What a weekend for arts (starting Saturday, June 20). The contemporary dance troupe Task Force, led by Stephan Koplowitz, begin stepping their way around the historic South Devon with their Liquid Landscapes tour. Over on arts+culture there’s a run down of the venues, plus a diary of South Devon artist Helen Snell‘s involvement with the Mayflower Steps performance. But that’s not all

At the CCANW, Hadlon Forest there’s the Skylines Festival Day today (June 20). Check out arts+culture for more. And there are animated workshops as part of Exeter Festival and in association with Animated Exeter, tomorrow (Sunday, June 21). Check out D+CFilm for more.

Also on D+CFilm, there’s a Quails music video (by filmmaker Darren Jones) to celebrate the Teignmouth band’s Turkish Tour.

(and if you’re heading north – that’s North Devon, remember North Devon Festival’s Art Trek. Arts+Culture has some behind-the-scenes insights from Stella Levy as she organises the last few days up to the event).

posted by Cptn

(image: the Primitive Hut – part of Skylines at the CCANW)

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A Tree Warden scheme is set to be relaunched by Teignbridge District Council and the Tree Council, and they need volunteers. You don’t have to be an expert, but you kinda need to like trees.

Anyone can join the scheme, but the under 16s need to be accompanied by a parent when performing duties.

A a Tree Warden volunteer you’ll get full training in things like surveying woodland and non-woodland trees, summer and winter tree identification, tree planting and aftercare, woodland ecology and management, seed collection and tree law – which apparently isn’t something confined to Lord of the Rings.

Tree wardens are need in: Bickington; Bishopsteignton; Buckfastleigh; Christow; Denbury & Torbryan; Dunsford; Ide; Ilsington; Kenn; Mamhead; Manaton; Moretonhampstead; Newton Abbot; Ogwell; Shaldon; Shillingford St George; Teignmouth; Whitestone and Widdecombe-in-the-Moor.

If you want to take park call Selwyn Sanders on 01626 215853 or email selwyn.sanders@teignbridge.gov.uk

posted by Cptn

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Graduate dancers who’ve been kicking up their heels, rather than high kicking, and are looking to work with dance in education and community settings could join the new Fast Forward project in Plymouth.

Fast Forward, the Graduate Dance Company part of Attik Dance, will work for 10 weeks between October and December to create a performance piece and education package.

Dancers will be paid a weekly bursary of £150 while they develop their teaching skills and find out what it’s like to work with a professional dance company.

To take part you need to have graduated between 2007 and 2009 and have a good contemporary technique.

Auditions will take place in Plymouth on Friday, July 24. To receive an application pack send a request to info@attik.org.uk or write to Attik Dance at Mount Wise House, Cumberland Road, Devonport, PL1 4GL

Closing date for applications in July 17.

posted by Cptn

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This performance made me feel cooler just watching it.

Let me set the scene… imagine a harsh world where the Hoodies rule and ASBOs are rife. There is only one man who can save us… The Pied Piper.

The choreography was devised by Kenrick ‘H20′ Sandy. It was a smooth mixture of Hip Hop/ Breakdancing and Martial Arts, using animal styles for each of the gangs.

The five gangs were all diverse, not only with their different fights/dances, but their costumes were simple and evoked the spirit of each gang. For example the Cobras swaying and rocking, ready to pounce were scantily clad women.

Another fantastic device was found in the Mosquito gang, all of them were wearing black but they were also wearing white gloves which are the only thing that could be seen in the dim light mimicking these flying insects

My favourite characters were The Man – four performers dressed in suits with oversized paper mache heads on (a permanent shocked expression on their faces), symbiotic in their movements, sometimes moving in canon.

These characters were so emotive with their movements, I found myself booing loudly at the stage, much to the bewilderment of the surrounding audience members (although it was the matinee so it wasn’t too bad).

The simplistic and up-to-date reworking of a classic tale is breathtaking. Ultz (the director) focuses on the beauty and strength of the dancing rather than bombarding us with extraneous speech and information to get the message across, and it works fabulously.

