I liked this ...

Here are a few useful links to help you make your website more accessible:

• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops a series of accessibility standards and guidelines. To find out more click here or visit www.w3.org/WAI/guid-tech.html

• Royal National Institution of Blind People (RNIB) has produced a free online resource centre to help designers and managers create accessible web sites. Click here to find out more or visit www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/Code/public_rnib008789.hcsp

• The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. Click here or visit www.w3.org to find out more.


Don’t forget, Audiences Central offers a number of website and social media support modules and Insight sessions:

• Building a website on a shoestring: You don’t always need a massive budget to create a functional and attractive website. This module will help you plan a cost effective simple website that you can use creatively for marketing and audience engagement.

• A website audit: Is your current website working well enough for you? Is it as user-friendly as it could be? Is it optimized for search engine hits? This session will bring up-to-date thinking to make your website fulfill its potential as a marketing tool

• An introduction to social media: This session introduces the key concepts and benefits of using social media, and gives an outline of different social media tools such as blogging, twitter, social networks, vod/podcasting and flickr. It also includes case studies of how arts organisations are using these tools for audience engagement.

• Website re-development: This session is aimed at organisations that have an existing website but are looking to redevelop it, or build a new site, in line with current web practice. We will examine the key objectives, explore new products and technologies, and brainstorm some creative ways of using the finished website for engaging your audience.

To find out more or to book your module contact Johnathan Branson, Senior Audience Development Officer on 0121 685 2620 or email johnathan.branson@audiencescentral.co.uk.

Obsessed with all things dance as I am; I’ve been recently intrigued by the sheer amount of people that say that although they like dance, they don’t really ‘get’ it – particularly contemporary dance.

It’s got me interested for 2 reasons:

1) As a regular dance reviewer and writer I’m a little worried that maybe I don’t ‘get’ it then either; besides a fair amount of dance classes and watching performances, I’ve never had any formal technical background in dance. Perhaps to really ‘get’ dance you need this? It’s non-verbal communication – and like any other language, in order to understand it you need to be familiar with all its vocabulary.

2) I’m a bit confused about what there is to ‘get’; or, what ‘getting it’ really means. One of my favourite dance quotes comes from the amazingly talented US choreographer Alvin Ailey (I’m massively paraphrasing here, because I can’t find the quote anywhere): "People are always saying they don’t ‘get’ dance. What is there to get? Some people come on stage and leap around for a bit. That’s dance." This comes from one of the current greatest choreographers in the world.

I recently came across this feature in article 19 on William Forsythe’s latest dance project; Synchronous Objects, in which he represents his latest work ‘One Flat Thing’ with a time lines, graphics and commentary, in order to make dance ‘more accessible’. Hmmm … Not sure that it makes dance any more ‘accessible’ but it’s certainly a pretty awesome way of re-interpreting dance digitally.

The problem is, or, perhaps, the joy is that dance is its own language; essentially it’s non-verbal communication; so to try and explain it in words, or even time-lines and graphics is inherently flawed. Maybe the crux of the matter is that we’re trying to ‘understand’ dance in the way that we understand other things; superimposing onto it a frame of reference (language, graphics etc) that it doesn’t refer to. Perhaps it doesn’t need to be ‘understood’ in this way, but simply experienced.

It could be said that e.g. a classically trained ballet dancer could ‘understand’ a work in that they could pick it apart and describe its constituent parts and explain the nuances and significances of the technique involved, but I don’t really think that’s the point. Dance is more than just the sum of its technically detailed parts.

This isn’t to say that any of the talented and experienced practitioners, choreographers, directors or critics in the world of dance have no more insight than any audience member, because that would be unfairly dismissing their years of knowledge and expertise in this field. The point is that dance, like all other art forms, can be deeply appreciated without necessarily being understood in all its technical detail – and I think that this is what counts.

I recently went to see the utterly fabulous Rambert at the Hippodrome with Abby, who wrote up the occasion in her blog. What she wrote, to me, typifies this whole matter. Starting off with: “I have … always enjoyed the spectacle and the sheer physical effort [of dance]. But until I saw the Rambert I wasn’t entirely convinced I ‘got’ dance” she ends with: “Seeing the Rambert was a fantastic experience - I was completely blown away. … it was an arts experience that has stayed with me…you never know when and how art can take you someplace else.”

That, to me, is ‘getting’ dance.

For once, I'm not talking about web traffic. I'm talking actual real-life vehicles.

Until this week, I was not aware that there was such a thing as the UK Coach Awards - or indeed why they would be of any interest.

