Cast Performs Comeback Album at Doncaster's Diamond Live Lounge
After releasing three top 10 albums, 10 top singles and one platinum record, Cast disbanded in 2001 after nine years of creating outstanding music.
The legendary group which was made up of artists from bands like The La’s and Shack, were described by Noel Gallagher as a ‘religious experience’ and have reunited with their original producer to create new and exciting tracks.
On Saturday 27th June at 7:30pm, you can witness their new sound first hand at Doncaster’s Diamond Live Lounge for just £17 per person.
For more information and tickets please visit http://diamondlive.co.uk/gigs/cast/
MPs Show their support for SPREAD THE SIGN #Doncasterisgreat
Two local MPs are among the first to officially show their support for the work Doncaster Deaf Trust are undertaking on an online tool to bring Sign Language to the world.
The team, from Doncaster Deaf Trust, have been working with other European countries since 2006 to develop the European Commission Funded www.spreadthesign.com project.
Rosie Winterton MP and Ed Miliband MP have written to the Trust to offer their support for the project and help to raise awareness.
Ed Miliband MP said: “I have always been impressed by the work the Trust does and I believe that highlighting that work and raising awareness of campaigns such as the Spread the Sign project is a good thing.”
Doncaster Deaf Trust’s involvement in Spread the Sign began in 2006 when the project started and since then they have filmed almost 12,000 British sign language words for the online dictionary. They are well on target for the 15,000 words they need to reach by June.
Alan Robinson, executive principal, at Doncaster Deaf Trust said: “We are delighted that both Rosie and Ed have shown their support for this fantastic project.
“We are extremely proud to be involved in Spread the Sign and it is making a real difference to Deaf and hard of hearing people from across the globe.
“We are looking for support and ambassadors for this project and have written to a number of high profile people and dignitaries.”
Spread the Sign is a great tool for deaf people but can also be used to help to promote deaf awareness in the work place and help to equip people who are dealing with the public with some of the basic signs needed to communicate.
“What began life as an online resource for students wishing to learn sign language in other European styles has now developed to a global online website and app which is being used from Japan to Australia and Germany to the UK.
“We are thrilled by what we have achieved so far and all of the work our team in Doncaster has put in to get us to this stage.
“We now need to look at the next steps and identify suitable funding or sponsorship to ensure that www.spreadthesign.com continues to develop and provide people with the ability to communicate using sign language where ever they are,” added Alan.
Partners from Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey and the UK took part in the meeting.
There are approximately 70 million people across the globe who use sign language as their first language or mother tongue and www.spreadthesign.com is a free tool available to help them to communicate.
#DoncasterisGreat Get ready for South Yorkshires first #TedHughes festival #TedFest
The first ever Ted Hughes Poetry Festival to take place in Mexborough, will celebrate, commemorate and reclaim Ted Hughes as a South Yorkshire poet, honouring Hughes’s roots in the town this July.
The festival, which has been arranged by Right Up Our Street, will take place between July 3 and 5, in and around Ted Hughes’s old grammar school where he was inspired to write his first poems.
Dominic Somers, Arts Supporter for Right Up Our Street said: “This event is a long time coming and lots of people have worked very hard to put on this special chance to explore Hughes’s formative years in Mexborough while also engaging with performances by some of the best contemporary poets around.“Over the three day festival there will be a mixture of free and paid for events open to all.
The event is supported by Right Up Our Street, Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership and the many poets, artists and volunteers who have worked to make this inaugural event a reality.”
Ted Hughes was an English poet and children’s writer who is often ranked as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes, whose early years were spent in South Yorkshire, held the post of British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.
It was at Mexborough Grammar School where Hughes came under the spell of two charismatic teachers, Pauline Mayne and John Fisher, who introduced him to the poetry that would form his taste and shape his own work — Eliot, Lawrence, Hopkins, Donne, Shelley — and of course, Hughes’s beloved Shakespeare.
At the school, Hughes wrote, directed and acted in plays and crucially, wrote his first poems, which he published in the school magazine, The Don & Dearne. By the age of eighteen, Hughes was recognisably the poet and man-of-letters of his maturity and was recognised as such in the school and wider community by his teachers, peers, friends and family.
The festival begins on July 3 at Mexborough Business Centre, formerly Mexborough Grammar School at 5.30pm and the evening will include ‘Made in Mexborough: Ted Hughes’s South Yorkshire’ by poet and Hughes author Steve Ely, Poetry reading by Ian Parks, described by Chiron Review as ‘the finest love poet of his generation’ and Ted’s Ballads and Folksongs performed by Mick Jenkinson- Organiser Of Doncaster Folk, Roots, Acoustic And Dance Festival.
“There will be creative writing workshops, pop up performances, poetry giveaways and lots of playfulness throughout the weekend.
“We are sure that the festival will develop creativity — poetry, writing and art — in and around Mexborough, in Hughes’s name,” added Dominic.
For listings of events and to book tickets for individual nights or to book a full festival pass visit www.tedhughesproject.org
Artist and illustrator Mark Holiday @DoncasterMuseum
Doncaster based artist and illustrator Mark Holiday is holding an exhibition of his fairy tale and wildlife paintings, along with images from his lavishly illustrated children’s book Gullwick and the Sunset.Which is being held at Doncaster museum and art gallery from Saturday the 16th of May until Sunday the 28th of June. Admission Free.
The Exhibition is dedicated to the young and the young at heart. Be an Illustrator for a few hours
On Sunday the 7th of June from 11am through to 3.30pm Mark will be holding a workshop where you can come along and be an illustrator for a few hours. It will be held at Doncaster museum in the same room as Mark’s exhibition. It is open to young and old alike. Bring along any art materials you may have, though there will be plenty of paper and pencils. Tea and biscuits will be provided but if you would like some lunch you will have to bring that along.
