July 2020

Local group says “keep making new friends”

Despite ongoing social restrictions, local friendly society Derbyshire Peak Oddfellows has revealed big plans for its annual Friendship Month celebrations.   

The group, based at Saltergate, Chesterfield, is a non-profit membership organisation which holds regular social events in the Derbyshire Peak District area.

Friendship Month, held in September, is an annual celebration designed to encourage anyone interested in meeting new people locally to give one of their special no-obligation social events a try.

25 Arts & Culture Entrepreneurs Selected for UK Creative Community Fellows

Derby Museums and NAS are excited to announce the 2020 cohort of UK Creative Community Fellows, comprised of 25 creative entrepreneurs working to drive transformational change in their communities through the power of arts and culture. From Edinburgh to Brighton, Fellows were selected amongst communities throughout the UK to explore proven tools and frameworks with faculty and form a community of practise, enriching projects that advance a more equitable world.

 

New Buxton Festival Dates for 2021

Buxton International Festival is pleased to announce the opera and musical theatre programme for the 2021 Festival. The dates for 2021 have now been confirmed as:

Thursday 8th July – Sunday 25th July 2021

La donna del Lago

Music by Giochino Rossini, libretto by Andrea Leone Tortola
Adrian Kelly, Conductor
Jacopo Spirei, Director
Madeleine Boyd, Designer
Ben Pickersgill, Lighting Designer

Viva La Diva

Music by Gaetano Donizetti

Just one award but plenty to applaud!

First time Fringe chair Stephen Walker has summed up this year’s extraordinary Buxton Festival Fringe in a heartfelt blog that includes the announcement of one formal award and a number of Picks of the Lockdown Fringe.

Another small commission opportunity from Black Shale

We write to tell you of a small (£1,200) commission to offer artists,
creatives and practitioners who are keen to explore how we can
develop audiences in new ways at a school setting through the theme
of connectivity through 3D artforms.

We especially welcome Black Shale members and/or practitioners
who are based in Amber Valley and Bolsover.

If this is you - we would absolutely love to hear from you!

Novelist Sophie Draper, author of Cuckoo and Magpie, will be offering a series of online writing workshops

Novelist Sophie Draper, author of Cuckoo and Magpie, will be offering a series of online writing workshops for LoveLit this autumn starting with Writing Psychological Thrillers on Saturday 5th September 10.30 am to 12 noon. Tickets are priced at £12, to find out more and book please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-psychological-thrillers-with-sophie-draper-tickets-97944250891

Enjoy Derby Folk Festival in your own home

Just before lockdown began, Derby LIVE announced that the Derby Folk Festival would be back for October 2020 with many artists playing in multiple venues across the city.

However, due to Covid-19 and the continued restrictions on staging events, the festival cannot go ahead as planned in a way which is safe for audiences, musicians and crew.

There's still time to make your event part of the New Mills Festival

There's still time to make your event part of the New Mills Festival this year.

Have you got an idea for something that could help the community get creative? Or a way to bring people together to build something, even whilst we're 2 metres apart?

We've got some fabulous things lined up to provide some much needed fun and entertainment this September. We're sure that you creative and inventive folks have got even more ideas up your sleeves, so get your thinking caps on and send in your ideas.

Two workshops from Alex Davis in August

Tuesday, 4th August, 6:30pm-8:00pm Getting Short Stories Published 'Pay What You Like' online workshop, via Google Meet Short stories present a great way for authors to get their first publication, and many well-established writers found their first break in the field. This workshop will explore the key elements to getting your work accepted, including the research process, submission guidelines, response tracking and much more.

Funding update for organisations and individuals

Today we’re publishing guidance for the Culture Recovery Fund: Grants programme, and we wanted to make sure you were in the know about this fund.
This fund forms part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) wider Culture Recovery Fund of £1.57 billion, set up to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19.

£5m announced for Derby's business sector

A £5m growth fund announced by Bondholder Derby City Council aims to help businesses expand and take on more staff following the coronavirus crisis.

