NEWPORT'S FINEST ARE BACK July 29 - Newport's finest up and coming band Town (left) are back in the City tomorrow night performing alongside another outstanding city trio Dirty Goods (right). Dirty Goods recently signed with London based Necessary records. Joining them are Dead Beggars Club and Drafts. The gig is taking place at Six Feet Under, the new 500 capacity venue at 12-20 Stow Hill, tickets are £6 in advance from Diverse Records. Not to be missed. I'll be there. Clicks the links above for info.

TREDEGAR HOUSE RECEIVES COVETED AWARD July 29 - Tredegar House is proudly flying its first ever Green Flag. Newport City Council stated it is delighted that the stately home’s parks and gardens have achieved the honour. Belle Vue Park has also received its third success award under the national scheme which sets the benchmark standard for parks and green spaces. Newport’s Mayor Councillor Bill Langsford was among those present at a ceremony as the flag was hoisted at Tredegar House. He paid tribute to the hard work of council staff as well as the Friends of the Park, Friends of the Ornamental Parks, Friends of Tredegar House and Growing Space. The Green Flag scheme was first launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. Con-Dem Councillor Mike Hamilton, cabinet member for leisure and lifelong learning, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Tredegar House has received its first ever Green Flag while the continued excellence of Belle Vue Park has rightly been recognised again. COMMENT - It is pity therefore that Newport's finest building is closed for the duration of the Ryder Cup and US and European tourists will not have an opportunity to sample our proud heritage! New Best Kebab will however be open for the duration of the tournament (October 1-3).

SUPER DRAGONS APPEAR

July 17 - This summer Newport is being invaded by more than 100 SuperDragons. Local artists have been involved in the project through painting and decorating the five foot high fibreglass statues while local schools have also been involved in their own special project.

All primary schools in Newport received their very own mini SuperDragon in mid-April and have spent the last three months working on decorating their dragon.

Headteacher at St Joseph’s RC School, Mrs Brenda Bispham, said: “The SuperDragons project has been wonderful for pupils to get involved with and they have loved it. Our school SuperDragon design has hundreds of fingerprints on it, and every child put their fingerprint on the dragon. We asked the children what they would like to see on their SuperDragon and they were all in agreement that they wanted the school emblem to feature and this is on the chest of the dragon.” The mini SuperDragons will create their own trail across the city centre and will be located in retail units around the city as well as at tourist hotspots such as Tredegar House and Caerleon.

The Parklife event at Tredegar House on Sunday July 18 will see the official launch of the SuperDragons trail. Eight of the painted and decorated SuperDragons will be at the event and will be the first time for members of the public to see the finished dragons.

Parklife is a free family day out that will start at 11am and end at 4pm. There will be music and activities for all the family as well as sporting opportunities and play activities. There will also be a number of stands including craft workshops, story telling, a climbing wall, adventure play and bouncy castles. BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway will also be at the event signing copies of his new book.

MAYOR APPLAUDS ACTOR'S SUMMER SCHOOL

Robert Shaw has embarked on a successful theatrical career since leave his home city – now he is returning to Newport to pass on his skills to other budding young performers.

West End to Wales takes place at the Dolman Theatre from July 26 to July 30.

Newport’s mayor Councillor Bill Langsford will be visiting the performance summer school on July 28. “It is wonderful that Robert is coming back to Newport to help young people who would like to follow in his footsteps.

“He has achieved so much for such a young man and hopefully will inspire other talented youngsters to follow their dreams.”

Founded by Rob, West End to Wales is open to seven to 18-year-olds who will have the opportunity to take part in workshops and classes in singing, dancing and acting. All will be lead by industry professionals who have worked in shows such as Cats, Starlight Express, Evita and Hairspray and at the end of the five days there will be a short showcase. Rob, who now performs professionally under the name of Rob Wilshaw, is a former pupil of St Julians School. He trained at the Guildford School of Acting and his theatre credits include Eddie in Blood Brothers, the UK tour of Evita, Call Me Madam in Upstairs at the Gatehouse and Aladdin in the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.

VETERAN BATTLE OF THE BANDS

July 6 - Talented older musicians will be taking part in a Battle of Bands final at The Riverfront on Friday, July 16. Judges at the heats had a tough time selecting the finalists but eventually chose four groups, all with members over 50.

Folk and rock group Matt Rafia will be taking on mixed music band Amber Light, rock and rollers The James Boys and Still Got the Blues. Organised under the theme of Life Gets Better, the competition was open to artists aged 50 and over. Twelve bands entered and each performed a 20-minutes slot in front of two professional judges who felt the new age group was an exciting addition to the event.

Legendary British musician Geoff Downes is coming on board as compere and judge for the final. The keyboardist and founding member of Asia and Buggles, who had a huge hit with Video Killed the Radio Star – has had one of this songs, Extraordinary Life, selected by NBC to promote America’s Got Talent.

COMEDY PORT FESTIVAL July 1 - Newport’s very first Comedy Festival, Comedy Port, will take place from Saturday 9 – Sunday 16 October 2010. The full schedule of acts to date is listed here - more details to follow.

AWARD WINNING AUTHOR TO VISIT CITY

June 30 - Nick Arnold has just become the first children’s author to win the UK’s top award for science writing. The Horrible Science writer will be visiting both Bettws and Newport Central libraries later this summer. Mr Arnold won the prestigious Thomson Reuters Record Award for Communicating Science for his book Wasted World. He will be in Newport on August 5. The events in Central Library between 11am and 12pm and Bettws Library between 2pm and 3pm are free but booking is essential so call into your local library or telephone 01633 656656.

CAERLEON ARTS FESTIVAL

June 10 - This year’s Caerleon Arts Festival will field a truly international team and while there may be rivalry on the golf course in October when The Ryder Cup comes to Newport, on the festival field in Caerleon there will be a more co-operative approach.

The Caerleon festival will run from July 2 until July 11 at various venues in the area but in the run up to the festival there are three events to enjoy. On June 13, Romeo and Juliet will be performed at the Roman Amphitheatre, on June 18 Jerry Donahue and Doug Morter (the wood and fire tour) will be at Llanhennock Village Hall and an afternoon tea concert featuring the Markham and District colliery band will be at the Roman Amphitheatre on June 27.

The theme of this year’s festival, which is part of the Newport Festival 2010 will be story telling benches in wood and stone and will promote the link between story telling and seating. Most of the story-telling chairs will find their way to local schools and, as part of the BBC Cymru Wales Breathing Places campaign, the Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon has a space which will house one of the storytelling chairs from the festival.

25 YEARS OF NEWPORT CENTRE

June 8 - Some of the biggest names in music have performed there and it is also home to a major sporting event as well as a popular leisure attraction. This month, Newport Centre celebrates 25 years of offering first-class entertainment with sports and leisure facilities.

It will celebrate the landmark anniversary with an open day on June 26. Join the party from 11am to 5pm and enjoy free sporting taster sessions, competitions, climbing wall, face painting, an exhibition marking past musical concerts and much more.

It opened to much fanfare on June 29, 1985 with a gala dinner. In the first two months more than 110,000 people used the pool with its flume and wave machine. Built for £7.3 million, the long-awaited centre fulfilled a difficult brief – combining the latest in sports and leisure facilities with a top-class concert hall for everything from a rock group to a symphony orchestra. REM, Elton John, Stone Roses, The Smiths, Genesis and the Manic Street Preachers have all taken to the stage there over the years. And it is still able to attract some big names. Kasabian, Duffy and Dizzee Rascal have made sell-out appearances recently.

RIVERFRONT IN UK ARTS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

June 7 - Newport’s Riverfront is one of just eight theatres in the UK – and the only one in Wales – which participates in a highly successful and exciting arts education project.

It features prominently in a new evaluation report on the Provident Financial Spark scheme with many of the photographs taken at Newport workshops. Over the last four years, Provident Financial has invested £100,000 in the city project and hundreds of primary schoolchildren have been involved each year.

Nicolas Young, director of the Riverfront, is delighted that the company has agreed to continue funding in Newport. “It confirms the quality of the work we are doing and it means there will be another series of workshops in the autumn which are being planned at the moment. The project has had a number of benefits including improving self-confidence, better school attendance and enabling children to take up a new hobby. Nearly 90 per cent of children involved in Spark said it made them feel really proud, one of our key aims in Newport.” A teacher from the city, who is among those quoted in the report, described the effect of the confidence-building among the children as “phenomenal”.

MAYOR'S GALA CONCERT

June 6 - The Mayor's Gala concert takes place at the Riverfront on Tuesday June 8 (tickets £6, start time 7pm). It will will showcase the wide ranging creative talents of Young People from across the city featuring Bassaleg, Bettws, Caerleon, Duffryn, Hartridge, Lliswerry, St Josephs RC and St Julians High Schools.

Many of the performances will have been part of the examination curriculum which allows the audience to view the high standards achieved by our young people. Performances by the Vanessa Clarke School of Dance and students from Gwent Music will also feature during the evening. All proceeds raised on the evening will be donated to the Mayor of Newport's chosen charities.

CRAFT FAIR HEADS FOR CITY CENTRE

June 4 - For four days next week, Commercial Street will be bustling with stalls selling a wide range of products from calligraphy to ceramics, pancakes to pewter ornaments. As part of the Summer in the City programme, Craftfolk is running a market in the city centre from June 9 to June 12.

It is the third year that the successful event has been held in the city. Traders come from across Wales including Newport. Operations manager Jane Hall said: “Nothing beats the bustle of a city centre street and Newport’s hospitality in welcoming us again onto Commercial Street is something we look forward. “Even in these challenging times, the quality and craftsmanship of our products means that shoppers get a great product at a good price and come back time and time again.”

DRAGON CARNIVAL COMES TO NEWPORT FESTIVAL

June 1 - Belle Vue Park’s Bandstand will be playing host to a battle between two tribes of warring dragons at the Newport Dragon Carnival spectacular on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 June.

The free event, which is organised by South Wales Intercultural Community Arts (SWICA) and Newport City Council is part of the Newport Festival 2010 and will feature two 30 minute shows each day, one at 2pm and one at 4pm.

The project has involved community workshops in Pill and will feature Newport Pill Youth Dance Group and Newport Community Circus. The carnival is set to global musical written by Musical Director Rob Smith, which involves drumming from West Africa and the Caribbean including local samba drummers Batatan.

KINGS CHURCH BRINGS HOPE

June 1 - The Kings Church is running Hope 2010 as part of the Newport Festival. The publicity states "HOPE spans 3 days of action packed community action projects and fun. Including gardening / clean-ups / decorating / shopping and much more. A practical way to positively affect the people of our city. You will be working with appointed youth/team leaders. All leaders are CRB checked. There are also sports events, girls nights and huge youth events taking place. Anyone over the age of 11 can get involved in HOPE. Come and join us and let's invest in our city."

LILYGREEN REACHES EUROVISION FINAL

May 27 - Newport musician John Lilygreen and his band the Islanders with the song 'Life looks better in spring' have qualified from the semi final tonight in Oslo and will play in Saturday evening's final. Lilygreen is 22 years old and is a professional working musician who has been involved with many styles of old and contemporary music. As well as singing, Jon composes his own songs and is a very talented guitar player. He is well known locally where he performs acoustic sets at local clubs.

Lilygreen finished on 27 points in 21st place ahead of the UK who were last with 10 points.

OBJECTS RETURN TO TREDEGAR HOUSE

May 26 - More than 40 objects once owned by the Morgan family are back in Tredegar House after more than half a century away. Friends of Tredegar House kindly funded the once-in-a-life time opportunity to return items ranging from a Cartier watch to cleaning brushes to their original home. They belonged to Mike and Jeanette Smith, who live in Western Australia. Mr Smith’s grandfather was William Sayzeland, butler and companion to companion to Courtenay Morgan (Lord Tredegar 1913 to 1934) while his father Henry was valet to Evan Morgan (Lord Tredegar 1934 to 1949).

His collection was built up through gifts, such as the Cartier watch; purchases, such as a telescope from Courtenay’s yacht and being invited to take things from the House which included drinking glasses and even cleaning brushes. There are also some interesting and personal photographs including one of Mr Smith’s father with Evan Morgan’s parrot, Blue Boy, which was renowned for its bad language. Staff at the House and the Friends are very excited that such varied and interesting items have been returned. They will help to tell the story of the Morgan family as well as the people who worked for them in their stately home and on the estate.

WELSH WATERWAYS FESTIVAL

May 25 - Hosted by the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canals Trust (MBACT). The Festival is supported by Newport and South East Wales Business Tourism and the Inland Waterways Association.

The Welsh Waterways Festival 2010, incorporating the 2010 IWA National Trailboat Festival will be held in Newport over the Spring Holiday weekend. A full programme of events, competitions, exhibitions and live entertainment is planned and two trip boats will operate during the three days for visitors to enjoy the re-opened stretches of water.

In preparation for the Festival sections of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal are undergoing a transformation in order to offer over two miles of open water canal and five working locks. The programme of works, which commenced in January 2008 is almost complete. It will re-open the canal to navigation between Pentre Lane on the main line in Torfaen down to Barrack Hill in Newport and up to Waen Lock at Allt-yr-yn on the Crumlin arm.
11am - 4pm each day.

GRAPHIC / ADVERTISING DESIGN

May 19 - With projects from Advertising Design, Animation, Computer Games Design, Graphic Design and Interactive Media, a special exhibition at the Riverfront this week provides an opportunity for you to see an eclectic range of work from the 2010 graduating class of the Design Department of Newport University. The exhibition runs from Thursday May 20 to Saturday May 29 opening at 10.30am, entry free.
 

FASHION SHOWCASE AT RIVERFRONT

May 18 - Produced by the University of Wales, Newport The Fashion Show 10 will showcase students work from the BA (Hons) Fashion Design Course at University of Wales, Newport. The show will feature collections from 1st and 2nd year students, as well as collections from this year's graduating students. Do not miss this opportunity to see this year's hottest new talent in fashion. Cost - £10 venue - Riverfront - Wed 19 May, 19:30 / Thu 20 May, 14:00 / Thu 20 May, 19:30 / Fri 21 May, 19:30.

HAY FESTIVAL 2010

May 16 - We don't normally publicise non-Newport events but this is worthwhile - a listing of music events at the Hay on Wye Festival, it's not far away, it's much more than this, a major festival of the arts, and starts at the end of this month. Follow the link.

HAT TRICK FOR FILM SCHOOL

May 15 - For the third year in a row, the prestigious Royal Television Society National Award for Best UK Student Documentary has been won by Newport students.
The winners are from the multi-award winning Documentary Film and Television degree course at the University of Wales, Newport. The award, presented at a glittering ceremony in London, went to Lauren Muchan and Joe Sharp for their campaigning graduation film Letters to Angola: An Unlikely Friendship, the story of the relationship between a young British woman and an American Black Panther who has been incarcerated in solitary confinement for the past 37 years in Angola Prison in Louisiana. The Royal Television Society (RTS) jury described the film as "Fantastically inventive, curious, poetic and unique," saying, "It was a film that kept the viewer thinking long after it had finished. It was slick, beautifully filmed and edited with subtle and compelling music. It didn't stray into drama and was effortlessly thought-provoking."

FAKESPEARE AT THE RIVERFRONT

On Saturday May 15, Russell Kane is at the Riverfront Theatre. Following a complete sell out run at this year’s Edinburgh fringe, nascent playwright Russell Kane brings you his celebrated blank verse bonanza, Fakspeare: the tragickal Saveings of king Nigel. Shakespeare has been reinvented in modern form many times, but Russell turns this on its head and takes our silly, modern woes and re-works them into Fakespeare verse. Tickets available from the Riverfront Theatre £12. He's in the Studio. In the main theatre Glenn Miller and his Orchestra return, prices £13-£15.

STUDENT'S PLAY EXPLORES MINDS OF MOORS MURDERERS

May 11 - A play which examines the home life of two of the UK’s most notorious serial killers has been written and directed by a student at the University of Wales, Newport as part of a graduate showcase staged by Performing Arts students. Mark Hickman’s one act play, ’16 Wardle Brook Avenue’, which is being presented at the city’s Dolman Studio Theatre on 12th and 13th May, is already a sell-out. “I realise that this is a very controversial subject to tackle,” said 21-year-old Mark who is in the third year of the Performing Arts course at the University. 

CANDOCO RETURN TO RIVERFRONT

CITY PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY

On Friday 7 May at 2.30pm photographer John Briggs will be at Newport Central Library to discuss his newly-published book Newportrait, which looks at the continually-changing face of Newport.

A native of Minnesota, John Briggs came to study in Wales in the 1960s. He has lived and worked in Newport for 35 years and is now a self-described ‘Newportonian’.

NEWPORT FESTIVAL EVENTS WEEK

On Thursday 29 April until Saturday 1 May, the Riverfront Theatre will host the Performing Arts Graduating showcase. This is a three-day rich blend of live theatre, film and multi media performances by graduating students on the BA (Hons) Performing Arts degree course at the University of Wales, Newport.

On Friday 30 April, Fashion Wales Live will take place at the Newport Centre. A fantastic fashion, music, and art charity extravaganza there will be showcases from singers, rappers, live bands, break dancers, gymnasts and contemporary artists alongside designers, hair and makeup artists and models and celebrity guests. Tickets are available from the Newport Centre and will start at 7pm.

RUBY WAX AT THE RIVERFRONT

Losing it starring Ruby Wax and Judith Owen (Directed by Thea Sharrock) is at the Riverfront on Wednesday evening (8pm start). Ruby had it all - career, dream house, husband, kids - but people soon realised something was wrong when she painted her house the same colour beige for the 47th time. There was only one thing for it - send her to the Priory! Ruby Wax's acerbic wit and worldly wisdom combined with Judith Owen's touching and poignant songs "create a show that is at once vulnerable and surprisingly thought-provoking as well as being laugh-out-loud funny". Tickets £22.

