Entre Terre et Ciel by Airvag

A spectacular multi-sensory celebration of light fusing ancient and modern in Durham

12th – 15th November 2009

For four nights only, UK and international artists will work with light to transform Durham’s historic landmarks, city streets, gardens and riverways into a breathtaking nocturnal landscape of magical happenings.

Producers of extraordinary live events Artichoke, renowned for the spectacular successes, La Machine, The Sultan’s Elephant and Antony Gormley’s Fourth Plinth commission One & Other, announce their latest project – Lumiere – an ambitious and spectacular festival of light for Durham, produced in partnership with Sky Arts.

From the 12th-15th November 2009, the historic city of Durham will provide the stunning canvas for leading international and UK artists and performers to work with light, fusing together sight, sound and movement in a mesmerising series of site-specific installations, new commissions and performances.

In the tradition of the greatest international festivals of light, Lumiere will set Durham ablaze, picking out and transforming the landmarks, streets, river and bridges of the city in new and unimagined ways. Artists include the British-based collective United Visual Artists, international artists Ron Haselden, Simon Corder and Daan Roosegaarde, projection artist Ross Ashton, eminent lighting designer Mark Major, London-based studio Creatmosphere, and French theatrical magicians Quidams, with a magical performance that will lead the audience through the city streets.

Lumiere is part of the 2009 Sky Arts Artichoke Season and forms part of North East England’s world-class programme of festivals and events, developed by culture10.

Supported by Durham County Council, Lumiere is also a measure of Durham’s scale of commitment to developing the city’s cultural offering for its communities and visitors, underlined by the recent announcement of its intention to bid to be the first UK City of Culture in 2013.

“After the success of Enlightenment last year, which attracted 30,000 visitors to the city, the potential was there to create a truly spectacular and inspirational event for Durham as part of our broader cultural offering. We asked Artichoke to produce this year’s festival because of their track record of live events that leave a lasting impression on the people and places they transform.” said Paul Gudgin, creative consultant for Durham’s UK City of Culture 2013 bid.

Artichoke is keeping the exact details of Lumiere under wraps. “The element of surprise and delight is key to what we do” said Helen Marriage, Co-director of Artichoke. “Whether we work with artists who create 50-foot high moving elephants, 42-tonne spiders or tunnels under the Atlantic, all our work is about giving the public unforgettable, magical experiences that make them look at their surroundings in a different way. Durham is a wonderful city, and we’re pleased to have been invited to produce Lumiere there.”

Culture10’s Creative Director, Stella Hall, praised the project’s ambition, saying, “Lumiere will highlight a range of locations in historic Durham this Winter, drawing in visitors and residents alike to explore the city. Audiences will enjoy encounters with many surprising and innovative artworks by a number of internationally recognised artists. Part of our region-wide festivals and events programme, which for 2009 focuses on the North East region’s Landscape & Heritage, we are delighted to be part of the development of Durham’s festival offer towards their aspiration to become UK City of Culture in 2013.”

For Sky Arts, Lumiere fits perfectly with the channel’s mission to bring the arts to the streets of towns and cities across the UK and make them accessible to the broadest possible audience. Sky Arts will produce a series of short films, following ten of the artists through the stages of concept, creation and installation of their works.

“As a North East man born and bred, I can’t wait to see Lumiere in Durham” comments Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Chief Executive. “Having heard about the plans from the Sky Arts and Artichoke teams, I know it’s going to be a spectacular event, giving people new and unexpected ways of looking at art against the backdrop of one of the UK’s most beautiful cities.”

Artichoke:

Artichoke is a registered charity, funded by Arts Council England. Artichoke works with the best creative minds to produce extraordinary shows that live in the memory forever, and believes that the arts should take place not only behind the closed doors of theatres and art galleries, but also in public places.

In May 2006, Artichoke presented the biggest piece of free theatre ever seen in the UK, Royal de Luxe’s The Sultan’s Elephant. The story of the little girl giant and the 30 foot tall elephant won the hearts of the nation and the press claimed a million people filled the streets of London to watch. In 2008 the company joined London and New York by means of Paul St George’s Telectroscope, and people gathered day and night on both sides of the Atlantic to reunite lost family members or simply to catch a glimpse of life across the pond. Also in 2008 the company mounted the flagship event for Liverpool’s Capital of Culture celebrations, with La Machine’s 50-foot high mechanical spider and her adventures in the city. And in 2009 the company has produced Antony Gormley’s 100-day long invasion of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London, One & Other.

