Something for the weekend?

‘Art’, by Yasmina Reza
Progress Theatre 20-25 February 2012. Directed by Glynn Oram
 
"My friend Serge has bought a painting…"
 
So begins the belligerent and outraged Marc, self-appointed voice of common sense, as he and his two oldest friends – the emerging aesthete Serge and the always insecure Yvan – discover that their views on art, status and relationships don't match up. Could the purchase of an extravagant piece of modern art trigger the deconstruction and destruction of a friendship built up over fifteen years?
 
By the writer of God of Carnage, currently playing in cinemas ("Carnage"), this comedy explores what happens when art comes between old friends…
 
Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the Tony Award for Best Play.
 
Post-show discussion – "What is art?"
On Wednesday and Saturday Michael Zavialov the foyer artist for the show will lead a discussion exploring the nature of art. All welcome to come and join this lively debate, from 9.30pm

OpenHand OpenSpace is pleased to invite you to a new series of events : Artspeak talks and workshops. 

The next is on Saturday 25 February, 2 – 4.30pm, with Anna Mitchell who will show you how to take brilliant photographs of your art work, £10.  For more details see the flyer below and/or website.  To book please email info@ohos.org.uk or phone 0118 959 7752 (11-1 Fri or leave message)

There is free parking behind the Keep – turn south off Oxford Road into Brock Gardens then first left and through the black metal gates.  There is also Brock Gardens bus stop right outside the Keep for routes 15, 16 and 17 along Oxford Road.

OHOS greatly appreciates support from Reading  Borough Council, the Cultural Partnership and Clarks Legal in helping us to upgrade the Keep and make these events possible.  A new fire safety upgrade to the interior is nearly complete, and we are working hard on a bid to repair the exterior. 

So normally we would be telling you about our Third Thursday plans but with some other plans underway (it's a secret at the moment) we haven't got an event that we are delivering but some recommendations for things you could do next week instead. For our very special jelly friends (they support jelly with a yearly donation of £25) we are holding a special evening on Valentine's Day, Tuesday 14th February. There will be a Paranormal Investigation team in The Coopers, doing their thing and jelly friends are coming along to see what is happening. If you would like to come along too, join up as a jelly friend here.

At jelly, we are lucky to spend time working with some interesting people and one of the team, Tim is taking over the Afroba (Merchants Place) – Afroba has been playing an important role in being an independent bar for the past 10 years and Tim will be working on an intriguing programme so pop down and join him in his first week. You'll even get to find out the history behind it's new name Milk and the significance to Reading

For The Third Thursday, you can see Norrie Burnett's Snakebite Blues as part of the Thirdsday Blues programme at South Street.

Friday 17th February, I am fighting the urge here to direct quote from one of my long time favourite films, Casablanca, which will be having a special showing at a cinema event at Reading Minster St Marys . Celebrating its 70^th birthday this year, Casablanca is a timeless tale of unrequited love set in 1940’s Morocco. Humphrey Bogart stars as a weary American nightclub owner and Ingrid Bergman as his true love in this captivating story of wartime romance and intrigue. With Dooley Wilson’s ultra cool jazz and some of the most quoted lines ever written, Casablanca simply has it all.

These are more than simply film screenings, The Minster is a 1000 year old church and makes an incredible venue to screen films. Summerscreens add lots of production to the event to theme it along the lines of the film including lighting, visual effects and live music . For Casablanca screening they have vintage newsreel clips from that period and a live jazz pianist on a grand piano before the screening. For Romeo + Juliet, the church will be transformed to look like scenes from the film with 100’s of candles and illuminated crosses. There is also a licensed bar so guest can enjoy wine or any other drink whilst watching the film.

Topping the bill on Saturday is the cult 90’s version of the Bards’ most famous tragedy, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet. Brilliant and contemporary, Baz Lurhmanns dazzling take on this story of forbidden love sends it rocketing into the 20^th century as we leave fair Verona behind and are transported to the urban culture of Verona Beach in a mythical metropolis somewhere between Miami and Mexico City. Vivid sets, ground breaking cinematography, one of the coolest soundtracks in years and a cast including Leonardo di Caprio, Clare Danes and Pete Postlethwaite make the film a sumptuous feast for the senses, as we watch these two star crossed lovers hurtle across the screen towards their tragic end.

After many requests for a family matinee, Summer Screens have duly obliged and in the afternoon one of Disney’s most timeless and loved animations Dumbo, returns to the big screen.  No, it’s not a love story in the truest sense but everyone loves a baby elephant don’t they? Whether you are introducing your children or grandchildren to this beautiful film for the first time, or simply wanting to relive it again yourself, this is a rare opportunity to see a Disney animation on the big screen and with a child’s ticket only £5, we’re sure you can find a little person or two to treat.