News of the fund was announced during a visit to the city by Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick.

Uni hosts Bloc hub

A new collaborative working partnership has been announced between Bondholders Bloc Digital and the University of Derby.

Following a period of significant global growth for Bloc, the immersive tech business' digital visualisation studio is relocating to the University’s Enterprise Centre.

Derby Well Brand Launched by Derby Festé To Bring City Communities Back Together

Déda, the lead partner behind the annual Derby Festé outdoor arts festival, has launched a new campaign to support and promote cultural and arts activities in and around Derby city centre.

Derby Well brings together key cultural partners to showcase the city’s arts, cultural calibre and vibrancy through a virtual and physical performance and events programme.

Derby based swapping service finalists at Entrepreneur awards

Derby Swap Shop – the retro-swapping child of 3 local businesses has reached the Midlands Finals of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, alongside 70 other applications.  Swap Shop is one of 4 shortlisted companies up for the Midlands “Entrepreneur for Good” category.

Founded in 2013, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards acknowledges the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and businesses in the United Kingdom.

Video Launch Showcases City Centre Welcome

A video showcasing the safe welcome awaiting visitors to Derby city centre this summer has been produced by Derby’s Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in conjunction with Derby City Council.

Summer News and Offers From Peak District Design

Summer is here and we still find ourselves in extraordinary times. I wanted to say that I am fully open online, here in Hathersage ( one group at a time ) and on the telephone.

I'm taking this newsletter as an opportunity to throw a little sunshine and positivity out there, show you what there is online and sell some of the new stock with a thank you discount.

#exciteddesigner

Cycle Fans Show Rams Allegiance In The Saddle

Triathlon kit specialists HUUB have teamed up with Umbro to design a new Derby County Football Club cycle kit to enable Rams Fans to show their team allegiance whilst clocking up the miles on two wheels.

The high quality kit includes a DCFC-branded short sleeve cycle jersey, bib shorts and jacket – all designed for maximum comfort and optimum fit.

Derbyshire designer ploughs life-savings into boutique glamping lodges nestled in nine acre woodland

A Derbyshire designer has blown his life-savings creating three luxury glamping lodges with lakeside views, BBQ cabin and an outdoor cinema.

Carl Insley, 47, launched Driftwood Lodges Luxury Glamping, this month (July) – and bookings are already flooding in.

The adult-only facility in Dale Abbey, Derbyshire, has taken three months to create and Carl, who has a background in interior designer, has done most of the work himself.

He said: “I have invested my life-savings into this new project, so I really want it to work for me. I had a dream – and this is it.

Exciting news from New Perspectives Theatre Company

Since we first brought productions to the village in 2002, we've had excellent shows from New Perspectives.

We're pausing live theatre for now like everyone else, but in the meantime please try their postcards - cards by post telling a love story - and PlacePrints - 10 online tales to engross you!

Getting Love From Cleethorpes
Who doesn't enjoy receiving a letter or card through the post? And who isn’t a romantic at heart?

FORMAT News: Latest Online exhibitions

FORMAT Online continues to grow with virtual exhibitions, online talks and our forthcoming Portfolio Reviews.

We have just added a 3D exploration of Lottie Davies' wonderful project Quinn which was shown at FORMAT19. Senior curator Peter Bonnell talks to Lottie about the work. Click on the image to watch.

Rams go into lockdown as Derby Ram Trail is postponed to 2021

A handful of beautifully decorated rams were shepherded back to the Derby Ram Trail painting space by Middlebrook Transport this week, following the decision to delay delivery of this world-class art trail due to take place this year to spring/summer 2021. This difficult decision was taken as a precautionary measure to help minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19 (Coronavirus).

BIF Digital 2020 is here!

The BIF Digital 2020 season has begun! 

Out first fascinating interview features Charles Moore on his book Margaret Thatcher: Herself Alone in conversation with Matthew Parris.