Sky Arts has generously committed to working with Artichoke for the next two years. Their support will enable Artichoke to develop new opportunities for artists to create work across the country and new ways to delight, surprise and challenge audiences everywhere.

Sky Arts: On Screen, Online, On stage, and On the Streets

Lumiere is produced as part of a major two-year sponsorship with Artichoke, the ground-breaking company that brings art to the streets of towns and cities across the UK. Sky Arts is one of the largest corporate sponsors of the arts in the UK.

With four arts channels in over 9 million customer homes across the UK and Ireland, Sky Arts has doubled output to 36 hours every day of the week on Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 2, with Sky Arts 1 HD and Sky Arts 2 HD offering the best programmes in glorious high definition

Sky supports the arts and make them accessible off as well as on screen, to the broadest possible audience. Recent programme highlights include The Book Show – the UK’s only television programme dedicated to books, hosted by Mariella Frostrup; Songbook, a series on some of the greatest songwriters of the day; and Sky Arts Theatre Live! which saw Sky Arts return live theatre to television for the first time in twenty years.

About Durham Festivals and Events:

In 2008, Durham hosted the award-winning Enlightenment, its first-ever international light based arts festival featuring outdoor arts installations by Asian and British artists and inspired by the county’s religious and industrial heritage. 30,000 visitors saw Durham’s bridges, river, landmarks and shop fronts transformed into a stunning exhibition of light based art, presented as part of the EAST ’08 season of North East England’s world-class festivals and events programme, developed by culture10.

BRASS: Durham International Festival, another of the festivals featured in North East England’s world-class festivals and events programme, is one of the world’s fastest growing festivals celebrating global brass music. Over the past three years, Durham has welcomed musicians from five continents and more than 20 countries and annual audiences in excess of 80,000 for two weeks of free street performances and big band concerts in July.

At the same time, work is underway to revive the lost tradition of Mystery plays in Durham. These biblical stories are being reinterpreted through contemporary media by local Durham artists under the direction of the
city’s Gala Theatre, in partnership with culture10.

Durham’s Book Festival attracts leading literary figures each year to
celebrate the power of the written word. In 2008, the festival was headlined by best-selling authors, Kate Atkinson (Whitbread prize-winner – Behind the Scenes at the Museum) and Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe series), TV comedian, author and activist Mark Thomas, and veteran BBC War correspondent Kate Adie.

About the City of Culture 2013 Bid:

Durham’s culture bid is led by Durham County Council, in partnership with County Durham Partnership, Visit County Durham and Durham City Vision. The bid will centre around the following strands:

‘Cultural City – Cultural County’: a series of activities reconnecting the communities of the county with its capital city and vice-versa, re-energising the City as the economic, social and creative heart of the county. ‘Creative Durham’: a series of activities designed to enhance the county’s cultural life, encouraging community participation in cultural activities and promote Durham as an area where creative people can live and work. ‘Festival Durham’: an ambitious programme of events and festivals which will take Durham into the next decade, cementing its position as a true cultural destination.

The new UK City of Culture competition was proposed to enable towns and cities to access the type of culture-led benefits that Liverpool achieved as European Capital of Culture in 2008. Evidence of the impact to Liverpool in 2008 can be accessed at www.impact08.net . Durham will be the first predominantly rural area to bid to take advantage of the benefits culture-led regeneration brings. Funding for the proposed bid comes from Performance Award Grant, money awarded to local authorities who perform well.

About culture10:

culture10 is a unique curated programme of exceptional cultural events and festivals across the North East of England. It is managed by the culture10 team, based at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, and, in addition to regular annual and biennial events in music, film, performance and food and drink, is focused on the region’s Landscape and Heritage for 2009. Initiated in 2004, its programme has included events such as Battleship Potemkin with the Petshop Boys and La fura dels Baus on the river Tyne, as well as Durham’s first light festival Enlightenment and next year’s Mysteries. It is funded by Northern Rock Foundation, Gateshead Council, Newcastle Council, One North East and Arts Council England North East.

