Are you passionate about the Arts and want to promote them in the Dorchester area?

Dorchester ARTS is seeking two new members for our Board of Management/Trustees.

Dorchester ARTS is funded by Arts Council England South West, West Dorset District Council and Dorchester Town Council to provide both performing and visual arts for the people of Dorchester and the surrounding area, via venue based performances and community projects.

Dorchester ARTS’ Board of Management/Trustees is responsible for guiding the organisation, supporting its creative vision, overseeing operational activity and ensuring Dorchester ARTS continues to fulfil its statutory obligations with regard to its position as a Company Limited by Guarantee, a Registered Charity and a publicly funded organisation.

The Board is particularly interested in attracting potential Members who apart from a keen interest in the arts also have expertise in the fields of business, financial matters, and fundraising.

Experience of previous Board membership is not essential, as a full induction process will be offered to new members. The Board meets every two months with occasional special meetings or sub-group meetings. Dorchester ARTS aims to “inspire, involve and entertain” and is committed to Access, Equal Opportunities and Diversity.

If you are interested in applying please send a covering letter explaining why you are interested and a CV to Louise Sheaves, c/o Dorchester ARTS, School Lane, The Grove, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XR or send via email to louise.sheaves@btinternet.com. The closing date for applications is 21st December 2012

Dorchester ARTS is a registered charity (1015546) and Company Limited by Guarantee (2752793).

Best Film award for The Helpful Dead

Dorchester Arts' Olympic film, The Helpful Dead has won Best Film by primary age children at the Electric December 2012 awards in Bristol.

Four of the filmmaking team from Wyke Regis Junior school joined facilitators Sharon Hayden and Alastair Nisbet from ScreenPLAY to receive the award at Bristol's Watershed - and a bag of film goodies from sponsor Aardman Animation.

Project producer Sharon Hayden said it was a wonderful achievement for the ten year old filmmakers. "We're thrilled their work is being recognised in this way. “It’s the first time any of these children have been to Bristol - and being part of these awards has opened their eyes to some of the opportunities out there in our creative industries. Best Film in Electric December could perhaps be a first step on the path to a career in film.”

Entries included films from across Europe and filmmakers travelled from as

far away as Poland for the awards. Best animation went to 20 year old Agnieszka Konarska for her atmospheric film Hunt about a Raven and its bid to escape. Best Comedy went to Taking Out Tim by Tiverton High School students with My Pockets, and Best documentary to Adrenaline Junky, a moving film about a motorcyclist regaining his action packed lifestyle after an accident.

Electric December producer Hannah Higginson said the films had all been chosen for their imaginative and distinctive style. “I’ve been knocked out by the huge amount of flair and talent on show this year. We are committed to developing new talent and it’s a joy to see the exciting range of films from across Europe.

All the Electric December films are on the website electricdecember.org - including The Big Splash, one of the other Dorchester Arts Olympic films by St John’s Primary School in Weymouth.
Characters in The Helpful Dead were inspired by Victorian works of art in Birmingham and Cambridge. Read about the real people behind the story.
The Helpful Dead was funded by the Lottery's First Light initiative with additional support from b-side, Departure Arts and the school itself.

A Love Like Salt - two for one ticket offer !

The Devil's Violin Company
Saturday 1st December
7.30pm Dorchester Arts Centre
***SPECIAL OFFER Two tickets for the price of one ***  
How much do you love me?...
What would you do for the one you love?
How far would you go?
How far is too far?
 

A Love Like Salt features three wonderful tales that have gripped us for hundreds of years - tales of drama and danger, love and lust, humour and pathos that inspired two of our most popular storytellers: Chaucer and Shakespeare. 
 
Aided by the dramatic, driving rhythms of an inventive strings and accordion trio, Daniel Morden, renowned for his powerful storytelling, takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride to King Arthur’s Camelot, the Breton shores and the ancient Britain of King Lear.
 
A Love Like Salt is a rich tapestry, peppered with magic and morals, lovers and villains, desire and disguise.
“A scintillating combination of music, sound and story” The Times

“One of the most stunning experiences I have ever had in a theatre” Audience feedback

Commissioned by the Bodleian Library and the English Faculty at the University of Oxford, ‘A Love Like Salt’ – with its hugely accomplished simplicity – is a timely reminder of the power of the story to unite.
 
Tickets £12 / £10 members & concessions
 
***SPECIAL OFFER***
2 TICKETS FOR THE PRICE OF 1
Booking Office: Dorchester Arts 01305 266926
or Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992

Electric December for Children’s Olympic films

Animated films by children at two Weymouth primary schools have been selected for an international showcase of young filmmaking talent.

The Big Splash and the Helpful Dead, made for the Olympics by pupils at St John’s Primary and Wyke Regis Junior schools will be part of Electric December, a countdown calendar featuring the best of young people’s short films from across Europe.
The films, seen by thousands on big screens during the summer, will now bring Weymouth and Portland - as seen through the eyes of ten year olds - to an international audience.

Over the course of a month in each school the young filmmakers worked with a group of six artists from Dorchester Arts, led by Sharon Hayden of digital arts organisation ScreenPLAY.

She said the children gave both films a strong sense of place and local identity. 
“In the Big Splash they wanted to capture the feel of the torch relay on Weymouth seafront and the determination and courage of a group of young people swimming across the bay. In researching Helpful Dead, the children found a head teacher’s diary from 1872 with descriptions of a shipwreck off Chesil Beach. This gave them the idea to link a Victorian tragedy with the 2012 Olympics,”  she explained.

The films, plus the third in the trilogy the Portland Race, were funded by the lottery through the BFI’s First Light initiative. More information about the project is at www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/projects or www.screen-play.co.uk.

