project linked to ‘People Making Places’, and in an exhibition which can be booked out and through a series of events appropriate to the understanding and remembrance of those who lived - and died at that time. The Locality
We are also, in our contribution to the ‘People Making Places’ project, remembering the other lives, those who stayed behind, the women, the local industries and the legacy right up to the present day in attitudes to war and peace. Internationally
We are remembering those from the Commonwealth whose relatives may now live in Britain and we are connecting with communities in France, Germany and Belgium. We are also not forgetting members of the Central Powers (the foes of Britain a hundred years ago) whose relatives and communities may now live in our locality. The Imperial War Museum
We have formed a ‘community’ as part of the Imperial War Museum’s ‘Lives of the Great War’ platform recording the life stories of more than 8 million people. Events
We are organising a range of events, talks, concerts and debates to explore the arts, culture and issues of the Great War and the cause of Peace.
1914-18: Horse Leys Farm in Burton on the Wolds is used as a landing strip for aircraft. This supports the Royal Flying Corps Home Defence Unit which is charged with defending the Midlands against Zeppelin attacks. People from miles around cycle to the farm to see the planes take off and land. For several months in 1916 the squadron was commanded by Captain A. T. Harris, later to become Air Chief Marshal Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris, C-in-C, RAF Bomber Command and Marshal of the Royal Air Force.
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We Want to Involve as Many People as Possible. There are many ways that people can become involved from helping us with our research as a volunteer, to helping with events or sharing your own individual or collective knowledge with us as a family or group. Do you have family memories of the First World War? Did your great-grandfather or grandfather serve as a soldier, seaman or pilot? Was your great-grandmother a nurse or a lone or widowed parent? Do you have objects like medals or helmets, domestic items, old photographs, letters or documents that are part of the history of your family that would help us to piece together the story of that devastating time in history and how it affected the lives of the people of Charnwood? Did the women and girls of your family see their lives change by becoming ‘land girls’ or working in industry, through losing loved ones or by taking on ‘men’s work’ while their husbands and brothers were away? What was the impact of life on the home front for those left behind? As part of the legacy of this project we aim to record the story of the Great War in Charnwood from its outbreak in 1914 to the infamous Zeppelin Raid that devastated the Loughborough community in January 1916. Along with other friends and partners at the Carillon Museum and Loughborough Echo we aim to collect and collate the stories of the local community so that the experience of that time is not forgotten. How did mothers cope with bringing up their children alone? What resourcefulness was called for in the kitchen with the strictures of food supply and the temptations of the black market? What recipes were concocted or curtains converted in order to feed and clothe hungry families in unexpected times? What was it like to receive dreaded news or a long awaited letter from someone on the Front Line? We would love to hear your stories or to see items that have been passed down through the generations perhaps recording them, writing them down or maybe borrowing them for our display and ‘handling’ collection. We would like the story of the Great War in Charnwood to be remembered forever and its people not forgotten.
An image from our own office! Charnwood Arts’ administrator Terry Allen supplied us with this picture of his grandfather Wilfrid Mee in his RFC uniform - look for Wilfrid’s thoughts on the state of Britain’s WW1 airforce in the footnotes and overleaf for another picture of Wilfrid!
February 28th, 1915: The 5th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment lands at Le Havre and on 12th May 1915 and becomes part of the 138th Brigade, 46th (North Midland) Division. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Some Confirmed Dates for your Diary Saturday 14th June 2014, Picnic in the Park, Queen’s Park, Loughborough, noon – 5.00 pm This is a relaxed annual event of activities, music and stalls for all the family - with, of course, an invitation to bring a picnic! There will be general activities unrelated to the Great War, but also an opportunity to get involved as a volunteer on many aspects of the project, including researching your family history and that of others regarding their experience of conflict. To register your interest in researching relatives and the past contact janet.grant@gmail.com Monday 4th August 2014, 11.00 am, Centenary of the Outbreak of the Great War (World War 1), The Charnwood Great War Centenary Project will be supporting The Royal British Legion service at the Carillon, Queen’s Park, Loughborough. Saturday 20th September 2014, 7.30 pm, The Annual Cabaret Event at Rosebery St Peters Community Centre, Storer Road, Loughborough. A chance to hear local performers, but also hear Bill Brookman as “Old Billy” – a soldier of World War I performing period songs on the harmonium. Tickets: stpeterscc@btconnect.com Monday 13th to 19th October 2014, Loughborough Baptist Church World War One Display. An exhibition based on rediscovered letters from soldiers who received parcels from the church.
Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd November 2014, Loughborough All Saints with Holy Trinity Parish Church Community Christmas Tree Festival. We will have a presence here and would love to listen to your stories, see any photographs or memorabilia you might have and discuss local issues regarding one hundred years ago. January/February 2015. This is when we aim to reposition the war memorials. During this time there will be a talk by the expert conservator who will carry out the work. Saturday 21st March 2015, ‘The Banks of Green Willow’. Loughborough All Saints Parish Church, 7.30 pm A community commemoration in music and words with Charnwood Orchestra marking the re-siting and re-dedicating of the church’s war memorials. The title of the concert takes its inspiration from, and the concert will include, ‘The Banks of Green Willow’ by George Butterworth who died in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. It will also include Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No.3, the ‘Pastoral’, considered to be the composer’s War Requiem. To book tickets contact Judith Rodgers at JudithRodgers155@gmail.com Last two weeks in September 2015, University Threshold Conference on the Great War. Hosted by Loughborough Grammar School, this will be an opportunity for young people from local schools to study in depth some of the issues around the Great War. 31st January 2016. This is the anniversary of the Zeppelin raid on Loughborough. Watch out for a major event on or around this day.
Opening: Monday 13th October, 11.00 am. As part of the Project’s support for partner projects in the borough, we are delighted to support Loughborough Baptist Church History Group. This exhibition is built around letters found in a box above a cupboard. The letters were “thank-yous” from local soldiers serving world-wide during WW1 who had received Christmas packages sent out by the church in 1916. Saturday 8th November 2014, Dulce Et Decorum Est - The Road To War at All Saints with Holy Trinity Church. Music, poetry and readings featuring Karl Jenkins’s ‘The Armed Man’ A Mass for Peace! Why not come along and sing in ‘The Armed Man’ in our ‘Bring & Sing’ event? To register to ‘Bring & Sing’ or to join the Loughborough Singers contact Loughborough Endowed Schools Music Centre: admin@lesmusic.org Armistice Day, Tuesday 11th November 2014, 11.00 am, The Carillon, Queen’s Park Loughborough.
Wilfrid and ‘May’ Mee’s wedding photo from 1919 - Terry Allen’s grandparents on his mother’s side.
April 1915: Rent increases in the Charnwood area are reported at between 3d and 9d per week. One landlord says he would “...sooner have the house empty rather than let them for anything less”. A large crowd attends a meeting in Loughborough Market Place in protest at high rents.
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Get Involved! For more regular updates and information our Facebook site is: https://www.facebook.com/ WorldWar1Charnwood Latest event information can be found at: www.billbrookman.co.uk/foundation/calendar Also see below for further ways to get involved: Are you interested in exploring how local society, history and industry were affected by the Great War? Contact info@charnwoodarts.com Would you like to join our folk band, ‘Tommy Atkins’ War’ playing music and singing from the period? Contact Bill Brookman: bill@billbrookman.co.uk Are you interested in booking Bill Brookman as “Old Billy” singing songs of the period and telling stories at his harmonium? Contact bill@billbrookman.co.uk Would you like to sing in the performance of Karl Jenkins’s ‘The Armed Man’ on the 8th November, 2014 at All Saints Church? Contact Loughborough Endowed Schools Music Centre admin@lesmusic.org If you have an anecdote, photographs or some objects that you would like to share please contact Janet Grant at: janet.grant@gmail.com or write to info@charnwoodarts.com If you would like to volunteer to take part in researching aspects of this special time in history and also undergo some related training in community history, exhibition development or event delivery please contact 01509 822558 or info@charnwoodarts.com in the first instance. We would like everybody who lives in the borough whose life has been affected by armed conflict to have their own page in our special Book of Remembrance. We will create this anew and it will be kept at All Saints Church after the end of the Project as a unique archive in its own right.
Terry Allen’s great uncle, Harry Allen from Sileby - to find out what happened to Harry visit page 49 of this newspaper.
The Charnwood Great War Centenary Project
April 24th – May 5th, 1915: The Leicestershire Yeomanry sees service at the Battle of St Julien, part of the Second Battle of Ypres. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Groups at Charnwood Arts Next Level Our groups aimed at adults, based at our Next Level Cafe space at Shenton House on Leicester Road, are going from strength to strength. Members of RawArt for adults with long term and enduring mental health illness have recently completed a series of works entitled ‘Journey To Recovery - the Yellow Brick Road’. The original inspiration for this project was ‘The Wizard of Oz’ story. We made a list of the characters and themes explored in the story. The group also went to see a local theatre production of the play in Newtown Linford. We saw how the characters faced and got over their insecurities on the way, finding inner strength and friendship.This exhibition includes pieces that are childhood memories, statements of resilience and hope and some are purely illustrative. It is currently installed at the Glenvale Gallery at the Bradgate Unit, Glenfield Hospital Leicester. Below, are some of many statements made by members of the RawArt group. “There is a reason that you need to get somewhere, the reason can be very broad, something that you need to get or do. For yourself, for kin, for family.” “The journey in-between is that of self-esteem, personal development and self worth.” “Journey to enjoy life and activities. Take the trip to the healing space, it’s all about the journey not necessarily the destination.” Last year’s major RawArt exhibition ‘Tea With Alice’ is now available to view online as a Blurb Book and on Issuu. http://www.blurb.co.uk/books/5161134-tea-with-alice http://issuu.com/charnwoodarts/docs/teawithalicesmall
RawArt members also currently have a small exhibition of pastel works at Charnwood Museum Cafe in Queen’s Park Loughborough.
