Category: Events (page 2 of 2)

Shades of California – travels in Portugal

TRAVEL BLOG

I recently ventured to Portugal on a work trip. It was the first time I had revisited the country since a child, and my memories were limited to the acrid smell of drying sardines, long sunbaked road trips and my mother having her bottom pinched.

This time my travels in João Rodrigues Cabrilho’s country of origin took me through densely planted eucalyptus and umbrella pine forests towards an overnight stop near the village of Santa Cruz.

No doubt named a long time before the Californian coastline town, the heat and the flora were remarkably similar. Even the ocean, which I had been desperate to escape into after a hot dusty drive, was shrouded in the fog which often hugs its Pacific counterpart.

The next day the similarities to the sunshine state continued. Comporta, on the edge of  ‘Portugals best secret beach spot’, resembled a deserted Mexican style Hollywood stage set, complete with storks, nesting high on telephone poles and church bell towers.

To enter the bustling metropolis of Lisbon, I was transported over the water on a slightly flimsier version of the sunshine state’s jewel in the crown, the golden gate bridge, only to be faced with a swarm of brightly coloured vintage trams as I negotiated a pathway through the narrow streets to meet friends for lunch.

Thankfully, my new memories of the country are of the coastline which so resembles one of my favourite destinations in America, the overwhelming beauty of the tile-clad buildings and the refreshing taste of Vino Verde.

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In Dark Places – the launch

Unfortunately, I was in Yorkshire and couldn’t attend the launch of the book I have recently project managed with Wyl Menmuir. The fireside event to publicise its release was hosted at the South West Outdoor Festival on September 9th. Reasonably well attended, the launch was a success and some of my team published a great write up of their weekend…

…A small group of students and tutors from Falmouth University headed for the rocky hills of Cheddar Gorge, to the South West Outdoor Festival, for the final push of a year-long publishing project in collaboration with Wyl Menmuir and The National Trust.

Our first task was setting up the banner for the book launch. A few giggles escaped our puzzled faces as we battled the raging wind, which threatened the stability of our tent. It took us a while, but with patience and strategically tied ropes, we finally secured the banner in place. Job done for the night, we snuggled up in our sleeping bags ready for the launch the following day.

After coffee and breakfast, and we were on the move, taking turns manning the book tent, spreading the word about our fireside ghost story reading that night, and worrying whether the rain would ruin our lovely evening or not. But the weather kept with us, and not long after seven, the fireside was packed.
Against a beautiful display of the sun seeping into the hills, Wyl read out an excerpt from  In Dark Places. Adults and children alike were drawn in by his lively reading, and the story came to life before our eyes, animating the flames.

by Holly Cara Farr and Adriana Ciontea

 

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The final show – Authorial Practice

ART BLOG

Last night saw the end of the academic year for the MA Authorial Practice Students.

In a small gathering in Lamorva House, Falmouth we celebrated the ingenuity and creativity of this year’s graduates who have explored the medium of illustration to its fullest potential.Their work was inspiring and of outstanding quality, bordering on fine art with in-depth thinking and profound, explorative concepts.

It wasn’t any great surprise that the graduate’s work was so exceptional, as the course is ‘one of its kind’ run by dedicated staff, with an academic focus on personal origination in storytelling.

On paper, it sounds too good to be true. In reality, it seems to be delivering all it promises. I’m quite tempted to sign myself up!

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Only 25 days until the official launch

The South West Outdoor Festival is just 25 days away, that’s less than 4 weeks until our little book is released into the public domain.

As the “first collaborative publishing venture of its kind” between the National Trust and Falmouth University, publishing best magazine The Bookseller has kick-started our latest publicity drive with a great write up of the joint venture.

Read the complete article for more information on this groundbreaking project…

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The Nick Darke Awards

The Nick Darke Writers’ Award 2017 entries closed in late May this year, after which a group of staff and students was set the task of reading every one of the 950 scripts.

Ranging in length from 20 to 150 pages this was no mean feat. As one of the volunteer readers, I read over ten scripts in under a month, all of which varied enormously not only in length but in theme and quality too.The shortlist is announced on the 1st September and the winner is announced at an awards ceremony on the 11th November.

