Storyhouse is heading outside this summer with a busy programme of exciting events. Storyhouse Outdoors season will include children’s shows, comedy, music and storytelling, all taking place within the atmospheric surroundings of the Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre village. The wide-ranging selection of events has been designed to create a fantastic festival feel and complement the annual open air theatre season which this year features productions of Romeo and Juliet, Little Women and Stig of the Dump. Some of the Storyhouse Outdoors events are free, while others cost just £10 or under. And there are concessions for Storyhouse Members. The shows and other activities will either be staged within the open-air theatre space itself or will take place in the Grosvenor Park tepee where unreserved seating will be at Bavarian beer hall-style tables. The tepee bar will be open daily for visitors to drop in and enjoy a drink, while Grosvenor Park’s famous wood fired pizza oven will be fired up and ready to go to enhance the experience for those attending evening events. The programme starts on Thursday 14 July when Amy Antrobus and Toria Wooff take to the temporary stage inside the tepee for an enchanting night of acoustic sounds. Me + Deboe take to the stage on Sunday 7 August. Expect witty lyrics and sumptuous vocal harmonies from the Chester duo who have also composed the music for this season’s Romeo and Juliet. Dave Roberts and Anna Jane Haughton are set to appear at an acoustic evening on Saturday 21 August, with more acts still to be announced. All the acoustic evenings are programmed in association with Mai 68 Records who co-produced the popular Storyhouse Sessions earlier this year. Comedy fans’ comedian of choice Daniel Kitson is set to command the main Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre space on Sunday 17 July. The show has already sold out. And the tepee is the venue for an unmissable Comedy Night on Sunday 28 August. Danny McLoughlin, who recently supported Jason Manford on tour, will act as host and perform, with the rest of the line up yet to be announced. The Storyhouse Young Company takes over the theatre-in-the-round on Wednesday 20 Julyand Thursday 21 July with a thrilling, twisted performance of Rob Drummond’s play Flesh. For the full programme including events aimed at younger audiences see www.storyhouse.comStoryhouse Producer Helen Redcliffe says:“This is the first time Storyhouse has created a programme of additional events around Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, and I hope it will add to a real festival feel for what I know is going to be fantastic summer in the park. I’m really excited with the line-up which we’ve brought together, from wonderful acoustic evening sets to brilliant comedy to visits from some really entertaining, inventive and inspiring theatre companies. We’re also taking elements of Storyhouse’s wide-ranging regular programme of events and taking them into the great outdoors for the summer months. I can’t wait!”
Groups and individuals in the voluntary and community arts sector across Cheshire West and Chester are invited to a networking event at Neston Civic Hall on Saturday 11 June 1pm to 3.45pm. Cheshire West Voluntary Arts Network is running the event with the support of Cheshire West and Chester Council. There will be a range of speakers sharing information, cultural service updates and offering attendees help and support. The event is an opportunity to meet informally and talk with other likeminded groups. Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “This event has been rescheduled to allow more organisations to get together and share ideas on how to promote and market their activities and build their networks. This is especially important as activities increase and our communities return to a more normal way of life following Covid restrictions. The afternoon will include a presentation from Jen McAndrew offering advice about marketing for community groups. Please share examples of your marketing experiences when booking to help Jen tailor the session to attendees.” The marketing training session is part of the Reopening and Recovery programme funded by the Governments Additional Restrictions Grant to Cheshire West and Chester Council. The afternoon offers an opportunity to discuss and share ways to support members and audiences back to activity post-Covid and share what organisations are currently doing. To reserve your free place visit: www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheshire-west-voluntary-arts-network For further details about the event, email: artswest@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
As part of its drive to tackle the climate emergency, Cheshire West and Chester Council is now using electricity to keep streets across the borough clean, while being kind to the environment. The Council’s StreetCare teams are now using all-electric street sweeping machines for their day-to-day cleaning operations. The machines are charged overnight and then provide around 12 hours of cleaning time. Water jets, with added sanitizer, and circular brushes scrub away dirt, and the machine also has a jet washer attachment for hard to remove spots, plus a vacuum nozzle to suck up larger material. The Council’s Deputy Leader Karen Shore said: “As well as reducing our carbon footprint and being environmentally friendly, the new machine is very manoeuvrable and can easily fit through narrow alleys and passageways. The machine is also relatively quiet when it’s in operation, so it can be used in pedestrian areas without disturbing shoppers and visitors. This is particularly useful in the centre of Chester and our town centres. It really helps our teams keep the borough looking great for everyone to enjoy and we hope to add more electric equipment to assist our StreetCare operations in the future.”
Marketing agency Armstrong are hosting a Graduate Day on Monday 23rd May 2-4pm for any graduates who might want to work in a marketing agency. They are a global B2B creative agency based in Chester city centre and we have opportunities in Design, Strategy, Account Management, Photography, Videography, CGI, Copywriting, Social Media Management. The open day is a chance to meet the team, learn about our global clients and apply for roles. There is also a goody bag, pool table and bar! If anyone is interested please ask them to register with laura.owen@wearearmstrong.com
Following on from 2021’s successful Blacon Art Trail , from 28th May, residents can follow a trail across Blacon to find seven crowns representing each decade of the Queen’s reign. There is one at each school in Blacon and the seventh at Holy Trinity Church. The event is funded by the Arts Council’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund and help from Blacon Beacon.
The Chester blog 