Entertainment News

Singer and actor Barbara Streisand has made George Floyd’s six-year-old daughter a stockholder in Disney.

Gianni Floyd posted a picture of her new shares on Instagram, thanking Streisand in the caption.

“Thank You Barbara Streisand for my package, I am now a Disney Stockholder thanks to you”, she wrote.

Shares in Disney are currently valued at around $115 (£92). Before the coronavirus pandemic, they traded as high as $150 (£120).

It is not clear how many shares Streisand purchased for Gianni, whose father was murdered whilst in police custody, after an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds – his death sparking worldwide protests for an end to racism and demands for police reform.

Hip-Hop mogul Kanye West has also provided financial support for the schoolgirl having launched a college fund to cover the cost of her tuition.

Texas Southern University has also offered her a full scholarship if she chooses to attend there in the future.

The Tasering of the father of rapper Wretch 32 will be assessed by the police watchdog after the Met was instructed to refer it.

The rapper posted a video on Twitter of Millard Scott falling downstairs after he was being Tasered by officers in Haringey, in north London.

The force previously said that a review had found that “no indication of misconduct”.

But the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) used its powers to require the force to refer it.

A spokesperson for the force said that officers went to the property as part of “a long-running operation to tackle drugs supply linked to serious violence”.

After which, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan then called for an urgent investigation by the IOPC.

Describing the incident as “distressing”, he said: “It is absolutely vital that our police service retains the trust of the communities it serves”.

Scotland Yard later said that it would not refer the incident to the IOPC.

Wretch 32, whose real name is Jermaine Scott, shared the 36-second clip on his Twitter account with the caption: ‘This is how the police think they can treat a 62 year old Black man in Tottenham but this 1 happens to be my dad’.

It shows Mr Scott falling down the stairs after an officer is heard to warn: “Police officer with a Taser. Stay where you are”.

As officers ask if he is OK and tells him to keep still, a distressed woman can be heard to say: “They’ve Tasered him”.

Mr Scott said that he was “lucky to be alive”.

He said: “The only people who have invaded our space are the Metropolitan Police.

“The only people who seem to ignore the guidelines put out there are the Metropolitan Police.

“It seems at the moment in time that we are being singled out and targeted.

Said to be one of the biggest stars in Bollywood, one of its best known and shining light, Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai, in India.

Mumbai police announced the tragic news before saying that they believed that his took own life

Best known for his role in ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he played the legendary cricketer, the 34-year-old Bihar-born star was also well-known as being popular for his TV work.

The actor’s last film was ‘Chhichhore’, which was released in 2019.

His former manager, Disha Salian, 28, died in the recent past days after falling from the 14th floor of a Mumbai building.

In an Instagram story following her passing Rajpul wrote; ‘It’s such devastating news. My deepest condolences to Disha’s family and friends. May your soul rest in peace.’

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was among the many people who paid tribute calling him “a bright young actor gone too soon”.

Music superstar, Stormzy has made a pledge in the form of £10 million to organisations, charities and movements in the UK who are tackling racial inequality, justice reform and Black empowerment.

The internationally-renowned multi-award winning grime star said that he will make his donation over the next 10 years.

He said: “We have to fight against the odds of a racist system that is stacked against us and is designed for us to fail from before we are even born”.

The Croydon-born artist, who is of Ghanaian parents, said that he was making the donation to fight racial inequality because “the uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit, is that Black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life – simply due to the colour of our skin.

“I’m lucky enough to be in the position I’m in and I’ve heard people often dismiss the idea of racism existing in Britain by saying ‘If the country is so racist how have you become a success?!’ and I reject that with this: I am not the UK’s shining example of what supposedly happens when a Black person works hard.

“There are millions of us. We are not far and few. We have to fight against the odds of a racist system stacked against us and designed for us to fail from before we are even born.

He has also funded Black British students at Cambridge University.

The Royal Opera House announces ‘Live from Covent Garden’, a series of three unique performances to be broadcast live via YouTube and Facebook from its world-famous home in Covent Garden.

The first concert, on 13 June at 7.30pm, will be hosted by the BBC’s Anita Rani and the Royal Opera House’s very own Director of Music, Antonio Pappano, and will see the ROH go behind the scenes as we open our theatre to a select group of musicians, artists and performers in the first live concerts since closing its doors to the public on 17 March.

The concerts will be a celebration of ballet and opera, from our house to your house, as social distancing and lockdown measures mean the Royal Opera House’s building remains closed to live audiences.