Partner organisations:

As well as the partnerships with Sky Arts, Durham County Council and culture10, Lumiere is sponsored by a variety of other organisations, including the European Union, National Express (trains), Marriott Hotels and JCB Ltd. Artichoke is working with Newcastle-based producer DGB Events to deliver the event, which also receives support from partners including Durham City Vision, the University of Durham and Durham Cathedral.

Contacts:

For further information / Use of pictures / Interviews
Idea Generation: +44(0)20 7749 6850
Ellen Harrison: ellen@ideageneration.co.uk
Emily Airton: emily@ideageneration.co.uk
Artichoke website
Lumiere website
Durham City of Culture website

Durham bids to be UK City of Culture 2013 – The North East’s best kept cultural secret.
Embargoed until 10th September.

“For passion, creativity, an array of peerless assets and attractions and a palatable sense of community, Durham really is the perfect place.” Bill Bryson

A UNESCO World Heritage Site; home to stunning ancient architecture in the form of its Cathedral and University; host to renowned art events and festivals including an international literary festival, a two-week brass music gathering and a cutting edge festival of light, owner of the largest collection of decorative art outside of London and location to one of the most popular visitor attractions in the UK, tomorrow Durham will take part in a nationwide seminar to continue its bid to be UK City of Culture in 2013.

Durham’s culture is rooted in spirituality, knowledge and sense of place and its bid centres on three strands; Creative Durham a series of activities designed to grow the county’s cultural life, encourage community participation in cultural activities and promote Durham as an area where creative individuals can live and work; Festival Durham, an ambitious series of events and festivals which will take Durham into the next decade, cementing its position as a true cultural destination and Cultural City, a series of activities which seek to reconnect the communities of the county with their capital, and vice-versa, re-energising the city as the economic, social and creative heart of the county.

Strong Support for the bid:

An array of cultural personalities with connections to Durham are backing the bid. Among them is Bill Bryson: “My long standing love affair with Durham is well known as I have, without hesitation, lavished praise on its architecture, heritage, gardens, river. The more time I spend in the company of the people of Durham, the more I have come to realise that there really must be something in the water here.”

Paul Gudgin, former director of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is also supporting the bid, giving guidance as a creative consultant. He helped transform the Edinburgh Fringe into one of the world’s best breeding grounds for comic, music and theatrical talent. Gudgin first became involved with Durham when he advised on the development of Brass: Durham International Festival.

“Glasgow and Liverpool represented attempts to revitalise large, post-industrial cities through culture. We have the opportunity to show that awarding UK City of Culture to Durham will represent a real contrast to the two European versions hosted to date. Durham is a romantic and striking city with compactness, historic beauty and opportunities to stage outstanding festivals and events. It is the perfect canvas upon which the city and county of Durham can make a major contribution to the nation’s cultural life,” said Gudgin.

Local support for the bid is also strong with over 4,000 people publicly pledging their support in just over a month. People of Durham have always known how wonderful their city and county is and they want to show this to the rest of the country and the world. Residents were offered the chance to back the bid when officials from Durham’s culture bid officially unveiled the logo and branding to be used. Exhibited in a community art gallery in Durham’s city centre the show pulled in enthusiastic crowds who pledged their support by signing their names on the walls of the gallery. Empty Shop will now go on tour around the region throughout autumn so as many people from the area can show their support.

An appetite for culture:

Durham already offers some of the most exciting cultural events and attractions in the UK The bid for City of Culture 2013 will only add to the wealth of events and programmes:

• Durham’s Cathedral is one of two UNESCO world heritage listed Cathedrals in the UK and is considered to be one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in the world. From early history onwards the city and county has always attracted the brightest creative minds and is the cultural heart of the city and the county.

• Producers of extraordinary live events Artichoke, renowned for La Machine, the Sultan’s Elephant and Antony Gormley’s Fourth Plinth commission One & Other will produce an ambitious and spectacular festival of light, Lumiere, in the city, building on last year’s Enlightenment Festival which attracted 30,000 visitors.

• The Durham Book Festival is one of the cultural highlights of the year, playing host to authors from around the world. This year’s festival sees books coming to life with author events happening in site specific locations. Victorian train detective writer Andrew Martin will hold an event at a restored Victorian train station in the village of Stanhope and the North’s Biggest Book Swap will take place right in the heart of Durham’s city centre.

