CITYIST

THE CITYist

My BRISTOL

The band is booked to play Westonbirt Arboretum on 11 June next year

Forest-shaped future gig

English alternative rock band Keane, who hail from from Battle, East Sussex and formed in 1995, have announced new gig dates as part of Forest Live, the summer concert series presented by Forestry England.

After a six-year hiatus, the band made a return in 2019 with their latest studio album Cause and Effect and a sold-out UK tour. The release follows on from a succession of previous number-one albums that have accumulated over 13 million sales worldwide including Under The Iron Sea, Perfect Symmetry, Night Train, Strangeland and their big debut Hopes and Fears, which generated hit singles Somewhere Only We Know, Everybody’s Changing, This Is The Last Time and Bedshaped.

Forest Live is a major outdoor live music series that introduces forests to new audiences in unique, natural woodland arenas around the country. Over 1.9 million people have attended a Forest Live gig in the last 20 years, cracking out the picnic blankets, deckchairs and strawberries and enjoying great music while supporting the nation’s forests through buying a ticket.

Going to a concert helps Forestry England create beautiful places, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees. Every year they plant some eight million trees sustainably, caring for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests, and sustainably supplying around half of the country’s home-grown timber. They manage the biggest and most diverse area of land in England, from forests to heathlands, mountains to moors, farmland to urban green spaces, and recently they have reintroduced sea eagles and pine martens back to the countryside.

Keane, along with their special guest acts Flyte and Michael Ryan, are scheduled to play Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, on 11 June 2021. Meet music industry ace Rachel Mason

We moved from London when I was three so I grew up in the countryside just outside Bristol in a beautiful little village called Wrington.

I’ve written for Dua Lipa, Olly Murs, winners of The Voice UK, American Idol alumni and some fantastic BBC Introducing artists. I’m also the first person to have judged music contests on six continents in the same year.

During lockdown I created Unlock Your Talent, an international arts festival to raise money for local mental health charity Vine

Counselling Services. I’ve also written a song to raise money for postnatal depression support charity PANDAS which has just been released on my label. I struggled with postnatal depression after my children were born so I run a songwriting project called Lyrical Light where people who have had issues with their maternal mental health can get together and talk about their experiences. Then, as a group, we write a song to help with the healing process.

Being one of the few women to run a record label can be tough as I feel there’s still a tendency to dismiss women as not being

strong enough for the music industry. On the upside I have used my ‘mama bear’ supportive and gentle style of dealing with clients to set me apart from the more controlling labels.

I can see music as colours and taste it. It’s a condition called synesthesia and people often refer to it as my ‘superpower’!

My career highlight so far has been being called an inspiration by Harry and Meghan,

for my work mentoring young musicians.

Currently being mastered at Bare Wall Studios in Bristol is a song I’ve just written with my friend, Hamilton cast member Aaron Lee Lambert, inspired by the Black Lives Matter

movement. It will be released to raise funds for BAME charities. I’m also writing a book about real life experiences with postnatal depression. It will include song lyrics written at Lyrical Light workshops. Along with amazing songwriter Riva Taylor I’m about to launch the brand new venture The Songwriters Circle. This will support upcoming songwriters and give them opportunities to perform at The Roundhouse in London and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

Rachel has written for the likes of Dua Lipa and Olly Murs

I’m part of an amazing Bristol networking

group called Freelance Mum and the women there are the most amazing, creative, supportive people I’ve ever met. Bristol musicians including Massive Attack, Portishead, John Parrish and Beth Rowley have always inspired me and I love listening to their music. I’m loving listening to Amy Wadge’s new EP and we also have Radiohead and the Hamilton soundtrack on a lot at home as this is our toddlers’ favourite music!

Our favourite place to eat and drink is Eden in

Clifton. Everything is vegan and absolutely delicious! Ordinarily my husband and I go to music events in Bristol often and particularly love The Fleece and The Old Duke. We’ve seen some great performances at the bigger venues too – Colston Hall [now Bristol Beacon, St George’s and the Hippodrome.

If I was mayor of Bristol, it would be hard to

do a better job than Marvin Rees but I think I’d introduce a ‘mental healthcheck day’ where people would have the day off to reflect on their own mental health and there would be help available for anyone who needed it. n • rachelmasonmusic.com

Dark side of the light

Bristol astronomer, photographer and filmmaker Josh Drury has been selected to represent the South West as a delegate on behalf of the International Dark Skies Association, to raise awareness of light pollution and the need to protect the night sky. Josh hopes to collaborate with local MPs on how we can reduce our impact on the environment, and engage a wider audience with the ‘dark-sky movement’.

