A new play which explores how social media, peer pressure, advertising and fashion magazines impact on how young people view themselves premieres this weekend in Birmingham (Friday 9 – Sunday 11 June).

Performed at mac birmingham, ‘Do You See What I See?’ is a cabaret show devised from research and improvisation, and is aimed at young people aged 11 to 14 and their families.

Featuring original songs and music, the show has been devised and performed by first year students on the Applied Performance undergraduate course at Birmingham School of Acting, part of Birmingham City University.

Working with a team of professional practitioners, including directors Gillian Adamson and Terina Talbot, the cast have called upon their own struggles with body image to ensure the play can tackle what pressures young people are experiencing today. In researching for the show, they also spoke with young people and distributed a survey on various social media platforms about body image. 

Birmingham School of Acting’s Applied Performance course seeks to prepare passionate and skilled theatre-makers, who want to make a real difference through drama, singing, dancing, spoken word, a documentary or digital art. The focus is on creating new performances and projects with a purpose.

In ‘Do You See What I See?’ 12-year-old Molly struggles with the way she looks and, affected by society around her, she desires to have the ‘perfect body’. Through social media, catwalks, makeup and fairy tales, the audience is taken on a journey through a day in Molly’s life. A cabaret company assists this journey and tries to answers questions of why she feels the way she does, through music and fun.

Birmingham School of Acting student Samuel Speed from Rotherham, South Yorkshire is one the cast members of ‘Do You See What I See?’ He said:  

“Body image should not be ignored. It is one the main factors which affect younger people like myself today. The fact that we have to change something about ourselves every second of the day just to have that sense of fitting in and belonging is upsetting and growing worse.

“The subject matter which we are tackling here is not to give a right or wrong answer to an audience, neither is it to solve the problem. But we are at least standing up to the reason and saying that there is help out there and no one has to or should feel alone.

“Each day at Birmingham City University I learn something new, which I feel is shaping me in all different kinds of ways and is opening my eyes up to the world in a bigger picture than before. I may not be ready to face what's beyond the doors just yet, but I know I am being equipped for whatever comes my way.”

As a cabaret show, music plays an integral role to ‘Do You See What I See?’ and the students worked with the Musical Director, Gladstone Wilson, to compose original songs that help propel the story forward.

The play opens with the sentimental ‘Lost and Found’, which establishes the cabaret company as there to ‘help fix what’s broken’, while the play is peppered with a lullaby called ‘Molly’s Theme’.

The cabaret show also includes pop music parodies of Beyoncé’s ‘Pretty Hurts’ and Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry’, which further highlight the play’s central themes.

Love was in the air as Wolverhampton Art Gallery staged its first wedding ceremony on Saturday.

Bride Nisha Patel, aged 29, was eager to return to her home city of Wolverhampton to tie the knot with Northampton-born Bhavin Pandya, 28.

When she heard the Lichfield Street venue had been granted a license to hold weddings, she and her husband-to-be jumped at the chance to book their special day there.

The couple, who now live in Dudley, were joined by more than 80 guests for the occasion in the first-floor Georgian gallery room.

Nisha said: “We feel so happy and unique to be the first couple to tie the knot at the art gallery.

“I grew up in Wolverhampton and I wanted the ceremony to be in my home city.

“After months of planning and looking for a unique venue to hold our ceremony, we found that the art gallery was putting an application through to become a registered venue for civil ceremonies.

“We waited for the application to be approved, which was nerve wracking, as it was so close to the wedding date - but it was definitely worth the wait.

“The gallery is so beautiful and was the perfect setting for our ceremony where we made our own piece of art 'The Declaration of Marriage'.

“Everyone who attended loved the setting and found the ceremony so unique. It is definitely a perfect venue for the perfect ceremony.”

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is one of the new venues registered by City of Wolverhampton Council that can hold weddings. Other venues include Bantock House Museum in Finchfield and Wolverhampton’s accredited City Archives in the city centre.

As well as weddings, all the venues can be hired for private functions.