Manchester screening for The Helpful Dead

The Helpful Dead - one of Dorchester Arts’ trilogy of animated films made by young people in Weymouth and Portland has been selected for screening at Britain’s oldest film festival.

The three minute Inspire-marked drama screened during the summer at the Weymouth Olympic live sites, ICCI 360 dome and National Sailing Academy, is being shown at the Co-operative Film Festival in Manchester this November.

The film, made by year five children at Wyke Regis Junior School supported by a team of artists from Dorchester Arts, tells the story of an Olympic sailor battling strong winds - and an emotional link with a shipping disaster off Dorset’s Chesil beach more than 140 years ago.

Project Producer, dramatherapist Sharon Hayden said the children had studied and photographed their locations to give the film a strong sense of place and local identity.  “In their research they found a first hand account of the wreck of the Royal Adelaide in a head teacher’s log book from 1872. This gave them the idea to link a Victorian tragedy with the 2012 Olympics,”  she explained.

“We are incredibly grateful to First Light for believing in us. Thanks to their support, these nine and ten year old children have produced some remarkable work. It has been a transformative experience for them.” 

Watch The Helpful Dead here www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/projects
More about the production team: www.screen-play.co.uk.

The project was funded by the Lottery through the BFI’s First Light initiative.

Join us 'On Golden Pond'

On Golden Pond, the popular play written by Ernest Thompson, comes to Dorchester Arts Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday 4th, Friday 5th and Saturday 6th October.

This beguiling story that gives a glimpse of what lies beneath the stormy waters of family ties may be familiar from the 1981 blockbuster film starring Katherine Hepburn and Henry and Jane Fonda. Originally Thompson’s play opened on Broadway in 1979 and ran for 126 performances before an additional 256 after, ironically, a summer break. Now director Mel Hooley transforms this classic for Dorchester Arts’ stage.

The drama takes place inside the Thayers’ holiday home as they enjoy their 48th summer ‘On Golden Pond’ but this time past misunderstandings threaten to shipwreck their gently moving idyll. As the sun sinks on the lake and summer turns to autumn they grapple with the bittersweet feelings of impending old age and unresolved family issues.

Director Mel Hooley says: “It’s a fascinating study of the anguish of a daughter, now trying as an adult, to heal childhood wounds and create a true father/daughter relationship with a difficult man for whom time is running out.”

This production features a cast of local players including Trevor Williams, Dee Thorne, David Lucas, Georgie Willis, Matt Daisley and Paul Friese-Greene After Mel Hooley’s string of outstanding plays at Dorchester Arts Centre including ‘Doubt’ with a Zimbabwean cast, ‘Duet for One’ and ‘Crimes of the Heart’ it would be advisable to book tickets early.

DORCHESTER ARTS CENTRE • 7.30pm (doors and bar 7.00pm) • £9 / £7 members and concessions tickets from Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992 or Dorchester Arts 01305 266926

ahab ready to rock Dorchester’s Arts Centre

ahab, one of the hottest and most exciting young bands on the music scene hits the road later this autumn and arrives at Dorchester’s popular Arts Centre on Saturday 29 September fresh from playing at Bestival, Isle of Wight. The band’s visit is part of a twenty-two date tour that will see them visiting every corner of the UK - including Dorchester, Exeter, Southampton, Southsea and Brighton in the South and West.

London-based ahab’s unique take on alt-country rock is based around stunning four-part vocal harmonies. With four talented songwriters in the line-up, the band’s set features highly original compositions that have a freshness and dynamism and their blistering performances are guaranteed to captivate and excite.

To coincide with the tour the band are releasing a live fourteen track CD. Recorded earlier this year, the album ‘Live in London’ captures the real spirit and energy of the live band. The album includes five previously unreleased tracks and will be available at the gigs throughout the tour.

Guitarist and vocalist Dave Burn says ‘Live performance is our trademark and the album truly represents the atmosphere of our shows - that is how we want fans to remember their evening’.

The band already has an enthusiastic following with both fans and music business professionals. Legendary broadcaster Bob Harris first saw ahab at Fairport Convention’s annual music festival in Cropredy, Oxfordshire:
“I thought their live set was blistering,” he says. “They showed real class and I love their alt-country edge.” He is not the only BBC presenter to sing ahab’s praises - Radio 2’s Simon Mayo says: "This band’s top-notch British Americana is the real deal."

DORCHESTER ARTS CENTRE • 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm) • £9 / £7 members and concessions

Henry's wives as you've never seen them before

The autumn season of comedy / theatre in the South West kicks off with a hilarious play devised by Living Spit Theatre company - The Six Wives of Henry VIII - with performances at the Marine Theatre Lyme Regis Thursday 6 September, at Dorchester Arts Centre Friday 7 September and at Bridport Arts Centre Saturday 8 September.

Following success at the Bristol Old Vic, Living Spit Theatre Company brings The Six Wives of Henry VIII to Dorchester Arts Centre at 7.30pm on Friday 7th Septemberc. Their self professed ‘poorly researched historical comedy-drama’ stars Howard Coggins, who looks like Henry VIII, and Stu McLoughin, who doesn’t really look like any of the wives, but he’s willing to give it a go…

With live original music, embroidery, barbie dolls, silly songs and historical hysteria that promises to be a lesson in cross-dressing Tudor history that you’ll never forget!

It’s ‘an original interpretation of a familiar story, in which historic facts are cunningly interwoven into a pastiche of modern TV clichés and dance routines’, Stage Won. With Bristol Evening Post calling it “cleverly written, beautifully acted, and, dare I say it, educational”, it is the perfect way to start autumn arts season.

The play is on at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis on Thursday 6 September, at Dorchester Arts Centre on Friday 7 September and Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday 8 September.