CAFE_space which runs on a Wednesday is designed as a well-being creative session. We welcome anyone that wishes to join the group to work on individual and collaborative projects. Recent projects have included marbling, printmaking, paper mache, junk sculpture, still life drawing and mosaic work. We currently have several volunteers working on RawArt and CAFE_space. Most are art students looking to gain experience of planning and running activities for adults in an arts for health setting. If you are interested in this opportunity then please email Jemma Bagley. The Mutual Craft Company is a small ‘well being’ craft group that meet on alternate Friday mornings. The group is user led. Recent projects include textile printing and cushion making. The sessions cost £4 each which includes all materials and refreshments RawArt runs in conjunction with the NHS Leicestershire Arts In Health team, on a Tuesday from 1pm-3.30pm CAFE_space runs on a Wednesday from 12.30-2.30pm The Mutual Craft Company runs on alternate Fridays from 10am-12noon. Please check out the project profiles on the Charnwood Arts Web-site and contact Jemma Bagley for details on all projects. jemmab@charnwoodarts.com Phone: Next Level 01509 264612
May 8th-13th, 1915: The Leicestershire Yeomanry takes part in the Battle of Frezenberg Ridge, also part of the Second Battle of Ypres. A squadron of the regiment holds the line for its entire brigade. 291 soldiers fight alongside the 1st and 2nd Life Guards.
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HERE our voices ‘Unheard’ In March 2013 a group of young people from Leicestershire, living in care, traveled to Poland and visited Auschwitz, the former Nazi concentration camp. They filmed their experiences during the trip, capturing frank reactions through immediate responses and video diaries. This poignant and emotionally charged footage was, with the help of filmmakers at Charnwood Arts, crafted into a documentary. Young people took charge throughout, to create a personal and pertinent exploration of human strength and suffering. A premiere of the film was very well attended at The Century Theatre, Snibston in December 2013. It was hosted by the young people that created the documentary, all members of the Leicestershire Children in Care Council. ‘Unheard’ was also shown as part of the Holocaust Memorial Day remembrance service in Queen’s Park, Loughborough. One of the young filmmakers spoke during the service, giving an affecting personal perspective. It is hoped that ‘Unheard’ will be shown in Schools and Colleges accompanied by exercises developed by the young people to stimulate direct experiences of personal prejudices and assumptions about others. “…it keeps on playing on my mind, I’ve been thinking about all the people, all the prisoners that were sent there and I’ve been trying to think of them as individuals. I just can’t understand why one label... don’t understand, why these labels can destroy so many lives?” Excerpt from ‘Unheard’ - Sam’s video diary.
For more information contact James Chantry jamesc@charnwoodarts.com July 4th, 1915: During a storm, just 3 days after being interned at Donington Hall, the German naval pilot Gunther Pluschow makes the only successful escape from Britain in either World War. After the war, Pluschow becomes a renowned traveller and explorer, especially in South America. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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HERE our voices ArtMediaHub In January a group of young unaccompanied people commenced a creative project with Charnwood Arts, in collaboration with After18. After18 is a new Leicester based charity that provides support for young asylum seekers and refugees as they enter adulthood. It provides help and advice with the many issues they may face, including, risk of deportation, adjusting to life in this country, socialising and looking to the future. Young people participated in weekly workshops at Embrace Arts in Leicester. In this professional arts atmosphere participants experimented with various mediums. Digital and analogue photography, digital image manipulation, model-making and animation led by arts worker James Chantry with artist Ashok Mistry. These tactile and lively workshops produced an abundance of imaginative and personal work and also developed new arts and media skills. “These sessions have allowed our young people to focus on something other than the difficult and problematic wider issues they face. It has given them the chance to socialise with others in similar circumstances, and to express themselves creatively.” Alison Birch, Operations Manager for After18.
These workshops culminated in a celebration event at Embrace Arts in March. It attracted over one hundred people. Open to the public, the event included: a film screening, an exhibition with over forty pieces of art work and a jewellery stall. “I’ve made a film… a story that has been inside me for a long time… because of you I did this animation.” ArtMediaHub participant.
ArtMediaHub will carry on from early May. For more information contact James Chantry: jamesc@charnwoodarts.com
July 1915: TA Wilkinson, Head Teacher of Cobden Street School and officer in the Loughborough and District TUC becomes a Platoon Commandant in the Loughborough Volunteer Training Corps.
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HERE our voices Voices Beyond Borders An exhibition about the work of Dreamers Young Asylum Seekers and Refugee project based in Loughborough. Over the last few weeks young asylum seekers and refugees in Loughborough, in collaboration with Charnwood Arts, have been working to create an exhibition at Charnwood Museum. Through photography and visual art the exhibition will chart the work of the Dreamers project and includes art work done with them by Paul Gent and photography by Kevin Ryan. It is hoped the exhibition will both celebrate and challenge simultaneously. Leicestershire County Council Youth Worker and Dreamers founder Andrew Lake said: “I think this exhibition is a unique opportunity to see the other side of the asylum seeker debate and this gives a valuable insight and a voice to young asylum seekers who live amongst us.� The exhibition will also feature new photography work created by members of Dreamers with James Chantry of Charnwood Arts. The exhibition will open on Saturday 3rd May and runs until Sunday 29th June. For more information contact James Chantry jamesc@charnwoodarts.com
July 16th, 1915: The Loughborough Trades Council opposes conscription. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Picnic in the Park 2014
Queen’s Park, Loughborough Sat. 14th June
a Picnic in Two Halves!
12 noon - 5 pm. Entry Free September-October 1915: The 4th and 5th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment take part in the Battle of Loos in the Artois and Champagne regions of France. They are hugely successful in the attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October 1915, involving men almost entirely from the County and City of Leicester. This battle marked the first British use of poison gas in the war.
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‘Over by Christmas’ In this year of the 100th Anniversary of the onset of the Great War we wanted to acknowledge the significance of the landmark building that stands at the centre of Queen’s Park. With generous support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and working with our partners Bill Brookman Productions we bring you a host of performances throughout the afternoon on our ‘Over by Christmas Stage’. From period music to Peace speeches, meet ‘Old Billy’, folk musicians ‘Tommy Atkin’s War’ and many more.... The Carillon Museum and other organisations will have small displays in the park and there will be opportunities for people to share their own stories and family histories. Participation in Action will be on hand to recruit volunteers who might want to help with the project. Sadly, as we know, the expectation and excitement generated at the start of World War 1 for a quick and victorious war was sharply blunted by reality, The focal point for ‘Over by Christmas’ will be the area around the Carillon.
‘The Grand Bazaar’ When the war finished in November 1918 it was time to count the cost. Thousands of memorials were commissioned across the coutnry to remember those who had fallen and perhaps one of the larger nonmetropolitan memorials to be built in the UK was that of the famous Loughborough Carillon Tower. As part of the process to raise money for this the ‘Grand Bazaar’ was organised in Queen’s Park with stalls named after significant battles of the war.
Fast forward to 2014 and the park is still a place for organised community activities in the heart of Loughborough. This year we hope you enjoy our own ‘Grand Bazaar’ of familiar Picnic fayre of stalls, food, arts activities and performances.
November 1915: The newly appointed Dr Herbert Schofield remodels the Loughborough Technical Institute as an ‘Instructional Factory’ for the Ministry of Munitions. In addition to normal teaching, the College trains over 2,000 men and women ‘on production’ for the munitions industry, making shell cases and machine parts in the College workshops. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Picnic with Super Crochet Girl! Sarah Green is the artist behind the Super Crochet Girl creation. A graduate of Loughborough University, she is now studying for a Masters in Art in the Public Sphere. Sarah is currently doing research into potential of textile crafts as a form of political and social activism. Craft and activism are two movements that do not initially seem to have much in common yet they have been coinciding since the 1970s. The significance of craft activism to our political ideologies is increasing as it has the potential to radically alter the form of the protest process. But how effective are these practices in producing politically engaged art and what effects will the ‘feminine’ craft have on future forms of protest?
To explore these questions Sarah created her alter ego – Super Crochet Girl – a crocheted caped crusader. The initial inspiration for a crocheted super hero came from the recent re-appropriation of knit graffiti by the police authorities in her local area, with the intention of making the areas feel safer. The traditional role of a super hero is to protect and serve the citizens of a city and Super Crochet Girl’s purpose is in keeping with this tradition however she does this through knitting, crochet and impromptu dialogue.
The work the artist has been doing with Charnwood Arts relates to her prior research into the cultural history of knitting, with particular attention to knitting’s vital role during the First World War. The need for knitted items on the front line brought a call of duty to those at home, the public and the domestic worlds were suddenly united. It was also often the case that men were taught to knit or embroider to combat post traumatic stress and other related illnesses. These elements have also become the focus of the artist’s work, creating handmade items for Picnic in the Park – posting messages - and also the process of knitting and other textile crafts for mental wellbeing. Sarah will be performing at Picnic In The Park on June 14th as Super Crochet girl and here is how you can get involved!
