Genre Fluid, the self-confessed ‘not quite a poetry show, not quite a comedy show’, has been named best solo show at this year’s Morecambe Fringe Digital Festival.

Written by Derby based spoken word artist Dan Webber, ‘Genre Fluid’ is a study into labels in the arts, in everyday life and in the LGBTQ+ community.

The show has toured extensively since 2019, being performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Reading Fringe Festival and The Leicester Comedy Festival and was about to begin a second run of tour dates when the Coronavirus pandemic hit.

Derbyshire author Leonie Martin is offering a choice of four September dates on Zoom for her latest Writing for Wellbeing workshop on the theme of Kindness. All four workshops will include the same engaging writing activities and an opportunity to share your work within a safe and relaxing ‘virtual’ space.You’ll need access to Zoom along with writing materials. Early booking is advised as the number of places has been reduced to suit the online environment. To choose a date and book your place, please click on the link below: 

View the exhibition online from 11am on Thursday 6 August http://

contemporarybritishpainting.com/yes-no

A downloadable catalogue will also be available

Wirksworth Festival has commissioned acclaimed filmmaker, Gavin Repton, to create a short film in celebration of its annual Art & Architecture Trail, as the centrepiece of its first Online Festival, taking place on its Facebook channel from 11 – 13 September 2020.

Cromford-based storytelling company, Adverse Camber, are sharing a series of super-short story and stargazing moments over on their Facebook and YouTube channels every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm during the summer.

GAZING invites you to look up and out to the stars, the Moon and into the future… a little look into how and why across time and cultures, people have found many ways to make connections between life on Earth and the possibilities of the Night Sky.

We know what a devastating impact the pandemic has had on local festivals and events and understand that, even with the easing of restrictions, planning for the future is incredibly challenging.  Recovery planning in Derbyshire is however now taking place and we want to ensure that festivals and large-scale events are fed into these plans.

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

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.

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

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.