Marketing Birmingham City News

'Join the Jig' in Birmingham with O'Neill's and Acorns

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:26:28 GMT

'Join the Jig' in Birmingham with O'Neill's and Acorns

Get your dancing shoes at the ready next Monday, March 15 2010, as O’Neill’s takes to the streets of Birmingham to give locals the chance to take part in its ‘Join the Jig’ campaign and raise money for local charity Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Taking place in Victoria Square, between 11am and 3pm, a troupe of Irish dancers and musicians will be providing passers-by with the chance to try their hand, and most importantly their feet, at a traditional Irish dance - all for a good cause.

Showing everyone how to perfect the Galway Reel will be dancers from Doherty Academy of Irish Dance accompanied by local musicians Mulligan & Mulligan and staff from O’Neill’s Broad Street.

Paddy Barton, manager of O’Neill’s on Broad Street said: “What better way to raise money, and a smile, on an otherwise ordinary Monday? Come along and Join the Jig next week – the more the merrier!”

Birmingham is one of four cities taking part in the national ‘Join the Jig’ campaign with troupes also visiting city centre locations in Liverpool, Cardiff and Glasgow - all in the run up to this year’s St Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17.

“This is the perfect way to start our St Patrick’s Day celebrations,” continued Paddy. “And by working with Acorns Children’s Hospice we ensure that it’s not just the Patron Saint of the Emerald Isle who gets all the attention this March.”

‘Join the Jig’ is one of many fundraising activities occurring across the 62 O’Neill’s locations on and before St Patrick’s Day. For more information visit www.oneills.co.uk and become a fan on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/oneillspubs.

Join in Birmingham’s Twestival revolution

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:43:32 GMT

Join in Birmingham’s Twestival revolution

Tickets have gone on sale for this year’s Brum Twestival - a festival for people who are on Twitter - and its organisers are asking as many people as possible to come along and join in the fun.

Jashpal Mall, twestival organiser, said: “This year’s Brum Twestival is on Thursday, 25th March in Poppy Red in The Arcadian and is part of a global twitter festival that is supporting Concern Worldwide, the international humanitarian organisation. All the money we raise through ticket sales will go towards helping to give street children an education and lift some of our planet’s poorest children out of extreme and devastating poverty.

“Twestival is also a chance to showcase the great opportunities that Twitter presents. It is a fantastic social networking tool that can connect people in a really positive way.

"We’ve done some research which shows that close to two thirds (62 per cent) of Twitter users in Birmingham have met new friends through the site and four in ten (39 per cent) have won business. We also found that 40 per cent have learned new skills through using Twitter including blogging, new marketing techniques and general business management advice.

“We’re encouraging as many people as possible to come along to Brum Twestival and learn about Twitter for themselves. The event is for a good cause and promises to be a night of fun, food and drink, with great raffle prizes on offer.”

The tickets are for sale online now and cost just £5. Anyone who wishes to buy tickets for the Brum Twestival should visit www.birmingham.twestival.com. You can also keep up to date on all the latest news by following @brumtwestival on Twitter.

Tudor Mongrel Steals the Show at DFS Crufts 2010

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:10:43 GMT

DFS Crufts Hosts Mary Rose Dog Before She Returns Home After Nearly
500 Years

A 16th century sea dog, the only female crew member aboard Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose, is set to take pride of place at DFS Crufts this year as special guest of the Kennel Club.

Visitors to the world’s largest and greatest dog show, can meet ‘Hatch’, a two-year old mongrel lost aboard the ill-fated Tudor warship 465 years ago, and find out more about the fundraising appeal to provide her with a permanent home at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The painstakingly preserved and reconstructed skeleton of the Mary Rose’s dog will be on display at DFS Crufts, Birmingham NEC, from March 11th (stand 56, hall 3) along with a selection of amazing Tudor artefacts, including an original stone cannon ball and piece of ship’s rope as well as an array of replicas, including some of the carpenter’s tools.

The old sea dog acquired the nickname ‘Hatch’ after divers discovered her remains near the sliding hatch door of the Mary Rose’s carpenter’s cabin, where she had lain since the ship sank in mysterious circumstances in 1545.

Hatch almost certainly earned her keep as the ship’s ratter – superstitious Tudor seafarers did not have cats on board ship as they were thought to bring bad luck. And she was probably very good at her job – only the partial remains of rats’ skeletons have been found on board the Mary Rose.

John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust and Hatch’s guardian, said: “We are delighted to bring Hatch, the world’s oldest lost sea dog, to the world’s premier dog show, so that visitors can meet an ancestor of their much loved pets.

“Expert analysis of Hatch’s bones suggests that she spent most of her short life within the close confines of the ship. It is likely that the longest walks she took were along the quayside at Portsmouth, her home town.

“Hatch is just one of 19,000 extraordinary Tudor treasures recovered with the wreck of the Mary Rose, but she has never been on display in Portsmouth simply because we have not had the room.

“All that is set to change with the building of a new permanent Mary Rose museum, bringing together the remains of the ship itself with the pick of her artefacts, displayed at last in their historic context.

“But to make that a reality and to ensure Hatch is not homeless for another 500 years, we must complete our final push to secure the funds needed to complete the new Mary Rose Museum by 2012.”

Caroline Kisko, Communications Director of the Kennel Club, which organises the show, added: “It is fantastic to host Hatch before she finally returns home. She is undoubtedly the oldest, most unusual and most historically important exhibit that we have ever had at DFS Crufts and her tragic story is bound to fascinate visitors. We are delighted to have her with us - after nearly 500 years of loyal service she is due a little ‘shore leave’!”