To reflect the sending of messages during WW1 including the use of carrier pigeons, we need a flock of handcrafted birds to carry messages. They can be knitted, crocheted, sewn, felted, how they are made is up to you. Birds no bigger than a piece of A5 paper (that’s A4 folded in half) and we would also like you to include a message with your bird – it might help to remember that we have been thinking about messages/poems that might have been sent to loved ones during the First World War. Please also give your bird a name.
Please note that the birds will be used in a performance at Picnic In The Park and will go on to be used in an exhibition of the flock at Charnwood Museum Cafe in the summer . They will NOT be sold! We cannot return any birds.
Please send completed birds and messages to: Charnwood Arts, 27 Granby Street, Loughborough, Leics, LE11 3DU by May 31st.
If you would like any more information please do not hesitate to contact the artist: shiney1809@hotmail.co.uk or Big Knitting Group coordinator Jemma Bagley at Charnwood Arts: jemmab@charnwoodarts.com
Examples of birds that have already been created for the project can be seen on the Super Crochet Girl blog: http://supercrochetgirl. wordpress.com/ We will post photos of all birds sent in as we receive them.
There will be a free drop-in arts activity at Picnic In the Park for children to create their very own ‘message bird’ and an activity based in Charnwood Museum where children can help find Super Crochet Girls missing flock of birds.
November 1915: Loughborough Fair is prohibited by the Town Council from taking place in the Market Place and sets up at the Corporation Hotel and GCR Goods Yard instead.
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FILM SEASON
For the Love of Children Charnwood Arts in association with Cine Mundo bring you a short FILM SEASON in support of Art Camping Aleppo, Syria. Art Camping is a peaceful movement started in Aleppo, Syria on March 3rd, 2012 based on the development of art and the imagination of young people. Its aim is to give hope and a smile to society in a place where many have lost family members, homes and fear for the future.
Cine Mundo https://www.facebook.com/ LoughboroughCineMundo
03/06/2014 - Pan’s Labyrinth - Guillermo Del Toro’s classic magical realist film set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War follows the fortune of a young girl in an unhappy family. Classification: 12 10/06/2014 - Valentin - From Argentina, one boy’s quest to find himself a family. Classification: PG 1/07/2014 - Devil’s Backbone - Guillermo del Toro continues with the Spanish Civil War setting with a ghost story in an orphanage. Classification: 15 15/07/2014 - Innocent Voices - In a war torn Central America where children are recruited by the ‘contras’ - organisations funded by the US. Classification: 12A
All films are in Spanish with subtitles. At the Swan in the Rushes, Loughborough (upstairs) - Shows start at 7.30pm Regrettably there is no disabled access to the current Cine Mundo venue. Tickets £3.00 per film - bars open downstairs To reserve tickets please contact Andy on 07984330350 (leave a message) or E-mail cinemundolboro@hotmail.com The regular Cine Mundo programme will return this Autumn - see Loughborough Cine Mundo on Facebook.
December 16th, 1915: Pupils of Rawlins Grammar School perform ‘The Pied Piper’ for the benefit of the YMCA and the Red Cross society. The Loughborough Herald comments: “...even in the year 1365 the Germans could not keep their pledged word and thus lost their children. Something of a parallel with today, when Germany is losing her children by the thousand....” Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES at
HISTORIC BRADGATE PARK Three shows at the Ruins of Bradgate House, Bradgate Park, Newtown Linford presented by Chapterhouse Theatre Company
Sun 15th June, 2014 (6.00pm) - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Deep in the beautiful Northumbrian countryside a terrifying mystery and a legendary nemesis await the arrival of the world’s greatest detective. When the wife of Doctor Watson suddenly disappears, a
desperate quest to find her begins. Sherlock Holmes comes face to face with his greatest fear at the hands of his mortal enemy in this stunning new tale of romance and suspense.
Sun 13th July, 2014 (6.00pm) - Much Ado About Nothing Raise a glass with family and friends this summer as you join Chapterhouse Theatre Company for an evening of true Shakespearian merriment. As the incomparable Beatrice and her begrudging match Benedick are tricked into confessing their love for each other, hilarious and heart-stoppingly romantic consequences ensue.
Complete with jealous schemes and a whole host of delightfully cheeky characters, this light-hearted love story is sure to entertain and enthral. As you picnic beneath midsummer skies, allow the magic of the masquerade to capture your imagination and whisk you far away.
Sun 3rd August, 2014 (6.00pm) - Sense & Sensibility Join us for an evening of Regency wonderment as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood make their first forays into the exquisite world of eighteenth-century society.
Bring a picnic along with family and friends and follow the sisters as they find their path and lose their hearts under a beautiful summer sky in their quest to find the perfect balance of sense and sensibility.
Tickets: From £11.00 - Disabled Access Contact: Lynda Taylor on 0116-236-2713 or estateoffice@bradgatepark.org http://www.bradgatepark.org/93/Outdoor_Theatre/ http://www.chapterhouse.org/
1915: A stained glass window commemorating Lady Jane Grey is added to Newtown Linford’s Church of All Saints, by the gates to Bradgate Park.
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anon.creatives anon.creative are a Charnwood-based creative collective, formed with the aim of driving cultural activities and providing a platform for emerging artistes across all art forms. anon.creative hold regular Open Mic nights, upstairs at The Organ Grinder, Woodgate, Loughborough. Their next Open Mic will be Sunday 25th May, 8pm – they welcome Musicians, Poets, Comedians, Writers, Artists, Actors and of course audience – all levels of performance experience welcome! Other Dates for your Diary: anon.creative have started an interesting series of collaborations with Janet Currie & Pete Mosley of The Refectory Table. Janet and Pete use their home and garden on Herrick Road as a pop-up event space.
Secret Craft Fair Sat 7th & Sun 8th June 2014. In June anon.creative will be taking part in their NGS open Garden & Secret Craft Fair - appearing in various guises as exhibitors, musicians or faeries at the bottom of the garden. For blogs about the event and artists please visit: http://www.thesecateur.com For more information: http://www.therefectorytable.com https://www.facebook.com/therefectorytable
Zero Budget Film Festival, Fearon Hall, Loughborough Sat 4th October. Last year we were excited to discover Cheap Thrills Zero Budget Film Festival, run by a team from Sheffield and Loughborough – held at Fearon Hall. This year we are delighted to be collaborating on the project. http://www.zerobudgetfilmfest.com We hold regular events, to keep up to date please follow us: # anon_creatives
https://www.facebook.com/anon.creatives
Email: anon.creatives@hotmail.co.uk
1915: One of Sileby’s future main sources of employment begins its life with the founding of the Newbold and Burton Shoe Factory. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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CHANGING SPACES T R A D I N G PLACES – Stories of migration, displacement and new beginnings –
In November 2012, Charnwood Arts was awarded £10,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of their ‘All Our Stories’ programme to explore stories of migration, displacement and new beginnings, particularly focusing on South Asian communities who came from both India and East Africa in the 1970s. These migrants predominantly found work in the hosiery industry even though this was often not their profession. In this bustling environment they built families, friendships, homes, businesses and communities. Through our project we explored the cross cultural and intergenerational legacy of forced and economic migration in the city of Leicester and Leicestershire and in particular in relation to the textile trade. We explored industry, commerce, settlement, domestic life, trade and the triangle of relations between India, Africa and the UK.
Our first task was to set about enlisting volunteers from the community to help us to record the memories, undertake research at the Leicestershire Records Office and make all our findings into something that could be used in the future for generations to come! But first the training…… we undertook lots of different sessions, some with Colin Hyde from the East Midlands Oral Histories Archive, who is a well respected and knowledgable local historian based at Leicester University. We visited the Leicestershire Records Office where we had onsite training by the staff to use the archives, records and microfiche. These were really
enjoyable sessions, but just staying on task was a major challenge with all the interesting articles we came across! One of our participants also undertook a specialist training course to learn how to make digital stories, which was then shared with other volunteers. We also undertook quite a few sessions on taking oral histories, as this was the most important part of our project, the questions to ask, and not just what to ask, but also how to ask it. In the meantime, we had also been busily enlisting elder members of the community that we could interview. We met some fascinating characters who kept us amused with their stories
1915: The very first Ladybird book is produced by a jobbing printer called Wills & Hepworth. The company calls the Ladybird series ‘pure and healthy literature’ for children. However, the books do not escape the influence of the war - in the ABC Picture Book “A” stands for armoured train....
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right from the outset! Over the course of several meetings, outings and some home visits, we all felt relaxed enough with each other to interview the elders. During the interviews we asked where they had migrated from, when they migrated, why they had migrated and then what happened to them after they arrived here. We heard stories of financial hardship, of hard work and long hours, of hopes and dreams for the future and in particular about families. We heard about and began to both appreciate and understand, the struggles in what was then a foreign land for people with little or no hope of returning to their ancestral home. However, we also found that those links to other countries remained very important. We also took photographs with the participants and of their mementos from the past.
CHANGING SPACES T R A D I N G PLACES
Stories of migration, displacement and new beginnings
January 31st, 1916: Ten people are killed when a Zeppelin bombs four sites in Loughborough on January 31st. This includes a family on Empress Road, whose father is away at the Front and a newly married couple in the Rushes. It is generally thought that the Zeppelin’s original target was elsewhere but at least three of the bombs were well placed to disrupt the local war effort. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Part of the project was also to record the changes that have happened since the 1970s to the textile and hosiery factories that the Asian communities worked in. It was the employment in these factories that provided the hope for a better future. We went around the Belgrave area and took photographs of the former factories and the ways in which the area has changed, from a mostly industrial one to one now of social housing projects and new developments. All of the information that we have collected has gone into making several resources for the future interest of our and other generations. These resources will also act as a permanent archive of the project and our achievements. We have made 3 photo-stories, produced a book, made a substantial website on Wordpress and commissioned a ‘Pop Up’ exhibition that can be used by schools, community groups and ourselves to inform others about the project .
