Entertainment News

Legendary British motorsport outfit Carlin has become the first organisation to announce its participation as a team in the eSkootr Championship (eSC). It will field three riders when the eSC series, which was launched last July, hosts its first competitive events later in 2021.

The British race operation, founded in 1996, has achieved success at almost every level of the sport – including an unsurpassed title-winning run in the British Formula 3 series and championships in Formula 2, Formula Renault 3.5 and F4. More recently, it has successfully expanded into North America, where it currently contests the IndyCar series, the USA’s premier single-seater championship.

Carlin’s list of successful graduates reads like a veritable Who’s Who of motorsport talent. Luminaries include current Formula 1 drivers Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz Jr and Lando Norris, as well as Indy 500 winners Takuma Sato and Will Power, and Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne. The team will announce its full eSkootr rider line-up ahead of a pre-season test programme, which takes place in early summer.

Khalil Beschir, eSkootr Championship COO said: “We’re delighted that an organisation of the prestige and success of Carlin has chosen to partner with us in the eSkootr Championship. It shows how seriously we’re already being taken, and it’s a real validation of what we’re doing.

“We began talking with Trevor last year, and it quickly became apparent that he really understood and embraced the concept; he could see how his operation could become a part of it.

“As well as working with Carlin to supply them with eSkootrs and equipment, we’re undertaking final chassis prototype trials and talking to a number of other international teams. We’ll have some exciting further announcements very soon.”

Carlin Team Principal, Trevor Carlin, added: “When we first heard about eSC we were really intrigued to learn more. As a race team and a business, we’re always interested in exploring the possibilities of new series, particularly those which look to break the mould and pioneer new technologies.

“We began to evaluate eSC’s potential – and we very quickly understood what opportunities it offered. What really appeals to us about eSC is its affordability and accessibility. It really takes a new approach in terms of racing, technology and the overlap into real-life mobility.

“We take delivery of our three eSkootrs in the next few months, and we’re already looking at candidates for the seats. We’re really excited to start putting together our 2021 programme.”

Glastonbury Festival 2021 has been cancelled for a second year running due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The news was announced on the Worthy Farm event's Twitter page.

Festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis said: "With great regret, we must announce that this year's Glastonbury Festival will not take place. And this will be another enforced fallow year for us.” They went on to say: “Tickets for this year will roll over to next year."

It came in the same week that the future of UK music was up for debate at a DCMS inquiry into streaming, and in Parliament regarding post-Brexit music touring visas. The full statement on the festival website read: "In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down."

It confirmed that as with last year, anyone with a ticket will now be offered the opportunity to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, when the festival will hopefully resume. It had been due to take place in June 2021.

"We are very appreciative of the faith and trust placed in us by those of you with deposits, and we are very confident we can deliver something really special for us all in 2022!"

On January 5 the government responded to a report by UK Music called Let the Music Play: Save Our Summer 2021, which outlined a range of measures that could help the industry get back up and running. They (the government) said: "We know these are challenging times for the live events sector and are working flat out to support it.

"Our £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund has already seen more than £1bn offered to arts, heritage and performance organisations to support them through the impact of the pandemic, protecting tens of thousands of creative jobs across the UK, including festivals such as Deer Shed Festival, End of the Road and Nozstock."

Following the overwhelming response to 2019’s ‘The 1980 Tour’, Midge Ure & Band Electronica are returning to the road in 2022 with the ‘Voice & Visions’ tour, celebrating 40 years since the release of Ultravox’s Rage In Eden and Quartet albums.

At the start of 1981, Ultravox were laying their claim to be one of the defining acts of the 80s following the global success of hit ‘Vienna’. Heading back into the studio the same year invigorated, they recorded their second album with Ure as frontman, Rage in Eden, which hit the Top 5 in the UK album charts. 

Quartet, their third album with Ure, came in quick succession in 1982 with production from legendary Beatles producer George Martin. Continuing the band’s impressive chart run, it became their third Top 10 album, featuring four Top 20 singles including the anthem ‘Hymn’. 

The ‘Voice & Visions’ tour will begin at York’s historic Grand Opera House on 22^nd February, visiting an astounding 26 cities across the UK before culminating at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on April 2. Transporting fans back to the decade of electronics, experimentation, synthesizers and great songwriting, the albums highlights will be showcased alongside landmark hits from Ure’s incredible back catalogue. 
 