Nevertheless, it was brought to my attention that the CBSO had won one of these awards just last week. Despite initial bafflement (why is a symphony orchestra winning an award for public transport?..) it soon became clear that this was, in fact, a great creative partnership. Here's why they won:

'City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with local coach operators run coach trips from a variety of locations to selected concerts at Symphony Hall, Birmingham for £7 return. The services are provided from Bewdley and Kidderminster, Cheltenham, Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Wolverhampton.

The judges felt that the Coach Connections Service is an extremely valuable way of working with coach companies to improve access to arts events in Birmingham, particularly at a time when personal security concerns, global warming worries or traffic growth might otherwise deter people from attending CBSO concerts at Symphony Hall by driving into the city. It is a very 'hassle free' way of getting to the Hall.'

And that's what just a bit of thinking slightly outside the box can do: create an unusual partnership that ends up being a winner for everyone - the coach company, the CBSO and, of course, the audience.

I must admit, I don’t know a huge amount about Irish dance tunes, hot jazz stompers and music from the Celtic, classical and bluegrass traditions, but I was more than willing to give it a go in an attempt to further deepen my understanding of the arts and culture provision available in the West Midlands.

The event is one in a large programme of work put on by Live and Local:

"Live & Local is a network of mainly voluntary organisations across the East and West Midlands and parts of South East England who, supported by a professional team, promote top class professional arts performances in small and friendly venues such as village halls and community centres".

"Live & Local brings people and performers together for a really good time - our audiences are always commenting on the unique and friendly atmosphere at shows, and how being close to the action really adds to their enjoyment"

You can find out more about by visiting www.liveandlocal.org.uk

The performance took place in a village hall in Curdworth; about ten miles outside of Birmingham, just of the M42. We were greeted by warm and friendly front of house staff and encouraged to take our seats in the hall. There was a free raffle, and I had my eye on a box of chocolates.

The venue itself was a classic village hall with plastic chairs laid out in theatre style and a stage at the far end, where two simple spot lights stood expectantly, waiting for the show to begin. The majority of the hundred or so seats had been filled and there was a lovely buzz in the air.

The performance began after a glass of wine, a chat with friends, and a short speech by the artistic director. Marie Ni Chatasaigh and Chris Newman then took to the stage.
I was absolutely blown away. The sound produced by harp and guitar, and the speed in which it was played was mesmerising. They bounced off of one another in their lively ditties and it was obvious that they had played together for a long time (25 years we later learnt). I would find it difficult to explain the sound that they produced, so I’ve found a YouTube video recorded at another performance to give you an idea.

Click here to see the Youtube video


Not only were Marie and Chris extremely talented musicians but also their interaction with the audience was funny, entertaining and informative. Did you know that the harp could only play the notes of the white keys on a piano and unable to play the notes of the black keys? No? Neither did I! This fact lead Chris onto explain that the harp on stage had been specially adapted to enable it to play these black key notes – by a clever system of levers which pushed the harp string up against a rod (or something). This however meant that the harper (and not harpist as I had thought) had to lift and close individual levels to hit these flat and sharp notes – turning the performance into a bizarre dance rather than the flowing delicate movements that you normally associate with the harp. That said, the levers allowed non-traditional harp music to be played on the instrument, which lent itself very well.

The set was made up of classical 17th and 18th century traditional music alongside 30’s jazz and pieces of music composed by the musicians themselves.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and would recommend them, and Live and Local’s programme to all. Not bad for £12 on a school night (but I didn’t win the raffle).

Well done to The Lichfield Festival for a fabulous gig by The Puppini Sisters on Friday night at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre. The Sisters got quite a bit of profile a year or so ago with the fantastic close harmoniy singing and their eclectic mix of material ranging from 40s jazz and swing to clever arrangements of more recent favourites such as Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights and Panic by The Smiths.

Friday's gig has been two years in development by Festival Director, Richard Hawley (read his festival blog here), ever since The Puppinin Sisters performed at the Fierce launch in 2006, and what a different night it was!

This was a very slick show geared up for a theatre setting, rather than an informal bar gig. The three female vocalists are accompanied by three instrumentalists on guitar, drums and bass, and the singers occasionally showed off their talents as instrumentalists too, with turns on the electric violin, the accordian and the melodica.

The material was more of the same, including such classics as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Mr Sandman alongside a fab interpretation of Beyonce's Crazy In Love. The musicians' really wowed the audience with their superb musicianship as soloists and ensemble, and electric stage presence, not to mention their gorgeous vintage dresses.

I was impressed with the theatre staff as well. They dealt very efficiently with the slight delay to the show's start (due I think to a technical problem) and also with a naughty audience member who had been taking flash photos during the performance, which was really good to see!

The Lichfield Festival continues till Sunday 13th July, and if you missed them, the Puppini Sisters are coming to the Town Hall Birmingham on Wednesday 10 December for a Christmas Special.