SUMMER SESSIONS RETURN

Apr 21 - Summer Sessions Open Mic Night & Boutique Market launched at The Riverfront in June ’09 and these Sessions are now a monthly fixture in The Riverfront calendar. The next Sessions in on Friday 14 May from 5pm until 11pm.  Sessions at The Riverfront are a unique, chilled out evening of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe. If the weather is good, the Open Mic is held on the terrace overlooking the River Usk. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer.

A Brush With Light Takes Photography Back to Basics Youngsters in Newport are learning from top photographers and discarding their hi-tech digital cameras to discover how to make photos using pin-hole cameras as part of an event organised by the University of Wales, Newport. ‘A Brush with Light’ is an innovative series of film and photographic works produced in collaboration between the University and partner institutions in Brazil. Professional photographer Miguel Chikaoka has travelled to Newport to run workshops in traditional photographic techniques such as basic pin-hole cameras at the city’s Riverfront Arts Centre.The event’s organiser, lecturer Celia Jackson, explained, “We are committed to celebrating the resurgence of interest in traditional photographic processes, including the use of simple, low-tech cameras and film. The work produced in the workshops will form part of an exhibition at the Riverfront which is on from 14th - 30th  April.

GLC RECORD RYDER CUP ANTHEM!

Apr 19 - According to a BBC report Goldie Lookin' Chain has recorded a Ryder Cup anthem called Golf Is Coming which will be released in advance of the big event which takes place at the beginning of October.

GLC producer and band member Rhys thinks it could be as big as Skinner and Baddiel's football song Three Lions. "So many people are in to golf. It's huge, bigger than speedway," he said. "People are even playing on the street or in a field. When I was 15, I had a party at my parents' house and we made our own golf course. Luckily nothing got damaged." Newport's finest are joined by the City's male voice choir in their tribute to the event.

BAFTA NOMINATIONS FOR FILM SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Apr 19 - A Film Lecturer and Director at the University of Wales, Newport has received two nominations for the forthcoming BAFTA Cymru awards. Peter Watkins-Hughes has been nominated for his independently produced film 'A Bit of Tom Jones?' which was filmed in Tredegar and stars Gavin & Stacey’s Margaret John, Loose Woman Denise Welch, Soul Singer Geno Washington and The Mighty Boosh’s Matt Berry. The film received a London premiere after it proved to be so popular when it was screened in local venues - even out-performing some Hollywood blockbusters, including the hit Michael Jackson film 'This Is It'.

NEWPORT COUNTY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Apr 18 - To celebrate the extraordinary 2009/10 season a celebratory day of music. See the poster here.

SUPER DRAGONS DEN IS OPEN

Apr 16 - The SuperDragons den was officially opened this afternoon by the Mayor Councillor Glyn Jarvis. The Mayor was joined by the leader of the council, Councillor Matthew Evans and Newport Gwent Dragons rugby players Ashley Smith and Lewis Evans. Situated in the newly created artists quarter on Upper Dock Street, the SuperDragons den will be used by artists who have been selected to paint and decorate the SuperDragons to work on their creations.

Residents and visitors to the city will be able to pop in and watch the artists at work as well as ask artists their inspiration behind their design. The SuperDragons den is part of a newly created artists quarter which has been formed along Upper Dock Street and transformed retail units in the area into art spaces. The scheme has received funding from the Arts Council for Wales and aims to make art more accessible. The retail units have been turned into creative spaces and workshops and there will be amateur and professional art exhibitions, a photo exhibition as well as workshops for anyone interested in art. The initiative will run from April 16 until 31 October and will become a focal point for anyone interested in the arts.

TREDEGAR HOUSE RESTORATION DANCE

Apr 14 - Be transported back to 1672 and learn the steps of a dance to celebrate the grand opening of Newport’s stately home.Those taking part in the Restoration Dance will also then be able to sample food and drink of the period – both good and bad. Tickets for the event, which starts at 7pm on Thursday, April 22, cost £9.95 for adults or £8.95 concessions. Contact 01633 815880.

BRUSH WITH LIGHT EXHIBITION

Apr 13 - A Brush with Light is an exciting exhibition from the University of Wales, Newport which showcases a series of photographic projects in Wales and Brazil that underline the diverse approaches that contemporary practitioners employ. This exhibition will include work from national and international guests and participants to the "Brush with Light Project". Apr 14 - May 1 at Riverfront Theatre Gallery, free entry.

CERYS MATTHEWS AT RIVERFRONT

Apr 12 - Cerys Matthews, former Catatonia front woman is at the Riverfront tomorrow night in a solo concert. After releasing what is widely considered by media and music fans alike to be the best album of her career, Cerys Matthews took the songs from "Don't Look Down" and incorporated them into what was more or less a one woman show on her October sell out UK tour. Telling her life in music and witty asides, through the songs she has collected dating back from her childhood in Swansea through her travels, as well as her now considerable catalogue of solo and band songs. It was a magical tour that audiences loved, which prompted a demand for a second run. Cerys now has a weekday afternoon radio show on BBC Radio 6 ('Cerys on 6'), which saw the stations' afternoon ratings increase week on week. Ticket price - £20. Start - 7.30pm, Riverfront box office for tickets.

SHEEN OPENS DEDICATION TO CHARTISM

Apr 8 - Newport-born actor Michael Sheen officially opened the Chartist exhibition at Newport Museum and Art Gallery yesterday (Wednesday). Speaking at the opening, Michael Sheen, said: “I was delighted to be at the opening of the exhibition and back in the city of my birth. It is an honour to be associated with the exhibition as the Chartists are one of the most important political movements of our time.It is obvious to see the hardwork and enthusiasm that has gone into the exhibition which aims to make Chartism relevant today.”

The exhibition is now open to the public and will display the historically significant collection of items related to the Chartist movement in Newport. On display are images, weapons, newspapers, silver and documents from the time of the Chartist protest in 1839. Cabinet member for Leisure and Continuing Learning, Councillor Mike Hamilton, said: “I am delighted that actor Michael Sheen found time in his busy schedule to open the new Chartist exhibition. The Chartist protest is a significant date in Newport’s history and this new exhibition is great for the city.”

BISHTON SINGER TAKES FLIGHT

Apr 8 - A Newport-based singer who performs his own material and on demos for some of the world's best-known songwriters, is in the spotlight this month thanks to Skoda using his song Bluebird in an advert.

EMPTY SHOPS PROJECT SET TO LAUNCH

WOMEN'S FORUM AWARDS SCHEME

Mar 30 - The Newport Women's Forum Awards scheme, which is headed by Rosemary Butler, is inviting women to apply for grants under the latest round of awards. The scheme is aimed at women who need help with personal development and the growth of confidence. Women aged 18 and over who live in Newport are invited to apply for a grant of up to £1000. Applications can be made by individuals or groups of women. Grants are given to help women in their personal development. This will mean different things to different people so you should consider your own development needs. In some cases it has helped artists, women changing their careers or women who want to develop community services. 

All application forms must be completed and returned by Wednesday 12th May 2010  to  Newport Women's Forum, C/o Rosemary Butler AM, 1 Transport House, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP20 2EH. For further information please contact Gail Giles or Gillian Johnson on 01633 222523, or email: newportwomensforum@live.co.uk .

CITY RISES TO SPORT RELIEF CHALLENGE

Mar 25 - Nearly 350 local people turned out in force on Sunday at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile in Newport. Milers of all ages rose to the challenge and were sponsored to do one, three or six miles for Sport Relief.

The day was a massive success with friends, families and work mates joining together in friendly rivalry to rise to the challenge. All money raised will help transform lives here in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.

SICOLO MEMORIAL CONCERT ANNOUNCED

Mar 24 - TJ's will open its doors for a John Sicolo Memorial Show on April 10 and 11. Firestar Promotions state "We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people saying they are coming and also the lovely messages. We can tell you that John's family are very touched. Due to the amount of people attending we are having to do a presale of tickets as we don’t want a surge of 900 odd people trying to get into the gig. The capacity of TJ's is 350 and we are aware that not everyone will not come for the whole weekend so we have decided to do a ‘Festival Ticket System’. This means that different types of tickets will be on sale. We feel this is fair for everyone as some people will only want to come for an evening and some people will only come for an afternoon etc."

FIRST SUPER DRAGON APPEARS

Mar 23 - Newport's first Super Dragon has appeared. Designed by Stephanie Roberts it has been spotted near the Usk Footbridge. There will be 50 in total, each about two metres (6ft) tall and 35kg (5st 5lb) in weight. In addition there will be 48 smaller dragons. The event, known as Super Dragons, is being hosted by Newport City Council and will last 14 weeks as part of the celebrations for the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament. A similar event recently held in Liverpool based on penguins was highly successful. Once decorated, the SuperDragons will be placed at various locations throughout the area for a 10-week period, enabling residents and tourists to discover some of Newport’s hidden gems. They will be displayed on Newport’s streets, parks and open spaces and in late October, the SuperDragons will be auctioned and money donated to charity. Design ideas will be decorated and painted by local artists and those who wish to submit designs have until Friday 26 March to get their ideas in.

MUSIC IN THE PARK

Mar 22 - Newport bereavement support charity, Hold out a Hand, is organising a number of ‘Music in the Park’ events which will take place in Beechwood Park during April and May.

After securing funding from a community grant from the People’s Panel, the charity has arranged three music events to raise awareness of the support the charity provides as well as raise money and work with the community to celebrate the Newport Festival 2010.

All of the events are free and the first event will be held on Easter Monday and will feature a brass band ensemble drawn from local Newport bands together with a local blues/70s music band which will open the event.

On Sunday 18 April two bands with a big following will perform, Big Mac and Under the Driftwood Tree, while on the May Bank Holiday, Monday 3 May, the Midnight Jazz band will perform with singers from Cor Casnewydd, so there will be music to suit all tastes.

The events will be held at Beechwood House and Marenghi’s Park Café which is run by Hold out a Hand. As well as live music there will also be food and drink available from the cafe, and face painting and activities for children. Director of Hold out a Hand, Mike Coombes, said: “The music in the park events are designed to bring people in the community together to enjoy great music in beautiful surroundings. It is thanks to the grant from the People’s Panel and support from Venture Wales who manage Beechwood House that we are able to put these events on and we hope that people from the area will come out and show their support.”

KOH-I-NOOR MISSES OUT ON TOP AWARD

Mar 21 - The Koh-I-Noor restaurant missed out on the top award of Welsh Curry House of the Year in the awards ceremony at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay sponsored by Kingfisher Lager and the Welsh Assembly Government. The Maindee restaurant fought it out with three other restaurants from Mid and North Wales as South Wales representative but could not carry off the crown. The winner was the Spice Cottage based in Rhayader.

JOHN SICOLO FUNERAL

Mar 19 - The funeral service for John Sicolo will take place at St Paul's Church, Newport, next Thursday March 25. The  will begin at 2pm, to be followed by interment at the city's St Woolos Cemetery.

SKINDRED GIG MOVED

Mar 18 - The Skindred homecoming concert scheduled for TJ's tomorrow evening has been moved to the Basement on Stow Hill. All tickets are valid.

NOMINATE YOUR CITY LANDMARK

Mar 18 - What is your favourite Newport city landmark? The museum and art gallery wants to know your favourite Newport landmark and is creating an exhibition titled ‘Your Newport’ which will feature residents favourite landmarks.

If you have a favourite landmark that you would like to see feature in the exhibition which will run from 20 September 2010 until 26 March 2011, then you can either email the information to museum@newport.gov.uk or send a postcard with the details direct to the museum at the following address: Newport Museum and Art Gallery, John Frost Square, Newport, NP20 1PA.The closing date for entries is Friday 14 May and included in the exhibition will be the most popular places.

SIGN UP FOR THE NEWPORT MILE

Mar 16 - Newport International Sports Village will host the Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21 March and residents are being urged to sign up for the fundraising event. Sport Relief is one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events and the Sport Relief Mile is open to anyone regardless of ability or age. Participants can choose how far they want to go from one mile, three miles or six miles and the distance can be completed at a walk, jog or run.

Starting at the Velodrome at the Newport International Sports in Spytty at 10am, participants will need to sign up online before the event where they will automatically be set up with a Sport Relief giving page which can be emailed to friends and family to collect sponsorship.

Sport Relief is a biennial charity event and has been running since 2002. At the heart of the campaign is the Sport Relief Mile. The charity encourages people to get together, get active and raise cash which will be used to change people’s lives both in the UK and overseas. To sign up for the Sport Relief Mile challenge visit www.sportrelief.com/the-mile/newport-mile

MORE TRIBUTES TO CITY ICON, JOHN SICOLO

BBC Wales blog

Newport journalist, Andy Barding

MARCH OF THE GIANTS MARKS START OF CITY'S YEAR Mar 8 - The first event of Newport Festival 2010 started in style on Saturday with more than 500 youngsters taking part and hundreds of people lined the streets to watch the March of the Giants parade. School children helped to bring to life Welsh characters of myth and legend and worked alongside Malarky arts to create the 15ft high gods, giants and dragons for the city centre parade.   The parade was led by thundering samba drummers and youngsters were dressed as druids, birds and flowers.  The schools taking part were Gaer Juniors, Eveswell Primary, Fairoak Nursery, Millbrook Primary, St Woolos Primary, St Andrews Primary and Ysgol Ifor Hael. Following the parade there was a special performance from the samba drummers and Paddy the Clown and George Orange entertained the crowd.

CHUCK BERRY GIG CANCELLED

Mar 5 - The Chuck Berry concert at the Newport Centre has been cancelled, due to a financial dispute between the artist and the promoter. A Council spokesperson stated "If you have purchased a ticket for this event a refund is available through the point of purchase. For more information please call 01633 656757."

SINFONIA CYMRU AND REBECCA EVANS

Mar 3 - As part of the Newport Festival 2010 celebrations, Sinfonia Cymru will be joined by special guest international soprano Rebecca Evans on Sunday 7 March at 7.30pm. Sinfonia Cymru brings an exciting programme connecting opera and the voice with ballet and dance. Rossini's overture from the opera La Cenerentola will set the scene beautifully for Welsh soprano Rebecca Evans to take the stage for a performance of 4 Concert Arias by Mozart.

Rebecca Evans was born in Pontrhydyfen near Neath, She studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has performed on stages worldwide. She received a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 2008 and was awarded an honorary degree Doctor of Music at the University of Wales in 2009. The programme for the concert includes: Rossini - Overture: La Cenerentola; Mozart - 4 Concert Arias; Respighi - Ancient Airs and Dances and Stravinsky - Pulcinella Suite. Tickets are priced at £10, with reductions available. To book tickets, call the Booking Line on 01633 656757, visit www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront or go to The Riverfront Box Office. For more information about Newport Festival 2010, please visit www.newport.gov.uk/newportfestival

SAVE TJ's SITE ATTRACTS HUGE RESPONSE Mar 1 - One of Newport's greatest modern-day institutions, TJ's, has attracted a huge response to news that it is attempting to stave off losses and potential closure. Owner John Sicolo is being forced to sell off memorabilia in order to raise much needed cash. The city music venue, that opened in 1971, has seen some of rock and pop's greatest bands ply their wares including Green Day, Oasis and Nirvana. Now nearly 5000 Facebook users have signed to express their support for the club here.

MAINDEE POLICE OFFICERS' RACE NIGHT

Mar 1 - Four Maindee Police officers, have for the last year dedicated their lives to raising money for the Meningitis Trust after one of them lost a loved one to the disease. Their fundraising will culminate in trek from The Amazon to The Andes at the end of April. Support group officers PC Helyn Harris and PC Holly Richardson and PC Gemma Price and PC Sian Taylor who work in Maindee will be joined by Sian's sister Sarah Taylor and friend Chloe Chapman. As part of their fund raising activities, the women have organised "A Night at the Races" at Rodney Parade, Newport taking place on Friday March 5th from 7pm until 12 midnight where computerised "horse racing" will be played all night, as well as live bands and raffles. Anybody who would like to attend "A Night at the Races" is asked to reserve tickets at www.justgiving.com/helyn-harris and donate £5 for a ticket.

CAERLEON ARTS FESTIVAL COUP

Feb 27 - Jackie Oates will be entertaining folk enthusiasts on behalf of Caerleon Arts Festival on Sunday, March 7. Caerleon Arts Festival is one of the regular events that will be part of the celebrations for Newport Festival 2010. Running from 2 July to 11 July, the Caerleon festival will feature internationally renowned sculptors creating works of art, children’s art, Shakespeare in the Roman amphitheatre, music, singing, dancing as well as art and craft exhibitions.

Jackie Oates has won a string of awards despite being a relative newcomer to the British folk scene.Jackie is a singer and fiddle player hailing from Staffordshire whose unique treatment of English ballads and songs and pure, haunting singing style has attracted increasing attention. She was chosen to perform at a special English folk showcase at the South-By-South-West music conference in Austin Texas in March and will be performing in New York with the showcase line-up three days earlier.

PARADE TO MARK START OF FESTIVAL

Feb 24 - The first main event of the Newport Festival 2010 will start in style thanks to the efforts of youngsters from across the city. School children have been busy making gods, giants and dragons for the city centre parade which takes place on Saturday March 6 starting at 12.30pm in John Frost Square.

March of the giants will see the Welsh characters of myth and legend come to life and youngsters have been working alongside Malarky Arts to ensure the parade is colourful and vibrant.

The parade will be led by thundering samba drummers and the eye-catching procession will make its way through the city centre.

