Dorchester Arts' lottery-funded film project

Dorchester Arts is working with a high profile international visual artist, music producer and drama specialist to make a lottery funded animated film with an Olympic theme. 

Our working title - dreamed up by children at Beechcroft St Pauls School in Weymouth is: The Sadness of King George.

Here’s the outline: Something has gone terribly wrong at the Olympic sailing in Weymouth…There’s havoc in the bay where the events are due to be held…

Only one man can save the games…but he has been dead for nearly 200 years

Can King George III ride his white horse back through time to save the event ?

We will be working in school with around 40 year five children over a period of three weeks in January. 

The project is supported by First Light Films, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Departure Arts, Beechcroft St Pauls Primary School and Dorchester Arts.

Thanks to everybody who helped make our lantern parade such a success

Artist Heidi Steller and Dorchester Arts volunteers worked with children at Broadmayne, Prince of Wales and Manor Park First Schools to make these wonderful candle-lit lanterns in the shape of Christmas baubles for the town's Cracker night celebration.

Malina's Dream - a heart-warming tale about friendship - RESCHEDULED

3rd December shows cancelled due to extreme weather - rescheduled for February 4th

DorchesterARTS Friday 4 February 1pm and 6pm Suitable for ages 4+
£7 (£6 Members) £5 Child £22 Family £20 Family Members

Tweet

Everybody who remembers the beautiful Mr Oshima and the Big Sea last year, will be looking forward with eager ancipation to Angel Heart Theatre’s new show Malina’s Dream - a warm hearted tale inspired by encounters by Scottish sailors and the Inuit communities of the Arctic in the 19th century.

Malina is an excitable young girl who lives with her Grandpa in the land of the midnight sun. After dreaming of a stranger, trapped on a ship in the crushing ice, Malina discovers her dream has become reality. Knowing she is the only one who can save the stranger’s life... with just a little help from Grandpa and his magic drum! They set out on an adventure that takes them from the land of dreams and spirits out across their own frozen world!

Malina’s Dream is a wonderful story about friendship and finding the way between two worlds, with breath-taking puppets, live music and a specially commissioned soundtrack to create an unforgettable experience of magical theatre for everyone this winter.

Mr Scribbles and the Magic Pumpkin

Mr Scribbles was in a bit of a state - his house was a tip and his garden all dead.
Then his neighbour Mrs Egg found a magic pumpkin....
A short animation written, animated and voiced by a group of children at a two day half term workshop at Dorchester Arts.

Tweet

Dorchester Arts…recording studio

Dorchester Arts is a great venue for intimate concerts and events, but it’s becoming increasingly popular with musicians for filming and recording their performances.


Gordon Giltrap recorded his landmark album As it Happens here in 2007 and now Rob Koral and Zoe Schwarz’ band The Baddest Blues Band (ever!) have used it for their latest promotional videos.

“We love coming to Dorchester Arts - it’s got that combination of friendly atmosphere and brilliant accoustics,” explained Rob. “We are definitely planning to come back next year.”

Here they are playing Blues Get off my shoulder

Half Term Has Never Been This Much Fun!

Aged 7-14years? Don’t know what to do with yourself this half term? Then join us at Dorchester ARTS on our mission to banish half term boredom!!

Are you a budding dancer or an actor? Could you be a future puppeteer? 

Do you dream of producing your very own animated film? Or maybe you just want to have as much creative fun as possible this half term?! Then Make a Date to CREATE! at Dorchester ARTS Centre from Monday 25 to Friday 29 of October 

Monday 25: Create A Puppet with Kathy Webb - Spend the day creating your own puppet to use during the play-in-a-day on Tuesday and then to take home to make stories come to life at home! 

Tuesday 26: Create A Play in a Day. Join Youth Theatre Leader Jo Simons to have your chance to create a whole play in just one day! Produce a storyboard, make props and costumes and perform a play for your family at 3.30pm.

Wednesday 27: Dance Live Diversity. Learn some basic streetdance moves with professional dancer Katey Leader.

Katey, from the show Elvis Still my Heart, will have you breaking, popping and locking as she takes you through a range of popular hip hop dance moves.