Tickets are £10/£9 from the Marine Theatre Lyme Regis 01297 442138 or
Dorchester Arts Centre 01305 266926 or from Bridport Arts Centre 01308 424204.

www.livingspit.co.uk

West Dorset venues launch reciprocal benefits scheme

Dorchester Arts has got together with partners Bridport Arts Centre and the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis to share membership benefits more widely.

From September, members and friends of each venue will be able to take advantage of members’ discounts at the other two. All the venues offer special discounted rates to members on tickets for their performances and events, and the Marine Theatre offers members a 10% discount on drinks prices in their newly-refurbished bar.

Artistic Director, Mark Tattersall said: “We value our members enormously and know that our partner venues in West Dorset feel the same. We hope this scheme will encourage existing members to visit partner venues more often and attract other arts lovers to join their local venue now that the benefits are so generous and far-reaching”

Individual annual memberships are modestly priced, with joint and family options also available.

Director of Bridport Arts Centre Polly Gifford said "Working more closely with our partner venues has been very positive for the organisations and now we can offer direct benefits to members too, which is fantastic."

The scheme is part of a wider collaborative effort between the three venues, which also includes bringing touring performers to two or three venues on consecutive dates, as well as sharing ideas, innovations and information.

Bridport Arts Centre theatre, gallery, performances and workshops.
Marine Theatre - theatre by the sea at Lyme Regis

New Orleans blues legend comes to Dorchester

FRI 10th AUG - LAZY LESTER  
Dorchester Arts Centre
8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm)

For one unique evening Dorchester Arts Centre turns into a Mississippi dive when the 78 year old New Orleans blues legend - Lazy Lester - plays on Friday 10th August!

Back when blues was king and South Louisiana was the breeding ground for some of the most memorable American music ever recorded, at its heart was Lazy Lester. This 78 year old blues legend from Baton Rouge, Louisiana has been described variously as a ‘National Treasure’ the ‘High Sheriff of Louisiana’ and ‘A nut’! 

One of the key creators of the South Louisiana swamp blues sound in the 1950’s Lester (aka Leslie Johnson) has often been imitated but never duplicated - his carefree personality prompting Excello Producer Miller to dub him ‘Lazy Lester’.

Lester’s tunes have been covered time and time again. His ‘I’m a lover not a fighter’ became a standard requisite of 60’s British blues band shows and was featured on the Kinks’ first album.

As a true living legend, his talents are as much in demand as ever. After all there aren’t many living bluesmen who have had major hits throughout the 1950s and ‘60s and are still performing with the gusto and precision of their youth.
 
He credits Jimmy Reed and Little Walter as his main blues influences but his first love was and still is traditional country music. He got hooked early on Jimmie Rogers and later Hank Williams always including some of their songs in his set.
 
In 2004, he played at Radio City Music Hall in New York as part of Martin
Scorsese’s Year of the Blues super concert that included the most impressive line-up of blues stars ever assembled.

This is probably your last chance to see a genuine blues legend in such intimate surroundings. Get tickets now and enjoy.

Lazy Lester playing in Texas last year


Tickets: Advance £12.00 on the door £14.00
Box office 01305 266926 Dorchester Arts Centre, School Lane, The Grove, Dorchester DT1 1XR

Funniest play ever written ? - be a shame to miss it

Cornwall’s Miracle Theatre’s productions are one of the highlights of the summer! Their witty and inventive performances take place against the extraordinary backdrops of our unique landscape.

On Saturday July 14th Miracle make a welcome return to Dorchester’s Maumbury Rings with a wonderful new interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy - The Importance of Being Earnest.

Set in the year 1912, with the Titanic sinking, mass production just beginning on the Morris Oxford and the Turkey Trot causing outrage across the dance floors of polite society, this tale of the strange contents of a handbag found at Victoria station has been subtly adapted to extract every drip of humour and contemporary relevance.

This ‘trivial comedy for serious people’ is a masterpiece of sharp wit and preposterous plotting. In this high energy production Miracle adds an extra dimension to ‘the funniest play ever written’.

Bring a picnic and enjoy great open-air theatre. Hot chocolate, teas and cakes from 6.30pm.

Dorchester Maumbury Rings 7.30pm £11/£9 members/£30 family/£6 under 18s and concessions

www.miracletheatre.co.uk

Fitzrovia Radio Hour - 'Rippingly good fun'

Recreating the unique spirit of 1940s radio plays and brilliantly evoking a dinner-jacketed age of casual imperialism and stiff upper lips, The Fitzrovia Radio Hour’s brand new show comes to Dorchester Arts Centre on Friday June 22 fresh from three critically-acclaimed London residencies, and two sell-out years at the Edinburgh Fringe.
 
Performed with cut-glass theatricality blending homage and satire, Fitzrovia mixes the attitudes of 1940s Britain with sharp contemporary humour to produce a heady comic cocktail. Throughout the plays, sound effects are created live: a Bakelite hairdryer imitates a heating torch, a desk fan becomes an aeroplane, and multiple types of cabbage help to stage a fight scene. Rippingly good fun!
 
“Absolutely spiffing show that recreates the innocent, clipped, Bulldog Drummond spirit of Forties live radio drama, with a skilled company stepping up to their retro mics to unfold ripping yarns. A Joy.”  **** Daily Telegraph
 
“Dramatic entertainment redolent of a bygone era. Jolly good show, chaps!” The Guardian
 
“Both evokes and satirises a long-gone era. Smart gags and smart clothes too.” Evening Standard – Critic’s Choice
 
Friday June 22nd 7.30pm (doors and bar 7pm)  £10/£9 members/£8 concessions
 
Tickets also available from Dorchester Arts Centre (01305 266926) and Dorchester Tourist Information Centre (01305 267992)
 
www.fitzroviaradio.com

Dinosaur leads Festival 2012's Jurassic procession

The Jaipur brass band and a huge processional dinosaur led Dorchester Festival 2012's extraordinary procession through the town to the Borough Gardens yesterday.
Dozens of children dressed as Jurassic sea creatures, seagulls and even ice creams, carried brightly coloured ammonite flags or played in an amazing drumming band of junk instruments.