Hatch is the mascot of the Mary Rose 500 Public Appeal which is seeking 500 individuals, schools, businesses and organisations to come on board and symbolically become the ‘new crew’ of the Tudor warship, by each pledging to raise £500 towards the Public Appeal.

After her visit to DFS Crufts, Hatch will finally return home to Portsmouth on Friday 26th March to take pride of place in the current Mary Rose Museum, after 465 years away, while she waits for the new Mary Rose Museum - her final permanent home, to be completed.

Visitors to DFS Crufts should visit hall 3 stand 56 to join the Mary Rose 500 appeal new crew, discover the history of Henry VIII's famous warship, hear what life was like for a Tudor ship’s crew and their dog, and uncover the truth about what happened on the Mary Rose’s final voyage.

For further information visit www.maryrose500.org

Hatch and John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust and Hatch's guardian

Mint Restaurant partners up with Birmingham City Council to promote sustainable practice in Birmingham’s restaurants

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:14:44 GMT

The Mint Indian and Bangladeshi Cuisine is working in partnership with Birmingham City Council and environmental charity Urban Mines to ensure that the city’s restaurant industry places sustainability at the core of their business practice.

A seminar with Urban Mines has been planned for the 24th March at 12.00pm at the Mint, which will discuss best practice within the sector and examine practical measures available to reduce waste, energy and save cost.

Mint was selected for the event following successful implementation of its own green strategy which has halved its non-recyclable waste and will save an estimated £2,500 over the next five years.

Measures taken by the Mint team include:
•   Partnership with another business to share the cost of glass collection and cardboard
     waste
•   Oil tins are taken to a local scrap yard
•   Glass bottles are recycled and the use of plastic bottles has been minimised as a drinks
     dispenser has been installed.

Aftab Rahman the Marketing Manager for the Mint Cuisine, is also exploring how food waste can be collected and turned into energy.

“It is crucial for us as a key restaurant within community to become as sustainable as possible. If climate change continues, Bangladesh will be one of the first countries to disappear. We are keen to share our ‘good practice’ with fellow restaurateurs so that they can take simple measures to reduce waste, save cost and do their bit in saving the planet”.

Coventry Transport Museum

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:23:42 GMT

PARA-OLYMPIAN DAME TANNI GREY-THOMPSON WILL OPEN 'TRANSPORT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE'

New exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum opening on Friday 2nd April

Coventry Transport Museum is all set to offer another unique and innovative experience for its visitors with its new exhibition 'Transport for Disabled People: Past - Present - Future', which will tell the story of vehicles designed for people with disabilities through the ages and also into the future. This exhibition will be opened by Para-Olympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE on Thursday 1st April when Tanni will officially open the exhibition.

Born with spina bifida and a wheelchair user, Tanni is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes in the UK. Starting her career with the Junior National Games for Wales in 1984, she has won a total of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, held over 30 world records, and won the London Marathon six times between 1992 and 2002. Her latest achievement was in 2004 at Athens Paralympic Games where she won two gold medals in wheelchair racing.

Gary Hall, Chief Executive of Coventry Transport Museum, said:

"This exhibition will stage a rare display of vehicles some of which have been in museum stores for several years and will come out of their hiding places for the first time to tell the story of the how transport for disabled people has developed over the last century. With Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson in attendance, the launch will be befitting the uniqueness of this exhibition. We urge people not to miss this rare opportunity to see these special vehicles displayed together for the first time under one roof."

The exhibition will be open to public from Friday 2nd April and will run until Sunday 4th July.
For further information about the exhibition, visit our website www.transport-museum.com or call 024 7623 4270.

Anglo-Saxon treasures spark nine year-old’s imagination

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:46:01 GMT

The Art Fund today announces that the Staffordshire Hoard has captured the imagination of a nine-year-old girl, who was taken on a special visit to the treasure displays in Stoke-on-Trent after having pledged £10 from her own piggy bank in support of the campaign.

Emily Bairstow, currently in Prep 5 class at school, paid a visit to the Potteries Museum & Art Galley last Sunday, after sending a hand-written letter to The Art Fund last month in support of the campaign.

Deb Klemperer, Principal Collections Officer at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, took Emily around the displays on Sunday – the last day of the hugely successful exhibition – and told her some of the stories behind the Hoard.

Emily commented: "I wanted to give a donation after I had seen the lovely pictures of the treasure. I think it is really important to keep the treasure in Britain and not to let it be sold abroad because it belongs to us. I was really excited to see the treasure, especially the horse and the crosses. Also we learned about the Anglo Saxons in Prep 3 so it was really great to see things I have learned about at school."

Deb Klemperer said: 'It was lovely to meet Emily, and a real pleasure to show her the Hoard, seeing it afresh through her eyes. She is exactly the age I was when I decided that I wanted to be an archaeologist. Perhaps seeing the marvels of the Staffordshire Hoard will set her off along a similar path.”

Emily had addressed her letter to broadcaster Tony Robinson, who is one of the public figures of the campaign, and sent it to The Art Fund’s London headquarters last month. In it she had written “I have given my dad £10 from my money box to save the treasure for England… I hope to see the treasure some day.”

The Art Fund organised the trip in response to her wish, and also forwarded a copy of the note to Tony Robinson, who wrote her a personal reply.