Youngsters will be dressed as druids and the mythical history of Wales will be replicated through the giant figures of characters such as Rhiannon, Teyrnon, Cernunnos, Blodeuwedd, Ceridwen complete with cauldron and Taliesin. Helping to make these characters have been pupils from Gaer Juniors, Eveswell Primary, Fairoak Nursery, Millbrook Primary, St Woolos Primary, St Andrews Primary and Ysgol Ifor Hael who will also take part in the parade. Councillor Matthew Evans, leader of Newport City Council, said: “I am looking forward to the start of the 2010 festival and what promises to be an exciting and memorable year for the residents of Newport.

DIRECTOR CRITICISES WELSH BAFTA VOTING PROCESS

Feb 21 - A film director from Newport has criticised the voting system for the Welsh Baftas claiming most voters will not have seen all the entries. Director Susan Luciani said copies of all films submitted should be sent to members at the initial voting stage or made available to them online. She said not doing so put independent films like her feature debut Burlesque Fairytales at a disadvantage. Bafta Cymru said it was aware of her complaint but declined to comment.

Burlesque Fairytales, described as a dark fairytale, stars a number of well known actors including Benedict Cumberbatch, Lindsay Duncan, Jim Carter, Barbara Flynn and Stephen Campbell Moore. Ms Luciani said it was shot on a budget of £35,000 and was only made as the cast and crew of 200 gave their services for free. It has won a number of awards at film festivals in north America but has yet to be screened in Wales.

Ms. Luiciani's feature debut follows an acclaimed short film "Dolls" starring Joanna Lumley and Denis Lawson. Inspired by a story that appeared in a 1950s newspaper, this short film plays out a year in the life of a young girl, Mouche. Deemed too skinny to make a living at the Moulin Rouge, Mouche is cast out and saved from suicide by a group of puppets traveling from town to town performing street puppet shows for a few paltry francs. "I thought Dolls was just extraordinary. One of the keys of making short films, you want to create your own universe, have your own voice and this film has a spectacularly different significant, coloured voice. I’ve not seen a short film like it before.” - Jeremy Howe, Head of Short Films, at the BBC.

'WELCOME TO WALES' CONCERT TO START RYDER CUP EVENT

Feb 15 - To celebrate The Ryder Cup being staged in Wales for the first time, organisers have announced that they have appointed Live Nation, the world’s largest producer of live concerts, to stage Welcome to Wales; a unique multi-artist concert, introduced by celebrities and golf stars.  ‘Welcome to Wales’ will be staged at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Wednesday 29 September 2010.

‘Welcome to Wales’ will be the signature event that will galvanize The 2010 Ryder Cup celebrations in spectacular style.  Set in stunning surroundings and featuring musical performances by international superstars including popular Welsh artists, along with appearances by special guests, ‘Welcome to Wales’ will also incorporate the introduction of The Ryder Cup teams from Europe and the United States.

NEWPORTONIAN TO REPRESENT CYPRUS IN SONG CONTEST

Feb 9 - Jon Lillygreen from Newport has won the right to represent Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest. On Sunday night, Cyprus TV channel CYBC voters and a panel of music judges chose their favourite song, "Life Looks Better in the Spring", performed by Jon Lilygreen and The Islanders and composed by Nasos Lamprianidis and Melis Constantinou. The song is a guitar led ballad with a gospel backing group. The 55th Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 25th, 27th and 29th in Oslo, Norway. Cyprus' entry will perform in the semi final on 27th.

Mr Lilygreen, who attended Bettws High School, Newport, said: "It was a hell of an experience. We turned up not knowing if we even stood a chance. It feels good to come out on top."

See Jon's my space site here.

ARTIST LIGHTS UP NEWPORT GALLERY

Jan 27 - Simon Fenoulhet has created Lucent Lines to make the most of the temporary exhibitions space in Newport Museum and Art Gallery. It will feature Curtain, a nine-metre wall of shifting light made from 448 electro-luminescent wire and 5,000 plastic drinking straws, and two other works. The artist, whose medium is light, will completely transform the gallery space for a visitor experience that is not to be missed. It opens this Saturday (January 30) and runs until April 3. Simon Fenoulhet will be conducting two gallery tour-and-talks on March 6 at 11.30am and March 24 at 2pm. Both events are free and all are welcome.

NEWPORT FESTIVAL LAUNCH

Jan 14 - Newport Festival 2010, a celebration of Newport in Ryder Cup year will be launched on January 21.

According to the City Council Cabinet Report on the subject the Festival has four strands

DRAGONS AT THE RIVERFRONT From January 30 2010 until February 27, there will be a photographic exhibition in the Art Gallery at The Riverfront, by Bhutan-born Chubzang Tangbi, entitled Dragon Kingdoms. Chubzang was accustomed to travelling through his own country of Bhutan: a pristine environment set against the magnificent backdrop of the High Himalayas, but had been intrigued by pictures and tales of Wales. Two countries geographically far apart; lands of mountains, rivers and valleys; both symbolised by dragons - was this more than a coincidence? Travelling through Wales, at first he was unprepared for such an elaborate infrastructure and built-up landscape. However, he soon came across more isolated cottages and farms; hills and mountains where sheep were more common than people, and green valleys where ancient bridges crossed crystal clear rivers. He comments, “Indeed, I found a land steeped in ancient culture, a strong people with strong beliefs and a desire to protect their beloved land. This photographic journey of discovery truly astonished me!” Chubzang now lives in Newport and his exhibition depicts beautiful and vibrant images of his home country, Bhutan and his current home, Wales. The Art Gallery is open from 11am until 7pm daily, Monday to Friday and 11am until 5pm on Saturdays.

JACK GETS HIS CHANCE

Jan 9 - A TV dance contestant has been given a chance after the intervention of a sympathetic viewer. Jack Bradshaw, 14, from Newport was told he needed more training on Sky's 'Got to Dance'. He told the judging panel he had to ditch dance lessons after cancer hit both his parents. His mother has breast cancer and his dad unfortunately died from the illness. Now according to the Sun Online Terry Michael is offering Jack a place at his nearby Port Talbot academy.

IN THE SHADOW OF A GUM TREE A touring West Australian company are scheduled to arrive in a Newport gripped by winter on Friday to present a novel musical entitled 'In the Shadow of a Gum Tree'. The Midnite Youth Theatre Company (Perth, Western Australia) are touring the UK.  The story is as follows - A small troupe of travelling players arrive in an outback town in Western Australia. The players have as much drama going on in their own lives as that which they portray on stage! Based on the 'Pagliacci' story, In the Shadow of a Gum Tree weaves love and betrayal against the backdrop of a sometimes hilarious mixture of 'theatrical types' with 'country-bumpkin' characters. So, do not be surprised when soaring love-duets are followed by murder and mayhem! Directed by award-winning Director Anthony Howes, the Midnite Youth Theatre Commpany is Western Australia's foremost youth theatre. This new Australian musical is composed by Simon Holt, with libretto by Chris Kabay. Choreography is by Mitchell Goode with designs by Jay Brien and Dean Morris. Venue - Riverfront Theatre, start time 7pm, tickets £5 (01633 656757).

SHIP STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE!

Peter Pan at the Riverfront

PANDEMONIUM! Dec 13 - Peter Pan has been spreading his magic in Newport now for almost two weeks and will continue to do so from now until Sunday 3 January 2010. Prices range from £5 - £16 and with reductions and family tickets available, not only is this a fun, traditional panto, but it is one that won’t break the purse strings! Hurry though, ticket sales are through the roof, meaning Peter Pan is on track to be the most successful Riverfront panto to date! Peter Pan stars dastardly Welsh villain Brian Hibbard as Captain Hook, Phylip Harries as Dame Delia/Smee, Gillian Elisa as Mrs Darling/Myrtle the Mermaid, Anna Campkin as Wendy, Francois Pandolfo as Starkey, Ashley Rolfe as Michael, Sarah Cortez as Tiger Lily, and with Kate Rawson as Peter Pan. The cast will of course be joined by lots of talented local young performers and Sam Rabbitt from Newport as one of the Lost Boys. For more information and to book your tickets, please visit the glorious new panto web page at www.newport.gov.uk/panto or call Box Office on 01633 656757.

DELI MOVES TO NEWPORT ARCADE

Dec 10 - For over 110 years Baldocks has been feeding the people of Newport through recessions, depressions, boom times and world wars. Having spent the last 40 years at the same stall in Newport Market the family-run firm has relocated just across the road, providing more space and longer opening hours in the Victorian shopping arcade between High Street and Cambrian Road.  

Keeping pace with the changing population of Newport over the years has meant constantly expanding the food range and these days the shop offers meats from around the world (and around the corner), as well as over 40 different cheeses including Stinking Bishop - famously wafted by Grommit to bring Wallace back from the dead. The deli's selection of wines and spirits has also grown with the tastes of Newport, introducing many to easy-drinking McGuigan wines back when a bottle of Blue Nun was the limit for most. These days the focus is on good value and top quality, like the award-winning Penderyn Welsh whisky, which is taking the world by storm and beating many Scottish malts into the top 20 list. Owner Paul Smith chooses his stock with a highly scientific selection process. "If I like it, then I know customers will like it. It's that easy." He stands proudly behind the local Welsh products on sale, "Fortunately we are blessed in this area by wonderful countryside and down-to-earth people. Put those two together and you get a lot of great products at honest prices. We're not a supermarket, and it's important that we can talk to our customers with honest opinions, and let them choose on flavour and style. There's not much point in giving a taster if you've got no faith in the taste."

As the only Newport supplier of MacSween haggis, Gorno's Italian sausages, and hampers and cheese boards made to order, it is easy to see why customers keep coming back for something a bit different. Paul is not threatened by the growth of the supermarket giants, "It's great to go to the supermarket and get the basics on special offer but when you're looking for a treat there's no substitute for real flavour, you just can't fake that. Our customers know they're getting the real stuff from us."

Established back in 1898 by Arthur Walter Baldock, a pork butcher, Baldocks passed down the family until 2003 when Ann & Brian retired. Paul took over in 2006 and began modernising equipment and growing the range of local products. Newport Arcade was built in 1893 and is a Grade II listed building. Other shops in the arcade include a traditional sweet shop, cafe and goldsmiths. http://www.baldocks-deli.co.uk/

SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA HEAD FOR CITY IN JANUARY

Dec 2 - Chris Dean's Syd Lawrence Orchestra will be heading to the Riverfront on Saturday January 30 for two performances at 3pm and 7.30pm. The SLO is the leading swing orchestra in the country keeping this wonderful music alive and any help would be greatly appreciated. Featuring the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and many, many more. Box Office - 01633 656757.

PETER PLAN FLIES IN TO THE RIVERFRONT

Nov 26 - This Christmas, The Riverfront in Newport brings you the magical tale of Peter Pan, the boy that never grew up, from Tuesday 1 December 2009 to Sunday 3 January 2010. There's also extra festive fun with the new Peter Pan website, festive markets, foyer giants made by local schools as well as the pantomime itself! Rehearsals are well underway and everything is set to bring to life the Panto of all Pantomimes! Peter Pan will star dastardly Welsh villain Brian Hibbard as Captain Hook with Phylip Harries, Gillian Elisa, Anna Campkin, Francois Pandolfo, Ashley Rolfe, Sarah Cortez, with Kate Rawson as Peter Pan. Prices range from £5 - £16 and with reductions and family tickets available, not only is this going to be a fun, traditional panto, but it is going to be one that won't break the purse strings!

For more information and to book your tickets, please visit the glorious new panto web page at www.newport.gov.uk/panto  or call Box Office on 01633 656757. During every Saturday before Christmas (December 5, 12, 19) there will also be a Festive Market from 12.30pm until 5.30pm in the studio theatre.

CRIME NOVELIST SPEAKS AT CENTRAL LIBRARY

Nov 25 - Top crime novelist Peter James will be speaking at Newport Central Library 2.30pm on 2 December, to celebrate the publication of the paperback version of his latest novel Dead Tomorrow.

Peter has sold over 4.5 million copies of his books worldwide, which are published in 32 different languages. He is known for the extensive research he undertakes before writing a novel and for his most recent novel he spent time with children on the streets of Romania to learn more about people trafficking.

While his Roy Grace detective series of books is currently being made into a series for ITV which will be aired in 2010, with Peter overseeing the script-writing. Tickets are free but need to be booked in advance. To book please call 01633 656656.

NEWPORT CENTRE SET FOR MASSIVE ATTACK

Nov 24 - SJM Concerts presents trip hop duo Massive Attack, along with Special Guests, at the Newport Centre on Monday 8 February 2010. Tickets are £28.50 and inclusive of a charity donation to The Hoping Foundation. To book call 01633 656757 or visit www.ticketline.co.uk

RIVERFRONT WINTER SESSIONS

Nov 24 - The Winter Session is here! Summer Sessions Open Mic Night and Boutique Market launched at The Riverfront in June and returns for a Winter Sessions Festive Special on Friday 4 December from 5pm. Sessions at The Riverfront are unique, chilled out evenings of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer, so start saving your pennies for one-off Christmas gifts as you will be treated to everything from hand-made toiletries, vintage-inspired ceramics, vinyl, arts and crafts, vintage clothing, hand-made fashion, jewellery and accessories and more! This is a one of a kind boutique shopping experience and will be the place to buy yourself and your loved ones a present or two with a difference. The best thing is that all the stall holders are local, so you will be supporting local creative folk by coming along! The Open Mic part of the night will begin at 7pm, running until 11pm and will be hosted by a local performer. Everyone is encouraged to perform some festive songs that the crowd can sing along with! Attenders can relax with a drink whilst being entertained by an array of local performers. Last time there was everything from poetry, comedy, storytelling and plenty of live music. There will be festive fodder and special offers on in the café. There will also be a top secret after-party at another venue which will be revealed closer to the time.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE COMES TO ST.WOOLOS - GALA EVENING AT THE CATHEDRAL

Nov 23 - For the fourth year running the Cathedral Campaign are holding a Christmas Gala Evening at the Cathedral on the last Thursday in November.

• Music and readings by celebrities, followed by a champagne reception.
• Thursday, November 26th at 7pm
• Tickets: £25

HEAD OF FILM SCHOOL SCOOPS INTERNATIONAL GOLD

Nov 23 - The Association for International Broadcasting announced the winners of the 2009 Global Media Excellence Awards at a gala event in London last week, which saw documentary filmmaker Christopher Morris, the new Head of the Film School at the University of Wales, Newport, come away from the evening with a Gold Award for ‘Best Current Affairs Radio Documentary’.
The awards recognise creativity and innovation in global broadcasting across TV, radio, cross-media, marketing and technology. The winning documentary, entitled ‘Children of God’ (made with Cardiff based production company Tinderbox) tells the story of the youngest ordained minister in the world - American child evangelist prodigy Terry Durham.

CHUCK BERRY TOUR POSTPONED

Nov 21 - Legendary rock 'n' roller Chick Berry has postponed his upcoming U.K. tour, just two days before the trek was due to begin. The guitarist was set to perform in Liverpool today before hitting a number of cities around Britain including Newport on December 1. Earlier this week  he cancelled a planned 28 November show in London – and now the whole tour has been pushed back until next March. Promoters for the shows have released a statement, insisting the tour schedule has been hampered by ”a lack of lead-in time to prepare the marketing and advertising for what promises to be a great rock ’n’ roll tour”.

FESTIVAL LANTERN PARADE

Nov 16 - This Festive Season on Thursday 26^th November, Malarky Arts are back with their Lantern Parade. The event sponsored by Newport’s Urban Regeneration Company, Newport Unlimited hopes to consist of 250+ local school children from areas such as Bettws, Maindee, Pill & St. Woolos, just to name a few. The parade will start at The Riverfront Theatre at 5.30pm; make its way through the heart of the City Centre before congregating in John Frost Square around 6.30pm* for a small staged music event involving local choirs and dance acts including Cascapella, Newport Gospel Choir, Cor Casnewydd, GLD school of Dance & Newport Devils. A giant magical star will be leading the way; with the samba band ‘Batatan’; the children will be joined by a wintry, colourful band of followers including a variety of mythical creatures - yeti, ice queen and holly & oak kings doing ‘battle’! Malarky Arts have been busily working with local schools to provide workshops; giving children the opportunity to learn new skills of making the lanterns; which they will later use in the parade.

INDIE MOVIE HITS THE BIG TIME Nov 10 - A feature film written and directed by University of Wales, Newport lecturer Peter Watkins-Hughes is set to do battle with Hollywood blockbusters at the box office when it goes on general release in Welsh cinemas this week. The film 'A Bit of Tom Jones?' stars a host famous faces - including 'Torchwood' star Eve Myles, 'Loose Women' host Denise Welch, Matt Berry from Channel 4's 'IT Crowd', and Gavin and Stacey star Margaret John. The film is being screened at cinemas and multiplexes across Wales, in the widest cinema release enjoyed by a Welsh film for many years.

WILDINGS HOLDING BEAUTY EVENING

Oct 27 - Estee Lauder At Wildings in Commercial Street is presenting an 'Exclusive Beauty' evening on Wednesday 28th October 09. Presentation by Estee Lauder Guest make up artist Christine Cartwright. 

The evening will include:
Mini makeovers
Hand massages and mini manicures
Beauty consultants available to offer tips and advice
Win a pampering presentation pack
Goody bag for each guest
Free Gift wrapping service
Raffle in support of St David’s foundation
 
Time 5.30 Bucks Fizz & nibbles / (In the coffee shop area) /  Finish 7.30    
ticket price £5* *£2 ticket donation to St David’sFoundation / *£3 redeemable against any purchase on the night  

HYPE ON TV HITS YOU TUBE October 25 - A channel promoting original content from the city of Newport is now available on You Tube. Hype on TV includes music from J-Us, Brighty, Kaos and an interview with Benjy from Skindred. The site blurb states "Entertainment just got better. Our very own local 'youtube with a twist' HYPE-ON.TV will bring you the best mc & dance battles along with singing, fashion and so much more for you to view, judge and decide who has the HYPE factor." http://www.youtube.com/user/hypeon

BIG READ COMES TO NEWPORT

October 22 - This year’s Big Read takes place at The Riverfront Theatre in Newport, on Wednesday 28 October 2009 between 9.30 and 4.30pm. Whether you want to learn how to get your work published, how to create book illustrations or discover how to make your own characters for stories, there will be something new for all ages.