.

Cricket nets with a sporting legend

Owzat ! Sporting legend Henry Olonga ran an extended cricket workshop for students at Hardye’s school as part of his Dorchester Festival appearance.

The former Zimbabwean fast bowler, who once skittled out the heart of the Indian batting line up, ran a 90 minute net session, follow by an hour long indoor game.

“He gave detailed feedback and analysis of the bowling performance of a group of our players - they’ve absolutely loved the day,” said sport teacher Tom Adams.

Year 10 student James Caldwell, pictured with Olonga said: “It’s been an amazing experience for us - we’re really grateful to the Festival for making it possible.”

Olonga, who made a historic World Cup protest with fellow player Andy Flower by donning black armbands to mourn the death of democracy in Zimbabwe went on to give a talk at the Corn Exchange based on his book Blood, Sweat and Treason..

African stories have Festival's young audience mesmerised

Dorchester Festival 2012 got off to a pulsating African start today with a workshop and two performances of Puppetcraft's mesmerising new show Circle of Tales.

More than 350 children at Manor Park First School were entranced by the story of Mazanendaba and her search for stories among the African animals in the bush.
Mazanendaba and her husband - and all the African animals are wonderful brought to life by puppeteers John and Libby and Ghanian musician Sam.

"The children absolutely loved it - and for those who took part in the workshop there was the added bonus of playing and singing for the second performance, We were thrilled to have such a wonderful company in residence with us for the day" said teacher Cathy Nisbet.

The show, developed over the course of six months last year, included a month-long visit to South Africa by artistic director John Roberts who was told 1000 stories by a Zulu storyteller as part of his research.

The company are going on to perform at Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday June 2nd at 11am.

Olympic films to inspire school assemblies

Every primary school in Dorset is to receive a DVD of short animated films made for the Olympics by primary school children in Weymouth and Portland.

With support from Departure Arts and b-side Multimedia Arts Festival, a team of artists and filmmakers from Dorchester ARTS spent last term working with more than 130 children at Underhill Junior School on Portland, Wyke Regis Junior School and St John’s Primary School.

The films, the Portland Race, the Helpful Dead and the Big Splash tell three very different stories about, Weymouth, Portland and the Olympics.


Project producer Sharon Hayden said she hoped other schools would use them as a stimulus for discussion in their work on London 2012.


“These films will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people during the Olympics later in the summer. The year four and five children who made them have produced three wonderful stories with terrific drama, beautiful drawing and extraordinary soundtracks, and we know from what others have already told us that they offer a useful starting point for assemblies and class discussions.”


The films, lottery funded by the BFI’s First Light initiative, are being distributed by Departure Arts. You can also view and request copies on the website at www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/projects . The films are: The Helpful Dead by year five at Wyke Regis Junior School A majestic tall ship sunk off Dead Man’s Cove, Portland in 1872 has a dramatic emotional link with the 2012 sailing events.

The Portland Race by year four at Underhill Junior School When Olympic boats fill the harbour - there’s only one thing for a father and son to do - go fishing by moonlight in a tiny Lerret boat.


The Big Splash by Year Five at St John’s Primary When the Olympic torch is sensationally stolen amid crowds on Weymouth seafront, four best friends make a splash in more ways then one as they try to get it back.

More information and contact details: www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/projects

Can you guess what it is yet ?

A new type of dinosaur has been discovered by one of the artists working on this week's Dorchester Festival..

It's big, it will be carried by up to eight people, and it will take pride of place in the most spectacular, noisy and scariest Festival parade yet - this Saturday, June 2nd leaving the Corn Exchange at 12.30pm.

Artist Heidi Steller worked with groups of children all day in South Street to make the willow frame of the beast - a Gigantasaurus.

"They had a great time - and they have created a magnificent shape for our Festival dinosaur," explained Community Outreach officer Kathie Prince. "In fact it is so big that two of us had to carry the frame across town to Manor Park First School at the end of the day, where Heidi and James Kimber founder of junk band Weapons of Sound will be in residence during the week. If you saw a dinosaur heading across town at the end of the day, it was us!"


Join Gigantasaurus - if you dare - on June 2nd as it wends its way down South Street on Saturday towards the main Festival site in the Borough Gardens - and bop to the sounds of the funkiest, junkiest festival drummers, lad by James.

Feast your ears on the amazing Jaipur Brass Band direct from India who will lead the procession and then perform in the gardens.

Dorchester has never seen anything like it !

Simon Arthy - from Royal Marine to peacemaker

It’s not every day you get the chance to hear first hand from someone whose job is to try to build peace in some of the toughest conflict zones in the world. Simon Arthy, is a former Royal Marine Commando turned peace building specialist who as part of Dorchester Festival will be giving a sobering, humorous and ultimately uplifting account of his 25 years in many of the world’s most troubled spots: as a combatant in Iraq and Northern Ireland, a UN peace keeper in Bosnia, a humanitarian aid worker in Chechnya and Liberia, and as a peace builder in Sierra Leone, the Congo and Nepal.

Simon now lives in Dorset and you can hear his eye witness account - a journey through global conflict to peace building - at Dorchester Arts Centre on Monday 4 June at 3pm. Tickets are £5 / £3 from Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992 or at Dorchester Arts Centre 01305 266926.