Independent charity The Art Fund is spearheading the campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard for the West Midlands, so that other children like Emily can also be inspired by its beauty and fascinating history.

Since it opened on 12 February, the exhibition in Stoke has exceeded all expectations. A total of 52,385 people came to see the displays, many queuing for hours to catch a glimpse at the ancient artefacts unearthed from West Midlands soil last summer.

On 13 March, many of the objects will transfer to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, offering locals who missed the displays in November another opportunity to see the Hoard.

So far, donations have reached £1.5m – of which £145,000 was raised from visitors to the Potteries exhibition. In total, the campaign has raised £600,000 from public donations. But there is still just under £2m left to raise by 17 April to save the Hoard for the West Midlands. The Art Fund urges people to donate at www.artfund.org/hoard or by calling
0844 415 4004.

Moms get a 'Beautiful Day' from Stylebirmingham.com

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:02:12 GMT

Moms get a 'Beautiful Day' from Stylebirmingham.com

This year, Stylebirmingham.com is making Mother’s Day easy with the launch of ‘Beautiful Day’, a bespoke pampering day at some of the city’s leading beauty outlets.

For just £49, you can choose three indulgences to create a special pampering day for your mom, including an appointment at a top city centre hair salon, professional make-up session, and manicure. There are also options for a champagne indulgence at House of Fraser, or Afternoon Tea or Personal Shopping at Harvey Nichols.

Each hairdressing session includes an hour-long wash, cut and blow dry, followed by an appointment at a leading make-up brand, including a special £10 offer redeemable against a make-up purchase on the day. The final treat of the day will be an express manicure or special experience from House of Fraser or Harvey Nichols.

The retailers taking part in Beautiful Day include:
Hair:            Toni & Guy, Benjamin Ryan, Bad Apple Hair, Hush Hair and Saks
Make-up:     Clarins, Clinique, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Trish McEvoy,
                   Nars and Space NK
Nails:           Nails Inc and Marco Benito
Extras:       Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser

Jacqui Rochefort, Senior Sales Manager at House of Fraser, said:
“As a beauty retailer we were delighted to get involved with the stylebirmingham.com Beautiful day. What a fantastic way to pamper your Mum, and it is so easy to create a package. I hope that we get the opportunity to spoil lots of Mums, lets face it they deserve it”

Once the package is created, moms will enjoy a day of ‘me time’ on Friday 19 March when each of the participating stores will have a dedicated ‘Beautiful Day’ chair. They will be given the ultimate VIP treatment, whilst enjoying some of the best retailers the city has to offer. Each appointment is scheduled to be less than one hour with time in between for that all-important retail therapy.

Kevin Breese, Marketing Champion for Style Birmingham said:
“Deciding what to buy for Mother’s Day is always a challenge; what do you buy the woman that has everything?! The idea behind Beautiful Day is to give your mom the chance to take some time out of her maternal duties and let others look after her. We have some fantastic beauty retailers and it’s great that so many of them have come on board to help us look after Birmingham moms.”

For more information about Beautiful Day and to create a bespoke package, visit www.stylebirmingham.com.

Tasty Mother’s Day treat at Drayton Manor

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:56:26 GMT

Tasty Mother’s Day treat at Drayton Manor

Drayton Manor Theme Park will treat mums to a special day out this Mother’s Day (Sunday 14th March).

The award-winning venue, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, will host a Mother’s Day Luncheon, following which families will be able to explore the park’s 15-acre zoo, which is home to many different animal species, including tigers, leopards, snakes, exotic birds, meerkats and penguins.

The delicious two-course luncheon, which includes either a roast carvery or a vegetarian dish, will be served to families from 12.30pm. A children’s menu is also available. Prices cost £12 for adults and £6 for children aged under 12 years. Entry into the zoo is included in this price.

Drayton Manor Theme Park will reopen to the public for the 2010 season on Saturday 20th March for what promises to be a momentous year, its Diamond Jubilee. It was 60 years ago in April 1950 when Mr & Mrs George Bryan first opened Drayton Manor to the public. At the time it had just one restaurant, a tea room, three hand operated rides, six rowing boats, some pedal cars and a set of second hand dodgem cars.

Today, the park boasts some of the biggest, wettest and scariest rides around, including G-Force, Apocalypse and Maelstrom, a spectacular 4D Cinema, and Europe’s first and only Thomas Land™, featuring 12 rides based on popular Thomas & Friends™ characters, such as Cranky’s Drop Tower, the Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster and a special Thomas the Tank Engine train ride.

To reserve a table, or for further information, call the park’s hospitality team on 01827 252408.

£250m investment from Chiltern Railways to create new main line for West Midlands

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:07:26 GMT

£250m investment from Chiltern Railways to create
new main line for West Midlands

A £250m investment to create a new main line from the West Midlands to London Marylebone was today announced at Birmingham Moor Street station by the Chairman of Chiltern Railways, Adrian Shooter at an event attended by the Secretary of State for Transport Andrew Adonis.

In an ambitious drive to get motorists onto trains, the Chiltern Railways route will be upgraded - resulting in faster trains and reduced journey times. Average journey times will fall by 20%, including the M40 park and ride hub at Warwick Parkway (J15).

The West Midlands will get a new main line connection to London to rival the West Coast route to Euston, with the average trains from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone taking just 100 minutes against the current 128.