Launch of a letterbox

New Bondholder Colleague Box launched its letterbox gift service at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and is already inundated with thousands of orders.

Natalie and Adam Bamford developed the business idea for companies wanting to stay connected to their colleagues during the Coronavirus pandemic, offering 13 options for personalised corporate gift boxes and allowing customers to create their own bespoke box.

Stainsby Festival - Lockdown Edition

Well here we are only hours to go before the start of Stainsby Festival weekend...yes, you heard right, the start of Stainsby Festival weekend.... well sort of.... it's NOT a complete weekend, it's NOT on the field, but it is... the one and only LOCKDOWN EDITION!

ARE YOU READY?

 

Shielding family perform Shakespeare live

Shielding family perform 45 minute comedy version of  "King Lear"  live from home.

Oddsocks' comedy version of  "King Lear" will certainly be unique as it streams online at 7pm on 31st July.  Performed live and streamed directly from their home as they continue to shield their daughter, the family run theatre company will bring Shakespeare's epic drama to life as it has never been seen before.

Welcome back to Derby’s leisure centres

The team at Derby Active are putting the finishing touches in place ready to re-open leisure centres to the public from Saturday 25 July.

It will be a phased re-opening, with dates yet to be confirmed for sports like gymnastics coaching, and indoor track cycling at Derby Arena. Moorways Stadium has already opened for outdoor track and field activities.

Get silly with six weeks of Summer Reading Challenge events

As schools officially break up for the summer, this year’s virtual Summer Reading Challenge is moving up a gear. This year’s theme to keep children reading is the Silly Squad, and Derby Libraries are launching six weeks of fun online events, ideal for families while we get our libraries ready for re-opening.

Call Out For 4 Remote Research Residencies for artists across the UK

Remote Research Residency is an opportunity for artists to carve out time and space to think, research, talk, reflect, listen and be heard. Whilst Dance4 is not able to open iC4C to travelling visitors at present, we are able to support artists and their practice in other ways. We are offering 4 independent dance artists from the UK the opportunity to be in remote residence from your own home or at a space near to you, with financial support of £1000 towards time and creative process.

Reopening the Barn... one week on...

ONE WEEK SINCE WE REOPENED!

Thank you for your continued support of the Barn

It's been one week since we officially reopened to the public - it has been wonderful to catch up with both new and returning customers after such a long time. We'd like to thank you all for your continued support of the Barn, and hope you'll continue to share the word of us being back open with your friends and family. 

RESERVE A TABLE

CAT Annual Audition – Sunday 20 September

Due to the current situation and in response to government guidelines regarding COVID 19 our May 2020 audition was postponed until September 2020 and therefore new starters will have a phased entry onto the scheme in Autumn 2020. We are delighted to be planning to welcome our programmes back into the building from September and to be able to host our annual audition face to face. We are making all the preparations to ensure we are working safely and following advice from Public Health England.

52 WEEKS FESTIVAL – Project Update – JUNE 2020

In January we received a grant from ACE for research & development for the 52 WEEKS FESTIVAL, the current crisis has thrown up new challenges but we have detailed below our progress to date. We hope the prospect of the 52 WEEKS FESTIVAL in 2022/2023 will be a source of optimism for everyone involved in arts & culture in Derbyshire. We value your feedback please send comments to Sharon Brown at melbfest-sharon@live.co.uk

Black Shale Community Commission - will you apply?

Hello all!

We have some exciting news - we are able to offer 3 small (£750) commissions to artists, creatives and practitioners in Amber Valley and Bolsover exploring the theme of connectivity.

The Black Shale cultural education partnerships exists to address inequality of access to high quality arts and cultural education experienced by many primary and very young children in the districts. We do this by joining up artists, educators and community partners to co-design and codeliver excellent artistic experiences and participatory arts opportunities.