Create a Giantasaurus Workshop Saturday 26th May 10 am - 4pm Antelope Walk, Dorchester

Get ready for Dorchester Festival - join a free workshop with celebratory artist Heidi Steller on Saturday to make a huge processional dinosaur and costumes for the big festival parade on Jubilee weekend.

Come and let your imagination run wild! Join us for a fun day for all the family making a Gigantasaurus for the Dorchester Festival Parade next Saturday 2nd June, and make amazing musical instruments with James Kimber - founder of Weapons of Sound, Britain’s leading “junk” music group.

At the end of the day, the Gigantasaurus will be moved in sections to Manor Park First School where it will be decorated and completed by children with Heidi next week as part of their Art Week.

Meet from 10 am in the Festival shop in Antelope Walk for a day that is sure to get your creative juices flowing whether you're 3 or 103!

Indian Takeaway with Hardeep Singh Kohli

Everyone loves a curry - it is Britain's national dish after all !

Broadcaster, writer and Celebrity Masterchef finalist Hardeep Singh Kohli is on a mission to find the best Indian takeaway in the UK… and he’s coming to Dorchester Festival to see if it might be here !

For his third national tour show - following two sell-out years on the road and at the Edinburgh festival – Hardeep will order a takeaway live on stage for delivery to Dorchester Corn Exchange. He will then race against time to cook his own sumptuous feast before the takeaway arrives.

Along the way, he’ll be sharing recipe tips, anecdotes and wonderful stories of his shared Scottish and Indian heritage. The show culminates with some lucky audience members coming on stage to sample both meals. Make sure you book early for a good seat to be first in the queue!

The evening, Dorchester Corn Exchange, June 2nd at 8pm is kindly sponsored by Masala Indian Cuisine in High East Street. Tickets are £15 & £12. Box Office: Tourist Information Office 01305 267992 or online

Be blown away by Alejandro and the Magic Tombolinos !

Argentinian saxophonist Alejandro Toledo and his international group of musicians are set for a trademark full-throttle performance at Dorchester Festival on Sunday 3 June

With members from across the globe, Alejandro Toledo and the Magic Tombolinos have woven together a sound that is energetic and exuberant, infused with a wealth of musical traditions from all their different backgrounds from Italy, to Portugal, to Costa Rica. A delicious blend of Middle-Eastern, Latin and gypsy influences, with a lot of jazz, a pinch of punk and a taste of tango thrown in... Expect high-energy performance of nuclear power from this charismatic group. Tickets from Dorchester Corn Exchange 01305 267992 or online .

The Magic Tombolinos are: Alejandro Toledo (Vox & Saxophones), Nuno Brito (Drums), Maurizio Pala (Accordion), Michele Montolli (Double Bass), Davide Lufrano Chaves (Guitar). Despite the range of influences that inspire them, Alejandro does not feel the term ‘World Music’ adequately describes their sound : “None of us in the group really understand what ‘world music’ means, we just absorb what we like and play what we please.” Elements of Balkan, gypsy, jazz and flamenco music (all performed with an assured swagger), coupled with their energetic off-the-scale live shows, have invited comparisons to bands such as Gogol Bordello, Mano Negra (Manu Chao), Rodrigo y Gabriela and Fanfare Ciocarlia.

Modou N’Diaye - master of West African rhythms - in Dorset for Dorchester Festival

Master Kora player and drummer Modou N’Diaye is to bring his repertoire of West African rhythms to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Friday 1 June as part of Dorchester Festival 2012. N’Diaye, whose music was made famous when he was commissioned to create the soundtrack for Hollywood blockbuster film Blood Diamond, takes his inspiration from oral and musical traditions from his native Senegal.

The complex blend of sounds that N’Diaye achieves imparts a real sense of the rich West African culture from which he draws his inspiration. Come and see the master at work at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Friday 1 June at 8.30pm. Tickets £12 and £8 (concessions). To book, call Dorchester Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992 or buy online

Modou N’Diaye is a member of the famous Cissokho family of Griot musicians and oral historians from the Cassamance region of Southern Senegal. As a virtuoso drummer and percussionist with a superb repertoire of rhythms, Modou plays a variety of West African instruments ranging from djembe, sabar and talking drum to his leading instrument, the 22 string kora.

Transglobal Underground: Flamboyant, dramatic, eclectic and unexpected

Transglobal Underground return to Dorchester for an entrancing evening of eclectic beats.

Flamboyant, dramatic, eclectic and unexpected are all terms which aptly describe Transglobal Underground, award winning pioneers of the dance fusion scene.

This is a group with that rare quality of universal appeal - whether you fancy a manic night of footwork and fancy, or you’re a die-hard music enthusiast who’s earned your festival stripes - this is the band for you!

With a beat so full of life, Transglobal Underground are sure to get even the most confirmed wall-flower dancing the night away. Nights of dancing are in severely short supply in Dorchester - so don’t miss this one! Book tickets now by calling Dorchester Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992, or buy online.

Transglobal Underground have remained a big name in the underground music scene since the early 90’s - and the release of their track “Temple Head”, which quickly became an iconic club anthem. Since that time their influence has never faltered, nor has their flair for creative innovation. They bring together sounds and influences from around the world - from Kazakhstan to Venezuela, from Cape Town to Sri Lanka - with unrivaled panache. Their most recent album, “Stone Turntable” which was released last year continues their journey of musical exploration and innovation. Transglobal Underground are returning as part of five days of tantalizing events in Dorchester Festival 1-5 June 2012.

Join the "In Crowd” with David Mills

Remember the name: David Mills. This is a man on a high speed trajectory to the Big Time. Already a favourite with London crowds, and having won the Empire New Act of the Year in 2011, David Mills is now coming to surprise and titillate in equal measure at Dorchester Corn Exchange.

