Simon de Montfort Society Day Course at Farncombe Estate 2010

The Simon de Montfort Society Day Course - History, Family History & Architecture

Win a half day hands-on cookery course with Eckington Manor

Celebrating the launch of our new Cookery Course Breaks with Eckington Manor Cookery School for 2010, we are delighted to offer you the chance to win a place on a half day hands-on cookery course of your choice at Eckington Manor Cookery School plus a luxury overnight stay Lower End House (5 Star gold guest accommodation) -visit the website to enter !

BBC Radio 4 Today programme to feature amateur choirs

The musician Robert Wyatt, formerly of the rock band Soft Machine, will be guest editing an edition of the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on New Year's Day, in which he will be promoting the singing of amateur choirs. Robert says that he prefers them to professional choirs because there's a greater sense of commitment and meaning in their singing. ‘Amateur means somebody who does something for love and I can't think of a better reason to doing anything,’ he says. ‘You can hear in people's voice that they're not doing it because they have to but they are doing it because they want… There's a sense of commitment and meaning in that I really like.’ Robert would like any Today listeners who are involved in amateur choirs to send in recordings of their work which he will play on the programme on New Year's Day. If you think the choir you sing in deserves a public hearing, you will need a two-minute recording of your choir in a digital format which you can then either upload to the BBC website at http://bbcnewsupload.streamuk.com/ or email to yourpics@bbc.co.uk with ‘Today Church Choir’ as the title. The files need to be under 50MB in size and make sure you provide details of choir and the music being sung, along with email contact details. Alternatively you can post the recording on CD to the following address: Today Programme Church ChoirRoom G630, Stage 6, Television Centre, London, W12 7RJ.

Submit your script - an event for all writers

Come along to Open Page at One Alfred Place to hear early draft scripts in any media: Theatre, Film, TV, Radio- performed by actors cast on the spot. Guest chair and script authority Val Taylor will be guiding the feedback. Val is a director/ dramaturg/ writer/ development consultant for theatre, film, television and radio. This is the event for everyone. Writers can hear their script off the page and get informed feedback, producers and directors can meet promising writing and acting talent, and actors can perform at the cold reads and get involved with new projects at their inception.

If you’d like to submit your script:
Here’s the chance to test out your work before an informal crowd. We're looking for a good voice and great story, but the draft should still be in development and you should have an idea of what you want to work on. Send us a single Word file containing: your name and contact details, details of what you want to achieve from the workshop, a 20 minute excerpt, and a list of characters. Please title the file yournamedate.doc; eg arthurmiller091127.doc and send to http://www.stellarnetwork.com/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=openpage%40stellarnetwork.com The deadline for entries is extended to New Year's day. We’ll let you know if you've been chosen by 10th January.

If you’d like to attend: Book at www.stellarnetwork.com/events/. Space is limited as we like to keep the sessions small and the debate lively! If you’re an actor email your spotlight/casting call pro number to us direct at http://www.stellarnetwork.com/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=openpage%40stellarnetwork.com before registering as above.

When: 28th January 2010
Where: One Alfred Place, W1S 1HP
Cost: £10
Book: www.stellarnetwork.com/events/

Textile & fabric art residential courses

Browse the Talking Threads Courses webpage here for the many courses and workshops near you. Their favourite place to start is ARCA - for a full list of their textiles & fabric art residential courses including those at Farncombe Estate please click here.

Choir of the Year competition 2010

Choir of the Year 2010, in association with BBC Radio 3, is open for entries from singing groups of all ages and music styles. Whether your choir sings Bach, Bernstein or Barbershop with a bit of Beatbox, we want to hear from you.Choirs can enter one of four categories - Children, Youth, Adult and Open. Preliminary round performances will take place at venues across the UK from March to June 2010. The winners in each category will sing at Birmingham Symphony Hall in November 2010 leaving just six finalists to battle it out at the Royal Festival Hall for the title Choir of the Year 2010. For more information visit http://www.choiroftheyear.com/

Graffiti Short Story Competition - win £25

1. Closing date 7th February 2010.
2. Entries must be in English and be the writer’s own unpublished work.
They should not be on offer for publication, nor entered in any other
current competition.
3. The maximum length of your story should be 1,000 words.
4. Each piece of work, with its title, must be in clear type on one side of A4
sheet(s). Details of the writer must not appear on this sheet.
5. The name and address of the writer and the titles of all entries should
be typed on a separate sheet of A4 paper.
6. The prize-winner will be notified by post..
7. Entries are only accepted by post. Please keep a copy of your work, as
entries will not be returned.
8. The fee is £2 per story. Cheques in sterling only, should be made
payable to:
Catchword Writing Group
9. All entries that arrive on time will be considered by the adjudicator
whose decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into
concerning the result.
10. Competitors wishing to be informed of the results should enclose an
SAE marked ‘Results’ or an email address.
Send entries to:
Graffiti Magazine Writing competition
C/o 33 Sandford Leaze
Avening
Glos
GL8 8PB
Prize: £25 The winning entry will also be published in Graffiti.
Copies of the Issue 3 of Graffiti may be purchased for £2.50 each (which includes postage) from the above address. Previous issues available at £1.50 (which includes postage)
Cheques should be made out to Catchword Writing Group..