Midge Ure said of the tour: “I can’t begin to tell you how great it feels to be back out touring after the uncertainty of the past two years and it is especially exciting to delve back in time and revitalise two standout albums from my career, Rage in Eden and Quartet. This is the logical and emotional follow up to the 1980 tour.”

Following the release of his acclaimed new album Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted, which was sitting comfortably at number 2 in the UK Official Charts,  Passenger (Mike Rosenberg) now shares ‘Sword from the Stone (Gingerbread Mix),’ a special single version of the album’s opening track produced by Ed Sheeran and Joe Rubel and mixed by Spike Stent. Written during lockdown, ‘Sword from the Stone’ is instantly relatable as Rosenberg struggles with feelings of loneliness during these isolating times and reflects on a past love. The song juxtaposes simple conversation in the verses with an outpour of raw emotion in the chorus. 
 
‘Songs For The Drunk and Broken Hearted’ will be Rosenberg’s 6^th Top 10 album in the UK - it’s an album populated by drunk and broken-hearted characters and comprised of tracks mostly written when Rosenberg was newly single. The album was originally slated for a May 2020 release, but when the global pandemic turned the world upside-down, Rosenberg decided it wasn’t quite done after all. A few songs no longer seemed to fit and came off. More importantly, three new songs were added, including album opener ‘Sword from the Stone.’
 
“I’m so excited about this one,” says Rosenberg. “It’s that cliché that you make your most poignant work when you’re having a bit of a hard time. I have played it to friends and family, to people in the industry, to other musicians, and it seems to resonate across the board. I genuinely think it’s had the best reaction of any song I’ve ever written.” One of the friends/musicians he shared the track with was his good mate Ed Sheeran. The pair had long discussed collaborating in some way, and ‘Sword from the Stone’ offered the perfect opportunity. 
 
Rosenberg explains: “Ed was really excited about the song when I played it to him and suggested that he produce a version that could potentially work as a radio single. It’s not every day you have that kind of offer from a pop genius, and I’m so delighted with what he and Joe have come up with. It’s been such a fun one to work on.”
 
Hailing from Brighton, England, Passenger is a multi-award winning, platinum-selling singer-songwriter. Although still known for his busking, he long ago made the journey from street corners to stadiums, thanks in part to supporting his good mate Ed Sheeran, and most notably with “Let Her Go,” which reached number 1 in 19 countries, is approaching three billion plays on YouTube and is the #3 most Shazamed song of all time. Yet ‘Let Her Go’ is just one song from a remarkable and prolific back catalogue, including 2016’s Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea, which topped the charts in the UK and beyond. Rosenberg has over 2 billion combined streams on Spotify alone.  
 
With an authentic and engaging live show that has won over scores of fans and critics around the globe and allowed him to headline some of the world’s most famous stages, Passenger looks forward to returning to the road as soon as it’s safe for everyone.   Now kicking off at Ulster Hall, Belfast on 26^th August 2021, Passenger’s rescheduled tour dates for 2021 includes a headline show at London O2 Brixton Academy on 8^th September 2021*

As with all global touring events at present, we are assessing on a daily basis the various issues in each country. As changes or updates are made, all ticket buyers will notify with as much notice as possible. 

Sameer's life is going well. The 26-year-old Cambridge graduate is a rising star at his London law firm, he lives in a swanky penthouse flat in Clerkenwell in central London, and plays as hard as he works - and he works very hard. It's enough to go to a young man's head, but his feet are kept on the ground by two old mates - Jeremiah and Rahool - from his home town of Leicester, who, like him, are making their way in the capital.

The three amigos hang out, listen to the rapper Dave's Psychodrama album and drink vodka. They're celebrating Sameer's career-advancing offer of a move to Singapore, Jeremiah's new job at a recording studio, and Rahool's decision to… go back to Leicester? And so begins We Are All Birds of Uganda, the debut novel by Hafsa Zayyan, joint-winner of Stormzy's #Merky Books New Writers' Prize. On the evidence of this book, which is set in England and Uganda, she is an exciting new literary talent.

