Category Archives: Performing Arts

Poetry Readings & Book Signing Event

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Next week the Martin Hall is hosting an evening of poetry readings, book signings and Q+A with two young poets with brilliant debut publications.

Shruti Chauhan (pictured) is a Loughborough English graduate of and has previously performed at the University as part of the Three the Hard Way national tour with Jean Binta Breeze and Lydia Towsey. She won the prize for Best Spoken Word Performer at the Saboteur Awards 2018, as well as the National Poetry Library’s Instapoetry competition in the same year.

Her debut collection is from Burning Eye Books, which has a reputation for publishing work by the best spoken word poets.

Nellie Cole recently graduated from Birmingham University. After publishing work in a couple of anthologies, her debut publication is Bella: “a work which blends factual evidence with folklore, superstition, hearsay and the imagination, these poems explore the Worcestershire murder mystery ‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’”

She read from the publication at 2018’s Verve Poetry Festival, and is a workshop leader and writing mentor.

The event takes place next Tuesday, 19th March, from 6pm-7.30pm in the Stanley Evernden Studio in Martin Hall. Admission is free, but space is limited. To book a place email Kerry Featherstone.

“What’s On the Box?” World Television Day

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Watching TV by Aaron Escobar, reproduced under CC License

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

As librarians, we tend to agree with Groucho Marx’s oft-quoted remark about the medium of television – even in the digital age, we still love a good book – but there is no denying that television is still one of the world’s biggest phenomenons – and is likely to remain so for long years ahead.

And so it was in 1996 that the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21st November as World Television Day, in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues. It is not so much a celebration of television as a communication tool, but as a symbol for communication and globalisation in the contemporary world.

We hold a huge range of books about every aspect of the medium among our collection, from historic studies to the nuts-and-bolts of television engineering and broadcasting. We also provide access to a number of very popular online resources all about television, most notably Box of Broadcasts (BoB), from which you can not only catch up with the latest episodes of your favourite shows, but also easily create your own clips from TV programmes, and create useful playlists of clips to refer to at a later date for further study or research. And if you’re more interested in more vintage television, try dipping into the British Film Institute’s archives in BFI Screenonline, where you can watch old episodes of classics like Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, and even University Challenge!

Roll Up, Roll Up! Dip into our Exciting New Resource!

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We’re thrilled to bring you our new acquisition, Victorian Popular Culture from Adam Matthew Digital. This primary source archive is an important research resource for historians, social scientists and literary scholars, spanning the period from 1779 to 1930 and showcasing popular entertainment in Britain, America and Europe.

Explore a wealth of media history in the form of printed books, early film, posters, playbills, photographs, objects and ephemera as well as contextual essays and an interactive chronology. Collections include: Moving Pictures, Optical Entertainments and the Advent of Cinema; Music Hall, Theatre and Popular Entertainment, Spiritualism, Sensation; Magic and Circuses, Sideshow and Freaks.

Access is via IP address. To begin searching go to:

www.victorianpopularculture.amdigital.co.uk

Advanced Notice of BoB Service Downtime 11th -13th June

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Television fans take note – the popular Box of Broadcasts (BoB) Service will be unavailable between 11th – 13th June 2018.

Owing to a necessary relocation of their servers, BoB will be switched off on the morning of 11th June 2018 and will be completely unavailable for 3 days. Forward scheduling on the EPG will be available up to 11th June and then will restart once the move is complete. Programmes broadcast during the down-period will be available retrospectively for most channels.

Loughborough University Arts Festival 6th-15th June

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The University is marking the end of another successful academic year with a brand new Arts Festival on campus this June.

Organised by LU Arts, Loughborough University’s arts programme, the festival will bring together local artists and leading creatives, academics from the School of Arts, English and Drama, students and alumni.

The festival – which is to run from 6th-16th June – is a mixture of both daytime and early evening events, which include student showcases, alumni presentations, discussions and theatre performances.