The cherry on this calorie-laden sundae, the piece de resistance was a snippet of community theatre. A number of local children, who had been working with the company came on in the final scene as the children saved from the oppression of the ASBO gang and they werent bad, in fact i was a tad jealous, I wished I was there layin’ down my moves!

posted by Ems

• Ems reviewed, Blue Boy Ents presents The Pied Piper – A Hip Hop Dance Revolution, at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter. She went to the matinee performance on Saturday, June 6.

To become part of our reviewing team, email info@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk with your details

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Three more county council candidates have got in touch to share their Twitter-esque manifesto – summing up their political message in 140 character or fewer. A useful and fun exercise we thinks. What do you reckon?

South Hams
Geoff Date: re-elect him to help continue an “Excellent” county council. The independent Audit Commission says DCC is performing excellently
Lid Dem candidate for Totnes Rural

East Devon
Paul Diviani: It is unsustainable to run a balanced budget of £1.2B and carry £600M debt? Devon needs Conservative fiscal prudence
Conservative candidate for Honiton St Paul’s

Eileen Wragg: We are engaging on the doorstep, hence lack of time to reply
Lib Dem candidate for Exmouth Littleham and Town

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Katie Marie and the hectic life-style of a multi-talented musician. 

Heya there everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful bank holiday weekend – as promised in last week’s article, here’s a full breakdown of my musical (and rather manic!) week/weekend!

At the begining of the week (Tuesday) Marnie and I were in the BayFM studios playing some of our tunes live across the airwaves and chatting to presenter Martin Weller. The following day (Wednesday) we had to head off to the Palm FM studios in Torquay to pre-record a show with John Hogarth for Hogie’s 7-11.  As always both were oodles of fun.

Thursday afternoon I was up at More Restaurant – the weather was super lovely and there were lots of peeps up there enjoying the sunshine and music. I had a go at trying a few songs in different styles… I think the best one was a jazz version of Purple Haze which strangely worked!

So after playing lots of wellknow songs in a jazz stylee, I then had to head on up to Exeter Picturehouse for a gig with Marnie. I’ve never been to the Picturehouse before (which for those of you that don’t know is a cinema, and a lovely old style one at that) and didn’t realise that upstairs has a kind of cafe/bar area which is nice and chilled and really good for acoustical type people to play. The other great thing about this gig was that we got paid in cinema tickets! How cool is that!

Friday afternoon I had to head back up to Exmouth as I had a gig with Mr Crisp at Exmouth Festy, this was my first time here so I was really looking forward to making lots of noise in the lovely Manor Gardens. Our set seemed to go down well with the Exmouth peeps and the sound guys did a fantastic job – thanks guys.

Once I’d returned from Exmouth festy I then had to head off to my studio and pre-record my radio show for the next day, as Saturday was going to be a busy one. Pre-recording an hour long show wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but I decided to chuck in a few live performances to pass the time which was great fun… four hours later I had it all recorded, mixed and on a CD – yay!

So, along came Saturday – first stop was Exmouth Festy (yes, again!!) as I had a slot on my own to play, which was so much fun and once again the sound guys did a super dooper great job with the sound, which really does make such a difference. No sooner had I finished at Exmouth I had to head off to Helston as Marnie and I were gigging in Cornwall over the weekend.

Although the Campsite in Cornwall that we were gigging/staying at was a nightmare to find, we did manage to make it in good time – horrah!

The place we were playing at was called Out in the Open which is advertised as a gay-run, gay friendly camp site. I’ve never been to a gay camp site before – so wasn’t really sure what to expect! But I have to say that it’s the nicest, cleanest camp site I’ve ever stayed at and everyone who was running it and also staying there were really lovely. The owners had already set up a tent for me which was wicked not to have to worry about setting up my tent (which I’ve not done in a very long time and am probably rather rubbish at doing so!!).

The reason why Marnie and I were booked to play over the weekend was that the camp site (or the camp-camp as me and Marnie called it! lol I know, bet they’ve never heard that one before) were celebrating 10 years of being open, so we gigged Saturday and then Sunday night.

