The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has published an educational resource that features five films that focus on transgender experiences for families to watch together. The BBFC has partnered with All About Trans, an On Road Media project, on this initiative. The Charity supports people with first-hand experience of the issues to do safer, more strategic media work, bringing them together with journalists and producers to inspire great content.

At the lower end of age rating categories, Little Girl (PG), A Kid Like Jake (12) and Ma Vie En Rose (12) have all been highlighted as films that deal with transgender themes sensitively. For older teens and parents who want to continue learning about other topics, such as trans representation in the media and starting a family, the BBFC has suggested both Disclosure (15) and Seahorse - The Dad Who Gave Birth (15).

All films come with information about the classification, information about what viewers can expect, and accompanying suggested discussion points so families can hold a guided conversation after the credits roll. The BBFC and All About Trans held a focus group, made up of non-binary and trans people and a parent of a trans child, to consult on the films and the resource.

Sarah Peacock, Compliance and Education Manager for the BBFC, said: “Films are excellent springboards for starting conversations. We’ve selected three films rated U, PG and 12 and two films at 15, so there is something for the whole family to pick from, with a range of different themes to explore together. We were delighted to partner with All About Trans on this resource, to ensure that the voices of trans people were accurately reflected in the project. We hope that these films act as a starting point for more research and education.”

Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir from All About Trans, said: “We know it can be hard to find time to sit down with your kids to learn about new issues and ideas. We hope that this resource will open up a space for really meaningful and worthwhile discussions with children and young people about identity, and what it means to explore who you are.” The educational resource can be found on the BBFC website.

Radford has use of its own race track. Following its recent return, the iconic coachbuilder is announcing its association with the recently renamed Radford Racing School, in Arizona, USA. The iconic Radford brand is being revitalised by leading car designer Mark Stubbs, TV presenter and car builder Ant Anstead, former FIA Formula One World Champion, Jenson Button, and leading business adviser and lawyer Roger Behle.

The agreement to grant Radford use of the racetrack was instigated by the Radford board and Stig Investments, which owns the track facility. Radford will create contemporary luxury commissions true to classic timeless designs, bringing a modern and relevant version of coach-building, to a new discerning clientele. 

Jenson Button said: “For a car to be truly great, it has to feel as good as it looks. It has to possess both style and substance in equal measures, and that you can only achieve through extensive testing and improvement. Great engineering is only achieved through obsession over every detail and marginal gains.

“The testing that all Radfords will be put through is integral to creating the smiles on the faces of those that get to drive them. A race track is the perfect environment for this and it’s also my happy place of course.”

Ant Anstead commented: “Not many coachbuilders have a racetrack to call home. For all of us, part of the revival of the Radford brand is to stay true to founder Harold Radford. He was an innovator – and he would want his cars to be perfect in every way.

“Track development, led by Jenson, is integral to achieving that for our future cars. As we revive this famous brand, this marks the first of many exciting developments and partnerships.

“We can’t wait to share them with you.” The first Radford car is already in development and will be subject to an announcement soon. 

Enter Stage Write, an annual West Midlands scriptwriting competition with an international judging panel from the world of film and TV, is set to reach a global audience this year.

The innovative competition, which gives budding writers a chance to see their work brought to life, was faced with the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. However, multi-award nominated entrepreneur and founder, Natalie Edward-Yesufu, has proven to show resilience in the face of adversity and adapt the competition for 2021 by streaming the competition online.

The hugely successful competition encourages script writers to submit a script for a short film. Six of the shortlisted scripts, chosen by a panel of judges made up of prolific industry professionals, will then be performed by local creatives and filmed, rather than performed on stage as done in previous years.

This will allow the judges, and members of the public, to view the works of art online. The winning wordsmith will receive £1,000 of prize money and a year of support and meetings with TV and film professionals. Previous winners of Enter Stage Write have gone onto achieve colossal success within the industry.

A previous winner, Abraham Adeyemi, won a Tribeca Award for Best Short Film and is working with ITV. Abraham will be returning this year as a judge alongside the highly-esteemed international judging panel. Last year's winner, Jonathan skinner, had their script picked by the judges to make into a short film. 

Transition Stage Company Founder, Natalie Yesufu-Edwards, said: “I am ecstatic to relaunch Enter Stage Write 2021 competition and play a leading part in creating an even playing field in the creative sector. Even though the world of theatre has taken a massive hit during the pandemic - 'The Show Must Go On’. 

“Enter Stage Write is a scriptwriting competition for the screen too and now more than ever, there is a demand for fresh new voices and content while we watch more TV at home and, of course, the streaming wars. There has never been so much opportunity for writers.” Louise le Puloch will also be joining the panel for the first time. Louise works within Frenchkiss Productions based in Paris, who specialise in script development and produces TV shows for Netflix.

Fellow judges also include Darcia Martin, Director for BBC and Channel 4 TV Shows; Chris Sudworth, Director of Artistic Programme at Birmingham Hippodrome; Lisa Walters, Development Executive and Script Editor at Channel 4 and Producer on BAFTA-nominated "On The Edge"; Miguel Parga, Emmy Award-winning Director the USA; Piero Basso, cinematographer and Chair of the Cinematography Program at New York Film Academy; and Anya Camilleri, award-winning Writer and Director.

A 3,000-year-old ceremonial gold mask has become an unexpected social media sensation in China after its recent discovery in Sichuan province. The artefact was one of 500 Bronze-Age relics found at the Sanxingdui archaeological site.

Experts say the discovery could provide new insights on the ancient Shu state, which ruled the area before 316 BC. But the mysterious half-faced mask has also spawned a popular meme and tribute videos on social media.

