News from producers around Derbyshire

Businesses in Derby Cathedral Quarter have voted to renew the area’s status as a Business Improvement District (BID).

There was a strong turnout for the ballot (49%) with 85 % of businesses and 77% of the aggregate rateable value voting in favour of the BID - giving a clear mandate to continue building upon the achievements of the BID over the next five years.

The new BID will officially launch on March 1 2018 with a budget for the five year programme of £1.5 million – made up of the levy payments and supplemented by voluntary, private and public sector contributions.

The Derby Conference Centre were delighted to have hosted Women in Rail East Midlands for a second time this year for their ‘First Step to the Next Step’ event on Thursday 12^th October. The Derby Conference Centre was the first purpose-built training college for railway staff, which couldn’t be more fitting to host this event, along with their launch which took place at the end of June.

The Old Lock Up Gallery is excited to announce the opening of Heather Duncans' Solo Show 'A Sense of Place' on the 11th November from 5pm - 7pm.
The show then continues until 17th December 2017.

Heathers abstracted landscapes sing loud and true with colour - the gallery is the perfect space for Heathers work: enabling the paintings to be experienced in all their vibrant glory.  
Our gallery cupboard will also house a selection of Heathers beautiful hand thrown utilitarian ceramics.

An extravaganza of boxing, mixed martial arts and ballroom dancing held at The Roundhouse in Derby has helped to smash a £10million fundraising milestone. 

Over a hundred beginner boxers, fighters and dancers competed across the weekend in front of a packed out Roundhouse, jiving, punching and grappling their way to victory. 

Students at Derby College have been learning about the broad career opportunities available to them in the region’s rail industry.

Students from Travel and Tourism, IT, A level, Applied Science and Business were amongst those invited to a careers day organised by Derby College at the Roundhouse campus.

A group of Derby College students have helped to organise a conference for their peers to share important messages about staying safe.

The group of students on the Level 3 Protective Services study programme, based at Broomfield Hall, have been working with Derbyshire police as ambassadors for Project Zao – an initiative to raise awareness amongst young people of the dangers of carrying a knife.

A group of Derby College students have raised more than £440 to help buy new sensory play equipment for a charity that supports the families of children with special needs.

Derby College has teamed up with colleagues at Gateshead College to launch a research project into the skills shortages and limited engagement in Construction degree courses.

The BRIDGE project has been supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEGCE) Catalyst Fund and has been prompted by a Construction Skills Network report which has highlighted a growing skills shortage in the industry.

A newly-formed choir made up of local people who are carers are vying for funding to secure its future and are asking the public for help.

Sing Viva  – Derbyshire Carers’ Choir has been set up by Derby-based Sinfonia Viva, the East Midlands’ only professional orchestra, as part of its 35th anniversary programme - enabling more people than ever to experience creative music making.

Derby-based Hubbub Theatre Company is launching the East Midlands’ first training programme designed specifically for actors with learning disabilities who want to be part of a vibrant company and potentially work on stage, screen and television.

Hubbub Theatre Company is an integrated ensemble of performers with and without learning disabilities, that creates original, devised physical theatre for both indoor and outdoor performance.