Arts Derbyshire News - Matinée newsflash

Matinée Outreach

Matinée is a Derbyshire based scheme that initially focused on providing dementia friendly film events in village halls and community venues across the county to provide opportunities to access cultural events for those people living with dementia and their friends, family and carers.  Matinée is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Derbyshire, Derbyshire County Council and supported by the Alzheimer’s Society.

DCG Accredited To matrix Standard

Derby College Group (DCG) has been re-accredited to the matrix Standard - demonstrating the high quality of the information, advice and guidance (IAG) to support students in their career, learning, work or life goals.

Croots Farm Shop strengthens its local produce selection with a range of new Derbyshire foods and introduces packaging environmental improvements

Award-winning Derbyshire farm shop Croots has boosted its range of local products by putting a selection of tasty new items from the county on its shelves after re-opening the store following lockdown.

At the same time, the shop has announced that its award-winning butchery is now almost plastic free. Croots has ditched plastic trays – where it can – and some 95% of everything that is sold pre-packed on the butchery counter is now in recyclable foil trays with the wrapping made from plant-based compostable film.

PIZZA lovers from as far afield as Sheffield flocked to the grand opening of Derby’s newest pizza takeout.

Honest Pizzas, a New York-style pizza outlet which boasts the biggest pizzas – 18-inches of delicious gooeyness – in Derby, served free slices to hundreds of foodies from its Manor Road base today (Saturday, July 11).

Set up by husband-and-wife Easton and Anastasia Andrea – who also run House of Darwin, in Chellaston – Honest Pizzas hired a 2003 New York yellow taxi and welcomed Project Whippy; the exciting ice-cream spin-off from Derby doughnut entrepreneurs, Project D to the launch.

Hubbub Extends Festival Invitation To Local Communities And Appeals For Support

Hubbub, the pioneering Derby-based integrated theatre company, is expanding its  established virtual programme to the wider community with a Summer Festival to ensure more people stay connected and overcome feelings of anxiety and depression in these uncertain times.

Hubbub is an ensemble of learning disabled and non-disabled performers who are recognised as leading the way in the region by creating engaging and accessible physical theatre, using movement and original music to tell human stories.

Restart, revive and renew

Over 200 attendees at yesterday’s online Derby Property Zoommit, heard the Chief Executive of Bondholder Derby City Council, Paul Simpson, outline the ambitions of the city’s Economic Recovery Task Force to restart, revive and renew Derby post-Covid.

Lockdown, Huub and the NHS

Bondholder HUUB has raised £27,500 for NHS Charities Together after customers flocked to buy its special lockdown cycle jersey and technical performance T-shirt.

The company designed and produced the special kit to inspire fitness enthusiasts to continue their regimes - sporting the logo ‘Better In Than Out’ and a cheerful rainbow design - in record turnaround time.

D2N2 wins £44.4m boost

As part of the Government's ’New Deal’ announcement, Bondholder D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has received a £44.4 million cash boost to fund ‘shovel-ready’ projects to help the local economy and create jobs.

The investment will support economic recovery as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and will be used to improve digital infrastructure, support skills and career opportunities, and help the transition to a low carbon economy.

Enjoy Derby Folk Festival in your own home

Just before lockdown began, Derby LIVE announced that the Derby Folk Festival would be back for October 2020 with many artists playing in multiple venues across the city. However, due to Covid-19 and the continued restrictions on staging events, the festival cannot go ahead as planned in a way which is safe for audiences, musicians and crew.

One week until BIF Digital 2020!

Only one week until the BIF Digital 2020 season begins! 

If you haven't had a chance to look at the programme yet, we have included the full listings below. Each entry is linked to the website event page.

Wathall’s Donates Computers To Local Charities

Family-owned funeral directors, Wathall’s, have donated 12 computers to local charities as part of the company’s community support programme.

The company has forged relationships through ‘A Wathall’s Wish’ with 12 different charities operating in and around the communities in which it has branches – Derby’s St Peters Quarter, Alvaston, Ashbourne, Burton-on-Trent and Borrowash.