The line-up features talks with talented individuals such as writer and poet Kate Rhodes, portraitist Alastair Adams and illustrator and alumna Katy Halford, creator of Moz the Monster (from the 2017 John Lewis Christmas advert).

In addition, there will also be a discussion with renowned food writer William Sitwell (a regular on BBC’s Masterchef), and a Skype call with installation and performance artists Tania Bruguera.

Many of the events are free to attend. For the full programme and to book tickets visit the Loughborough Arts Festival website.

Database Trial – Oxford Art Online/Grove Art Online

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Art students and art lovers alike will find our latest database trial of great interest, as we take a trip through the archives of Oxford Art Online’s Grove Art Online.

This trial provides access to the foremost scholarly art encyclopedia, covering both Western and non-Western art. First published as the landmark 34-volume Dictionary of Art, edited by Jane Turner, the content of Grove Art encompasses all aspects of visual culture.

To begin searching go to: www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart

No need to sign in as access is via IP address.The trial is available until 21st March 2018

We welcome feedback – good or bad – on this trial, please contact Steve Corn – s.c.corn@lboro.ac.uk – with your comments.

Database Trial – Victorian Popular Culture

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Take a trip back in time to the smoky world of music halls and circus tents with our latest database trial courtesy of Adam Matthew Digital.

Victorian Popular Culture is a portal comprised of four modules, inviting users into the darkened halls, small backrooms, big tops and travelling venues that hosted everything from spectacular shows and bawdy burlesque, to the world of magic, spiritualist séances, optical entertainments and the first moving pictures…

To begin searching go to www.victorianpopularculture.amdigital.co.uk

Access is via IP address and the trial runs to 15th December 2017. Please note that PDF download options are not available during this  trial.

We welcome feedback – good or bad – on this trial, please contact Steve Corn – s.c.corn@lboro.ac.uk  – with your comments.

An Evening of Creative Writing at the School of the Arts, English and Drama

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On Monday May 15th the School of the Arts, English and Drama is hosting an evening dedicated to celebrating the creative writing produced by their talented postgraduate students.

Their graduating MA Creative Writing cohort will read a selection of work from the portfolios they have developed over the last year. You can expect to hear poetry, young adult fiction, thriller, sci-fi and lots more, with each student reading for approximately 10 minutes.

The event is taking place in the Stanley Evernden Studio in Martin Hall, between 7-9pm. Refreshments will be provided. To book your place, visit the link below:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/aed/news-events/events/2017/ma-creative-writing-evening.html

I, Daniel Blake: Film Screening and Discussion

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The Edward Herbert Building is hosting a free screening of the film, I, Daniel Blake, followed by a discussion led by CPWS researchers, next Wednesday (3rd May) at 6pm.

I, Daniel Blake is an important and powerful film about the nature of work and life on benefits in contemporary Britain. Directed by Ken Loach and starring Dave Johns as the title character, it won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Festival.

The event is organised and sponsored by the Centre for Professional Work and Society (CPWS), in the School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University.

The screening is free, but booking is necessary. To attend, visit the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-daniel-blake-film-screening-and-discussion-tickets-32913947503

LU Arts Presents the Loughborough Legend

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LU Arts kicks off the start of term with a story of empire, education, elitism and the Church of England.

The Loughborough Legend tells the enthralling true story of a young boy who dared to dream…and James Arthur Harley dreamed big, leaving his island home of Antigua in the 1890’s to navigate the doubled complexities of the oppressive racism in America and England with grace, style and dignity to achieve an esteemed education and his childhood ambition, but at what price?

The gifted scholar attended Yale, Harvard and Oxford universities at the turn of the 20th Century, before becoming the 1910 Shepshed curate who reinvigorated the local community, and the 1920s Councillor and Loughborough College Governor dubbed the Stormy Petrel.

Written and presented by Pamela Roberts, author, historian and new playwright, The Loughborough Legend is on at the Cope Auditorium on Saturday 6th May at 7pm. Tickets cost £5. To book online visit the link below:

http://www.arts.lboro.ac.uk/event_booking/the_loughborough_legend/