What's On guide May - August 2011

Great range of hot and cold food available, including curry and naan for just £3.50. Licensed bar.

Ian Hill Sextet: Kind of Blue Friday 3 June at 8pm £6

Danielle King

Perfect for lovers of Miles Davis, this popular tribute show celebrates the music of his famous 1959 recording and the artists who took part, including John Coltrane and Bill Evans. With special “vocaleased” arrangements of some of the master’s trumpet solos.

Roger Coull and Philip Gallaway – violins; Rose Redgrave – viola; Nicholas Roberts – cello

www.ianhillmusic.co.uk

The Coull Quartet Friday 6 May at 7.30pm £15 / £12 Ireland: Quartet in D minor; Haydn: Quartet in E flat op 20 no 1; Beethoven: Quartet in F op 59 no 1

The ever-popular Coull returns for the last concert in its latest series at Embrace Arts.

The programme includes a quartet by John Ireland, written when he was just 16 but unknown until after his death in the 1960s.

One of Britain’s most-respected string ensembles, the Coull has performed and broadcast throughout the UK and around the world, from the USA to the Far East. The ensemble was recently awarded a prestigious New Music 20x12 commission, with composer Joe Cutler, for a new work to celebrate the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

With a rare combination of maturity and freshness, The Coull is sure to delight chamber music lovers of all ages. www.coullquartet.com

Free lunchtime Soundbites Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting at 12.45pm 3 May – 14 July (not 31 May or 2 June) Enjoy a variety of entertainment, from solo violin and school orchestra to trumpet recital and light opera.

Artists include Marguerite Beatson and friends, Ashfield School, Margaret Jay and Gillian Butcher, and music scholars such as Logan Gregory supported through the partnership between the Philharmonia Orchestra and Leicester University.

All performances last no more than an hour. For full details, www.embracearts.co.uk, e: arts–centre@le.ac.uk or pick up a leaflet.

¸magnificent, seasoned ensemble¹ The Strad Limited number of tickets for just £2.50 available for NUS card holders from 30 minutes before curtain up, subject to status and availability.

Free car parking

From 6pm weekdays and at weekends next door to Embrace Arts Search for Embrace Arts www.twitter.com/embracearts

Open House at Embrace Arts Saturday 2 July, 10.30am – 3.30pm Free fun for all the family

Family friendly

Try some taster arts, crafts and dance sessions Enjoy music at lunchtime Licensed Arts Bar café open For details, visit www.embracearts.co.uk or call us on 0116 252 2455.

Music

Music at the Arts Bar

Introducing...

Special discount price for all 3 concerts £15 Enjoy pre-concert food and drink in the licensed Arts Bar

The Sterling Trio Thursday 9 June at 6.30pm £6 Including works by Quantz, Saint-Saëns and Howard Blake

Formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2006, The Sterling Trio has since established itself as an innovative and engaging chamber ensemble.

Their commitment to new music includes collaborations with several composers, including Howard Blake, whose work is part of the programme for this concert.

As well as formal recitals at such venues as St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Trio enjoys performing at arts festivals and education and community work in schools and hospitals.

Member Sarah Atter began playing the flute at Launde Primary School in Oadby, and was principal flute of the Leicestershire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and in the LSSO quintet.

Richard Uttley – piano Thursday 26 May at 6.30pm £6 Chopin: Waltzes, op posth 70; Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales; Handel: Suite no 5 in E, HWV 430; Beethoven: Sonata in A, op101

www.thesterlingtrio.com

Thursday 23 June at 6.30pm £6 Schumann: Frauenliebe und Leben

Although only in his early 20s, Richard has had a glittering career so far, gaining distinctions in his music studies and winning many competitions.

Kathryn has performed as a soloist on the concert stage as well as in a number of choirs, including the CBSO Chorus.