The author shares some of her protagonist's biographical details. She too went to Cambridge University (and Oxford), became a lawyer, lives in London, and was offered a posting to Singapore. And, like Sameer, she is from an immigrant family: her parents are Nigerian and Pakistani, his are East African Indians. But this is not her story, it is his. She went to Singapore, he has yet to decide to accept his offer. In the history of dramatic plot-lines it is not the most arresting, but it does serve the purpose of providing a gateway into the main themes of the novel.

The issues and subjects it takes on are big: British, South Asian and African racism, religion, the past, acceptance and belonging, identity, immigration, capitalism, multiculturalism, family values, generational differences, the notion of success. All are explored with great intelligence and sensitivity - But at a cost. The novel reads as if it is topic-led rather than story led, the facts more important than the fiction.

The characters feel small and thinly drawn - doing their duty to maintain structure and illustrate a thematic point, rather than being the point. They don't appear to have been allowed to take on a life of their own, to surprise us; to surprise the author. Sameer is a nice bloke with some serious life decisions to make, but is, as protagonists go, a tad dull. There is no shade to his light. The same applies to Jeremiah and Rahool, who are little more than cameos. Family and relations follow well-worn paths, dividing along generational and cultural lines. There is no devil in the detail. All of which makes the first two-thirds of We Are All Birds of Uganda quite slow, but stick with it and the rewards come as Zayyan's writing finds the lightness and fluency of a much more experienced novelist.

Having been curiously incurious about his past, Sameer finally discovers his sense of identity and purpose when he engages with his own personal history, a history that is drip-fed to the reader in a series of short, interlaced chapters, which take the form of letters written by his grandfather to his deceased first wife. They are poetic history lessons contextualising the circumstances that led to Sameer being brought up in Leicester rather than Kampala, where his father was born.

The letters cover the period between the end of World War Two to the decade after Idi Amin's expulsion of South Asians from Uganda in 1972. It is an epic novel in terms of historical, geographic, and cultural scope and has much to recommend it: the tone, the structure, the ambition, and the clarity that enables the story to cover so much ground without ever becoming confused or lost during its 360-pages.

Music legend   Dr Dre returned home after he was discharged from hospital following treated for a brain aneurysm. A lawyer for the hip-hop star, 55, said on Saturday that he was now back at home, without giving further details. A day earlier, actor and rapper Ice-T said he had spoken to Dr Dre, describing him as "safe and looking good".

Dr Dre had been taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, California after which his team issued a statement saying the rapper - whose real name is Andre Romelle Young - was in a stable condition.

A post on his Instagram read; ‘Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes. I'm doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!’

Friends and fellow stars wished the American rapper and producer well after the reports of his ill health emerged.

Ice Cube, his former bandmate in trailblazing 1980s hip-hop group NWA, tweeted: ‘Send your love and prayers to the homie Dr Dre.’

Snoop Dogg, who was discovered by Dr Dre in the early 1990s, wrote on Instagram: ‘GET WELL DR DRE WE NEED U CUZ.’

Missy Elliott wrote: ‘Prayers up for Dr Dre and his family for healing & Strength over his mind & body.’ And singer Ciara tweeted: "Praying for you Dr Dre. Praying for a full recovery."

With NWA and then as a solo artist, leading producer and record label mogul, Dr Dre shaped West Coast rap and was instrumental in the careers of other stars like Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar.

An aneurysm is the enlargement of an artery caused by weakness in a blood vessel wall. Most brain aneurysms only cause noticeable symptoms if they burst, leading to bleeding on the brain, which can cause a very serious condition and can be fatal.

A new video containing a live interview with Black Sabbath star Tony Iommi has been made to commemorate the reinstallation of the band’s ‘heavy metal’ bench on Broad Street in Birmingham. The mini documentary is presented by Christian Martin, the former Argentinian rugby player who is himself a huge Black Sabbath fan, and features rare footage of the band performing in its early days.

The video was commissioned and released by Westside BID to commemorate the rededication of the bench which first appeared in 2018 but had been temporarily removed during the Midland Metro tram extension works. Martin, who was in Birmingham last week covering the Covid lockdown for A24, the Argentinian-based cable news channel, agreed to front the video as a ‘labour of love’ because of his enthusiasm for Black Sabbath. During the 20-minute video, Martin sits on the bench – which features steel cut-outs of all four original members of the band – and uses a live Zoom link to interview Iommi from his home in the Cotswolds.

