What’sOn

News from around the region

A spectacle of light at Compton Verney

Midlanders are being invited to discover the nighttime wonder of Compton Verney via a spectacle of light and sound this month. Running at the Warwickshire venue from Friday 10 February to Sunday 5 March, the show features ‘a beautiful illuminated trail through the majestic woodland and around the parkland, all lit under the stars’. For more information about the Spectacle Of Light, and to book tickets for the show, visit comptonverney.org.uk

New home for popular Midlands folk festival

Bromsgrove Folk Festival is on the move... The long-established event has found a new home at local visitor attraction Avoncroft Museum of Buildings.

Commenting on the news, the festival’s Bob Bignell said: “We are delighted and very excited to be taking Bromsgrove Folk Festival into its fourth decade and onto the site ofand in association with - Avoncroft Museum of Buildings. The possibilities that this collaboration presents are enormous, and we look forward to working with the museum team to establish a truly unique event in the folk calendar.”

The 2023 edition of the festival takes place from 6 to 9 July.

For further information and to book tickets, visit: avoncroft.org.uk/bromsgrove-folkfestival-2023

Belgrade leaders unveil three-year theatre plan

The Coventry Belgrade’s leadership teamChief Executive Laura Elliot and Creative Director Corey Campbell - have laid out a three-year plan for the theatre.

Their vision will see the venue: producing, presenting and co-creating performances that celebrate Coventry and the region’s people and stories; investing in local talent; and partnering with schools, health providers and charities to facilitate creative opportunities that ‘enrich people’s wellbeing, belonging and education’.

The announcement of the three-year plan follows on from the recent news that the Belgrade has been awarded a 30% increase in its core annual funding from Arts Council England.

The venue will receive £1,229,552 for the period 2023 to 2026.

Three kathak shorts at Warwick Arts Centre

The one-time Britain’s Got Talent finalistswhose shows have been likened to Cirque Du Soleil if it were directed by Quentin Tarantino(!) - stop off at Coventry theatre The Albany (Saturday 4 February) with a production entitled The Haunted Fairground. To find out more and book tickets, visit albanytheatre.co.uk

New Tony Blair rock opera to visit Malvern venue

Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre is this month presenting a trio of short kathak dance pieces written & choreographed by Amina Khayyam. Taking ‘a South Asian feminist perspective’, the three works can be enjoyed at the venue on Thursday 16 February. The show lasts for approximately one hour. To find out more and book tickets, visit warwickartscentre.co.uk

Historic squash event back in the Midlands

One of the most prestigious and historic tournaments in professional squash will this spring return to Birmingham for the first time since 2001.

The opening two days of the 2023 PSA World Tour Platinum tournament - which runs in the city from 9 to 16 April - will take place at Edgbaston Priory Club.

Play will then move to the Birmingham Rep, where the action will unfold on an all-glass show court. Further information is available by visiting britishopensquash.info

Circus Of Horrors stops off at Coventry theatre

The Circus Of Horrors is back in the region early this month with a brand-new production.

A rock opera about Tony Blair which has been co-written by Harry Hill and Steve Brown will stop off in Malvern this summer as part of a UK tour (18 - 22 July).

Tony! The Tony Blair Rock Opera is being described as ‘a reckless reappraisal of the life of former Ugly Rumours front man and Britain’s first pop prime minister’. To find out more and book tickets, visit malvern-theatres.co.uk

Tulip Festival to support RSC costume-making

Morton Hall Gardens in Redditch will once again be holding its annual Tulip Festival this spring, with all ticket sales supporting costume-making at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

There will be more than 100 tulip varieties on show at the festival, as well as a special display showcasing the incredible skills of the RSC’s costume team.

To find out more about the event, which takes place from Saturday 29 April to Monday 1 May, visit rsc.org.uk/morton-hall

From King Gary to Underdog

Comedian Tom Davis - best known from BBC comedy series King Gary - will make an autumn stop-off in Birmingham as part of a brand-new tour entitled Underdog.

The Live At The Apollo favourite, whose television credits also include A League Of Their Own, The Ranganation, Judge Romesh and Action Team, will play Birmingham Town Hall on 6 October.

To find out more and book tickets, visit bmusic.co.uk

Dippy The Dinosaur arriving in Coventry this month

The Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus cast is heading to Coventry.

The cast, affectionately referred to as Dippy, will be available to view at the city’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum (for an initial period of three years) from Monday 20 February.

The replica skeleton first arrived in London in

Eno brothers rare live concert on the big screen

A film of a live concert in which the Eno brothers performed together for the very first time will premiere in cinemas across the UK next month (Thursday 2 March). The concert took place in August 2021 at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheatre, part of the Acropolis in Athens. To purchase tickets to see the film, visit CinemaLive.com/event/briana ndrogereno

From Pub To Pulpit...