On Thursday 28 and Friday 29, Create An Animation over two days - Create a short animated film from story board to DVD with community film maker Alastair Nisbet. Children will develop a story and bring it to life using a variety of stop frame animation techniques. Parents invited to watch the “rushes” at 3.45pm on the second day. All children receive a copy on DVD. Watch previous films at www.nisbetmedia.co.uk (special offer £30 for both days) 

Dorchester ARTS is the place to be this half term, and with all this on offer, holiday boredom is definitely a thing of the past – mission accomplished!!

Make a Date to CREATE! at Dorchester ARTS Centre • Monday 25 to Friday 29 of October • 10am – 4pm • Bring packed lunches • £18 per day (£80 for the week) • Age 7 – 14 years • Bookings: 01305 266926

A performance waiting for a spine to tingle...

Send two artists to the Arctic and what do you get? An extraordinary fusion of dance, poetry and science in ‘The Shiver’ - a spine-tingling dance performance exploring the emotions and events behind why we shiver - whether through pain or pleasure.

The Shiver - at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Friday October 15th – combines three beautiful Indian dancers with the words of poet Lemn Sissay - and concludes with a discussion introduced by Quentin Cooper from BBC Radio 4’s Material World.

The work came out of a cultural response to climate change - the Cape Farewell Project - in which both artistic director Subathra Subramaniam and Lemn Sissay spent time in the Arctic working with groups of young people.

Dorchester Arts’ Artistic Director Sharon Hayden said they were thrilled to be hosting such an innovative new dance: “On one level, this is a wonderful performance by three remarkable dancers - add the poetry of Lemn Sissay and the science underpinning it and you have an extraordinary evening’s entertainment.”

Subathra Subramaniam has choreographed numerous original pieces of dance for youth and school groups and was recently artistic director of “Returning to Dance Nepal”, a cultural exchange project between the Gurkha community of the Blandford Army Camp and the local community that included a dance work for 13 Gurkha soldiers.

Dorchester Arts welcomes the return of Lemn Sissay, a poet, playwright and broadcaster with an Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage. He contributes regularly to BBC Radio.  He is currently poet-in-residence at London’s South Bank. The Independent newspaper said: “His name is magic, his poems are the songs of the street.”

Tickets  £10 (members £8) Under 18s £6
Box Office: 01305 266926  

baddest blues band ever ?

Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral make a welcome return to Dorchester Arts on Saturday with a band described by Time Out as one of the finest blues and roots acts in the world - wow!

The Baddest Blues Band (ever!) brings together some of the funkiest musicians from the parallel worlds of blues, jazz and rock.

“Mixing jazz and rock into a quaking blues mix, this band features sultry vocalist Zoe Schwartz with virtuoso support from guitarist Rob Koral, harp blower Si Genaro and Hammond organ grinder extraordinaire, Mike Gorman combining for some truly kick-ass blues sounds. Recommended” Time Out
http://www.myspace.com/thebaddestbluesbandever#ixzz11ZZ8fRWA
Dorchester Arts • 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm) • £10/£8 

NoFit State Circus - Sunday 19th 7.30 - the big finale

Dorchester’s extraordinary week-long circus residency reaches its climax on Sunday (September 19) with a flame-filled free finale show by up to 100 performers.

Aerialists will sweep across the doughnut stage filling the centre of the rings as the reds take on the blues in Air Ball - a stunning aerial ball game invented for the show by the skilled and talented acrobats from NoFit State Circus.

But this is not any circus show, and these are not any performers. While up to 30 are trained members of the company, the remainder are local people from community groups who have run away with the circus for the week for a series of workshops and rehearsals.

Freerunners, bellydancers, cheerleaders, gymnasts, dancers and around 100 schoolchildren have all worked with the company’s professional performers during the week - a total of around 300 people, of whom a quarter have been invited to join the show.


During their residency in Dorchester, Dorset as part of the Inside Out 2010 Festival, artistic director Orit Azaz, explains how the company works with performers from the local community over the course of a week - and then includes up to 80 of them in the spectacular finale show.

