6 minute read
ABCC: India film festival helps bring back audiences
Scheme to unearth regional writing talent
Sky Studios and Birmingham Repertory Theatre (REP) have joined forces to launch 'Sky Comedy REP’.
This is a scheme was aims to unearth and nurture new regional comedy writing talent from across the UK, particularly from communities that have traditionally been under-represented in the arts.
The scheme – which has as its patron one of the UK’s best known actors, Dame Julie Walters - will see nine writers chosen to develop a one-act stage play.
All the plays will focus around a simple premise, namely a meeting on a park bench. All nine will then be performed at a three-day comedy festival at The REP early next year, featuring up-and-coming actors and emerging directors.
Throughout the six-month programme, writers will be paid for their work and receive one-to-one mentoring from various comedians, including Meera Syal (‘Goodness Gracious Me’, ‘The Kumars’), Simon Blackwell (‘The Thick of It’, ‘Veep’) Danny Brocklehurst (‘Brassic’, ‘Shameless’) and Guz Khan (‘Man Like Mobeen’).
The scheme will also include a series of workshops and Masterclasses at the REP featuring insights into all aspects of writing and production.
The initiative will be overseen by the Rep's artistic director, Sean Foley, and Anil Gupta, Sky Studios creative director of comedy.
Mr Foley said: “Sky Comedy Rep is a unique and ambitious talent development programme for comedy writing in the UK.
Developing and nurturing new talent from wherever it springs is a cornerstone of everything the Rep does, and we are thrilled that this new partnership with Sky Studios will enable new diverse voices to take first steps in our industry.
“Comedy is a genre very close to my heart - I’m delighted to be creating this new initiative alongside some of the UK's leading names in comedy, including our patron, the great Dame Julie Walters.”
Dame Julie said of the project: "I am honoured to be patron of this important new initiative to provide a platform for new comedy writing talent.
“Participants will be given access to some of the very best in the business whilst being given a paid opportunity to develop their skills and materials. I very much look forward to seeing, and enjoying, the final results.”
India film festival helps bring back audiences
The curtain is set to fall on the latest Birmingham India Film Festival, which has been wowing audiences since the end of last month.
The festival has been screening the very best of new indie and classic films from the Indian subcontinent.
Supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) using funds from the National Lottery, cinema goers were able to see a wide-range of films, including the opening night’s epic premiere of ‘WOMB (Women of My Billion)’.
This is an inspirational feature-length documentary telling of one woman, Srishti Bakshi, who walks the entire length of India during 240 days to explore the experiences of other women in its billion plus population.
Srishti was later featured live in conversation at MAC Birmingham following the screening. The closing film, ‘Flight’, showcases British Asian film makers and actors and their continued contribution to British cinema’s success, often depicting realistic stories of British Asian immigrant experience.
Festival director Cary Rajinder Sawhneysaid of the festival: “Last year we grew our audiences quite substantially by going online and UK-wide.
“With the UK scene improving, we are delighted to not only offer a strong high definition online experience on LoveLIFFatHome.com but to also welcome our audiences back to the big screen at MAC Birmingham, Millennium Point, and, for the first time at Everyman at The Mailbox.”
This year’s festival featured a dedicated strand of films focused on the environment, marked Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary of its independence, by staging special screenings of the lyrical The Salt in Our Waters.
The festival was backed by Birmingham City University.
Professor Rajinder Dudrah, professor of Cultural Studies and Creative Industries at Birmingham City University, said: “In another challenging year all round, not least for our Indian friends and families, we need the possibility of the new, to be able to look at things differently, for hope, and to create and tell our stories in a myriad of ways.
“This summer of BIFF 2021 promises to do just that with a range of stimulating films and events that deal with the topical, to the practical and the uplifting.
“Birmingham City University, as in previous years, is pleased to be a partner to this venture that brings thought, escape and creativity to our city and online platforms.”
On screen: ‘Too Desi Too Queer’, one the films showing at the festival
A lesson in staying safe
Students from South and City College Birmingham have been taking part in a series of interactive workshops to keep one step ahead of fraudsters and online scams.
Current frauds include one where people are told they owe the taxman money and must pay up or face the consequences, and the crudely produced emails from ludicrous sounding individuals who have a vast fortune that they want to give to people –for an upfront fee, of course.
The workshops, which are being delivered by NatWest in partnership with the college, highlight a range of purchase scams and offers to make a fast buck that young people have fallen victim to.
The sessions also include a discussion on how young people can effectively manage their money while also staying safe from online fraudsters. NatWest intends to run similar workshops at other universities and colleges across the Midlands region in the coming months.
Abe Tilling (pictured), NatWest’s regional managing director for corporate and commercial coverage Midlands and East, said: “It’s absolutely vital that we educate as many people as possible against fraud and scams, and as a bank, we are committed to doing so across all communities. “These financial education workshops are an innovative way to share our knowledge with college pupils and help them become financially savvy.” Pam Sheemar, career accelerated pilot placement lead at NatWest, helped to launch the project, in development with Kaussar Bashir, deputy faculty head at South and City. The latter said: “We have had really positive feedback from our learners at South and City College Birmingham.
“We hope that our learners who have taken part of the workshops are more confident in their abilities to spot potential incidents of fraud.”
Accelerator programme to focus on the future
NatWest bank has relaunched its ‘Accelerator’ programme, in a bid to help small to medium businesses (SMEs) recover from the coronavirus crisis.
The bank has been running this programme for more than six years, from its Entrepreneurial Hub in Birmingham where it has supported hundreds of businesses to develop and grow.
The relaunch focuses on four specialised programmes for business sectors that NatWest says will be ‘key to the future economy’. The four programmes are for high growth businesses, as well was climate, fintech, and purpose-led businesses.
Josh Winfield, regional ecosystem manager for NatWest in the Midlands said: “As the economy continues to recover, it’s absolutely vital that we support businesses to develop and grow. These tailored Accelerator programmes will bring together likeminded businesses to receive peer support, monthly coaching and access to our Entrepreneurial Hubs to collaborate.”
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