Activities include workshops in Creative Writing, Arts and Crafts, Storytelling and Poetry and talks from authors such as Lynne Barrett-Lee, Niall Griffiths, Phil Carradice, Peter Finch, Trevor Fishlock, Bernard Knight, Dai Smith and local up-and-coming talent Mathew Scott. Tickets are £8 for Adults, £5 for children under 16, or free for children under three. There is also a family ticket option, which is £20 for two adults and two children.

CHUCK BERRY AT NEWPORT CENTRE

October 19 - Rock ‘n Roll pioneer Chuck Berry will be performing at the Newport Centre on Tuesday 1 December 2009. Support acts Paul Jones and The Blues Band will kick off the evening and doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £45 and available by calling 01633 656757 or visiting www.ticketline.co.uk.

FASHION STUDENTS GRADUATE TO SUCCESS AND TV FAME

‘The Wales Show’ featuring their fashion company, Oonica, will be screened by ITV Wales this Thursday (24th September) at 10.35pm. For information about Fashion Design, and all other courses, at the University of Wales, Newport contact the University information centre on 01633 432432 or visit www.newport.ac.uk.

MALPAS COURT OPEN DAY Sept 17 - As part of the Open Doors 2009 programme Malpas Court will be open to the public on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2009 from 10.00am to 4.00pm (free admission). This is your chance to see the house, learn about its history, and discover how it has been brought back into use. If you have any information, photographs or stories to tell about Malpas Court then please bring them along to the open day. The event will include an exhibition about the building, its historical development and its recent restoration.

SEARCH FOR CHRISTMAS STAR

September 14 - The search is on to find a local choir to switch on the Christmas lights in Newport. The hugely popular event will take place on November 22 in the city centre. The successful choir will not only get to switch on the lights with the Mayor of Newport, but will also perform on the day in front of thousands of people.

If you think your choir has got what it takes then we would love to hear from you. There are no age restrictions and the competition is open to both traditional and contemporary choirs. Newport city centre manager Sarah Williams, said: "We are looking for a local choir to add an exciting twist to this year’s event. Last year’s competition for a young solo singer saw an unprecedented number of talented entrants. We hope this year will be just as successful.”Last year’s overall winner was Shelby Morgan who performed on the day in front of over 10,000 people.

This year’s city centre Christmas festivities begin on Sunday 22 November with the Christmas light switch-on event. From 12 noon, visitors will enjoy live music and dance, seasonal markets, street entertainment and interactive acts. The lights will be switched on at 5pm followed by a firework and live band finale. For further information call 01633 656656, visit www.newportcitycentre.co.uk or look out for October’s edition of Newport Matters.

DISCOVER DANCE

September 6 - The time to Discover Dance is just around the corner! This exciting, week long event will take place at The Riverfront, both inside and outside of the building, from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009. This is your chance to experience dance in various unique settings in Newport! Osez! is a remarkably successful FREE outdoor dance project which came to The Riverfront last year for the first ever UK version of the event. This year, five Canadian dancers and seven from Wales will work with choreographers Louise Bedard from Quebec and Sean Tuan John from Wales to create a new dance each day of the week. The music will be live, too. Performed on the quayside around The Riverfront, each day will be different. Each performance will also draw on the previous day’s experience, so you can follow the threads of the piece if you come on separate days. The dancers performed Osez! in both Quebec City and Gaspe this Summer and are very excited about performing in Newport. “It really was one an amazing experience. I can now safely say that I am thoroughly looking forward to Newport in September”. Said Welsh dancer Suzanne Firth. Come along to see Newport in a new light, and to enjoy the fruits of this international exchange. The café and bar will be open. Meet up in the foyer of The Riverfront and the dancers will lead you outside on Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009 from 6.30pm.

DIZZEE COMING TO THE PORT

September 4 - Tickets went on sale at 10am today for Dizzee Rascal at Newport Centre on Friday 26 February 2010. The ticket price is £20 in advance, doors open at 7pm. rts present. The first official release from the 2008 Dirtee Stank camp, "Dance Wiv Me" featuring Calvin Harris & Chrome shot straight to number one in the UK charts heralding a new era for the hip hop impresario in spectacular style. His music is a blend of garage MCing, conventional rap, grime and ragga, with extremely eclectic samples and more exotic styles.

The rapper, real name Dylan Kwabena Mills, was born in 1985.  He came to fame in 2003 with his acclaimed album 'Boy in da Corner'. Recently, Dizzee Rascal has apparently criticised the 2012 Olympics for turning east London into a 'hole'. The singer, who grew up in Bow, said whenever he goes back to the area he gets angry at the state of the place, the Sun reports. "The whole area is just a big building hole," he said.

AWARD WINNERS GO TO THE EDGE

September 3 - To celebrate the 5th anniversary of his On The Edge project, Michael Kelligan will be presenting a new play ‘Dandelion’ by Blackwood-based poet and writer Patrick Jones at The Riverfront on Thursday 10 September at 7.45pm. Many of Jones’ plays have been strong and challenging and whilst there is an underling questioning of the system, this play has a great deal of gentleness and beauty as we observe Rachel, Ernest, Mary and Mrs Hartson enjoying and depending on each other’s company as their days begin to draw to an end. Of course a Patrick Jones’ play has to have a rebel and Ernest, played by Kelligan fights the establishment determined to retain his individualism and dignity come what may.

Other plays in this current autumn season include Burton by Gwynne Edwards of Aberystwyth, a new one-man play in which Swansea Actor Rhodri Miles recreates the life of one of Wales’ most famous sons, currently receiving great reviews at The Edinburgh Festival. Straight Talk by Cardiff-based Dan Anthony, a surreal good cop/bad cop comedy and a revival of Ian Rowlands’ Marriage of Convenience to be directed by Gareth Potter who created the original role when the play was first produced in 1996.

Dandelion will be performed at The Riverfront on Thursday 10 September at 7.45pm in the intimate studio theatre and costs £4. A bargain to experience something that little bit different!

THE BRIGGS AND STRAWBERRY BLONDES TO HIT TJ'S

August 31 - TJ's in Clarence Place. Upcoming gigs and shows including Bank Holiday Manic Monday today featuring Rave in A Cave. Tomorrow is under 18's rock night (entry £3), followed on Friday by metal mayhem including Sworn Amongst, Brabazon, Lifer and Iridium 123 (entry £3). On Saturday there is a tribute to Foreigner and Journey (entry £6). Next week, on Wednesday 9th, the Briggs (top right), Los Angeles punk rock band are headlining supported by Newport's finest the up and coming Strawberry Blondes (the likely lads are bottom left). Entry is £6. Found this fantastic 'rock journo' write up on the latter in 'Mutiny Festival' - "The Strawberry Blondes, slash n burn two minute blasts of guitar driven punk rock n roll, their mini anthems-should-be-Top-30 missives. This is sheer pop perfection. The heartfelt vocals, the amphetamine rush of guitars, struck with a passion and fired with the burning frustration of living on the wrong side of nu millennium boom time Britain. Turning their cynicism and world-weariness into highly charged angry pop is what the Strawberry Blondes excel at. Front man Mickie Stabbs is so wild eyed in his conviction that rock n roll will change the world that he has already burned out several line ups of the band, in his pain staking search for perfection. Not many can keep up with his vision". Website - http://www.myspace.com/strawberryblondes

RIVERFRONT SUMMER SESSIONS FINAL RUN

August 16 - The Riverfront Summer Sessions launched in June and is growing from strength to strength every month. It is a chilled out evening of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe. The last of the Summer Sessions will take place on Friday 11 September at 5pm. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer, so start saving your pennies as you will be treated to everything from vintage-inspired ceramics to fair trade scarves, vinyl, arts and crafts and hand-made fashion, jewellery and accessories. This month there will be two huge music stalls with prices ranging from 25p to £1. This is a unique boutique shopping experience and will be the place to buy yourself or your loved ones a present or two that is a little bit different. The Open Mic part of the night will begin at 7pm until 11pm and will be hosted by a local musician and performer. Attenders can relax with a drink whilst being entertained by an array of local performers. Last time there was everything from poetry to storytelling and plenty of live music. If the rain starts pouring then the Open Mic night will take place inside the café. There will be food and drink offers in the café. If you’d like to be involved with Summer Sessions, The Riverfront would love to hear from any of you creative people out there, from fashion designers and vintage fashionistas to arts and crafts makers and even those selling something a little bit out of the ordinary. The Riverfront is encouraging all types of performers to go along, from comedians and beat poets, to musicians and story tellers.

DISCOVER DANCE IN SEPTEMBER

August 13 - Discover Dance is a an exciting event that will take place at The Riverfront, both inside and outside of the building, from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009. Discover Dance is a showcase of local and international dance and incorporates Osez Outdoor Dance Project from Canada which came to The Riverfront for the first time last year; Wardrobe Diaries is presented by Citrus Arts and is a rich mix of acrobatic skills, dance, honest imagination and quirky humour and finally Independent Ballet Wales present How Green Was My Valley. Osez! is a remarkably successful FREE outdoor dance project which came to The Riverfront last year for the first ever UK version of the event. This year, five Canadian dancers and seven from Wales will work with choreographers Louise Bedard from Quebec and Sean Tuan John from Wales to create a new dance each day of the week. The music will be live, too. Performed on the quayside around The Riverfront, each day will be different. Each performance will also draw on the previous day’s experience, so you can follow the threads of the piece if you come on separate days. Come along to see Newport in a new light, and to enjoy the fruits of this international exchange. The café and bar will be open. Meet up in the foyer of The Riverfront and the dancers will lead you outside. Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 September 2009 from 6.30pm.

UNI STUDENTS SET FOR EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

August 3 - A stunning blend of video and sound will be woven into a modern re-telling of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ when it is performed at the internationally renowned Edinburgh Festival by students from the University of Wales, Newport. Entitled ‘My Mind’s Eye’, this exciting and stimulating adaptation of the Bard’s most famous work explores the many strands of love, uncertainty and death that run through the play. Performer Amanda Mulford, said, “Studying at Newport means we have all the facilities of the International Film School Wales available to us so we study techniques for acting both on stage and on screen. We created all the multimedia for the production ourselves and worked closely with students from the Advertising Design course to help us market the play for the highly competitive Edinburgh Festival.”

My Mind’s Eye’ will be at the Sweet ECA venue at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 24th - 31st August 2009. For details of  the Performing Arts and all other courses at the University of Wales, Newport contact the University Information Centre on 01633 432432 or visit www.newport.ac.uk.

UNIVERSITY SPONSORS GAMES EVENT

July 20 - Year ten students from eight Newport schools have become the first to use a state-of-the-art £50,000 computer suite in a games development workshop organised by Newport university. The two-day course showed its young participants how to put together the story, characters, graphics and music to their own game, letting them sample what it's like to work in games development. "The computer games industry is one of the biggest in the world and events like this help to give young people a taste of what being a computer games designer is all about," said Dr Mike Reddy, programme leader for the BSc (Hons) Games Development and Artificial Intelligence course at Newport Business School. "Newport's University has two courses that were developed by liaising with the computer games industry to meet the growing demand for graduates. We believe it's essential to maintain close links with the games industry to enable our students to successfully find jobs when they graduate. We already have graduates working for major games companies such as Sega and Blitz, and recently, we were proud to be the only Welsh venue in the first ever Global Game Jam, a worldwide game creation event."

"There are lots of opportunities for people in Wales to find work in creating computer games and Newport's University is one of the front runners in producing graduates for today's multimedia industries," added Steve Rowlands, lead advisor for education with Newport City Council, who helped judge the best game. The overall winner, awarded a prize donated by GAME, was based around a boy transported into a war film and made to fire hot dogs at his enemies.

SPORTS VILLAGE OPEN DAY July 16 - Newport City Council are inviting citizens to come along to Newport International Sports Village for a free taste of some of the best sporting facilities south Wales has to offer. On Sunday 19 July, between11am and 4pm, Newport’s premier sporting facility will open its doors and invite everyone to join in this fun filled, active day out. Take a walk round the fantastic Velodrome, one of only two in the UK and the Great Britain cycling team’s training venue for the Beijing Olympics 2008. Visit Newport County’s football stadium; take a tour, meet the players and take part in fun and activities for all the family. Take a dip in the pool, try snorkelling, water polo and underwater hockey! Try tennis, table tennis and badminton. Or why not find out what zumba and spinning are all about? You can take part in any of our sporting challenges where you can keep fit, learn a new sport, have fun and be in with the chance to win some great prizes.

CITY YOUTH CHOIR ESTABLISHED

NoFit State brings circus act to Newport Market

July 7 - Wales' best-kept artistic secret will be wowing audiences with a gravity-defying performance at Newport Market this weekend. Nofit State has a long track record of creating extraordinary circus productions at all scales: from small community performances to large scale professional productions; from tented tours to theatre shows. Their mission is "to be the circus everyone wants to join". This weekend (Saturday 11 July) they’ll be bringing their trapeze to Newport Market and will stage three performances at 12 noon, 12.30pm and 1pm. This free event is a show not to be missed!

DRAMA GIVES SCHOOLCHILDREN AN ANTI-DRUGS MESSAGE

June 30 - Delivering the anti-drugs message to younger school children is being achieved through the medium of theatre. A specially written drama about drugs called ‘Wings to Fly’ was performed by St Julian's High School pupils to more than 3,000 Year Six children, aged between ten and eleven, from across Newport. The production is staged at Newport’s Dolman Theatre on June 29, June 30 and July 1.

The play, which is performed annually to children in their last year of primary school, has become a huge success throughout Gwent for more than 10 years. Since 1998 hundreds of youngsters have performed ‘Wings to Fly’, which is part of the All Wales School Liaison programme. Newport SMAT (Substance Misuse Action Team) and the Gwent Police Shrievalty Trust sponsored the 2009 production of Wings to Fly. The play tells the story of a group of teenage friends who have differing encounters with drugs. It focuses on topics such as the influence of peers, upbringing and personalities - and how each can have an effect on a person’s experience of drugs. ‘Wings to Fly’ reaches its climax as one character’s life is left hanging in the balance.

WETLANDS WEEKENDER

June 24 - The public are being invited to come along to a weekend of events at the award winning Newport Wetlands environmental, education and visitor centre on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June. Activities will start at 1pm on Saturday with the ‘Beginner’s guide to medicinal plants’. Children and adults will be shown the magic of medicinal plants that can be found around the reserve, look at their history and how they were used to cure ailments.

A solar event will be held on Sunday 28 June (weather depending) from 10am until 4pm in partnership with Cardiff Astronomical Society (CAS). RSPB and CAS staff will be on hand to provide a safe look at the sun through telescopes, and provide information about other astronomical objects of interest. Whether you're a plant enthusiast or enthusiastic planet watcher, the weekend will give you a chance to do something different and enjoy the outdoors.Newport Wetlands environmental education and visitor centre can be found on West Nash Road, Nash, Newport NP18 2BZ.

RIVERFRONT OPEN DAY ON JUNE 27 June 16 - The Riverfront Open Day is just around the corner. Next Saturday, 27 June, from 11am until 4pm there will be lots of free, fun activities and performances for the whole family to watch, enjoy and join in with. Whether you’ve never visited The Riverfront before or you are a regular attender, there is sure to be something to catch your eye. There will be performances from participants of the weekly workshops that are held at The Riverfront, including Youth Theatre, Dance and Music Groups and you can get to see backstage on an access all areas theatre tour! You can enjoy a lace-making demonstration or for some hands-on fun, decorate the pavement with your own chalk drawing! There will be drop in taster sessions for the brand new workshops Little’uns Arts and Little’uns Music as well as a foyer full of stalls, balloons and face-painting. There are activities to keep both the young, and the young at heart, entertained all day and The Riverfront Café will be open to serve food and drink.

RIVERFRONT SUMMER SESSIONS PROMISE NEW EXPERIENCE

Jun 16 - The Riverfront Summer Sessions will launch this month on Friday June 26 at 5pm. It will be a chilled out evening of performance and boutique market stalls with a micro-festival vibe and the first event will be completely free as part of The Riverfront’s Open Weekend. Stalls will be running from 5pm until 11pm in the foyer, so start saving your pennies as you will be treated to everything from vintage-inspired ceramics to fair trade scarves, vinyl, arts and crafts and hand-made fashion, jewellery and accessories. This will be the biggest boutique shopping experience Newport has ever seen!

The dates for Summer Sessions are...Friday 26 June - FREE / Friday 17 July - £1 ENTRY / Friday 7 August - £1 ENTRY / Friday 11 September - £1 ENTRY

The Open Mic part of the night will begin at 7pm and will be hosted by local musician and performer, Jon Lilygreen out on the café terrace. Attenders can relax with a drink whilst being entertained by an array of local performers. If you’d like to be involved with Summer Sessions, The Riverfront would love to hear from any of you creative people out there, from fashion designers and vintage fashionistas to arts and crafts makers and even those selling something a little bit out of the ordinary. The Riverfront is encouraging all types of performers to go along, from comedians and beat poets, to musicians and story tellers. Please contact Rachel Kinchin, Marketing Officer on rachel.kinchin@newport.gov.uk for more information. The Riverfront will be charging performers, stall holders and audiences/shoppers a £1 entry fee on the July, August and September Dates.