Circus skills taster sessions off to a flying start

Dozens of children and young people from schools and community groups across the area have been getting a taste of life in the circus with the NoFit State Circus Parklife project in Maumbury Rings.

Free runners, cheerleaders, majorettes, bellydancers experts and many others have been sharing skills with the highly trained members of the Cardiff-based company.

Over the next three days, community groups will come back to the circus for a series of intensive public rehearsals before the grand finale show on Sunday 19th at 7.30 - with people having picnics on site from 6.30pm.

Stubbly chinned cheerleaders surprise shoppers

Bemused shoppers in Dorchester market were greeted by a group of stubbly chinned cheerleaders in pink tutus...

"We're auditioning for the circus - do you think we'll get in," one asked.

Then they danced a short routine waving letters spelling PARKLIFE...

"I think it's a group called NoFit State Circus over in Maumbury Rings," one market stall holder told me. "They're doing a spectacular free performance on Sunday evening from 7.30pm."

Behold - the Rock Charmer...

The Rock Charmer is here…half way up the side of a cliff - a figure emerges from behind a sandy coloured rock and starts producing extraordinary sound…

On a cliff face next to him, giant columns of rock come to life.

The music opens like a monastic chant in an ancient abbey cloister - but as the picture dissolves into a view of massive cogs and gears the sounds change to the mechanical noises of saws and stone cutting.

This is the Rock Charmer - a collaboration between music legend Kimmo Pohjonen and the enchanting live cinema experience of the Paper Cinema. Just as a snake charmer makes the snake reveal himself, Kimmo and Paper Cinema are charming the rocks to reveal their stories and their history in sounds and live animation.

The setting feels Mediterranean - but is in fact Winspit, a magical spot on the Dorset coast near Swanage where Purbeck stone quarrying has created a clifftop amphithatre and series of square fronted caves. 

The performance is part of Dorset’s Inside Out festival of extraordinary events in extraordinary places - both the location and the performance don’t get much more extraordinary than this - a rock face in front of the audience, a sheer drop behind them, and a mile long walk down a stone path from the Square and Compasses pub.

The performance, on September 16th and 17th at 7pm offers a few extra surprises as well - including a cave lined with sculptures of prehistoric creatures skillfully projected onto the walls like ancient cave paintings.

Audience numbers are strictly limited on safety grounds and there are just a few ticket left - appropriately  from Poole Lighthouse on 0844 4068666. 

Moonfleet buffoons get a workout

Moonfleet’s buffoons have been getting a good workout on Dorchester’s new outdoor gym before their start a gruelling national tour with their hit play later this week.

After last year’s hugely successful run, Dorset-based Angel Exit theatre company are re-touring Moonfleet to nearly 30 venues across the UK, starting at Sturminster Newton and Lyme Regis this Wednesday and Thursday, September 15 and 16th, and finishing at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre at the end of October.

During a break in rehearsals at Dorchester Arts, the five actors decided to make the most of the newly installed gym in the borough gardens. 

Their play tells the story of a straggling gang of mischievous buffoons, washed up amongst the flotsam onto the wild shores of Chesil Beach, who conspire to spin a tale of a young boy clashing with smugglers and excise men in his quest to find Blackbeard’s cursed diamond and win the hand of his beloved Grace. 

“It’s a wonderful show -  we’re delighted that Angel Exit are touring it again and that they have had such a great response from theatres across the country,” said Dorchester Arts Chair, Alastair Nisbet. In October, it comes back to the Mowlem at Swanage and the Lighthouse at Poole - sadly we could not get a date for them in Dorchester.”

There’s just one change of personnel in this year’s show - newcomer Kai Simmons (pictured below with Lynne Forbes) takes over from James Mitchell who was unable to rejoin them.

Full tour details are on the company website www.angelexit.co.uk

NoFit State circus - biggest show in town

Leading contemporary circus company NoFit State are in Dorchester for an extraordinary week of free workshops and performance as part of the 2010 Inside Out Dorset Festival.

"This could be the most spectacular show the Rings has seen since Roman times...." said Alastair Nisbet, chair of Dorchester Arts, one of the partner organisations behind the festival. The 10 day event got under way over the weekend with a series of dance events in Bournemouth, and the European premiere of a new art installation  - Congregation  -  in Bournemouth Square.