Established in 2006 the wards we created to celebrate the best writing for stage, screen and radio. Funded by Falmouth University’s Academy of Music and Theatre Arts, and the School of Writing & Journalism, The Nick Darke Writers’ Award commemorates the playwright Nick Darke who wrote in many forms but earned his living in the world of theatre, screen and radio.

Open to all national and international writers aged 16 or over, the £6,000 Award provides the time to write that financial support facilitates.

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Cornwall film festival 2017

This Autumn I am privileged to be working with the Cornwall Film Festival.

The CFF is Cornwall’s only major film festival event. Currently in its sixth year, the film festival is held throughout November. It aims to spotlight the best of British and International film making and attracts audiences from the UK and abroad.  This years theme is Discovery.

The Festival kicks off on Saturday 11th November with a day of Galas, showcases, (2017 Cornwall Film Festival Short Film Competition), and talks (Industry focus of 2017 festival is Visual Trickery).

The Cornwall Film Festival is a charity and its focus falls beyond just a month a year with its events and pop-up screenings.

 

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Open studios – getting my art freak on

It’s that time of year again when I don’t want to be a writer. I want to paint! I want to get that big box of art supplies out of the cupboard and fill the house with the incredible smell of oil paints and turps. A smell that takes me right back to my childhood.

Amongst last year’s Open Studio’s discoveries at Krowji, a reinvigorated grammar school in Redruth, were the paintings of Mike Hindle and the delicate illustrations of Esther Connon. This year, my imagination was captured by the work of Jon Doran, Kerry Harding, Nicola Mosley and Falmouth Alumni artist Alasdair Lindsay.

As I ventured further afield I also unearthed a rich seam of talent in a cluster of studios at Trewidden. Dan Pyne, Paul Wadsworth, Nickie CarlyonJane Ansell, Jayne Anita-Smith and Jo Jewers, displayed a fantastic variety of work and a return will definitely be pencilled in for next year.

In its thirteenth year, Open Studios includes an impressive number of participants with 293 artists, craftsmen and designers opening their personal spaces and running workshops from Saturday 27th May to Sunday 4th June. All are listed in a nicely designed free guide which encourages art lovers to create a personalised trail to discover the new artisans.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit them all this year, but hopefully, as the year’s progress, I will get the chance to discover most of the artistic talent that this lovely county has to offer.

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Pure pink inspiration – race for life

Emotions were running high this morning as a fair proportion of Falmouth’s ladies donned their pink T-shirts to show their support for friends relatives who have been touched by cancer.

Their 5k run, jog or walk took the along the stunning coastline of Gyllngvase, Castle beach and Pendennis Head. A route lined by the last of the magnificent bluebells and amazing sea views, which were all beautified by the glorious sunshine.

For those jogging or running the circuit, it was 5k of heavenly scenery to take their minds of any niggling pains during their 30 to 45 minutes of pounding the asphalt. The walkers took about an hour, but few felt any pressure to finish quickly.

A combination of female solidarity and local supporters were on hand to unite the participants in their fight against this awful illness. Unfortunately, cancer has touched too many of our lives. I am lucky enough to know mainly survivors, but there have been a few who have not been so fortunate and my thoughts were with them.

It certainly was a soulful way to spend a Sunday morning.

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South West Outdoor Festival team

Today as one of the SWOF team members I met with Katie Bond, Head of Publishing at the National Trust to discuss the design and production of a short piece of commissioned work by Wyl Menmuir.

This exciting opportunity to launch a piece of Wyl’s work at the festival in September 2017 will see our small team of dedicated students, supported by Anna Kiernan and Luke Thompson, undertake all of the tasks involved in the production process.

Our journey begins as soon as we receive Wyl’s beautifully written copy and ends with its distribution in a printed form, at the South West Outdoor Festival in September. This live project is an incredible opportunity to gain industry experience in all areas of publishing and will undoubtedly turn into a great adventure for the whole team.

 https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/days-out/regionsouthwest/south-west-outdoor-festival

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