The charities have each received £1,000 or equivalent goods and services with an offer of potential further support in the future.

HUUB Community’s Support Raises Thousands For NHS

Derby-based triathlon kit designers HUUB has presented a two metre long cheque to University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust after customers flocked to buy their special lockdown cycle jersey and technical performance T-shirt to raise funds for NHS Charities Together.

The company designed and produced the special kit to inspire fitness enthusiasts to continue their regimes - sporting the logo ‘Better In Than Out’ and a cheerful rainbow design - in record turnaround time. 

Sing Viva Tunes Up For Lockdown Anthem

Members of Sing Viva – the two Derbyshire carers’ choirs set up by Sinfonia Viva, the East Midlands’ professional orchestra – are gearing up to join a series of virtual workshops this summer to write and perform their own lockdown anthem.

The choirs bring together people who care for relatives and friends in various capacities and previously met monthly at venues in Derby and Chesterfield.

Local Charity Celebrates Appeal Anniversary With Service Expansion

Specialist Derbyshire charity Safe and Sound has marked the first anniversary of its fundraising appeal with a three-pronged expansion of support for local young people and their families.

Safe and Sound supports children and young people across Derbyshire who are victims of or at risk of child exploitation which includes online grooming sexual exploitation, County Lines, Modern Slavery and trafficking as well as raising awareness of the issues in local communities.

Chesterfield Virtual Networking Thursday 16 July 2020

When :   Thursday 16 July 2020 10am - 11am

Where:  Online (everywhere!)

Cost: FREE

We're bringing Chesterfield Networking online to help us keep connecting, collaborating and supporting each other at a time when change is on our doorstep.  

We have moved our monthly Chesterfield Networking from the University of Derby's St Helena campus to the online space. 

FSB Virtual Support Derby How to protect your business

When :   Tuesday 7 July 2020 2pm - 3pm

Where:  Online (everywhere!)

Cost: FREE

We'll be hosted and facilitated by FSB member, Yvonne Gorman, founder of Essential Print. We are also supported by the University of Derby, who will give us an update on their business support.  

Our panellists will share practical tips on how you can safeguard your company and its assets.

Welcome to the new Dean of Derby

The new Dean of Derby, the Very Revd Dr Peter Robinson, will be arriving in Derby and taking up his new role at Bondholder Derby Cathedral at the beginning of July.

Provisionally the date for the installation has been set as Sunday 19th July at 4.00 pm. The service will be conducted without a congregation physically present, but it will be filmed by a team from fellow Bondholder QUAD and livestreamed from the Cathedral. 

Smith of Derby's triple crown

Bondholder Smith of Derby has scooped three awards at the national Family Business United – Family Business of the Year Awards 2020, including the top award of Supreme Champion. 

Family Business United celebrates family-owned businesses across the UK, recognising the contribution they make to the economy as well as the thousands of jobs they support. 

In a ‘virtual’ awards ceremony, Smith of Derby were also awarded Manufacturer of the Year and Regional Winners for the Midlands. 

Share your views to shape our city

As Derby emerges from lockdown and we look towards our post-COVID future, Derby City Council has established an Economic Recovery Task Force to help ensure that our city prospers.

A key strand is focused on the city centre and Marketing Derby has been asked to seek customer views to help shape its future.You can help by completing this short survey.

We will use this insight to input into the city centre stream and hopefully learn more about what people want from the city centre. 

DCG demonstrates tech expertise

Bondholder Derby College Group (DCG) has been chosen by the Government as one of a further 18 schools and colleges to become ‘edtech demonstrators’, being the only college in the East Midlands to be part of the second stage of the programme.

Melanie Lanser, Director of Teaching, Learning and Academic Research, said: “This is real recognition of the success of remote teaching and learning across DCG which has been embraced by staff and students alike.

FORMAT International Portfolio Review is going ONLINE

Rising to the challenge of Covid19 and the need for social distancing, FORMAT has joined forces with Zoom and Picter to create the opportunity for online Portfolio Reviews on Saturday 18th July.