The first concert will be free and will include work from Benjamin Britten and George Frideric Handel, both of whom have a long history with the ROH, as well as accompanying work from George Butterworth and Turnage, performed by stars including Louise Alder, Toby Spence and Gerald Finley. We also look forward to an intimate world premiere by Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. Further details of this exciting new work will be announced in due course.

Showcasing the best of The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet companies, and curated by Director of Music, Antonio Pappano, Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O’Hare and Director of Opera Oliver Mears, the ROH is proud to present some of the world’s finest talent in opera, alongside intimate performances from a select number of dancers from The Royal Ballet. All broadcast live and direct to living rooms across the globe.

The following two performances on Saturday 20 June and Saturday 27 June will be available to view live and on demand for just £4.99 and will include a host of ballet and opera direct from The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

The music charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall are turning the volume up on three Black Birmingham artists, who have been invited to compose musical responses on the theme of racism, individual and systemic.

Fast-emerging British singer, songwriter and pianist Reuben James’ virtuoso jazz techniques and soulful, evocative voice have led him to be widely regarded as one the most exciting and creatively assured artists to have emerged in recent years. Although perhaps best known for his ongoing collaborations with Sam Smith, which have included co-writing songs for Smith’s 4 million-selling album The Thrill of It All, James has written for and performed with an array of international star acts including the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Herbie Hancock, Elton John, John Legend, Tori Kelly, Little Mix, Disclosure and Liam Payne amongst many others. Reuben signed with Warner/Chappell in 2018 and has since been working on his own material, exploring the boundaries between jazz and pop.

Romarna Campbell is a drummer, composer and producer from Birmingham. From a very young age, music has been at the heart of everything that Romarna does, with a particularly large Hip-Hop and Jazz influence. Music has afforded her the opportunity to travel around the world, including studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. She has also had the great honour and joy to perform around Europe and the US with many people, including Courtney Pine, Billy Childs, Soweto Kinch and more, as well as lead her own bands and projects with many of her peers and friends. Currently, Romarna is working on here debut EP.

BBC Young Jazz Musician winner Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous Birmingham community arts programmes. He first played the Tenor at Andy Hamilton’s Ladywood Community Music School, however, it was Holyhead School’s Jazz band with Ray Prince and Sid Peacock that lead him to pursue music, joining the THSH Jazzlines Ensemble, Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra and many more. Handsworth-born Xhosa continually pushes his playing while studying with teachers and mentors including Mike Williams, Jim Bashford and David Austin-Grey; Performing regularly around Birmingham; Writing for commissions by the Ideas of Noise Festival and Bobbie-Jane Gardener’s ‘For-Wards’ others.

Central to Town Hall Symphony Hall's Jazzlines programme is its work supporting the creative and professional development of artists throughout their career. Commissioning new work, such as this, is one way of doing so. 

Town Hall Symphony Hall's Jazzlines is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner and supported by Arts Council England under the National Portfolio Organisation scheme.

The Birmingham Hippodrome has announced that it will continue to remain closed until November.

The impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for the theatre and live entertainment industries in the UK especially for charitable organisations like the Birmingham Hippodrome who do not receive any regular revenue subsidy with almost all of its income coming from the sales of tickets for productions.

And, as such, they currently have no revenue income.

The city’s leading theatre venue was set to stage some of the leading blockbuster productions including Sister Act, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Hairspray, but will now, not be rescheduled until the reopening, which in turn is not due until November 2 at the earliest.

With it being closed since March means that it, like all other theatres, is out of pocket as their income is totally driven by ticket sales.

A statement on their website also said: “Almost all of our income from sales of tickets for our productions, so we currently have no revenue stream.

“We are working with the government bodies and other UK venues to explore ways we can reopen safely, but whilst social distancing measures are still in place, we must remain closed for the foreseeable future”.

The team are currently dealing with a high volume of bookings, and are asking all ticket holders to avoid contacting Birmingham Hippodrome directly to minimise their huge number of incoming enquires.

Singing legend Robbie Williams is to make a brief comeback and rejoin Take That for a virtual as-live gig on the evening of Friday June 5.

The online charity concert will see the 46-year-old and his ex-bandmates Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen each perform from their own respective homes, due to the coronavirus lockdown.

A bit like the current work morning meeting, but with added 90s hits.

It is the first time that Williams has performed with the band since the X Factor final in 2018.