NoFit State are assembling their huge doughnut stage in Maumbury Rings - before an open meeting on Monday 13th at 6pm, when members of the public are invited to meet members of the company and hear more about the residency and performance of Parklife.

From Tuesday to Saturday, the company are running a series of circus workshops with local community groups and schools, before a finale performance of the show Parklife at 7.30pm on Sunday 19th, with pre-show performances from 6.30pm.

"Maumbury Rings is a perfect venue for this sort of huge outdoor spectacle - we're thrilled to have NoFit State with us for the week and I hope as many people as possible will both get involved and come to the show. In other towns, people would be having to pay £25 to take their family to see Parklife - but thanks to Inside Out, it's all free."

As well as he finale show, people are invited to take part in taster sessions with the company on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th from 4-5pm and to watch open rehearsals on Thursday and Friday from 3.30-4pm and Saturday from 2.30-3.30pm.

Touring 30 venues across the UK - Moonfleet

15 September • Sturminster Exchange 01258 475 137 
16 September • Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis • 01297 442 138  
23 October • Mowlem Theatre, Swanage • 01929 422 239 •  
27-28 October • Lighthouse, Poole 

Dorchester Arts' resident physical theatre company Angel Exit are taking their sell-out show, Moonfleet back on tour to 25 venues across the UK this Autumn. A fearsome and funny show for everyone with a sense of adventure aged from 8 to 108. 

A straggling gang of hilarious buffoons are washed up amongst the flotsam onto the wild shores of Chesil Beach, and conspire to spin this yarn of a young orphan boy clashing with both smugglers and excise men in his quest to find Blackbeard’s lost treasure. 

Inspired by the rugged landscape of the Dorset coastline and J Meade Falkner’s classic novel Moonfleet, Angel Exit weave together live music, striking physicality, storytelling and puppets to tell a thrilling tale of smuggling, dastardly deeds and wicked escapades. 

More details and a full tour list are on the Angel Exit website.

All aboard for Sam Kelly's Station House

The new Bluesnights season kicks off with the legendary Sam Kelly and his band Station House.

'Station House' is a rarity in being led by a drummer. Five-times UK blues drummer of the year, Sam's band plays a unique mix of blues with a flavour of funk, soul, and reggae, reflecting the backgrounds and experiences of the musicians in the band. 

The band started out as the ‘house band’ playing at Bob’s Goodtime Blues at the Station Tavern, London W10 in the mid 90’s. A regularly Sunday lunchtime spot turned into a long-term residency at the venue and the ‘house band’ simply became ‘Station House’.

Don't miss them!

"...really superb musical entertainment - nobody wanted the evening to stop!" - Lewis Harris, Bluesnight's Review (October 2008)

 www.sam-kelly.com

Unmissable drama at Dorchester Arts - supported by the British Council

Dorchester ARTS • August 19-21st, 8pm (Doors and bar 7:30pm) • £8 / £6 members

Actors Kevin Hanssen and Anne Fischer come to Dorchester from Zimbabwe to take the leads in the Pulitzer / Tony Award Winning Drama DOUBT: A PARABLE at Dorchester Arts from August 19-21.

This brilliant and powerful drama - supported by the British Council Zimbabwe - has been called “Funny, shocking, stimulating and ultimately wise”.

Themes relating to the nature of doubt, the desire for justice and the right of individuals to live with integrity, freedom and safety, are explored in a series of evocatively terse scenes, leading to an explosive climactic confrontation between self-righteousness and compassion.

Director, Mel Hooley, brings you a very relevant piece for these troubled times, as the conflict between a well-intentioned progressive priest and a conservative nun develops over the priest’s relationship with a young boy at a school in the Bronx.

An evening of unmissable drama



Supported by British Council Zimbabwe


DOUBT: A PARABLE
Supported by British Council Zimbabwe
By John Patrick Shanley
Directed by Melanie Hooley

The Lost World - Paper Cinema in Maumbury Rings

Maumbury Rings Saturday 31st July – gates and bar 7.30pm / Performance 9pm – £8 / £5
In case of bad weather relocate to Dorchester ARTS Centre

Step into The Lost World, where shadow puppets hunt for dinosaurs in a magical tale for children of all ages.