A Charnwood Arts Project - supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
March 1916: The Loughborough Trades Council organises parties for the children of servicemen and sends parcels to the Front.
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CHANGING SPACES T R A D I N G PLACES – Stories of migration, displacement and new beginnings –
The website can be found at: www.changingspacestradingplaces.wordpress.com and https://www.facebook.com/groups/491504380925783 The exhibition can be borrowed by emailing me at rebecca.abrahams@charnwoodarts.com Copies of the book are available from our Charnwood Arts offices, 27 Granby Street, Loughborough.
April 1916: William Grudgings, a school teacher at Cobden Street School leaves to join the 8th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in France. Throughout his service he kept a diary and made an entry everyday on what that day brought. After the war William returned to teaching and was eventually made headmaster of Cobden Street. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Charnwood Arts The Film: Moving Forward Charnwood Arts was established in 1976 as a local arts council following a public meeting attended by hundreds of local people at Rawlins Community College in Quorn. Over 38 years our audience figures are in the millions and participants and collaborators in our work can be measured in hundreds of thousands. It is difficult to assess the full impact the organisation and its many local, national and international partnerships have had on people’s lives and the communities they come from. In its long history the organisation has championed Charnwood locally, regionally and far and wide. There is an impressive list of projects abroad and of visiting artists coming back to the borough from all over the world. Since the early days of the mass use of the Internet we extended our programme to embrace the idea of ‘on-line/off-line’ working. Even as these two terms are superceded by lives lived in fuller integration with digital communication and publishing technologies, we are looking ahead with new projects that can productively utilise the creative potentials this offers to everyone.
As with all organisations funded through small but essential amounts of public funding we are deeply concerned about the future of public support for the arts and culture in the UK. In 2011 the census figure for the population of Charnwood was 166,100 - our total Arts Council England and Charnwood Borough Council subsidies combined (the former being by far the larger) almost tallies exactly with a subsidy of £1 per head per year for every resident of the borough. We think we are highly cost effective! Our small film, made on a zero budget, highlights some of the things that Charnwood Arts quietly gets on with behind the scenes. It can be accessed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfq987srTQ8 In moving forward we now have four main tracks of development: • Work with children and young people • Projects and groups addressing health and well being • Cross-cultural and International connections • Digital Production and Web based projects Join us on Facebook @ Charnwood Arts
Sunday September 10th, 1916: The Women’s Co-Operative Guild and the National Federation of Women Workers conduct a survey on costs and living standards: “£1 a week is a common wage and £1 is now worth only 12 shillings and sixpence (63p), which is far from sufficient to maintain a satisfactory standard of life”.
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Creative Exchanges - Taiwan/UK
Charnwood Arts is delighted to welcome up to ten students from the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan to join us for a six week residency this summer. Led by Professor Ming Turner, a former Charnwood resident, this project is the latest in a series of exchanges with arts and educational establishments in Taiwan. The National Cheng Kung University is one of Taiwan’s top universities in a country where education is very highly valued and we are very excited to be developing a longer term relationship with it. Kevin Ryan, the CEO of Charnwood Arts gave a lecture about the organisation to students and staff at the university in December 2013 which generated further interest in the exchange.
He said: “I was very impressed by the creative range and adaptability of students, I think we are in for a very interesting and lively six weeks of interaction where the group will work on their own project with us as well as joining in with our existing work.” The group will be in Loughborough from mid-July until the end of August 2014. Charnwood Arts hopes to reciprocate with a project in Taiwan in the Spring of 2015. The students have a wide range of experience and a number of them have been involved in co-ordinating some very interesting and exciting festivals, events and areas of work in Taiwan.
October 1916: Hunting by the Quorn Hunt continues by maintaining exemption from service for stablemen employed by the Master. This supports the supply of horses for the army. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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What is a Mela? Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to meet’. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gatherings and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports related. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were (and in many cases still are) of great importance. This led to their export around the world by South Asian diaspora communities wishing to bring something of that tradition to their new countries. The Kumbh Mela, held cyclically, at Allahabad, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain is one of the largest fairs in India. Over 60 million people gathered there in January 2001, making it the largest gathering anywhere in the world. In modern usage outside South Asia ‘mela’ has become a term that demonstrates a widespread diversity of interpretation. One can find a Nepalese mela in the USA or a Bengali mela in London. For many it is a wider intercultural (though mainly Asian) festival incorporating music, dance, food and other aspects of mainstream culture. Mela provides opportunities for bridge building and community building and can perform a strong socially cohesive function.
1916: Members of the Baptist Church in Loughborough send parcels to 65 former members of the church’s Sunday
School. The parcels are sent to countries including France, Belgium, Italy, Salonika, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ireland and India. Included are letters with news of the church and Loughborough; in turn the servicemen write back letters of gratitude.
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Loughborough
Mela
The Loughborough Mela is a partnership event presented by Charnwood Arts, Human Rights & Equalities Charnwood, John Storer House, Charnwood Borough Council, local community groups and individuals. In its 15th year the Mela has become established as an unmissable highlight in Loughborough’s festival line-up and has rapidly reached status as one of Loughborough’s largest multicultural festivals, attracting large numbers of visitors over the last five years. Although melas traditionally have a strong South-Asian focus, Loughborough Mela have adopted a unique cross-cultural focus with the festival promoting a large number of performances and activities through diverse arts and cultural backgrounds. Loughborough Mela is an artistically led celebration of culture and creativity, inspired by local and international talent and celebrates identity through a unique programme of music, dance, food and visual arts. This year the Mela has been given a ‘Bazaar’ theme . The festival has grown in size with audiences increasing from 5,000 to at least 7,000 over the past five years and is endorsed across the community/voluntary, public and private sectors in Charnwood. In previous years we have experienced that, as the temperature rises, so do the crowd numbers as people pour into Market Place in Loughborough Town Centre for five whole hours of music, dancing and fun in the sun. The celebrations have often kicked off with a small procession consisting of a dhol drummer and some enthusiastic performers accompanied by the Mayor of Charnwood. The little procession is cheered by onlookers, stall holders and revellers. Once the Mayor opens the Mela all eyes are glued to the main stage where local and international names such as Hum Hey Hindustani, Dhesi Bhuv, Katherine Radha Hayes, Saijal Mistry, Mumzy Stranger, Raxstar, Junai Kaden and Navin Kundra have kept the crowds entertained for hours. Loughborough Mela 2014 On Sunday 17th August 2014 Loughborough Town Centre will come alive as Loughborough Mela presents its 15th Mela Festival (the 14th one outdoors). This is a FREE family fun event for everyone with an assortment of musical styles from South Asia and around the world – Indian Classical, Bollywood, Folk, World Music, Asian Fusion, Flamenco and Bhangra. Exciting dance acts, music and family activities celebrating South Asian and world culture.
Loughborough Mela Festival – Sunday 17th Aug 2014 from 12 noon through to 5 pm in the Town Centre, Market Place Loughborough.
1916: During a heavy shell attack when many horses are killed, ‘Songster’ breaks free and gallops to safety, only to return
to the lines once the shelling is over. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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D-DAY
the Invasion of Europe On June 6th this year the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. For many of the surviving veterans, now in their nineties, this may be their last major engagement with a significant commemoration of the event. As part of our People Making Places 2020 project we decided to find out a little more about some of the links between the area that is now Charnwood and the momentous events of June 6th 1944 and the days that followed in the battle for Normandy. We asked for two young volunteers to take that journey with us and help us make a film about what we discovered. Two young people from Charnwood College, Rachael Mott and Anjli Vadher, accompanied us around Charnwood and across the Channel to the town of Caen and the beaches of Normandy. Before we left we had the privilege to interview a former flail tank driver, Ken Harris, who saw service from the Normandy beaches all the way through to Germany, despite being wounded at Le Havre. We also visited the former strategic intercept station, or ‘Y’ station at Beamanor Hall, Woodhouse.
We visited Quorn and Woodhouse Station, the White Horse pub and Stafford Orchard - all relevant to the stationing of elements of the 505th Parachute Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division in Quorn. The 505th were dropped on Sainte-Mère-Église and were involved in intense fighting. One of the early casualties was a man called Robert Niland who had been stationed in Quorn. Niland was one of four brothers, Preston was killed in Normandy, Edward was believed killed in the Far East, Frederick, in the 101st Airborne, was withdrawn from the battle... the rest became film history, courtesy of Mr Spielberg. We wanted to trace Robert Niland’s story as part of our visit to France. Image: Installation at the D-Day Museum, Southsea, UK
April-May 1917: The Leicestershire Yeomanry sees action at the Battle of Arras and the Battle of the Scarpe. Siegfried Sassoon refers to the Battle of Arras in his famous anti-war poem The General. The Anglo-Welsh lyric poet Edward Thomas was killed by a shell at Arras on April 9th.
