FREE
ISSUE 2 MAR/APR 2013
PARKWAY DREAMS
A MUSICAL DOCUMENTARY CELEBRATING THE CHANGING FACE OF PETERBOROUGH FROM THE FORTY YEARS ON PROJECT
ARTS & THEATRE MUSEUMS & HERITAGE LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES SPORTS & LEISURE
FEATURE A GRAND DAY OUT
10 FEATURE REAL WORLD SCIENCE
26 FEATURE SPORTS XTRA IS BACK
17 FEATURE MY GIANT COLOURING BOOK
27 FEATURE BUSHFIELD TENNIS CENTRE
18
FEATURE WORD IN FRAME
29 — 33 LISTINGS
19
FEATURE FOLK AT THE KEY
20 — 21 LISTINGS
22 LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES
11 FEATURE EDWARDIAN FASHION
22 — 23 FEATURE PARKWAY DREAMS
12 — 13 LISTINGS
24 — 25 LISTINGS
36 VIVA PEOPLE 38 VIVA NEWS 40 VIVA DIARY
W
vivacity-peterborough.com
T 01733 207239
@VivacityPboro
VIVA is brought to you by Vivacity, Peterborough’s culture and leisure trust. Available from all Vivacity venues or online. Look out for our next issue which will be available from 1st May. VIVA PEOPLE Join our mailing list to receive VIVA before anyone else. Register online at:
VIVA is packed full of exciting news and events – a fantastic indication of all the amazing cultural and leisure events that are happening across Peterborough. Don’t forget to take a trip to Flag Fen Archaeology Park when it reopens in Easter. You might even get the chance to see some bouncing baby Soay lambs. Plus make sure you join us for Parkway Dreams, a fascinating musical documentary telling the human stories of Peterborough’s past – see page 22. We’d love your comments, reviews, views and thoughts about VIVA, and we’re on the lookout for anyone with a passion for Peterborough to be involved – so get in touch and spread the word. vivacity-peterborough.com
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14 — 15 FEATURE ARTS PARTICIPATION
ARTS & THEATRE MUSEUMS & HERITAGE LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES SPORTS & LEISURE
You can pick up copies of VIVA in any Vivacity venue – or you can read and download the digital version online at vivacity-peterborough.com.
DESIGN
The District PUBLISHER
Vivacity Peterborough Culture and Leisure
ONLINE
08 MUSEUMS & HERITAGE
26 SPORTS & LEISURE
Vivacity Peterborough Culture and Leisure
06 GUEST EDITOR’S PICKS
14 THEATRE & ARTS
04 SEASON’S HIGHLIGHTS
vivacity-peterborough.com
2.
08
FOLK AT THE KEY Key Theatre
19
3. LA BELLE ÉPOQUE Peterborough Museum
11
4.
ARTS PARTICIPATION Key Theatre
14
SPORTS XTRA IS BACK! Various locations
26
05
A GRAND DAY OUT Flag Fen / Longthorpe Tower
5.
6.
MY GIANT COLOURING BOOK City Gallery 17
7.
PARKWAY DREAMS MUSICAL Various locations
22
vivacity-peterborough.com
VIVA THIS SEASON’S HIGHLIGHTS
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4.
6.
1.
2.
5.
7.
VIVA
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SEASON’S HIGHLIGHTS
3.
“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF A THEATRE GEEK – BUT ONLY FOR BEHIND THE SCENES!”
VIVA
Hi Emma, so what’s your role at the Key Theatre and what do you get out of it? EMMA
I’m a marketing intern here at the Key, focusing primarily in publicising the shows we have coming up and the Key Youth Theatre too.
VIVA
VIVA
What other activities in VIVA catch your eye this season?
What else do you get up to in your spare time?
EMMA
VIVA
So what shows at the Key Theatre are entertaining you this season?
VIVA
What other Peterborough activities will you be recommending to your family? EMMA
My mum loves her exercise, so I reckon the Little Black Dress Workout would go down a treat with her! My sister’s husband would enjoy the Bronze Sword Casting Workshop – typical boy! My grandma loves her history so I think the Edwardian Fashion events would suit her down to the ground.
EMMA
Can I say all of them?... If not, I’m loving the new folk events we’re programming at the moment, and Mike Harding really makes me
Turn to page 34 to find out how you too can get involved with volunteering at Vivacity
GUEST EDITOR
I previously had a show at Edinburgh Fringe. It started off as an adventure between friends, but we soon realised that building a company, creating a show, and getting to Edinburgh Fringe is actually very difficult! I produce and have written for the company, Somebody’s Theatre – we’re all very proud of what we’ve achieved so far (**** reviews, top ten ratings and sell out shows) when we’re still in the nappywearing stage of calling ourselves a theatre company! We’ll be taking a new show to the Fringe this year; I can’t wait to read the script.
Parkway Dreams – A Musical Documentary is going to be brilliant! One of the first things I saw when I moved to Peterborough for the internship was a work-in-progress of the production, and it taught me a lot about the history of the city I’d just moved to: as well as making me laugh in the process.
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EMMA
VIVA Guest Editor
giggle! Kanjoos – The Miser is going to be a great one to watch, Tara Arts have taken Moliere’s classic comedy and transformed it into a Bollywood spectacular.
VIVA
I’ve always been a bit of a theatre geek – but only for behind the scenes! I like to be part of the process and the build up towards the show, then I can sit back and watch the actors do the hard work at the end of it!
vivacity-peterborough.com
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This issue the spotlight’s on Emma Beverley, an intern at the Key Theatre, who told us a bit about herself and what she’d like to do this spring.
A visit to Flag Fen Archaeology Park will allow you to explore how the prehistoric Celtic people of the Fen lived. Wander through a Bronze Age village, sit within the reconstructed roundhouses and stand where our ancestors once stood by the ritual causeway. Excavations have revealed details of a wooden platform and post alignment of rows of upright posts that stretch for nearly a kilometre across the fen. Within the structure, many hundreds of metal, stone and bone artefacts have been found. Some fixed in place between the wood, these items have not been lost – they have been deliberately placed. The site is also rich in undiscovered treasures and within one dig over 300 items of metal work were found, including the oldest wheel in England, a rare gold ring and one of the finest collections of Bronze Age swords in the country.
