What inspires you? Where do you find it? Is it music? Books? Films? Sport? People?
This month I've had plenty to inspire me, putting me in a good frame of mind with the world. I don’t read enough. I used to read a lot more and now I spend time on social media instead. So I’ve been buying books in an effort to reverse the situation. I do love The Folio Society so their new editions of 1984 and Wuthering Heights arrived last week and I can’t wait to get started - two of my all time favourites. I read both at school and they remain amongst the most vivid books I’ve ever read. These luxurious editions are somewhat indulgent but they’ll get me back into the habit so it’s money well spent. But first I’m reading the late Hans Rosling’s book, Factfulness. If you’re not familiar with this wonderful man’s work or the Gapminder programme, I urge you to watch some of his TED talks or TV interviews where he reveals how a fact-based approach to thinking can change the way our often stressful view of the world impacts on our lives. The book is a joy to read, it really does turn around our conceptions about the state of things by a) describing the world factually and showing how much better things are than we believe and b) examining why our world view is so skewed towards negativity. I love this approach. For all of the great benefits of a mindfulness way of living, I find factfullness much more in tune with me. Feeling better about the world is something music can also enhance and this month both the BBC Philharmonic at Bridgewater Hall and Joan As Police Woman at Stoller Hall have done just that. The BBC Phil’s programme of Strauss, Mark Simpson and Shostakovich was stirring and beautifully performed - they’re such a great orchestra. The Simpson piece was a world premiere too so that was pretty exciting. At the other end of the musical scale, I think this was the fifth time I’ve seen Joan As Police Woman live and, once again, she didn’t disappoint. I’ve rarely seen a performer with such stage presence and command of her material. Her voice is astounding and her songs are beautiful, strong and moving. I love this one of the latest album, Damned Devotion. As one of the best live performers around, she's a talent I wish everyone knew about, so it was great to see Stoller Hall's glorious room sold out. I also need to catch up with some recent films although I did manage to see Isle of Dogs at HOME this month. Being a massive dog lover and a Wes Anderson fan (sometimes), this was the perfect film for me. It had me grinning from ear to ear throughout and made me want to get home and cuddle my girl Dusty. It was also really nice to have lunch at HOME this week with Tony Elliot, founder of Time Out and, therefore, my former boss from when I worked on the Manchester version. He's a throughly nice chap and started Time Out on his own with just £70. That's pretty inspiring. Finally, I work with a great company called Result CIC. They’re great because of what they do and they’re great because my husband started it with his business partner Jane and former co-director Andy. Every time I think the world of arts marketing is stressful, I consider the people Result CIC works to support, offering as they do coaching and training to marginalised people. You hear their stories, get a glimpse into their lives, and my worries seem trivial. Here’s one of them, in a short and very quickly made video. Inspiring indeed.
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After having loved the TV series last year, and in anticipation of the forthcoming Season 2, I decided to re-read The Handmaid's Tale. I finished it the other night. It was a surprise in more ways than one.
One surprise was in seeing how cleverly the TV makers have adapted this incredible novel. They've carefully retained the very best of it whilst developing major strands which are merely hinted at in the book. I think it might be one of the best TV adaptations of a great novel ever. But my second surprise was the realisation that, actually, I don't think I have ever read it, despite my certainty before starting it that I had, back when it first came out. I think it was in a pile of 'must read' books when I started student life. I definitely haven't read The Exorcist but this creepily illustrated Folio Society edition has just arrived so that's next. Getting back into reading great fiction has re-ignited my own creative writing juices so I'm re-visiting a book I started some time ago. Thanks to a chance meeting over dinner at our friend Ben's (aka the superb Minute Taker), I've been working with an amazing company called Ziggy's Wish for the last few months and, not only do I find what they do incredible, their Founder and MD Ravi Thornton has become a good friend. As an award-winning writer herself, Ravi uses her considerable skills to create narrative which supports scientific research projects. It's brilliant, inspiring, astonishing stuff. Rav and I are currently supporting each other in our new writing projects, sending through drafts for feedback. It's a great way of making sure we actually get on with it and her wisdom is invaluable. Not sure she should count on mine though when I can't even remember if I've read a book or not... There have been a couple of trips to the theatre in March. The Royal Exchange are currently doing Frankenstein so we nipped along to see that. I've read it a couple of times and the play followed the novel closely, which was great, and which provided a much better understanding of what Mary Shelley had originally written about for those who had only films of the story to go on. Despite an issue I had with the casting of Victor (I couldn't hear him for some of the time) it was nicely staged.
I’ve also been back to my old haunt The Lowry a couple times this month. Once was because I was working on an event held there, the Manchester Theatre Awards, and once to see Ballet British Columbia. Much like my time there as Digital Marketing Manager, it was a combination of work and fun. I try never to do this but at the awards I met Janet Suzman and told her how much I wanted her to win for her extraordinary performance in and as ROSE which was at HOME last year. She was charming and gracious and, as it happens, she did win. Well deserved - such a moving play and a heart-breaking piece of acting. And whilst the performers in the three pieces performed by Ballet British Columbia were astonishing, the dance as a whole left me unmoved. I’m in a minority there - it’s had plenty of 5 star reviews. It’s funny walking into a place as a customer that you once invested so much time, energy and passion into. There are some familiar faces still there and it’s always lovely to get a warm welcome from them. Even so it does feel like I was never really there. This week I saw You Were Never Really Here and it is one of the best films I’ve seen for a long time. Lynne Ramsay is hardly prolific but when she does get behind the camera it’s always an interesting experience. I wasn’t fond of her last film, We Need To Talk About Kevin, it just didn’t work for me, but this one grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go. It had the grip of a vice and hurtled along like a train that couldn’t stop. Which leads me to the latest incarnation of Agatha Christie on screen, Murder On The Orient Express, the blu-ray of which I was sent to review this week for Starburst magazine. I was dreading it but I’m happy to say that it was nowhere near as bad as most of the reviews made it out to be. Not great by any means but some nice performances and sumptuous to look at. But last night we watched Babette’s Feast, one of our favourite films. If you want sumptuous, look no further. We watched it with friends who had never seen it and because its star, Stéphane Audran, died this week. We’d bought some very good French wine to have with the film and to toast this great actress. We all cried. Seemed appropriate! |