This will be supported by a £13.5m project to open additional platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station, also announced today. This builds on the transformation of Moor Street station undertaken by Chiltern Railways since taking ownership of the station in 2003. The platform capacity of the station will be doubled by the move, which will create a new Birmingham hub for trains to London.

Adrian Shooter, Chairman of Chiltern Railways, said: “Evergreen 3 is the biggest passenger rail project for several generations not to call on the taxpayer for support. Working closely with Network Rail, we are going to create a new main line railway for the people of Oxfordshire and the Midlands. This deal demonstrates that real improvements to rail services can be paid for without public subsidy by attracting people out of their cars and onto trains.”

Robin Gisby, Network Rail's Director of Operations and Customer Service, said: “This is a great scheme that will deliver huge benefits to hundreds of thousands of passengers. It clearly demonstrates how Network Rail is working in partnership with train operators to continue to fund and attract big improvement schemes for the benefit of everyone who uses the rail network.”

Evergreen 3 is the largest domestic passenger infrastructure project to be funded without recourse to taxpayer funding since before World War II.

The infrastructure upgrade will be carried out by main contractor BAM Nuttall, together with partners Jarvis and Atkins, who will deliver the project under contract to Chiltern Railways. It will be paid for by Network Rail in the first instance, who will be reimbursed by Chiltern Railways over 30 years through payment of a facility charge. The Department for Transport has agreed that any future franchisee will retain this liability.

The project will be delivered in stages, with the main line journey time improvements being delivered from 2011. The new line to Oxford, including Water Eaton Parkway, is expected to open by 2013, subject to Transport and Works Act approval.

The upgrade to Moor Street station will be undertaken by Carillion, and will be completed in December 2010.

Heritage Motor Centre wins prestigious industry award

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:04:47 GMT

Heritage Motor Centre wins prestigious industry award

The Heritage Motor Centre, home to the world's largest historic collection of British cars, has won a prestigious award at the Renaissance West Midlands Best of the West Awards 2010. The results were announced at a ceremony on Friday 26 February at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham. The Centre scooped the ‘Best Temporary Exhibition Award’ for the Mini 50th Anniversary Exhibition which took place in 2009. The annual awards programme aims to reward excellence and highlight best practice in museums and galleries in the West Midlands.

Tens of thousands of visitors travelled to the Heritage Motor Centre to visit the major exhibition which celebrated the life and times of Britain's favourite little car. ‘50 Years of the Mini’ opened on 10 May 2009 and ran until 23 December charting the history of this great British car. The exhibition featured iconic cars from the museum's collection; including the first Morris Mini produced at Cowley in 1959 and told the story of the design, production and development of the car that became a symbol for the "Swinging Sixties". Due to its success and popularity visitors are still able to access the exhibition until after Easter 2010.

Tim Bryan, Head of Collections at the Heritage Motor Centre stated “We are delighted and honoured to have won such a prestigious Best of the West industry award. It is a fantastic achievement for everyone concerned to be recognised and rewarded for our Mini Exhibition which attracted visitors from all over the world. I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work, commitment and dedication in ensuring the exhibition was an outstanding success”.

To find out more about the Heritage Motor Centre please visit the website at www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk. For more information about the Mini Exhibition please visit www.minifestival.co.uk/pages/50yearsexhibition/50_about.html.

Miss Bollywood UK 2010

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:57:24 GMT

Miss Bollywood UK 2010

Celebrating & Empowering the Modern Woman
FINALS TAKING PLACE OCTOBER 2010

Birmingham will host Miss Bollywood UK 2010 beauty contest onece again promising to be a very high profile event with many A-list artists and VIP's attending.
Miss Bollywood UK is recognised as the premier talent, style, fashion and beauty event of 2010, empowering young women from all backgrounds. As such Miss Bollywood UK will be a vehicle for contestant’s personal development within the Film, Fashion and Beauty industry also in return giving something to the much needed and unfortunate individuals of this world.

With the success of Miss Bollywood UK 2009 having a massive impact within the industry along with intensive media attention in 140 countries with 984 contestants from diverse communities taking part, Miss Bollywood UK 2010 will be held in superb surroundings of Birmingham in October 2010 attracting up to 2,000 influential guests, from all sectors, ages and backgrounds.

The evening will run from 18.00 to around 23.00 with a host of performances on stage along with raising money for NSPCC, followed by an after show party where event partners, sponsors, celebrity’s and VIP guests will be invited, this will also be a photo shoot opportunity with the panel of high profiles judges and the winner for all partners and sponsors along with exclusive press pictures.

Once again Miss Bollywood UK 2010 will see a huge number of applications from across the country coming from diverse backgrounds aged from 18 to 27 year old and being a major success with support and backing from various institutes and organisations, along with backing from leading film producers and directors In the UK, Indian and Hollywood Film Industry.

The Miss Bollywood UK is the concept of Zia Choudhury, MD of Exclusively Bollywood in partnership with Kully Kaur, CEO of Premier Consulting and was founded with the ideals of encouraging young women to build self confidence and esteem and polishing one’s personal appearance and presentation skills. All these skills and qualities are requisite for success in any lifetime endeavour. Miss Bollywood UK was developed to help women achieve these goals, which will in turn help launch their other dreams.