UNIVERSITY'S OPEN DAY INVITATION

SPRINGWATCH EVENT AT THE WETLANDS June 3 - With the BBC’s popular Springwatch series returning to our screens, Newport residents and visitors can join in the fun at Newport Wetlands National Nature Reserve, on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June. The Springwatch and RSPB event on the reserve – owned and managed by Countryside Council for Wales – offers visitors a unique opportunity to discover the secrets of some of south Wales’ wildlife at the height of the breeding season. RSPB staff and volunteers will be on hand to show visitors birds such as bearded tits and swallows, as well as dragonflies, butterfly and moths in this wetland haven.   Families can join in with an organised guided walk around the reserve and learn more about the lives of spring inhabitants such as bearded tits, sedge warblers and great crested grebes currently living there.

CANAL FESTIVAL COMING TO NEWPORT IN 2010

June 1 - The Inland Waterways Association has announced that the venue for the 2010 Inland Waterways Association National Trailboat Festival will be at Newport on a stretch of the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal. It will run over the Spring Bank Holiday between Saturday 29 May and Monday 31 May. The Festival is to be hosted by the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal Trust, and is being marketed as the Welsh Waterways Festival 2010. The organisers have the full support of Newport City Council who have financially supported the volunteers who have rebuilt the slipway at Bettws Lane and spent the last 3 months scrub bashing and clearing sections of the canal above Bettws Lane Lock. The 2010 Festival marks an important milestone for the City of Newport and falls in the year that they will be playing host to the Ryder Cup. The Festival is also seen as an important vehicle with which to promote the Canal, its potential to local politicians and the Welsh Assembly Government. The Trust plans to use two trip boats over three days for public trips. The Festival will be sited at Kimberley Park at Malpas offering over 2 miles of open water canal.

WALK THE DEAD DOG

May 26 - Walk the Dead Dog is a macabre cabaret that delves into the world of culture and entertainment, to see how the spotlight affects those who live in the shadow. Expect a musical freakshow with laughs, masks, dummies and real people who sing and dance.

Unknown Pleasures is a series of experiments in theatre brought to you by Volcano Theatre Company, Taliesin Arts Centre and Swansea Metropolitan University. This innovative partnership brings together Wales's finest artists and its best emerging talents, creating adventurous new work that laughs in the face of commercial pressure and tweaks the nose of convention. Unknown Pleasures aims to nurture and inspire the next generation of theatre artists and spread the tentacles of risk and innovation across Wales and beyond. Unknown Pleasures is a wellspring of vitality in contemporary theatre. Its at the Riverfront this Saturday starting at 7.30pm, tickets £7.

MAINDEE FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

May 26 - Entries are invited for the Maindee Festival Photography  Competition. The Festival itself takes place on Saturday July 4. To enter this year’s ‘Forests of The World’ photography competition…….Take a photo of any kind of forest or wood related theme that takes your fancy. Entry is free with a limit of up to 5 entries per person (if you would like your photos back, please send a stamped self addressed envelope.) They accept entries via email, CD or through the post. There are 3 age categories : 5-11 years, 12-17 years and adults. First Prize for each category is £50.   Full list of Rules: Images may be black & white or colour prints, minimum size 18cm x 13cm (7” x 5”), maximum size 21cm x 29.7cm (A4). All images must be a minimum of 300 DPI  when being emailed. Digitally manipulated photographs are ineligible.  State clearly on the back of each photograph where and when the picture was taken. Mark each photograph clearly with your name, address, telephone number & email address. The photograph must not have been published anywhere else. Closing date is June 15th 2009.All entrants must complete and sign this official entry form. Send all entries to Alison Starling at: Charter Housing Association, 11 Devon Place, Newport, NP20 4NP. Or email to: alison.starling@charterhousing.co.uk. Entry form here

NEWPORT CHEF IN TV COOKING FINAL Newport boy James Sommerin represents Wales in the finals of BBC TV's Great British Menu next week. Sommerin is the executive chef at The Crown restaurants at Whitebrook, near Monmouth and the Celtic Manor, Newport. The Crown at Whitebrook is the only restaurant in Wales to hold a Michelin Star. Mr Sommerin, a father of two, is originally from Caerleon, but now lives in Pontypool with wife Louise, 29, and daughters Georgia, 10, and Angharad, six. He says his grandmother, Eleanor, 93, is his biggest influence.

CITY STARTS JUMPIN' IN JUNE

May 21 - A fifth year of free summer entertainment starts next month in the city centre. Organised by the council in conjunction with several key partners, the events cover the whole of the summer period.June kicks off with the return of the Festival of Classics car display on High Street. Taking place on June 6, organiser John Gibbon is looking at a line up of vehicles including a 1920s Austin Clifton and a 1980s hearse which featured on MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’. TJ’s nightclub is also providing music throughout the afternoon.

Craft Folk will also be back on June 10 - 13 on Commercial Street selling a range of handcrafted goods as well as specialised food and drink.The rest of the summer promises a variety of street theatre, arts and crafts workshops, giveaways and promotions by several council services including libraries, theatres and sports, and local companies EzeeePlay and Childsplay Café.Jo Courtney, from Childsplay Café on Commercial Street, who will be providing arts activities and face painting, said: “As a new business in the city, we’re really happy to be involved in getting out to speaking to families and sharing the great services we offer all year round. Making a child’s day is one of our main aims at Childsplay and we aim to do that at the summer events on the city’s shopping streets”.All events take place in the city centre with most activities free to any visitors. To find out more visit

On The Edge: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as told to Carl Jung by an inmate of Broadmoor Asylum Michael Kelligan’s Look Who’s Talking Now season revives this fascinating play by Cardiff’s Mark Ryan. "Civilisation requires us to wear a mask or persona. We wear this mask when we play our part in society" — Carl Jung Jung’s theory of duality is illustrated by the uncontrollable, animalistic Hyde in his Broadmoor cell. Jung’s struggle with this creature also reveals an interesting angle on Dr Jekyll…A script-held performance directed by Simon West The Riverfront, Newport Thurs 14 May, 7.45pm - £4

  NEWPORT SNEAK A PEAK EVENT

HIP HOP COMEDY AT RIVERFRONT

May 5 - Sleeveface Dance from Flhip Flhop, a Hip Hop comedy is on tomorrow (May 6) at The Riverfront, Newport. Visitors are urged to arrive early - at 7pm you can see the pre-performance showcase of local breakdancers, MC's and Newport's very own in-house DJ Winchester. The main performance starts at 7.45 pm - call 01633 656675 for details.

RIVERFRONT WORKSHOPS FOR THE OVER 55's

AWARD WINNING IRISH COMEDY DRAMA IN NEWPORT NEXT WEEK

Apr 23 - Only a week to go now until the 10 year Anniversary Tour of Stones in His Pockets comes to The Riverfront, Newport from Wednesday 29 to Thursday 30 April 2009 at 7.30pm. Stones in his Pockets is a theatrical phenomenon which has played to packed houses in London's West End for five years, a stint on Broadway as well as several international tours and now returns to Newport for the second time. This simple irresistible comedy has also picked-up just about every major award that the industry has to offer - including two Laurence Olivier Awards, an Evening Standard Theatre Award, a New York Outer Critics Circle Award, together with three nominations for Tony Awards. Marie Jones was inspired to write Stones in his Pockets after her often hilarious experiences as working as a film extra in Ireland. Way before Ricky Gervais explored the subject in his TV series, Marie was creating great comedy out of the lives of two ordinary-ish Irish fellows - Jake and Charlie - working as extra's on a big Hollywood film. Universally adored by critics and audiences, Stones in his Pockets gives audiences the opportunity to see the very best of ingenious, hilarious and triumphant theatre. Tickets cost £16.50, Reductions £14.50, Restricted View £7.50, £8, £10. Please call the Booking Line on 01633 656757 for more information or to book tickets or via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront

 EXCITING DRAMA AT THE RIVERFRONT

Apr 21 - A play exploring the battle of the sexes is just one of the exciting pieces of drama being staged at the Riverfront Theatre by students who are about to graduate in Performing Arts from the University of Wales, Newport. 'Fred and Alice', a post-modern tragicomedy about the differences between men and women as seen through one relationship, was written by third year students Lauren Brown and Paul Tonkin.

“We wanted to write something that’s our own, which both men and women can relate to,” said 20-year-old Lauren, who comes from Malpas in Newport. “It’s been fun working together and we hope people will come along and enjoy it and the other plays being produced.” Paul, who comes from Swindon, added, “We’ve both really got a lot out of studying performing arts at Newport – not least because it has one of the UK’s leading film schools so we’ve been able to experience acting in front of the camera as well as for the stage.” Their play is one of six very diverse pieces of drama - ranging from the love life of infamous murderer John Christie to an adaptation of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ – which will be presented by performing arts students as their graduation show at the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre from Thursday 30th April to Saturday 2nd May.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE HEADS FOR CITY The programme consists of two brand new dance works, fusing contemporary dance, street dance, popping and break-dance. Introducing BBoy Flypz (Welsh BBoy Champion 2007) as part of the all male cast, EXIT & OUT are a crossover between contemporary and hip hop dance culture that challenges new dancers and new audiences. The double bill also includes original music by Katherine Summers and vocal percussionist beatbox Imran Kaiza Khan. Venue - The Riverfront, Newport 25th April- 7.45pm Tickets £8.00/£6.00 Box Office: 01633 656757

ROBBINS LANE EXHIBITION AT THE RIVERFRONT In recent years Robbins Lane Studios Newport, has been transformed from a series of run down buildings into a creative hub for aspiring and established artists. The exhibition will showcase the diverse range of artists currently based at the studios encompassing ceramics, sculpture, fine art, graphic design and textiles. The exhibition runs March 28 to April 25 in the Art Gallery and Basement at the Riverfront

NEW NEWPORT BAND MAKING WAVES

Dirty Goods - include Woody and Wylee formerly of indie outfit Jump the Underground, a band referred to by the NME as “Super Scratchy Indieists”, Dirty Goods play '80's influenced electro-pop influenced by such masters as Daft Punk, Prince, Chromeo and MSTRKRFT. Woody told the BBC "We were fed up with seeing audiences in local venues turning up to watch bands and standing still - we want to fill the venues with energy and excitement." They recently performed a session for Radio 1's Bethan Elfyn. They will be playing as part of Fashion Wales Live at the Newport Centre on April 23. See / hear them here - http://www.myspace.com/dirtygoods

LEARN MORE ABOUT CITY'S PAST

FASHION LIVE WALES RETURNS TO NEWPORT

Apr 10 - Fashion Live Wales returns to Newport Centre on April 23. Expect to see singers, rappers, live bands, breakdancers, streetdancers, gymnasts, street, graffiti and contemporary artists alongside opera, drama, capoeira, DJs, designers, hair & makeup artists, models and celebrity guests. This year’s special guest artist is Bashy performing ‘Kidulthood to Adulthood’ from the film, ‘Adulthood’. Entertainment is guaranteed with the antics of Eggsy and Rhys of Goldie Lookin Chain. With all the excitement planned for this showcase event, you realise that getting your tickets early is the only smart and fashionable thing to do. Project Manager Stephanie Pike had this to say, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working once again on what is a fabulous addition to the high quality entertainment calendar for Newport. The over 1300 spectators of all ages that attended in March 2008 was full proof of the great need for more events like this in Newport and indeed Wales. The young people gave riveting performances and the communities truly got involved. The young models for me were a special highlight.”Creative collections covering everything from funk to fabulous will be displayed by past and present fashion students of University of Wales, Newport alongside independent designers and retailers. Coleg Gwent will be providing theatrical artistic presentations and lavish hair and makeup for the many performers and models. The event starts at 7pm, tickets are £12, for details telephone 01633 656757.

DIRTY SANCHEZ STAR BREAKS ARM IN SKATEBOARD ACCIDENT

Apr 9 - The star of a television show which specialises in dangerous stunts has broken his arm while using a new skate park in Herefordshire. Lee Dainton, from Newport, who appears in Dirty Sanchez, broke his left arm in several places while skating in Holmer Road, Hereford. He said his future as a professional skateboarder could be in doubt. Mr Dainton, who broke his arm last week, said: "If I do it again, I'm in deep trouble." Mr Dainton was at the top of the bowl when he came off his board. He told the BBC: "I fell flat from the top, about 10ft. I totally shattered the radius on my wrist. It was probably the most pain I have ever been in - worse than any injury I've had on the TV. I just wanted to drive to Newport but it was that bad I couldn't stand the 45-minute journey. I've got lost of metal, screws, plates, in my wrist. It's in total fragments."

Wales National Poet Presents Prizes to Writers

Mar 25 - Budding writers from south Wales will be presented with prizes for their poems and short stories by one of the UK’s top poets at a celebration of prose and verse at the University of Wales, Newport this Thursday (26th March). Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales will present the prizes to the winners of the University’s annual writing competition before giving a reading from her own work. Ieuan Morgan Thomas, Subject Leader in English at the University’s School of Education stated "Newport School of Education would like to invite both members of the public and students from the University to the reading by this highly acclaimed poet.” The reading will take place in the Main Hall at the University’s Caerleon Campus at 2pm.

STUDENT ON THE BUSES

A student at the University of Wales, Newport has found a novel way to show off her talent for portrait photography – by having her work displayed on the city’s buses as part of an advertising campaign. Emily Twissell was commissioned to take the photos by Castle Bingo, where she works part-time, as part of the company’s latest advertising campaign. “They knew I’m studying photography and asked if I’d take the photos of the members of staff and the building to promote their slogan that bingo is for everyone,” said 20-year-old Emily (pictured, left, with one of her bus-side photos).“I was only too pleased to do it – having my photos on the side of buses is a great way to show off my work to a very wide audience. It’s like a mobile photo exhibition!” Emily, who comes from Coventry, is on the second year of the Photographic Art degree course at Newport School of Art Media and Design – and enjoying every minute of it.

SILENT MOVIE CLASSIC WITH CLASSICAL BACKING! Mar 10 - Get transported back to the silent era of cinema when classic silent film ‘The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari’ is screened at The Riverfront on Tuesday 28 April at 7.30pm, accompanied by live musicians from The London Mozart Players. Composer Lynne Plowman has written a new score to accompany this fantastic film, for this special cinematic experience in the Main Theatre of The Riverfront. The London Mozart Players is the UK's longest-established chamber orchestra, founded in 1949 by the great Harry Blech. Since then it has had Jane Glover, Matthias Bamert and Andrew Parrott as its Music Directors. ’The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari’ is regarded as one of the most influential German expressionist films and also as the first true horror film. Made in 1920, it tells the tale of Dr Caligari and his sleepwalking friend Cesare, who is an attraction at a local carnival and he prophesises someone’s death. The villagers chase Dr Caligari and Cesare as they suspect their involvement with the murder. The plot twists and turns to bring the film to an unexpected end. It will make for an entertaining evening combining great music and great cinema.

STUDENT SUCCESS AT FILM AWARDS

Short Shorts winner: ‘Run’ by Thomas Edwards & Lisa Culis

Mar 2 - Students from the International Film School Wales (IFSW) swept the board by scooping eight of the 15 awards at Ffresh, the annual student moving image festival of Wales. The roll call of honour for the students at IFSW, which is based at the University of Wales, Newport, included awards for animation, music media and the best of festival.  They also claimed the best factual, postgraduate fiction, undergraduate fiction, short shorts and TV titles. Newport students also won three awards from the Royal Television Society Wales, which were announced at Ffresh, for Best Animation, Best Documentary and Best Drama. ‘Halb’ by Rabea Gorny won awards for best factual film and best of festival . Humphry Trevelyan, Head of IFSW, said, “I would like to congratulate all of our students who once again did so well in winning awards at this prestigious festival. The Ffresh Awards are a showcase for the best work created by tomorrow’s top talent in the film and TV industry. Newport has a long and proud tradition of film-making and it is very rewarding to see the high quality of our students’ work being recognised.”

DR WHO FILMING IN NEWPORT AGAIN

CLASSICAL SERIES CONTINUES

Feb 24 - The Riverfront’s four part Celebrity Classical Concert Series will be concluded on Thursday 9 April, at 7.30pm, by Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Founded in 1959 by Sir Neville Marriner, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields spearheaded the 1960’s baroque revival. From its beginnings as a small, conductor-less string group, it has grown to encompass many different formations from chamber group to classical-sized orchestra. What remains unchanged is that Academy players are drawn from the cream of musical talent, producing a richness of sound and virtuosic skill recognised the world over.

HUGH CORNWELL HEADS FOR THE RIVERFRONT

Feb 23 - Hugh Cornwell, the singer/songwriter/guitarist with The Stranglers, from inception to 1990, brings Hooverdam, his groundbreaking new album, to The Riverfront on Saturday 21 March, at 8pm, as part of a nationwide UK tour. The man responsible for bringing the world ‘Golden Brown’, ‘Always the Sun’, ‘Peaches’ and ‘No More Heroes’ amongst others too numerous to mention, shows once again why his song writing remains unique, outstanding and legendary. Jack Daniels recognised his importance to rock history by inviting him to become their rock icon in the US, UK and Ireland for 2008/9.The new album, available on Invisible Hands Music, will be performed in its entirety, together with innovative new arrangements of the old classics. This time Hugh will be performing in the main theatre.

Don’t miss Hugh Cornwell on Saturday 21 March at 8pm at The Riverfront. Tickets are priced at £15. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757, via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office.

'POET IN NEW YORK CONCERT' AT THE RIVERFRONT

Feb 19 - Keith James and Rick Foot will be performing 'Poet in New York' at The Riverfront, Newport on Saturday  28th February at 8.00pm, celebrating New York’s abundant musical and poetic history with a concert of unique and evocative music.