Most recently he received first prize and the award for best performance of a work written since 1950 at the prestigious Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition.

www.richarduttley.com

A music graduate of the University of Birmingham, her roles have included Tormentilla in the rarely-performed opera ‘The Poisoned Kiss’ by Vaughan Williams.

Phil Portus

Latest solo recital performances include the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the Royal Festival Hall and the Wigmore Hall, as well as a broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He has also recorded two CDs.

Kathryn Walker – mezzo soprano

Sarah Atter – flute; Thomas Verity – clarinet; Lauren Hibberd – piano

Kathryn, who is studying voice at the Royal Academy of Music under Sarah Walker, grew up in Great Glen and played principal clarinet in the Leicestershire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra.

Music

The Embrace Arts showcase for emerging talent – fine music from the classical stars of tomorrow

Events and shows for children and their families across Leicester and Leicestershire, 31 May – 12 June

Family friendly

www.sparkfestival.co.uk

Stuart Hollis

Family shows

Speakeasy Theatre Company presents* Movers in

Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 June, 10am, 1pm and 3pm each day £5; £16 family (2 adults and 2 under 14s)

Discover a magical world of strange delights in this inventive interactive installation.

Who knows what you may find as you explore the avenues of trees? Sights and sounds are hidden, ready to be awakened by each new visitor. Somewhere there are stories, waiting to be discovered.

Springing from the audience’s interactions with a multi-sensory environment, Visitor is as unique as the visitors themselves. This is a truly accessible environment for children aged 5+ and adults of all abilities.

Speakeasy Theatre Company brings its wealth of experience in facilitating inclusive and immersive theatre to this project alongside Movers, their Learning Disabled theatre company resident at Embrace Arts. www.speakeasytheatre.co.uk

Drew Farrell

A unique theatrical event for all the family created and performed by Learning Disabled artists

Drew Farrell

Visitor

Introduce your baby to a world of sound and song with this sell-out show from Scottish Opera

BabyO A groundbreaking 30-minute opera created specially for babies aged 6 – 18 months Friday 10 and Saturday 11 June 10.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm £3 child under 18 months; £5 children over 18 months and accompanying adults. Price includes a free CD to enjoy with your baby at home

“She absolutely loved it” Sarah with Evie (6 months) “It was lovely to see how they were stunned into silence as soon as the singing started” Anna with Maya (17 months)

This show is an ideal first musical experience for you and your baby, combining recorded music and live singing.

Enter a secret garden full of busy bees, ducks and splashing fish where you will meet the singers and begin your special adventure.

BabyO uses sounds and words that babies can understand, helping to stimulate the beginnings of language development. The vocals vary to mirror and enhance the beautiful scenery, props and the movements of the professional singers in the performance.

Composer: Rachel Drury; Designer: Ali Maclaurin; Singers: Gloria Ellis – soprano, Alan McKenzie – baritone and Arlene Rolph – mezzo-soprano. www.scottishopera.org.uk “He’s never sat still that long before!” Esther with Joshua (17 months)

To get the most out of this show Scottish Opera advise that, wherever possible, each baby is accompanied by one adult.

Limited places for each performance so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Signatures

Thursday 12 May at 7.30pm £7.50 / £5

A showcase of solos and duets by emerging and established artists.

Art exhibitions

Free entry Our galleries are open 10am – 6pm Monday to Friday

We are also open some weekends but please visit www.embracearts.co.uk or call us on 0116 252 2455 weekdays to check beforehand.

Peformers include Seeta Patel, Dwayne Simms, Lerato Lipere and Keisha Grant.

Simon Richardson

Beyond the Horizon

Monday 9 May – Friday 8 July

Dominic Pote: Pigeon Valley

Landscape has long been a subject for artists, who have represented it in many forms and media from prehistoric times up until the present day. This exhibition features some of the best contemporary art practitioners in the East Midlands, expressing their connection with, and interpretation of, the land and nature through paintings, prints and photographs. Curated by Embrace Arts.