Hundreds of pupils from across Wolverhampton are tuning up for a spectacular musical performance in Queen Square next week.

Around 520 children from 18 primary and special schools in the City will be taking part in a free concert on Tuesday 13 June from 11.30am-12.30pm, performing songs in a wide range of styles and traditions led by Paul Wilcox from Wolverhampton Music Education Hub.

Tuesday’s performance marks the culmination of a six-month project organised and delivered by Wolverhampton Music Service. Teachers from schools around Wolverhampton took part in regular workshops, learning songs which they could subsequently teach in their own schools in preparation for next week's performance.

Sarah Tulley, Wolverhampton Music Service Assistant Headteacher, said: "School staff have met together on a monthly basis to develop their musical skills so that they can then go on to teach the songs to the children in their schools. We have really enjoyed the opportunity to sing together and are hugely looking forward to next week's performance."

Bill Hague, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Head of School Planning and Resources, said: “Music is an important part of a young person's education, and our Music Service provides quality teaching for children and young people across Wolverhampton.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the pupils to show off their talents, and I am sure they will put on a fantastic show which will make their parents and teachers incredibly proud. I’d encourage as many people as possible to come along on Tuesday to cheer them on.”

Wolverhampton Music Service provides tuition and musical opportunities for youngsters from schools across the city, including the chance to perform with its flagship groups, Wolverhampton Youth Orchestra and Wolverhampton Youth Wind Orchestra. To find out more, please visit www.wmsonline.org.uk.

June means it’s officially summer, and the prospect of surprisingly brilliant British weather can only mean one thing… it’s time to throw a barbecue with your friends and family!

But, before you start warming those coals, we ask you to spare a thought for those dirty grills which have been languishing in the garden shed since August 2016. Oven Pride has pulled together some top tips on how to show your barbecue some summer loving that will not only make your food taste better, but help maintain one of the most loved summer cooking tools around.

1. You wouldn’t cook a steak in a dirty pan, so why put your steak on the barbecue before giving it a good clean? Be sure to start off by cleaning your barbecue grates, and to make your life easier Oven Pride’s Deep Cleaner is the perfect solution to rid your grills of stubborn burnt on food. All you need to do is put the grates in the plastic bag provided and pour half to ¾ of  the cleaning solution over them. Leave these to soak for a minimum of four hours or overnight for the best results, and then rinse thoroughly with hot soapy water.

Top Tip: Cooking fresh food before cleaning grates with old burnt on grime will give your food a bitter flavour and could ruin your chances of hosting a perfect BBQ

2. Don’t forget to clean the inside of your barbecue too. Start off by disposing of old ashes from the bottom of the barbecue and then pour the remaining Oven Pride solution into the tray. Wearing gloves, use a sponge to spread the

solution around the whole tray and leave for a minimum of four hours, or overnight for best results.

3. The main cleaning event might be the barbecue but let’s not forget every barbecue’s best friends… the spatula, skewer and cooking tongs. After all, how will you flip those burgers and turn your sausages? Make sure you give all of these utensils a deep clean in hot soapy water to rid them of old grease and burnt on food, as over time this can be hazardous and also impact the flavour of your food.

4. And lastly, how can I maintain this level of cleanliness for the rest of the summer we hear you say? After each use, wait until the grates are lukewarm and give them a quick clean using a grill brush and hot soapy water, this way any food residue will be easier to remove.

When Kiran Seeley steps over the edge of Birmingham’s Park Regis Hotel to join John Taylor Hospice’s first abseil, she’ll be remembering her very special grandmother.

“She was always happy – just an absolute joy to be around,” says Kiran when asked to describe her grandmother Enid. “She was so supportive, loved to hear what I was up to and took a great interest in her grandchildren. I remember when I was younger and she’d come to our house to visit. When I’d go to bed that night I’d find £10 stuffed under my pillow. I’d call her up to thank her and she would say ‘don’t tell your mom and dad’! I have so many special memories of her.”