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A short film project from CHARNWOOD ARTS - PMP2020 On Sunday 13th April we set off from Portsmouth, as so many did, at night, to cross the Channel. We arrived at Le Havre rather than at the beaches and made our way to the city of Caen. Despite the careful use of local stone and often quite traditional design you can quickly detect that Caen has been largely reconstructed since the war. Odd buildings of enormous architectural interest stand out as examples of what must have been a remarkable medieval centre. Caen became known as the ‘martyr city of France’ after the terrible destruction that was meted out to it and, in one night and two horrendous days, hundreds of its citizens died and a large part of the city was turned to impassable rubble. The inital mass bombing attack, designed to pave the way to take the city from German hands, had little impact on the defending forces but the overall impact of the attack drove the Germans to the south of the River Orne, a tactical success in taking half the city. This initiative by British and Canadian forces was code named ‘Operation Charnwood’. The simultaneous AngloCanadian operations ‘Goodwood’ and ‘Atlantic’ a week later, secured the largely destroyed city. It was remarkable to find the name of our Borough associated with this historial turning point in the war. From Caen we visited Sainte-Mère-Église, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer. We found Robert and Preston’s graves next to each other - a sad and poignant moment for us all. We visited a number of museums along the way and also the beaches of Juno and the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches. Finally we spent a good part of a day at the Museum to History and Peace (Le Memorial) in Caen. A stark reminder of the inhumanity and ultimate futility of war. We hope to complete our work on the film with Rachael and Anjli this summer. Image: Part of a statue dislodged by a blast at the Museum to History and Peace (Le Memorial), Caen, France
July 1917: There is a strike at Hathern Brickworks over potential lay-offs due to work being suspended on the entry of USA into the war. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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CHARNWOOD ARTS - PMP2020 Our original People Making Places project took shape as a bid to the Millennium Commission in 1999 but its roots go back to the early 1980s and Loughborough based community arts project, Rosebery Arts. Originally the idea purely focused on the area of Loughborough bounded by Ashby, Derby and Alan Moss Roads as a project bringing out the intimacies of the history and lives of the area as well as creating new arts and cultural activities and connections between local residents. The later digital approach, covering Charnwood - PMP 2000, is still online but changes in techn2ology, have meant that for many, significant parts of it are no longer available via the necessary plug-ins. Nevertheless we still receive around 3,500 unique visitors a month to the site. You can visit it at: http://www.peoplemakingplaces.org.uk The orginal PMP came out of a concern to create a living growing archive of arts, history and culture focused on Charnwood and through it to connect interactively with the world at large, creating and cementing connections, sharing stories and interests. PMP was our first big exploration of the idea of on-line/off-line working, a term that has become more commonplace in recent years. The thinking and the background planning for PMP preceded proprietary Internet services like YouTube and Facebook but hinted at a dynamic approach to using the Internet, in a focused way, along similar lines. As it was, with limited budgets and time, the more dynamic elements of our original ideas for PMP became shelved or passed over into different projects such as the County Council’s ‘Leicestershire Villages’. Now we are poised to re-visit the whole concept as a cost effective way of generating events and preserving content relative to Charnwood, Leicester(shire) and the places we are linked with world wide.. The name for our new project is called PMP2020 and we will be researching our approach to design and content production over the coming year. In the interim our involvement in the Charnwood Great War Centenary Project will provide content from 1914-16 relevant to Charnwood. There are so many stories to share and we are happy to assist in telling yours. Get in touch!
For more details contact Kev Ryan at Charnwood Arts at kevr@charnwoodarts.com
1917: Hathern’s two rival Brass Bands - The Hathern Prize Band and the Old Brass Band are forced to unite when a band is needed to lead a procession in support of the strike at the Hathern Brick Company. So many players are at the Front that neither band can muster enough so the two rivals set aside their differences and amalgamate as The Hathern Band.
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood Many Charnwood families lost loved ones in this ‘war to end wars’ but their stories live on in family histories, photographs, official records and on the many memorials sited around the borough. Our administrator at Charnwood Arts, Terry Allen, was originally trained as a historian and takes a keen interest in family and local history. His research for the Charnwood Great War Centenary Project and People Making Places has resulted in the footnotes on each page of this newspaper and these brief stories of remembrance of those lost during the Great War. “It is not only the numbers I weep over but the one I knew and felt so deeply for.” LOUGHBOROUGH: Private 64488 Frederick Adcock, 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Frederick was killed in an attack on two villages held by the Germans. In a letter of sympathy to his widow, his chaplain wrote: “Our men are dying to save the world from German rule. They are dying for others and no death can be nobler. You may well be proud of your husband who was faithful even unto death.” He formerly worked at the Brush before joining the army in February 1915. He had been married for just 18 months. Killed in Action 25th October 1918, Aged 27. SHEPSHED: Private 42372 Granville Lester, 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment Granville lived at Hall Croft, Shepshed and was one of three brothers. He was killed in action at the Somme on Jan 25th 1918 aged 19, the first person from Shepshed to be killed that year. MOUNTSORREL: Trooper 255965 Benjamin William Sturgis, Leicestershire Yeomanry Benjamin was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Sturgis and the husband of Hilda Sturgis. His younger brother Samuel Harry Sturgis died of wounds received in action. Before the war, they both lived with their uncle and aunt on Quorn Road, Mountsorrel. Died of wounds 19th August 1918, ages 23, at No 5 General Hospital, Rouen, France SILEBY: Private 241825 Harry Allen, 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. He was the son of Richard Allen, a cement works labourer, born 1862 in Sileby and his wife Jane, born 1863 in Cossington. Harry was a brickyard labourer and was born in 1896 in Sileby. His siblings were John Edward; Arthur and Joseph Albert. In 1911 their family home was at Barrow Road, Sileby. Killed in Action July 21st, 1918, Aged 22. The background images to this article can be accessed online at: Great War Primary Document Archive: Photos of the Great War - http://www.gwpda.org/photos Original source of this image : Illustrated War News, Vol. 7, Illustrated London News & Sketch, London, 1918
August 1917: Engineer Wilfrid Ernest Mee, from Quorn, serves as a carpenter with the Royal Flying Corps. Aeroplanes are new, comparatively fragile and use a lot of wood. In his letters home, Wilfrid tells of having to “practically rebuild them every time they land, whether they’ve seen action or not”. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood QUORN: Troopers 1678 Daniel and 1845 William Moore, Leicestershire Yeomanry. Brothers. Sons of William and Ann Mary Moore of 34 Station Road, Quorn. “Trooper Dan Moore had been detailed as ‘Pack Leader’ to take the horses out of the firing line but he swapped places with another so that he could remain with his brother, Billy, a decision which cost both their lives” Killed in Action May 13th, 1915: aged 25 (Daniel) and 23 (William) Their youngest brother, Hubert Mason Moore, was killed on the Western Front in September 1918 WOODHOUSE EAVES: Private 40904 Frederick Snow, 8th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment. Before enlisting, Frederick worked on the Beaumanor estates. On his death, he left his widow with four children, the youngest conceived during Frederick’s last and only leave. A returning comrade of Frederick’s told his widow Jane that her husband had been killed by shellfire; an explosion had snapped his neck and he had died instantly, near to the village of Croisilles, France during an action against the Hindenburg Line. His widow and three children lived in 4a Factory Street Loughborough. Killed in Action 11th April 1917, aged 23. SYSTON: Corporal 1660 John Cleaver Needham, Leicestershire Yeomanry He landed in France on November 2nd 1914 and won the 1914 star trio. He is buried in the Bedford House cemetery in France and is remembered with honour. 86 men from his unit were also killed in action on the same day as John. Killed in action 13th May, 1915, at the Battle of Frezenberg Ridge. SEAGRAVE: 1974 Trooper George Oscar Augustus Chester Son of George Oscar and Florence Nightingale Chester of Ivy House, Seagrave. George Oscar Augustus was born in 1895 in Seagrave, Leics. In April 1911 George was employed as a farm labourer and was residing in the family home at Ivy House, Seagrave, together with his widowed father, now a grazier. Also residing with the family was his maternal aunt, Pamela V. Baily. Killed in action on May 15th, 1915, aged 20 Original source of this image : Illustrated War News, Vol. 1, Illustrated London News & Sketch, London, 1916
October 1917: Ramsay MacDonald is the guest speaker at a meeting of the local Independent Labour Party Branch.