Politically Correct is not in Mill’s vocabulary - expect insider celebrity gossip, shameless bitching, and impromptu diatribes - his is a wit so sharp it will bring tears to your eyes. With yet another wet British summer, a double dip recession and a crumbling coalition, we all need something to smile about - so come and laugh until you cry, and then laugh some more on the 3rd of June, and get into the In Crowd with David Mills.

Tickets are available from Dorchester Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992 or online. David Mills, a dapper 42 year old American comes from a cabaret background and has only recently moved into the stand-up comedy arena.

Despite his relatively recent arrival on the scene, Mills has impressed audiences and critics alike with his unique mixture of dagger-sharp social commentary interspersed with the occasional gospel melody accompanied by his dashing piano-man Mr. Michael Roulston.

Pop Club boogie with Jools’ favourite band

Kick start your summer with Dorchester Festival and the Ben Waters Band in a beautiful counrtyside setting !

The internationally-acclaimed band, who have played with rock and roll legends Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones and Ray Davies, are joining our very own Pop Club musicians in a special summer concert near Owermoigne.

Tickets on sale now for his performance on Friday 1 June at Watercombe (directions supplied with tickets) from Dorchester ARTS 01305 266926 or online.

Ben Waters Band specialises in energetic boogie piano focussing on rock ’n roll standards interlinked with boogies and heart rending songs straight from the prohibition era as well as inspirational original material which is much in demand by other artists. His first CD was recorded in one take at the age of 18 and was much acclaimed in the media and Press. His latest - released by Eagle Rock Records this year - Boogie4Stu - with all the Rolling Stones, PJ Harvey and Jools Holland on board and in aid of the British Heart Foundation in memory of Ian Stewart, is selling well worldwide and topping many charts. Hugely popular both at home and abroad, Jools Holland loves the Ben Waters Band so much he booked them to play at his wedding!

The Ben Waters Band is coming to Dorchester as part of 70+ events in Dorchester Festival June 1-5.

Tickets for all Festival events are available either through the Festival Box Office 01305 267 992, Dorchester ARTS 01305 2666926, or online.

From World Music to World Peace - Andy Kershaw

An evening in the company of a man who has lived a thousand lives is surely not to be missed. It is fair to assume that Andy Kershaw has appeared on many an “ideal dinner party” guest list. This is your chance to hear a wealth of anecdotes from his extraordinary life- without the washing up! “The Adventures of Andy Kershaw” sounds more like a blockbuster action movie than a civilised evening at Dorchester Corn Exchange - but if it’s a jam packed evening of escapades and entertainment you’re after, then here it is - all in the relaxing setting of the Corn Exchange, complete with cool beverage!

Tickets for this knock out event on June 3 are available from Dorchester Tourist Information Centre 01305 267992 - or online.

Andy Kershaw is perhaps best known for his promotion of world music in the UK . Tired of the Anglo-American rock monopoly on popular radio, Kershaw’s shows became known for his eclectic compilations of world music with particular influences from Africa. It was this ground breaking approach which won Kershaw his first Sony Award in 1987.

Kershaw’s globetrotting lifestyle has allowed him to blend two passions- music and politics. He has acted as correspondent for the BBC from such diverse locations as Angola, Sierra Leone and Rwanda- demonstrating the plight of these war torn nations to the world. True to form though, Kershaw has been keen to present a different perspective- along this vein, he completed a tour of the so called “axis of evil”: Iran, Iraq and North Korea, but focussed his attention on musical tradition, reminding us of the rich culture of this region that is so often forgotten.

Other Dorchester Festival 2012 highlights include: an evening of comedy and curry with Hardeep Singh, cricket legend Henry Olonga, and co-creator of the soundtrack for Hollywood blockbuster Blood Diamond Modou N’Diaye.

Spend an evening with international cricket star Henry Olonga

Calling all cricket fans! This wet British summer might be spoiling your enjoyment on the pitch, but it’s not time for an early tea just yet!

Zimbabwean international cricket star Henry Olonga is coming to Dochester on Friday 1st June at 6pm as part of Dorchester Festival (1st-5th June) . Olonga is famous for donning a black arm band at the 2003 Cricket World Cup representing his mourning for the death of democracy in his home country under Rober Mugabe; an act of quiet heroism which was to have serious and lasting consequences. Hear first hand this extrordinary tale of courage and exile from the international cricket star himself. Tickets, available now, cost £7 or £5 (concessions) to buy call 01305 267992 or online

Henry Olonga was Zimbabwe’s first ever black cricketer and the youngest ever player to represent his country at international level. A fast bowler, he made his Test debut for Zimbabwe, aged 18 against Pakistan in 1995 and recorded career best Test figures of 5 for 70 against India in 1998. He still holds two out of three of the best bowling figures for a Zimbabwean bowler in One Day Internationals. He now lives in England and has embarked on careers in music, art, public speaking and cinematography.

Olonga’s autobiographical book “Blood, Sweat and Treason: My Story” which deals with the political protest that made him famous was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award and nominated for the ‘Best Autobiography’ award at the British Sports Book Awards 2011.

OUT IN THE OPEN: Sleeping Rough in a Dorset Town

Out in the Open is a series of intimate portraits of homeless and vulnerably housed people who share their own unique stories presented through film, music, sampled sound and a dynamic visual installation. The film, with live improvised music, will be premiered at The Plaza Cinema in Dorchester on the 31th May 2012 as part of Dorchester Festival 2012.

Dorchester is a county town in rural Dorset, surrounded by beautiful countryside and steeped in history .It is a destination for holidaymakers and those escaping the hustle and bustle of the big cities to experience the rural idyll. It also has a homeless and vulnerably housed community. Some pass through the town, including the so called Road Men, whilst others sleep rough for longer periods of time, often going unnoticed by the wider community. This is a precarious existence with its roots in marital breakdown, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse and chronic mental health issues.
Out in the Open was conceived as a project in the summer of 2011. Dorset based musician and composer Kathie Prince was commissioned by the Solo Trust, a Dorchester charity, to create a performance piece with members of the local community. The decision was made to focus on homelessness and base the project around the Hub drop – in centre for rough sleepers in Dorchester.