Iommi, Black Sabbath’s lead guitarist who was born in Aston, talks about his Broad Street links and how apt it is for the bench to be there. He said: “I used to be on Broad Street all the time as a youngster at the Rum Runner nightclub, so this brings back a lot of memories to me.” He recalls the band’s early days: “We had a tough road as no-one had heard our kind of music and we could only play in small Blues clubs across the city. But we loved and believed in what we did.” He spent a short time with the Jethro Tull band and said this is where he learned the discipline it took to be successful.

Tony said: “It was so organised, and when I went back to the band I realised we had to rehearse and take it seriously. I was the only one who could drive so I used to pick everyone up at 9am, the same schedule every day, and we worked hard at it. It was never a chore, but it was tough in the early days when we had no money and on tour used to sleep together in one room. Then as the money started coming in, we could stop in hotels when going around the world and it was amazing – I wouldn’t change anything.”

Iommi, who said he still speaks to lead singer Ozzy Osbourne by text most days, said he was “really proud” of the ‘heavy metal’ bench. He added: “We’ve helped put Birmingham on the map. We’re – if you like – the Birmingham Beatles, and it’s good for Birmingham to have these attractions.” The video also features an interview with Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for Transport and Environment, who originally allowed the bench to be placed on Broad Street.

At the end Mike Olley, the general manager of Westside BID, cuts a huge black ribbon to rededicate the bench, using left-handed scissors specially made for the event by William Whiteley & Sons of Sheffield. The scissors – engraved with Tony Iommi’s name as he is well-known as a left-hander – were then presented to Martin to thank him for presenting the video. 

Olley said: “The original unveiling of Black Sabbath’s ‘heavy metal’ bench was a huge event back in 2018 and we wanted to celebrate its return now the Metro works have moved along. We’re grateful to Christian Martin for helping us make this video and we hope Sabbath fans in Birmingham and across the world enjoy it.”

The video was produced by Jim Simpson, the original manager of Black Sabbath, and all archive film and pictures used in it are his copyright which he has waived. The video was filmed by Greg Gdowski and Margaret Maslanka of 57 Studio, directed by Mike Olley and technical facilities were provided by Al Dawkins of Cannock Sound.

The UK’s oldest remaining teddy bear manufacturer is celebrating the 100 birthday of Edward Bear - the teddy bear who inspired AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories - by unveiling a giant version of the famous character. As tall as the average three-year-old child, Merrythought’s brand-new ‘Giant Edward’ is an oversized version of the original bear, who was Christopher Robin’s cherished childhood toy, given to him by his mother Daphne as a first birthday present in August 1921.

Daphne’s husband and Christopher’s father, AA Milne, was so enamoured by the partnership he witnessed between a boy and his bear, that he began to write stories about their journey through life together - and Winnie the Pooh was born. Hand-crafted in Shropshire, the premium teddy bear, which costs £1,095, is 39 inches tall and weighs 6.5kg will be launched on Monday 18th January,

Fourth-generation managing director Sarah Holmes said: “This special bear has been handmade in our factory in Ironbridge using the same traditional skills and natural materials as Christopher Robin’s original Edward Bear all those years ago. Now more than ever parents are recognising the value of traditional play, and encouraging children to use their imagination. The teddy bear is the perfect antidote for the digital world and a true companion for life’s journey.”

Featuring a rich, golden mohair coat and sandy-beige pure woollen felt paws, Giant Edward’s deep-set eyes, and hand-embroidered nose and friendly smile, give him real quintessential English charm. Originally created by Farnell in 1921, Edward Bear was brought to life again for the 2017 Goodbye Christopher Robin film after Merrythought, which now owns the Farnell brand, was asked to recreate the bear that featured throughout the award-winning film.

Merrythought’s original 18in Edward Bear is available to buy throughout 2021 and is sold with a complimentary gold-plated keyring that has been specially created to mark the character’s 100th birthday. 

A new survey into the nation’s TV viewing habits reveals that, on average, those polled in Birmingham currently spend 30 hours of every week glued to their tellies, clocking up to 120 hours a month. Commissioned by Samsung UK, the research shows that as many as 90 percent of those in the area surveyed said having good things to watch this January and February would help them get through the bleaker winter months.