As soon as the latest batch of discoveries was announced, users of microblogging platform Weibo started to make pictures that superimposed the mask on the faces of pop culture figures. The hashtag "Sanxingdui gold mask photo editing competition" has been viewed nearly 4 million times, and has spawned numerous posts as netizens praised the "stunning" and "beautiful" mask.

Officials at the museum for Sanxingdui - one of the most important archaeological sites in China - soon joined in on the fun. The museum said in a recent Weibo post while sharing its own take on the meme: "Good morning, we've just woken up, apparently everyone's been busy doing some Photoshopping?"

The museum also released a promotional animated music video starring the mask and other artefacts, while a rap song created by a TV host praising the "intelligence" of the ancient civilisation has gone viral. It is not the first time a Chinese artefact has attracted the attention of social media users - in August, another relic was found to resemble the pig characters in popular video game Angry Birds.

In addition to the gold mask, archaeologists at Sanxingdui have found bronze pieces, gold foils as well as artefacts made from ivory, jade and silk. The items were uncovered in six sacrificial pits, said the National Cultural Heritage Administration, which the Shu civilisation used to offer sacrifices in prayers for prosperity and peace.

The Sanxingdui ruins were discovered by accident by a farmer in 1929. To date, more than 50,000 relics have been unearthed at the site, which is around 60km (37 miles) from the city of Chengdu.

10cc have announced a new UK tour for 2022, where they will celebrate the hits which have seen them recognised as one of the most inventive and influential bands in popular music.

The Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour will begin in Liverpool on March 25, and take in York, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Bath, Southend, the iconic London Palladium, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Guildford, Glasgow and Gateshead.

Led by co-founder Graham Gouldman, 10cc are heralded in equal measure for their ability to craft ingenious songs that also resonated commercially. The icons of art-rock achieved eleven Top 10 hits, and over 15 million albums sold in the UK alone, with three No.1 singles – Rubber Bullets, Dreadlock Holiday and the ubiquitous I’m Not In Love.

The current 10cc line-up features Gouldman (bass, guitar, vocals), Rick Fenn (lead guitar, bass, vocals), Paul Burgess (drums, percussion) – both of whom have been with the band since the early years - Keith Hayman (keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals) and Iain Hornal (vocals, percussion, guitar, keyboards).

In a message to fans, Gouldman says, “It’s difficult to express just how much we have missed playing live and how much we want to be back playing concerts for you. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2022.”

In recent years, 10cc have toured worldwide, playing in Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and across Europe and throughout the UK - including sold out shows to over 60,000 people at British Summer Time (BST) in Hyde Park, and numerous sold out shows at the 5,200-capacity Royal Albert Hall.

The Concours of Elegance, presented by A. Lange & Söhne, will host the oldest surviving Aston Martin during its 2021 event at Hampton Court Palace this September. Aston Martin ‘A3’ was the third car ever built by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, and was extensively driven by the founders. This year, it celebrates its centenary.

The Concours of Elegance was first established in 2012 to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with a collection of 60 of the rarest cars in the world in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle. Since then the Concours of Elegance has evolved into a world-renowned celebration of craftsmanship, design and innovation, hosted since 2017 at Hampton Court Palace, but always with spectacular cars like the Aston Martin ‘A3’at its heart.

Given its name because it is built on chassis no.3 and uses a Type A engine, ‘A3’ produces just 11hp from its four-cylinder side-valve engine. Nevertheless, it was raced in period, and proved capable of setting speed records, achieving an average of more than 86mph over 100 miles at the Brooklands circuit.

By 1923, the car’s life as a factory prototype was complete and it was sold to a customer. It changed hands a number of times until history shows it under the ownership of R.W. Mallabar in 1927. Following a con-rod failure, the car returned to Aston Martin for an engine rebuild, at which time the car was refinished in pale grey (rather than its original black) with red wheels.

The next time ‘A3’ reappears in the history books is 2002 when it was identified at auction as the third Aston Martin ever produced. In 2003 a generous donation enabled ‘A3’ to be purchased by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, who entrusted it to Ecurie Bertelli for a full restoration to as close as original specification.

A new body was designed and hand-beaten into shape to replace the later green body that had been added at some point in A3’s life, a new ash bodyframe was built, the engine was rebuilt, the radiator was refurbished and the chromium finish removed. The car is presented today in full working order, with its factory specification black paintwork, preserving an extremely important part of Aston Martin history.

The display of Aston Martin ‘A3’ is just the latest in a spectacular partnership between Aston Martin, particularly the Aston Martin Owner’s Club (AMOC), and the Concours of Elegance. At the inaugural event in 2012, Mark Donoghue of the AMOC arranged for sixty Aston Martins – one from each year of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign – to be lined up along Windsor Castle’s Long Walk. Then, in 2019, Donoghue was responsible for arranging AMOC’s show-stopping display of one example of every single Aston Martin Zagato model produced, many of which are one-offs.

The ‘A3’ will form part of the Main Concours display at Concours of Elegance 2021, a line-up of the world’s rarest cars set to go on display at Concours of Elegance 2021, taking in some of the finest European coachbuilt cars ever built, a collection of Gulf and Martini-liveried motorsport heroes and the very latest bespoke hypercars. The event will also welcome a number of special features and displays, including a celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 95^th birthday, bringing with it a British car from each year of Her Majesty’s life. In total, over 1,000 rare and exotic cars will be on display across the weekend.

Outside of the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance remains an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, live stage interviews with Chubb Insurance, hosted by Jodie Kidd, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. Presenting Partner, A. Lange & Söhne, recently confirmed to support the event for a further three years, will continue to showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.