They had set up a big marquee in the field were we were playing at the first night was absolutly freeeeeeezing!! By the end of the night I was quite happy to be snuggling up in our tent with a hot water bottle. The weather the next day was simply gorgeous and I spent most of the day catching up on sleep in the lovely warm sunshine. Bloomin marvelous!

My alarm went off at 7am on Monday morning (gggrrrroooaaann!) as we had to be packed up and gone from the campsite by 8am and off to our next gig (which was at More Restaurant in Dartington and we needed to be there for 11.30am). We just about managed to leave in time and two-and-a-half hours later I was back in my lovely little home town of Totnes.

We were very lucky with the weather as it was raining on the drive up from Cornwall, but as soon as we hit Plymouth it seemed to stop and the sunshine gradually creeped through. As always More Restaurant was lots of fun and we had a really good crowd up there who seemed to enjoy it.

Then once again we had to dash off like crazy loons and head up to our last gig of the weekend which was in Bovey Tracey. This was a last-minute booking at The Cromwell Arms and they had organised an outdoor event and wanted us to play – which of course we were more than happy to.

So we got set up outside as the weather seemed really nice and our first set seemed to go down really well. But by the middle of our second set a big black cloud zoomed over and everyone ran inside!! The landlord asked if we’d be happy to finish off our gig inside the pub, fortunatly we’d only set up my little busking PA outside so it didn’t take two seconds to move and it was nice to be back in the warm anyways!

So after an exhausting weekend of gigs, we all rewarded ourselves with a well earned Chineese take-away – sorted!

• Check out Katie Marie on MySpace, or on her website.

(Images from the top Exmouth Festy with Dan (looking worried! lol); Dan @ Exmouth Festy; Dan @ Exmouth Festy; Security! We have a intruder; and Full vege breakfast!)

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The PRSD caught up with Plymouth-based alt-rockers Crazy Arm ahead of the release of their debut elpee Born To Ruin and the Broken by the Wheel single. Here’s what frontman Darren Johns had to say for himself.

Describe the band in under 140 characters so we can Tweet about you.

Hard-twang, punk rock country boys doing their level best to marry the earthy lilt of Murder By Death with the hardcore blast of Hüsker Dü.

You’ve got an extensive summer tour, with only a few spare nights and have had five UK tours, how important is touring and live performances?

All important. Playing live is the first point of communication. It’s the only time a band is vulnerable, which is why so many bands don’t last the duration. Everything else – albums, singles, videos – is past tense by the time anyone hears or sees it, and is easy to perfect.

How do you keep that energy when you’re recording?

Focus. Studios are pretty static places so you need to draw inspiration from a different well. Thankfully, we’re all pretty used to it now, and the studio where we recorded the album (Peter Miles’ Holne Bridge Studio, Ashburton, on the edge of the moors) is an amazing place. Huge vegan curries, night-time Seinfeld sessions and leaps into the nearby river also helped keep spirits up.

You mention Ennio Morricone and Kurt Vonnegut in your influences – does that show through anywhere in your music?

We love the eerie drama and cinematic imagery of Morricone but we’ve only utilised it to a very small degree. The Vonnegut thing is more a personal influence as he’s probably my fave writer/satirist. I think that anything you hold close to you rubs off somewhere along the line.

Your debut album ‘Born To Ruin’ is out on June 8 – what can we expect?

To be pleasantly surprised, hopefully. Loud stuff, quiet stuff, acoustic stuff, melodic stuff, rock stuff, punk stuff, country stuff, folk-rock stuff, socio-political stuff. Lots of stuff.

How did you come to the decision to release the limited vinyl edition of Broken By The Wheel?

We were forced into it by our tyrannical publisher. He knew the label (Seven Inch Records) and kept on at us to get our shit together and do a single with them. So we went along with it and it’s been really great. Our album deal with Xtra Mile came along a few weeks later so they ended up doing the digital side of the single release.

What’s coming up after June?