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Flag Fen
Date
2, 3 & 4 April
Time
10am — 5pm
Become an archaeologist at Flag Fen. The whole family can learn how to excavate like the pros in our newly refurbished ‘dig tent’ and discover what archaeology can tell us about the people who used to live in our fair city! Longthorpe Tower: Longthorpe Tower is one of Peterborough’s historic gems, voted among the 100 most important historic sites in the UK.
vivacity-peterborough.com
Each has a fascinating story to tell about the city and its surrounding area. Now it’s your turn to discover more when both venues re-open on 30 March (admission prices apply).
“FLAG FEN IS HELD BY EXPERTS ALL OVER THE WORLD IN THE SAME ESTEEM AS STONEHENGE”
Location
Meet the Ancestors
The Tower is a surviving part of a 14th century fortified Manor House, and contains the finest set of medieval wall paintings in a domestic setting anywhere in Western Europe, which give a rare insight into the medieval mind. These paintings were whitewashed over around the time of the Reformation and remained hidden until their rediscovery in the 1940s. The Tower also has a hands-on exhibition which tells the story of this fascinating building. Discover more about the people who lived here, and try on a medieval costume or helmet. Activity Medieval Living History Location
Longthorpe Tower
Date
30 March — 1 April
Time
10am — 5pm
Meet the medieval occupants of Longthorpe Tower as it reopens for the spring. See the Thorpe family dining in their chamber, get a cure from the Barber Surgeon and help out with the arming of a knight (daily at 3pm).
MUSEUMS & HERITAGE FEATURE
Peterborough is home to two of Britain’s most historically rich sites: Flag Fen Archaeology Park and Longthorpe Tower.
Flag Fen: Renowned Bronze Age archaeological site Flag Fen is home to a wooden causeway some 3,500 years old that is so unique it is held by experts all over the world in the same esteem as Stonehenge.
Activity
/
A Grand Day Out
Heritage sites across the country are preparing to throw their doors open to the public for the spring season. Here at Vivacity, we’re readying Flag Fen Archaeology Park and Longthorpe Tower for Easter.
VIVA
HERITAGE FEATURE
Booking
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF PETERBOROUGH MUSEUM’S NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION Location Museum Booking
01733 864700
Peterborough Museum is delighted to announce that it has formed a partnership with the Natural History Museum, as part of the Real World Science (RWS) programme.
particularly those in deprived areas. It enhances secondary science teaching and learning and provides a range of sciencebased activities for students aged 10-18 years.
With a strong natural history collection that reflects the changing environment and diversity of the local area, Peterborough Museum has many nationally significant objects, making it a perfect choice for the RWS programme. The objects even include 150 million-year-old fossil remains of marine reptiles from the Jurassic period!
The three-year project is funded through the Schools and Museums programme by Arts Council England. Peterborough Museum is a regional partner for the East of England, one of eight museums across the country who are part of the collaboration.
The RWS programme aims to increase the number of schools visiting museums and galleries,
Exciting new ways of learning will be developed: such as video conferencing to build links with non-participating schools and to provide live, interactive access to scientists.
The programme will also give students the opportunity to handle objects from the collections, go behind-thescenes to see science in action and to participate in fun and inspiring science shows, practical workshops and study days. Deputy Leader of Peterborough City Council, Councillor Matthew Lee, who is also trustee for the Museum and its collection, said: “As one of Peterborough’s most popular attractions, the Museum is already a source of great pride for Vivacity. The fact that it has been selected to collaborate with The Natural History Museum on such an important project shows the increasing recognition it is receiving as a centre of excellence for heritage and learning. It’s hugely encouraging for everyone involved.”
01733 864663
Discover the classic silhouettes and elegant designs of fashion in the Edwardian era (1900-1914) with our exhibition at Peterborough Museum. Rarely-seen items from the Museum’s collections will be displayed alongside famous frocks. The exhibition stars well-known replicas from TV and film, including the wardrobe of award-winning ITV drama, Downton Abbey. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about the era with an exciting range of special events. This is just a taster of the events, please visit our website for details of the full programme.
DELVE INTO THE WORLD OF DOWNTON ABBEY
Wed 10 — Fri 12 April 10am — 5pm Edwardian Easter Family Fun Delve into the world of Downton Abbey. Discover the sights and sounds of Edwardian life, be put through your paces by our Edwardian butler, enjoy a themed trail and much more. Sat 13 April 7.30pm Peterborough & the Titanic Disaster Lecture Discover the tragic story of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. In this talk Stuart Orme, Heritage Interpretation Manager at Vivacity, will tell you what really happened on board and also reveal the littleknown connections to Peterborough.
Edwardian Fashion Schools Programme From bonnets to bloomers, tall hats to tails, our schools programme provides an exploration of Edwardian life through their clothes. Discover what clothes tell us about people in the past, travel back in time with our ‘Bonnets to Bloomers’ session, then find out more about ‘Fashion & Pattern’. To book sessions, please contact the education team on 01733 864700.
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Price Various
Fri 8 March 7.30pm Strong-minded Women Lecture In this talk by local historian Liz Carter, explore the origins of the women’s suffrage movement and some of the key women involved.