Zia Choudhury says, “2010, once again will be a diverse competition as applications will be accepted from all backgrounds providing you meet the set criteria. We will have a panel of judges from the film, fashion, beauty, business and media industry along with celebrities for both the semi finals in June and the grand final in October. The contestants will be judged in a number of categories which will showcase one’s Looks, Personality, Talent, Elegance, Drive and Determination. Miss Bollywood UK 2010 will be about being an all rounder and making one’s dream come true by being crowned as Miss Bollywood UK 2010 and having the opportunity to appear in a Bollywood Film”.

Kully Kaur says, “With the success of Miss Bollywood 2009, the contestants for 2010 will show by example that anyone can achieve anything that they set out to do with the right attitude. Emphasis will also be placed on the importance of gaining self-confidence, learning communication skills, setting and achieving personal goals. Miss Bollywood UK is about promoting diversity and is a forum for these women to celebrate beauty, elegance and style.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND PRESS INTERVIEWS PLEASE CONTACT:
UK PREMIER PR & MARKETING ON 0845 450 7104 OR EVENTS@UKPREMIERCONSULTING.COM

Maple House in Birmingham keep on winning!

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:49:50 GMT

Not only has etc.venues won 2 awards from the BDRC and a place in the prestigious Sunday Times Buyout Track 100 league table, but Maple House in Birmingham has also clinched “IT Training Venue of the Year” from the IITT - the second year in a row one of etc.venues has won it.

The Institute of IT Training’s Training Awards were announced on 4th February at a glittering awards ceremony at The Dorchester in London, and continue a great run of success for our Birmingham venue – Maple House.

Our first venue outside the capital, Maple House keeps going from strength to strength. After announcing their expansion at the beginning of the year, they swiftly followed this with the BDRC’s “No 1 Conference venue for Service Award”, and now the triple – Training Venue of the Year from the IIT.

Maple House's General Manager, Guy Booth commented:

“Its fantastic that our commitment to client service combined with a bespoke training environment has been recognised by the IIT. It’s a great achievement considering that Maple House has only been open for 18 months, however, we’re looking forward to even more award winning space when we expand into our ‘Expand’ suite”.

It is yet another example of how etc.venues is continuing to grow through its fit-for-purpose venues and award winning client service.

For more information visit:
www.etcvenues.co.uk
http://www.iitt.org.uk

Music on Screen 2010

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:32:24 GMT

Music on Screen 2010

Light House presents another Music on Screen season of opera, ballet and music from April to September 2010. New this season are live transmissions via satellite link of opera from La Scala, Milan, the first staring Plácido Domingo in the title role of Simon Boccanegra with Daniel Barenboim conducting. These take their place alongside three outstanding films featuring music and ballet and an exclusive presentation of Swan Lake from St Petersburg. So book your tickets now for ‘the best seats in the house.’

Various ticket prices apply. Receive a 10% discount for group bookings of 10 or more. Pre-order your interval drinks before the screening (where applicable) so that you can beat the rush at the bar and enjoy your interval. To book tickets contact Light House Box Office on 01902 716055 or visit www.light-house.co.uk

Simon Boccanegra
Thu 29 Apr, 7pm
Plácido Domingo plays the lead in this live satellite transmission of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra direct from Teatro alla Scala, Milan. Domingo, a star tenor for 50 years, transforms himself into a baritone for this role, and is conducted by Daniel Barenboim in a moving story of love and politics. Also starring Ferruccio Furlanetto as Fiesco, the plot of Simon Boccanegra weaves a thread of inconsolable sadness through a disloyal world of self-interest, conflict and ambition. An opera noted for its tender duets, especially between Boccanegra and his long-lost daughter, Amelia.

A co-production with Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin.
Sung in Italian with English subtitles.
The audience is requested to be seated by 6.45pm. 2 hrs20 plus intermissions.
Tickets cost: £14 full / £11.50 conc. / £7 under 15s

Das Rheingold
Wed 26 May 7pm
Live from La Scala, conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
Das Rheingold is the first of four operas that comprise Richard Wagner’s epic Der Ring des Nibelungen, the largest musico-dramatic work ever written. Through a complex tale inspired by Teutonic and Norse folklore, Wagner explored key issues central to civilised life, starting in Das Rheingold with the primal relationship between Love and Power. Conducted by Daniel Barenboim with staging and sets by Guy Cassiers, and starring René Pape as Wotan, this new production of Das Rheingold comes direct from the Teatro alla Scala, Milan in a co-production with Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin.

Sung in German with English subtitles.
The audience is requested to be seated by 6.45pm. 2 hrs10 (no intermission).
Tickets cost: £14 full / £11.50 conc. / £7 under 15s

The Red Shoes (U)
Thurs 24 Jun, 7pm
Neatly restored in HD digital, this Powell and Pressburger classic is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made and is winner of two Oscars. It focuses on Vicky, a young ballerina starring in a ballet The Red Shoes. Like her character in the ballet, she is irresistibly drawn to dancing. Her life becomes split between her simple human passion and artistic devotion to her profession. The film contains ballet sequences of stylistic mastery, and is visually one of the most innovative and beautiful works of cinema ever created. Starring Moira Shearer, Marius Goring, Anton Walbrook and Royal Ballet star Robert Helpmann, who also choreographed The Ballet of The Red Shoes, the music for which was conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

Dir: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger UK, 1948, 1hr33
Cast: Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring
Tickets cost: £5.50 full / £4.20 conc.