NEWPORT SHIP OPEN DAY

Feb 19 - The first Newport medieval ship open day of 2009 will be on Sunday 22 February between 11am and 4pm. National and local interest continues in this remarkable find which was buried in the banks of the River Usk and discovered during construction of the Riverfront in 2002. It acts as an inspiration for creative work and as a spur to children’s education. Entry is free and there will be an activity area for visitors to get involved. The Newport ship can be found at Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate, Newport, NP20 2NN behind Parcel Force. It will be signposted from the city centre and the A48. There is good disabled access and parking.

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG AT THE RIVERFRONT IN MARCH Fresh from the continued success of his BBC Radio 4 comedy series and recent run at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Count Arthur Strong will be performing his latest show, The Man Behind the Smile, at The Riverfront on Thursday 12 March at 8pm at The Riverfront. As Arthur, showbiz legend and raconteur, himself says, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just turn the telly on after a hard day at the abattoir... or whatever it is you do... and there I was, smiling back at you, in my own programme again, again, ”reminding us just what we’ve been missing since his last television series, The Robin Hood Club, was axed in 1960-something. Count Arthur Strong has been nominated for Best Sketch, Variety, or Character Act at this year’s Chortle Awards. “Forever the nearly man of show business and an expert mangler of words, Count Arthur is nothing less than wonderful... One of the greatest comic creations of this century, Count Arthur is compulsory viewing.” The Mirror. Tickets are priced at £12, with reductions available.

WORLD COMMUNITY ARTS WEEK AT RIVERFRONT

Feb 16 - During spring half-term, The Riverfront will be offering a week of events to celebrate World Community Arts Day. From Monday 16 - Friday 20 February there will be workshops from around the World, performances by local talent, art exhibitions by local artists and a huge showcase event on Friday 20 February at 7pm. Throughout the week there will be a variety of World workshops on offer. For adults there will be Rumba, Capoeira and Indian Dance sessions and youngsters can try their hand at drama, aboriginal dot painting, African mask making and Oriental Arts!

Both of the Art Galleries at The Riverfront will be exhibiting work by over 65 different artists from Newport and the surrounding areas! There will be a large range of work, including digital photography, sculpture and ceramics. Some of the work will be available for sale, so make sure you come and see it and get your hands Newport’s next work of art! On Friday 20 February from 6pm, there will be a special viewing for all of the art being exhibited in the Basement Gallery, where work will again be available for sale. Everyone can come along and meet the artists involved. This will be followed at 7pm, by a special showcase event in the Main Theatre. The showcase will feature 23 groups and individuals, including bands, breakdancers, singers and a collective from The Pentalk Lab (The Riverfront’s own in-house recording studio). It will be a celebration of community arts, and will be a chance for the people of Newport to showcase their talents, across a wide range of genres.
 

THE MUSIC SCENE WITH LULU McPARTLIN - HERE

RIVERFRONT ADD EXTRA DATE THIS WEEKEND

Feb 3 - Due to demand, The Riverfront has added an extra date for Thear Pena's House of Bernarda Alba by Lorca. There will now be a matinee on Saturday at 2pm. The Riverfront Theatre report "We have also had some great news about the performance...Only Men Aloud have recorded some music especially for the show! "

NEWPORT CITY RADIO LAUNCH NIGHT

Jan 30 - Full details here.

UNI PARTICIPATES IN GLOBAL GAME JAM

Jan 30 - Newport will be the only Welsh venue for a worldwide computer game creation marathon that will challenge students, lecturers and professional game developers to come up with the most innovative new games in just 48 hours. The University of Wales, Newport is staging the Global Game Jam (GGJ), in which participants in timezones around the world work in teams to make a complete video game in the same limited time period. “We are proud to be the only Welsh venue in this first ever global event - a game jam that takes place in the same 48 hours all over the world,” said Dr. Mike Reddy, Programme Leader for the BSc (Hons) Games Development and Artificial intelligence course at Newport Business School.

GLC ALBUM INSPIRED BY 'WEED AND CURRY'

Jan 23 - The new album from Goldie Lookin' Chain has been inspired by weed and curry, according to the group's main writer Rhys Hutchings. Hutchings, aka P Xain, revealed in Digital Spy that the disc will be released on April 6 and will be preceded by a full UK tour by the Newport hip-hop band. The first date on the tour is February 27 at TJ's in Clarence Place.

The songwriter, who also produces and mixes for the outfit, claimed that the disc has come to fruition through two main factors. "Mainly curry, weed and the constant wish it was summer, especially during summer," he said.

Hutchings added that he would like to see the group's new song become a hit on the continent, saying: "I would like to get the single 'By Any Means Necessary' played in all the nightclubs on the coast of Spain. If we could get it to be played in Fuengirola I would be well happy." 'By Any Means Necessary' hits the shops on March 16.

NEWPORT TO HOST MASSIVE HARDCORE EVOLUTION DANCE EVENT

Jan 21 - Newport is set to host the third in a series of hardcore dance events in Wales. In February 2007 Hardcore Evolution presented The Real Deal which was seen as 'the biggest indoor dance event that Wales had seen for a decade'. With well over 1600 ravers this was then followed last year by The Real Deal 2. Since the demise of the Evolution venue in Cardiff the publicity states 'there has been no major hardcore events to this point but after securing the 1700 capacity Fire and Ice venue in Newport it is time to bring to the people of South Wales “Hardcore Evolution – The Real Deal 3”.' The event takes place on Friday February 13 at the Bridge Street venue from 10am to 6pm, tickets are £15 on the door. Fire and Ice will be split in to two arenas. The line up for arena one includes Gammer, Sy, Dougal, Joey Riot, Brisk, Recon, Marc Smith, Squad E and Supreme. Arena two includes Chuck-E, Barbers and Blitz, Fattman and Ice, Random Heroes, DJ Mos, Steve EP and Rob EJ, Fitz and Dan Summers. The event will include visual screens, chill out seating areas, merchandise stall from Bassline Records and on site food.  The event poster is here.
 

CELEBRITY CLASSICAL CONCERT SERIES AT THE RIVERFRONT Jan 21 - The third instalment of the Celebrity Classical Concert Series at The Riverfront will be performed by Tom Poster on Friday 30 January at 7.30pm. Winner of the keyboard section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year and Royal-Overseas League competitions, Tom Poster is rapidly emerging as one of the most talented and versatile pianists of his generation. As concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, he has appeared in major venues throughout Britain, Ireland, continental Europe, Macau and the Middle East. Festival appearances have included Edinburgh, Brighton, King’s Lynn and Spoleto, at the personal invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti. Tom’s programme will consist of Mozart’s Sonata in E flat major, K 282, Brahms’ Klavierstück, Op. 118 and Chopin’s Sonata in B Minor, Op. 58. Tickets are priced at £5, £8 and £10, with reductions available. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757, via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office.Special Offer: Buy tickets for both Tom Poster and Sinfonia Cymru (Sunday 25 January) for just £15.

CHANDLERY RETAINS FOOD AWARD

Jan 20 - The Chandlery in Lower Dock Street has retained its Bib Gourmand award from Michelin. This is awarded for 'good food at moderate prices'. It is the only restaurant in Newport (or Cardiff) to receive the recognition. This follows the three AA rosettes awarded to the new Crown at the Celtic Manor restaurant recently.

CUPID'S POISON ARROWS

Jan 19 - Tredegar House murder mystery evening, Friday 13 February. Are they the perfect couple, or is their marriage a perfect sham? Are they, as some believe, the reincarnation of Romeo and Juliet or is the truth far more sinister? And just who was it that shot the late Lord Tredegar through the heart with a golden arrow? A perfect way to spend Friday 13, and see in the Valentines weekend. Interrogate the characters in the sumptuous state rooms at Tredegar House then retire to the Morgan Room to deliberate over a three course meal for only £30. Call Tredegar House on 01633 815880 for more information or to make a booking.

OMAR AT THE RIVERFRONT

Jan 19 - Soul star Omar is at the Riverfront on January 29. The publicity states " Winters Night is a unique series of events that's has a commitment to live, soulful music with an audience with kind of feel to it. This will be a chance not just to see a great artist, but also to here the biography, history, journey and memories of the artist's career.. Finally having the opportunity to post questions directly to them. After a five-year recording hiatus - during which time he's built his own studio, set up his own label and been touring like a madman - the one and only Omar is back. Best known for the hit single "There's Nothing Like This" back in 1992 and more recently with "Sing" (if you want to) and "It's So" Omar is our best Soul export to date." Thursday January 29th 2009 Doors 7:30pm Show Starts 7:45pm. Tickets:£10-£15. 01633-656679.

TALENTED YOUNG MUSICIAN JOINS SINFONIA CYMRU IN NEWPORT

Jan 18 - On Sunday 25 January, Sinfonia Cymru return to The Riverfront and will be joined by Huw Morgan, playing the trumpet, who is a current member of the orchestra and brass winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006. Hailed in The Times as an artist of “high intelligence and immaculate professionalism”, Huw was the youngest ever winner of the International Trumpet Guild Solo competition in 2005 and now, aged just 21, is preparing a concerto tour with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and his return to London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall. Sinfonia Cymru will play a programme featuring Stravinsky’s Danses Concertantes, Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E Flat and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A Minor ‘Scottish’. The orchestra will be conducted by Gareth Jones. Sinfonia Cymru combines diversity and excellence to create a unique platform for young players at the beginning of their musical careers and to take chamber music of an exceptional quality to the people of Wales. Tickets are priced at £10, with reductions available. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757, via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront or by visiting The Riverfront Box Office. There is also a special offer for this performance. If you buy tickets for Sinfonia Cymru and Tom Poster (Friday 30 January) you pay just £15!

LEGENDARY FILM DIRECTOR JOINS UNI FILM MAKING EVENT

“Ken Russell, Professor Louis Scheeder from New York University (NYU), and other internationally recognised professionals in the film industry will be talking about how they have worked with students on developing their skills and ideas about future trends in acting and directing,” said Nigel Orrillard, Programme Leader in MA Film at the International Film School Wales (IFSW), who is organising the event with Dr. Andy Smith, Academic Leader, Performance.

Youngsters Show off Artwork Created Aboard Newport Ship

Lindy Davies pictured above with her graduation piece, an installation created around one of the last Bristol cutters built in Newport Docks

Jan 11 -Newport youngsters have created an exhibition of artwork based on the Newport Ship with the help of a Fine Arts graduate of the University of Wales, Newport. Lindy Davies, who became Artist-in-Residence at the Newport Ship after gaining her degree at Newport School of Art Media and Design, worked with the pupils from Fairwater Comprehensive School to create a mural, a medieval-style bench and wooden planters for the exhibition, entitled ‘Community and the Newport Ship’, which can be seen at Newport Museum from 9th January until 31st March. The young artists, aged 14 – 16, will be attending the exhibition to view their work at 10am on Tuesday 13th January. Lindy was appointed to the post on the strength of her graduation piece, an installation created around one of the last Bristol cutters to be built in Newport docks, which is now on show alongside the Newport Ship.“ The young people really enjoyed themselves and they produced some lovely artwork after seeing the Newport Ship,” said Ms Davies

FLUFFY ZOO HEADS FOR NEWPORT MARKET

Jan 7 - Newport Market will be home to a mini petting zoo this Saturday (10^th). After the success of the Halloween creepy crawly zoo, Petwise are back and this time they have brought animals of the fluffier kind! Come along between 11am and 4pm to meet rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, chinchillas, birds, poultry and more. All ages are welcome and admission is free.

BRING IN THE NEW YEAR IN STYLE AT THE RIVERFRONT

Dec 26 - Kick off your New Year in style with a Fancy Dress New Years Eve Party at The Riverfront. A fun way to start a night of celebrations for adults and children alike with no babysitters required. Customers with tickets for either performance of the pantomime Sleeping Beauty on New Years Eve will be invited to a special fancy dress party starting at 3.30pm. All customers are invited to dress up as their favourite fancy dress character and enter the fun fancy dress competition. There will be prizes on offer for the best dressed and most creative, adults and children. Prizes are donated from Vellacine, HMV, Cadbury and Musgraves. The grown ups will be offered a free glass of bubbly with a mince pie and special drinks offers at the bar and they will be able to relax, safe in the knowledge that their kids will be entertained with a fun disco. Sleeping Beauty is this year’s professional pantomime at The Riverfront and runs between Thursday 4 December 2008 and Saturday 3 January 2009. Starring the irrepressible Brian Hibbard, Welsh stars Gillian Elisa and Phylip Harries and a host of local talent. Tickets are still available for either performance on New Years Eve. The earlier show begins at 1.30pm and the later show begins at 5pm. The Fancy Dress Party will take place between the two performances of Sleeping Beauty on Wednesday 31 December 2008 and will start at 3.30pm. Tickets cost between £5 and £15.50 with family and group discounts also available and can be booked by phoning 01633 656757 or online at www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront.

SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA RETURNS TO CITY

Dec 26 - The internationally renowned Syd Lawrence Orchestra returns to The Riverfront , Newport on 24th January with a breathtaking concert of music billed as Presented by Britain's foremost Big Band leader and featuring star vocalist and vocal group the programme features the music of the Swing era. From Syd's faultless transcriptions of the Glenn Miller repertoire, through the hits of the legendary Count Basie and into the great music still being written for this orchestra today. Also featured will be the music of Tommy Dorsey, Neal Hefti, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton. Having recently been voted "Best Band in the Land" for the consecutive year, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra is on top form. Their recent album has been endorsed by some of the most respected names in the big band world, and the energy of this swinging young band has been thrilling live. Don't miss the opportunity to hear this world beating orchestra in concert. Tickets are available from The Riverfront Box Office or via www.sydlawrenceorchestra.com.

RESTORATION ROMP AT THE RIVERFRONT

Nov 24 - ‘The Man of Mode’, which is set in a London obsessed with having it all, is presented by third year Performing Arts students from Newport University at the Riverfront Theatre from 27th – 29th November. The play's director, and senior lecturer at Newport School of Art, Media and Design, Roger Wooster, said, “This comedy of bad manners by George Etherege is a classic of Restoration comedy. We have adapted it so that the second half is in modern dress to underline the many similarities to life today. The cast are all extremely talented and have enjoyed putting the show together. We’re now all very keen to move on from the rehearsal stage and looking forward to presenting it at the Riverfront Theatre.”

Student Graham Hill who plays the central character, Mr Dorimant, said, “It’s a demanding character to play. It’s been a real challenge but a pleasant one as he’s the exact opposite to me in real life. I’m quite shy and he’s definitely not!”

CITY STUDENTS CLAIM FILM AWARD NOMINATIONS

Commenting on the high number of nominations, Humphry Trevelyan, Head of IFSW, said, “I am very pleased that so many of our students have received nominations for awards, especially as many of them are second year students. “The Ffresh Awards are a showcase for the best work created by tomorrow’s top talent in the film and TV industry. Newport has a long and proud tradition of film-making and it is very rewarding to see the high quality of our students’ work being recognised. Last year, our students scooped six of the nine category awards at Ffresh and one of them also won the coveted Audience Award.”

The winners will be announced at the festival which will be held in Aberystwyth from 11th – 13th February 2009.

NEWPORT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON

Nov 15 - The winner of Newport’s Search for a Star competition, Shelby Morgan will switch on the city’s Christmas lights with the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Noel Trigg, tomorrow (16 November).

The 14-year-old St Joseph's High School pupil who is a member of musical theatre group We Are What We Are (WAWWA) and has performed in school productions for years is currently having singing lessons to help make her West End stage dreams come true.

Shelby will perform live at the big switch in front of thousands of people expected to visit the city centre for this year’s hugely popular event. From early afternoon they can enjoy street entertainers, seasonal markets, live music, dancers and entertainers, culminating in a firework finale

STUDENTS SAMPLE TASTE OF UNIVERSITY

Louise Kedward, from Crickhowell High School has already signed up to do the Foundation Art course at the University and hopes to go on study fashion design. She said, “I thought the taster day was very good especially as it was so hands-on, and we actually got to create something. It was so much better than simply having a tour of the university. The tutors here are very friendly and the student ambassadors were especially helpful.”

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DIGITAL ARTS HEADS FOR NEWPORT

Nov 9 - A major new festival has moved from Swansea to Newport. The International Festival of Digital Arts is a celebration of sound, video and still images with a competition culminating in an awards ceremony at the Riverfront on October 3 2009. For more details see here.

MINT AT THE MEZE Mint presents... MINT II Filthy electronic music wrapped up in techno and hip hop with a dash of rock & roll sauce. Headlining DJ JUILIAN LIBERATOR Acid techno from London's favorite free party crew - stay up forever Live Acts STAEDLER AND WALDORF The original beat muppets unveiling a new set before invading the USA with their hypnotic brand of live breaks, and supaphat bass. BOMB CULTURE Giving you an onslaught of rotten rock n roll, bleeps, squeaks & blistering beats NO SLEEP POLICE Straight outta Blackwood with kick ass hip hop to rock & shock the nation PROJECT SERPO Giving us the best in electro acoustic fun and bleeps plus DJs DR NITROGEN form critical mass on the decks DUBSTEP GROOVES ON THE ROOF TERRACE FROM MONDO, ONE MAN DUB, SLIPPERS THE DARKSIDE GALLERY VISUAL SLUT Thursday 20th November @ The Meze Lounge, Newport 8:30 -3:00am £5 before 10:30 £7 after

NEWPORT FILM GRADUATE TO BE MENTORED BY BRANAGH

“I’m really pleased to have been selected for this scheme, especially as I’m a big fan of Kenneth Branagh and his work,” said 30-year-old Keri, (pictured left), who is originally from Caldicot but now lives in Cardiff. Branagh has so much respect from everyone in the film industry and being an actor himself he’s a great director because he knows exactly how to get the best out of actors he’s working with.”