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Location Museum
VIVA
Real World Science
Sat 27 April 2pm Dressing the New Woman Lecture An illustrated talk about the diverse influences on women’s fashion during the Edwardian period. Using a range of sources, the talk will discuss the shift in women’s dress from 1901-1910 by looking at the gradual adoption of Victorian ideas such as Dress Reform and Artistic dress alongside the cultural, social and economic changes of the period.
vivacity-peterborough.com
LA BELLE ÉPOQUE: EDWARDIAN FASHION 1900 — 1914
HERITAGE FEATURE
23 — 24 March
Time
From 9.30am
Price
£250 or £300 for 2 people on 1 coracle
Flag Fen Archaeology Park
Date
16 — 17 March
Time
From 9am
Price
£275
Booking
01733 864663
Join us for this unique opportunity to make and take home a bronze sword. In this weekend workshop, expert bronze forger, sculptor and artist Dave Chapman will be offering the chance to discover the history of Bronze Age weapons. Plus learn the techniques for how to cast, clean, finish and sharpen to craft your sword from scratch. This workshop is suitable for beginners and is held in the atmospheric surroundings of one of Flag Fen’s reconstructed roundhouses. All materials will be provided. Lunch is also provided on both days.
01733 864663
Spend the weekend at Flag Fen and under the guidance of tutor Kevin Grimley build your own beautifully crafted coracle boat to take home. Create the wooden frame, weave a willow framework around this, and sew a covering onto it – and don’t forget to make your paddle! The only thing you’ll have to do at home is waterproof the boat before your maiden voyage (don’t worry – we’ll tell you how)! Plus, discover the diverse history of the array of coracles found across the world and throughout history. This workshop is suitable for beginners. All materials will be provided, although we do prefer you to bring your own drill. Lunch will also be provided on both days.
vivacity-peterborough.com
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Date
Booking Location
Flag Fen Archaeology Park
Location Museum
Location Squire’s Coffee House, Museum
Date
7 March & 2 May
Date
12 March — 12 April
Time
10am — 11.30am
Time
Museum opening times
Price
£2
Booking Age
Price FREE (except on special event days)
01733 864700 2—5
Join us in one of Peterborough Museum’s galleries on the first Thursday of each month (term time only) for a special toddler session full of story, rhythm, rhyme and craft. Each month a different object from our amazing collection will be explored. On the 7 March you can explore and handle dinosaur bones in our Changing Landscapes Gallery. Then listen to the tale of Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs, before getting creative with a dinosaur collage to take home. Don’t miss the session on 2 May, where you can get close to a stuffed Barn Owl in our Wildlife Gallery. Enjoy the story Owl Babies and look for more baby animals on display. Create a feathery mask before flying home!
Don’t miss the opportunity to see a fantastic new community exhibition at Peterborough Museum this spring. Supported adult learners on arts and crafts courses at City College Peterborough are delighted to be showcasing the first of their Well Crafted Exhibitions. The artwork on display has been inspired by objects from the Museum’s collections. Visitors will be able to view the wonderful art created by the learners as part of their coursework. While you’re there, make sure you take the opportunity to browse the rest of the Museum’s galleries. Find out more about the Museum’s upcoming community exhibitions at vivacity-peterborough.com
MUSEUMS & HERITAGE LISTINGS
Location
YOUNG EXPLORERS
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BRONZE SWORD CASTING WORKSHOP
WELL CRAFTED EXHIBITION
VIVA
CORACLES: PADDLE POWER WORKSHOP
Key Theatre Education Forum
20 Stories High: Award winning company 20 Stories High create performances using puppetry and hip-hop that reinterprets stories from communities for young people aged 13 – 25 years. Their new performance WHOLE will travel to Voyager and Ormiston Bushfield Academies on 14 & 15 March and their performance MELODY to Key Theatre in November.
ARTS Participation at Key Theatre
WHOLE by Philip Osment Directed by Julia Samuels
Over the Summer: In between there are loads of opportunities for young people to work alongside 20 Stories High and local artists to create their own performance and visual art works which will be shared alongside MELODY in Nov. WHOLE: A new play by Philip Osment, Directed by Julia Samuels. Four teenagers on the edge share intimate moments and outspoken truths… as they try their hardest to find happiness. WHOLE is a gritty, funny and moving new play exploring sexuality, love, death, religion and music from award winning writer Philip Osment, with live music and spoken word. See Whole at Voyager Academy, 14 March, 7pm.
ARTS PUPPETS HIP-HOP VISUAL MELODY TRUTH GRITTY FUNNY LOVE DEATH WHOLE
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Easter Holiday activities For Young People Are you struggling to keep your aspiring actors and actresses busy this Easter? If so then the Easter Drama Workshop will be a fantastic opportunity for participants to create their own, original and brilliant piece of theatre. Participants will work with professional actors and workshop leaders to devise their own production, which will then be presented to an invited audience of friends and family in the Key Theatre Studio on Friday 5 April at 4.30pm. No previous experience is necessary. Location
Key Theatre
Date
2 — 5 April
Price £85 (£10 off for 2 kids) Booking
01733 207239
ARTS FEATURE
Key Theatre On Tour
Come and join the Key Theatre Education Forum. The group is open to teachers and educational professionals. We share details of the Key Theatre programme and look at how to develop educational workshops and resources which assist schools in delivering a creative and vibrant curriculum. For further details contact Sarah Haythornthwaite, Arts Service Manager on 01733 864634.
vivacity-peterborough.com
Tickets are free but must be booked in advance via the Key Theatre box office on 01733 207239. Suitable for audiences aged 13+. Visit 20storieshigh.org. uk for more information.
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2013 is going to be a huge year for the Key Theatre with a whole new artistic programme plus the 40th anniversary year celebrations. The arts team at the Key Theatre are developing the participation programme providing opportunities for schools, young people and families to get involved.
VIVA
ARTS FEATURE
Peterborough Museum’s
ARTS FEATURE 17
Ghost
Candlelit
“A FANTASTIC INTRODUCTION TO THE IMAGINATIONS OF TWO OF BRITAIN’S MOST INVENTIVE AND SUBVERSIVE MINDS.”
Tours
Dare you spend an evening in the city’s most haunted building?