With 80 percent of the British nation having enjoyed watching more TV during 2020, the research reveals that, in Birmingham, the average household is set to enjoy 22 box set episodes, seven sit-coms, eight soap opera episodes and four football matches per month. A fifth of those polled said that in 2021 they could not live without their TVs. In an average month this year, viewers in Birmingham will also enjoy 11 reruns of their favourite shows, nine films, seven game shows and six reality shows - as well as a staggering 71 YouTube videos.

The research also uncovers that over the period of a month, people in Birmingham will fall asleep in front of the TV three times, have five family feuds over what to watch, snuggle up with a furry friend four times and spill something on the carpet at least four times. The True Crime genre TV capital of the UK is revealed to be London, with Brits in the city set to enjoy eight episodes each month.

Moreover, the research into TV habits reveals that the soap opera capital of the UK is officially Bristol, where residents will indulge in nine episodes of their favourite soap each month. Meanwhile it was revealed that hardcore football fans are most likely to be found in Newcastle upon Tyne, watching up to six matches a month.

The research also found that Birmingham is shifting from watching traditional, terrestrial TV to using more modern streaming platforms. Overall, 46 percent of the nation favours Netflix and this rings true for those in the Birmingham area, as 47 percent prefer to use this platform over anything else to get their entertainment fix. Other popular streaming platforms across Birmingham include Amazon Prime (12 percent), Disney+ (eight percent) and BBC iPlayer (six percent).

The old saying “Laughter is the best medicine” certainly rings true across the nation, as almost two thirds of Brummies surveyed (59 percent) will be watching comedy shows to help keep spirits up throughout the beginning of the year. In fact, viewers in the UK will laugh until they cry at least five times a month, with 47 percent of those based in Birmingham admitting comedy is their favourite type of programme to watch. This was closely followed by drama (43 percent), documentaries (37 percent) true crime (30 percent) and light entertainment (27 percent).

Deep Halder, Head of TV/AV Retail & Content Services, Samsung Electronics UK Limited said: “As the nation is set to spend even more time at home this year, many of us will be turning to our TVs to provide some comfort and light relief during these times.

“At Samsung, we’re always listening to what our customers desire from their viewing experiences and with almost half turning to comedy shows, we’re proud to have recently launched Samsung’s own Comedy channel via Samsung TV Plus – our exclusive service which offers Smart TV owners instant access to over 80 live and on-demand TV channels for free, guaranteeing endless entertainment options.”

The survey also showed that selecting what to view on TV isn’t always plain sailing, with the average Brummie household spending 12 minutes per day bickering over what to watch, and 16 minutes flicking through the channels. One of the biggest frustrations, however, is often finding the remote in the first place, with the research revealing that we spend 13 minutes every day searching for the elusive item.

Former ballerina and Strictly Come Dancing judge, Dame Darcey Bussell, will join guests of luxury, all-inclusive cruise line Scenic on a special dance-themed river cruise. Travelling from Budapest to Nuremberg along the iconic Danube River Scenic’s limited edition, eight-day ‘Dancing down the Danube with Dame Darcey Bussell’ itinerary departs 20 October 2021. Prices start from just £2,320 per person, including a £200 per person discount.

Dame Darcey will join guests onboard in Budapest as the itinerary sets sail to the ‘City of Music’, Vienna. Guests will be enthralled with an enchanting private concert at the opulent Palais Liechtenstein, featuring classical Ballet and Blue Danube Waltz performances compered by Darcey herself. Whilst onboard, Darcey will reflect on her life and career, answer guest questions in a live Q+A session and host a drinks reception.

Following on from Vienna, the itinerary will take guests to Dürnstein, Melk and Regensburg, with the chance to visit the medieval Czech city of Cesky Krumlov or continue the musical theme with a visit to Salzburg – the birthplace of Mozart. Other highlights include a guided bike ride along the river from Dürnstein to Melk and the chance to meet the current owners of Artstetten Castle. Taste regional delicacies in the Wachau Valley or sample beer from one of the oldest monastic breweries in the world in Regensburg.

Scenic’s truly all-inclusive philosophy ensures everything guests need for a five-star travel experience is included in the up-front cost, including return UK flights, transfers, all meals across a choice of onboard venues, premium branded beverages, daily excursions with expert guides, a personal onboard butler, in-suite mini bar and much more.