It also means that only Jason Orange is the only original member who is missing from the Take That line-up, which released its debut album ‘Take That and Party’ almost 30-years ago.

Williams said: “I’m looking forward to performing with the lads again.

“If we can’t get to the stadium… we’ll bring the stadium to us”.

This year’s Bafta Television Awards will be broadcast from behind closed doors after originally being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The honours are usually handed out at a glittering ceremony which is attended by the biggest television stars in the UK.

But this year, Richard Ayoade will host the event from a closed studio with the winners to give their acceptance speeches virtually.

The event had been scheduled to take place on May 17, but it will now happen on June 31.

With nominations being announced, the qualification dates for the programmes have remained the same.

In a statement, actor, presenter and writer Ayoade joked: “I am as surprised as you are that this is still going ahead”.

While many of this year’s major film and television awards – including the Oscars, Bafta Film Awards and the National Television Awards – took place before the virus began to wreak havoc throughout the world.

Actor John Boyega delivered an uncompromising message against racism after fielding praise and backlash for Twitter posts about the subject.

The Star Wars star posted about his hate of racism following the death of an unarmed Black man in police custody in the USA.

He added: “WHITE on BLACK racism” had “ruined the world”, which sparked responses about other forms of racism.

He later doubled down against “racist white people” in an Instagram live.

His initial anger was sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, in the USA, who was shown in a video to be groaning “I can’t breathe” as a police officer knelt on his neck.

Boyega tweeted his hatred of racist before he replied to a Nigerian man who said that he broke up with his girlfriend because she was racist against white people.

The Hollywood actor replied: “I am talking about WHITE on BLACK racism. The kind that has ruined the world not caused a lil break up with your girlfriend.”

In the Instagram live, he then explained: “There’s no way that I have the opinion that there’s no other form of racism. Of course there’re other forms of racism.

“But a Black man was just murdered in cold blood in the streets Stateside again, while saying he can’t breathe.

The Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, immediately called for charges against the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck.

In a press conference the highly emotional Mayor said: “Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail?

“If you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now”.

He (Mayor Frey) did not specify what the charge should be at the time, but he said that his determination was based on video of the incident.

Born in London, of Nigerian parents, Boyega said: “That is a continuous cycle going on.

“Although I don’t live in the States, I am Black.”

“We are not sure why he is being arrested”.

A white reporter who was also reporting at the scene was not arrested.

During the international media coverage of events in Minneapolis, CNN reporter, Omar Jimenez was cuffed by policemen as he was reporting live about the violence which erupted following Floyd’s death while a cameraman filmed the scene. A colleague commenting from CNN studios was heard saying: “If you’re just tuning in, you are watching our correspondent, Omar Jimenez, being arrested in Minnesota – despite identifying himself and asking why he was being arrested.

Ministry of Sound Classical have today released a special video in collaboration with Alexandra Burke, the London Concert Orchestra and NHS Choir to give thanks to the incredible work of the key workers.  Their cover of Olive’s 1997 classic ‘You’re Not Alone’, with it’s poignant, hopeful lyrics and combined with a purely symphonic arrangement, encapsulates what is currently a testing time for us all.  
 
This month, Ministry of Sound Classical, a 50-piece orchestral show, with the London Concert Orchestra was due to perform at the Royal Albert Hall by arrangement with Coalition Agency and promoters Raymond Gubbay Limited.  As these epic landmark performances for this show was forced to cancel due to COVID-19, it was collectively decided by the performers to create a video to show appreciation and say "thank you" to key workers, specifically our incredible NHS here in the UK. The video has now premiered on Ministry of Sounds YouTube Channel, with a donate link available for those who have enjoyed the track to support NHS Charities Together if they are able.  
 
Alexandra Burke is a supporter of the NHS Charities Together and was due to perform as a very special guest at Ministry of Sound Classical at the Royal Albert Hall, so was the perfect choice of vocalist for this very special project. Ministry of Sound Classical is overjoyed for the video to include the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir, having been invited to perform on the track by Alexandra. 
 
All musicians filmed and recorded their individual parts from the safety of their own homes.  The music arrangement and guide audio track was prepared by the live shows sound engineer Phil Wright and orchestral arrangers Robin Hoffman and Tom Player. 

Pop stars including Rag 'N' Bone Man, Roachford and Joy Crookes have all taken socially-distanced doorstep portraits, as they tell the BBC how they've been surviving the lockdown.

