The Week in Light & Sound
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Love Conquers All - The Portuguese are celebrating the fact that an intimate love ballad in their language conquered a Eurovision song contest audience for the first time. Salvador Sobral's success with Amar Pelos Dois (Love for Both of Us) has made him a national hero. Previously Portugal had never got above the sixth place that it reached in 1996.
It was a triumph for "brand Portugal", music journalist and advertising executive Manuel Falcao told the BBC. "The Portuguese language is present worldwide but sometimes it's hard for the national identity to make an impression, so for the brand this is very nice - people are very happy."
The timing was fortunate for Portugal, as the nation shows signs of recovery from the 2008 financial crisis and a massive bailout from its eurozone partners.
Pop-up Opera - Opera and theatre fans can bid to have Shakespeare’s Othello or Verdi’s opera Otello performed in their living room. Pop-up company Kent Opera is auctioning off a performance of Othello or Otello to charities and individuals to raise money for a project working with male prisoners. Bids must exceed the production cost of £1,250 as well as the price of travel for the artists involved.
Kent Opera, which is a registered charity, will then perform to the winning bidder "anywhere within reason", which could include someone’s house, an office, or a church. The money raised will support the company’s Pros and Cons programme, in which it will perform and run workshops at Swaleside prison in Kent later this year. Robin Pieta, director of productions for Kent Opera, said: “There have been various reports over the past few years about the number of suicides in prisons that have made the government start to realise that punishment is not the only answer. There needs to be rehabilitations and prisoners need to build self-esteem, and we know that art builds self-esteem.”
Edinburgh Calling - Edinburgh International Festival is launching a mentorship scheme to teach people how to run an international arts event. Celebrating the festival’s 70th anniversary, the scheme will allow successful applicants to work with festival director Fergus Linehan and managing director Joanna Baker to gain first-hand experience of running EIF.
Applications are invited from those who have worked in the cultural sector for at least five years, and who have worked in Scotland or are currently resident there. The scheme will run for three years across the festivals in 2017, 2018 and 2019 with one mentee selected for each year. EIF is offering a salary of £25,000 for the scheme.
Mars Landing - Bruno Mars has been confirmed as this year's headliner at Capital FM's Summertime Ball in London. The singer joins an already announced line-up which includes big names like Little Mix, Maroon 5, Stormzy, Rag'n'Bone Man, Niall Horan and Clean Bandit. The mini festival will take place at London's Wembley Arena on 10 June and is expecting a full house of 80,000 visitors.
Rolling On - The Rolling Stones will play 13 shows in 12 different venues across Europe in September and October. “Stones – No Filter sees Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie back where they belong, out on the road, playing to packed stadiums,” says the band’s website. There are no UK dates scheduled as yet.
(Jim Evans)
16 May 2017