To provide guests with maximum flexibility, all bookings are covered within Scenic’s flexible Booking Policy meaning guests can change their booking up to 60 days prior to departure without any fees. Scenic’s dedicated Health & Safety Steering Committee oversees all health and safety policies, going above and beyond to ensure all guests’ wellbeing and safety is taken care of to the highest standard.

Rapper Nicki Minaj will pay singer Tracy Chapman $450,000 (£332,000) to settle a copyright dispute after sampling one of her songs. Chapman sued Minaj in 2018, saying she had used portions of Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight in her song Sorry.

Although the song was never released, a leaked version made its way to radio DJ Funkmaster Flex and went viral online. Chapman accused Minaj of sharing the song with Flex, although both have denied that version of events.

Minaj wrote Sorry with fellow rapper Nas while she was recording her fourth album Queen in 2018. It was based on a sample of the dancehall track Sorry by Jamaican artist Shelly Thunder. Unbeknownst to Minaj, that song was based on Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight, from Chapman's Grammy-winning 1988 debut album.

After discovering the connection, Minaj and her record label sought permission to use Chapman's composition, but the singer-songwriter repeatedly refused. The singer's lawyer said she has a blanket policy against granting such permission. One of the clearance specialists working for Minaj was also said to have known Chapman was on an unofficial "do not sample" list.

In an earlier judgement, US District Judge Virginia A Phillips ruled that Minaj's experimentation with Chapman's song in the studio constituted "fair use". In doing so, she sided with the rapper's lawyers, who argued that artists need to be free to sample music while writing and recording, without worrying about being sued once they approach the rights-holder for a licence.

"Such free-flowing creativity is important to all recording artists, but particularly in hip-hop," Minaj's team argued. "With that category of music, a recording artist typically goes into the studio and experiments with dozens of different 'beats' or snippets of melodies, before hitting upon a pleasing combination."

Judge Phillips agreed that "a ruling uprooting these common practices would limit creativity and stifle innovation within the music industry". She added that there was "no evidence" that Minaj's song "usurps any potential market for Chapman" and her original song, a searingly personal guitar ballad.

However, the judge set up a trial to explore how Sorry came to be leaked and distributed, and whether that constituted copyright infringement. That trial will no longer take place after Chapman accepted Minaj's offer. The settlement includes Chapman's costs and legal fees to date, according to documents made public by the California Central District Court.

Birmingham Hippodrome have announced a new pilot programme especially for young people, to shape the future of the Hippodrome’s work.

The Young Advocates programme will initially run until March 2021, and is open to anyone aged 14-22 from Birmingham and the West Midlands who have an interest in the arts and a passion to make change. The final group will be involved in a range of workshops and will have the opportunity to work with Hippodrome Associate Companies, Artists and staff. At the end of the pilot programme the Young Advocates will be asked to share their vision for Birmingham Hippodrome’s future with the organisations senior team and Trustees.

The Young Advocates will also get to present their response at the TedXYouth@Brum digital conference in March. Alongside this, the successful applicants will receive training, mentoring and access to a range of different areas within the arts industry.

Zaylie-Dawn Wilson, Head of Learning and Participation at Birmingham Hippodrome commented: “The Young Advocates programme will offer young people a platform to have their voices heard and opinions valued. This programme will help to ensure young people see a career in the arts industry as a viable option, which in turn will drive change for Birmingham Hippodrome and young people in the West Midlands.”

Zaylie added: “This programme is part of our mission and pledge as a member of More Than A Moment to ensure that our offer is inclusive, accessible, whilst supporting and developing diverse and talented young people as part of our future workforce.”

The programme is completely free and sessions will run weekly on a Wednesday evening with some weekend sessions. An open online information session to takes place on Wednesday 13 January at 6pm, with the deadline for applications Sunday 17 January 8pm. Applicants will then be invited to attend a workshop session on Wednesday 20 January with the final group members selected on Thursday 21 January.

Birmingham Hippodrome have released a special new poem by Birmingham’s Poet Laureate Casey Bailey to mark a message of hope for the New Year. The special commission, titled Slice of Sunshine has been created to run alongside public images of the Global Rainbow light installation that the Birmingham Hippodrome Festivals team ran over the New Year period.

