News from producers around Derbyshire

The co-owner of one of Derbyshire’s most popular farm shops has been appointed to the board of directors of FARMA, the trade association supporting farm retail.

Kay Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop near Duffield with husband Steve, was voted into the position at the association’s annual conference held at The Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort in North Lincolnshire.

Kay hopes that her appointment will give a stronger voice to small and medium-sized farm shops across the country.

A 12 day post to run July to September 2018 as coordinator for Wirksworth Festival’s Art & Architecture Trail, a key event of the two-week arts festival. 

Buxton International Festival’s outgoing Artistic Director Stephen Barlow has been praised for bringing worldwide acclaim to the annual celebration of opera, music and books.

At the end of his seven-year tenure, Stephen has confirmed that the 2018 Festival will be his last at Buxton and he will be leaving in late July.

But new Chief Executive Officer Michael Williams said that he was delighted to confirm that Stephen will conduct one of the Festival opera productions in 2019, which sees the 40^th anniversary of the Festival.

Buxton International Festival’s “special, unique brilliance” is leading the way for the arts in the north of England, the London Evening Standard’s new Associate Editor Julian Glover said on becoming a member of its board of directors.

Julian, a former chief speech writer for David Cameron when he was Prime Minister, will bring his experience in the media and government to bear in planning the future of the Festival as it approaches its 40^th anniversary.

The Buxton Spa Prize is an open art competition celebrating the town’s culture, natural beauty and heritage. Last year the competition attracted more than 150 artists. The aim of The Buxton Spa Prize is to make the town an internationally recognised centre for visual arts.

Soprano Margaret Keys will open Belper Arts Festival with a special concert featuring guests the Fishpond Choir and Bel Canto on 5 May at St. Peter's Church, Belper.

The concert begins a month of art, drama, music, comedy, photography and creativity.

THE MARGARET KEYS INTERVIEW

Inbetween appearing with Michael Crawford and Russell Watson, Irish soprano Margaret Keys will be opening Belper Arts Festival with a special concert. George Gunby caught up with Margaret on a rare day off.

We’re really pleased to announce that Amber Arcades, Gwenno, Spinning Coin, Tigercats, Colour Me Wednesday and Tinsel Heart are among 24 artists and DJs added to the Indietracks 2018 line up today.

They’ll join artists we’ve already announced for this year’s festival, including British Sea Power, Honeyblood, The Lovely Eggs, Dream Wife, Girl Ray, Sacred Paws, Darren Hayman, Even As We Speak and Anna Burch.

As part of a major nine month tour, Derby Theatre is thrilled to present Selladoor Prod uctions and Mercury Theatre Colchester’s brand new, even SPAMMIER, production of Monty Python’s Spamalot as part of their spring 2018 season. Lovingly ripped off from the hugely successful 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is a riotous comedy full of misfit knights, killer rabbits, dancing nuns and ferocious Frenchmen.

 Spectacular circus and spellbinding songs combine in this extraordinary new adaptation from the award-winning Metta Theatre. With awe-inspiring acrobatics and hauntingly beautiful original songs this is a show for the whole family to enjoy.