Light pollution is a newly defined area for climate conservation that threatens professional astronomical observations, human health and wildlife conservation including the migratory patterns of nocturnal marine life and the food chain. “Satellite constellations are now posing a risk to our open window to the universe,” says Josh, who is also setting up his own organisation called Space4All, “and will eventually outnumber the amount of visible stars in the night sky.”

Space4All will encourage practical astronomy and engage members of all ages and backgrounds in interactive astronomical experience through the use of equipment including telescopes and binoculars, in a safe, fun and inclusive Stargazer Josh has been atmosphere. “Ultimately, Space4All selected to represent Bristol is to inspire people to feel compelled on behalf of the IDSA to protect the night sky,” adds Josh. “Events and workshops will actively promote conservation and hopefully excite more of us into looking up to the night sky and feeling compelled to protect it.”

• joshduryphoto-media.com

Real Great Westerners

Two local volunteers are being recognised for their outstanding work during the pandemic – each having a high-speed GWR train named after them. Iain Bugler, nominated by BBC Radio Bristol listeners, organised a hot food service in Nailsea, delivering up to 300 meals a week. Remarkably he started the project just after Royal Fort Gardens (image: Barbara Evripidou) radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, and sadly, he passed away in July at the age of 51. “Iain was such a great chap; good humoured and enthusiastic,” said friend Catherine Blease. “He gave everything to the town – while he knew he was ill, he was thinking of other people.” Iain’s widow Kate (pictured with son Ed) said: “He’d just finished chemo and radiotherapy when lockdown happened. [The service] started with 50 meals and just jumped to 300. He co-ordinated it all from home on his laptop.”

Sarah Williams-Martin was nominated for her work with Compassionate Community Emergency Volunteer Response in Bath and North East Somerset. She volunteers seven days a week and built a database to manage the 2,500 who signed up to help during lockdown, ensuring every person who contacted the group was given the support of a volunteer. “This is amazing,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure people were looked after – it mushroomed into quite a lot.”

BBC Radio Bristol has run its Make A Difference campaign to link those who need help with those who can offer it, and teamed up with GWR in August. “Nearly two million listeners have contacted their BBC local radio station looking for help, or offering it out,” said Stephanie Marshall, head of the BBC in the South West. “The stories of heroism have helped put a smile on faces across the country.” GWR interim MD Matthew Golton said: “The GWR has a long and proud history of naming trains after Great Westerners and to that list now we can add the names of Iain Bugler and Sarah Williams-Martin. It has been a privilege to learn more about those people who have helped to make such a huge difference. We were particularly overwhelmed by the stories of these two winners and I hope our train-naming ceremonies will serve as a fitting tribute to them.”

AR evolution

Bristolians have been sharing what they would like to see included in an augmented reality tour centred around the Seven Saints of St Pauls’ murals, which began as an exhibition from the Iconic Black Britons project led by local artist Michele Curtis. A celebration of the Windrush Generation who came to Bristol and made political and social strides for change, this honoured the accomplishments of the founders of the 1968 St Pauls Festival and their city contributions.

Building on three years of collaboration with Boomsatsuma, Iconic Black Britons created an AR prototype as part of Bristol and Bath Creative Digital Placemaking Pathfinder, bringing the murals to life to enhance engagement between visitors to St Pauls and the stories behind the people and the area, allowing audiences to experience new elements of the narrative through animation and audio.

A wide audience of Bristolians was invited to complete an online survey, in place of the faceto-face consultations planned before the pandemic, to help the leaders of the project understand what is important to them and deliver a prototype that would serve the community and develop wider audiences.

“This is an AR evolution to St Pauls Art, Culture and Heritage Trail, which completed the first two stages of development in 2019,” says Michele. “The launch of the accompanying mobile app and guided tours provided opportunities for members of the public to engage with the rich cultural heritage of the African Caribbean community and learn about our shared local history.”

Along with Lyndsay Davies, creative projects manager at boomsatsuma, Michele has led an all-female team of creative technologists and animators in designing the tech to enhance the current tours by augmenting visuals and audio to allow audiences to further engage with the Saints and their impact on Bristol.

The prototype will be finished this month, with members of the public welcome to take part in the tour before the collaboration looks for more funding to complete the project.