The Week in Light & Sound
- Details
The show was scheduled to take place in Paris on 5 November, with performances from BTS's Jung Kook and former Little Mix star Leigh-Anne. Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj were nominated for best artist. Paramount describes the MTV EMAs as "an annual celebration of global music," but said as "events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration.”
"Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life."
Pin Ups - A collection of candid photos of David Bowie taken by one of his life-long friends has gone on display. The exhibition by Geoff MacCormack, who went to school with the star, has opened at a gallery in Deal, Kent. It features 18 behind-the-scenes images of Bowie, all taken on tour with the influential musician during the 1970s. Gallery owner Richard Taylor-Jones said the shots show "Bowie at his most relaxed and informal, totally at ease in front of his friend's camera lens".
Mr MacCormack met Bowie - then known as David Jones - when the pair were just eight years old at primary school in Bromley, south-east London. MacCormack said: "We bonded over a love of Little Richard and jazz and remained friends for all of David's life." In the early 1970s, he joined Bowie as a backing musician and vocalist on his Diamond Dogs world tour. All the photos in the exhibition were taken on tour between 1973 to 1976, and some were signed personally by Bowie, who died aged 69 in 2016.
On Blackpool Beach - A ‘stunning’ arts event will light up a seaside town with interactive installations, ‘mesmeric’ light shows and ‘spectacular’ 3D projections. Lightpool Festival will see Blackpool transformed by artworks from as far afield as Australia, France, the Netherlands and Spain. An alien-like ‘invasion’ will consume Blackpool Tower with giant tentacles breaking through the ballroom roof, the town council said. The festival runs until 28 October.
The light installations include larger-than-life jellyfish along the Golden Mile, fireflies, a giant ball of wool made up of neon yarn, a cube made up of 448 glass jars each containing a miniature tableau, and a preview of designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's first-ever digital installation.
Festival director Phil Holmes said: "This year's festival promises to take people on a spectacular journey of discovery. It will provide an enchanting and truly memorable experience for people of all ages to enjoy against the backdrop of the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations."
Cornish Culture - More than 70,000 people are set to take part in a celebration of Cornish culture and history, a community theatre group says. Dubbed We are Shining, the 18-month arts event will be led by Wildworks, a landscape theatre company. Cornwall Council said it had invested £995,000 of government funding in the project.
It is due to culminate in a large-scale event involving communities across Cornwall, Wildworks said. Emma Hogg, Wildworks chief executive, described the project as creating a "snapshot" of Cornwall. "We are delighted to have been awarded Shared Prosperity Funding to deliver We are Shining," she added. Wildworks said it was working with the National Trust, Black Voices Cornwall, Cornwall Pride, Shallal and fellow theatre organisations Hall for Cornwall and Theatre Royal Plymouth on the project.
Travel Update - A new late-night bus service is to be piloted that promises to enable more people to see shows at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In a scheme with Stagecoach Midlands, the bus service will connect Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington Spa, Warwick and Coventry.
"The pilot will test demand for new transport options to offer affordable and low-carbon ways for people to enjoy the cultural events of both places," a statement from the RSC said. "The aim is to improve accessibility and connectivity of Stratford-upon-Avon for local residents, visitors, students and theatregoers.” RSC executive director Catherine Mallyon said she hoped it would "enable more people to visit Stratford-upon-Avon and the RSC, in comfort, at convenient times, and with the confidence of choosing a more sustainable way to travel".
(Jim Evans)
24 October 2023