Peterborough Museum, Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1LF 01733 864 663 museum@vivacity-peterborough.com vivacity-peterborough.com
Location Date
City Gallery 30 Mar – 28 Apr
Price FREE A Hayward Touring exhibition of etchings by Jake and Dinos Chapman will come to City Gallery in March. The Chapman brothers first came to prominence as part of the YBA (young British artists) movement of the 1990s. They featured in the Royal Academy’s seminal 1997 exhibition ‘Sensation’, showing a sculptural version of Goya’s disasters of war. They returned to Goya’s work in 2003 when they caused outrage for painting their own ghoulish imagery over an original set of etchings. My Giant Colouring Book returns to this method of working, this time appropriating join-the-dot drawings
Many of the Chapmans’ favourite themes are found here, often with a dark undercurrent. Monstrous creatures and hallucinatory scenes emerge, bristling with grotesque humour, and rich in allusions to art history: from medieval images of hell and damnation to Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. This will be the last chance to see My Giant Colouring Book, as the exhibition ends its public tour in Peterborough before returning to the Hayward Gallery stores.
ARTS FEATURE
Tickets: £5 Adults £3 Concessions
from a children’s picture book. The naïve innocence of the illustrations triggers a wild outpouring of fantastical imagery far removed from the original dot formations. This series of 21 etchings, published by The Paragon Press, London in 2004, offers a fascinating introduction to the imaginations of two of Britain’s most inventive and subversive artists.
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Tickets must be pre-booked (places are limited) from the Museum. Not recommended for young children or those of nervous disposition
Jake and Dinos Chapman: My Giant Colouring Book
VIVA
TOURS RUN ON THE SECOND AND LAST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, AT 7.30PM
Key Theatre
Dates Various Booking
COMING SOON: AN EXHIBITION OF THE METHODIST COLLECTION OF MODERN CHRISTIAN ART Location Date Mon — Fri
Peterborough Cathedral
8 – 30 June
9am — 5.30pm
Sat
9.30am — 3.15pm
Sun
12pm — 3.15pm
Price
Free
The Methodist Art Collection, one of the most notable collections of modern Christian art, comprises around 50 works mainly on Biblical themes. It includes pieces by a wide variety of artists, some very well-known, including Graham Sutherland, Edward Burra and Elizabeth Frink. The exhibition is put on by Churches Together in Central Peterborough in association with the Trustees of the Methodist Church Collection of Modern Art and in partnership with Vivacity. Supporting events, including lectures and devotional times, are being arranged and will be announced nearer the time. Visits by schools and art clubs will be welcomed. For further information, visit cticp.org.uk or email wordinframe@sky.com
01733 207239
What do you know about folk music? Does it make you think of beardy blokes in Arran jumpers with a finger in one ear? If so, you haven’t been paying attention! British folk is in the midst of an incredible revival. Our traditional music scene hasn’t been in such rude good health since the 1970s, and The Key Theatre’s new folk music programme is bringing the very best of it to Peterborough. One thing that characterises the current revival is its combination of sophistication and accessibility. Jackie Oates, who performed back in Febuary has created music for high street cosmetics juggernaut Lush, and even
has one of their products named after her! Her ethereal, melancholic voice is matched by superb fiddle accompaniment. The Irish House Party (6 March), Dublin’s most popular show, delivers superb traditional music and dance from champion musicians - and a fantastic night out. And for stalwart folk fans, the warmth and humour of Mike Harding (24 April) will be unmissable. Next season also packs a strong punch. Eliza Carthy and Jim Moray, two of this generation’s great musical innovators, play a very special double header concert (31 May) backed by an all-star supergroup of a band. Guitar genius and songwriter Martin Simpson is joined (12 May) by Andy Cutting, perhaps the world’s finest melodeon player. Blazin’ Fiddles take the stage (20 June) with
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vivacity-peterborough.com
their mighty wall of sound. Later on in the year there are gigs planned with Faustus, Lau, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Ruth Notman, Chris Wood and An Albion Christmas. The key is also planning a day-long celebration of traditional music in October and even its own folk festival later in 2014. With Lau, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman and Jim Moray all picking up gongs at the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (the Oscars of folk music), plus many previous winners also in the upcoming programme, Folk at The Key is proud to present a range of the brightest and best artists who are carrying traditional music forward in the 21st century.
THEATRE FEATURE
Location
“THE KEY IS FAST BECOMING AN IMPORTANT REGIONAL CENTRE FOR FOLK MUSIC”
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Folk at The Key
VIVA
Word in Frame
21 vivacity-peterborough.com
Date
Key Theatre
Booking
Location
Key Theatre Studio
Date
12 March
Date
23 March
Time
7.30pm
Time
7.45pm
Price
£16 / £13 con / £10 student
Price
£10 / £8 con
Booking
01733 207239
Booking
01733 207239
3 March
Time 7.30pm Price
Key Theatre
£15 / £12.50 con 01733 207239
Edith Piaf has become synonymous with French Cabaret of the 1940s & 50s and remains France’s most popular singer. Piaf’s life was the stuff of legend, from her dramatic rise from Paris street urchin to star of international renown. Her life, however, was anything but ‘La vie en rose’. As the 50th anniversary of Piaf’s death approaches, this powerful celebration comes from a company whose credentials include Kneehigh Theatre and Canteve Vocale.
Moliere’s classic comedy Kanjoos (Hindi for “miser”) is transported from 17th Century France to modern day India in this new adaptation by Hardeep Singh Kohli and Jatinder Verma.
After a sell-out five star run at the Edinburgh Festival Les Enfants Terribles tour the UK with their new award-winning show, The Trench.
In the money-mad maelstrom of modern Mumbai lurks Harjinder makhi choos, the ‘flea-sucking miser’: a man obsessed with hoarding his wealth according to Gandhian principles of relentless self-sacrifice. He hates spending money, whether on his household or his children, who are desperate for marriage and the fashionable Bolly life-style of Mumbai.