Admission is free so you will need to book your place by contacting the museum and art gallery.
Website: www.doncaster.gov.uk/museums
Address: Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, Chequer rd, Doncaster, DN1 2AE Tel: (01302) 734293
Opening Times: Wednesday-Friday 10am-4.30pm
Saturday-Sunday 10.30am-4.15pm
“Doncaster Needs You!” Appeal from new First World War Project
“Your borough needs you!” That’s the message from organisers of a new Doncaster-based project aiming to document the impact of the First World War on local people before memories are lost forever. From next week, everyone is invited to get involved in the action, as the four year “Doncaster 1914-18” project begins to uncover the past that shaped our future, with family events, touring displays, new exhibitions, education initiatives, a new interactive website, and even an archaeological dig.
“The First World War fundamentally changed lives and places, and the impact on the Doncaster borough is still clear today, with industry changing to support the war effort, family roles turned upside down as men and boys enlisted, and even landmarks changed,” explains Jude Holland, the Doncaster 1914-18 Project Manager. “Sadly, because it happened outside of our ‘living history’ we are slowly losing our connection to the people and places of our past, and forgetting that its legacy is still shaping our lives today. This is where we need help from people to re-build a picture of life across the borough during 1914-18. The First World War was a time when Doncaster’s people made a real difference, and so we need to find out about real people, who lived and worked on our streets, or fought far away from home.”
From Friday 22 May, next week’s half-term holiday events will put the spotlight on family life, with a chance to try out crafts, costumes and a range of hands-on activities, and will take place at venues including the Doncaster Dome, and Mexborough library. From then on – alongside a packed year-round programme of events and exhibitions that reveals many remarkable stories – people across Doncaster or anyone with a local connection are being encouraged to investigate and share family stories or memorabilia, or to volunteer in a range of exciting projects. A new interactive Doncaster 1914-18 website will also use innovative technology to reveal Doncaster’s wartime story, and allow people to share and research their own family stories, creating a new digital archive for future generations, and preserving this important part of our community.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “The Doncaster 1914-18 project is a valuable reminder of what our ancestors went through during the First World War, and the incredible sacrifices that are still being made today. It is vital that we remember those brave men and women who served their country so proudly, as we continue to support the Doncaster’s modern Armed Forces Community in the future”.
“Whether young or old, whatever your background or nationality – everyone in the Doncaster area will have a connection to the First World War,” adds Carolyn Dalton, Heritage Services Manager. “It was a time of tragedy and tension, with many sad stories – after all, 1000 Doncaster men lost their lives in the war. But it was also a time of industry and innovation, a testament to the power of the human spirit that provides inspiration and hope even today.” As a garrison town and industrial centre, Doncaster Borough played a significant role in World War One, and Doncaster 1914-18 will be exploring the frontline experiences of its soldiers – and especially the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry; but also the home front through the lives of those left behind, making their own sacrifices and contributions to the war effort.
Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Spanning the same duration of the conflict and beyond Doncaster 1914-18 will provide an insight into subjects ranging from rationing and zeppelin raids to family memories and life in a battalion. “Doncastrians are at the heart of every step of this project – from unearthing memories at Scarborough Barracks to personally adding to the interactive digital legacy which will connect the community to their past.”
This year’s programme of events and exhibitions look back 100 years to 1915 and include:
· The ‘Great War on Tour’ roadshow will be travelling to a range of locations and events across the Doncaster area, including libraries, village halls, sports venues, fairs and carnivals. Those visiting the roadshow, can meet the 1914-18 Project team to share their own stories, bring along First World War photographs and memorabilia to be added to a new online archive, or try wartime costumes, crafts and other hands-on family activities. During half-term the Great War on Tour will be at Mexborough Library on 26 May, Doncaster Dome on 27 May and the Cantley Park Carnival on Saturday 30 May.
· ‘Doncaster at War’ a travelling exhibition, which will be updated annually with stories of the contribution Doncaster people played in the war, will visit libraries and community venues across the borough, including Mexborough Library until 28 May.
· Opportunities to investigate the astonishing achievement of local volunteer, Wyn Bulmer, who has painstakingly collected reports of all servicemen in the local newspapers during the First World War, and created an index for local people to use in carrying out their own research. The index records those killed, missing, wounded, taken prisoner of war and awarded medals for bravery.
· A new exhibition, ‘A Call to Arms!: The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry at War 1914-15’ at Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery uses personal testimonies and original objects to chart the life of Doncaster men, and those from the West Riding of Yorkshire, in the army, from outbreak to stalemate in the trenches.
· Doncaster 1914-18 website, a digital resource which features a full programme of events for everyone to join in, including Homefront family activities, to a summer live archaeology dig! It will also use cutting-edge technology, to become an interactive archive where Doncaster’s people can share their stories but also investigate their own history. The website will launch in September 2015. Local residents can also share stories, images or ideas via Twitter or Facebook.
Generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund during the four-year project with a grant of £926,700, Doncaster 1914-18 will feature an ever-changing programme of events and exhibitions, with future years uncovering the diverse experiences of Doncaster people on the Home Front, including women’s experiences of war, Doncaster’s role in the Battle of the Somme, Doncaster’s Royal Flying Corps and Airfield, the role of the local countryside and country houses, and Armistice.
To find out more about getting involved in Doncaster 1914-18, including events and exhibitions, visit www.doncaster1914-18.com.