• BRASS: Durham International Festival is an annual two-week festival of world brass music drawing artists from across the globe and audiences of over 80,000 each year.

• The award-winning Beamish Museum celebrating life in the North East in the 19th and 20th centuries and Locomotion: National Railway Museum telling the story of County Durham as the “cradle of the railways” are among the most popular attractions in the North East.

• The Bowes Museum a French style chateau that houses one of the largest collections of Decorative Art outside of London, built by 18th century art collector John Bowes for his wife.

• The Gala Theatre, Durham’s leading arts venue that produces new work, nurtures home grown writers, as well as attracting national productions and companies. The Arts Council England estimates that the Gala Theatre contributes £6.5m per annum to the local economy.

• Durham’s excellent sporting offering also strengthens its bid with the Durham Regatta, dubbed the “Henley of the North” the second oldest rowing regatta in England draws crews and major crowds for two days every June. Durham County Cricket Club has grown from gaining first class status in 1991 to winning last year’s English County Championship, and will host The Ashes in 2013 acting as an international test cricket venue until 2016.

The benefits:

Aiming to inspire people across County Durham and transform the economic prospects of this rural region, Durham’s bid aims to encourage people and communities to aspire and be inspired. By re-energising culture it seeks to reverse the trend which places Durham low on the league table of English counties for people visiting libraries and museums and attending cultural events.

The economic and social benefits to Durham are clear, winning the bid to be UK City of Culture would mean developing a creative place for people to work and live. As well as the pleasure of simply enjoying culture and encouraging residents of the county and the city alike to express themselves and their communities through culture, cultural regeneration has shown to improve an area’s economy, its residents’ health and wellbeing, the level of education offered and general quality of life.

Culture, tourism, sport and recreation businesses and creative industries employ nearly 10% of the region’s workforce, and contribute over £1bn per year to the regional economy. However, if the region is to emerge from the economic downturn in a stronger, more competitive position, there is a need to create quality places where people want to live, work and do businesses by finding new and imaginative ways of using culture. Re-stating Durham’s importance as a cultural centre will develop pride and aspiration in the county.

About Durham Festivals and events:

In 2008, Durham hosted the award-winning Enlightenment, its first-ever international light based arts festival featuring outdoor arts installations by Asian and British artists and inspired by the county’s religious and industrial heritage. 30,000 visitors saw Durham’s bridges, river, landmarks and shop fronts transformed into a stunning exhibition of light based art. BRASS: Durham International Festival is one of the world’s fastest growing festivals celebrating global brass music. Over the past three years, Durham has welcomed musicians from five continents and more than 20 countries and annual audiences in excess of 80,000 for two weeks of free street performances and big band concerts in July. At the same time, work is underway to revive the lost tradition of Mystery plays in Durham. These biblical stories are being reinterpreted through contemporary media by local Durham artists under the direction of the city’s Gala Theatre. Durham’s Book Festival attracts leading literary figures each year to celebrate the power of the written word.

In 2008, the festival was headlined by best-selling authors, Kate Atkinson (Whitbread prize-winner – Behind the Scenes at the Museum) and Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe series), TV comedian, author and activist Mark Thomas, and veteran BBC War correspondent Kate Adie

About the bid:

Durham’s culture bid is led by Durham County Council, in partnership with County Durham Partnership, Visit County Durham and Durham City Vision. The bid will centre around the following strands:

‘Cultural City – Cultural County’: a series of activities reconnecting the communities of the county with its capital city and vice-versa, re-energising the City as the economic, social and creative heart of the county.

‘Creative Durham’: a series of activities designed to enhance the county’s cultural life, encouraging community participation in cultural activities and promote Durham as an area where creative people can live and work.

‘Festival Durham’: an ambitious programme of events and festivals which will take Durham into the next decade, cementing its position as a true cultural destination.

The new UK City of Culture competition was proposed to enable towns and cities to access the type of culture-led benefits that Liverpool achieved as European Capital of Culture in 2008. Evidence of the impact to Liverpool in 2008 can be accessed at “http://www.impact08.net” www.impact08.net . Durham will be the first predominantly rural area to bid to take advantage of the benefits culture-led regeneration brings. Funding for the proposed bid comes from Performance Award Grant, money awarded to local authorities who perform well.

