One of the things we’ve missed most this past year has been going out and seeing people do extraordinary things, things that we couldn’t imagine doing ourselves. Whether that’s playing an instrument, performing some act of athletic wonder or somesuch. If what you’ve most missed has been virtuoso acrobatics – vaulting somersaults, breath-taking trapeze and daredevil balances on the highwire, well, are you in luck.
Passagers is “an intoxicating mix of dance, physical theatre, acrobatics, circus skills and original music” performed by Canadian troupe The 7 Fingers that sounds just extraordinary.
Trapeze is a fantastic motif for our times – taking a leap off into the air, a leap from holding on to something into space and on to something new. “Passagers was originally designed as an ode to travel – departure versus arrival, chance versus choice, familiar versus foreign, confinement versus border-crossing” says 7 Fingers co-founder Shana Carroll. “Those themes have taken on a new meaning for all of us recently, with the very idea of departing or arriving feeling like a distant dream.” Themes that, in our strange new world, have taken on very new and very real meanings.
It’s on at The Dome on 30 September and 1 October.
Tickets range from £10 (restricted view) to £23.50. Family tickets and concessions available.
“It might sound glib, but I wrote it because I think Brighton is so special.” Daren Kay tells Katrin Johannessen why
‘The Brightonians’ is the debut novel of former advertising copywriter, Daren Kay. It tells the story of a social group in Brighton uncovering a mystery of the past, sparked by an old letter found in a hymn book at the funeral of iconic former (fictional) mayor Grace Davidson. It spans multiple decades and different generations of mostly queer people.
It was important to Kay, that the novel included different generations, as there can sometimes be a disconnect within the queer community between age groups.
“As a younger gay man, I learned a lot from older queer people and I think it’d be great to foster that intergenerational communication again, which is why in the novel I wanted to make sure there was a full spread.”
“What I really felt was important is I think a lot of queer history has been erased, it’s been forgotten, it’s been purposefully left to one side and so I wanted to do my little bit to make queer history interesting to another generation.”
Not only is there a spread over generations, but the characters also come from different parts of the UK and have different accents, Polari is also represented.
“It was largely a reflection. There isn’t anyone that is based on anyone that I know, but I would say that the characters are a mixture of a couple of people and lots of the characters have bits of me. I think Brighton is a melting pot. It might not be the most multicultural place, but I do think it is a melting pot. One thing I will say about Brighton is you very rarely meet people in Brighton from Brighton.”
Although the social scene is shown as quite competitive and perhaps even cynical at points, there is a definite sense of community throughout the book. Kay himself has experienced how the LGBT community has come together during times of struggle, such has the HIV crisis and the introduction of Clause 28.
“I was in my early twenties when that happened. My experience in Birmingham and Sheffield was that there was a separatism until that happened. I think the HIV crisis and Clause 28 brought lesbians and gay men together for the first time in a big, big way.
“I know from historian Alf Le Flohic, who is quite known in Brighton for his knowledge of queer history, he lived in Brighton in the ‘80s and he said that the lesbian community was very supportive of gay men during the crisis. So, it’s been solid for a long, long time. Particularly with older people. I think age is a great leveller.
“I’ll be really blunt, I think sometimes the different communities within our community spend too much time arguing with each-other, when we have a common enemy, which is quite obvious out there.”
Kay replaced the security of his job in advertising and started freelancing and following his passion for writing, resulting in the ‘The Brightonians’.
“I wrote it for me. As a copy writer, I went into advertising because I loved writing and as you go further up the ladder you get more and more removed from the reason you went into the job in the first place. So, when I left that job, I rediscovered my love of writing through this book.
“The other thing I wrote it for was Brighton. It might sound glib, but I wrote it because I think Brighton is so special. I just find it such an incredible place and I wanted to capture what I love about Brighton. That amazing concentration of some quite unusual people.”
In the novel one of the characters at one point ‘plays the Brighton card’, when she uses her love of Brighton to score social points.
“I’ve invented that, but I do think it exists. I think I have played the ‘Brighton card’. I’ve gone even further and played the ‘Kemptown card.”
