Our little island is certainly warming up this summer and our Culture Vulture sensation Corinne is hot on the trail for the latest cultural offerings.
When the weather is this scorching we need to be even more thankful for our oceans, so join the activitist movement and put our deep blue first with World Oceans Day on the 8th June.
Or maybe you feel more of a connection with that big ball of burning gas that has us topping up our tans? Then learn about the Solstice Eve, a festival which reminds us of our shared connection with the Sun and the Earth.
5th June at 1pm. Ever heard of Cartimandua?
The last Queen of the Brigantes, she quarrelled with her husband and took up with his armour bearer, sparking internal civil wars that divided her kingdom and ultimately led to the Roman conquest of the North.
Sound familiar?
Join historian Gillian Waters for an exploration of this love triangle, which may have been the inspiration for the later medieval Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot stories.
8th June at 2pm Tamara de Lempicka
Her story is one of self-invention. From her early beginnings as an aristocratic fugitive from the Russian Revolution, to later taking Paris by storm as a successful artist living on her own terms, she has become an icon of the Roaring Twenties. You may not recognise her name but you will undoubtedly recognise her paintings - few artists sum up an epoch quite so completely! Join Alexandra Epps, Arts Society Lecturer to discover more.
8th June 2pm to 6.30pm. World Oceans Day
This year's United Nations World Oceans Day (UN WOD) celebrates the theme Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing. In celebration of the 2023 event, the United Nations are joining forces with decision makers, scientists, private sector executives, civil society representatives, indigenous communities, celebrities and youth activists to underscore how earth is more than it may seem and finally put the ocean first.
8th June at 7pm. Pagans Myths and Legends
Focusing on a curated selection of pagan art and artefacts, writer and researcher Ethan Doyle White explains the complex histories of paganism and how today’s Pagans are inspired by the pre-Christian past.
Join Ethan as he traces the shifting history of paganism, from its origins as a term that fourth-century Christians used for their opponents through to a word that many people today happily embrace. Along the way he reveals how materials from the pre-Christian religions of Europe, North Africa and West Asia are built into the practices of today’s Pagans.
Discover fundamental Pagan symbols and learn about where modern Paganism comes from, what its practitioners believe, and the sorts of rituals that they practise.
13th June at 7pm Uffizi Gallery
Discover one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world: the Uffizi Gallery!
Seated in the historic centre of Florence, the Uffizi Gallery has preserved a world renowned collection of paintings and sculptures for centuries. A professional guide will take you on an exciting journey right into the heart of Italian art. She’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Museum and its priceless masterpieces: you will admire paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio and many others.
14th June at 5pm. Guided suns and Peacocks
In fifteenth-century Florence, the phenomenon of religious theatre and ritual performance, promoted by adult and youth theatre throughout the city, reached an unparalleled popularity, transitioning from the realm of devotion to that of the spectacular.
The highlight of these performances was the materialisation of a multi-sensory heaven on stage and the appearance of its living angels (young Florentine boys) in their dazzling costumes. Painters living in the Santo Spirito quarter, where most of these activities took place, were actively involved in the creation of the apparatus for sacred plays.
They were sometimes even members of the confraternities that produced the plays, as was, for example, Neri di Bicci, one of the most successful Florentine painters of the period. This talk aims to explore the connections between painting and the theatrical experience of heaven which shaped the visual culture of fifteenth-century Florence.
15th June at 2pm. The Anthenaeum Club
Join Historian Michael Wheeler to discover the compelling history of the Athenaeum Club and its members’ impact on Britain’s scientific, creative, and official life, based on his book The Athenæum, published by Yale University Press.
20th June 7pm. Solstice Eve
The Wheel Of The Year turns and we celebrate Solstice Eve.
Join in a free online Zoom ritual which lasts about 20 minutes.
Learn a little of the story of this old festival, remember our shared connections with the Sun and the Earth and light a candle wherever you are.
These online events are inclusive, gentle and kind and free!
Expect a little music too!
22nd June at 5.30pm. Mac fest with stories and storytelling
Join researcher Jake Benson to discover the myriad tales and spell-binding illustrations found in the Islamic manuscripts at Manchester’s John Rylands Library. This virtual event will take you up close and personal with storytelling traditions from across the Islamic world.
Jake will turn the pages of some of the Rylands’s most beautiful illustrated manuscripts, written in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish. From the famous telling by Scheherazade of the ‘Thousand and One Night', to animal fables like Kalilah wa Dimna and tales of star-crossed lovers, you are sure to be enchanted.
23rd June at 5.30pm Chinese Dragon Boat Festival Dance
Workshop leader Annie will guide participants through dance exercises, steps and techniques. By the end of the lesson, you'll have learned a beautiful Folk dance! The dance steps will be easy to follow, and you'll have a taste of Chinese culture while having fun.
Dance of Name: Dragon Boat Festival Folk Dance (No Props Needed)
You'll need:
Comfortable gym clothes
Space to move around
Recommended for:
All age groups, genders and levels - no previous dance experience required.
Thanks everyone see you soon
Corinne