Contacts:
For further information / Use of pictures / Interviews
Idea Generation: +44(0)20 7749 6853
Ellen Harrison: ellen@ideageneration.co.uk
Emily Airton: emily@ideageneration.co.uk
Durham City of Culture site

(c) James Rudland

Hollyoaks beauty Roxanne McKee kicks off the festive party season

NEC Birmingham, 4 – 9 December 2009

This December Clothes Show Live returns to Birmingham for its 21st outing as the UK’s favourite fashion extravaganza and promises to inject a heavy dose of glamour into the Christmas season.

Taking place just 3 weeks before Christmas, Clothes Show Live will be the ultimate girl’s day out showcasing leading fashion and beauty brands, a 6,500-seat Fashion Theatre, and a host of celebrity appearances – all under one roof. Taking place at Birmingham NEC from 4-9 December 2009 Clothes Show Live will give shoppers looking for their dazzling winter wardrobe an exclusive chance to snap up the latest collection from designer and high-street fashion brands, urban streetwear, fast fashion and one-off vintage pieces, making it the ultimate destination for all fashionistas wanting to start the party season off in style.

Getting the campaign off to a flying start is former Hollyoaks beauty Roxanne McKee. Roxanne is the stunning new face of Clothes Show Live 2009 and had a glamorous photo shoot styled by a team of the world’s best beauty and fashion experts to create this year’s highly anticipated campaign image. Hairdressing icon Errol Douglas gave Roxanne the ultimate party hairstyle for Autumn/Winter 09 with heaps of volume and LA esque curls. Inspired by the latest fashion seen across the world’s catwalks critically acclaimed Stylist Debbie Hamblin selected the hottest trends and party looks for Roxanne from high street favourites New Look, H&M, Next, River Island and online retailer asos.com. In the campaign image (seen above) Roxanne’s chic purple dress is from asos.com and her trendy shoes are from New Look. Make Up Artist Kelly Marazzi completed Roxanne’s styling by creating the ultimate evening look to compliment Roxanne’s hair and outfit. Shooting Roxanne on the day was noted Fashion Photographer James Rudland. James captured the iconic image that will soon be appearing on screens, magazines and billboards across the country in a nationwide campaign.

Roxanne has long been a fan of Clothes Show Live, “I’ve always watched it on TV and wanted to go, so I’m very flattered to be part of such a huge event.” When asked for her top tips on being stylish this Christmas Roxanne said, “My style advice is always wear what you feel comfortable in that reflects your personality.”

The 21st Clothes Show Live is set to capture the spirit of Christmas as the most stylish event in the winter calendar. Showcasing hundreds of sylish boutiques, high-street brands, designer collections and dazzling hair and beauty products, Clothes Show Live is the ideal place to find those party essentials for the Christmas season. Clothes Show Live’s famous Fashion Theatre returns to offer an unrivalled mix of fashion, models and dance performances as part of its spectacular 45-minute show. Presented by a host of celebrities, and featuring the latest music acts, it’s the fashion event of year not to be missed.

Clothes Show Live will continue to offer visitors the most extensive selection of fashion ‘must haves’ helping to create the perfect look for this winter season. Shoppers looking for the perfect party outfit, stocking fillers for friends, or just wanting to celebrate the festive season with friends and a glass of bubbly, Clothes Show Live offers something for everyone. With each section divided into colour-coded zones Clothes Show Live will help shoppers find their way to brands that would sit together on the high street, offering the most pleasurable shopping experience this Christmas.

In the Blue Zone high-street favourites, such as Bench, Superdry and Punky Fish will help shoppers create a brand-new look for winter, using the season’s latest clothing and accessories. Playing host to some of the biggest names in beauty, including Rimmel, Bourjois and St Tropez, shoppers can head to the Pink Zone to receive the ultimate pampering treatment to get that polished Christmas party look. There will also be a specialist team of make-up artists and stylists on hand to offer head-to-toe makeovers and advice on how to achieve the perfect Christmas look. Once the fashion conscious crowd have shopped until they’ve dropped they can head to the Purple Zone and head to one of the bars or cafés to relax in style and watch the next top model being scouted among the crowd.