Bookings open on Thursday 18th June at 12.00pm [BST]

We have limited spaces remaining so make sure to secure your place at one of the largest online portfolio reviews to date.

Derbyshire Libraries Update

This July - we are re-opening some of our libraries, the Summer Reading Challenge continues, we are expanding and developing our digital activites, and much more!

eBook bonanza to keep readers busy

New funding has helped Derby Libraries spend £6,000 on increasing its supply of eBooks and Audiobooks, following a huge surge in demand for eLibrary services during lockdown.

In April 2020 there were 6,044 downloads of eBooks and Audiobooks by members, compared to 3,242 downloads during the same month in 2019. Audiobooks and eBooks are free for members to download through the BorrowBox app.

Reopening our play areas and outdoor gyms – what you need to know

Since the Government said play areas and outdoor gyms could reopen from 4 July, the team at Derby Parks have been pulling out all the stops to make it happen.

The good news is we aim to have all these facilities up and running by the end of this weekend (4-5 July) It will take a while to reopen all 82 play areas and 11 outdoor gyms across the city’s parks and open spaces, so please bear with us.

Visitors are asked to follow this guidance to make sure we can minimise the risks of the coronavirus spreading, and keep us all as safe as possible:

Play areas:

New Sculptural ceramics by Elaine Peto

The gallery is open again after three months of lockdown and we're delighted to be back. There is a wealth of artwork in the gallery from before the closure and artists have been busy during the period of isolation. We have new work arriving and we'll put it on the website as soon as it arrives.

Dronfield Hall Barn: Reopening on Monday 6th July!

Following government guidelines, we're delighted to announce that we're back open to the public from Monday! It has been a long few months, so if you have been looking forward to one of our freshly baked scones, a slice of cake or even for a look around the beautiful gardens, there isn't much longer to wait.

We're so excited to welcome you back, and we hope that you will help us share the following information with your friends and family:

Opening Hours:

SHERIDAN SHACKLETHWAITE’S STALACTITES SECRETS

Sheffield Live Radio presenter Sheridan Shacklethwaite will be leading a tour of Poole’s Cavern as part of this year’s Buxton Fringe (July 1-19) – but this year you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own home!

Sheridan Shacklethwaite’s Stalactites Secrets is a brand new online tour of Poole’s Cavern, which will be available to view on YouTube throughout the fringe.

Ton Up for Buxton Fringe!

Buxton Festival Fringe looked set to be a soaring success after organisers announced a whopping 100 entries! Fringe Committee member Viv Marriott (behind), Marketing Officer Stephanie Billen, Floella Flap-a-lot from the Sculpture Trail at Buxton Fringe, and Floella's creator, Andrea Lewis, posed outside Hawkshead in Buxton's Spring Gardens to mark the opening day of the Fringe on July 1st.

CREATIVE WRITING at the BUXTON FRINGE FESTIVAL

peakdistrictevents.com/fringe-2020

BEAT WRITER'S BLOCK - Online workshops 14th July 6:30pm - 7:30pm - Donation only to attend. 
We’ve all felt stuck. Spending hours staring at a blank page. Watching the cursor torment us with its unending repetitive blink. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This workshop will kickstart your imagination. Fun writing prompts, creative tasks and tricks and tips for beating writer’s block. 

Damn Cheek bring Gogol to Buxton - second chance to see

Damn Cheek are delighted to be repeating our successful Zoom production of ‘Diary of a Madman. As part of Buxton Fringe’s on line year. Building on our run of lockdown successes, Damn Cheek’s contribution is a reading of Kelvin Segger’s dramatisation of Gogol’s celebrated short story. Disturbing, dark and funny by turns, this one-man show follows our protagonist’s diarised descent into insanity. ‘Diary of a Madman’ portrays a savage fall through anxiety, paranoia, hallucination and delusion into the depths of psychotic breakdown.