Get Your Teeth into The New Year. Arts / Personal on the Move / And Zombies Wanted

No blinding flash of light, no major melt down, so 2011 has merged smoothly into 2012.  I’d love to know just how much the Council Tax payers of London paid for that huge and expensive looking firework display I caught sight of on a telly in the pub I was seeing the New Year in with.  

The last day of 2011 was spent tablet free so I could go out with son number one and his lady and drink his wages for December.  Judging by what I was paying around Rawmarsh, £9 for a pint of JS a pint of larger and glass of wine, I’m surprised anyone could afford too many pints.  

The prices in 2012 were not any better, although I believe the 2^nd January saw a reduction.

Some Pubs simply do not themselves any favours.  The only message I got was “avoid me in the future”. 

Our Government has kicked off the year full of renewed vigour.  What a load of claptrap we got from their New Year “Leader” Messages.  I include all three in this.  It’s enough to drive me back to Marx.  Even the Tory Press is beginning to wonder how such an unpopular Government with absolutely no mandate is being made to look so good by a weak Labour Party opposition.  

Here’s an example of the weakness.  John Healey was Shadow NHS Cabinet spokesman.  During the year or so he had the portfolio he said very little, and what was said was very within the box.  Three months out of Office and there he is on the front page of the local paper bashing GPs for profiteering from 0845 numbers for their surgeries.  Now if he had happened to raise this when Shadow Minister it would have carried more weight, instead it’s lost as a local issue. 

Of course it’s worth checking what your surgery is doing and complain if you are being charged above normal call rates. 

Time for a Happy Pill.

It’s a week of news and chit chat as most of us re-adjust to the real World outside of Christmas or Festive season and return to our desks.

The New Year saw a goodbye, as Karen Sherwood left her position as CEO of ROAR.  Karen’s lasting legacy will be Westgate Chambers which opened it’s doors for business in December offering rehearsal and low cost studio space to local Artists.  It was Karen who pulled the financial package together, which included a successful bid to “The Peoples Millions”.  

Karen leaves to concentrate her efforts on the main interest in her life Cupola Contemporary Art HERE (Facebook) a Gallery she set up in the Hillsborough area of Sheffield twenty years ago.   If you’re over that way at any time why not pop in and say hello and take a look at the current Exhibition.  The Gallery seeks to make Art accessible to all, and you’re bound to find a deal or two plus payment options.  The main Web Site is HERE 

While on ROAR matters there is a general plea for items of unwanted furniture.  Apparently there is a need for two sofas and a mini table (is that a coffee table?) Anyone who has re-furnished during the Sales, or simply want to create some space in their living room should contact Matt HERE 

And we’d better give Matt Butt a warm welcome to ROAR.  He is the new full-time Development Officer at ROAR and is there to help everyone involved in Rotherham Arts, especially if they are fully signed up to ROAR.  He’s currently into the “reading in” / listening to us expound on what is needed to enhance the Arts in Rotherham, so now would be a good time to book a coffee or two and meet the man.  Find out more about ROAR HERE

More general Arts stuff.  Check out the Facebook page for the Old Market Gallery HERE  Vicky Hilton is now in charge of this page and is seeking to use the fantastic space offered at the Gallery a lot more during 2012.  If you’re looking for Exhibition or performance space in Rotherham why not have a chat with Vicky.

With another hat on you might find Vicky’s Vintage Gift Shop of interest.  Handmade or design driven items for sale, with some items being created by Vicky herself.  For anyone looking for that unusual something this is the place to go.  The main Web Site is HERE and there’s a Facebook page HERE

For those who have been waiting patiently for Dickie’s look at the Rotherham Open Arts Festival.  I’ve published the Report on the Web Site Festival page HERE I’ve taken a look at the 2011 event and suggested where we could open it up in 2012 in an ideal World.

As you’ll very quickly pick up the core problem as I see it in 2011 and indeed in previous years was publicity.  Much promised, little delivered.  

With this in mind it would be great to find a Publicity Tsar for the Arts in Rotherham.  Someone who is fully committed to publicising the work of Rotherham’s creative Arts teams across the board.  This person would develop firm links with the local media, create posters / fliers and distribute, develop links with local business and Commerce with a view to developing Sponsorship opportunities, and of course use the digital media to its full potential.    And of course, be so committed that initially they would be prepared to back themselves to succeed.  A huge thankless task, and not very attractive in terms of reward until proper funding is in place but one that would be a great feather in someone’s hat. 