“This years Clothes Show Live will be one big celebration, marking the start of the Christmas season. It will be the ultimate girls day out where shoppers can buy their winter wardrobe, spend their day getting pampered, and then start the party in the selection of bars and cafes,” comments Gavin Brown, Managing Director of Haymarket Exhibitions.

Clothes Show Live

Leading fashion and beauty brands; a 6,500 seat Fashion Theatre and a host of celebrity and expert appearances over six days – Clothes Show Live looks set to be the most anticipated fashion event of the year. Taking place at Birmingham NEC from 4 – 9 December 2009, Clothes Show Live will be a mecca for every trend setter – offering a unique experience of shopping, indulgence, celebrity expert advice, catwalk shows and trend reports.

Visitors will be able to shop across an outstanding selection of high street, designer and boutique outlets; as well as sample a unique selection of hair and beauty products – before taking in a fashion show extravaganza at the Fashion Theatre; on the largest catwalk in the world.

There will also be a whole host of make-up and hair demonstrations presented by top celebrity hair dressers and make-up artists showing you exactly what you need to know for the perfect pout or that head-turning hairstyle.

The event will also see the winners of the inaugural Clothes Show Live Design Awards announced across the six days. The awards include: Young Artist of the Year, Young Fashion Photographer of the Year, Young Designer of The Year and Young Accessory Designer of The Year Award. The awards support emerging and established fashion industry talent alike; with each award hosting a selection of categories to celebrate the industry’s renowned products and experts.

Editor’s Notes

Info:
NEC Birmingham
4 – 9 December 2009

Opening Hours:
Friday 4 December: 10am to 6pm
Saturday 5 to Wednesday 9 December: 9am to 6:30pm

Travel:
Birmingham International

Tickets:
0844 579 3178
www.clothesshowlive.com

Contacts

For further information / Use of pictures / Interviews
Idea Generation: +44(0)20 7749 6850
Anna Hartley: annah@ideageneration.co.uk
Ffion Williams: ffion@ideageneration.co.uk

www.ideageneration.co.uk
For:
• Online Press Office
• Client list
• Company contact detail

www.clothesshowlive.com
For:
• Further information on Clothes Show Live
• Online Press Office

Earls Court, London, 9-11 Oct 2009

With a comprehensive range of the world’s best brands exhibiting, BMX aerial displays, commuter and mountain bike test tracks and appearances from some of cycling’s best known names, the Cycle Show will be the UK’s top destination for everyone with an interest in cycling this Autumn.

The Cycle Show takes place this October and builds on the spectacular success of last year’s show, which saw over 20,000 visitors experience the best that the cycling world has to offer. With a huge variety of exhibitors, test tracks, seated arena, BMX street course, a showcase arena and a cycling retail zone the show will capitalise on the sustained prominence of cycling in the public domain, and build on the headlines cycling has been getting this summer.

Exhibitors including Condor, Ridgeback, Scott, Cannondale and Specialized are already confirmed to appear at the show making it the number one destination for cyclists, from beginners to seasoned professionals. On top of this there will be Commuter and Mountain Bike Test Tracks to give visitors a chance to sample the very best of what the cycling world has to offer, from top of the range mountain bikes to the latest fixed gear and commuter bikes.

The Cycle Arena will host displays from the UK’s top BMX riders pulling the wildest aerial stunts on the new street course. There will also be appearances from leading industry experts providing invaluable insights into key cycling trends. This year’s show will also debut a cycling Women’s Hour, hosted by a panel of experts from sport stars, fashion insiders and celebrities; all on hand to offer advice and answer questions from the growing number of female cycling enthusiasts.

For those commuting to the show on two wheels The Cycle Show also offers a Free Secure Bike Park, sponsored by Brompton, so cyclists have somewhere they can lock up their bike with peace of mind before checking out the rest of the show.

In anticipation of a successful year for the event, the Cycle Show Director Andrew Brabazon said:
“This year’s show will carry a new fresh look and has been programmed to cater for the ever expanding groups of people taking up cycling, whether it be as a hobby, a way to keep fit or to compete against others.