As a finale to the South Dorset Ridgeway Festival, Dorchester ARTS presents Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World  - a tale of adventure, discovery and dinosaurs - in the outdoor setting of Dorchester’s Maumbury Rings.

When lovestruck reporter Edward Malone agrees to travel to a remote South American plateau to impress his lady friend Gladys, he hopes to return a hero, but along with his four fellow Edwardian explorers, finds a Lost World beyond imagination, from which they’ll be lucky to return at all… What will they find? Will Malone win the heart of his lady? Will any of them come back alive? Watch and see... 
Someone once described the work of Paper Cinema as like finding yourself in a village where television had not been invented, but something altogether more enchanting had been dreamed up in its place. 

It’s a live animation to live music which takes on a filmic quality because of the way the artists use the camera to film the drawings being projected onto the big screen.
Music and live sound effects by Chris ‘little boat’ Reed, performed by Imogen Charleston and Nic Beard.

Celebrate the South Dorset Ridgeway and join in two weeks events, talks and walks.

Friday 16th July 7.30pm

Romeo & Juliet Dorchester Arts presents Miracle Theatre's production of Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 7.30pm

Tickets £11 / 9 member / £5 child / £27 family of 4 / £23 member's family of 4  Tickets available from Dorchester Arts 01305 266926

Saturday 17th July 9.30am - 4.30pm

Ridgeway Uncovered: Symposium on the recent Archaeological work of the South Dorset Ridgeway. Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology. English Heritage, Bournemouth University, Dorset County Council and the National Mapping Programme talk about recent archaeological work on the South Dorset Ridgeway.Kimmeridge Theatre, Weymouth College

 Download the Programme 285.09 Kb

Tickets Free Booking advisable £5.00 charge for sandwich lunch (if booked in advance)   Bookings Essential

Saturday 17th July 5pm - 6pm

live IT love IT film IT: Screenings Short films made by young people as part of the South Dorset Ridgeway Heritage Project will be screened together with work by Jorn Ebner in a short presentation Kimmeridge Theatre, Weymouth College

For more information  Download the programme 268.29 Kb

Tickets Free. Booking not necessary.

Saturday 17th July  7.30pm

Romeo & Juliet Dorchester Arts presents Miracle Theatre's production of Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare Maumbury Rings, Dorchester

For more information about this production  download this file 45.56 Kb

Tickets £  Tickets available from Dorchester Arts 01305 266926

Saturday 17th to Sunday 25th July, 10am - 5pm

Upwey Summer Craft Show at the Upwey Old School Village Hall, next to the Wishing Well Cafe and Water Gardens, a display of locally produced craftwork, including demonstrations by exhibitors.

Sunday 18th July 10am - 4pm CANCELLED

Poetry on the Ridgeway with Paul Hyland.

Sunday 18th July 7.30pm POSTPONED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES

Dorset History on Film Osmington Village Society presents a chance to see a collection of archive film footage of Dorset Collected by Trilith Osmington Village Hall

Trilith are a rural media charity who have been collecting archive and historic film of Dorset for many years. The show they put together is based on their archive and the location in which they show - so on this occasion they are selecting film with relevance to South Dorset, Weymouth & Portland and perhaps the wider area

THE SCREENING WILL BE RESCHEDULED LATER IN THE YEAR

Tuesday 20th July 2pm - 5pm

A Potter from Portesham with Poems Join Yettie band member Bonny Sartin on very personal discovery of a small corner of the Ridgeway around Hardy's Monument with poetry and song.

Tickets Free Bookings Essential

Wednesday 21st July 2pm - 4pm

A Ridgeway Church Crawl A car tour of three of the most interesting churches within the Ridgeway Area, considering precautions against magic and why time was different in the past, ancient angels and the last choir in Dorset, as well as a church designed by a vicar to express his hatred of a modern English Saint.

