Thursday 23 June 2011

Singing In The Rain


6 days until I am officially working on That Day We Sang at the Manchester International Festival (see what I did there!). I will run very long indeed if I get into how much I love being involved in festivals, from the one off performances which burn bright never to be experienced again, to the glamour of working in the same circle as britpop Gods, cinema legends collaborating with creatives, genre defying musicians and every kind of artist under the sun and so much more. And Snoop Dogg. 10 pounds of awesome in a 5 pound bag. Girlie and carefree and full of possibilities.

This week's films. Ah Kaboom. Not a film for everyone, and I had some issues with the last 15 minutes but I don't want to criticise it because despite it's flaws, it is completely original and delightfully camp, alongside being utterly crazy. Gregg Araki's is a wonderful filmmaker and it makes me respect him even more since it takes quite some skill to have both Kaboom and Mysterious Skin - dark and compelling in very different ways - in your bag of tricks.

This week I also watched Potiche - which if you want to see it you already know you want to see it, it was a predictable, light melange of fun, French frolics. I aIso mentioned last time I am looking forward to Bridesmaids which I want to see mainly cause I love a laugh and secondly because the women involved are magnificent and a tribute to what good writing and good filmmaking is about. Women in Hollywood as always puts it better than I do.

Events coming up:

Next week I am crossing between cities here are a few things I shall be hitting a missing due to my bi-city status:

In Manchester – Tonight (Friday 24th June) at my favourite cultural hangout - yes I am obscenely biased having spent many years drinking and subsequently working there – shoots for the stars with the exhibition Constellations– if at all possible openings at Cornerhouse are not to be missed. Unless you’re in the wrong city at the wrong time, like me.

Not Part Of again brings a plethora of Fringe events to Manchester if MIF is not quite your thing – including Blackbird which I mentioned last time.

In Birmingham - Giantess 1st July in Digbeth – The band formely known as StangetimeS will miss one dedicated fan. Please take my place!

Recommendations from my twitter friends:

GeorgeFOBentley suggests we take a moment to contemplate Mark Ashmore’s The Lost Generation.

Whilst Cassie Miller has me captivated by the National Theatre of Scotland’s five minute theatre project. http://fiveminutetheatre.com/news/

Opportunities:
Fashion Designers: An opportunity courtesy of the Creative Industries Networking Group in Manchester – next meeting is on 4th July in Rain Bar – my first meeting for a year and a highly anticipated event for that very reason! Also possibly because of the range of creatives and collaborators and the fantastic fellowship of the networkers.

Filmmakers: Courtesy of comma press – The 10th edition of Magma, mostra di cinema breve - International Short Film Festival will take place next winter in Acireale, Italy: Submission deadline: JULY 31, 2011. For any other information and to fill in the entry form, please visit the website - www.magmafestival.org/engl

Cash for your art: I always feel it's important that good work receives good rewards so this looks very promising: The Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund is open to individual artists working in visual art, theatre, performance art, film, music, dance or literature. For more details click here: http://www.ideastap.com/Opportunities/Brief/f5eebaff-7f13-40bb-bfa8-9ef10145a8b1#Overview

I probably won’t update during the festival, so until July, adieu my friends, I leave you with a song in my heart, which I'm dedicating to my cousin Rowena who would have been 31 this week.



Wednesday 15 June 2011

Bursts of colour on a grey day

Today's blog is very colourful, inspired by Birmingham School Of Art's Degree show (Margaret Street on the doorstep of the delicious Birmingham Food Fair). My pictures don't do justice to some of the work, so here's a couple of snaps of some of the bigger pieces which stood out. The show is on until Friday at the school on Maragret Street (stop by the international food festival on your way out, I did!). I want to mention a few in particular: Sophie Court produced my favourite pieces in the show - the lady in glasses bottom right is one. I also liked Wendy Derrick's pixellated paintings, being greeted by Donation for the Blessing of England by Edgar Askelovic, Natalie O'Keefe's silence series photographs , Lauren Quirke's composite images and Kyriaki Vrasida's tendrilled objects. Some more pics are on my flikr but I recommend heading down in person before the show closes on Sunday 19th.











Film fun:
The last night was the opening night of the Edinburgh Intl Film Festival. I say this with a tinge of sadness as the last time I missed an EIFF Tony Blair was still Prime Minister but everyone was hoping for the best after he went, The Simpson's Movie was still hotly anticipated and I was convinced that this was the year the BBC realised that the next film 200...presenter should be me! Aaah what an idealistic time 2007 was!

So if you're in Edinburgh, sampling the myriad delights of the festival's films, special strands and late night arguments in the bar about the whether you can look at a pair of scissors again after antichrist over a drink in the Filmhouse, Cameo or any other bar that’ll take you, I doff my hat to you in vicarious solidarity.

Having missed quite a lot of cinema lately I am playing cath up this week with the primary coloured Gnomeo & Juliet. Having missed Samson and Delilah on Film4 I am planning on rewatching it As I wished I could straight after seeing it at the cinema the first time. And finally, I will be going once again to The beautiful Electric Cinema to see Kaboom. spurred on by the dual recommendations of Cornerhouse’s podcast (nice Heathers shoutout Rachel), and David Austen’s wide eyed anticipation.

I am also counting the minutes until I get to see Bridesmaids featuring some of my favourite comic actress Kristen (everything she does) Wiig, Maya (Away We Go- EIFF 2009) Rudolph and Mellissa (no chef will ever be more awesome than Sookie St James in the Gilmore Girls) McCarthy.

Very theatrical dahling:
July in Manchester is a very busy time not only because I shall be working on That Day We Sang at Manchester International Festival (god closes a festival window and opens a freaking ginormous door) but because some of my longtime collaborators colleagues have shows on as part of the Manchester Fringe organisation, Not Part Of. Details of Lucia Cox's show Blackbird and The Myth of Escape, a play starring Andy Palmer are linked.

Organised Chaos Productions latest show Peacefully At Home will be at the Buxton festival after successful dates in Manchester. It’s written by a former winner of the prestigious Bruntwood playwrighting competition Nicola Schofield.

Stuff my other friends have been doing: They’re on the site for a reason - They’re really talented!

Leeanne Stoddart’s book will be coming out in the autumn – keep your eyes peeled for details about her book launch

Donkey Stone Films – revamped their website.

Elliot Binns may still be looking for a writing partner for this intriguing project.

Finally, here is a link to Phil Meachem’s youtube stream featuring trailers for his previous and forthcoming projects.

Thanks for reading folks, I'll hopefully be back soon, in the meantime, please follow me on twitter @shegeekmcr – I’m way more succinct and my pic is currently that great literary character The Bogwoppit.