The only official touring event to mark the 150th birthday of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams stops off at Coventry Cathedral this month (Saturday 11 February).

From Pub To Pulpit features acapella folk group Broomdasher and instrumental trio Coracle in collaboration with the cathedral’s choir... For more information about the event and to book tickets, visit coventrycathedral.org.uk

1905 and recently visited Birmingham as part of an eight-city tour that attracted a recordbreaking two million visitors.

Tickets to see the free installation - titled Dippy In Coventry: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaurare available in advance via the Herbert’s website.

Museum visitors head ‘into the thick’ as coal mine reopens

Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) is reopening its popular underground mine experience.

As visitors head below ground in a recreated Black Country coal pit, they will be able to experience the darkness a miner endured, explore a maze of roadways and working areas, and learn about the world of an 1850s coal miner.

Commenting on the news, David Pitt, BCLM’s head of site conservation, transport & maintenance, said: “The whole museum is delighted to bring this experience back to our visitors.

“It has always been a popular part of the museum, and we can’t wait to invite returning visitors to head ‘into the thick’ again, as well as introduce the experience to first-time visitors.”

Bingo Lingo at the Plaza

Cult bingo brand Bingo Lingo is coming to Coventry’s Rialto Plaza on Saturday 18 February.

The madcap event debuted at the venue last month and will also be visiting the Plaza on St Patrick’s Day (Friday 17 March).

Attendees are promised ‘a wild night of confetti-filled chaos, with the chance to win huge life-changing prizes every week’. Past winners have walked away with an impressive range of ‘goodies’, including a new car, electric scooters, festival tickets, giant inflatables, holidays and ‘a crazy amount of cash’.

To find out more, visit bingolingo.club

ESO season continues with Midlands concerts

The Worcester-based English Symphony Orchestra’s (ESO) 2022/23 season continues this month with two Midlands concerts.

The first, American Rhapsody - featuring Gershwin’s Rhapsody

In Blue and Copland’s Appalachian Springtakes place at Holy Trinity Church in Hereford on Saturday 18 February. The soloist is pianist Roman Kosyakov.

ESO then head to Malvern Theatres one week later (Saturday the 25th) to perform Journey

To America. The concert comprises two works composed by Antonín Dvorák while he was in New York: his celebrated cello concerto - performed by Maja Bogdanovi (pictured) - and his equally famous ninth symphony... For more information and to book tickets, visit eso.co.uk

Coventry visitor attraction looking for volunteers

A major Coventry visitor attraction is looking for volunteers to help celebrate its rich history.

Grade I listed Charterhouse has undergone a £10million refurbishment and is hosting an open day on Saturday 11 February.

Commenting on the recruitment drive, Charterhouse General Manager Hannah Jones said: “Our volunteers will be key in ensuring visitors get a warm welcome. We are looking for vibrant and positive people to join our friendly team, to help establish Charterhouse as Coventry’s premier destination.” For more information, visit historiccoventrytrust.org.uk/volunteer

UK premiere to feature at Light Night Worcester

The festival, which sees the city centre illuminated by neon lights, showcases a programme of street performances and creative and interactive work.

Dickens classic given a fresh Twist by Rosen

One-time Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen is bringing a retelling of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist to the region this spring. Described as ‘an Oliver Twisted Tale’, Unexpected Twist combines the 1838 classic with a story of Michael’s very own.

Showing at the Coventry Belgrade from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 April, the production then visits Malvern Theatres from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 May and the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 May.

For more information and to book tickets, visit: unexpectedtwistonstage.co.uk

Coventry Green Futures project hailed a success

A project designed ‘to engage the Coventry public with nature, sustainability and social change’ has been hailed a resounding success.

A recently published evaluation report has revealed that the Green Futures initiative - a key strand of the Coventry UK City of Culture creative programme - reached an audience of over 150,000 people and saw 78 per cent of audiences and participants experience an increase in their sense of civic pride. Commenting, Martin Sutherland, chief executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “This report evidences that the many artists, organisations and members of the public who came together in the pursuit of a green future did so extremely successfully. The role of arts, culture and collaboration in finding solutions to the climate crisis is clear.”

Light Night runs in the city on Wednesday 22 & Thursday 23 February.

Fast forward 200 years at Worcester art gallery

Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum is hosting a brand-new interactive and immersive game as part of the Worcesterwide collaborative arts project, Severn Rising 2222.

Available to enjoy until Saturday 3 June, the game is set 200 years in the future, in a flooded version of Worcester consumed by nature, ‘where the wildlife does the talking’. The question to be answered is: Can human existence be pieced back together?...

The game has been developed by illustrator Sarah Millin and digital artist Andy Round in conjunction with local families.