Jacksons Lane Arts Centre will enjoy continued support from Arts Council England until at least 2022, the organisation has announced.

The arts centre in Jacksons Lane, Highgate, is one of hundreds across the country to be announced as part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio (NPO), which gives financial support to arts and culture organisations and helps to develop new cultural programmes.

Jacksons Lane, hailed as the country’s leading venue for contemporary circus, said remaining a part of the National Portfolio will enable it to develop and expand partnerships to support the future of the circus and arts sector.

The Arts Centre has also been awarded a £165,000 development grant to help it develop detailed plans for large-scale improvements to the building. The council has also committed to supporting Jacksons Lane’s improvements.

Haringey Council Leader Claire Kober said: “Huge congratulations to Jacksons Lane. Everyone in Haringey recognises the tremendous contribution the Arts Centre makes to culture not just in Highgate and Haringey but also across London, and throughout the country.

"It’s fantastic to see the Arts Council also recognising this with ongoing National Portfolio support and grant funding that will help Jackson Lane draw up more detailed improvement plans for this much-loved venue.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit West End production of School of Rock – The Musical will hold open auditions on 15 July in Birmingham and 23 September 2017 in Liverpool, for the opportunity to join the band as part of the kids’ cast of the hit musical currently playing at the New London Theatre.  If you’re between 8 – 12 years old and play the drums, keys or the electric or bass guitar, they want to hear from you!

Tom Abisgold, 13 years old from Cheshire, one of the original West End cast said: “I’ve had the best time ever being part of the band at School of Rock.  I made my West End debut playing the guitarist Zack – how cool is that?!  When I auditioned for the part I never imagined that I’d be joining an actual band and working with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the rest of the amazing cast and crew.  I am so glad that my Mum and Dad encouraged me to audition in the first place. I have been on TV, walked red carpets and won an Olivier award*.  It’s been hard work and we practise hard but it’s really a dream come true, and I’d encourage any kid who plays one of the band instruments to come and audition, you’ll have the time of your life!”

Jessica Ronane, Children’s Casting Director, said: “We look forward meeting with the next generation of rockstars, as we continue our auditions in Sheffield, Birmingham and Liverpool.  If you can play the drums, keys or the electric and bass guitar, we want to hear from you, and if you’re nervous about skills just get in touch and we can give you more details.  Come and ‘pledge allegiance to the band!’”

School of Rock features music from the movie, as well as new music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes.   The production was winner of the 2017 Whatsonstage Best New Musical Award and is nominated for three 2017 Olivier awards, winning Outstanding Achievement in Music for the Kids Bands in the show.

Based on the iconic hit movie and with a rocking new score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock – The Musical follows slacker and wannabe rock star Dewey Finn turn a class of straight-A 10 year old students into an ear popping, riff scorching, all conquering rock band!  Dewey poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to make ends meet, and when he discovers his fifth graders’ musical talents, he enlists his class to form a rock group and conquer the Battle of the Bands.  As Dewey falls for the beautiful headmistress, can he and his students keep this special assignment secret as they learn to fully embrace the power of rock?

For a third time since its West End premiere School of Rock - The Musical recently announced a further booking extension with tickets now available to 14 January 2018.  Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, the record breaking West End production of School of Rock - The Musical opened to rave reviews in November 2016 and has played to packed houses every night, with the cast also making appearances on some of the UK’s biggest TV shows including The X Factor, The One Show, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Tonight at the London Palladium.  In New York, the Broadway production now in its second year, continues to play to packed houses at the Winter Garden Theater.

School of Rock — The Musical is produced in the West End by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Really Useful Group and Warner Music Group & Access Industries with Madeleine Lloyd Webber as Executive Producer.

To register your interest and for more details visit www.schoolofrockthemusical.co.uk/opencall

Qatar Airways has celebrated 10 years of unparalleled service to the United States by illuminating the Empire State Building in its signature burgundy and white colours. The airline will continue its celebrations with a series of activities including, special offers from the U.S. to more than 100 destinations worldwide, as well as bonus Qmiles for Privilege Club frequent flyer members.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “We were honoured to display our colours on one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world, and the headquarters of our USA and Americas Regional offices, the Empire State Building. We believe this is a true testament to our positive presence and fantastic support in the United States.

“Qatar Airways is proud to have provided a decade of quality international service for our valued travellers in the United States, and we are looking forward to serving the Americas for many more years to come.

“Qatar Airways continues to expand and grow; with upcoming planned services to both Las Vegas and San Francisco. Never has Qatar Airways’ commitment to the American market been stronger, and providing a vital international link between the USA to Qatar and beyond remains our goal.”

Qatar Airways’ first flight to the U.S., on 28 June, 2007, was to New York City, this was closely followed by service to Washington, D.C., the following month. 2016 was a particularly busy year in the U.S. for Qatar Airways as it launched flights to Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta taking the total number of gateways into North America to 10, including Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami and Philadelphia.