When grandmother-of-two Enid Seeley was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, Kiran and her family were devastated. “She was told that the cancer was too close to her brain so they couldn’t operate,” explains 27-year-old Kiran.

“Chemotherapy and radiotherapy weren’t an option so as a family we pulled together, helping her to still do the things she loved and making sure she was as comfortable as she could be.”

In the spring of 2010, Enid moved from her home in Fillongley, Warwickshire, to live with her son and daughter-in-law, Kiran’s parents, in Erdington.

“I was at university in Liverpool at the time but I came home early that summer to spend time with Granny and help Mom and Dad the best I could,” said Kiran. “She started to become frailer and that’s when John Taylor’s Hospice at Home Team came to support us.

“From my grandmother’s perspective she loved their company. She’d tell the nurses about her life and the little things they did meant so much – like switching on her favourite radio station Classic FM. From our family’s perspective, their support was a big relief.

“My grandmother passed away peacefully at home in August of that year. It was a bit of a blur for me at the time but now I look back I appreciate just how gentle and compassionate the hospice staff were and my grandmother needed that.”

A committed fundraiser, each year Kiran pledges to raise money for a good cause. She was en route to her job as a buyer for Marston’s Brewery in Wolverhampton when she spotted her next charitable challenge – John Taylor Hospice’s abseil.

She explains: “The last two years I’ve been baking to raise money and whilst this is both fun and tasty it is a hobby I am very much comfortable doing. This year I wanted to set myself a true challenge.

“I was on the train to work when I spotted an advert for John Taylor’s sponsored abseil and I thought ‘that’s it!’. The hospice provided specialist and considerate palliative care for my grandmother so now’s the time for me to do something for them.”

Kiran, who hopes to raise as much money as possible when she takes the 170ft plunge, is encouraging others to join her on 8 July. “It’s a great way to raise money for hospice care and will be an amazing thrill! You can even share the experience with a friend or family member as you can abseil down the building at the same time. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me - by donating to a very worthy cause you’re helping give me the confidence to jump down!”

Head of fundraising Katie Mitchell, who is also part of the abseil team, said: “Kiran and all of our abseilers are doing something wonderful to support John Taylor Hospice. Throughout the past year, hundreds of people like Kiran have helped us provide essential care for local families by fundraising for us. Whether it’s by taking on a challenge, hosting an event or attending one of our events, we’d like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of our supporters. Together we’re making a massive difference for hundreds of patients and their families.”

The UK’s biggest mass-participation cycling event is coming to the East Midlands, kick starting a national summer of cycling this June for over half a million people.

Bike Week 2017 (10 – 18 June) is set to add another 500,000 people to the five million who already cycle three times or more a week.

From family friendly traffic-free rides, to bike breakfasts, and even naked bike rides, Bike Week brings together a host of hundreds of fun events across the UK to help make cycling a more accessible and attractive proposition to the many people who might just need a gentle nudge back into the saddle this summer.

Whether it’s for a fun leisurely off-road ride with family and friends, a chance to escape the daily grind and explore the countryside, or simply to avoid the traffic jams getting to work or on the school run, Bike Week provides a one stop shop of events and inspiration to get you out and about in the saddle. There are a wide range of events taking place across the county suitable for cyclists of all ages and levels of experience.

With cycling becoming more popular than ever, increasing numbers of people are taking up cycling as an easy and efficient way to travel. According to the National Travel Survey, over five million people cycle three or more times a week.

Cycling UK’s Chief Executive, Paul Tuohy said “Bike Week is the UK’s excuse for a party on a bike, and that’s why our theme this year is ‘Fun & Freedom’. Cycling UK wants to help millions more people to rediscover – or find out for the first time – just how much fun you can have cycling. So whether you’re out with friends, are planning a family get together, or like getting away from the daily grind, join the half a million people taking part in Bike Week from 10 – 18 June!”

To support those already cycling or new to riding a bike, Bike Week is also partnering with Halfords this year, so that Bike Week participants can get a free bike check, and 20% off the price of gold, silver and bronze servicing.