There are some exciting projects coming up in 2012 /13 and if you think you can make a positive contribution then we want to hear from you.

If there is such a person out there Email me and we’ll have an informal chat.  HERE

Poets Corner has been updated on the Web Site with Carol Robson’s look ahead to what is happening in January.   Don’t all rush at once to have your Poetry published on the site!!  Haha.  We really would like to publish your work on the site so come on and Email it through to me HERE The files can be in any of the popular formats, and if you have a picture, we’ll add that as well. 

The NEW FESTIVAL page appears to be quite popular HERE.   We’ve introduced this page because many of the Festivals now offer staggered ticket pricing, and by getting in really early you can save yourself a packet.  So far we’ve put up the Festivals we’ve been told of or gleamed from the Internet and have published their dates for 2012.  Like all listings though, to be current and up to date we need your input, so if we’ve missed your Festival or favourite Festival then let us know by Emailing HERE

Acoustic Rotherham 14 will soon be upon us.  The initial listing of artists is up, but I’ve yet to confirm the venue.   You can see the great acts coming on 29^th January HERE  My usual rider applies here, if I’ve promised you a spot in January and your name is not on the list then please Email me HERE immediately.  This quarter we’ve cut back the number of acts again and I hope that we’ll start at 2:00pm and be finished by 6:00pm.  

Actors in Rotherham who think that they can turn themselves into the World’s most frightening Zombies have been invited to apply to take part in a New Film project of Safe House Pictures.  The full details can be found on the Advertiser Story page HERE  or contact the makers themselves HERE 

My attention was also drawn to a super song this week, well it’s my sort of thing, but I think you’ll enjoy it along with the video, especially if you happen to live in Nic Clegg’s Constituency in Sheffield.  Check it out HERE 

Any day now I’m expecting the knock on the door and a parcel of Roy Blackman CDs to be passed over to me.  The anticipation grows by the day.  As soon as they arrive you’ll be the first to know……. promise.   In the meantime if you’ve not already checked out the full package deal take a look HERE

Some of you may have been following on Facebook the joys I have been having upon the Blackleg Buses being run by Stagecoach in Rotherham and Barnsley.  Martin Hickman published an update on the dispute this week which you can find HERE  Tom Donaldson has suggested that we should put together a Fund Raiser Concert for the Strikers, which seems a great idea to me, so watch out for details soon.   I’d love to hear from any artist who might be interested in performing, Email HERE

Something else that caught my eye this week was an item published again on The Advertiser site – (no I’m not becoming a big fan of the Advertiser)- It was about Arthur Wharton, Rotherham United’s first black player who has had a film made about him.  You can find the full story HERE 

One of my Facebook friends Lazarus Carpenter, a former lad of Sheffield, is off to America.  I’ll let him explain why in his own words

“I need to gig my journey in the US of A in September 2012 ... why .. because I am travelling to meet my sisters and relatives whom I have never met (imagine the humility I feel) and I am the 'Big Brother' ... (adopted back in 52 .. nuff said!) a tall title for one so small! Friends have already agreed to pass my stuff around to make this happen ... would you join them please and pass on my links ... I have waited for fifty years to meet my real family ... imagine the passion when I perform under these circumstances .. help me make this happen ... to hug my sis's for the first time in my life would be such bliss! (Gigs wanted in New York, Virginia Beach, Indiana, California and Portland .... my new family is bigggg!) Thank you x lol Lazarus x”

If any of the many readers of The News Blog across the pond can help you can contact Lazarus via his Facebook page HERE  Check out his songs on Soundcloud HERE

So onto the coming week.  All the regular events are back in action.  It being the second Tuesday Hillsborough Folk will be meeting at The Burton Street Foundation in Sheffield, and on Wednesday the Ring O’Bells, Silkstone, Nr Barnsley session is also kicking off their New Year.  Philip Cockerham is in action in Leeds on Thursday night while on Friday ROMP (Rotherham Open Mic Poetry) meets at The Bridge, Rotherham.  The ROMP gathering will include a General Meeting and it all kicks off around 7:30pm.  All the weeks Open Mics and sessions HERE 

Those with sharp eyes will notice that I’ve add pages for February and March as we stomp into the New Year.

And to finish, as the Film “The Iron Lady” is hyped, a picture of the real Iron ladies of the Coal Fields who were prepared to stand by their men and take Thatcher on.  Even Mark Kermode was scathing as to the making of the film and it’s almost sentimental look back.  Enough!!

Whatever you are doing this week, have great fun friends, support local musicians and KEEP IT LIVE