July. Comedy was my Plan B. We’re hoping to do a mainland European tour in August but I haven’t heard anything about that for a couple weeks. It looks like we’re playing a few festivals in summer and we intend to release Still To Keep as a single in September, which means recording a couple new songs for B-sides, maybe turn it into a four-song EP? After that, more UK tours, try and get some good support slots, start planning the next album… We’ve got enough new songs for it.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Please don’t give the BNP any room to campaign in the European elections. They’re neo-Nazis and they need to be stamped out .

Please support Dave Mahoney – a friend of ours who’s facing imprisonment and a huge fine (on ludicrously trumped-up charges) for his part in an anti-Republican demonstration in the USA.

Please go vegan and keep an eye on the police. Many thanks.

Posted by Cptn

Interview questions answered by Darren Johns (vocals/guitars/words). Other band members are: Jon Dailey (bass); Simon Marsh (drums); Daniel Couling (guitar/vocals/keys).

• Watch the Broken by the Wheel on D+CFilm, where it’s the Something For the Weekend Music Video, with an interview with filmmaker Chris Southern of GET Crucial Productions

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Matt Newbury organiser of Pride got in touch to talk about the new fun festival on the Bay’s calendar.

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster three months since I somewhat drunkenly agreed to organise Torbay’s first summer pride event. Since that time, I have not only sobered up, but have developed the programme into something as diverse and quirky as the people I hope it will attract. And if no one comes, at least I’ll have a good time and some extremely exclusive entertainment to enjoy with the boyfriend.

Pride Torbay will take the form of a four-day festival incorporating a boat trip, themed club nights, a pool party, a beach picnic with live musical entertainment, community stalls, cinema screenings and a cabaret street party. Early on the pride committee decided that we should have a few events away from bars and clubs, making the event accessible to everyone.

It was also important to us that the Pride Torbay shouldn’t just be a celebration of sexuality, but also the stunning natural environment of the English Riviera. In a year when nostalgia tourism seems to be all the rage, with more people holidaying at home, we wanted both the structure of pride and our marketing to have a bit of a saucy seaside feel to them.

This was our motivation for creating the beach hut logo, incorporating the six colours of the gay rainbow flag on the door. Come and watch the free open-air cinema screening of Milk in the grounds of Torre Abbey on Friday, July 17 as part of Pride Torbay, if you’d like to know the history behind those six colours!

The nostalgia concept is also being incorporated into four special postcard designs, which are a cheeky tribute to the English Riviera Tourist Board posters of the 80s and 90s, with a gay twist, obviously. These will be available for free in the next couple of weeks, so that people can send them to friends and relatives across the UK to invite them down for Pride Torbay.

Another fun idea we have come up with is attaching Pink Pound stickers to coins, which are then given out in people’s change at gay venues across Torquay. The stickers also mention the pride dates and the web address at www.pridetorbay.org.

It’s going to be an interesting experiment to see just how far these pink pounds get, or if people will just feel embarrassed to use them and peel them off. If nothing else, it should get us some free publicity in national gay publications and the media in general.

Of course, besides the marketing, the biggest challenge of organising event of this size is finance, especially as everyone is strapped for cash at the moment, even the gays! We are, therefore, organising a huge summer raffle with some amazing prizes kindly donated by local businesses. We are also organising a series of fundraising events in the lead up to Pride Torbay.

The next one of these will take place on Friday, May 22 and is a Hillbilly Hoedown Barn Dance, at the Spanish Barn in Torquay. Tickets are a tenner, and include you first drink and a hot dawg. The barn is being fully themed, complete with a large quantity of straw bales and the bays brewery Saloon. There’s also some great entertainment, including a bucking bronco, line dancing and even a Dolly Idol competition, to find the best Dolly Parton. The event is open to absolutely everyone, as long as you are dressed in country and western theme. You can pick up tickets at the Torquay Tourist Information Centre and online here

If I don’t see you there, you’ll be able to follow the progress of Pride Torbay in regular updates here on the People’s Republic of South Devon site. I’m always keen to hear people’s views, suggestions and ideas about the festival, especially if you are a highly generous millionaire or the manager of gay icon who would like to perform at the festival (well you never know…). Message me at: info@pridetorbay.org

posted by Matt

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Sam Ho, the Plymouth singer/songwriter, is through to the finals of the Live and Unsigned competition. He spoke to the PRSD about what the competition, performing and Prince’s Trust mean to him

To enter the live and unsigned competition I had to audition in front of a panel of judges who listened to about one minute and a half of my own song Crazy Love in February, this was enough to put me through to the regional finals.

