TWO of this region’s finest artists, landscape painter James Lynch and collagist and sculptor Marzia Colonna, have exhibitions this autumn at The Portland Gallery in Mayfair. Both artists have national – indeed, international – reputations, and this is an opportunity to see their work in solo shows at one of London’s most prestigious galleries. James Lynch,…
CIRENCESTER’s Barn Theatre is small – but it has big ambitions, and these have been fully justified by the quality and success of its productions, home-grown or shared. Autumn brings a premiere of a written-for-the-Barn thriller, Room 13, opening on 28th September, and the appointment of a new executive director, Liam McMullan. Running to 9th…
THE adventurous MAST studio theatre in Southampton has received a £5,000 sustainability grant, one of the latest awards from the Theatres Trust’s Small Grants Programme with The Linbury Trust. This latest round, which included the 100th grant (to Glastogow’s Tron theatre) marks the seventh round of the Small Grants programme, with 20 theatres receiving grants…
RUTH Eastwood, who steered the run-down Poole Arts Centre to a new life as the nationally renowned Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, died suddenly after a short and unexpected illness on 31st May. She was 62. Lighthouse staff, led by current chief executive Elspeth McBain, have expressed their shock and sorrow and paid tribute…
BATH Theatre Royal has announced a season of plays next summer, in which the actor will star in David Hare’s Grace Pervades, and will direct Harriet Walter and Gloria Obianyo in Shakespeare’s As You Like it. Booking opens for both on Wednesday 27th March (if you are an Associate member) or, for Friends, it’s Friday…
A SHAFTESBURY bookshop, which specialises in nature writing, has been named as the best independent book retailer in the South West. FOLDE Dorset has won the British Book Awards Independent Bookshop of the Year competition for the South West, organised by The Bookseller magazine and judged by a prestigious panel of industry specialists, authors, journalists…
THE hilariously funny, cuddly, wry and inspired Howard Coggins, best known in the south west as co-founder of Living Spit and nationally for his Lottery adverts, has died at the age of 52. He was diagnosed with cancer late in 2022. Frustrated with playing bit parts in other people’s shows, Howard and Stu McLoughlin started…
DOUGIE Scarfe, chief executive of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, will have been with the Poole-based regional orchestra for ten years this year – and the celebrations began in style when he was named Orchestra Manager of the Year at the ABO/Classical Music Awards in Leeds. This prestigious award recognises his work in championing inclusion and…
THE Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has a new residency in Somerset, at Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The long-term relationship was announced on the eve of a BSO concert at the theatre in November. The new residency will provide greater access to world-class music for communities in Somerset when the theatre, which is managed by South Somerset District…
SOUTH Somerset District Council’s arts and entertainment service has been awarded almost £760,000 and National Portfolio Organisation status in the newly announced Arts Council England awards, covering the period from 2023 to 2026. Adam Burgan, the venues manager for the district, says: “Becoming an NPO for the Arts Council is a huge milestone in our…