UNCORKED at the Helmsley Arts Centre

There's a new night launching at Helmsley Arts Centre, led by new Artistic Director Em Whitfield Brooks on Friday 17th February. UNCORKED will feature spellbinding sets from three top accoustic acts with fine wines and nibbles in the bar between each act.

The music on the menu at this first UNCORKED event will be:

Beccy Owen: A welcome return to HAC for Beccy, described by the NME as a “delinquent Carole King,” Beccy’s latest album of intent is the self released long player ‘Down With Gravity.’ Produced by Joe Rusby her third album features performances from world-class luminaries such as Kate Rusby, Peter Tickell and Rachael McShane, and is hailed as “a stunning collage of tender romanticism, off-kilter harmonies and disarming rhythms” (Alt Vinyl). Her music has been endorsed by Elvis Costello, who described it as “lovely and original” following Beccy’s live session for BBC Radio 2’s Janice Long. She has performed alongside Maximo Park, Rachael Unthank, Nitin Sawhney, Northern Sinfonia, Bellowhead, Jim Moray and Field Music; she supported the award-winning folk collective Bellowhead on tour, appeared on BBC 2’s The Culture Show, and was nominated for the Performer of the Year award at the Journal Culture Awards. “A fallen, aggrieved, dark angel and a very, very special talent” Music Week. “A soulful, guiding light.” Metro “A real discovery…Gorgeous” – Janice Long, BBC Radio 2. Beccy spends a lot of time these days singing with North East supergroup Sharks Took The Rest, so this is a rare opportunity to catch her mesmerising solo performance.

Dave Keegan: Excellent singer-songwriter, who channels a whole host of left-field pop and rock influences in his melody-driven, bittersweet acoustic songs. Dave’s powerful performance style, versatile voice and compelling songs always hold audiences spellbound. If you haven’t seen Dave perform solo before you’re in for a real treat.

The Cornshed Sisters: these four singers, hailing from Tyne and Wear, offer a stunning and original blend of guitar pop, folk tales, protest songs, piano ballads and gospel. Their sound is magical, with songs displaying a healthy disregard for unity of subject matter. One of their singers Liz Corney was a huge hit with Icene at Helmsley Arts Centre last year. Recently signed by London-based label Memphis Industries, this appearance is part of a tour to highlight the release of their first album Tell Tales on 9th April. The future is bright for this group - you’ll see them here first… Uncorked @ Helmsley Arts Centre Friday 17th Feb 7.30pm Tickets: £9 - includes free glass of wine Box Office: 01439 771700 or book online.

Chris Ware : Facing the Storm part 4

At last some stormy weather! And some paint!

Catching up with Chris Ware: Facing the Storm part 3

And here's the third part of Chris Ware's diary.

Chris Ware : Facing the Storm part 2

Here's the second of Chris Ware's video diaries....in quick succession as we've got behind with updating you!

Chris Ware's Benbecula painting project: Facing the Storm part 1

We'll be following Chris on his new project through his video diary reports. Here's the first.

Local performers star in acoustic night - Friday 10th Feb.

The next acoustic night in the Studio Bar of Helmsley Arts Centre features 10 of our best local performers doing a couple of songs each. A real mix of styles from a plethora of talent of all ages!

Plus, we’ve a real treat in store from our special guest performers Luke Hirst & Sarah Smout, playing and singing original songs and arrangements with acoustic guitar and cello. Luke and Sarah were winners of last year’s Wath Festival Young Performers Award who you can watch below:
 
 We kick off at 7.30 and finish by 10.15pm.

Our next film - 'The Ides of March' - Wednesday 1st February

The Ides of March is a serious film that reveals Clooney as a director capable of welding his fellow performers into a superb ensemble while sustaining both dramatic tension and moral focus. He's a liberal of a critical kind, and his respect for the audience takes the form of expecting us to understand that in bringing a self-critical searchlight to bear on events surrounding the Democratic party he isn't attacking the liberal left. He's simply addressing himself to the complications and vagaries of electoral politics...

...complications in which everyone ends up fighting to save themselves, their careers and ambitions, trapped by human weakness rather than being persuaded by superior arguments or circumstances. But is it better to win and deliver on half your pledges or retain your purity and achieve nothing? ....

From a review by Philip French in the Observer.


 Buy tickets here.

Marketing and Development Officer, Helmsley Arts Centre

An exciting and challenging opportunity to devise, develop and deliver creative and successful Marketing and Development strategies, working alongside a small team of paid staff, strongly supported by a large team of volunteers, at this well-established hub of the arts in the heart of rural North Yorkshire.

A 2-day per week freelance post for at least one year, subject to review after six months.

Salary: £8,640 p.a (£23,400 p.a. pro rata)

Closing date for applications: Friday 24th February Interview date: Wed 7th March

To start as soon as possible after that date.

For further information email: Em Whitfield Brooks

Our next film - 'Anonymous' - Wed. 25th January

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds such as Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Sigmund Freud, namely: who actually created the body of work credited to William Shakespeare? Experts have debated, books have been written, and scholars have devoted their lives to protecting or debunking theories surrounding the authorship of the most renowned works in English literature. Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when scandalous political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles lusting for the power of the throne were brought to light in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.
 

Buy tickets here.

Watch the Channel 4 David Hockney interview

Artist David Hockney speaks to Channel 4 News Culture Editor Matthew Cain about his life in Yorkshire and Los Angeles as a major new show, A Bigger Picture, opens at the Royal Academy of Arts.
 



'David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture' spans a 50 year period to demonstrate Hockney’s long exploration and fascination with the depiction of landscape.

The exhibition includes a display of his iPad drawings and a series of new films produced using 18 cameras, which are displayed on multiple screens and provide a spellbinding visual journey through the eyes of David Hockney.

Our new video is here: Ryedale Artists at Work 2

June had an exhibition at Helmsley Arts Centre in November, 2011. Here she shows us how she begins a painting and then talks about some of the paintings in the exhibition. You can see more of her work on her website.

'Tea and a Tale' in Malton tomorrow

Sunday 15 January, 5pm

Milton Rooms, Malton

Tea and a Tale

Dominic Goodwin reads two classic short stories:

Uninvited Ghosts by Penelope Lively and 

Rumpole and the Chambers Party by John Mortimer

Tickets: £3.50 including tea and cake!

More info.