Suggate Jamaila Nuno Santos of EDge

EDge

Friday 13 May at 7.30pm £7.50 / £5

An opportunity to see a new generation of the most promising contemporary dancers.

Commissions by some of Europe’s most exciting and critically-acclaimed young choreographers are brought to you by EDge, the postgraduate performance company of London Contemporary Dance School.

Celebrating International Dance Day, Let’s Dance is a festival (13 – 19 May), organised by Serendipity Artists Movement, which aims to raise the profile of dance throughout Leicester. Events include performances, a master class, a debate and a film series.

Wednesday 18 May, 1pm – 1.45pm Free talk and tour of the exhibition by Dr Magnus Gestsson PhD. Please contact us in advance to reserve your place.

Also on show, landscape artwork from students from Judgemeadow Community College.

Free Preview evening – all welcome Friday 6 May, 6pm – 8pm Talk by David Crouch, author of ‘Flirting with Space: Thinking landscape relationally’.

NEW

Embrace Arts is proud to announce:

www.serendipityartistsmovement.co.uk

NEW

Featuring works from Leicestershire Open Museum’s artworks collection, chosen to reflect the theme of each exhibition at Embrace Arts, with associated special events:

An introduction to fine art printmaking

Crafts on sale at Embrace Arts

The Arts Council England interest-free loan scheme, the easy and affordable way to buy and collect contemporary art and craft on sale in our exhibitions.

Featuring jewellery, textiles and ceramics to suit all budgets. Your chance to buy beautiful and unique works by some of the region’s finest makers. Perfect for that special gift – or why not treat yourself?

Gift vouchers also available.

Collection Corner

Typical 0% APR

Julie Vernon

Subject to status. Terms and conditions apply.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Embrace Arts is a licensed broker of Own Art loans.

Registered address: Embrace Arts, University of Leicester, Richard Attenborough centre, PO Box 138, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HA.

Tuesday 24 May, 1pm – 2.30pm £5 A talk and demonstration introducing fine art printmaking and its various techniques, referencing the works featured in Collection Corner. Led by Leicester Print Workshop artist Sarah Kirby.

Advance bookings only.

Dance and Art exhibitions

Let’s Dance Festival presents*

Art exhibitions and Workshops

An(other) Story: Folk and tribal arts in India Monday 18 July – Friday 30 September

Even though artists in India have been practising their folk and tribal art for centuries, the world at large has only come to know about it in the last 50 years.

Now their work is exhibited at major contemporary art galleries around the world.

This exhibition explores the diversity of folk and tribal art styles and techniques which have been embraced for centuries throughout India, including Madhubani / Mithila, Gond, Warli, Patua scrolls and folk embroidery.

An(other) Story was originally curated by David Schischka Thomas and Saleem Arif Quadri MBE for an exhibition at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham in 2009.

Free Preview evening – all welcome Friday 15 July, 6pm – 8pm

Artists in residence Pop in to Studio 3 at Embrace Arts during August and meet our artists in residence.

Learn about the techniques and approaches professional artists use as you see them make new work.

Visit www.embracearts. co.uk for more details.

Workshops this way

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A decade of Sculpture in the Garden Sunday 26 June – Sunday 30 October The University of Leicester celebrates the tenth year of its major free exhibition at the unique Botanic Garden in Oadby, with a wide range of diverse works in a variety of materials and scales. Curated by Dr John Sydney Carter FRBS, this year’s show includes new pieces by some of John Sydney Carter: (left to the most renowned international, right) Red Plus Black, Knot, national and regional artists.

Joker

Workshops All sessions, except where indicated, are suitable for both beginners and those with experience. Adults with a disability are particularly welcome.

The fee generally includes materials and there is free car parking next door at evenings and weekends.

Please book in advance on 0116 252 2455. For more information, call us or visit www.embracearts.co.uk.

