The Choreographer and Movement Director of the London 2012 Paralympic Games opening ceremony has been announced as Visiting Professor of Dance at Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Professor Kevin Finnan MBE is known for his dynamic, highly visual productions integrating dance, circus and digital technology. As the Founder and Artistic Director of Leamington Spa-based Motionhouse, he is responsible for the distinctive style that his dance company is renowned for around the world.

This first appointment of its kind will see Kevin Finnan visit the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to host masterclasses for the Acting students, as they seek to be among the next generation of great performers. Kevin will also work alongside academics and artists within the University’s Faculty of Arts, Design and Media to develop exciting research projects that build upon his 30 years in practice and break boundaries with new work.

Kevin Finnan, Visiting Professor of Dance, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham City University, said:

“I’m thrilled to be taking up the role of Visiting Professor of Dance at Birmingham City University. I’m looking forward to contributing to and supporting the University’s dance activities and exploring the exciting opportunities that the role brings with it.

“The collaboration reflects our commitment to the dance sector in the West Midlands and will help celebrate Birmingham and the wider region as a centre of excellence in dance.”

Kevin has created major productions celebrated globally, including more than 30 theatre and outdoor festival productions, large-scale outdoor spectacles and bespoke performance events to mark cultural capital celebrations.

In September this year he created and directed ‘Watermusic’, a spectacular total experience with advanced light, sound and 3D projections for the Aarhus 2017 European Capital of Culture celebrations in Randers Harbour, Denmark.

Previously, he collaborated with Australian physical theatre company Legs On The Wall to create ‘The Voyage’ in Birmingham, which launched the London 2012 Festival in the West Midlands and was the largest free open-air spectacle ever seen in the city.

Polly Hudson, Head of Movement, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham City University, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Kevin Finnan to Birmingham City University as the first visiting Professor of Dance. Here in the University’s Faculty of Arts, Design and Media we have a rich community of artists and scholars that Kevin will be joining, including Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Professor Stephen Simms and Errollyn Wallen.

“Kevin and Motionhouse have a long history of working in the West Midlands and I am excited about the new possibilities that are currently opening up for dance in the region. Kevin’s appointment will contribute to that development and we look forward to working with him on new and innovative projects.”

Kevin has a PhD in Theatre from Warwick University and MA in Contemporary Performing Arts from University College Bretton Hall. He is Associate Artist of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and in 2013 he was awarded an MBE for his services to dance.

Part of Birmingham City University, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a unique contemporary building, incorporating five public performance spaces including a new 500 seat concert hall for orchestral training and performance, a purpose-built organ studio and private rehearsal and practice rooms.

Furthermore, as the first purpose built conservatoire in the UK since 1987, the new £57 million music and acting academy is the only one of its kind in the country designed for the demands of the digital age.

YMCA Birmingham celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the official opening of Will Steel House, one of YMCA Birmingham’s supported accommodation projects. The housing development first launched in Aston in 1992 providing 30 homes and has since helped over 2,000 people in and around Birmingham.

A celebration event, which was held on Friday, 1st December 2017 saw staff members past and present talk about the amazing work of Will Steel House and show the impact that the housing scheme is having on its Birmingham residents today. Housing Service Director, Hyacinth Blackburn spoke of the anniversary: “The 25th anniversary is a great occasion to not only reflect on the fantastic work being delivered to help people in our city who need housing but also to celebrate the life of the late Will Steel, who was the Chief Executive of YMCA Birmingham and who’s passion, drive and commitment was crucial in bringing the vision for Will Steel House to fruition. “We are also using this occasion to announce exciting some news that YMCA has bought Will Steel House from Midland Heart in a deal worth over one million pounds!”

Congratulating Will Steel House on reaching this milestone, Vice Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Dr Beverly Lindsay OBE, was Guest of Honour at the celebrations. Beverly is a celebrated mentor, champion and supporter of the African Caribbean community not only in Birmingham but throughout the UK and internationally. Her success in business, aligned with her longstanding support for the local community, has resulted in her receiving many awards in appreciation of her outstanding work.

