SouthseaScene

Come along to this free public lecture by Dr George Burrows, Principal Lecturer for Performing Arts, University of Portsmouth, exploring a fascinating history of Portsmouth. The discovery of a programme to a performance of Handel's Messiah held in Portsmouth in 1812 opens up some important questions about recreating performances of the past.    This lecture presents that discovery and the context for a forthcoming practice-as-research concert. It frames how recreating the 1812 'Pompey' Messiah represents an opportunity to explore a vital tension between being true to the letter and to the spirit of the 1812 performance.    It also tells the story of our expanding city, a diva disguised as a nun and the evolution of a national culture of massed participation in music that continues to this day . Wednesday 1 March, 2017 4.00pm Eldon Building, Room W1.11 Admission is free but booking from Eventbrite is reco...

It was a hectic day and quite rightly so. Author Polly Morland was in town for BookFest. Speaking at the University of Portsmouth in the afternoon, Polly addressed a room full of students, academics, aspiring authors and book fans. Polly animatedly discussed her fascination with changes and what she discovered in her writing journey with her latest book, Metamorphosis. Between reading and elaborating on some of the chapters in the book, Polly was philosophical about how people are affected by changes in their lives. Big or small she was advocating for us to embrace change. We as humans are always changing, like the cells in our body. Change is built into our lives. Change can happen at any time and the interplay between internal and external agency might create the stimulus for change. This brought to mind the writing exercises I did with the Southsea Writing Group I joined last month. I wasn't expecting anything other than I thought it would be fun to meet new peop...

As appeared in Portsmouth View, 13 January 2017    According to Google, Carmentalia was the two feast days of the Roman goddess Carmenta celebrated on 11 th and 15 th January. She was celebrated for her power of looking back into the past and forward into the future. Looking back there are many events in 2016 that people would rather forget. However, there is a lot of hope pinned to a better year ahead. Let us start with a little bit of Stargazing Live and celebrate Stephen Hawking’s 75 th birthday. The man is responsible for the public fascination with the universe. A team of scientists from the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth are going to show the public their research into the universe at the event to be held in the Historic Dockyard on 31st January. Cosmologist Professor Claudia Maraston will be leading the Café Scientifique session on Tuesday 24 th January at Le Café Parisien. The free event sta...

I'm not one of those for making any new year resolutions. I did a lot as a teenager only to suffer the anxiety of not quite measuring up to my own idea of perfection. This new year there will be no 'new me'. It will be the same old me, still trying to work on some of my 'weakness' but also trying to feel more comfortable in my own skin. Yes, of course I could do with some exercise. Who doesn't? It is a good idea to want to be healthier, but like anything it takes time. Resolutions for improvement should be given a full year to develop and not just the next 30 days. So cast your eyes a little bit further to next Christmas and make yourself some goals, some of which perhaps should be more accessible than others. Here's my list: 1. Go to at least 6 Parkrun sessions 2. Eat my lunch away from my desk 3. Talk to my sister on the telephone rather than texting 4. Write 2 blog posts a month 5. Draw 1 picture a week, any size 6. Have cake with Haley 3 ti...

Article as it appears on Portsmouth View, 9 December 2016. It is December and places are getting festive. A Christmas tree is up in my office, ready for us to take our decorations out of the box and put them on display. Putting up Christmas decorations, can be a lovely family occasion. It is my favourite time of the year even though I only have a very small artificial tree at home. I buy decorations from places I visit on holiday so that my tree is like a memory tree. It is a good way to remember happy times. Holiday season is also party season. I am looking forward to see friends and family over the festive period. Urbond, a Portsmouth community organisation which aims to promote togetherness is holding a Community Christmas Celebration on Saturday 10th December at the Charles Dickens Centre from 8pm. The Santa Claus show at the New Theatre Royal promises some dancing penguins, and that is enough for me to want to head there and bring the family for a festive seaso...

The Spring in Havant is getting geared up for Christmas with a range of festive shows, and we are assured that there is something for everyone! This year The Spring is putting on two special festive shows – one for the adults, and one for the children. A Christmas Carol and Cabaret takes place from Wednesday 14 December – Friday 16 December, and is a night strictly for the adults to enjoy! Each evening, there will be a performance of A Christmas Carol by the hilarious (and slightly rude) Living Spit, plus a cabaret performance from a different artist each night before and after the show. The Spring will be turned into a winter wonderland, with festive food from Tilly the Tram outside, Christmas cocktails, and even some bauble-making! This year, The Spring has commissioned their very first Christmas family show exclusively for Havant, with the talented Commotion Dance. The show, Where is Christmas? is an enchanting, immersive performance for little ones aged 7 and under...

The Spring in Havant is getting geared up for Christmas with a range of festive shows, and we are sure that there is something for everyone! This year The Spring is putting on two special festive shows – one for the adults, and one for the children. A Christmas Carol and Cabaret takes place from Wednesday 14 December – Friday 16 December, and is a night strictly for the adults to enjoy! Each evening, there will be a performance of A Christmas Carol by the hilarious (and slightly rude) Living Spit, plus a cabaret performance from a different artist each night before and after the show. We will be turning The Spring into our very own winter wonderland, with festive food from Tilly the Tram outside, Christmas cocktails, and even some bauble-making! This year, we are very excited to announce that we have commissioned our very first Christmas family show exclusively for Havant, with the talented Commotion Dance. The show, Where is Christmas? is an enchanting, immersive performan...