Due to the transient nature of the people involved, Kathie Prince chose to work with film, recorded sound, music and visual art. Bridport film maker, Clive Whaley came on board, as did sonic artist Adrian Newton and later on in the process Peter Snelling joined the team as visual artist in residence at the Hub. Their brief was to give a voice to the voiceless, to bring the issues of homelessness out into the open.

The result is extraordinarily candid and moving accounts of life lived out in the open. In the last few years several members of the homeless and vulnerably housed community in Dorchester have died, including one of those people involved in our project.
This project is dedicated to him and all those people affected by homelessness. The situation is getting worse in the UK. It could happen to any one of us.
Thursday 31st May 7.30pm Press Launch Plaza Cinema Trinity Street, Dorchester.
Friday 1st June 10.30pm Plaza Cinema Dorchester: late night showing
Saturday 2nd June 5pm OUT IN THE OPEN (in the open) Dorchester Market Car Park
Out in the Open Visual Installation, Dorchester town centre from Monday 29th May
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BACKGROUND:

OUT IN THE OPEN: The Project

Kathie Prince and Clive Whaley spent several months getting to know the staff, volunteers and those people using the Hub. It soon became clear that the nature of the project was to go with the flow and capture on film, digital recorder and paper, impromptu songs, tunes, poems and thoughts as they happened in the Hub and on the streets of Dorchester. Clive then began the process of filming and very quickly gathered remarkable interviews with people forced to sleep rough for many different reasons around the town.
Adrian Newton and Kathie Prince worked together, collecting and sampling sounds and spoken words for the live devised and improvised music which will be played in response to the film.
They worked members of Viva! The Dorchester Community Choir, devising and recording vocals based on interviews with homeless people who appear in “Out in the Open.” And they joined forces with other musicians to create the live musical element.
Artist Peter Snelling created striking life size paper cut outs of people he met at the drop in centre based on their ideas and experiences. These were pasted on walls around Dorchester town centre during the run up to the Dorchester Festival with the aim of making the invisible visible.
The result of the project is a series of intimate portraits of homeless and vulnerably housed people who share their own unique stories with us, presented through film, music, sampled sound and a dynamic visual installation.

For more information contact:

Kathie Prince - Buzz Music Projects
Producer, Musical Director, Out in the Open
tel: 01305 259201mob. 07826385301
email: kathiebuzz@talktalk.net

Kathie Prince
Producer, Musical Director
www.kathie-prince-singer-musician.co.uk
Kathie Prince is director of BUZZ Music Projects, and a musician, singer, composer who has worked extensively throughout the UK, Ireland and abroad. She has many years experience facilitating and managing youth and community projects, working in schools as a music/voice specialist, performing and devising in mainstream and experimental music theatre and collaborating with dancers, musicians and visual artists.
Projects include directing “Sounds Unusual,” a major experimental music festival on London’s South Bank, composing and performing music for the BBC children’s TV, directing music for community plays in the Orkney Islands, cross community work in Belfast with Opera Northern Ireland, experimental theatre in Assisi, Italy and performing as an actor musician at the Lyric Theatre , Belfast and Druid theatre, Galway, Ireland.

Clive Whaley
Film Maker

www.clivewhaley.co.uk

Clive Whaley is a Bridport based filmmaker. After a 20 year career in sports management and consultancy Clive bought a video camera simply to record a family holiday and then became fascinated by the filmmaking process. He progressed from family videos to corporate DVDs for clients such as the National Lottery and Honda and eventually, television documentaries. His film about West Dorset farmer Jim Armstrong: "Dorset Days: a year in the life of Longhorn Jim" has been shown eight times on BBC FOUR. His most recent full length work is an 'operamentary' called "Lonely Boys" staged at Bridport Arts Centre in 2011. Combining documentary interviews with the '3 ages of man' on film and Clive's original songs on stage, "Lonely Boys" played to packed houses and standing ovations.

Clive has undertaken the filming and editing of "Out in the Open" and is extremely grateful to all those who feature in the film for allowing him into their world and for their openness and honesty on camera.


Peter Snelling
Visual Artist
www.mypockets.co.uk
Peter Snelling is a graduate from the National Film and Television School and now works as a fiction and documentary filmmaker and artist.
Much of his work involves working with people who have never made a film or creative work before but have something important to say. The films and art made in partnership with these people give voice to powerful experiences that would otherwise go unheard.
Peters films have been screen on BBC2, Channel 4, Virgin Media, at the BFI’s Essentially British Festival, The New York Museum of the Moving Image, The London Short Film Festival, The Edinburgh Festival and Encounters Festival and won the BBC Big Screen award for Best Documentary, Best Film at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival and Best Community Film at Cinemagic Belfast as well as 7 UK Film Council First Light awards. His Films have over 70,000 online views.


Adrian Newton
Sonic Artist
http://nemeton.org.uk


Adrian is a sound artist who has contributed to a number of festivals and other sonic arts events in Dorset and beyond, including the Sonic Arts Expo, Inside Out and Hubworld. He has also regularly contributed site-specific soundworks to performances by Wimborne Community Theatre over a number of years. Previous projects focusing on homeless people have included 'Home from home', commissioned by Poole Arts Development Unit in 2007, which was the focus of an installation in the Lighthouse, Poole.

