News

Mr Drayton Continues His Whistle Stop Tour of Classic Albums

When was the last time you listened to a complete album, end to end? Not on one of your new-fangled MP3-thingies, but dropping the needle down on good old warm vinyl. Comedian, music-aficionado, know-it-all and BBC Producer/Presenter Mr Drayton, offers you the opportunity to enjoy classic albums the way they were meant to be heard: in their entirety, played start-to-finish from his trusty record player.

Having already ticked off Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Michael Jackson's Thriller, next up tomorrow night is Pulp's A Different Class

With a daft bloke fronting the whole thing, each presentation is accompianed by a slide show, a light hearted quiz (where top prizes can be won) and post-album banter in Gala’s Studio. Relax with a drink or two, sit back and wallow in classic sounds. Mmmm, nice.

Join comedian and music-aficionado Mr Drayton as we turn down the lights to give you the opportunity to enjoy classic albums the way they were meant to be heard: in their entirety, on vinyl.

Each night will feature an introduction to the featured album of the night by Mr Drayton, followed by a listening session and post-album banter in the Digital Lounge

To find out more visit the Gala theatre's website

Mr Drayton’s Continues His Whistle Stop Tour of Classic Albums

Youth Market Gives New Businesses A Platform for Success

This Sunday see’s Durham city’s inaugural Youth Market take place with new businesses run by young people given a stall for only £10.

Colin Wilkes, managing director of Durham Markets commented: “Like many well-known entrepreneurs, taking a market stall to develop and sell your product can be the first step on the road to success, it being a cost effective and practical way of getting any prospective entrepreneur in front of the public with their product.”

The Youth Market, which will take place on Sunday 19th May, is an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs aged between 16 and 23(ish) to book a stall either to market test their money spinning idea or if they are further along the line to sell their product.

Wilkes added “The ‘stall for a tenner’ idea was part of the Mary Portas’ review of High Streets. It’s one of her ideas to encourage new independent businesses into retail, and is especially aimed at young people. We’re sure there are many young independent traders in the region who will jump at the chance to promote their idea at Durham’s Youth Market.”

The Youth Market takes place this Sunday in Durham Market Place from 11am – 4pm

Businesses with stalls at the youth market include:

Top Hat Teacakes

Prince and Pauper Clothing

Lallypop Cosmetics

Marlee and Fee Printed Apparell

And many more.

For more information visit www.durhammarkets.org.uk or follow the Durham Markets Company Facebook or Twitter

Cycling Returns to the Streets of Durham

The thrills and spills of competitive cycling will once again return to the streets of Durham City this evening when the professional cycling Tour Series arrives in town for the fourth year.

The ever popular televised race, featuring teams of professional cyclists will take place on at 7.00pm. The route will start and finish at Durham School and will take cyclists along Margery Lane, Crossgate Bank, South Street and Grove Street.

The Durham leg of the race, which takes in steep hills, tight turns and cobbled streets, has been described in previous years as ‘purgatory’ by the cyclists taking part.

During the Tour Series the cyclists will compete across a number of rural and city centre courses, including Durham, where you are invited to come along and see the race as it passes through the city streets.

Race starts at 7.00pm. Crowds encouraged to arrive from approx. 5.00pm. The race is one hour long so will finish 8.00pm (for those along the course). The winner’s presentation will conclude on the gantry at approx. 9.00pm.

DC Presidents Kick Off New Season

For most Brits American football means cheerleaders and the superbowl halftime show while guys in helmets and armour throw a rugby ball. There’s glamour, pomp and ceremony in a way that you only see with sports stateside. Until now.

A Northern League football ground in Belmont business park plays host to the DC Presidents the North East’s youngest sports team. Founded in 2011 and playing their first season last Summer the Presidents compete in the British American Football National Leagues (BAFNL) Division 2.

While the club might be one of the youngest in the league it has a proud history and a matchday infrastructure to match.

Originally founded in Washington in 1985 with only 5 players, the team soon grew and the Presidents played their first ever friendly game against another local new team the Darlington Dragons. The Presidents won 62-10 and the following season the team competed in the inaugural Budweiser league, playing 10 matches and winning 4 of them.