Inspired by the true story of a miner who became entombed in a tunnel during World War One, this story takes on an epic journey of salvation as the lines between reality and fantasy blur and as he questions what’s real, what’s not and whether it even matters? Blending live music, puppetry and physical performance, The Trench is the critically acclaimed new show
Location Date
Key Theatre 22 April
Time 7.45pm Price
£14 / £12 con
Booking
01733 207239
The Key’s exciting season of stand-up comedy, in association with Bottle Rocket Comedy, continues with Pete Firman, ‘the new poster-boy for British comedy magic’ (The Telegraph). Fresh from BBC1’s ‘The Magicians’, with his own trademark blend of comedy and jaw-dropping magic, this is a show not to be missed!
“...THIS WARM AND FUNNY SHOW IS JUST THE TONIC TO COUNTER THE COLD PINCH OF AUSTERITY”
“FROM RAZOR SHARP THEATRE COMPANY”
“THE MAN FROM MIDDLESBROUGH SETS THE PACE FOR COMEDY-MEETSMAGIC IN THE 21ST CENTURY”
The Stage
Les Enfants Terribles (The Telegraph)
The Times
THEATRE LISTINGS
Location
Location
PETE FIRMAN HOODWINKER
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PIAF THE SONGS
THE TRENCH
VIVA
KANJOOS THE MISER
Location
19 — 20 Apr
Jack Hunt School
Date
23 Apr
Location Ormiston Bushfield Academy Date
Location Date
24 — 25 Apr
St John’s Hall 26 — 27 Apr
Price Family ticket
£20
Adult £11.50 Con £8.50 Booking
01473 211498
VIVA Special Offer Book by the 1 April and save £2 off the price of a ticket.
Eastern Angles Theatre Company and Vivacity’s Forty Years On project present Parkway Dreams, a wonderful musical documentary recounting the human stories behind Peterborough’s fascinating past. Formed in 1968 the Peterborough Development Corporation was to transform the old city into a new utopia. Now, as our Forty Years On project has sifted through the archives, talked to local residents who migrated to the city long ago and interviewed former PDC staff, a fascinating story has emerged! Theatre company Eastern Angles has translated this intriguing story of the city into a show that will resonate with audiences young and old, both in Peterborough and beyond. Who were the people behind the city’s great transformation? What brought families to the city under the lure of ‘The Peterborough Effect’ and attracted swathes of migrants to this new town?
Ivan Cutting, Artistic Director of Eastern Angles explains, ‘The project has unearthed all the forgotten documents, drawings and records belonging to the Peterborough Development Corporation. This is the story of the transformation of Peterborough from a small historic city into one of the country’s most forward-thinking new towns.’ With Parkway Dreams you’ll discover why ‘overspill families’ chose to move from London to Peterborough, how Vietnamese boat people came to live in the city and why Ugandan refugees were given a safe haven. This play explores the human stories behind Peterborough’s past. See easternangles.co.uk The Forty Years On project is on tour and looking for suitable locations for its fascinating exhibition. To register your interest call 01733 864298. For more info go online vivacity-peterborough. com/fortyyearson
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EXPERIENCE PETERBOROUGH’S FASCINATING EVOLUTION IN THIS WONDERFUL MUSICAL DOCUMENTARY
Images courtesy of the Homes and Communities Agency
Date
Ken Stimpson Community School
LIBRARIES FEATURE
Location
As well as cataloguing over 400 boxes of material, volunteers working on the project spent hours interviewing key figures from the time, including the Peterborough Development Corporation General Manager Wyndham Thomas and Leader of the Council Charles Swift, in an attempt to build up an accurate account of the backroom discussions and decision-making that took place during the 70s, 80s and 90s.
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Parkway Dreams: a Musical Documentary
Using actual testimony, a fabulous musical score and dances reminiscent of the 70s, renowned playwright Kenny Emson has used Forty Years On material as inspiration for this brilliant new musical documentary Parkway Dreams.
VIVA
LIBRARIES FEATURE
EASTER EGG HUNT!
17th CENTURY — FACT & FICTION
Location
30 March 10.30am — 12noon Location 2 April
Location
John Clare Theatre
Date
23 March
Time
2pm
Price
£5 (£4 con) inc. refreshments
Booking
Bretton Library
01733 864280
Location
Charlotte talks about her life as a historical author and explains her love of historical fiction, with excerpts from her latest novel The Painter’s Apprentice, the sequel to her 2011 awardwinning book The Apothecary’s Daughter. Re-enactor Lynda Carvell will join Charlotte with a revealing insight into the realities of life in the seventeenth century with demonstrations of some of fashions, recipes and cooking techniques at that time.
Werrington Library
Location
Central Library
2pm — 3.30pm
Date
3 April
Location
Thorney Library
Time
2pm — 3.30pm
3 April
2pm — 3.30pm
Price
£1
Location 4 April 4 April
Stanground Library 11am — 12.30pm 1.30pm — 3pm Dogsthorpe Library
5 April
10.30am — 12noon
5 April
Central Library 2pm — 3.30pm
Location
Hampton Library
6 April
11am — 12.30pm
Price
£3
Booking Age
Age
01733 864160 8 — 12
Orton Library
Location Location
Booking
01733 864280 8 and under
Hop along to our special storytime reading with the Easter Bunny, with fun crafts making bunny-masks and baskets, ready for the exciting Easter egg hunt!
WORLD BOOK NIGHT WITH S.J. BOLTON
TRUE LIVES OF EDWARDIAN SERVANTS
Location
Location
Location
Date
10am — 11.30am
2 April
Location Join historical novelist Charlotte Betts and re-enactor Lynda Carvell on a journey back to the seventeenth century, set against the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Eye Library
BUILD A MODEL HOME OF THE FUTURE
THE COWGATE STORY
In this fun educational crafts session, children get to explore how townships and communities of the future might look. Will homes be full of technology? Perhaps they will be environmentally friendly and powered by wind or solar energy? Looking at archives from the Forty Years On project, children get to learn about how the city of Peterborough evolved, and why homes look the way they do today. They get the chance to be their very own architect, building a model dream home in an interactive craft session, where imagination is the only barrier!