Spice Girl Mel C posed with her laptop and headphones, saying they've been "my window to the world" while isolating.

Rapper Raxstar held a framed photo of his cousin and uncle, both of whom died after contracting coronavirus.

He said: "Losing them has been a big blow to our whole family.

"I want to keep their memories and spirits alive in everything I do going forward."

While most of the artists said they'd continued making new music during the lockdown, others have been inspired to pursue new ideas.

Soul singer Ray BLK has discovered a hidden talent for nail art.

"As I haven't been able to go to the nail shop to get my nails done, I have people making custom nails, and I thought: 'This is so amazing being able to have all these great designs, and being able to do them myself at home.'

"It's been quite cool discovering new things."

Dance act Georgia, meanwhile, dragged a vintage kit of 1980s synth-drums onto her front porch, after setting up a virtual drumming circle to help her pass the time.

"We started a project called Grooves in Different Rooms, which hopefully I'm going to livestream on my Instagram soon," she said.

"It's going to be 20 different drummers positioned around the UK, some even in Europe, and we will livestream a jam."

Other artists who took part in the project included Tom Walker, Beverley Knight and Celina Sharma.

Mathias Andre and CJ Webley, two previous members of Lightpost Theatre Company, have now successfully been employed in leadership roles.
 
In 2015, Birmingham Repertory Theatre took part in an initial pilot scheme Up My Street, a partnership project funded by Mind, to help strengthen mental health in young black men through theatre. This scheme was developed in response to statistics that show young black men in the UK are much more likely to develop serious mental illness than any other demographic.
  
Motivated by the scheme, participants formed Lightpost Theatre Company.
 
Addressing the effects of racism, discrimination, negative self-image and invisibility, Lightpost Theatre Company helps to strengthen the mental health resilience and wellbeing of those involved, improve self-belief, raise mental health awareness, assist personal development, and encourage inclusion and friendship.
 
With three years’ funding from the National Lottery Community Fund,  Lightpost Theatre Company has since welcomed hundreds of participants aged 18-26 from across the West Midlands who have gone on to create their own productions, perform to sell-out audiences, gain employment and training within the industry and create new leaders for a new generation of members.
 
CJ said “It has always been the goal for Lightpost Theatre Company to create new Leaders.  Because we understand what these young men experience outside of the company, we can help to empower them and support resilience against perceived and proven barriers including lack of opportunity, racism and related stresses.”
 
Mathias added: “Lightpost is not just a theatre company it’s a movement. This is an experience like no other.  If you are an 18-26 young male of black heritage and have a keen interest in theatre, then you should join us. Don’t allow others to write the narrative for you.  Get yourself in the room and take ownership, you deserve to be here as much as everyone else.”
 
Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, Alex Summers, Creative Learning Director at The REP added “We are delighted to welcome back Mathias and CJ to lead Lightpost Theatre Company.  This progression is what the company is all about, providing participants with the support to recognise their talent, help them with their career and provide a voice within the wider community.
 
Mathias and CJ will be supporting new members, organising workshops, writing and rehearsal sessions and leading the creative team into realising their artistic vision.
 
The company work with professional directors and writers to create, rehearse and stage outstanding productions reflecting their own personal journey or themes affecting the wider community.  These have included a sell-out run of Scenes From A Brummie Iliad based on Homer’s epic poem, an original performance reflecting on mental health for the 2019 BEDLAM Arts and Mental Health Festival and a performance in a secure unit through Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Lightpost Theatre Company usually meets at The REP once a week but thanks to REP RELOADED’s digital offer the company can continue to work on their current project Constructed during the current lockdown period. Constructed is a play about Black British male construction workers, using the construction site as a metaphor for new beginnings. The play will premiere at The REP and tour community spaces.
 
Further Lightpost Theatre Company success stories include receiving paid employment as actors for The REP’s Creative Learning project Toy Theatres working with primary school class groups, several members going on to leading drama schools gaining places at the Italia Conti School and Guildford School of Acting and working professionally in the industry.
 
Lightpost Theatre Company is part of Shifting The Dial a unique scheme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and is a partnership between Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Centre for Mental Health and First Class Legacy.
 
Centre for Mental Health’s Kadra Abdinasir, Head of Children and Young People’s Mental Health says “This ground-breaking partnership offers young black men a range of holistic and culturally-informed activities to engage with to help boost their mental resilience. This includes youth-led creative opportunities, such as the productions developed at Lightpost Theatre Company. The programme also empowers young men by building their skills and confidence and creates leadership and employment opportunities to enable them to transition into independence.”
 