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood ROTHLEY: Private G/7409 William Alfred Nurse, 3rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) The son of Henry and Sarah Nurse of Woodgate, Rothley, where he was born. William had emigrated to Australia but returned to Rothley to enlist. He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and also on the Ausralian War Memorial in Campbell, Canberra. Killed in action on 2nd May 1915, aged 26 years. THURMASTON: Private 44366 George William Adcock, 4th Battalion Machine Gun Corps Born in Thurmaston in 1896, George William worked in an office at a basket works. He enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment and later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service. His elder brother, Charles Harry Adcock also served in the army during the Great War and survived the conflict. Died of wounds on the 18th April, 1918, aged 22 BARROW ON SOAR: 2nd Lieutenant George West, ‘B’ Company, 9th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment George was the son of Joseph and Catherine West, of Barrow-on-Soar and had 3 brothers and 9 sisters. He was awarded the Military Medal and the Croix de Guerre avec Palm by France Killed in Action, March 22nd, 1918 HATHERN: Corporal 241802 Percy Widdowson, 6th Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment, Youngest son of John and Mary E. Widdowson, of Hathern, Leicestershire. Corporal Widdowson is buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille in France. Died of wounds on 20th October 1918, aged 22 NEWTOWN LINFORD: Private 8654 Arthur Harry Gretton, 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Arthur was born in 1880, the son of George and Mary Ann Gretton. He entered the war on 8th October 1914. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial Killed in action 12th November1914, aged 34 Original source this image : War of the Nations, New York Times Co., New York, 1919
November 1917: The Loughborough Women’s Co-Op Guild table a motion to the food control committee complaining about milk price increases and “...the profiteering schemes of the farmers and dealers...” Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood QUENIBOROUGH: Lt. Thomas Edward Brooks, Leicestershire Yeomanry Thomas lived in Queniborough Grange and joined the Regiment in August 1914, having previously served in the 11th (PAO) Hussars. Formerly a resident at Rothley Temple, he was very well known in hunting circles, and had ridden with much success at steeplechase meetings, where his colours, straw jacket and Tartan cap were very popular. Killed by sniper, 13th May 1915, at the Battle of Frezenberg. ANSTEY: K/7761 Petty Officer Stoker John William Bonser, HMS Ariel, Royal Navy John William was born in 1893 in Anstey, his siblings were Elizabeth, Florence and Kate. In March 1901 the family home was at Albion Street, Anstey, Leics. In April 1911 John was serving as a Stoker 2nd Class, stationed aboard Prince George in Lyme Regis, Devonshire. In 1913 John married Jessie Peace in Hinckley. Drowned 2nd August, 1918 BARKBY: 2844 Corporal Courtney Frank Woodford, 1/4 Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment Killed In Action 2nd April, 1916 The Leicester Mercury of 2nd April 1917 carried the following entry in the ‘in memoriam’ announcements: “WOODFORD - In loving memory of Corporal Courtney Frank Woodford, 1/4th Leicester Regiment, killed by a sniper April 2nd 1916. He bravely answered duty’s call; His life he gave for one and all. His loving Sweetheart, Ethel”. BEEBY: 15436 Private Frank Jarman, 8th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment Son of Charles and Hannah Jarman, Beeby. Commemorated in the Humbercamps Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France Died of wounds 18th November 1915, aged 19 BIRSTALL: 3319 Private Alfred Aubrey Adnitt,1/4 Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment He was the son of Alfred Adnitt a Wholesale Grocer and his wife Ellen Sophia. Alfred Aubrey was a Hosiery Counterman and was born in 1891 in Leicester. In 1911 the family home was at Birstall Hill, near Leicester. Killed 13-10-1915 aged 24 Original source this image : War of the Nations, New York Times Co., New York, 1919
November 1917: The Hathern brick workers start to return to work. This continues through December but engineers are still being dismissed despite guidance from the Ministry of Munitions.
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood BURTON ON THE WOLDS: 77808 Gunner Bernard Barnett, 213rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery Bernard was the son of William Barnett, a farmer and his wife Maria Barnett. Bernard was a farm worker, born 1894 in Burton on the Wolds, Leicestershire. His siblings were Marian, Sidney and Hilda. Buried in the Menin Road South Cemetery. Killed in Action, 30th November 1917, aged 24. COSSINGTON: K/29863 (PO) Stoker 2nd Class Bernard Roger Walton, HMS Victory, Royal Navy Son of John and Emily Walton Died 31st March 1916, aged 19 CROPSTON: 123133 Gunner Herbert Payne Spencer, 286 Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery Herbert was born in 1894, son of Samuel and Ellen Spencer (later Blount). He married Eliza Blount (formerly Huss), of Seagrave in 1913. He had a son, Albert, in 1915. On the 1911 census he is listed as working in the press room of a shoe factory, aged 16, and as residing at Cropston. He enlisted at Mountsorrel. Killed In Action July 8th 1917, aged 23 HOTON: Private 32496 Albert Edward Eggleston, 3rd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment Edward was the son of William and Mary Eggleston. Enlisted at Loughborough. Died in the United Kingdom 10.10.1916, aged 24. He is buried at Loughborough (Leicester Road) Cemetery, Leicestershire. Died October 10th 1916, Aged 24 RATCLIFFE ON THE WREAKE: Driver T/260722 Frederick Stephen Coverley, Horse Transport Section, Royal Army Service Corps Son of John and Sarah Ellen Coverley, Ratcliffe on the Wreake
Died of pneumonia on January 4th 1918, aged 22
Original source this image : War of the Nations, New York Times Co., New York, 1919
1917?: Crossing alone through enemy lines, Trooper Bert Main puts soft shoes on ‘Songster’ and they successfully cross through to safety. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood REARSBY: Private 25810 John William Benskin, 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment John was born in 1896 in Rearsby, Leics. He joined the Expeditionary Force in France on the 22nd July 1916. For three years he was Scoutmaster for Rearsby and district. He was a very fine shot, and won a prize on the range since being out in France. His brother Albert served with the Machine Gun Corps on the Western Front. Killed in action October 6th, 1917, aged 21 SOUTH CROXTON: Gunner 46813 George Adams, “D� Battery, 88th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery George was the son of Mary Adams. In 1901 the family home was at Main Street, South Croxton. He was a farmworker and had two brothers and three sisters. He joined the Royal Field Artillery at Leicester on the 9th May 1907 and in 1911 he was attached to No. 7 Ammunition Column, and serving as a Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery. On the 10th April 1918 he was wounded in action, gassed and died in 57th Field Ambulance later the same day. His elder brother Tom also fell. Died of wounds and the effects of gas, 10th April, 1918, aged 32 SWITHLAND: Private 240813 Bernard Hornsby, 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment Bernard was the son of Mrs J. Hornsby of Swithland. He is commemorated at the Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension on the Somme, France. Died of Wounds April 22nd 1918 THRUSSINGTON: Private 31248 Albert Bailey, 11th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment Albert was born in 1869, the son of Charles Bailey, a Blacksmith and his wife Susan. In 1901 the family home was at Ratcliffe Road, Thrussington and in 1911 Albert was a Bakers Apprentice.. On the Saturday after his death, a muffled peal was rung in his memory at his local church. Killed in Action by a shell explosion, 26th April 1917, aged 21 THURCASTON: Private 235279 James Ernest Leake, 26th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers He was born late in 1876, the son of John and Elizabeth A. The 1891 census shows that he was 14 and working as a farm boy, living at Thurcaston. Killed in action April 9th, 1917, aged 41 Original source of this image : History of the World War, Vol.1, Doubleday, Page & Co., 1917
January 5th, 1918: A local conference of trades unionists, co-operative members, socialists and Independent Labour Party members form a local Labour Party.
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Lost in the Great War
from the villages and towns of Charnwood ULVERSCROFT: Able Seaman R/5329 Thomas Tertius Kellam, Drake Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Naval Volunteers Thomas was the son of Thomas and Hannah Mary Kellam. He is commemorated on Bay 1 of the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Missing, assumed killed in action, March 25th 1918, aged 33 WALTON ON THE WOLDS: Private 241749 William Harris, 1/5 Battalion Leicestershire Regiment William was the son of William and Eliza Harris. He is commemorated at the Loos British Cemetery, Pas de Calais. Died of wounds, June 21st 1917, aged 38 WANLIP: Lance Corporal 632632 William Goodey, 20 Battalion, London Regiment. Formerly Royal Army Medical Corps William was the son of Charles and Florence Goodey of Wanlip, Leics. He is buried at the Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery, France. Died 27th September 1918, aged 23 WOODHOUSE: Private 17026 William C Flanders, 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment William was the son of Robert Thomas and Harriett Flanders. Served in Mesopotamia and was drowned in the River Tigris. His brother John P. Flanders also fell. William is commemorated on the Basra memorial in Iraq, alongside 40,681 others. Died 18th May 1916, aged 20 The official War Diary for that day records: “Very hot. Nothing of note�. WYMESWOLD: Private 9190 John James Collington, 1st Battalion, B Company Sherwood Foresters. In April 1911 John was employed as an iron shaper and planer and was living in the family home at Brook Street, Wymeswold, Leics., together with his father, now a grazier and cattle dealer, his mother and siblings, Ernest, Edith, Florence, Frederick and George. In 1913, John married Julia Ann Turlington. John was wounded in the trenches near Richebourg on the 26th January. Died of Wounds 28-01-1915, Aged 28. Original source this image : War of the Nations, New York Times Co., New York, 1919
January 1918: Food shortages, especially in butter, margarine, bacon, tea and sugar, lead to the closure of several shops in Barrow, Quorn, Loughborough and Shepshed. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Market Place, Loughborough. LE11 3EB Box Office:: 01509 231914 Email: box.office@charnwood.gov.uk
17th May-29th June A Sense Of Place - solo exhibition by John Connolly John originally taught Art and Drama in secondary schools before becoming a professional actor and playwright, touring the UK and abroad with Compact Theatre Company. In 2003 he turned to his first love of landscape painting and has exhibited in many galleries throughout the UK since then. John works mainly with acrylics, but sometimes in mixed media, using anything and everything that is permanent, to achieve the desired effect. “This current body of work draws inspiration from the ever changing light and colours throughout the seasons, whether it be over the sea, moors, rivers or ancient woodlands.” John always creates work full of colour, texture, drama and emotion allowing the ‘observer’ to experience a feeling of remoteness and ‘sense of place’ John’s work has been purchased by collectors in the UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Austria, America, Australia, New Zealand and The Middle East.
4th June to 7th June 2014 (7.30pm) The 39 Steps Presented by The Festival Players Based on John Buchan’s classic novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s film. Adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. Winner of two Tony Awards and the Drama Desk Award The 39 Steps is the WestEnd’s longest running comedy. The play is a riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft amounting to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure! Saturday Matinee: 2.30pm Tickets £8.50-£13.00 Website: www.festivalplayers. moonfruit.com
10th June 2014 (2.00pm) Hooray For Hollywood Hooray for Hollywood is set in London on Savile Row in the heart of the 1930s in a high class dress store ‘Props and Frocks’, run by “resting” film director the eccentric Leonard Love with his sidekick co-worker and chorus girl Grace Valentine. The arrival of two Hollywood stars to the store put them on the map and changes the life of Miss Valentine forever. Leading man of stage and screen Mr Harry Carter notices a sparkle in her that leads her to land her first major role as his leading lady in a brand new movie and with a fine romance blossoming between them. The story is pieced together by the most popular music of classic Hollywood. The show includes 4 cast members and back drop video projection featuring footage of the golden era of classic Hollywood. Tickets: £12 / £10 (conc.)