John Clare Theatre 17 April
Date
Central Library
Central Library
23 April
Date
4 May
Time 2.30pm
Time
7pm
Time
2pm
Price
Price
£5 (£4 con)
Price
£5 (£4 con)
Booking
£1 on the door 01733 864160
Join local historian Stephen Perry for this fascinating local history talk The Cowgate Story. With evocative images from the archives, Stephen takes us back in history to revisit the street that experienced the biggest fire of all time in Peterborough. Stephen runs a series of insightful and entertaining afternoon talks all focused on the fascinating history of Peterborough, and are a wonderful way to reminisce and hear about the city’s rich past. All images for the talks are provided by The Local Studies and Archives Service based in Peterborough Central Library – pop in and find out how you can start your own local history research. For more information visit vivacity-peterborough.com /localhistory
Booking
01733 864280
Why not celebrate World Book Night with fantastic crime author S.J. Bolton who will be talking about her latest novel Like This For Ever. This Lancashire mother of four will be speaking about how she became a writer and the particular sort of Gothic crime novel that has become her trademark. Sharon is the author of five critically acclaimed novels and her books have been shortlisted for several international awards, including the CWA Gold Dagger and the Theakston’s Old Peculier prize for crime novel of the year. Signed copies of Like This For Ever will be available for purchase at the event. PLUS a free prize draw with great book giveaways.
Booking
01733 864280
The Museum and Library are coming together for a fantastic author talk about the true lives of Edwardian Servants. As part of the Museum’s La Belle Époque Edwardian series author and journalist Alison Maloney will be talking about her book Life Below Stairs. This intriguing book uncovers the real-life experiences and first-hand accounts of what life was really like working in a grand Edwardian house. The book explores the sometimes difficult servant-master divide and the trials and tribulations of a servant’s life, from rules and hierarchies to the scandal and the gossip.
SPORTS XTRA IS BACK!
BUSHFIELD TENNIS CENTRE
Time
9.30am — 4.00pm
Price Booking Age
£18 per day 01733 030711 5 — 11
Sports Xtra is back with their Dance and Adventure Xperiences at Werrington Leisure Centre and their Dance, Spy and Detective Xperiences at Bushfield Leisure Centre. These fabulous fun-packed and specialised programmes offer a structured day of activity with breaks and lunch provided, and prizes to the best performing teams. All programmes are lead by fully qualified instructors.
DANCE XPERIENCE Werrington Leisure Centre
3 Apr
Bushfield Leisure Centre
10 Apr
Does your child enjoy music and dancing? Let them be the envy of the dance floor. Learn and show off some new dance moves with fantastic choreographed dance routines where your child learns teamwork, rhythm and style.
Date
From 1 March
Adults £90 Werrington Leisure Centre
4 — 5 Apr
If your child loves an adrenaline rush, then the Adventure Xperience is for them! An exciting programme of bush-craft skills, shelter building, tracking and tool-making where your child is taught some handy survival skills.
SPY SCHOOL XPERIENCE Bushfield Leisure Centre
11 Apr
Has your child ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a special agent and use the same gadgets spies use? Children get a chance to use gadgets, intercept information and successfully avoid traps on a secret mission that involves a laser game and some intriguing challenges.
DETECTIVE XPERIENCE Bushfield Leisure Centre
12 Apr
Has your child ever wanted to explore a crime scene and see how detectives fight crime? Explore a crime scene, find fingerprints and signs of criminal behaviour! Analyse ink, retrieve ‘stolen’ items and decrypt messages that lead you to a diamond heist. Book Xtra extended hours from 8.30am-9.30am and 4pm-5pm for an additional £5 per hour. sports-xtra.com
Couples
£78 (each)
Con £66 11 — 16
£42
6 — 10
£24
Under 6
FREE (with paying adult)
Booking
01733 864656
Get fit for the summer with our new LTA registered tennis centre! With brand new courts to rival other tennis clubs in the city, the new tennis centre offers year round access to 9 newly resurfaced tennis courts. Your annual fee offers 96 hours of tennis play per week in the summer months and you can book the courts as many times as you wish. Membership also includes a block of 6 coaching sessions with our qualified coach. Additionally adult and children’s coaching sessions are available to book onto throughout the summer season. Tennis equipment is available to hire from the centre.
Need a tennis partner? Play against different tennis partners with our new weekly Open Tennis sessions. Part of a tennis club? Tennis clubs and advanced players are welcome to join, and we can help coordinate and manage your match play programme. Fancy tennis with a twist? Try the new cardio tennis sessions as part of your membership – gym members also qualify.
More information visit vivacity-peterborough .com/tennis
“QUALIFIED COACHING SESSIONS, HIGH QUALITY TRAINING FACILITIES AND INCREDIBLE VALUE!”
SPORTS & LEISURE FEATURE
3 — 12 Apr
Location Bushfield Leisure Centre
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Date
ADVENTURE XPERIENCE
VIVA
Location Various
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SPORTS FEATURE
vivacity-peterborough.com
SPORTS FEATURE
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LEARN NEW CYCLING SKILLS
ACCESSIBLE HANDCYCLING SESSIONS
Location
Location
Date
1st and 3rd Friday of every month
Time
6.30pm — 7.30pm
Price
£3 / £2 club members
Booking Age
01733 570221 7 — 15
Would your child like to learn new cycling skills in a fun, safe, off-road environment with qualified coaches?
Every Wednesday
Time 10 .30am — 11.30am / 5pm — 7pm Price Booking Age
£2 morning / £2.50 evening 01733 863783 4+
Come and try our specially adapted hand cycles at this fun outdoor session. This sport offers something different for disabled and able-bodied, and is ideal for all age groups and abilities. These cycles would benefit people with little or no mobility in the lower half of their body. For participants requiring 1-2-1 support a carer must be present at the session.
fenlandclarion.co.uk
VIVA
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Fenland Clarion Cycling Club is for riders of all ages with the focus on enjoying cycling at all levels, from beginners to the sporting rider. Helmets must be worn - some helmets available for newcomers. Sessions are suitable for beginners with some loan bikes available.
