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Championing Creativity in Bath
It's week eight of my show Creative Champions on BA1 Radio. Here's a run down of all the latest from the show and what's going on creatively in Bath. Tune in every Thursday from 11am at www.BA1Radio.live.
Get Involved
Creative Bath Awards are still open for applications. The awards cover all kinds of categories from Agency, Apps, Art, Creative Space, Designers, Film, Innovation, Makers, Inspiring Individual… the list goes on! Head over to www.creativebathawards.org to find out more information.
They have also launched 'Creative Bath Presents' which is a series of online upskilling events. Planned topics include using social media for business, working with SquareSpace, videography, presenting (in person and online), digital marketing and creating motion graphics.
If you want to get involved get in touch with them. Vicki@creativebath.org
Forest of Imagination
Forest of Imagination have teamed up with the Big Draw and are shining a light on the importance of nature and creativity in our well-being. They aim to encourage artists and organisations to get involved by creating at home in response to the climate crisis. For example, singing, drawing, making and really any form of expression. Collectively they have a powerful message and are promoting the importance of creativity and collaboration. They are using creativity as a tool for change! For more information, click here.
Creative Mindfulness
Bath Rugby Foundation - Hi5 Challenges
The Bath Rugby Foundation have their Hi5 challenges which are streamed live on Instagram. They range from building a tower of loo roll and knocking them over with a ball of socks to help with accuracy, to physical exercises. They are @bathrugbyfoundation on Instagram.
Bath Mind - Creative Activities Pack
Bath Mind is a local charity that helps support all aspects of your mental health and well-being. They have a whole page of resources on their website to help you with creativity. These include colouring sheets, puzzles, games and quizzes as well as recipes, tips for gardening and physical well-being. My favourite part is their ‘Armchair travel’ section where you can visit places like Longleat Safari Park, dive in the sea in Cortez, Mexico (which is fascinating!) or take a walk around the Natural History Museum all from the comfort of your armchair! To view all the resources, click here.
Career Support
Bath College - Virtual Open day on 30th June
If lockdown has got you rethinking your career, why not check out the courses on offer at Bath College. They have a virtual open day on 30th June between 1 and 4pm. They have information on all their courses, from Post 16 Full-time courses, Apprenticeships, Higher Education/Degree Level Courses, Foundation Learning/SEND Facilities, Adult Community Learning/Free Courses, Free Distance Learning Courses and Love2Learn Leisure Courses. You have to pre-register ad find out more here.
Bath Spa Careers
Bath Spa have their Summer Workfest Join from June 15th to 26th. They have online sessions and support from employers, industry experts and Bath Spa Careers cover:
Networking and freelancing
Job hunting
Postgraduate study
Industry and course themed talks
More information here.
Individuals and organisations
James Shaw - Volley Design
James has launched his seventh lockdown blog of creative resources. This one includes links to PosterJam - a monthly challenge for those wishing to promote their graphic design skills, plus the Illustrator INKU (also know as Kim) who has created a new illustration every day during lockdown. View the blog in full here.
Bounce Back Bath
Minuteman Press has launched its Bounce Back campaign by offering FREE COVID-19 awareness and prevention posters to local businesses, AND by providing a FREE local advertising/listings forum. All you need to do is head over here and list your business on the Bounce Back platform with an offering for customers (for example, 10% off their first order).
Mr. B's Emporium
Mr. B’s has launched a YouTube channel! They have a whole host of children's’ story time videos plus interviews with authors and others in their ‘Talking to book people, about books’ series. It’s hosted by owner, Nic Bottomly. View their new channel here.
Bath Festivals
Bath festivals have an awesome blog on Charles Dickens and the 150th Anniversary of his Death. It is a really interesting read for lovers of Bath as it shares some of the places he stayed and visited during his time in Bath. It also puts right assumptions about some of the places he supposedly lived in. From the Saracens Head pub, to what is now the Travelodge on York Street, they take you on a stroll around Bath to the buildings and streets he visited and wrote about. Read more here.
Save our Theatres
The Rondo theatre has released a video from people who have experienced what the theatre can give to people in Bath to encourage people to support them through donations. It’s currently closed until September at the earliest.
The Egg Theatre has been open for 16 years, and the virus could bring it to an end. They have won awards, and have fundraised over the last 16 years to help bring theatre to young people in Bath. It’s a wonderfully unique place and has helped so many young individuals (including myself!) grow. They are looking for donations to get back on their feet - and there is a video from their Director, Kate Cross, about why you should support them.
TV Recommendations
AfterLife
This week I had a phone call with my Nan and Grandad. They’ve been indoors for 12 weeks, with only their little courtyard for outside space. So, naturally they have been watching a lot of TV and with my Netflix account they’ve been enjoying all kinds of shows. AfterLife starring Ricky Gervais has come highly recommended. It follows the story of a man who has lost his wife to breast cancer, and struggles to deal with life without her. It’s a comedy however and does make light of a challenging situation. It also makes you realise that no matter what happens in life, there is always something better just around the corner.
Carousel
They also told me to watch an old movie called Carousel. Dated back to 1956 it’s an American drama fantasy musical film based on the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical of the same name. The film stars Gordon MacRae as Billy and Shirley Jones as Julie, and was directed by Henry King.
Did you know it's where the song 'You'll never walk alone' comes from?
The plot centres around a young and handsome man called Bully who works on a Carousel. He falls for a mill worker called Julie. But, both are fired from their jobs for different reasons – Billy because he paid too much attention to Julie and incurred the wrath of the jealous carousel owner Mrs. Mullin, and Julie because she stayed out past the curfew imposed by the understanding but stern mill owner, Mr. Bascombe.
They move to live with Julies family in a small harbour town in Maine. Billy struggles to find work, and Julie becomes pregnant. In a desperate attempt to provide for his family, he gets involved in an attempted mugging, only to end up accidentally killing himself.
Anyway, the film begins with Billy in heaven. He is told he has one chance to go back to earth to visit someone. And he chooses to visit the daughter he never met, fifteen years after he'd passed away...
I’ll say no more...but the film is available for free on BBC Iplayer.
Benidorm
And saving the best until last - Benidorm is back on our TV screens every Wednesday from 9pm on ITV. (The entire box set is on Netflix also…)