Please note for all workshops Sorry, we can only run a workshop if there are a minimum number of confirmed bookings. If we have to cancel because of low numbers, we will let you know in advance of the day and return your booking fee in full.

The full price applies to anyone (including over 60s) who does not qualify for any of the concessions listed in the ‘How to book’ section.

Music Music in Tudor and Hanoverian courts Mondays, 9 – 23 May (three weekly sessions), 7pm – 9pm Led by William Summers, £32 / £16 Examine the influence of monarchs over musical taste in the Tudor and Hanoverian courts. Recordings, reviews and accounts of music from the two periods will be compared, along with an analysis of past and current trends in the performance of the music.

Folk orchestra Saturday 18 June, 10am – 3.30pm Led by Alice Little, £30 / £15 Learn to play a selection of British folk tunes and discover how to arrange and perform these as part of a group.

For any instrument – please bring your own. Sorry, not suitable for beginners or under 16s.

Scott Bridgwood: Life drawing for complete beginners

Sally Newham: Easy pottery techniques

Oh happy day Thursdays, 28 July – 25 August (five weekly sessions), 3pm – 4.30pm Led by Gregory Smith, £34 / £17 Discover more about gospel choral singing in this introductory course.

Learn standard pieces, develop your performance technique, increase your confidence and have some fun.

Suitable for beginners and those with some singing experience.

Helen Saunders: Constructing a landscape

Austin Orwin: Inspired by totem poles

Visual art

Saturday art

Inspired by totem poles

10am – 3.30pm £36 / £18 each

Fridays, 6 May – 10 June (five weekly sessions), 2pm – 4.30pm Led by Austin Orwin, £60 / £30 Design and carve your own unique and personal miniature totem pole from a plaster block. Discover how to develop your ideas from initial design to finished piece using basic carving techniques.

Suitable for both beginners and those with an established interest in sculpture.

Portraiture: painting heads

Sarah Allen: Pin weaving

Crafts

Constructing a landscape

Pin weaving

Mondays, 6 June – 4 July (five weekly sessions), 10am – 12.30pm Led by Helen Saunders, £50 / £25

Saturday 18 June, 10am – 3.30pm Led by Sarah Allen, £36 / £18

Discover the basic rules of composition, light and colour in building landscape images using collage. Develop your ideas to create a fantasy landscape using a variety of materials and techniques. All levels of ability welcome, particularly those new to making art. To coincide with the Beyond the Horizon exhibition.

Transform oddments of yarn into miniature works of tapestry art using a weaving technique that does not require a loom. Turn your creations into fabric badges, buttons and cards. All materials and equipment provided, but please bring along any of your own favourite yarns.

Creative approaches to painting and drawing

Easy pottery techniques

Tuesday 16 – Thursday 18 August, 10am – 3.30pm Led by Diane E Hall, £95 / £47

Ben Robinson

Experiment over three days with different approaches and materials to develop initial ideas and exploratory drawings, inspired by the University of Leicester’s Botanic Garden, into a final painting or mixedmedia work in the on-site studio in Oadby.

Wednesdays, 15 – 29 June (three weekly sessions), 6pm – 9pm Led by Sally Newham, £40 / £20 Learn basic pottery techniques in thumb pot, coil pot and slab construction, including decorating with various textures. All three techniques can be used at home with basic equipment. Suitable for beginners, all materials provided.

Felt making Saturday 23 July, 10am – 3.30pm Led by Becky Mills, £36 / £18

Alice Little: Folk orchestra

More workshops this way

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Learn the basic skills to make your own felt. Inspired by contemporary textile designers, work with preprepared wool types to make a beautiful selection of decorative swatches to take away with you. All materials provided.

21 May Led by Scott Bridgwood Experiment with innovative approaches to portraiture, beginning with a range of short poses before working towards a more finished painting in a variety of media.

Suitable for all levels of ability.