Website: www.johnconnolly.artweb.com February 1918: As Germany continues its U-boat Campaign to sink ships carrying military equipment or food to Britain, the United Kingdom has just six weeks’ food left. As a result, food rationing is introduced into Britain. Sugar and butter remain on ration until 1920.
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13th June 2014 (7.30pm) A Feast of Gilbert and Sullivan
17th June 2014 (5.00pm-9.00pm) Moss Solicitors’ Summer Art Spectacular
The UK’s No1 G&S concert with former singers of The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Starring: Marilyn Hill Smith (Soprano); Louise Crane (Mezzo); Nicholas Sales (Tenor); Jeremy Peaker (Baritone); Richard Woodall (Bass) Accompanied by: David Smith
Enjoy the artwork of John Connolly, whilst networking with local businesses, against a background of live music. PLUS Enter the raffle on the night for the chance to win a framed painting entitled ‘Chapel Porth’, by John Connolly (retail value £550.00).
Recapturing all the fun and magic of the original D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, ‘Much Loved Productions’ is proud to present the UK’s №1 Gilbert and Sullivan concert. Performing the words and music of this great duo in all their traditional glory. This is family entertainment at its very best, packed with great melodies and heaps of fun.
All profits from ticket sales, and raffle proceeds, will be donated to Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People. Due to the intimate nature of the Sock Gallery, places for this event are limited. Website: www.moss-solicitors.co.uk Tickets: £15.00
Presented by the soloists with short scenes of dialogue and witty anecdotes of times spent in The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company this is a concert not to be missed Tickets: £15.00
13th June 2014 (9.00pm) Just The Tonic The final show in our winter/spring season of stand up shows from Just the Tonic. This thriving monthly comedy club books the best of the established and the up and coming comedians on the circuit.
Please contact Laura Anderson l.anderson@moss-solicitors.co.uk quoting ‘SAS W’. Ticket price includes arrival drink and buffet.
9th August to 7th September 2014 Open Exhibition 2014
Sponsored by www.moss-solicitors.co.uk Sock Gallery’s Open Exhibition, generously sponsored by Moss Solicitors, provides a wonderful opportunity for 2D Artists from all backgrounds to showcase their work at this highly popular exhibition.
Each session will showcase 3 comedians and an MC. The line-up will be confirmed nearer the time but may change at short notice.
Applicants can submit up to 3 pieces of work each, for a fee of £6 per piece submitted. Those who are successful will have their work displayed at Sock Gallery as part of the Open Exhibition, from 9th August to 7th September 2014.
Tickets: £9.00
Application forms for this year are available now!
March 1918: The Leicestershire Yeomanry is sent to the 3rd Cavalry Brigade of 2nd Cavalry Division where it is split up to provide reinforcements. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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June 20th (7.30pm) Beyond The Barricade
19th June 2014 (7.30pm) Jaleo Flamenco: ‘A Compás’ In a scintillating fusion of heart-wrenching vocals, explosive footwork and virtuoso guitar playing, Jaleo return to Britain after three years with their latest new stage show ‘A Compás’, brimming over with the intoxicating rhythms, palpable energy and joie de vivre which has become synonymous with the company. ‘A Compás’ (in rhythm) charts an evocative musical journey through the diverse flamenco regions of Andalusia in which some of Spain´s finest award-winning artists combine their talents in a mesmerising tour de force to produce a unique spectacle of universal appeal which encapsulates the very essence of flamenco. Tickets: £14.00
The cast of past principal performers from Les Miserables present songs from some of the greatest modern musicals plus a spectacular finale medley from Les Miserables itself. Website: http://beyondthebarricade.com (Price not known yet)
24th June 2014 (12 Noon) Literature at Lunchtime: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte VENUE: The Council Chamber The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - The youngest of the Bronte sisters, Anne shocked Victorian society with her extraordinary work, as her novel’s heroine abandons her drunken husband and tries to live alone with her young son. Our highly popular series of lunchtime lectures on the great works of literature are brought to you by Dr Jane Mackay. Her obvious love for her subject, penetrating insight, wit, warmth and humanity continue to enthral. Tickets can be bought on the door but are subject to availability. Book Now to ensure your seat. Tickets: £6.00 / £5.50 (conc.)
3rd July to 3rd August 2014 Inner Worlds: Tech Noir and the Gothic A month’s residency where artist and photographer Wayne Mitchelson transforms the gallery into a strange and interesting world inspired by the novels of Philip K. Dick, J.G. Ballard and Edgar Allen Poe using digital photographic prints and hand drawn murals. Wayne will be drawing between the spaces of some of his photographs to create his own visual story and you the viewer are invited to watch him at work, as each photograph connects and the “Inner Worlds” emerge. Wayne is a Leicester based artist creating digital cinematic photographs and hand drawn murals, he has exhibited all over the country with his photographic work and has been placed in competitions in New York, Germany and Argentina. He also runs workshops and teaches at DeMonfort University in Leicester. Website: http://wayne-mitchelson.blogspot.co.uk/ May 1918: The Loughborough Technical Institute is renamed and is now officially known as Loughborough Technical College.
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27th June 2014 (8.00pm) Nights on Broadway: The Bee Gees Concert Experience The Bee Gees were three brothers who, from singing close harmony as children, grew to become world superstars by their early twenties. They went on to be acknowledged as some of the greatest song writers in history. “Nights On Broadway” presents a tribute to the Bee Gees through a fantastic live concert, featuring the Gibb brothers incredible songs from over four decades - from the 60s to the 90s. Tickets: £16.50
4th July 2014 (8.00pm) Showstopper! The Improvised Musical Spontaneous musical comedy at its finest! A brand new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning show. Audience suggestions are transformed on the spot into an all-singing, all-dancing production with unpredictable and hilarious results. This incredible comedy troupe never fails to impress as they create shows packed with drama, dazzling dance routines and catchy melodies, leaving delighted audiences singing all the way home.
3rd July 2014 (7.30pm) The Trials of Oscar Wilde - European Arts Company
The show has played sell-out seasons in London’s West End, and has been a must-see staple of the Edinburgh Fringe for six years, as well as entertaining audiences on tour around the world. Recently the group recorded their first BBC Radio Four series to great acclaim.
Thursday 14 February 1895 was the triumphant opening night of The Importance of Being Earnest and the zenith of Wilde’s career. Less than 100 days later, he found himself a common prisoner sentenced to two years hard labour.
Studio presentation in the Main Hall Tickets: £12 / £10 (conc.) Running time: 90mins plus interval. Age guidance: 14+ Website: www.theshowstoppers.org
‘The truth is rarely pure and never simple.’ Oscar Wilde So what happened during the trials and what did Wilde say? Was he persecuted or the author of his own downfall? Using the original words spoken in court, we can feel what it was like to be in the company of a flawed genius - as this less than ideal husband was suddenly reduced to a man of no importance. Studio Production in Main Hall Prices vary Market Place, Loughborough. LE11 3EB Box Office:: 01509 231914 Email: box.office@charnwood.gov.uk
September 7th, 1918: The first Loughborough Labour Party Parliamentary candidate, William Herbert Hallam, a coal merchant from Leicester, is selected to fight the next general election, to be held on December 14th, 1918. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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5th July 2014 (11.00am-5.00pm) Playwriting Workshop with Alan Seaman Join experienced stand-up and writer Alan Seaman for a day of writing exercises aimed at finding stories, creating characters and believable dialogue, wrapped up in some basic structural frameworks. Ideal for would-be writers trying to kick-start their imagination. Suitable for: 16+ Tickets: £5.00
5th July 2014 (7.00pm) The Infectious Legacies of Edgar Allen Poe A fascinating lecture and question and answer session with Drs Jennifer Cooke, Nick Freeman and Daniel Watt from Loughborough University, explores Poe’s influence on later artists and writers. (Prices not yet set)
7th July to 9th July 2014 (7.30pm) Educating Rita - Presented by The Festival Players
This show is presented on the studio stage. The studio is created by re-setting our Main Hall to offer an intimate performance space. Tickets: £8.50-£13.00 Website: http://www.festivalplayers.moonfruit.com
11th July 2014 (8.00pm) The Tell-Tale Heart - Presented by Little Earthquake In the heart of a bustling city, a wealthy recluse hides behind a barricade of bolted doors and blacked-out windows. His only companion is a private nurse, entrusted with taking care of him. After many months of confinement, suspicion and resentment grow between the pair until the nurse hatches a fool-proof plan to dispose of his patient. When the deed is done, the silence of the seemingly empty house is quickly shattered by a curious thumping sound beneath the floorboards… Suitable for age: 12+ Tickets: £10.00 / £5.00 (conc.)
Hilarious and poignant comedy by Willy Russell Frank is a tutor of English in his fifties whose disillusioned outlook on life drives him to drink and bury himself in his books. Enter Rita. She is a forthright 26 year-old hairdresser who is hungry for education. She quickly wins over the very reticent teacher by her native shrewdness and her refusal to accept second-hand academic opinions. In the course of the play Rita gives Frank a new lease on life by making him believe in himself once again.
