Top International Poet in Rotherham ; RAE look to October ; Listings Update

Well, we’re getting back to some sort of normality.  Legs and arms are moving and feet have returned to normal size.   The Office needs a bit of a sort, that’s the one in Rawmarsh, not The Corn Law Rhymer that has become a home from home.

It looks to me from everything that I’ve so far seen that the general view is that despite one or two slight slips Slamfest was a success.  Our estimate is that we had around 2,000 + tread through during the day across our active music stages and I’ve just read a write up about a similar project in Hull that had similar results with a £15K budget.  We did it with only my fly buttons in our pocket. 

More pictures have been added to Rock Rotherham HERE and if you missed them you can find pictures from the evening Slamfest events HERE which includes that unique picture of the entire cast and audience posing together at the Pocketful of N’owt Concert and Chill out Sunday pictures are HERE

The good news is that we are already into planning for next year, so watch out for News in this space.

But for now Rotherham Art Events, has to turn its attention towards the Rotherham Open Arts Festival.   Theatre is to be the main thrust of this year’s Festival.

I’m told that the critically acclaimed Play “Call Me Mr Robeson” written and performed by Tayo Aluko will be staged between 14th and 21^st at various venues, which I believe to be Schools.  It sounds like a really very interesting presentation, being based on the life Paul Robeson.   You can read more HERE

And of course  Open Minds Theatre’s very own Opus Hatch written by Rotherham’s own Karen Mulcahey and T. Rafiq.  A digital Frankenstein takes to the boards.  Can’t wait for that one.

The Old Market Gallery will be mounting an exhibition that will form the backdrop to the popular Wednesday Acoustic Concerts, this year to be hosted by Paul Pearson and Saturday Brunch Sessions hosted by David Kidman.

Already set in stone is a Concert on Tuesday 30^th October featuring International Song Writer John McCullagh and Guests – details of venue and all the top guests will be published soon.

And The Rotherham Red Choir will be performing a programme of music.

We also have a couple of top notch Rock Nights lined up with some big surprises there. 

And if that were not enough we are seeking to take Rotherham Art onto the Road.  We want to take a series of events in four Borough Townships.  An evening each of Rock and Acoustic Music, Theatre and creative script writing, and Performance Poetry. 

I keep saying AND, but, and we will be holding what proved quite popular last year The Busking Saturday in Rotherham Town Centre.

Postponed from Slamfest the FOF Theatre Company will be performing scripts provided by local writers.

So already quite a bit taking shape for The Fringe Festival.

If we get more entries, we’ll be judging the Finals of the Myke Barritt Song Writing Contest during the Festival as well. 

Finally this is not a closed shop, indeed we’ve been frustrated at The Fringe last year and during Slamfest by the lack of involvement from the Art genres across the board.  If your Society, Art Group, Workshop have something that you think will fit into an Open Arts Festival then please contact us HERE.   Alternatively tell us what you are doing over the month of October, or if you have an event or Concert already programmed into your Diary. 

We want the widest possible involvement.

Stay tuned.

December will mark the end of an era for The Rock Folk Club, now firmly established in it’s Maltby based home.  Rob Shaw who founded the Club way back in 1978 is to pass the reins, the worry and stress of running the Club onto new madmen. 

Rob developed the Club from humble beginnings to one the best Folk Clubs in the Country, winning Awards galore on the way and inviting a who’s who of Folk and Blues to appear on the Rock’s Stage.  As Rob has said in interviews it was not about awards, for him it was about making friends with some of the best musicians of our generation.

The Mashers have of course noted that Rob never got around to inviting them around to The Rock and draw our own conclusions. 

Seriously, thanks Rob for being a stalwart of Folk in South Yorkshire at the elite end.  The fantastic run in to the end of the year includes Vin Garbutt, Dick Gaughan, Acoustic Strawbs, Dave Swarbrick and Martin Carthy proves this.

From what I can make out the future of the Club is secure and will become a fortnightly Club from the New Year.

There’s much bubbling under at the moment, and hopefully it will all come out with a burst of activity. So stay in touch with the Web Sites.

And yes I did get out on Saturday for a “quick pint”.  The Band was just awful, so I shall say no more.

OK, the coming week.

So let’s start with a Youth initiative that caught my eye.  A few young people have got together to talk about putting a Newspaper / Magazine together.  Not a lot of detail is known at the moment, but I’m sure that if join their Facebook page HERE then you’ll be amongst the first to know.

ROMP and WordLife Poetry have together to bring top American Poet Buddy Wakefield to The Bridge in Rotherham on the 24^th August.  You can find some of his work HERE to listen to.   Make a note in your Diary for this one.

This weekend it’s Saltburn Folk Festival.  Lovely part of the World.  Whatever you do don’t camp close to the cliff edge.  A great line up once again.

Masher next outing is to Marie Curie Cancer Care Fund Raiser on 15^th August at the Hillsborough Arena between 11am and 2:30pm. 

On Saturday, Chris Slater’s Oil Workshops continue at the Imperial Building for FREE.  You will learn a lot from this prolific Artist.

And all week the centre of Rotherham is transformed into a Seaside Town, with Rotherham By The Sea, with Clifton Park’s Summer Breezes kicking off on 17^th August.  Your tickets for Dirty Dylan on 18^th August can be purchased from The Information Centre at £10.  It’s a great night’s entertainment with Steve Gascoigne and Phil Sinclaire providing support.  Tickets will also be available on the door at £12.50. 

All the Diary pages have been up dated HERE

And that’s it for another week, whatever you are doing this week have great fun, support your local artists and KEEP IT LIVE.