YMCA’s resident rep, Gabriel Aoimevbore who recently won the ‘Young Leader of the Year’ award was also on hand to showcase YMCA’s wider work. Located in Aston, Will Steel House has been an example of successful partnership working between Midland Heart, YMCA Birmingham, Birmingham City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency, whose generous grant allocation allowed the scheme to be built. “We want to celebrate these partnerships and the huge positive impact that it has had on so many lives” Hyacinth continued. 02 The light and modern building is made up of bed-sitting rooms with an integrated kitchenette, ideal for those who have some independent living skills. There are also shared bathrooms and toilets and a communal laundry room. “At YMCA Birmingham we like to promote a healthy community atmosphere. We have a communal lounge with a large screen TV, computers are available on site for training and general access and there is a pool table in our games room where we hold regular tournaments for those who wish to participate.

“Applicants who come to us either directly or through referral from other agencies such as, Homeless services and the Salvation Army, are supported into education, employment, volunteering and training. We work with agencies to support resident wellbeing and nurture their mental health.” Hyacinth added. The Housing Team is also based on-site, and there are staff available 24 hours per day and two of the rooms are adapted for disabled access.

Staff and volunteers at RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre were all featured in this year’s Christmas video for the charity.

The tear-jerking video tells the tale of Woody the Christmas pup who is thrown out with the rubbish before being rescued and taken in for care by the RSPCA.

The film features an acoustic cover of the Simply Red song Stars, written by Mick Hucknall. The song was performed by up and coming singer Lucy Ellie.

Manager at RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre Deborah Caffull said: “While this video shows the tale of a toy dog -  the sentiment behind the story is very real.

“We rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs just like Woody every day, all year round.

“It was lovely to show all the different aspects of the work we do - from the inspector rescuing the dog, to him being treated by vets, looked after by our canine carers and volunteers before being rehomed.

“This time of year is very busy for us as an animal rescue charity and everyone pulls together to help the animals that come into our care - and this video really shows that.”

Broadcast manager at the RSPCA, Alan Laxton, said: “It was great to be able to reflect the work of the staff at the RSPCA and also the story of so many dogs - and other animals that come into our care.

“Staff gave up their own time to help us with the filming and while this story is of a toy dog - with a twist at the end - this story is played out every day across the RSPCA, but for real. We take in the most cruelly treated and neglected animals from across England and Wales and work hard to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome them.”

The RSPCA is braced for 2,000 calls a day this festive season as it launches its Kindness at Christmas Appeal to help care for abused, neglected and sick animals.

As we approach the shortest days of the year, and the coldest, the last thing most homeowners will want to think about is getting out in the garden to do some clipping back or raking up the leaves that are rapidly falling.

Around this time of year gardens are  starting to look a little tired, drab and in need of some colour to brighten them up. If you’ve just moved into a new-build home, the garden is a blank canvas, and it’s all too easy to put gardening off until the warmer weather arrives, but there are plenty of things to do to keep your garden looking good and to attract winter wildlife during the colder months.

NHBC, the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes, is offering all homeowners some autumn tips to get your garden ready for winter and spring:

-           Treat your lawn with autumn fertiliser to help strengthen the grass ahead of winter. Be careful not to use a traditional summer fertiliser because this can encourage grass to grow, making it more susceptible to frost.

-          Tidy up your garden by clipping back all the summer growth. Plant some of the off-cuts in pots if you want more in your garden or to share with friends and family.

-          Dig up your annual plants so you have space to plant pansies and other bedding plants that will be blooming in the spring. Bulbs need to be planted at a depth of two to three times their height so they’ll bloom in Spring.

-          Regular autumnal showers mean the soil is moist and perfect for transplanting work if you need to move any of your established plants around.

-          Remove dead and yellowing leaves to prevent your plants from decaying as the temperature drops. If you have a pond, make sure you cover it with a net to prevent fallen leaves from polluting the water.

-          To protect your flower beds and other frost-sensitive plants, cover them in bubble wrap.

-          To help garden wildlife during the lean winter months, fill bird feeders with nuts and seeds and plant berry bushes such as holly.