Global Rainbow – an art installation by international artist Yvette Mattern - was beamed northwest from the city’s iconic Rotunda building on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, marking a message of hope and peace for 2021.

Graham Callister, Director of Festivals at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We were thrilled to work with Casey on such a special message of hope for the New Year. We would also like to thank everybody who shared photos of Global Rainbow too, we have been overwhelmed by the fantastic response to the installation and hope we can bring more moments of positivity to the region throughout 2021.”

Poet Laureate Casey said: “When I first heard that the Global Rainbow was coming to Birmingham, I was so excited to see it light up the sky above the city. When I was asked to write about what this meant to me, I thought about the way that rainbows come from a combination of ‘good and bad’ weather and how I hope 2021 could redress the balance of a predominantly bad 2020”

‘Global Rainbow’ is an ongoing public artwork by Artist Yvette Mattern was presented by Birmingham Hippodrome as part of Global Streets, a national project funded through Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants.

The Slice of Sunshine video can be viewed on YouTube or on Birmingham Hippodrome’s social media channels.

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra once again partnered with Youth Homeless Charity St Basils to raise much-needed funds to support its work with young people in and around the West Midlands. For over a decade the CBSO and St Basils’ tradition of fundraising at the orchestra’s annual festive carol concerts at Symphony Hall were a Great Birmingham Christmas Tradition which contributed to raising over £30,000 for St Basils and the CBSO (also a charity).

For the first time last year, the CBSO was not able to present its traditional Christmas programme and therefore the charities joined together in a different way – with three special videos created for the orchestra’s festive Advent Calendar. From 1-24 December, each day at 9am the CBSO released a new festive video via their website and social media channels. The videos were created by members of the CBSO family (both orchestra musicians and choruses) and included a great mix of Christmas music, carols and readings from all over the world.

The three videos that were chosen to support St Basils were aimed at young people and families and were launched in December with the CBSO percussion section joining students from The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire which included a surprise message from one of their favourite guest artists. Viola-player Amy Thomas read a children’s Christmas story and the CBSO Youth Chorus performed Bob Chilcott’s ‘The Midnight of your Birth’.

The videos encouraged donations across the three days which was equally split between St Basils and the CBSO. A fourth video was dedicated to raising funds for Help Musicians UK, at a time when so many musicians have seen their livelihoods wiped out as a result of the Covid pandemic.

St Basils’ work focuses on young people aged 16-25, with the core aim of preventing youth homelessness. They provide advice and support to 5,000 vulnerable young people per year who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Coventry, Warwickshire and North Worcestershire.

 Jo Patton, Principal 2nd Clarinet and Chair of the Player’s Committee says: “Everything has changed for us all since March this year but here at the CBSO we are determined to discover new ways we can connect and share our music with as many people as possible.  We are really excited to share our Advent Calendar with you – an amazing selection of some really beautiful and some really fun videos to share a little positive Christmas spirit and joy with the world. We are also really delighted to be able to continue our support of St Basils and our fellow freelance musicians via Help Musicians UK at this difficult time.”

Barrie Hodge, Head of Fundraising and Communications for St Basils, said: “We are overjoyed to, once again, be working with the amazing CBSO. It’s been a partnership that has been going on for many years and, even in a time of global crisis that partnership has endured. The innovative performances, combined with raising money for both our causes, is truly wonderful and we are honoured to be part of it. On behalf of the young people we support, thank you.”

On its 100th birthday, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra launched an ambitious five-year, £12.5m fundraising campaign, designed to ensure the orchestra’s recovery post-Covid and drive its longer-term renewal for a second century. ‘The Sound of the Future’ aims to redefine the CBSO’s future for the benefit of everyone across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Birmingham Hippodrome have shared more information about the stunning surprise light installation that has shone over areas of Birmingham and the Black Country. Global Rainbow – an art installation by international artist Yvette Mattern - was beamed Northwest from the city’s iconic Rotunda building this evening, marking a message of hope and peace for the New Year.

Graham Callister, Director of Festivals at Birmingham Hippodrome commented: “We are delighted to present this monumental light installation by visual artist Yvette Mattern over the New Year Period. After such a challenging 2020, we hope that those who have been able to experience Global Rainbow have been inspired to take a moment to pause and reflect and look toward 2021 with hope and peace.