Keri was so inspired by Branagh’s film of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ he adapted the bard’s ‘Comedy of Errors’ – updating the setting to Baghdad - and his screenplay will be one of the things he will be working on with Kenneth Branagh. "He's going to read my script and give me comments and notes on how to improve it," said Keri, who has already met with the actor backstage at his latest West End success, Chekhov's ‘Ivanov’, to discuss the mentoring scheme.

THRU THE ARCH CLUB HOSTS BURLESQUE REVUE

Oct 31 - See the attached link

Burlesque = Burlesque is theatrical entertainment of broad and parodic humor, which usually consists of comic skits (and sometimes a strip tease). Some authors assert burlesque is a direct descendant of the Commedia dell'arte; the term "burlesque" for a parody or comedy of manners appears about the same time as the first appearance of commedia dell'arte. The word "burlesque" comes from the Italian burla, which means a joke although it may come from the French word burlesque itself, which indicates a piece of art that is ridiculous and slightly outrageous, most of the time in a funny way.

CITY CELEBRATES CHARTIST PAST

Oct 30 - Newport will be celebrating the 169th anniversary of its Chartist past over the next week.

Newport Chartist Weekend 1st – 4th November 2008

On 4th November 1839 thousands of men from across south Wales marched on Newport. Over twenty died in this protest to seek the vote for all – and three of the leaders were convicted of treason and exiled to Tasmania.

Join in and Celebrate the pioneers of democracy

Saturday 1st Nov Chartist Convention
09.30am start at Newport Museum and Library
10.30am guided ‘Chartist Walk’ to the Westgate Hotel
11.30am – 4.30pm continues at St Mary’s Church, Stow Hill.
Explore the Chartist stories – Programme includes: ‘Chartist Trials’ documents and artefacts on display; a guided walk; talks by leading chartist historian Prof Owen Ashton and by people who have discovered chartist ancestors; films about the Chartists – old and new.   
Entrance is FREE, but as last year’s event was a ‘sell out’ please book tel 01633 414859 (Rosalin). Lunch is available (bread and soup).

Sunday 2nd Nov  Chartist Coach Tour Knowledgeable guides will take us around sites in south east Wales connected with the Chartist Movement – such as Blaenavon, Bedwellty House and Blackwood.
Departs St Woolos Cathedral 9.30am.    Returns 5.30pm.
Tickets £7 per person Contact HERIAN to book 01685 723968

Tuesday 4th Nov     Chartist Remembrance
A group of children from Newport will retrace the steps of the Chartists down Stow Hill to the Westgate Hotel 1.30pm. At 6pm - annual commemoration at the Chartist memorial stone in the churchyard of St Woolos Cathedral.

FEEDER SHOW STILL ON

Oct 29 - Feeder's upcoming gig at Newport (November 2) is still on despite the blaze that destroyed the band's tour bus earlier this week.

CIDER WITH ROGER

Oct 27 - An excellent 2008 Graduate Film by Adam Millbank of the BA (Hons) Documentary Film and Television Programme, part of the International Film School Wales (ISFW) at Newport School of Art, Media and Design. See it here.

CITY GETS BEHIND THE BIG READ!

Ever thought how many words you read every day? Newport’s Big Read is going to count just that – and encourage you to read even more than usual!

The City Council is asking everyone in Newport to let us know how many words you read on Wednesday 29 October.

Events are being held at The Riverfront and libraries, but you can read anywhere! Take a book or newspaper on the bus, pick up a magazine during your lunchtime, and don’t forget all those everyday things you read without even thinking about it. The running total will be displayed at The Riverfront on a giant totaliser, designed by local school children and Newport’s Arts Development team.

How many words have you read?

Let the City Council know by…

- Popping in to a library or the Riverfront

- Calling 01633 656656

- email - central.library@newport.gov.uk

Newport graduate's work features in Bond film

His innovative work, which combines light with sculpture, has gained growing recognition since his installations were among the highlights of the prestigious Tent London design festival, which attracted over 18,000 visitors. “The response to my work has been overwhelming,” said 27-year-old Alistair, who is now a visiting tutor at Newport School of Art Media and Design.

RIVERFRONT NOVEMBER LISTINGS

Oct 22 - Now available see above.

MUSIC SCENE INFORMATION

Oct 21 - For the impressive Joy Collective website follow this link. The latest Joy event takes place on Thursday at the Meze Lounge in Market Street on Thursday, see the detail here.

TIME FOR DANCE AT NEWPORT MARKET

Oct 14 - The latest in a series of tea dances at Newport Market will take place on Wednesday 15 October.

The tea dances will be held upstairs in the Gallery of Newport Market, High Street on a monthly basis, as part of Newport City Council’s ongoing work promoting healthy living and its Nutrition Strategy for Older People. The event, which is funded through the Assembly’s Older Persons Strategy fund, is free to the over-50s who wish to dance or just watch the fun between 2pm-4pm.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE SHIP FOR SOME TIME

Oct 3 - Members of the public are being invited to see the on-going restoration work on Newport Ship at an open day on Sunday 5 October. The Newport Ship Recording Project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in partnership with Newport City Council, and the facility at Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate will be open to visitors between 11am and 4pm.

The Friends of Newport Ship will be leading guided tours and talking about their experiences of the project. Archaeological experts will be hand to answer any questions.This will be the last open day before work starts on the conservation phase of the project, which is expected to last between four and six years.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR RIVERFRONT EXHIBITION

Sep 25 - The Riverfront in Newport, South Wales is currently housing an incredibly exciting exhibition which explores themes of history, loss and regeneration and involves over 20 local artists. The exhibition, ‘Ghosts in Armour’ opened to the public in the basement gallery at The Riverfront on Friday 5 September. The spectacular launch night was attended by over 400 people, including approximately 200 ex-employees of the steel works on which the exhibition is based. With well over 1,000 guests having visited so far and over 4,000 visitors to the ‘Ghosts in Armour’ website, the exhibition is open until Friday 17 October 2008 and is not to be missed. Metro newspaper gave the exhibition a glowing 5/5 review, and visitors have left hundreds of enthusiastic comments with the artists. What started as a personal project for two local Newport photographers, Matt Wright and Janire Najera, has now, with the support of Corus, the Arts Council of Wales, The Riverfront and many others, expanded to become a major exhibition. ‘Ghosts in Armour’ is centred around the former Whiteheads steel plant in central Newport, now demolished, and as such is deeply relevant to the current redevelopment of the city. The exhibition contains 360 degree photography of the steel plant as it has never been seen before, including the site as it was when derelict. There are portraits of former Whiteheads workers photographed where they used to work, film footage of the factory and an installation built with objects found in the factory before its demolition.

CHARTIST WEEKEND PLANNED FOR CITY

Sep 25 - November 4 is the anniversary of the Chartist March on Newport. The Chartists are celebrated in Newport as part of a special weekend. See details here.

DISCOVER DANCE AT THE RIVERFRONT It’s time to Discover Dance at The Riverfront this September. This month, Newport welcomes an International exchange and outdoor dance event, local and national choreographers, circus and a whole lot of imagination. Kicking off Discover Dance is Osez!, a FREE outdoor dance project from Canada, who will perform at The Riverfront with between Tuesday 16 –Saturday 20 September. Seven Canadian dancers and seven from Wales will work with choreographers Karine Ledoyen from Quebec and Sean Tuan John from Wales to create five different dances, a new dance every day, which will be performed on the quayside outside The Riverfront. This project is a chance for dance artists from Wales and Quebec to exchange techniques and knowledge, and also to perform together. The cafe and bar will be open for food and drinks. Entry is free and you can either come along to just one performance, or all five! The choice is yours.   On Wednesday 24 September at 7.30pm, there will be another dance performance choreographed by Karine Ledoyen. This time it is the Canadian dance company Danse K par K in a performance called Cibler. This is a performance positioned half way between theatre and dance, where three dancers reflect on isolation and the ways in which people come together or separate. First performed at the Grand Theatre de Quebec, Cibler received excellent reviews, and this performance at The Riverfront is the only UK performance. Tickets are priced at £8 with reductions available.

HYSTERICAL POLITICAL SATIRE AT THE RIVERFRONT

Dario Fo’s brilliant comic masterpiece, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, is one of the most performed plays in the world and will be performed by the incredible Northern Broadsides at The Riverfront on Tuesday 21 (7.30pm) and Wednesday 22 October 2008 (2pm and 7.30pm).

A devastating political satire on police corruption, it tells the true story of an Italian anarchist who mysteriously fell to his death from the window of a police station. The appropriately named ‘Maniac’ investigates, and in doing so reveals the idiocy of lies spun by officialdom. Sharp, hilarious, fast-paced, slapstick, filled with anarchy, irreverence and sheer lunacy, this specially commissioned new version, set in a contemporary northern England police station, is filled with topical gags and a corrosive perspective on the great British constabulary: think Life on Mars meets Have I Got News For You.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist is performed by Northern Broadsides, who are renowned internationally for their vigorous performance style and unsurpassable talent for broad comedy that hits the spot with deadly accuracy. Tickets for Accidental Death of an Anarchist are priced at £14 with reductions available. Get your tickets by calling the Booking Line on 01633 656757 or via the secure website www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront.

WETLANDS ART INSPIRATION

Artists are invited to a workshop where they can learn more about techniques and gain inspiration from the beautiful scenery of Newport Wetlands. The workshop will be lead by artist Susie Bright whose work includes painting, photography, drawing and making tableaux.

Susie was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to Britain nearly twenty years ago. After studying art part-time for several years, she left work to study art full-time, completing a BA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College in 1999. She moved to Wales in 2001.

The workshop will be held at the Wetlands education and visitor centre on Saturday 18 October, between 10am and 4pm. Weather permitting, artists will go out on to the reserve to draw. Reference material will be provided. This workshop is for artists aged 17 and over and costs £12.50 (includes tea and coffee). Call 01633 636363 for further information and to book places.

NEWPORT MARKET EVENTS

Sep 8 - Newport Indoor Market has published a listing of the events planned for its gallery area in the run up to Christmas. See the details here.

ATARIS TO PLAY TJs

Aug 31 - Leading US punk band the Ataris from Anderson, Indiana will play TJ's on October 24. This is the only UK date so far announced at the end of their US tour.

CENTRE TO HOST BREAK-DANCING CHAMPIONSHIP

Aug 27 - The Welsh Open B-Boy Championship will take place at Newport Centre on Saturday 27 September. Organised by B-Boy Wales, this year’s breakdancing competition promises to be the best yet.

This event has certainly grown from strength to strength with its spectacular displays of skill, stamina, daring moves, acrobatics and mind-boggling flips. All these go to show that age is not really an issue, as breakdancing and hip hop are passions and a way of life. There will be crews from the UK, Korea, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Latvia, Turkey and USA battling on the day.

Not only will there be the traditional crew battles, but also two-on-two battles and the feature event, B-Boy Wales’ ‘Last Man Standing’ one-on-one international solo battles. International b-boy Alien Ness will be a special guest judge, along with Dyzee who will be flying in from Canada to join other distinguished b-boys judging the event.

ROBERT OWEN EXHIBITION

Aug 20 - The legacies of Robert Owen, one of Wales’ most famous sons, are the subject of a new exhibition at Newport Museum and Art Gallery. The touring exhibition was launched by the Welsh Assembly Government in February. Siân Williams, the librarian at the South Wales Miners’ Library at Swansea University, has developed the bilingual exhibition with a grant of £49,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Robert Owen is considered to be the 'father' of the co-operative and trade union movements and one of the most famous Welshmen of all time. His legacy has had a great impact on the world. The exhibition runs from Tuesday 19 August – Tuesday 30 September in the museum on the second floor. Admission is free.

EXHIBITION TAKES FRESH LOOK AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

Aug 17 - An exhibition of photos takes a fresh look at Tredegar House by picturing people from a local housing estate in the rooms of the beautiful 17th century building. ‘A place in the past, a place in the present’ is the work of student Janire Najera who is about to graduate in Documentary Photography from the University of Wales, Newport.   “Last year I worked with residents on the Duffryn Estate and by taking them to be photographed in Tredegar House my aim was to make this historic building a part of the present,” said 26-year-old Janire, who comes from Madrid. “Through this exhibition, which is on at Tredegar House until 30th September, I’ve tried to create photographs which re-interpret this beautiful building which is home to the Morgan family,” added Janire

BRADFIELD LOOKS FORWARD TO NEWPORT RETURN

Aug 16 - Manic Street Preachers front man James Dean Bradfield has hailed Newport's contribution to the music scene in an interview with the Western Mail.

The Manics play Newport Centre on Thursday 21st as a warm up for their headline set on the Radio One stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals next weekend. It’s exactly 11 years since the band last played at the Newport. “Funnily enough the last time we played there in 1997 was a warm up for Reading,” he told the Western Mail “Newport Centre reminds me of all the great bands I used to go and see there and of Newport’s history, like the apocalyptic Smiths’ gig there that was front page news. (On October 19, 1986, Morrissey was pulled off stage by fans and had to abandon the gig for hospital treatment. A riot ensued).

“Newport has TJ’s as well as Newport Centre and for a period in the ’90s it was known as Seattle In Wales because of its influence in Britain, so it’s always good to go back.” That gig, on August 22, 1997, was the Manics’ only Welsh date of the year and sold-out the 2,024 ticket allocation at the rate of 20 per minute, with queues forming around the block when they were put on sale.

DUFFY TO PLAY NEWPORT CENTRE

Aug 13 - New sensation Duffy is scheduled to play Newport Centre as part of a short UK-wide tour prior to Christmas, according to a Virgin Music press release.

The 24-year-old's debut album is the UK's biggest selling album this year, selling over one million copies here and over three million worldwide to date. A source close to Duffy said: "It doesn't seem that long ago that Duffy was singing in local village pubs and at college. To think she's now performing in front of thousands on some of the world's major stages, is amazing. She's come so far." Duffy will kick off the tour in Dublin on November 24, before heading to Belfast, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Newport (December 7) and finishing with two dates at London's Brixton Academy in December. The singer, from the village of Nefyn in North Wales, has been a smash hit this year. She has also wowed crowds at several festivals and won the 2008 Song of the Year MOJO Award for Mercy.

COMMUNITY DAY FOR MAINDEE POLICE

July 29 - Maindee Neighbourhood Policing Team is inviting people of all ages to a Community Fun Day in Lysaghts Park on Tuesday 5^th August. The free summer event, which will run from 10am to 4pm, has been organised by the police in conjunction with South Wales Fire Service, Newport City Council, local businesses and ward councillors. There will be lots of activities to take part in and plenty of prizes to be won.

One of the highlights will be an opportunity for local youngsters to pit their sporting skills against local police officers. Ward councillors are also hoping to sponsor a climbing wall to test the nerves and skill of more adventurous youngsters. PCSO Darryl Morgan, of Maindee Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "The Community Fun Day promises to be a great day of entertainment during the summer holidays. The public have told us they would like to see such an event and we hope to build good relationships with the public while having fun on the day."

STEEL CATHEDRALS CAPTURED

The Riverfront in Newport will be housing a one-off and incredibly exciting exhibition which explore themes of history, loss and regeneration and involves over 20 local artists. The exhibition, ‘Ghosts in Armour’ opens in the basement gallery at The Riverfront in Newport on Friday 5 September and will be open to the public from Thursday 6 September until Wednesday 17 of October.

What started as a personal project for two local Newport photographers, Matt Wright and Janire Najera, has now, with the support of Corus, the Arts Council of Wales, The Riverfront and many others, expanded to become a major exhibition. ‘Ghosts in Armour’ is an exploration of the themes of history, loss and regeneration centred around the former Whiteheads Steel plant in central Newport, now demolished, and as such deeply relevant to the current redevelopment of the city. The exhibition will contain 360 degree photography of the Steel Plant as it has never been seen before, including the plant as it was when derelict. There will be portraits of former Whiteheads workers photographed where they used to work, film footage of the factory and an installation built with objects found in the factory before its demolition.
 

NEWPORT FESTIVAL SET TO START

Jul 24 - A range of events have been planned for the Newport Festival over the next five days. See here.

MORE EVENTS AT NEWPORT CENTRE

July 21 - Enter Shakiri play Newport Centre on October 23, Feeder on November 2, Pendulum on November 27 and Heaven 17, ABC and the Human League on December 12. For tickets call 01633 656757.

MANICS SET FOR NEWPORT DATE 

Manic Street Preachers will play Newport Centre on Thursday 21 August as a warm-up date ahead of their Reading and Leeds festival appearance.

This is the first time the Welsh trio have played the venue since 1997 and is sure to be an electrifyingly must-see for fans. The band, who received NME’s Godlike Genius Award earlier this year, will headline the magazine’s stage at the Reading site on Saturday 23rd August and Sunday 24th at Leeds.

Bassist and Newport resident Nicky Wire said: “We have not played the Newport Centre since 1997 and that was a warm up for a Reading headline appearance.  That night was pretty special, and as this will be the band’s only performance in Wales this year we are all really looking forward to it and sure it will be just as memorable.” You can call the City Contact Centre for tickets on 01633 656757 or the 24 hour cc hotline: 0871 2200 260 / www.gigsandtours.com. Tickets on sale Friday 18th July at 9.30am priced £25

RIVERFRONT OPEN WEEKEND

Jul 8 - The Riverfront is gearing up for the annual Open Weekend on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July between 11am and 4pm, and can promise loads of activities, arts and performance of all kind throughout the weekend. Visitors will get the chance to get backstage, listen to live music, try out various exciting arts and crafts and watch local talents perform.