Swan Lake
Thu 22 July 7pm
Swan Lake is considered to be one of the greatest classical ballets of all time and remains a popular feature of ballet company repertoires worldwide. Its romance and beauty has entranced audiences for more than 100 years, offering the magical combination of Tchaikovsky’s score, a compelling love story and choreography that demonstrates the superb technical skills of the dancers. This production comes from the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, in a HD Digital presentation and stars Ulyana Lopatkina as Odette-Odile and Danila Korsuntsev as Prince Siegfried. Tchaikovsky’s music is conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Choreography and direction by Konstantin Sergeyev.
2hrs9 plus intermission.
Tickets cost: £14 full / £11.50 conc. / £7 under 15s

Calamity Jane (U)
Thurs 19 Aug, 7pm
The Deadwood Stage is coming to town, bringing Doris Day and Howard Keel to fuss, feud and fall in love as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in this classic from the golden age of movie musicals. There are wide-open Technicolor Western spaces, lots of high-stepping terpsichory and a hummable humdinger of a score by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster, who won an Oscar for the classic ballad 'Secret Love'.
Dir: David Butler USA, 1953, 1hr 51mins
Cast: Doris Day, Howard Keel
Tickets cost: £5.50 full / £4.20 conc.

The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) (PG)
Thurs 23 Sept, 7pm
Set in a shadowy, stylised and dreamlike Victorian London, the story of Mackie 'The Knife' Messer and Polly Peachum is timeless, and the combination of playwright Bertolt Brecht's biting social satire and composer Kurt Weill's compelling music is as fresh as ever. In contrast to Brecht and Weill's musical play - an entertainment 'for beggars, by beggars', with minimal staging and props - Pabst and his designer created the biggest and most elaborate studio set that had ever been built in Germany. Brecht and Weill jointly sued Pabst’s production company for his treatment of their opera – an entertainment ‘for beggars, by beggars’ rather than a lavish and lyrical movie – but the play’s satirical bite is intact.

Dir: G.W. Pabst, Germany-USA, 1931, 1hr 53mins
Cast: Lotte Lenya, Rudolf Forster
Tickets cost: £5.50 full / £4.20 conc.

Events to savour – Meet Birmingham and The ICC undertake UK first at International Confex

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:58:47 GMT

Meet Birmingham gave visitors the chance to experience a UK first on their stand at Confex this week. Birmingham Convention Bureau and The NEC Group have teamed up to offer a series of live food demonstrations to launch a tasting menu that is the first of its kind in the UK’s event catering industry.

The new tasting menu - which allows the customer to experience small tasting samples of two starters, a fish and meat main course, two varieties of dessert and a cheese course in one sitting - has been developed by Paul Gould, Executive Head Chef for The NEC Group.

Paul said: “While a tasting menu is a familiar sight in Michelin star restaurants, we have found that the catering industry has failed to deliver this for high volumes. We’re recognised for being able to take niche restaurant concepts and deliver them to scale, so this presented a great challenge and opportunity for the ICC catering team to be the first to do it!“

A selection of the menu was cooked in a special theatre kitchen on the stand at the show with samples available for visitors to enjoy. Meet Birmingham’s cookery demonstrations were designed to give visitors a taste of the city’s award winning and diverse culinary offering for business and leisure visitors alike.

As well as gourmet delights, visitors could discover more about Birmingham’s range of world-class venues and state of the art facilities that make it one of Europe’s most popular conference destinations. Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Wroxall Abbey, The Public and q-basemedia all formed part of the Meet Birmingham stand and advised visitors and help on their conferencing requirements.

Ian Taylor, commercial director at Marketing Birmingham, said:
“Birmingham is a well connected and highly reputable events destination which is reflected in the breadth of venues on the Meet Birmingham stand. In the same respect, the city is increasingly regarded as a major player on the food and drink stage. With Michelin starred food and innovative catering, Birmingham has the whole package for event organisers.

“Together with The NEC Group, we are working hard to ensure the interest in the city continues and have a host of national and international business confirmed for this year.”

To make bringing events to Birmingham even easier, Birmingham Convention Bureau launched the Meet Birmingham guide 2010 at the show. The 80 page publication showcases the breadth of the business offering in the city and the wider region, and full details of the venues, accommodation and activities on offer.

Photo: visitors at the Meet Birmingham stand

Bengali networking comes to Birmingham

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:46:12 GMT

BritBangla, a national networking association that brings together second and third generation Bengali Professionals, has picked Birmingham to hold its first networking event outside the capital this month.

The London-based association will be holding a launch event on Sunday 28th February at the award-winning restaurant Mint Cuisine in Yardley to bring together the talents of the 38,300 Bengali’s living in the West Midlands.

As well as the opportunity to sample the quality cuisine, the evening will include an introduction to BritBangla from the new Midlands team, an opportunity to network amongst working professionals in the Bengali community and live performance from BBC comedian Anil Desai, well known for impersonating over fifty famous people in five minutes.

The London based association which has been running for the last six years has over 1,000 members and promotes the talents and achievements of British Bengalis, one of the youngest and fastest-growing South Asian communities, and provides a vital network for the ever increasing number of Bengali professionals and entrepreneurs in the UK.
Taryn Khanam, founder of BritBangla explained why the focus on the Midlands was the next step forward: “With more than 54% of Brit-Bengali’s living in London, all our events to date have been located in the City.

“However with the success of BritBangla and the increase in members from all over the country, the time was right to venture out and as Birmingham is the second-largest city home to British Bengali communities it was ideal.”

The Birmingham event will act as a launch for the BritBangla presence in the region and will be the first of regular networking opportunities throughout the year. The event is all-inclusive and actively welcomes membership from anyone who has an interest in the Bengali community.