“I think the proximity of Brighton to London is one of the things, that has made it so unique. I lived in London for 25 years and I find Brighton even more sociable than London. I think the geography of it, because it is quite small or concentrated people are much happier to do things.” Kay said.
Brighton is more than setting in the book and through a fantastical seagull it gets a chance to speak for itself.
“Brighton is so much a part of the book, I needed a way for Brighton to speak, so Charles de Gull basically became the voice. I’ve referred to seagulls in interviews as nature’s CCTV, because they’re just always there. For people who write, they are just always watching us. It seemed like the most obvious vehicle for Brighton to have a voice. What I liked about the seagull is that in my head the seagull has been there for 200 years, so it’s almost like a fantastical seagull really.
“Brighton has always been a really significant town on the south coast, because of its proximity to France and London. But Brighton in most people’s heads didn’t really become a place of any interest until the 1750s, when Dr. Russell recommended our seawater as this great sort of cure for everything, and people started to come down. So, I wanted Charles de Gull to have existed since that time. So, he allows me to set the scene and say this is a town, which has always been a centre of liberal thinking and artists.”
The people in Brighton might like to complain about the seagulls, maybe especially when having their food stolen by a shifty one, but they still have a special status in town.
“It’s weird. The book cover was designed by my friend Sarah Arnett. In her work, she has lots of birds, but she’s never done a seagull. It’s a very divisive thing in Brighton. It depends on if you’re being shat on, I suppose.”
His next novel is already in progress and it’s called ‘The Brightonians Under Siege’ and is about the last year and Covid.
“One of the things I wanted to capture and celebrate was the social scene and parties and what I sometimes call ‘competitive partying’ that I see in Brighton and now to suddenly have that stopped I think it’s really fascinating.
I do think that when people read this book still on the ends of lockdown, they will feel nostalgic for those fancy-dress parties and for being able to meet up with people and having a gin and tonic.”
The Brightonians will be released on April 23rd.
Anyone who signs up to www.darenkay.com before 30.04.21 will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a porcelain mug featuring the cover design by Sarah Arnett
The book is available to order now at Waterstones, Book Depository & Foyles:
What do you feel when you see a statue to some historical figure you’ve kinda heard of but don’t really know anything about? Do you think… “It’s just there. It’s always been there, so let it be there”? Do you think… “Who is that? I’m going to find out about that right now. Now, where’s my Wikipedia…?” Do you think… “Whoever it is, it means nothing to me. I wish there was something there I could feel something positive about”.
Well… strangely enough now we’ve got a chance to say what we think about public art in our city. We’re not talking about private exhibitions, shows, gigs, festivals, that’s one thing, But what about the art that’s out there in the public spaces. Statues. Outdoor installations. Spaces in parks. How do we, as a city, feel about that stuff? We saw last year, particularly in Bristol, that historic statues can be… problematic. How do we deal with those subjects and feelings? Remember the Mary Wollstonecraft sculpture that was unveiled in London in November?
Brighton’s an arty city, a creative city. It’s one of the reasons we’re here. The public art should reflect that – and now’s a chance to make that happen.
The Brighton based arts charity Lighthouse has launched an online public survey and series of short films under the banner “Let’s Talk Public Art” to encourage us to say what we think about public art in the city.
“Public art can provoke intensely divided public opinion, as we have seen recently with historic statues being removed because of their connections to slavery. These short films feature discussion points such as heritage, inclusion, sustainability and wellbeing so we can delve into how people feel about public art” says Alli Beddoes, Lighthouse CEO & Artistic Director.
https://youtu.be/vOdgSpyqJoM
Films:
Places & Spaces with Matt Adams – Blast Theory and Atif Choudhury – Diversity & Ability An exploration of what and where the spaces and places can be for public art. It should be more than standalone works in the public realm, they should be integral to the ways in which we experience and understand our city.
A Green City with Ami Rae – Onca Gallery and Claire Potter – Claire Potter Design What doers it mean to be green – and can you green the city through public art. Brighton & Hove aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 – how can public art support this?
Wellbeing with Elsa Monteith – Writer & Artist and Emma Frankland – Artist What does public art mean for our sense of identity and belonging? How can it help us connect and care?