As with all their events, this is more than simply a cinema. There will be a licensed bar and various other surprises on the night including live jazz, vintage film footage, well as visual and lighting effects as the church is transformed to take you first to a smouldering Morocco, then the circus big top and finally into Friar Lawrence’s Chapel. Tickets are on sale now for £8 or /£6/£5 concessions at www.summerscreens.co.uk or by calling 0845 519 8825.

That's a week full of love.

It's finally here, I know we have been keeping this amongst ourselves, slowly unwrapping delights and details about participants over here at The Secret Market page to let you know what is going on.

This Saturday 4 Feb, from 10am you can come along and see for yourself at 29-31 Market Place, Reading RG1 2DE, sssssssshhhhhhhhh, see you there.

Apologies to anyone that wanted a ticket for tonight's Third Thursday opening performance of Neverwhere but it's SOLD OUT. There are a limited number of tickets available for Monday and Tuesday with most of the other days already pre-sold too. This one will be unmissable (if you can get a ticket), we can't wait to see it tonight. For guests who are meeting us tonight, doors open at 6pm with complimentary drink plus the Directors talk before the show itself. If you are still looking for tickets visit the Reading Arts website

Field Work: photographs of East Anglia by Justin Partyka

21st  January to 22 April, 2012

Museum of English Rural Life

‘Field work: photographs from East Anglia by Justin Partyka’ opens on Saturday January 21st. Partyka's striking photographs challenge contemporary ideas of farming in an age when industrial agriculture dominates, and capture the marginal way of life of the forgotten people of the flatlands whose identities are enriched by their close relationship to the landscape. Whether you are interested in farming, landscape, people or photography, this exhibition will inspire and move you.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fascinating programme of related events. The first is a ‘Mardle’ on Tuesday January 24th. Book your place now to hear Justin in conversation with fellow Norfolk writer and artist Jonathan P Watts. They will be examining Justin’s inspiration and his use of photography to explore a sense of place.

An Arts Council England ‘Grants for the Arts’ award has enabled MERL to commission Justin to produce a comparative record of the Berkshire countryside, which will lead to a pop-up exhibition to be hosted by ‘Jelly’ in central Reading in in the Spring.

Further details of the exhibition and related events are available on the Museum’s website at http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/whatson/exhibitions/merl-fieldwork.aspx

Just over two weeks into the New Year and we already have some plans underfoot to bring more arts in Reading in unusual places. We have been very lucky to have received a community grant from The Cultural Partnership which will enable us to deliver some of our big ideas for this year including an arts programme/ exhibition programme through out Reading. More info on that too follow in the next few weeks. If you are an artist and you would like to take part, contact us and we will tell you how.

We are also pleased to announce a new event too, starting Saturday 4 February – it's a secret but we will share it with you. The Secret Market is a brand new pop-up market, selling arts, crafts, an eclectic mix of things, vintage clothes, music, records, furniture and collectibles. The first event will be held at the jelly home, 29-31 Market Place from 10am-6pm with some familiar faces including Martin Stubbington, Salvo Toscano, Alexandra Vintage and more. Artists info will be added over here on the Arts in Reading site.

sssshhh, hope to see you there…

Welcome to 2012, there are so many great things happening already and for our first Third Thursday of 2012 we would love to welcome you back to the Progress Theatre on Thursday 19th January for their production of Neverwhere by acclaimed British writer, Neil Gaiman.

We will meet at the Progress (The Mount, Reading) at 6pm for complimentary pre-show drinks, viewing of the Foyer Art Exhibition by Glen Mills and a talk about bringing this work, Neverwhere, to the stage, before seeing the piece itself.

This exclusive event is strictly limited in numbers so please RSVP as soon as possible if you would like to reserve a ticket at a special price of £10 per person

SORRY ALL TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENING, THERE MAY BE A FEW AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR AS RETURNS AT 6.30PM

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

Adapted by Robert Kauzlaric

From the award-winning creator of Coraline, Stardust, and most recently a fantastic episode of Doctor Who.

Follow the hapless Richard Mayhew as he finds himself on a quest through the eerie underworld of London Below, with its rich assortment of speaking rates, lost souls and professional killers.

Set largely in the damp sewers and tube stations of London this is a vivid and fantastical tale which has never before been performed in the UK.

The story was originally created as a television series, produced by Lenny Henry, first aired in 1996 on BBC2.

For additional information:

Forum: Bringing Neverwhere to Life on Stage

Art Advent, Day 24 – it is the night before Christmas and we would love to send you all wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for all your love, support and friendship this year.

Art Advent, Day 23 – last minute Christmas present panic? Handmade gifts are the best kind, with many local makers in the area, or buy your own materials and get stuck in at home. Need a little bit of help? Then join the felt decoration making class today at Make and Do in Caversham

Art Advent, Day 22 – how about polishing up your dancing skills from 7.30pm tonight, ready for the season with the hot Argentinian Tango at Rising Sun Arts Centre