The evening starts at 6.30pm, tickets for the evening are available NOW and cost £18 if booked online - please email midlands@britbangla.net for bookings or join BritBangla on Facebook.

Birmingham wins a place on the shortlist for UK City of Culture 2010

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:35 GMT

Birmingham Wins a Place on the Shortlist for UK City of Culture 2013

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has today revealed that Birmingham has successfully made the shortlist for the first UK City of Culture title in 2013.

The bid, developed by the Birmingham Cultural Partnership (BCP), is set within the theme of Big City Culture reflecting Birmingham’s status as a global city with a world class programme of cultural activities, with a rich and diverse local heart established within its communities.

Cllr Martin Mullaney, Chairman of the BCP, said in response to the news, “To have got so far against tough opposition from across the UK is a fantastic boost for Birmingham. But this is just the first stage and we’re not getting carried away.

“There’s a lot of hard work ahead and now we want people across the city to play a part as we put together the final bid that will mean Birmingham is named the UK’s first ever City of Culture.”

Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Whitby said, “To be named UK City of Culture would represent a massive economic boost, not only for Birmingham but for the region as a whole.

“This title is worth an estimated £200 million to the regional economy and would create thousands of jobs whilst offering us the chance to showcase Birmingham as a global cultural centre.

“Birmingham already has a strong cultural reputation and this title would further enhance that reputation while supporting our long term drive to increase cultural participation across the city.”

Stuart Griffiths, Chief Executive of the Birmingham Hippodrome added, “This is fantastic news for culture in the city and I know that all our cultural organisations are supporting the bid and are right behind this whole process. Making the shortlist will give us great impetus to really pull out all the stops and win the title in the summer. Winning will be such a huge boost for us in terms of profiling are offer both inside and outside the city and have an immense impact on the opportunities for all arts and cultural organisations across Birmingham.”

The list of fourteen bidders has now been whittled down to just 4 by an independent panel, who assessed applications against a set of criteria such as the quality of the programme and its ability to reach a wide range of people; the use of culture to lead to lasting social regeneration; being able to demonstrable an economical impact and the creation of a legacy beyond 2013.

The last stage of the bidding process now begins with final bids to be submitted to DCMS at the end of May. The winning city will be announced during the summer.

Birmingham to host Liberal Democrats conference

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:30 GMT

The Liberal Democrats are due to hold their Spring Conference in Birmingham from
12 – 14 March 2010 at the ICC.

The conference is expected to attract up to 2000 delegates to Birmingham, providing a welcome boost to the city’s hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and other businesses.

Key organisations in Birmingham are working together to ensure the conference is a success and pave the way for the return of the Party for its annual autumn conference in 2011, set to attract around 6000 delegates.

Marketing Birmingham and The NEC Group have been responsible for negotiating and securing the deal with the Party to bring their two conferences to The ICC, generating an estimated total of £11m for the regional economy.

The conference builds on Birmingham’s reputation for hosting world-class events and ensures the city is now firmly established as part of the major political party conference circuit. Birmingham is the only UK city to have secured all three main political parties over a three year period, and has delivered six party political conferences during this timeframe.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: “I am really looking forward to coming to Birmingham next month for our important pre-General Election party conference.
“As well as using the world class facilities available at The ICC for our debates and meetings, my Liberal Democrat colleagues will have the pleasure of visiting Birmingham’s excellent cafés, shops and restaurants.
“Attracting big conferences and events to the city helps provide a welcome boost to Birmingham’s economy; I’m glad that the Liberal Democrats are playing a role in that.”

Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said:
“The decision to hold both conferences in the city is a fantastic endorsement for Birmingham and underlines its reputation for hosting world class events. Birmingham is working together to ensure the conference in March is a success and lays the ground work for the Party’s return in 2011.”

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of Marketing Birmingham said:
“The decision by the Liberal Democrat Party to hold their spring conference in Birmingham really cements our position on the political conference circuit. We are working with The NEC Group, Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police to host the Party and our aim is to deliver a successful event. We will ensure we show them the full breadth of what Birmingham has to offer so the stage is set for their return in 2011.
“Birmingham is an internationally important city and recognition on the world stage is continually growing. This momentum will continue throughout 2010 with Birmingham hosting the Conservative Party Autumn Conference in October.”

The ICC will provide the venue for both conferences, offering world-class facilities in the heart of Birmingham city centre.

Nick Waight, Managing Director, Group Convention Centres, said: “With our central location, connections to the UK transport network, award-winning facilities and an experienced, dedicated team, it is natural that The ICC should be seen as an attractive location for high-profile events such as the Liberal Democrats Conference.
“The ICC is already long-established as the venue of choice for associations, corporate conferences and niche events, and as the only UK venue to have hosted events by all three main political parties in the last two years, is rapidly being recognised as the home of the political conference.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the Liberal Democrats to the city for what I’m sure will be an extremely successful conference.”

Bespoke city dressing has been created to welcome delegates to the city and a dedicated website has been created for the conference with accommodation, travel and leisure information - www.libdemsinbirmingham2010.com.

For further information, please contact Emma Ward, Marketing Birmingham
T: 0121 202 5075 E: emma.ward@marketingbirmingham.com

Local celebs dance themselves dizzy

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:21 GMT

To celebrate the nation’s love of dancing, International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB) has challenged a number of local journalists and presenters to show off their twinkle toes as they take on the IDFB Dance Challenge.