On Sunday, April 26 I performed two songs – Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers and again Crazy Love – for the audience and judges vote on and they put through to the area finals which take place in London Sunday, May 3.

This is the biggest competition I have entered so far as it is national!

The biggest thrill about performing live is being able to entertain so many people at once and watching them enjoy it as much as I do is a real buzz.

I think my music would be best described as easy listening as it appeals to all walks of life and they are written about so much that we all can relate to.

My Inspiration comes from wanting to get out there and try to make a difference. I have come a long way since childhood and if I can help just one person realise they have the potential to do anything if they work and want it enough regardless of where or what you come from, I am happy.

I suppose the hardest aspect of songwriting and performing is to keep on producing new material and keeping the following nurtured while growing – to keep the originality of it all.

I think the music scene in the South West is improving but in need of some much needed support as there is a lot of unrecognised talent down here.

I think you should be as versatile as possible, but I am performing for the opera and its audience I won’t be in the opera. That would be a challenge of unknown territory!

The best bit of advice I’ve been given so far is to keep going and not give up.

My dream gig would be to perform for the royals as it would give me the chance to show my gratitude to Prince Charles and the work his charity does – if it wasn’t for the Prince’s Trust and the support they give I wouldn’t be doing what I am today.

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Katie Marie, who writes our weekly column Not Bad For A Girl, will be playing tonight at the Barrel House, in Totnes at 8pm and it’s only £4 in.

She’ll be sharing the stage with Marnie & Me and Dan Crisp, for what promises to be one heck of a night of acoustic entertainment from some top performers. For more sounds and details, check out the gig’s Myspace, meanwhile, here’s one of Katie Marie’s videos.

posted by Cptn

Read Katie Marie’s latest Not Bad For A Girl article

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If you missed the consultation on the future of Eastcliff Park, Teignmouth, on Friday and Saturday, you’ve still got chance to fill in the online form, and there are some interesting ideas for the green space.

The Teignmouth Arts Advisory Group (TAAG) is all for opening up the walled gardens and converting it back to a garden area but with a theatre/performance area

A spokesperson for TAAG told the PRSD: “We believe this would be an ideal location for a variety of events yet retain many of the existing features. We would also like to see extensive use of eco friendly techniques such as compost loos, reed beds, water heating using compost heaps and low energy / solar lighting.

“We are also keen to encourage people to use the gardens regularly into the evenings which should help make the park a safer, more welcoming place. One idea is a Fitness (Trim) Trail with exercise equipment spaced around the area.”

You can still submit your ideas on the online form, or contact Liz Lockyear, lizlockyear@aol.com, or Roger Smith, rogersmith46@aol.com for more details.

posted by Cptn

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Are you Singtastic? Teigmouth composer David Haines is looking for confident singers to join The Singtastic Singers, whose first public performance was at the World Museum in Liverpool as part of the British Science Association’s 2008 festival.

David’s ‘inspired by science’ compositions have gained international recognition, and his reputation is spreading throughout the UK and USA.

Here are his criteria:
• Are you a good, confident amateur singer?
• Can you perform in public with ease and vivacity?
• Are you able to memorise words and music?
• Would you enjoy singing in a small group of vocalists?
• Could you rehearse on Sunday evenings in the Dawlish/Teignmouth area?
• Would you be interested in performing locally, nationally and – in the long run – internationally?
• Are you happy for your performances to be featured on the web?

If your answer to all of those was ‘yes’, then maybe you should arrange an audition – all voice types welcome – including male Altos or Sopranos and female Tenors or Basses.

Find out more about the project on the Singtastic site, and email David at David@Singtastic.com or call David@Singtastic.com

posted by Cptn

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