Date
Embankment Sports and Athletics Arena
SPORTS & LEISURE LISTINGS
Embankment Sports and Athletics Arena
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Location
Werrington Leisure Centre
Location
Date
Various
Date
Every Saturday
Date
Every Monday
Time
Various
Family Skate
5pm — 7pm
Time
4.45pm — 5.45pm
Price
£2.50 per hour
Roller Disco 7.30pm — 10pm
Price
£5 per session
Booking
01733 863783
Price
Booking
07703 030711
Age
3+
This fun, outdoor session is set in the beautiful surroundings of Ferry Meadows around the lakes with several routes on offer. It offers a perfect way to enjoy outdoor activity in a wonderful setting and is suitable for all abilities. The tricycle and tandem sessions are designed to accommodate people with a range of specific needs and offer disabled and able-bodied participants a chance to try these novel and fun cycles. Sessions can be booked to suit and include a full induction, after which, cycles can be booked at leisure thereafter. Group bookings welcome.
Booking Location
£3 / £3.50 01733 576606 Bushfield Leisure Centre
Date 1st Sunday of each month Family Skate Price Booking Age
10am — 1pm £3.50 01733 864656 4+
Age
Bushfield Leisure Centre
5—7
Has your child ever tried Futsal before? It’s the only small game of football accredited by the FA – and your child could be part of our team. Your child will learn a range of skills and techniques from the Futsal 5 players: Frankie, Ghost, Panther, Whirlwind and Spitfire.
Enjoy some skating fun with the family at our weekly Rollers sessions. With a state of the art lighting and sound system, playing all the family favourites, it’s perfect for some Saturday night or Sunday morning family fun.
With fun team challenges and games, each session is lead by a fully trained instructor where children are taught passing, receiving, shooting, turning, heading, attacking, goalkeeping, game play and tricks.
Stewards are on hand for those a little unstable on their feet. Skate hire available for £1.50 in sizes 8 junior to 12 adult.
Your child will learn a range of techniques with this team-based small football game accredited by the FA.
vivacity-peterborough.com
Location Water Sports Centre Ferry Meadows
LITTLE BLACK DRESS WORKOUT
AEROKINETIC TRAMPOLINE CLUB
Location
Location
Werrington Leisure Centre
Date
Every Wednesday
Time
9.30am — 10.30am
Price
£5.50 / £4.50 con
Booking
01733 576606
Age
16+
Don’t just wear your little black dress to your next special occasion – Rock it! Mixing aerobics and total body strength exercises, this class is aimed at sculpting your body to perfection. This 45 minute session focuses on all those problem areas, whilst offering the chance to have fun and make new friends. Free to Vivacity gym members.
Werrington Leisure Centre
Date
2 — 4 April
Time 9.30am — 11am / 11am — 12.30pm Price Booking Age
£6.50 per session 01733 752900 4 — 18
Trampolining is a fun and effective way to keep fit, and these two sessions run by Aero Kinetics caters for all abilities, from complete beginners, improvers and competition standard up to national performance level. Children get to improve stamina, agility, body strength, body awareness and concentration. It also offers a friendly and fun environment which helps teach selfdiscipline and boosts self-confidence. Advanced members are welcome and can also benefit from undertaking the British Gymnastics Trampoline Proficiency Awards. aerokinetics.co.uk
SPORTS & LEISURE LISTINGS
FUTSAL WITH SPORT XTRA
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ROLLERS FAMILY SKATE
VIVA
DISABLED QUADCYCLES TRICYCLES + TANDEMS
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FIVE DAY INTENSIVE SWIMMING COURSES
Time Location
Jack Hunt Pool & Gym 9am — 12noon Regional Swimming & Fitness Centre
Time
1pm — 4pm
Price
£5.50 Juniors / £7 Adults
Booking
8 — 12 April
Time
9am — 12noon
01733 864000
Have some fun in the pool with our two great inflatable sessions. Enjoy bouncing around on our giant inflatable or jump into one of the crazy waterwalkerz (zorbs), rollerz (two man tubes) or the peddlerz (paddle boats). This is one of our most popular and fun sessions, a novel way to enjoy being in the swimming pool and perfect for the Easter holidays!
Regional Swimming & Fitness Centre
Time
1pm — 4pm
Price
£20
Age
4 — 16
Booking
01733 864000
This 5 day intensive swimming course is perfect for non swimmers, and a perfect introduction to learning to swim. Your child will learn basics such as buoyancy, flotation and movement through the water with other children through play and water activities. Your child will get used to the pool, building confidence and skills as they learn. It offers a safe and fun environment where children are able to improve rapidly during the course – a perfect and important introduction to swimming. For more information about the Vivacity Swim Academy please call for details.
SPORTS & LEISURE LISTINGS
Location
Date Location
2 — 5 April
Jack Hunt Pool & Gym
/
Date
Location
VIVA
SWIMMING POOL INFLATABLE FUN
You could become part of our fantastic team of volunteers, who give up their time and share their skills to help us achieve our goals. People volunteer for lots of different reasons: it is a great way to gain new skills, enhance your CV, improve employment prospects, meet like-minded people and help in your community. No matter how much time you have, you can make a difference. Vivacity has lots of opportunities available – including sport, libraries, history, fundraising and even helping at our one-off events, such as the annual Heritage Festival.
MEET ISOBEL BOOTHER Libraries volunteer
“I have been volunteering at Vivacity for around 18 months, working mainly in Central Library. Reading has always been a huge passion for me: I used to listen to audio books on the way to work and keep a book with me for spare moments. Volunteering in the library seemed like a fantastic opportunity to ensure I was always surrounded by books. It has really widened my reading repertoire! I used to hide the books I wanted to read as I was stacking the shelves, until I realised I could put them in the staff room ready for me to take home that evening! Once a week I go out with the mobile library, where you get to meet some wonderful characters. It’s lovely to see the same people every week and the service is about so much more than the books. It is a lifeline and social hub for so many people. I really enjoy being involved in something that is useful and it gives me a focus for every day. For me, working in a library is like being faced with a big plate of delicious food – I can’t manage it all but the anticipation of all the books still be read is truly wonderful.”