Louisa James from ITV Central News, Kate Lawler from Kerrang! and Satnam Rana from Midlands Today are among those who have taken up the challenge – to learn to dance between now and the opening of the Festival on 19th April. Each participant has been given a particular style of dance to master, from ballet and tap dancing, to jazz, hip hop and contemporary.

Other participants include Jodie Schofield from Smooth Radio, Fionnuala Bourke from Birmingham Mail, Paul Sargent, a Divisional Director at IDFB’s sponsor Brewin Dolphin and Keith Gabriel from financial PR agency Citigate Dewe Rogerson.

Today (Monday 22 February) the participants received clues about their individual dance style, before full details were revealed to them. Louisa James will be finding her inner swan with Ballet classes and Fionnuala Bourke will be learning some trendy moves in Club Jazz, while Paul Sargent will be learning to tap dance in his classes, all of which are run at the DanceXchange in Birmingham.

The budding dancers will have two months to become the next Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire, and you can follow their progress on www.idfb.co.uk

Produced by DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome, IDFB 2010 will see over 70 performances from some of the world’s most outstanding companies and choreographers take place across Birmingham and the West Midlands. In addition to this, IDFB 2010 will host a number of free public participation events, allowing everyone to get involved.

The Festival will showcase over 25 companies from six continents, presenting a spectacular range of dance styles from ballet, ballroom and break-dancing to flamenco, contemporary and circus. It is one of the world’s largest dance festivals and is funded by Advantage West Midlands, Arts Council England West Midlands and Birmingham City Council, with sponsorship from investment bankers Brewin Dolphin.

For more information on IDFB 2010 and the line-up, visit www.idfb.co.uk

ICC completes political hat-trick with Liberal Democrat Conference

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:17 GMT

The International Convention Centre, Birmingham has strengthened its position as a venue of choice for political events, with the upcoming Liberal Democrat Spring Conference completing a conference hat-trick.

Over the last two years, The ICC has hosted conventions from all three major political parties, making it the only UK venue to have done so.

Geoff Fenlon, General Manager, The ICC, said: “With all of the major parties having selected this venue as host for their conferences, The ICC is now firmly positioned on the political events circuit.

“As one of the UK’s premier purpose-built convention venues, we are always proud to demonstrate our award-winning facilities and outstanding levels of flexibility, supported by our central location. This achievement if testament to the organisers’ faith in both the team and the venue’s services.

“As well as being the long-established venue of choice for associations, corporate conferences and niche event, The ICC is rapidly becoming the home of the political conference.”

Ian Taylor, commercial director, Marketing Birmingham, said: “The success of the Labour and Conservative conferences in 2008 undoubtedly helped to establish the city’s reputation as a place to host world class events. They were of great benefit to the local economy and put the city in the media spotlight.

“The Conservative Party Conference in 2008 saw £15m spent in Birmingham’s hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, and all the way down the event supply chain. £13m worth of media coverage around the event took Birmingham to new audiences.

“This year, the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party conferences are expected to attract a total of around 14,000 delegates. The combined economic impact and media focus will showcase the city and its venues as well as cement Birmingham’s reputation as a leader in the events sector.”

The three-day conference, held from 12-14 March, is expected to attract around 2,000 delegates from across the UK, with visitors’ access to The ICC and surrounding areas unaffected by the event’s security.

Birmingham City FC count down to the official FA cup trophy tour

city_news@marketingbirmingham.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:16 GMT

Birmingham City FC count down to the official FA cup trophy tour

Ever dreamt of getting your hands on the famous FA Cup? The Football Association is bringing cup fever to Birmingham City next week and inviting fans to create their own special piece of FA Cup history by visiting the official FA Cup Trophy Tour. The FREE nationwide tour will be rolling into St Andrew’s Stadium on Monday 1st March 2010 to give fans of all ages the chance to sample the history, heritage and magic of the world’s most famous domestic cup competition. Fans can register for their free place now at www.facuptrophytour.co.uk

The FA Cup Trophy Tour will be visiting the region as part of its nationwide tour of clubs between next month’s eagerly anticipated 6th Round and The Final at Wembley in May. The 30 minute interactive FA Cup experience is aimed at children, fans and families and brings to life The FA Cup’s remarkable story.

The Trophy Tour journey leads visitors through a fun and engaging history of the Cup, reliving the most memorable goals, shocking giant-killings and classic Cup Final triumphs. Visitors to the tour can also get involved in mini football games with coaches and try their hand at the unique ‘Speed Kick’ competition.

Taking centre stage is the opportunity for visitors to walk in the footsteps of FA Cup legends by scoring the winning goal at Wembley in a virtual FA Cup Final, and then create their very own piece of history as they get to hold the actual FA Cup Trophy. As a special memento from the day, your ‘FA Cup moments’ will be captured on film and available to download for free www.facuptrophytour.co.uk

To make this season’s FA Cup Final even more memorable The FA is giving fans the chance to win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escort the famous FA Cup trophy onto the hallowed Wembley turf at this year’s final. For your chance to win and make FA Cup history simply go to www.facuptrophytour.co.uk and play The FA Cup Heroes online competition. The competition is open to all, but winners must be aged between 7-12 years old.

The FA Cup Trophy Tour will be open to the public from 3pm – 7pm. Places are limited, to gain FREE entry to The FA Cup Trophy Tour visitors must pre-register their place on www.facuptrophytour.co.uk