“It is hugely important people do not travel to see this installation – the joy of this special visual artwork is that it can be seen safely from the homes of those living nearby by simply looking to the sky.” Graham added: “We would like to thank Arts Council England, the Global Streets consortia and Bullring & Grand Central for helping to make this wonderful installation possible.”

Global Rainbow is an ongoing public artwork by Visual Artist Yvette Mattern. The artwork was created in 2009 to be a visual translation of hope and light and has since been displayed across the world in cities including New York City (USA), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Kobe (Japan). It beams seven rays of laser light (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet) representing the colour spectrum of a natural rainbow and will be shone northwest out the city over the New Year period. The rainbow beams can reach up to 10 miles on a clear night, and this evening could be seen in Birmingham City Centre, the Jewellery Quarter and areas of the Black Country.

Yvette said: “I was thrilled to work with the Hippodrome Festivals team to bring a unique, covid-safe, visual art installation to the West Midlands. I hope those in Birmingham and the Black Country who saw Global Rainbow enjoyed the experience and will take comfort from positivity it represents as we head into 2021.”

Each year, the Birmingham Hippodrome Festivals team produce a range of exciting events including the annual B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival and Birmingham’s Chinese New Year in Birmingham celebrations, as part of the venue’s mission to enrich the cultural life of the region.

Fiona Allan, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Birmingham Hippodrome added: “As a leading producer of festivals in the region, we have worked incredibly hard this year to innovate and adapt our programme in order to safely deliver exciting cultural experiences. Global Rainbow offered us the opportunity to produce a beautiful, poignant and symbolic moment for the region as we all look towards a brighter 2021.”

Global Rainbow was presented by Birmingham Hippodrome as part of Global Streets, a national project funded through Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants.

H.R. Owen Bugatti has been entrusted with the care of the last ever racing Bugattis; two unique EB110s campaigned during 1994, 1995 and 1996. The extremely rare cars, two of around 150 built in total, arrived at H.R. Owen Bugatti Service in London for their routine annual maintenance, to be cared for alongside the team’s array of Chirons and Veyrons.

The EB110s are two enormously complex cars, both based on the later EB110 SS, powered by a quad-turbocharged 3.5-litre V12 engine, delivering around 600hp through an advanced all-wheel-drive system. And while they’re each built around a very similar formula, they were designed to race under very different conditions.

The iconic blue car, EB110S LM, was built to race at Le Mans 24 Hours in 1994, on the 55^th anniversary of Bugatti’s last win at the event. Having been completed in less than six months, the car looked set for a successful race, regardless of having five turbos changed and a fuel tank leak. In fact, it looked as though a top-five finish was likely until a suspected tyre blowout ended EB110 LM’s race with just 45 minutes remaining. 

The silver car, EB110S SC GTS-1 was destined to race in the North American WSC GT series, and has a few subtle revisions over the LM, including a slightly raised ride height, reorganised cockpit and adapted bodywork. In 1995, it recorded a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen and sixth-in-class at Sears Point before looking on track for a successful Daytona 24 Hours race before stopping short of the finish line with transmission issues.

Since their racing days, both EB110s have led busy lives with their passionate owner; EB110 SC GTS-1 appeared in photos for the launch of the Centodieci, while EB110 LM appeared in promotional materials created for the race-bred Bugatti Bolide.

H.R. Owen is the only Bugatti Partner of Excellence in the UK, with a dedicated boutique in the heart of London’s Mayfair and the advanced Bugatti service centre in North Acton, London. Entrusted with the repair and maintenance of the most advanced performance cars in the world, H.R. Owen Bugatti Service is staffed by the UK’s most experienced Bugatti technicians with over 22-years joint experience.

H.R. Owen CEO, Ken Choo, said: “Caring for a Bugatti is unlike caring for any other type of performance vehicle; the world’s most advanced materials and technologies combine to create a car that pushes the boundaries of speed and usability. Looking after any Bugatti is a privilege, but to be responsible for the maintenance of the last ever Works racing Bugattis is extremely special. It speaks volumes of the expertise of our Service team and our advanced facility that our customers trust us not just with their Chirons and Veyrons but also with priceless pieces of Bugatti history like these two racers.”