“The Cycle Show will offer the latest bikes, kit and expert advice as well as catering for the growing number of female cyclists with a brand new ‘Woman’s Hour’ featuring talks on cycling fashion, tips and advice. We’re sure that there will be something for everyone at this year’s Cycle Show.”

Check out the newly launched Cycle Show website at www.cycleshow.co.uk where you can keep up to date with all of the show’s breaking news, subscribe to the Cycle Show Twitter book tickets for the October cycling bonanza.

EDITOR’S NOTES

Event information

Address:
Earls Court 1, London
Dates:
Press & Trade: Thursday 8th October
General public:
9th – 11th October
Opening Hours:
Thursday 8th October: 10am – 7pm
Friday 9th & Saturday 10th October: 10am – 6pm
Sunday 11th October: 10am – 5pm
Tickets:
Adult – £11.50 in advance; £14.50 on the door
Book tickets:
www.cycleshow.co.uk

CONTACTS

For further information / Press Tickets / Interviews
Idea Generation: +44(0)20 7749 6855
Daniel Lipman: daniel.lipman@ideageneration.co.uk
Ffion Williams: ffion@ideageneration.co.uk

As the sun sets on one of the hottest summers for a long time, star of BBC2’s Jimmy’s Farm Jimmy Doherty will be opening the famous Suffolk gates to host an extravaganza of mouth-watering food and feel-good music performances for Harvest at Jimmy’s.

Taking place in the heart of Suffolk, Jimmy’s Farm will be the setting for a two-day celebration of the best of British food. Harvest at Jimmy’s will showcase delicious, sustainable and freshly-made food, whilst revealing how the UK’s top chefs get the most from these ingredients through a series of master class cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs James Martin, Gina D’Acampo, Gennaro Contaldo, James Wong and Anjum Anand. Jamie Oliver’s very own Fifteen Restaurant will be taking over the farm’s huge barn for the duration of the festival providing an interactive Jamie Oliver experience for visitors.

Harvest at Jimmy’s will provide the perfect musical line-up for an Indian summer with headline performances from platinum-selling KT Tunstall who will be giving her only performance of the summer, Ivor Novello award-winning Athlete, internationally-renowned José González, the Mercury Prize-winning Badly Drawn Boy and folk sensation Seth Lakeman, providing a blissed-out musical backdrop as the Harvest moon comes out.

In addition to the delectable treats on offer from Jimmy’s top chef friends, there will also be a farmers’ market set in the farm’s courtyard celebrating the best local produce and encouraging visitors to support our British farmers. Set on a real working farm, visitors to Harvest at Jimmy’s will also enjoy the Jimmy’s Farm Nature Trails, Woodland Walks, beautiful gardens, adventure play area – not to mention a dedicated programme of inspirational kid’s entertainment. Whilst food-lovers will relish the opportunity to nose around the Farm Shop which sells the free-range produce of the farm.

Jimmy says: “This is a very special festival which we hope will be the first of many. To have some of the country’s finest chefs like James Martin, Gennaro Contaldo and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen cooking for us will be a real treat and will showcase our locally sourced food at its best.”

Event organiser Dominic Gomez, of Big Wheel Promotions adds: “We’re delighted to announce the details of the first ever Harvest at Jimmy’s. With such a unique combination of the UK’s finest chefs and some of the most exciting performers around – and with lots more up our sleeves to be announced – we’re confident that the festival will become the leading family foodie music festival on the summer calendar!”

MUSIC

SATURDAY

Athlete
www.athlete.mu

• Stadium-filling, indie supremos Athlete will captivate the audience with their rousing, anthemic rock; lifting spirits with hugely popular tunes like Wires and You’ve Got the Style.

José González
www.jose-gonzalez.com

• Entering our collective consciousness with the achingly beautiful Heartbeats, José González has enjoyed a meteoric rise to international acclaim for his debut album Veneer.

Badly Drawn Boy
www.myspace.com/badlydrawnboy

• Mercury Prize-winning Badly Drawn Boy has released 4 brilliant albums since his spectacular debut The Hour of the Bewilderbeast and is now firmly in the pantheon of this country’s finest songwriters.