               LEGENDARY DIRECTOR TO MARK START OF CITY CENTRE CAMPUS

Jun 23 - Legendary film director Ken Russell will be leaving his handprints and autograph in concrete on the riverside site of the new City Centre Campus of the University of Wales, Newport to mark the start of the construction phase of the £35m project.

The acclaimed director of films such as ‘Women in Love’ and ‘Tommy’ will be immortalised in concrete similar to the famous Hollywood Forecourt of the Stars at Mann’s Chinese Theatre during the ceremony which takes place on the banks of the River Usk on Monday 30th June.

The new campus will be home to two academic Schools with international reputations - Newport Business School and the digital media, film and design elements of Newport School of Art, Media and Design.

“I think the City Centre Campus is a brilliant idea – and the sooner it’s completed and producing tomorrow’s film-makers, artists and entrepreneurs the better!” said Ken, a Visiting Professor at the University’s International Film School Wales (IFSW), when he presented the award for the best film made by students on the Film and Video degree course last week.

“I’m looking forward to the ceremony and leaving my handprints in the cement. I built my own house so I know all about working with cement,” he added.

CRAFT FOLK FESTIVAL COMING TO CITY CENTRE

Commercial Street, Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 June, 10am to 5.30pm

With up to 30 stalls hosting genuine artists and crafters selling their own work, interspersed with a selection of seasonal food and wines, the Craft Folk festival is the perfect place to pick up a present – or even a treat for yourself.Passers-by will be tempted by pewter work, heritage images of Wales, metalwork, photography, silver and precious stone jewellery. There will be traditional wooden items and toys, art works and cards for all occasions, plus glasswork and needlework together with many original decorative items for the house and garden.Commission personalise gifts or taste the seasonal food and drink on offer. Choose from a selection of home made Welsh fudge, wines, fruit and cream liqueurs, fresh hot pancakes, honey roasted nuts and a traditional hog roast.

PIGEON DETECTIVES TO PLAY CITY
 

June 2 - Rising stars the Pigeon Detectives are to play Newport Centre on Thursday - ticket prices £13.50 performing songs from their hit debut album "Wait For Me".
 

TOP ANIMATION STUDENTS SET UP STUDIO IN CITY

May 6 - Two talented film-makers who recently added the British Animation Award to their ever-growing collection of trophies – bringing their total number of awards to a staggering 28 – have set up their own studio in Newport. Tom Brown and Dan Gray scooped the awards for their film ‘t.o.m.’ which they made as their graduation film while studying at the University of Wales, Newport.

Having established their own animation film company, Holbrook’s Films, they are now busy working on animated station identities for Fuse TV, an American music TV station to fund their next animation film. “This and other work will help us to raise the capital to make our follow-up to ‘t.o.m.,” said 30-year-old Dan who comes from Caerleon. “We could have moved to London but decided to stay in Newport as we wanted to work for ourselves, and the regeneration taking place here is transforming the city into an exciting place for creative talent.”

SHOCK TACTICS AT THE RIVERFRONT

Apr 11 - Legendary film director Ken Russell will be among a team of experts examining the way art can challenge boundaries by using shock tactics, at an event organised by the University of Wales, Newport at the Riverfront Theatre on Wednesday 16th April.The event, entitled ‘Transgressions’, will look at  film, performance and photography that uses strategies such as shock, chaos, disorder and disruption to make points about resistance and subversion in the face of a global society where culture is becoming increasingly standardised.
 

Ken Russell who has been Visiting Professor at the International Film School Wales (IFSW) since 2004, will be talking about how he has used shock tactics in his work and then screening two of his short films.  The celebrated and controversial British film director is well known for producing cult classics such as the award-winning  'Women in Love, ‘The Devils’ and the Who’s rock opera ‘Tommy’, and was recently included in the Daily Telegraph’s Top 100 Living Geniuses list.

CUTTING EDGE CIRCUS COMES TO CITY

Mar 28 - The Riverfront will present NoFit State Circus with tabú standing on the edge of the wilderness at Tredegar Park in April 2008! The award winning, critically acclaimed NoFit State Circus preview their new show tabú in Newport as part of The Riverfront summer season.

Dates: 10,11,12,17,18 & 19 April at 7.30pm
Saturday 12 & Saturday 19 April at 3pm
Prices: £15, Reductions £12, CLC £11.50, special offer for NP postcodes on 10,11,12 April £10, Reductions £7, CLC £6.50
Venue: Spaceship big top, Tredegar Park, Disabled access- Tel 01633 656757 for tickets

NEW RESTAURANT AT CELTIC MANOR

Mar 26 - The Celtic Manor Resort will open a new restaurant, the Crown at Celtic Manor, on 29th March. Set within the site’s 330-room hotel, the new venue will be run by Michelin star chef, James Sommerin from the Crown at Whitebrook, Monmouth.

UNSEEN BRITAIN

Mar 26 - As part of the Sony Alpha Unseen Britain campaign, renowned climber and photographer Mike Robertson has toured the country scaling new heights and legendary landmarks to create unique images. In conjunction with Enjoy England, Visit Scotland and Visit Wales, six structures across Britain were selected by Mike, based on the challenge of the climb, the geographical location, the visual impact of their surroundings and the opportunity to capture a never seen before image. These were Spinnaker Tower (Portsmouth), Blackpool Tower, Newport Transporter Bridge, Snowhill Plaza (Birmingham), Glasgow Tower (Glasgow) and the Park Plaza (Leeds). See the images on our bridge here  ->

 

TOP COMEDY AT THE RIVERFRONT

Mar 21 - The Riverfront's reputation for top comedy is continuing to build. Star comedian Rob Brydon takes his all-Wales tour to the Riverfront on November 25. Tickets are selling fast and are priced at £17.50. Brendan Burns will be at the Riverfront on April 11 with tickets priced £10. He is fresh from his triumphant run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer where he was awarded comedy's highest accolade, The If.comedy award (formerly the Perrier Award). The laconic Jo Brand will be in town on April 25, tickets are £15. In addition, the Riverfront boasts the Comedy Shed  on the last Friday of every month - next up March 28 - where you can sit in a cabaret style atmosphere and enjoy performances from established comedians. This month features Wayne Deakin, with a "likeable laconic style" that's guaranteed to get you laughing and thinking, Jo Enright, who over the years has developed a brand of humour described as "fresh, honest and thumpingly funny" and Andy Askins, who's "expertly crafted routine" is littered with an eclectic mix of offbeat comic songs and parodies. Tickets £10. All tickets can be booked at the theatre or by calling Newport 657757.

THE DOLMAN THIS SPRING
 

22-26 April- Newport Operatic Society presents Thoroughly Modern Millie. A chance to see this much loved musical. Tickets: 01633 440707 or 891363.

29 April- 2 May- Lyric Musical Society presents Carmen. A wonderful operetta- a real musical treat. Tickets 01633 2636670 or 02920 851583.

NEW SCULPTURE UNVEILED

Mar 2 - The seasons have been set in stone in Newport, following the unveiling of a new sculpture in Belle Vue Park. Revealing the seasons as seen through the eyes of a gardener, the sculpture compliments the sweeping walks and ornamental trees that make up the 26 acres of the park. Carved in sandstone, the artwork depicts a central sun surrounded by twelve relief carvings. Each carving illustrates a natural event or animal associated with a certain month of the year.

Having been crowned Wales’ undisputed floral champion for the ninth time last year, the “Gardener’s Calendar” has been developed in support of the city’s Newport in Bloom campaign. Artist Sebastian Brooke, who designed and carved the sculpture, was joined by local school children to explain the sources of inspiration for his artwork, as well as the process of creating the piece.The unveiling of the artwork follows many years of improvement work within the park. Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the council has restored the parks rich architectural history, while updating it for the 21^st century visitor.

ST. DAVID'S DAY SHOWCASE FOR CITY ART SCENE

Feb 22 - Newpart's 6th Creative Showcase event  at TJ's Clarence Place Saturday 1st March - brings you a diverse selection of live & local talent in a creative, friendly environment. Includes Team Brick, Fallen Painting, Big Mack, Jonathon Baines. Compere is Jools Constant. Entry £4 (£3 concessions). The promo states "All welcome, so come along and see what the Newport arts scene has to offer. "
 

FILM SCHOOL STUDENTS SWEEP AWARDS

Feb 18 - Young film makers from the University of Wales, Newport have won six of the nine category awards at Ffresh 2008, the student moving image festival of Wales.The coveted Audience Award at the two-day festival in Aberystwyth was also presented to a student from the University's International Film School Wales. Tara Cody's factual film, Skin Deep, is about showing the ageing process in reverse.

At the awards ceremony at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, the Best of Festival award was also given to one of the six category award winners from Newport, Yiorgos Moustakis, for his fiction film, Mari.Newport also won two awards from RTS Wales, which were announced at Ffresh, for Best Animation and Best Documentary.

Festival chair Maggie Russell said, "Some incredible talent has emerged this year and I am really excited to see how projects and ideas we have seen at Ffresh develop in the coming months and years. We were also able to report back on what award winners from previous festivals are now up to which I know was inspirational for the students who made this year's event such a great success. It also demonstrates that the educational establishments across Wales can both work closely with the media industry and also act as trail blazers in giving traditional media a glimpse of the future."Humphry Trevelyan, Head of the International Film School Wales said that he was delighted, but not too surprised by the results. "I am supremely confident in the talent and ability of our students here at Newport and, once again, the results of the Ffresh Awards shows this to be justified. Newport has a long and proud tradition of film-making and it is also great to see that we are being recognised in new fields for us such as creative sound and music."

The International Film School Wales is a lead partner of the Skillset Screen Academy Wales and has been approved by the UK film industry as a centre of excellence for film education and training. Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the audiovisual industries, has awarded Screen Academy status to only six HE/FE consortia across the UK. This provides funding for masterclasses, mentors, bursaries, industry placements, production costs, festival attendance and advanced equipment.

LARFALOT - NEWPORT'S ONLY FRINGE COMEDY NIGHT
 

Feb 4 - February 7 venue Le Pub - Newport's only Fringe comedy night, according to newpart.co.uk. It is run as a not-for-profit event run to give new comics a place to perform in Newport.It runs on the first Thursday of every month.Each month usually sees a top name from the comedy circuit headlining the gig supported by new comics developing their set.. and established comics trying new material.All are welcome to come and have a go. So far 14 people have jumped onto the comedy stage for the very first thanks to Larfalot.Great atmosphere, reasonably priced beer, great rock style venue. Resident MC Jools Constant (The only comic in the village!) Entry - £4 (£3 concessions).
 

CHANDLERY AND WATERLOO TO GO FOR SUNDAY LUNCHES

Jan 28 (updated) - Newport's only Bib Gourmand restaurant the Chandlery is set to announce that it will be serving Sunday lunches in response to customer demand. The new service is expected to start in late February/March. According to their website it appears the service will start on Mothering Sunday with a £19.95 set menu. Details here
 

Metro Newspaper 2007 Restaurant of the Year, the Waterloo Hotel, will start out on a Sunday from this weekend - February 3 offering three courses at £17.95, two courses at £14.95. See here.
 

RIVERFRONT SPRING SEASON
 

Jan 8 - Why not blow away any festive cobwebs with one or more of the enlivening performances The Riverfront has to offer this spring. There’s theatre a-plenty this season, starting with some local talent when UWN’s Vista Theatre present a gut-wrenching version of Café Grand Guignol and followed by a Welsh language panto for schools with Macsen by Cwmni Mega. Sole Abode by Madrugada fuses text, physical performance and striking set – and a man who decides to live in a fridge! Funeral Games will be presented by Unpacked who tell darkly comedic stories, using high-octane physicality, new writing and a distinctive puppetry aesthetic, so for you risk-takers out there, try something new and come along to either of these pieces of striking new theatre.

Finally, bard-busters themselves, the Reduced Shakespeare Company will return with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). There will be young people’s theatre with the Shakespeare Youth Festival and Riverfront Youth Theatre show back. Families can choose from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Witch’s Bogey, Does a Monster Live Next Door and Dragon Fish. The Witch’s Bogey is during half-term, while the other three shows are on the first Saturdays of February, March and April. There’s a special offer for those of you who book for all four performances too! Classical music lovers will be delighted to know there will be a return visit from Sinfonia Cymru, a performance from violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and pianist Olga Sitkovetsky and the Doric String Quartet. Other music includes the incredible Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Pluck, who combine great humour and excellent musicianship will return with The Specialists, and former Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwell will perform an intimate gig in the studio theatre.

Newport Male Choir will perform at the Mayor’s St David’s Day Gala and The Buddy Holly and The Cricketers Show, Joe Brown, The Glenn Miller Orchestra and The Barron Knights all drop in again. There will be some Jazz with Harlem Hot Feet hosted by Tony Jacobs and don’t miss this season’s opera classic The Magic Flute by Swansea City Opera. BBC Radio 4’s Count Arthur Strong brings some comedic capers with The Musical? There will be extraordinary dance with Candoco, the leading contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers and cinema at its best with Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford, And When Did You Last See Your Father to name but a few of the great films this season. Don’t forget the array of workshops and art exhibitions The Riverfront offers and the regular monthly events, Comedy Shed the monthly comedy club night, First Wednesday lunchtime recitals and Second Wednesday public talks. There are loads of great special offers this spring season so be sure to contact Box Office on 01633 656757 for more details and to book tickets.
 

CHRISTMAS AT TREDEGAR HOUSE

POLISH AND EAST EUROPEAN MARKET

Nov 16 - Running this Friday through to the Switch-on of the Christmas lights on Sunday, this is a first for Newport! This small market is new to the UK this Autumn and is selling a range of crafted goods including Russian Dolls, clocks, and traditional Christmas decorations and candles as well as foods such as dried sausages, sweets, breads, pancakes, soups and of course dumplings! It’s a perfect winter market from an area of Europe that creates Christmas Markets really well.

Wesołych Świąt! (That's Merry Christmas in Polish by the way!)

NEWPART SHOWCASE

Nov 16 - Newpart, the Newport arts forum, is putting on its next showcase on December 8th at Langton's Cafe Bar on Charles Street. The line up for the event includes some of the best local musical talent, from Ballbag Express, Bubbalicious, Lt Meat, Bosch, The Hallams, and (for one night only) the king of rock'n'roll - Elvis. There's also poetry from James Sadler of New State Radio , an installation from Starling Vendetta, backdrops from Ariel (Bosch), live painting and video art. Tickets are £4 on the door (£3 NUS).

For Newpart's other good works see here.

PUCCINI IN THE PORT

The ever marvellous Mid Wales Opera will be returning to The Riverfront after their sell-out Carmen in 2005, with Puccini’s La Boheme on Thursday 15 November at 7.30pm. There are still some tickets available, but act now, they are selling fast!

In Puccini’s most popular opera, his ravishingly beautiful score and celebrated arias brilliantly portray the passions, laughter and tragedies of the young bohemians. Few other operas succeed in engaging the audience’s emotions so powerfully, as the action flows swiftly from boisterous gaiety to heart-rending tragedy.

Once again award-winning Mid Wales Opera has assembled a cast of lively young singers from the National Opera Companies for another of their original and heart-warming productions.

Mid Wales Opera will be accompanied by Mid Wales Opera Chamber Orchestra and the Conductor will be Keith Darlington. La Boheme is directed by Director Martin Lloyd-Evans and designed by Bridget Kimak.

Mid Wales Opera is now firmly established as one of the foremost British touring opera companies. Tickets are priced £12.50, £17.50 and £19.50. To book, please contact Box Office on 01633 656675 or visit www.newport.gov.uk/riverfront

JOE STRUMMER MONTH AT RIVERFRONT

Joe Strummer Month Diary

Thursday 1 November

Opening of Josh Cheuse’s Joe Strummer photographic exhibition in

the gallery (this exhibition will be on for the whole of November)

7pm – 7.45pm Local band A470 will play their own tunes in the Art Gallery, as well as a Clash cover.

8pm Meeting Joe Strummer in the studio theatre            

After-party in TJ’s (free entry with your Meeting Joe Strummer ticket)

Friday 2 November

7pm – 7.45pm Local band The Hyde will play their own tunes in the Art Gallery, as well as a Clash cover.

8pm Meeting Joe Strummer in the studio theatre            

Saturday 3 November

7pm – 7.45pm Local band The Clay will play their own tunes in the Art Gallery, as well as a Clash cover.

8pm Meeting Joe Strummer in the studio theatre                                    

Monday 12 November

7.45pm Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten in the cinema

Tuesday 13 November

7.45pm Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten in the cinema

Don't miss Joe Strummer Month November 07!

GLC DUO TO DJ FOR XFM

GCap Media's new Xfm station in south Wales will feature local DJs including Goldie Lookin Chain's Rhys and Eggsy and ex-Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable when it launches on November 29.

Rhys and Eggsy - part of the Newport collective behind songs such as Guns Don't Kill People Rappers Do and Your Mother's Got a Penis - will take on the drivetime show between 4pm and 7pm.

FIRST FILMS AWARD EVENING AT THE RIVERFRONT

CHRISTMAS MARKET DATES ANNOUNCED

Oct 2 - The Newport City Centre team has announced the dates of festive markets in the run up to Christmas. They are as follows:

CHRISTMAS ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIRS, Upper Gallery, Newport Indoor Market - DEC 1 & DEC 8

FARMERS MARKETS, Westgate Square, Commercial Street NOV 9,23, DEC 14 and 20

FRENCH MARKET, Commercial Street NOV 16-18.

EDITORS THIS THURSDAY NEWPORT CENTRE

Birmingham's finest The Editors are at Newport Centre, Newport (Thursday October 4): Support from Denmark’s critically-acclaimed The Kissaway Trail. Box Office: 01633 662666

ULTIMATE GIRLS NIGHT OUT

BANDS IN THE PARK LINE UP ANNOUNCED