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MEET JAKE EXTON
Heritage volunteer “I’m 15 years old and first started volunteering at Flag Fen Archaeology Park in March 2012 for school work experience and then continued to volunteer through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. I now work at Peterborough Museum during the winter months and Flag Fen in spring. History is my favourite subject at school: I like to know what happened in the past and enjoy the fact that there is always something new to discover. I’m a teenage boy so of course I enjoy medieval history with all its swords and shields!
vivacity-peterborough.com
Vivacity provides a myriad of opportunities for people to take part in cultural and leisure activities across the city of Peterborough.
In spring, Flag Fen is such a relaxing and tranquil place, you can feel the spirit of the place from all those centuries before. It is idyllic. I’m also fascinated by the Victorian Operating Theatre at the Museum. When 5pm comes and it’s getting dark it can feel really creepy in there. History is brought to life! Other people my age are doing work experience in supermarkets, whereas I have so many amazing memories – from catching baby Soay lambs at Flag Fen to dressing up as batman for the Museum’s Superheroes exhibition. No two days are the same!” If you would like to find out more about volunteering with Vivacity, you can call us on 01733 864775, email: volunteering@vivacity-peterborough.com, visit vivacity-peterborough.com or follow us on twitter @VivacityVols We are currently looking to fill the following roles: Library Link Flag Fen front of house volunteer Museum stewarding role Sports opportunities Key Theatre front of house volunteer
VIVA PEOPLE
Photography by Vivacity volunteer John Moore
VIVA PEOPLE POWER
Volunteering for Vivacity
Vivacity’s Local Studies and Archives Service
We’d love you to get involved - so if you fancy being a guest editor, contributing to the publication or simply sharing your views then we’d love to hear from you.
We may have just what you are looking for!
ABOUT VIVA AND VIVACITY
VIVA is brought to you by Vivacity, Peterborough’s Culture and Leisure Trust.
37 vivacity-peterborough.com
VIVA PEOPLE
FIND US ON FACEBOOK OR FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
A registered charity, we manage many of Peterborough’s most popular culture and leisure attractions on behalf of Peterborough City Council, including the Key Theatre, Peterborough Museum, libraries and leisure centres. You can find out all about us at vivacity-peterborough.com.
Vivacity’s Local Studies and Archives service preserves and provides access to all kinds of useful archive information and material about Peterborough. • • • • • •
Original records dating from the 1200s onwards Information on local government, schools, businesses, churches and community organisations Evocative photographs of Peterborough’s past The largest collection of maps and plans of the area Back copies of all local newspapers The best collection of local studies material in Peterborough
Why not come along and study Peterborough’s local history or your own family history, with FREE access to ancestry.com? Perhaps you have some archives in your attic? Could you have a missing part of Peterborough’s past? Or come along and enjoy our popular series of local history talks and courses – see reverse for details. Call your Archives Service now – we have a specialist research service, with evening and weekend appointments available.
Vivacity’s Local Studies and Archives Service is based at Peterborough Central Library.
Open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm. Call: 01733 864 160 or email: archives.services@vivacity-peterborough.com vivacity-peterborough.com
Peterborough Libraries
Vivacity Peterborough Culture and Leisure ONLINE
vivacity-peterborough.com
VIVA PEOPLE
@VivacityPboro
VIVACITY VENUES
City Gallery Priestgate PE1 1LF T 01733 864663 E arts@ vivacity-peterborough.com HERITAGE Peterborough Museum Priestgate PE1 1LF T 01733 864663 E museum@ vivacity-peterborough.com Flag Fen* The Droveway Northey Road PE6 7QJ T 01733 313414 E flag.fen@ vivacity-peterborough.com Longthorpe Tower* Thorpe Road Longthorpe PE3 6LU T 01733 864663 E longthorpe.tower@ vivacity-peterborough.com LIBRARIES Bretton Library The Cresset Rightwell Bretton PE3 8DS T 01733 864291 E brettonlibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com Dogsthorpe Library Central Avenue Dogsthorpe PE1 4LH T 01733 864300 E dogsthorpelibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Eye Library Crowland Road Eye PE6 7TN T 01733 864142 E eyelibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Woodston Library Orchard Street Woodston PE2 9AL T 01733 864304 E woodstonlibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Hampton Library 6B Serpentine Green Shopping Centre Hampton PE7 8DR T 01733 864538 E hamptonlibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
SPORTS
Orton Library Bushfield Orton Goldhay PE2 5RQ T 01733 864296 E ortonlibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Jack Hunt Pool and Gym Ledbury Road Netherton PE3 9PN T 01733 864759 E jackhuntpool@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Peterborough Central Library & John Clare Theatre Broadway PE1 1RX T 01733 864280 E libraryenquiries@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Peterborough Lido** Bishops Road, Peterborough PE1 5BW T 01733 343618 E enquiries@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Stanground Library Southfields Avenue Stanground PE2 8RZ T 01733 864302 E stangroundlibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Regional Fitness & Swimming Centre Bishops Road PE1 5BW T 01733 864760 E enquiries@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Thorney Library Church Street Thorney PE6 0QB T 01733 864542 E thorneylibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com Werrington Library Staniland Way Werrington PE4 6JT T 01733 864282 E werringtonlibrary@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Bushfield Leisure Centre Orton Centre PE2 5RQ T 01733 864656 E bushfieldsports@ vivacity-peterborough.com
Werrington Leisure Centre Staniland Way Werrington PE4 6JT T 01733 576606 E werringtonsports@ vivacity-peterborough.com THEATRE Key Theatre Embankment Road PE1 1EF T 01733 207239 E key.theatre@ vivacity-peterborough.com
* closed until Easter weekend. Visit our website for opening times and a full listing of events. **Opens in summer
ARTS