November 11th, 1918: “Official Radio from Paris - 6.01am. Marshall Foch to the Commander in Chief. 1. Hostilities will be stopped on the entire front beginning at 11 o’clock, November 11th (French hour). 2. The Allied Troops will not go beyond the line reached at that hour until further orders. Signed, Marshall Foch, 5.45 am”
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12th July 2014 (11.00am and 2.00pm) Literature Lab - Poe-try: Creative Writing Workshop
15th July 2014 (8.00pm) Lizzie Cooper Jazz Night
Making Writing Fun!
Lizzie Cooper and her band deliver another great relaxed evening of jazz. Lizzie will host the evening and perform with her trio of piano, bass and drums.
Creative Writing Workshop for Families - Poe-try is themed on the work of Edgar Allan Poe. The Lit Lab Team brings storytelling alive through creativity, offering an exciting interactive experience. All abilities welcome. Come along and share the joy of story making. Celebrating the venue’s summer theme of all things gothic, this workshop will focus on Poe, whose short stories and poems, employing vivid imagery and imagination, were masterpieces of the genre.
Lizzie sings standards from the ‘Great American Songbook’ from the ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, including songs written by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart and Carlos Jobim as well as many others. Lizzie comments, “The sound and tone of my voice, I have been told, is quite distinct. It has a low register and is quite mellow.”
Suitable Age: 7+. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Session Duration: 40 minutes Tickets: £5.00 Inspired by Poe’s poem ‘The Raven’, take part in our design competition for ages 7-12 yrs, by making your very own raven! All entries will be displayed in the Sock Gallery during Wayne Mitchelson’s July exhibition; ‘Inner Worlds: Tech Noir and The Gothic’. Ravens can be made from any material and can be 2D or 3D. The finished size should be A5. Post your ravens to Loughborough Town Hall, Market Place, LE11 3EB, or hand them in at the Box Office. Closing date: 1st July 2014. The winner will be announced on the website and will be available to view throughout July 2014.
12th July 2014 (8.00pm) Edinburgh Fringe Festival Preview
Just the Tonic showcase established acts testdriving their new material ahead of the world famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Suitable for age: 16+ Tickets: £10.00 & £9.00
Tickets: £5.00
29th July 2014 (12 noon) Literature at Lunchtime: Goodbye To All That by Robert Graves VENUE: The Council Chamber Goodbye to All That - With the commemoration of 100 years since the beginning of World War I, Graves’s auto-biographical account of his experiences in the army is all the more poignant. Our highly popular series of lunchtime lectures on the great works of literature is brought to you by Dr Jane Mackay. Her obvious love for her subject, penetrating insight, wit, warmth and humanity continue to enthral. The lecture takes place in the Council Chamber, with unreserved seating. Tickets: £6.00 & £5.50
4th August to 15th August 2014 Show In A Week Theatre Workshops for children at
Loughborough Town Hall
For more information call Rosanna Cant on 01509 634913 Cost: £95 per week
November 11th, 1918: The last soldier to be killed in World War I is American Henry Nicholas John Gunther ( June 6, 1895 – November 11, 1918). He is killed less than one minute before the Armistice comes into force at 11.00 am. Subsequent investigations reveal that, on the last day of World War I, between the signing of the armistice and its entry into force, about 11,000 men were wounded or killed - far more than usual. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Loughborough Markets This Summer Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 July (9.00am-4.00pm) International Food and Gift Fayre VENUE: Loughborough Market Place Including one of Charnwood’s Big Summer Sundays, featuring Race For LIfe!
Thursday 21 to Monday 25 August International Food & Gift Market (Sunday 24th - Big Summer Sunday)
VENUE: Loughborough Market Place
Wednesdays 11th June, 9th July, 13th August (9.00am-2.00pm approx) Loughborough Farmers’ Markets
Every Friday, 8.00am-3.30pm Vintage and Craft Market VENUE: Loughborough Market Place This popular, bustling and interesting Market usually has around 44 traders in attendance and offers an excellent selection of antiques, books, secondhand and collector’s items for sale. It also offers the opportunity for members of the public to sell their unwanted household items. You never know, it may lead to you becoming a regular stallholder. The market is an ideal way to pass away time browsing through the many interesting items and watching out for those collectable articles required to complete a set. http://www.facebook.com/Loughborough.market
VENUE: Loughborough Market Place Producers from across the Midlands come to Loughborough’s Farmers’ Market to sell a wide range of interesting, organic and healthy food and drink. Depending on the season there are usually 15–20 traders attending, selling a wide range of excellent local produce such as meat (including Ostrich!), wine, bread, fruit and vegetables, cheeses, honey, eggs, homemade sauces and preserves as well as therapeutic products to name but a few. Stallholders bring a wealth of expert knowledge about their specialised products and are happy to offer information to customers about how the produce has been grown/reared, as well as offering advice about the best way to prepare and cook them.
Every Thursday and Saturday, 7.00am to 5.00pm Regular Loughborough Market VENUE: Loughborough Market Place Approximately 125 traders are in attendance selling a wide range of fresh produce, household essentials, clothing, luxury goods and many other products – over 60 types of goods are on offer providing excellent quality and value for money.
After 1918: The now, Sergeant Bert Main buys ‘Songster’ and stables him at West Beacon Farm in Woodhouse Eaves. The old horse attends the unit’s annual camp until 1935. Only 65,000 of the million horses that took part in the war survived and of those, the vast majority were sold to French butchers for food or sent to the Middle East as workhorses. ‘Songster’ lives until 1940 and is buried in Woodhouse with two Mons Stars, the General Service Medal, the Victory Medal, and two Territorial Long Service Medals which, with ribbons, had been awarded to him by the Regiment. Charnwood’s very own ‘Warhorse’.
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Loughborough Town Centre Events This Summer Sunday 15th June Father’s Day Big Summer Sunday Classic Car Show VENUE: Loughborough Town Centre Run by Charnwood Cruisers Car Club and BID Loughborough. There will be classic cars and hot rods in Loughborough town centre including the areas of Market Place, Market Street, Cattle Market, Carillon Court and Wards End. Plus spaces for classic choppers and scooters in Biggin Street and Churchgate. Free car parking across council owned car parks for the day (excluding Browns Lane) More Info from Charnwood Cruisers on: http://www.charnwoodcruisers.co.uk/home
Friday, June 20, 2014 8.00 - 10.00pm Play in the Park VENUE: Queens Park, Loughborough After the success of last year’s first open air theatre produciton in the Queens Park, Love Loughborough will be working with Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University to bring another great show to the park this year. Contact: nita@bidloughborough.co.uk
Sunday 3rd to Wednesday 6th August Loughborough By The Sea VENUE: Loughborough Market Place The town centre will boast its own beach, deckchairs, games, competitions, fair rides and a Punch and Judy show. There will also be craft activities, sand castle building competitions, boat racing, face painting and a treasure hunt!
This is the fourth year of the event, where 44 potters and ceramic artists come together in Loughborough Market Place to display and sell their work. The market features demonstrations and have a go sessions at throwing (featuring Bridget McVey who works with Charnwood Arts) and tile making. The event is held as part of National Craft and Design Month (http://www.craftanddesignmonth.net) which aims to raise the public’s awareness of craft workers in the local community.
January 1918 – December 1920: The flu pandemic of 1918-20 kills more people than the Great War itself, somewhere between 20 and 40 million. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Heart of 3 Cities 2014
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Editor: Kev Ryan Layout and Design: Natalie Chabaud and Kev Ryan Print Liaison: Ask Sue Witts Illustration: Paul Gent All photography copyright of individual photographers. Special thanks for photography to: Natalie Chabaud, Jemma Bagley, Kajal Nisha Patel, Kev Ryan, Majid Saeedi, Grebo Grey, Benji Special thanks to everyone who has contributed articles and support including: Terry Allen, Rebecca Abrahams, Jemma Bagley, Kev Ryan, James Chantry, Natalie Chabaud, Anthony Parkes, Rosanna Cant, Loughborough Town Hall, Grebo Gray, Kieran Williamson, Cassie Korneeva, Janet Grant, Bill Brookman, Madeleine Coburn, Amaia De Almeida, Ian Calcutt, Andrew Daglish, Leylah Rumi.
About Charnwood Arts Charnwood Arts was established as an independent local arts council in 1976. Until the late 1980s it was run on a voluntary basis with partnerships involving local schools, Charnwood Borough Council, Arts Council England, Leicestershire County Council, Loughborough University and a wide range of community groups. All of these are still key partners until the present day. Currently, Charnwood Arts employs a professional staff of 8 and offers around 60-100 freelance engagements of varying lengths per annum. The organisation works primarily in the Leicestershire borough
of Charnwood but also within Leicester City and through certain initiatives across the East Midlands region. Charnwood Arts is also keyed into national developments in the fields of participatory and community arts and contributes to the EMPAF Federation regionally. Our work has always had an international dimension and has encompassed links and projects with over 80 countries during the 37 years we have been operational. Charnwood Arts maintains a long-held desire to establish a regional centre of excellence for community and participatory arts in Loughborough.
To contact Charnwood Arts: Cine Mundo
GLASTONBUDGET 2014
Tel: 01509 822558 e-mail: info@charnwoodarts.com 27 Granby Street, Loughborough, LE11 3DU, UK Charnwood Arts is a Registered Charity No. 1143163 Charnwood Arts is a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company No: 07477378 Registered Office: 27 Granby Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3DU
www.charnwoodarts.com