Urban Vocal Group joins the Guildhall Trust

The Guildhall Trust is delighted to announce that with effect from 1st April 2021, the multi-award-winning Urban Vocal Group (UVG) will be joining the Trust with the aim of increasing opportunities for young people to engage in singing and music-making, to develop transferable skills and to nurture positive health and wellbeing.

Having been based in Portsmouth Guildhall (which is run by the charitable The Guildhall Trust) for the past seven years, UVG has developed a strong partnership with the Trust which has a shared vision around its work, particularly with those from disadvantaged areas and backgrounds.

Since forming in 2008, UVG has provided over 18,000 free opportunities across a range of activities including its weekly singing groups, gigs, recordings and performances (including at Victorious Festival) to training, masterclasses, songwriting, mentoring and artist development.

The Guildhall Trust’s rich programme of ‘Get Involved’ workshops, activities, groups and courses strive to inspire, excite, educate and engage across the whole community to develop a passion for music and the arts. With 12,000 instances of engagement annually, alongside its community programme and support for emerging artists, the Trust delivers a successful creative and cultural skills programme for schools and colleges which includes the popular Dance Live! event which is set to expand across the country.

By joining forces, it is envisaged that The Guildhall Trust and UVG will complement each other’s activities to achieve wider impact in the community and increase opportunities for all, whilst also having a greater influence on non-formal music education and training policies and achieve access to larger funding streams.

Director of UVG, Charlie Fletcher, said “This is an exciting time for UVG to join The Guildhall Trust, to continue and expand upon the work we do as we emerge from lockdown. Whilst we have continued to actively engage over the last year through online mentoring and online live sing-a-longs with the Trust, we look forward to getting back to doing what we do best in person! With our expertise and unique approach, combined with that and the reach of The Guildhall Trust, we look forward to increasing opportunities within our community”.

Chief Executive Officer of The Guildhall Trust, Andy Grays, said “We are delighted to welcome UVG into the Trust and to support the amazing work they do and everything that UVG stands for. UVG is a fantastic addition to our ‘Get Involved’ programme and work with young people in particular, and we look forward to working together to create some really exciting opportunities in the future”.

To find out more about UVG and The Guildhall Trust’s ‘Get Involved’ programme head to www.portsmouthguildhall.org.uk/get-involved

‘Southsea dinosaur’ returns

Luna Park 2021, an eagerly anticipated new public artwork for Portsmouth designed by internationally renowned artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak of Studio Morison will be launched on 2 October 2021 on a celebratory day in Southsea Common. The 1.4 metres bronze sculpture is a tribute to the original 53-foot high 2010 artwork Luna Park, which tragically burned down on Southsea Common. The artists will unveil a new sculpture that responds to ten years of public demand to ‘bring back the Southsea Dinosaur’. The new public artwork will be located within a direct sightline to the position of the original Luna Park sculpture. It will sit on top of a fossil Portland stone plinth with a QR code which when scanned with a smartphone will connect to an Augmented Reality experience. People will be transported to a digital rendering of the original artwork, seemingly standing life-size in front of them on Southsea Common. Viewers will also be able to use their mobile devices to visit a...

I Am Only Human After All film premiere

Portsmouth Film Society (PFS) continues to deliver on its mission to help break down social barriers and unite diverse cultures with the premieres of four short films on 30 May at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth. Portsmouth citizens from all backgrounds have come together to tell their stories. Many people will be able to identify with the difficult subjects of these films; homelessness, substance misuse and recovery, disability and multiculturalism. Whether they have experience of these topics themselves, or only in passing, PFS hopes that projects like these will encourage discussion amongst their viewers. These short films are the result of a 20-week course held at the University of Portsmouth where participants were introduced to all aspects of film-making including script writing, casting, directing, filming and editing. They then became the producers, directors, screenwriters and actors in their own films. The program also included lectures by local film makers and an...

Lamb marinated in orange and honey sauce

My favourite dish if you can find some juicy lamb rump steak. Ingredients: 2 lamb rump steaks about 150g each 2 tbsp orange juice 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp clear honey/maple syrup Marinate for about an hour and then grill for 5-7 minutes on each sides. Best eaten with couscous: 75g couscous 'fluffed' in boiling water for 5 minutes (in a covered dish) 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying 1 medium red pepper, sliced Fry the onion in the oil for about 15 minutes until the onion is caramelised and then add the pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the marinade juice to the pan, cook for 3 minutes and then add the couscous. This is one of the quickest dishes you can cook and it's the most delicious!

SouthseaScene

Search This Blog