Birmingham Hippodrome shared a series of films to welcome in Chinese New Year and celebrate The Year of The Ox. It commissioned filmmaker Craig Bush and Artist Frances Yeung to create a series of short films reflecting the cultural celebrations and traditions that take place during Chinese New Year.

Made in collaboration with the Chinese Community Centre Birmingham, the films is shared over a seven-day period and explores how the local community in Southside have adapted their celebrations in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. Chinese New Year, commonly referred to as the Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar and in many Chinese communities, a full week’s holiday is taken to enjoy the festivities, visit friends and family to exchange gifts and red envelopes. 

Graham Callister, Director of Festivals at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “Ordinarily we would be preparing for our annual celebrations across the city with tens of thousands of people in attendance. We are delighted to be working with the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Chinese Community Centre Birmingham again to offer a special digital programme to celebrate Chinese New Year and share a deeper insight into the traditions behind this wonderful festival.”

He added: “We would like to thank our partners and supporters for ensuring we can still work in partnership with the groups, artists and communities who live, work and enjoy Birmingham to celebrate Chinese New Year. We hope people will enjoy finding out more about the celebrations including the much loved lion dances, tree wrapping and traditional food.” The Chinese Festival Committee also streamed an online celebration from their Facebook page, including sharing the series of specially commissioned films.

James Wong, Chair of the Chinese Festival Committee said: "Although we couldn’t bring the festival to the streets of Birmingham, we celebrated Chinese New Year in the comfort of people’s home to welcome the year of the Ox!.”

Frances Yeung, an emerging artist working with Chinese Community Centre Birmingham on the films added: “Although this year the Chinese community is not able to have any physical Chinese New Year celebrations, we used this opportunity to delve deeper by sharing the many significant aspects of the Spring Festival celebration digitally. We might be socially distancing, but we’re still very much connected at heart.”

The films - produced in partnership with Chinese Community Centre Birmingham, Chinese New Year Committee Birmingham, Southside BID, The Arcadian and funded by Arts Council England - will be shared on Birmingham Hippodrome’s social media channels and website.

First Lady Michelle Obama has confirmed that she is launching a new cooking show for children on Netflix called ‘Waffles + Mochi’. The 10-episode series will debut in March 2021.

The 57-year old wrote her Instagram page: “It’s all about good food, discovering it, cooking it, and of course, eating it. These two will take us on adventures all around the world to explore new ingredients and try out new recipes.” In 2018, both Michelle and her husband former President Barack Obama entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series with Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service.

A synopsis released by Netflix states that the show will focus on two best puppet friends, Waffles and Mochi, who after being hired as “employees of a whimsical supermarket”, travel to kitchens around the world with the help of a “magical flying shopping cart”. The puppets will be joined in the 20-minute episodes by “renowned chefs, home cooks, kids and celebrities”, while Mrs Obama will feature as a series regular in appearances as the supermarket manager.

Mochi is a small pink round puppet, resembling the Japanese rice cake, while Waffles is a bigger furry creature with waffles as ears. Writing about the show, the former First Lady said: “Kids will love it, but I know that adults will also get plenty of laughs – and some tips for the kitchen.

“In many ways, this show is an extension of my work to support children’s health as first lady – and to be quite honest, I wish a programme like this had been around when my girls were young.”

Both Mrs and Ms Obama production company, Higher Ground Productions, which she owns with her husband, will produce a diverse mix of content, including the potential for scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features. All of their projects will be accessible to more than 125 million households in 190 countries.

Aby Coulibaly followed her visionary debut ‘Taurus’ with her second track ‘Maybe’, and in the process boosted her buzzworthy reputation with praise from Complex, Gal-dem and Wonderland. Her playlist support continues to gain traction, with highlights to date including R&B UK, dazed and Boho + Chill at Spotify plus Chilled R&B at Apple Music.
 
That burgeoning reputation will continue to flourish as Aby now shares her latest release ‘Long Nights’. Her sublime tone is again the beguiling focal point of the package and she adds another dimension to her multifaceted vocal with a coolly enunciated rap that provides a touch of her Irish accent to a flow that has international appeal.
 
The song’s production, by Moyo who is also a member of Chamomile Records, provides the foundation for Aby to excel with snappy beats, resonant rolling bass and soft waves of keys adding to its modernist take on R&B and soul. ‘Long Nights’ also reiterates Aby’s ability to scrutinise the nuances of sensitive situations. Issues of blame and deflection surface as a relationship breaks down but Aby confidently affirms that it’s a conflict that she can rise above.
 
She says: “Long nights is about women who tear each other down instead of lifting each other up. I wrote it the day after I had a weird encounter with a girl who treated me badly for no reason and it was so crazy because she actually didn’t know me. The song was inspired by this encounter and it made me think about women competing with each other instead of empowering each other.” That quest for independence also led Aby to form her own label, Chamomile Records, late last year. Working to the philosophy that it’s all about the music, the label is home to another rising Irish R&B talent in the shape of Monjola.
 
Still just 21-year-olds, the Dublin-based Aby Coulibaly’s alternative R&B is flavoured by a wider range of influences. Think how Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill find empowerment in expressing vulnerability but with some of the unorthodox sonics of James Blake and Empire of the Sun. Music has been her passion since childhood, with songwriting offering her a creative outlet that can unload her anxieties and frustrations. 