Heritage with Judith Ricketts, Artist and E J Scott, Historian & Curator What is a successful piece of artwork that celebrates heritage in our city? How can public art hold onto the past without erasing it but use it to be informed and carve out a better future for the next generation?
Connectivity & Community with Amartey Golding – Artist and Bobby Brown – Music Producer & Careworker, Hangleton & Knoll A film discussion of the ways commissioning public art can connect to community groups in the city.
There’s an event – online, natch – called Let’s Talk Public Art – Digital Campfire(10am to 12 noon, Fri 5 February) which might be interesting. To join, take part in the survey, watch the films or register for the event visit: lighthouse.org.uk/events/lets-talk-about-public-art
Do you remember “going out”? No, me neither. Still, the Dome is re-opening its doors for a series of seasonal events, including a production of A Christmas Carol narrated by Killing Eve and Succession actor Harriet Walter.
Live stream events also continue, with best-selling children’s author Michael Morpurgo bringing the festive spirit into people’s homes with an afternoon of Christmas storytelling.Other events feature names such as Dawn French, Benamin Zephaniah and Liza Tarbuck.
Megan Wenham and Harriet Dunlop talk to Louise Channon about BGG and being a community hero
As the Christmas season fast approaches it is obvious none of us will have the usual festivities and traditions we look forward to all year long, as COVID and lockdowns seem to be a never ending cycle of new rules and restrictions.
All is not lost though, as we caught up with Louise Cannon, the Creative Director and Producer of Brighton Goes Gospel to talk about their “the all sing and dancing” 20th anniversary.
Earlier this year the choir embarked on their biggest challenge yet through recording a new song and creating their own documentary to highlight the best times over the years, all within the challenges of lockdown to ensure they can still spread light this Christmas.
“The idea of the documentary is to cover 20 years of our journey. It will cover footage from previous shows, photographs, artwork, interviews, and the people who have been a part of our journey. We just want to spread a bit more joy, especially this year where it is a lot more needed. We are just doing what we normally do just on a much wider scale.”
The documentary called “More Than Just Singing” also covers today’s matters too and in their own way they will be paying tribute to Black Lives Matter and the NHS.
“Gospel means good news and some people really need that right now. The beauty of gospel music is that it does cover a broad spectrum and people can make it whatever they need it to be for them.
“Even though we are a gospel choir we are not all religious, we are welcome to all religions and non-religious people. The reason we come together is love of gospel music and is all for different reasons.”
Louise’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, and she has been presented with the “Make A Difference Heroes Award” in recognition of all her work. “It’s quite humbling to receive an award as a thank you from the community and from my peers.” The awards are dedicated to celebrating unsung heroes from across the local area, organised by BBC Radio Sussex.
The Brighton Goes Gospel choir have also been working hard on recording their own version of “With A Little Help From My Friends”.
“We have created joy in a pandemic and still fighting to spread love and this is what the song is about.”
Recording the song during a pandemic definitely had its challenges as you could imagine. As a choir of vast age range, getting people to record their parts of the songs was difficult. “What we did was set up support groups on Facebook live so we can explain to people what we needed them to do. At times we have gone to their house, filmed for them or used our devices if they did not have a smartphone.
“The brave thing about the choir is they are normally together with 120-140 people and singing in a group, but asking people to sing a solo is the scariest thing ever and the wonderful thing is a lot of people stepped out of their comfort zone and nobody bowed out.”
The track will have guest features from renowned gospel artists including; Michelle John, Ken Burton, Paul Lee, Annette Bowen, Nathaniel Morrison, Sharlene Hector, Vula Malinga, Ladonna Harley- Peters and many more. “It’s been about five months in the making, we chose the track back in January and it is a COVID anthem for me.”
It’s officially winter. The nights have closed in, the straw hat is back in it box and coats are the season’s must-have accessory. Still, we’re out of lockdown and we’re allowed out. Remember that? Out? And if we’ve got to have a substantial meal, well that’s OK too. Lockdown’s had its moments. We’ve met people, well we’ve seen people on small screens, and as long as the West Hill quiz keeps going, so will we (even though we were robbed at the last quiz, positively robbed. Who knew what a Star bar looked like?).