Nowadays with a roster of more than 50 players and a coaching staff of a dozen individuals things have improved significantly and the club is seen as having one of the best set ups in the country. Home games are played at “The Whitehouse” - Durham City FC’s Esh Stadium the rest of the year, with gooseneck goal posts installed for the summer. The team coach is known as Air Force One and this year see’s the debut of the President’s cheerleading troupe, The Liberty Belles, which is not to forget team mascot Uncle Sam’s important role in leading fan cheers.

With attendances in the mid-hundreds for each game in the club’s debut season you can expect to see interest growing at this weekend’s season opener. The home fixtures for this year are as follows:

12/05/2013 DC Presidents vs Edinburgh Wolves

26/05/2013 DC Presidents vs Dundee Hurricanes

02/06/2013 DC Presidents vs Gateshead Senators

09/06/2013 DC Presidents vs Clyde Valley Blackhawks

30/06/2013 DC Presidents vs Glasgow Tigers

Tickets are priced at £4 for adults and £2 for concessions with kick off at 2.30pm sharp.

For more information visit www.dcpresidents.com

Arts and Social Care Combine Through Personalisation

Dance organisation TIN Arts are launching a new series of information-sharing sessions that explore the relationship between arts and culture and the Personalisation Agenda. The sessions are suitable for arts providers and practitioners of all art forms and genres, including leaders and key decision makers.

Led by TIN Arts' Executive Director, Martin Wilson, and ex-health and social care commissioner, Claire Readey, the sessions will reflect upon TIN Arts 14 years of experience in developing inclusive arts programmes and offer a unique insight into our learning in a number of key areas including: Personal Budgets, Care plans, delivery of activity as well as developing measurable outcomes.

The first session takes place on Thursday 13th June at SAGE Gateshead. It starts at 9:30 and finishes at 12:30. Booking is essential and places are limited.

There is a £35 donation per person to cover the cost of the session.

Click here to find out more or reserve your space.

Build a Business at Beamish

Durham Creatives are offering a series of sessions on making the most of opportunities that exist in the County.

Vintage style is a huge influence on product design and the arts. From those at the leading edge of the digital world like Instagram to classic designers like Ralph Lauren, the aesthetics of the past provide endless sources of inspiration. Beamish Museum’s Great Donate is part of a plan to extend its collection to the 20th century and it creates a wonderful opportunity for designer-makers, educationalists, historians and lovers of 20th century vintage to explore the public’s obsession with memorabilia as a potential business opportunity.

Durham Creatives have teamed up with Beamish to create a series of enterprise workshops for people who’d like to make an income from their talents and interests.

It’s a rare and special opportunity because, not only will you discover how to generate and exploit ideas, you’ll do so with the Museum’s newest acquisitions as your inspiration and have the opportunity to pitch to buyers for the Museum shop.

The programme will start with an exploration of the Museum’s 20th century collection and from there we’ll support participants to develop products or services to take to market.

The programme will be run over 6 days as follows;

2nd May: 10am-3pm Exploration of the Collection / Developing Ideas

9th May: 10am-3pm Winning Customers / The Art of Selling

16th May:10am-3pmBusiness Planning / Networking

23rd May: 10am-3pm Finance Basics / Costing & Pricing

6th June: 10am-3pm Visual Merchandising / Preparing your Pitch

13th June:10am-3pm Pitching Ideas to the Staff Team

To Book your place visit www.durhamcreatives.co.uk

Artists Transform Public Loos Into Gallery

An arts group in Durham has transformed a former public loo into the County's newest art gallery.

In a short seven months, EDAN (East Durham Artists Network) has turned a disused public convenience into a building of completely different use. With the aid of Durham County Council, the collective have transformed a prominently positioned premises into a practical art space, bringing creativity to the heart of Seaham’s town.

Art Block’s doors have been open to the public since 23rd March, seeing much interest from the local community, passers by and people wondering what happened to their old toilets! The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

The gallery will soon be running workshops and activities for all age groups and a programme of exhibitions will be on show all 52 weeks of the year.

The grand opening exhibition is titled “Internationally Local” and features three artists with an international reputation who work in North East England. Joss Wrigg, who creates fantastically animated wool sculptures, Manny Ling specialises in the use of Calligraphy and Helena Seget is a fine artist and designer working with clay.

The artists were chosen as they span many different aspects of the visual arts and stand as living proof of the success manageable from living in the North East. We want to celebrate creativity, localism and the success that is possible from both.

Internationally Local Opens on 3 May at Art Block

More information on Art Block and Internationally Local can be found via www.edan.org.uk