On Cigarette Papers * free event * 20 April 7.30pm

Pam Zinnemann Hope's extraordinary story On Cigarette Papers at Dorchester ARTS on Friday April 20th is a free event and not as described in the programme


Friday 20 April • PAM ZINNEMANN HOPE: ON CIGARETTEPAPERS • BOOK LAUNCH


DORCHESTER ARTS CENTRE • 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm) •
An extraordinary story begins with Pam’s parents’ elopement from Nazi Germany. After her mother’s death in 1990, Pam finds a tiny pile of cigarette papers with writing penciled in Russian in her hand. Surely these are recipes? 
They are the starting point for a journey of discovery, stretching from 1905 to 1995, a story of love and exile, dislocation and survival. 
“The cigarette papers of Pam Zinnemann-Hope’s title stand for the frailty and resilience of her grandparents, parents and their contemporaries. Pam’s poems, written in idiosyncratic, sometimes fractured voices, tell a secret history and allow us insights into a wounded century andits personal legacy.” (Paul Hyland)

Children's animated films for the Cultural Olympiad

Talking rocks, shipwrecks off Chesil Beach, a stolen Olympic torch, and moonlit fishing for squid all feature in a trilogy of animated films by primary school children for the Maritime Mix - the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad by the sea.

Children at three schools overlooking the Olympic sailing events have been working with artists from Dorchester Arts over the past three months to write, draw, animate and create The Portland Race, The Helpful Dead and The Big Splash. The films, which premiere on April 23, 25 and 26, are one of the projects awarded the London 2012 Inspire mark, which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games.

They will be screened over the summer at the big screen live sites, the National Sailing Academy and the ICCI 360 dome on Weymouth beach.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said the project had helped the young filmmakers fulfill their potential. “I am proud that with the help of partners such as Dorchester ARTS, we are delivering our vision to use the power of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to boost participation in animation and filmmaking in this way.”

Project co-ordinator Alastair Nisbet said the project had been a transformative experience for the children involved. “They have produced three wonderful stories with terrific drama, beautiful drawing and extraordinary soundtracks - they should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved.”

The Portland Race, by eight and nine year olds at Underhill Junior School tells of a fisherman and his son and their moonlit adventure in search of squid off Chesil cove.

The Helpful Dead, by nine and ten year olds at Wyke Regis Junior School - loosely based on the sinking of the Royal Adelaide - is the story of a grieving mother, a drowning boy and an Olympic sailor in trouble.

The Big Splash, by nine and ten year olds at St John’s Primary School tells of a stolen Olympic torch, a naughty seagull, and four best friends determined not to give up.

Project Producer Sharon Hayden said the 2012 Sailing events had been a perfect subject to based the films around. “We are incredibly grateful to our major funder First Light for believing in us. Thanks to their support, these children have produced some remarkable work which will be seen by thousands of people at the Olympics this summer.” She said the team are already being asked to run a follow-up film project with different groups of young people.

The Dorchester ARTS team who worked with more than 130 children in the three schools included visual artists Nic Rawling and Delphine Jones, dramatherapist Sharon Hayden, music producer Mickey Wills, animator and film maker Alastair Nisbet and scriptwriting advisor and film mentor Pete Snelling. The project was funded by the Lottery through the BFI’s First Light initiative with additional support from b-side, Dorchester ARTS, Departure Arts, Plymouth University and the schools themselves.

Join the Festival Fun !

Dorchester Festival 1 - 5 JUNE 2012
The World Comes to Town

Dorchester Festival is back - and with your support it’s going to be better than ever - five extraordinary days of international Comedy, Music, Theatre, Dance and Cultural events.

The biannual event - one of the most vibrant in the south west - attracts around 20,000 people of all ages into the county town for a wide variety of free performances in the Borough Gardens and entertainment across the town.

For the first time this year, there will be two big parades through Dorchester - a huge Jurassic procession with Britain’s funkiest band, Weapons of Sound plus the Monster Ceilidh band who lead a procession to Salisbury Field on Monday night for the start of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations on Tuesday.

Broadcaster, raconteur, writer and cook, Hardeep Singh Kohli is offering a wonderfully funny, laid back evening’s entertainment in the Corn Exchange and Kawa Circus from Rajastan and the Mighty Zulu Nation from Kwa-Zulu Natal will thrill crowds at the Borough Gardens with their breath taking circus and pulsating African rhythms.

With award-winning comedy at the County Museum, World music in the Corn Exchange and a series of workshops and performances for local schools, Dorchester Festival 2012 will be a fitting curtain raiser to the Cultural Olympiad events later in the summer.

Rising pop stars take the stage

Saturday 10 March Pop Club Showcase
 

Dorchester's rising pop stars take the stage on Saturday March 10th for a showcase gig that everyone’s invited to.  The current crop of Pop Club graduates have spent the past year devising an exciting mix of pop, rock and blues tracks.  All twenty-seven members of the club will be performing live on stage at Dorchester Arts Centre at 7.30pm.
 
Pop Club meets every Saturday during term-time and offers youngsters with a passion to create and perform their own music the chance to play acoustic and electric instruments - saxophones, trumpets, guitars, percussion instruments including kit drums, cellos, violins and flutes and keyboards - and write their own vocal parts..
 
Pop Club Director Mickey Wills says: “We have such an amazingly talented bunch of young people here in West Dorset.”
“As part of their ARTS AWARD, run by the Arts Council and supported by Youth Music, our graduates have been teaching the skills they have learnt in Pop Club and acting as music mentors to the younger students.”

“ This mentoring is so valuable as you see these youngsters grow in confidence and encourage the next generation of young music makers to believe in themselves and develop their talents.”

“We’re really looking forward to this evening which has been entirely organised by our graduates who are laying on a buffet and prizes along with some great original music.”
 
Tickets for the gig are £5 on the door at Dorchester Arts Centre.
For more information: 01305 266926