SUNDAY

KT Tunstall
www.kttunstall.com

• Making her debut festival appearance for 2009, the incredibly talented and multiple award-winning KT Tunstall is set to dazzle crowds with a special semi-acoustic performance. With sing-along classics like Black Horse and the Cherry Tree and Suddenly I See, as well as new songs from her forthcoming album, this will be a must-see festival moment.

Seth Lakeman
www.sethlakeman.co.uk

• Born and bred in the desolate beauty of Dartmoor, Lakeman’s rise has been nothing short of sensational since his shock Mercury Music Award nomination in 2005 for his debut album Kitty Jay.

FOOD

SATURDAY

James Wong
www.growyourowndrugs.com

• James is an ethnobotanist, a scientist who studies how people use plants. In his prime time show Grow Your Own Drugs he cooked up home made herbal remedies to offer an alternative to over the counter medicines and treatments.

Gennaro Contaldo
• Gennaro Contaldo is one of the most respected chefs in London as well as a renowned personality in his own right. He is widely known as the Italian legend who taught Jamie Oliver all he knows about Italian cooking.

Gino D’Acampo
www.ginodacampo.co.uk

• Ready Steady Cook and Saturday Kitchen favourite Gino D’acampo will be sharing the cooking secrets of his
authentically Italian upbringing, with a healthy dose of his inimitable cheeky charm.

Sunday

James Martin
www.jamesmartinchef.co.uk

• James Martin has made a great impact on British cooking since arriving on our screens in 1996. Passionate about British food, James uses the best ingredients to create simple and delicious recipes, accessible to all.

Anjum Anand
www.anjumanand.co.uk

• Anjum Anand is the new face of Indian cuisine. Her six-part prime-time BBC2 series Indian Food Made Easy aired in 2007 positioned Anand as an advocate for simple, healthy, colourful, low-fat Indian food.

EDITOR’S NOTES

Big Wheel

Big Wheel is a leading national music promotions company. Established 3 years ago, Big Wheel specialises in creating bespoke live experiences throughout the UK. With relationships with the UK’s most respected venues, Big Wheel is the sole music promoters for the world famous Open Air Theatre in Regents Park, curated the live music for The Innocent Village Fete and works very closely along side such prestigious venues as The Barbican, ICA and The Frieze Art show realising new, exciting & inspirational ways to develop the live experience.

Jimmy’s Farm

As seen on TV, Jimmy’s Farm is the home of the rare breed Essex Pig. A working farm, the gates are open for visitors 7 days a week to provide a great family day out. Alongside the animals, the farm includes a Nature Trail, Woodland Walk, Beautiful Garden’s, Farm Shop, Adventure Play Area and Field Kitchen. Visitors can buy home reared free range pig produce, beef and lamb in the Jimmy’s Farm butchers or from the online shop.

Jimmy Doherty
Rare Breeds Farmer and TV Presenter

Jimmy has always been passionate about nature and farming. By the time he was 16, he was the youngest ever assistant entomologist at the Mole Hall Wildlife Park in Walden. After gaining a degree in Zoology, Jimmy worked at the Entomology Department at London’s History Museum before moving on to Coventry University where he researched for a doctorate in Entomology, set up an insect laboratory and taught Animal Ecology and Animal Philosophy to undergraduate students. But by 2003, Jimmy decided it was time to make his dream of living the good life a reality. He left London and without any experience or knowledge of farming, took on a leasehold of a 100 acre farm near Ipswich in Suffolk. Jimmy’s roller coaster journey to change this derelict farm into a rare breed pig farm has been followed in a BBC Two series called Jimmy’s Farm. The third series was shown in Autumn 2007.

TICKETS

Address: Jimmy’s Farm, Pannington Hall Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2AR

Nearest station: Ipswich Station

Opening Hours:
Saturday 12th September: 11am – 11pm
Sunday 13th September: 11am – 10.30pm

Tickets:

DAY: Adult – £25 / Youth – £15 / Child – FREE
WEEKEND: Adult – £45 / Youth – £27.50 / Child – FREE
Youth – 13 to 17 year olds; Child – Under 12s

Purchase via:

www.bigwheeltickets.com
020 7287 9482
www.seetickets.com

CONTACTS

For further information / Use of pictures / Interviews
Idea Generation: +44(0)20 7749 6851
Ffion Williams: ffion@ideageneration.co.uk