As part of its continuing expansion efforts within the country, Qatar Airways is planning to launch services to San Francisco and Las Vegas in 2018. The American expansion is just part of the overall airline growth plans, which include new routes to Canberra (Australia), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Douala (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon), Rio de Janeiro, (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), as well as many other exciting destinations.

To further strengthen its position as an industry leader, Qatar Airways has just launched the groundbreaking Qsuite to London and will bring the patented product to New York City in September.

Ask any pet owner and the thought of losing their pet is their biggest fear, that’s why Pets at Home has launched an innovative 24 hour pet finding service, Find My VIP, that allows lost pet alerts to be sent via the Pets at Home app, making printing off lost pet posters a thing of the past.

According to research*, one in three pets will go missing at some point, so, the new app, the first of its kind in the UK, will improve the chance of finding a pet quickly.

The app works by using Pets at Home’s VIP Club, consisting of 5 million members, who effectively become one huge search party. To use the service, owners simply need to purchase a Find My VIP collar ID from their local Pets at Home store or online at www.petsathome.co.uk/findmyvip, and register the unique 8 digit ID on the tag online or via the Pets at Home app, which is free to download, to activate it.

If the worst happens and your pet goes missing, you can immediately then send out an alert to VIP members in your local area notifying them. They will receive a notification with your pet’s missing information including a photo of your pet, their name, breed, temperament and last known location.

With more than 5 million VIP members, your missing pet’s information will be circulated quickly to a network of likeminded owners who will then be on the lookout for your missing pet. If one of the search party, a VIP member, finds your pet they can call the 24 hour finders helpline and reference the unique 8 digit code, found on the back of the collar ID.

If your pet needs to go to the vet as a result of going missing, Pets at Home will cover the cost of any treatment given** and the finders helpline will then arrange for the owner and pet to be reunited as soon as possible.

Peter Pritchard, CEO of Retail, said: “Find My VIP is a revolutionary service, the first of its kind in the UK, that will give owners peace of mind. If the unthinkable happens and your pet goes missing then you know you can rely on a network of more than 5 million pet owners to help find your pet quickly.”

Birmingham Museums Trust has secured Arts Council England investment of over £4million for the next four years (2018 – 2022), through the funder’s new national portfolio.

The Trust was recognised as outstanding throughout many areas of the application, including the creative case for diversity, which asks organisations to enrich the work they do by embracing a wide range of diverse influences and practices to reach new audiences.

Funding will allow Birmingham Museums to continue to care for and develop the city’s museum collection and venues, as well as working on ambitious plans for the future of the organisation.

Ellen McAdam, Director of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are thrilled to hear about our funding settlement and our status as a National Portfolio Organisation.

“This announcement confirms Arts Council England’s confidence in Birmingham Museums Trust and our plans for the future, which include the re-development of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to attract growing and increasingly diverse audiences.

“Despite challenging economic circumstances Birmingham Museums Trust has continued to adapt and thrive, inspiring learning, creativity and enjoyment for the people of the city and across the region. We care for one of the three greatest civic collections in the UK, and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is the most visited civic museum in England. This funding allows us to forge ahead with our plans, while continuing to welcome our visitors to experience the outstanding collection and learn about our shared heritage across our nine sites.

“Museums should be for everyone and Arts Council England’s continued support highlights their commitment to this.”

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: "Birmingham Museums Trust cares for one of the most important civic museum collections in England. Its sites help preserve local histories alongside exhibitions that share international stories. We're delighted to be investing in its work over the next four years, and look forward to seeing the Trust continue to draw visitors from around the world to Birmingham."

Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street is pleased to announce the arrival of action-packed blockbuster, Spider-man: Homecoming, in the multi-sensory cinematic experience of 4DX from 5 July 2017.

Stimulating all five senses, 4DX works in perfect synchronicity with the film to give the viewer a true taste of the onscreen action in a truly distinctive and personal way. High-tech motion seats will have the audience gasping as they experience the effects of wind, water, fog, snow, tickling, strobe lights and vibrations in sync with Peter Parker. There are now a total of 10 Cineworld 4DX screens in the UK.

4DX has been adopted by the big Hollywood Studios with more than 75 movies, including recent blockbusters such as Fast & Furious 8, Transformers: The Last Knight and soon Despicable Me 3 all screened in 4DX. Projected to be one of the most immersive experiences in 4DX yet, Spider-man: Homecoming will be available in both 2D and 3D formats, and 4DX, which is exclusive to Cineworld.

The 4DX auditorium at Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street houses 269 specially designed seats, plus a curved screen – bigger than a double decker bus.

Paul Millington, General Manager at Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street, comments: “Over 600,000 people have tried the 4DX experience and loved it, so we’re really excited to give our visitors the chance to experience Spider-man: Homecoming in this format. We’re continually improving and updating the sensory effects available to our customers, with the hotly anticipated Spider-man: Homecoming film sure to thrill fans in 4DX. 4DX is exclusive to Cineworld in the UK, and we cannot wait to see customers’ reactions when they watch this film!”

Spiderman: Homecoming will be available in 4DX at Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street from 5 July 2017.