Interested in becoming a member of Lightpost Theatre Company? Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
If you are an individual or organisation and would like to help The REP to support talented young people whose families maybe struggling financially at this time you can make a donation at www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/support-us/donate
 
Twitter @BirminghamRep
2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/Birminghamrep
Instagram @therepbirmingham
 

Whether they are guitar players, backing vocals or studio engineers, career musicians struggle with pay even in regular times.

Many of them would tend to take on extra work in order to make ends meet when their services are not needed on stage or in the studio.

For them, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a double whammy.

Not only has tours and recording sessions been put on hold, but those second jobs in wedding bands or school classrooms have vanished too.

According to a Musician’s Union survey, 92% of its members have seen their livelihood affected by coronavirus, losing an estimated £13.9bn in earnings in the first two weeks of the lockdown.

Meanwhile, the Ivors Academy of songwriters and composers said that it anticipated a loss £25,000 per member over a six-month period.

Whilst record-breaking record royalty payments are often mentioned for the world’s superstars, Olga FirzRoy, an award-winning engineer and producer whose credits include The Beatles, Coldplay and Foo Fighters, said that for the rest, “the industry has ground to a halt”.

She said: “I did my last session in the first week of March, but have done nothing since then. And my colleagues are pretty much in the same boat.

“There’s no money coming in.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, some artists are finding ways to support their sidemen and women – and hope that they can establish new precedents along the way.

In Paris, in France, jazz artist, Melody Gardot is making a new record from her apartment, and inviting musicians from around the world to form her ‘virtual orchestra.’

Anyone can sign up – and they will receive musical charts, backing tracks and instructions on how to record themselves performing at home.

Cruelly, however, she is paying standard union rates to anyone who appears on the finished record.

Gardot says that she hopes that other artists will follow her lead in paying musicians for recording their parts at home.

“We got to get some of the big cats on board, like Ed Sheeran, or John Mayer, and keep creating opportunities for other people”.

Although recording studios may reopen very soon, with a backlog of work to get through, the picture is a little less rosy further down the line.

Echoing calls made by UK Music, (Olga) FirzRoy said that the government should work closely with the industry to make sure that it survives as the UK emerges from lockdown.

She said: “The music industry makes a lot of money for them in the good times. They need to think about that”.

A woman who has been painting herself with scenes from the iconic Glastonbury Festival says that she has been “blown away” by the response.

Lisa Davies had not tried body painting until the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

The 33-year-old’s work has been shared by the festival’s Facebook community including a simple “wow” and “get that on canvas.”

Each picture takes Ms Davies about three hours to complete and is painted from a reverse image.

She said: “I didn’t expect the comments and praise that I’ve had. I’m really blown away by it all”.

Lisa, who works in customer services, moved from her home in Cardiff to be with her sister in Gloucestershire for the lockdown.

She said: “I’ve always loved drawing but lest all my pencils and art materials at home so I thought I’d send off for some body paints and have a go.

“I had tickets and should have been at the festival so I thought I’d paint my way round the site”.

Ms Davies finds an iconic view of the festival and then reverses the image before starting to paint it on to her body.

“It’s a bit mind-boggling to do and I’m not a professional by any means”, she said, “but if I make a mistake I just wipe it off.

“I do feel sad when I have to wash one off but that leaves me with a blank canvas for another.

Lisa plans to paint a series of 20 pictures, with her next challenge being the famous cider bus.

She also wants to do a black-and-white painting from the festival’s early days and one featuring festival founder, Michael Eavis.

Musicians and songwriters in the UK received a record amount of money last year, but the loss of live performances has posed a major threat to income for this year.

The warning was issued by the PRS for Music, the body that makes sure that 145,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in the United Kingdom are paid when their music is played or performed throughout the world.

The organisation collected a record £810 million last year, which was a rise of 8.7%.

However, it did say that Covid-19 would most likely result in an “inevitable decline” in 2020 and 2021.

Chief executive, Andrea Martin, said: “Even though we had a record-breaking year, we know very well that we are in unprecedented times”.

She said that revenues from “live music and public performance will be hit” not just in 2020 but also in 2021, as international payments often takes time to trickle down.

She added: “There will be a downfall, but by how much and by what per cent … your guess is as good as mine”.

The situation will hit smaller acts, many of whom were already struggling before the coronavirus pandemic, the hardest.