Life drawing 25 June, 20 August Led by Diane E Hall Explore the exciting potential of life drawing in these full-day workshops using a variety of approaches and media. Learn to observe carefully and appreciate proportion, tone and form. Suitable for both beginners and those with considerable experience. Over 16s only please.

Life drawing for complete beginners 30 July Led by Scott Bridgwood Discover how to observe and draw in totally new ways by using various media to represent the human form convincingly. Designed for complete beginners to life drawing, although those with some experience also welcome. Over 16s only please.

Creative writing The writer’s coach Tuesdays, 26 July – 23 August (five weekly sessions), 7pm – 9pm Led by Steve Johns, £36 / £18 For anyone who has a burning desire to write a novel but does not know where to begin. Using established motivational coaching techniques, this course offers hints and tips on what you need to get started, how to keep going until your work is finished, and advice on how to get published.

University of Leicester Sinfonia

Cantamici Chamber Choir

Conductor: Michael Sackin Saturday 18 June Fraser Noble Hall at 7.30pm £8 / £6

Conductor: David Necklen Saturday 2 July Fraser Noble Hall at 7.30pm £8 / £6 A musical miscellany including Vivaldi: Gloria (organist David Cowen).

Beethoven: Prometheus Overture, op 43; Beethoven: Piano Concerto no 1 in C major, op 15 (soloist Abigail Johnson); Schumann: Symphony no 2 in C major, op 61.

Heart of England Recorder Orchestra Conductor: Colin Touchin Sunday 10 July Embrace Arts at 4pm £8 / £6 / under 14s free

Knighton Chamber Orchestra Conductor: Paul Jenkins Friday 1 July Fraser Noble Hall at 7.30pm £8 / £6

Including: Glinka arr. Clark: Overture Russlan and Ludmila; John Hawkes: Sinfonietta; Handel arr. Touchin: Music for the Royal Fireworks; Colin Touchin: Fanfare for Fifty; Steve Marshall: It's All Yours; Geoffrey Alan Taylor: Nightscape and William Byrd: Pavan and Galliard.

Mozart: The Queen of the Night (soloist Michelle Martin); Mozart: Violin Concerto no 5 (soloist Tamsin Waley-Cohen); Mahler: Symphony no 4.

www.freewebs.com/heart-ofengland-recorder-orchestra

www.knightonchamberorchestra.com

These events are produced and managed by the performers and supported by the University of Leicester.

Railway Station

How to find us Lon don

Roa d (A 6)

G r a nv ill e R o ad

Regent College Lancaster Road

Embrace Arts

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Regent Road

University Road

Waterloo Way (A594)

Princess Road East

De Montfort Hall

Victoria Park

War Memorial Medical Sciences Building

Embrace Arts Richard Attenborough centre Lancaster Road Leicester LE1 7HA t: 0116 252 2455 e: arts-centre@le.ac.uk www.embracearts.co.uk RNID Typetalk service: 18001 0116 252 2455

How to book

In association with

Call us to pay by debit or credit card on 0116 252 2455. You can collect your tickets or we can post them to you for an extra 50p.

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Pop in to see us and buy over the counter.

Post details of the tickets you would like, a cheque for the total made payable to University of Leicester and a SAE to Box Office, Embrace Arts, Richard Attenborough centre, PO Box 138, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HA. Box office open 10am – 6pm, Mondays – Fridays (closed for Easter and Bank Holidays).

Sorry, we only give refunds if a performance, event or workshop does not take place.

Concession prices: apply to over 60s (for performances and events only), under 19s, members of National Union of Students (NUS), registered unwaged, ES40 holders and those in receipt of incapacity allowance, severe disablement allowance, disability living allowance and disability working allowance, unless otherwise stated. Some events give an additional reduction for NUS members and those under 19.

Disabled patrons requiring particular assistance are entitled to a free ticket to bring a personal assistant. A discount may be available for performances and events for parties of ten or more. Please ask at the time of booking. Family tickets where mentioned are for two adults and two children under 14 years.