Meet  2.00pm St Martin’s Church, Winterborne St Martin SY 647 890 Very little walking involved, 1 ½ - 2 Hours

Tickets Free Bookings Essential (please indicate if you would be willing to offer a car share)

Thursday 22 July 2pm - 4pm

An Artist's Ridgeway Join artist John Walker as he ventures across the Ridgeway with sketchbook in hand. Bring your own sketchbook and pencil to capture the magic of the Grey Mare and her Colts.

Tickets Free Bookings Essential

Friday 23rd July 2pm - 5pm

Hardy Monument and around: A geology walk Join leading Dorset Geologist Alan Holiday on a guided 5.25 mile circular walk along recognised bridleways and minor roads, taking in Portesham Farm and Corton.Bring a picnic to enjoy en-route and learn about the fascinating geology of the area and enjoy stunning views of the West Dorset coast and countryside.

Meet: Car Park at the Hardy Monument (SY 613876) (Please note that the car park is private property)NB: Sensible footwear is recommended as you will be walking on sloping or uneven ground which may be slippery if wet.

Tickets Free  Bookings Essential

Saturday 24th July 9am to 12.30pm

Tell a Tale Gladly: Digital storytelling Do you live in a village? Hamlet? A town? A farm? In the middle of nowhere? Why do you live where you live?

We are collecting the stories from people like you. We want to hear your story about where you live.If you want to come along to a  half day workshop on the 24^th July  we can begin to work together and prepare your stories for scripting and editing on the 31^st July at the Dorset History Centre. Broadmayne Village Hall

Tickets Free Bookings Essential

Saturday 24th July 2.00pm to 5.00pm

Tell a Tale Gladly: Digital storytelling Do you live in a village? Hamlet? A town? A farm? In the middle of nowhere? Why do you live where you live?

We are collecting the stories from people like you. We want to hear your story about where you live.If you want to come along to a half day workshop on the 24^th July  we can begin to work together and prepare your stories for scripting and editing on the 31^st July at the Dorset History Centre. Portesham Village Hall

Tickets Free Bookings Essential

Saturday 24th July 7.30pm

Tell a Tale Gladly: Storytelling with Tim Laycock Tim retells stories and legends from West Dorset and theJurassic Coast. Hear about Skipper's Teeth, the Wonderful Crocodile and the Dorset Giants! Suitable for all the family.Portesham Village Hall

Tickets Free  Bookings Advisable

Sunday 25th July 9am

The Ridgeway Charity Challenge: Coast to coast on the South Dorset RidgewayWe DARE you to take the Challenge! Walk or run the whole length of the South Dorset Ridgeway (17 miles), or choose the 7 mile route and support the British Heart Foundation.

Registration £5.00 Minimum sponsorship

More information www.bhf.org.uk/ridgewaychallenge or call Leah on 01892 893918

Sunday 25th July 10am - 9pm

Ancient Wessex Network near Gould's Hill The Ancient wessex Network will be on site all day with displays, art and craft. If you are not taking part in the Ridgeway Challenge walk, cycle or take the bus to Ridgeway Hill (number 10 or 31). 

For more information www.ancientwessex.net

Wednesday 28th July 1.45pm

The Trumpet-Major & The Melancholy Hussar Tony Fincham the Chairman of the Thomas Hardy Society leads a walk from Sutton Poyntz through landscape broght alive by Thomas Hardy.

Tickets Free  Bookings Advisable

Saturday 31st July  10am - 4pm

Tell a tale Gladly: Digital Storytelling See 24th July for details

Saturday 31st July Doors 8.30pm / Performance 9pm

Paper Cinema: The Lost World As a finale to the South Dorset Ridgeway Festival, Dorchester ARTS presents Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World.

Four gentlemen set out on a head-long journey across a continent searching for the existence of pre-historic life. One is journeying to prove his findings right, one to prove the other wrong, one to win the hand of his sweet heart and the last just for the adventure.

Hand-drawn marionettes are projected and animated, to tell a fairytale version of the story, accompanied by improvised live music. Music and live sound effects by Chris ‘little boat’ Reed, performed by Imogen Charleston and Nic Beard. Maumbury Rings
In case of bad weather relocate to Dorchester ARTS Centre

Tickets £8.00/5.00 Tickets available from Dorchester Arts 01305 266926