‘Within Me’ unites two very different Italian artists whose combined talents have created something even greater than the sum of their parts. Dardust collides the worlds of minimalist piano composition and ambient electronica, a mix that simultaneously echoes Max Richter, Philip Glass and Aphex Twin. Meanwhile, no introduction is needed for Grammy award-winner Benny Benassi, the electro house pioneer who regularly packs festivals and amasses millions of streams all over the world.

The result is something refreshingly different yet entirely in tune with their backgrounds. ‘Within Me’ opens with Dardust’s captivating piano, which captures a melody as immediately infectious as anything from the world of pop while expressing an atmosphere both beautiful and evocative. Set alone, it’s serene, but Benny Benassi’s dynamic drops and restless beats fire it into the dancefloor. What follows is two artists challenging each other to reach new heights, both weaving between and complementing each other’s creativity.

Dardust says: “‘Within Me’ is the opposite side of ‘Without You’, the most intimate and romantic track of the latest album ‘Storm and Drugs’. When I met Benny, we decided to contaminate it with his own world, looking out for something that would create an even stronger contrast with the original version. The song that came out of that could be considered as ‘Melodic Techno’, a romantic and magical club track that exasperates the simplicity and outrightness of the original version.”

Benny added: “I’ve always appreciated Dardust’s magical touch as a pianist and as a producer, so when the idea of making a progressive track together with a melodic piano part came about I was really excited to do it. It was amazing we were able to film it in the empty Verona Arena during the lockdown, too. That was a crazy experience!”

Dardust always wanted to push boundaries in music. Classically trained from a young age, his passion for music was equally inspired by everything from Kraftwerk to Underworld. He became a sought-after producer, scoring countless Platinum records and 500 million streams for his work with internationally successful Italian artists such as Mahmood, Sfera Ebbasta, Jovanotti and Ghali.

Throughout this era, one idea remained constant: could he reinvent classical music with an intergalactic vibe in a similar way to how David Bowie reimagined pop? It’s something he’s strived to achieve, from his debut album 7 in 2015 to last year’s ambitious S.A.D. Storm And Drugs (Artist First/Sony Music Masterworks), which set 18th-century classical piano within the 90s Manchester club scene.

In a career spanning thirty years, the iconic Benny Benassi has risen from an underground club DJ to a multi-million-selling producer. He shot to international success in 2003 with ‘Satisfaction’, a global hit that peaked at #2 in the UK with the help of an unforgettable video. That star status was confirmed with the release of his debut album, ‘Hypnotica’. Since then, Benassi has accomplished countless major achievements.

His tracks, such as the Chris Brown collab ‘Beautiful People’ and ‘Cinema’ (with Gary Go) reached huge audiences as he became a major attraction at Coachella, EDC, Ultra, Tomorrowland and countless others. He earned a Grammy for his remix of Public Enemy’s ‘Bring The Noise’ and another when Skrillex remixed ‘Cinema’. He remains an in-demand collaborator and remixer for a new wave of major artists, including Lil Yachty, Yxng Bane and Jeremih.

Valentine’s Day is set to be different this year with Covid-19 lockdown restrictions still in place, but with love still undeniably in the air this year is no exception. Today will provide loving couples to celebrate in style at home.

Whether it’s an elaborate meal, a bottle of something special or an evening cuddling up on the sofa watching a romantic film, today’s lockdown Valentine’s Day can still be one to remember. From sharing home spas to making the perfect romantic meal together – or having a virtual date – ideas and creative gifts can be limitless.

With current government guidance stating that people must stay at home except when absolutely necessary, it means people cannot visit their partner unless they are part of a support bubble. However, people are allowed to exercise in outdoor spaces with one other person, which is limited to once a day and only in the local area - whilst always socially distancing.

If visiting isn't an option, you can probably arrange a dinner date together via Facetime or Zoom, followed by a movie night or box set-binge using an appropriate app.

There might even be the option of doing some kind of activity like sending each other letterbox cocktail-making kits or drinks from a cocktail delivery service. Or, of course, you can keep it simple with a good takeaway delivered to you and your partner at the same time.

The opportunities for the best of a stay-at-home date night idea for celebrating the Feast of Saint Valentine can be the most creative…ever as the son of the love goddess Venus,

Cupid - the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection - aims his arrow at participants who will be looking at ways of resting and sharing each other’s true, unrequited love. 

The nominees for annual Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards are out, and several African stars – both renowned and rising – are in the running for honours at the 34th ceremony that will be held virtually on March 13.

The awards celebrate fan favourite stars in film, television, music, sports and more, and this year’s edition is hosted by actor and comedian Kenan Thompson, himself a past winner of an award.

“Jerusalema” hit-maker Master KG of South Africa is up for the Favourite Global Music Star Award. He will have to shrug off competition from BTS, Sebastian Yatra, Savannah Clarke, David Guetta and Taylor Swift.

In the Favourite African Star category, Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi (South Africa) will vie for honours against Thuso Mbedu (acting, South Africa), Siya Kolisi (rugby, South Africa), Sheebah (music, Uganda), Sadio Mane (football, Senegal) and Mo Salah (football, Egypt).

In the Favourite African Social Star category, South African celeb Bonang Matheba is up against comedienne Emannuella (Nigeria), Ugandan dance group Ghetto Kids, social media comedy group Ikorodu Bois, magician Wian Van De Burg, and Kenyan social media rib-cracker Elisa Majimbo. 

To bring colour to this year’s virtual ceremony, the show will feature live and interactive fan walls that bring celebrities and families at home to the “main stage”, while a lucky family will be chosen to present an award.