Tickets also available from: Tourist Information Centre, 7/9 Every Street, Town Hall Square, Leicester. t: 0116 299 4444 (credit card bookings accepted) and at www.goleicestershire.com.

Access: Embrace Arts is fully accessible to people with disabilities and has an induction loop system. Access to other venues is not difficult, and there are wheelchair accessible toilets in all University venues. We have four car parking spaces for disabled blue badge holders. Please let us know in advance if you would like parking at any of our other venues.

Car parking: Evenings and at weekends – free in the Medical Sciences Building car park next door. Weekdays – pay and display on Lancaster Road and in Victoria Park (De Montfort Hall, entrance in Granville Road).

Public transport: We are ten minutes’ walk from Leicester railway station and served by buses 48, 80/80A (term-time only) and 302.

We are grateful to Arts Council England for its support and advice.

Events marked * are produced and managed by the performers and/or their agents and hosted by the University of Leicester.

Mon 9

Thurs 12 Fri 13 Sat 21 Tues 24 Thurs 26

Inspired by totem poles (First of 5 weekly sessions) The Coull Quartet Beyond the Horizon Music in Tudor and Hanoverian courts (First of 3 weekly sessions) Let's Dance: Signatures Let's Dance: EDge Portraiture: painting heads Leicester Print Workshop: An intro to fine art printmaking Introducing … Richard Uttley

2pm - 4.30pm

Visual art workshop

7.30pm opens

Music Art exhibition

7pm - 9pm

Music workshop

7.30pm 7.30pm 10am - 3.30pm

Dance Dance Visual art workshop

2pm - 3.30pm

Visual art workshop

6.30pm

Music

Summer 2011

What’s on

May Fri 6

June Weds 1 / Thurs 2 Fri 3 Mon 6 Thurs 9 Fri 10 / Sat 11 Weds 15 Sat 18

Thurs 23 Sat 25

Speakeasy Theatre Company: Movers in Visitor Music at the Arts Bar: Ian Hill Sextet Constructing a landscape (First of 5 weekly sessions) Introducing … The Sterling Trio Scotttish Opera: BabyO Easy pottery techniques (First of 3 weekly sessions) Folk orchestra Pin weaving University of Leicester Sinfonia Introducing … Kathryn Walker Life drawing

8pm

Spark Children's Festival Music

10am - 12.30pm

Visual art workshop

10am, 1pm, 3pm

6.30pm Music 10.30am, Spark Children's 11.30am, 1.30pm Festival 6pm - 9pm

Crafts workshop

10am - 3.30pm 10am - 3.30pm 7.30pm FNH 6.30pm 10am - 3.30pm

Music workshop Crafts workshop In association with Music Visual art workshop

7.30pm FNH 10.30am - 3.30pm 7.30pm FNH closes

In association with Special event In association with Art exhibition

July Fri 1 Sat 2 Fri 8

Mon 18 Sat 23 Tues 26 Thurs 28 Sat 30

4pm

In association with

opens 10am - 3.30pm

Art exhibition Crafts workshop Creative writing workshop

7pm - 9pm 3pm - 4.30pm

Music workshop

10am - 3.30pm

Visual art workshop

August Tues 16 Thurs 18 Sat 20

Creative approaches to painting and drawing Life drawing

FNH Fraser Noble Hall

10am - 3.30pm

Visual art workshop

10am - 3.30pm

Visual art workshop

Performances Events Workshops Box office: 0116 252 2455 www.embracearts.co.uk

May – August 2011

Sun 10

Knighton Chamber Orchestra Open House at Embrace Arts Cantamici Chamber Choir Beyond the Horizon Heart of England Recorder Orchestra An(other) Story Felt making The writer's coach (First of 5 weekly sessions) Oh happy day (First of 5 weekly sessions) Life drawing for complete beginners