Exeter Big Screen at the Park 2013 listings announced!

The good folks at the Exeter Phoenix have really outdone themselves this year with the lineup for the 2013 Big Screen in the Park at Northernhay Gardens. One absolute classic, one total legend, a masterpiece and a visual feast? There will be much popcorn eating methinks.

If you've never been before, the way that it works is for 4 days every summer, they put a...big screen...in the park....and everyone comes along with a picnic and enjoys the show. It's brilliant. It used to be free but they sell tickets now at a reasonable £3 per film so that they can afford to do it again next year.  Shows start at 9pm and it's just lovely to cozy up with your sweetheart and a film as the sunsets.

Envelope please. And the nominees for best Devon hillside picture show are....

The Goonies on Weds 14 Aug

Poster by Brickhut

Skyfall on Thurs 15 Aug

Poster by Jack Woodhams

Life of Pi on Fri 16 Aug

Poster by Chungkong

The Great Gatsby on Sat 17 Aug

Poster by Tiffany Chen

Meet me Halfway: My Year in Exeter So Far

It's hard to believe that Summer Solstice has come and gone. That the long dark, cold, wet winter which started back in March 2012 and only relented at the end of May 2013 will soon be making it's approach. Today, the longest day of the year and midpoint of our annual orbit of the sun, I reckon is a good time to take stock and look back on what I did with the whole first half of the year.

NYE 2013

I was lucky enough to spend NYE at The Grapevine in Exmouth with my band Lazy Lizard. Wearing a carnival head dress and a brand new frock from Exeter's best dress shop, Off The Hook, we had an amazing night and I was feeling pretty good.

Exeter CAMRA Festival of Winter Ales

This is one of my favourite annual Exeter events. More than 60 amazing real ales on tap at this fabulous beer festival run by our local chapter of CAMRA every January. If you're a fan of real ales in Exeter it is a must do. If you're a local you are certain to find someone that you know there toasting a pint so you can raise a raiding party or just bowl up on your own and you're guaranteed a good time. I've been twice now and it's always full of friendly people and of course, delicious ales, ciders and even a few ginger beers.

Artist Michael Buckland

I met London born, Exmouth based, artist Michael Buckland one evening whilst checking out Melosa that The Grapevine in Exmouth. Tucked away in a corner, I could see him taking in the surroundings and scribbling way in his note pad. As he got up to leave I got a sneak peak at the drawing he'd done of  our table of friends an was in awe of how much detail he'd captured such a short time. A few weeks later he popped up on my Facebook and somehow we arranged for me to sit for a portrait. I was honoured. Such a lovely experience.

Tony Law at Exeter Phoenix

Irreverent, surreal and joyful Canadian comedian Tony Law played his first show at the Exeter Phoenix back in February. It was brilliant. He's amazing. I'm not telling you anything more about he elephants though.

Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots at RAMM

As part of Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots, I have been researching the history of black American GIs who were based in Exeter during WWII. It has been a fascinating journey that has taught me so much about England, American, historic and current attitudes to race, my family, my culture, and my city. There are lots of different elements to the project. Interviews, research and storytelling will help us to present a website, school materials, and even a guided tour to the wider public, helping to spread the word about some of Exeter's multicultural histories. In March we did our first storytelling evening at RAMM to an audience of more than 100 people. Everyone in our volunteer group and from the Global Centre, worked so hard to make it happen.

Exeter Pride at Exeter Phoenix

Exeter Pride has been going for a few years now and there are so many brilliant people working to make it on of the best pride celebrations in the South West. My band, Lazy Lizard, played at the March 2013 post parade party and it was oh so much fun. There was a conga line during our set and more importantly I got to wear the shiniest dress I could find from Jane Norman.

History of Exeter's Black GIs

In April, the Global Centre hosted a book launch for Marika Sherwood's latest title 'World War II: Colonies & Colonials'.  I was honoured to be asked to speak alongside this marvelously inspiring woman. She is a prolific writer and historian who's explored all aspects of BME history in Great Britain and subverted histories around the world. Her latest title is one of more than 50 publications that she's penned and is a must read.

Exeter Respect Festival

Exeter Respect Festival 2013 was just brilliant. The weather was fabulous and they organisers really worked hard to use every possible resource to put on what is probably the city's largest annual event. Bringing together live music, community groups, faith groups, and local businesses, it was a great celebration of the diversity and energy of our city. I was lucky enough to participate as a performer with my hip hop group The Bitterati on the PhonicFM stage and event more randomly, we were on ITV Westcountry!

Photo by Clive Chilvers

Cheers to all my Exeter friends and neighbours for making this a great year so far!

Gillian Ayres Exhibition Opens at RAMM

Last Friday I was lucky enough to meet leading British abstract artist Gillian Ayres at the opening of her new exhibition at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum on Saturday 15 June. The exhibition, featuring a beautiful collection of some of her vibrant, heavily-worked canvasses, and bold block prints runs until Sunday 15 September.

Her works resound with a passion that is clearly inspired by her deep love for her craft. Speaking with the RSA from her west country studio in 2009 she explained, ‘It’s all I ever wanted to do, all my life. I can’t live long enough to paint all I want to do. Thirty years ago, I gave up my teaching job at Winchester College of Art to paint. And that’s what I do.’ The vivid colour palette, she explains is not drawn from life, but rather from herself.  ‘People think I came here for the views...but, as you can see, I have no views: I don’t paint from nature so I don’t need them. My paintings are about painting, about shape and colour, not telling stories. From my studio I can’t see beyond the trees.’

Born in 1930, Gillian studied at Camberwell College of Art between 1945 and 1950. She worked initially in London and then went on to teach at the Bath Academy in Corsham, Saint Martins School of Art and finally became Head of Painting at Winchester School of Art. She left teaching in 1981 and moved to Wales and then Cornwall, where she currently lives.

Artist Gillian Ayres at the RAMM Exeter

Over the course of her career, Gillian has made a significant and varied body of original prints. Most of the works in this exhibition have been proofed by Gillian Ayres and Jack Shirreff and were printed at 107 Workshop. Ayres and Shirreff first met at Corsham and it was his reinvigoration of the use of carborundum combined with etching that offered her a whole range of possibilities in the medium of print.

Gillian Ayres’ work is in the collections of the British Museum, Tate, the Victoria & Albert Museum; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gillian was made a Royal Academician in 1991 and awarded a CBE in 2011.

Gillian Ayres: Paintings and Prints 1986 to 2011 runs from Saturday 15 June to Sunday 15 September.

Museum volunteers at opening night

Museum volunteers at opening night