But remember, if things are hard, if you have trouble getting out and about, Lovely Vinod at Bright News is doing deliveries and helping those who need it. It’s what community’s for.
Finally, a quick word about us going all 21st century – the website’s got a new look, there’s a new Instagram (@westhillwhistler) and Twitter (@WestHillWhistle) and a re-vamped Facbook page. You can probably guess what that’s called. It’s all very exciting.
And, as always, if you’ve got something to say, drop us a line. Join in. Life’s better that way.
Our new regular feature looking into what’s new in food and drink
SWOOPING INTO Jubilee Square, the Gull has sniffed the air and discovered a little Singapore-style hawker experience at the back of The Chilli Pickle. Those clever Sperrings, Alun and Dawn who brought their off-road family adventures in India to Brighton 11 years ago, have always loved a shrimp krupuk with plum sauce and black pepper lamb ribs and trialled Hawkerman as a pop-up to make the most of their space in the restaurant. And they’ve done it well; West Hillers will remember their Chilli Pickle pop up at the Polygon on Seven Dials in 2017. And despite an October launch ahead of an inevitable lockdown, this little toe dip in the rough waters of hospitality has gone down swimmingly with the local as Brighton’s spice lovers took advantage of the double take-away option from Jubilee Square’s Asian one-stop shop.
THE GULL LOVES nothing better than rummaging around in the bins of West Hill on a Friday night and has been tucking into some rather exotic flavours from the newly arrived Dishoom, the Irani-Bombay experience so beloved by our London cousins. It’s only available via Deliveroo so far, but the menu is as top notch and includes plenty for vegans and vegetarians such as the Pau Bhaji, much-loved Mattar Paneer, Jackfruit Biryani, samosas and bowls of chole. It even delivers drinks – Bombay sodas, Limca and Thums Up alongside Dishoom’s Mango Lassi. And the Gull is happy to report all the packaging is made from reclaimed and renewable sugar cane pulp packaging and carbon-neutral PLA (a smart compostable bioplastic made from plants), are recyclable once rinsed or compostable. And each take away is matched with the donation of a meal through Akshaya Patra, a charity in India which offers free school meals to hungry children.
https://delivery.dishoom.com.
RIDING THE THERMALS towards Shoreham Port, the Gull has got wind of a new kitchen opening next summer. The Port Kitchen will be next to the lock gates at the award-winning Lady Bee Enterprise Centre and plans to serve visitors as they pass through the locks, as well as the Port’s thriving business community and tourists visiting the area. It seems that the council has a plan to make this hitherto industrial space into an iconic food destination with proper coffee, fresh food and, take it from a bird, unparalleled views across the harbour.
An Aladdin’s Cave where Frida Kahlo sits next to beautiful vintage kimonos while Tintin and Buddha look on. Jed Novick goes in search of the Objet D’ials
I want people to feel that they’ve disconnected with the outside world and engaged with the shop when they’ve walked through the door.”
Karin Pratt is putting the finishing touches to Objet D’ials, her new art emporium. She’s at that lovely point – halfway between excited and exhausted, and I just asked her the stupidest question. What are you selling here? It all looks like Aladdin’s Cave here. Look around and… there’s Mexican the window, a row of beautiful Japanese kimonos, a Buddha, a bit of Frida Kahlo, vintage books, art, Tintin, a red velvet sofa… Everywhere your eye lands, there’s something for it to feast on.
“When people walk in and look around, I want them to feel like they’ve gone on a journey,” says Karin. “I want people to engage with the shop. You know how many shops you walk in and then walk out, as an experience it leaves you empty. I want people to come in here – even if they don’t buy anything – I want them to feel they’ve disconnected with the outside world.”
Pushed for a description, Karin says “I want it to be an all-encompassing Biba-esque experience.” And if you’re going to have an aspiration, that’s not a bad one.
“You just browse. There’s a café – but only a small percentage of our life is as a café. We’re going down the cafetiere or pot of tea route. We’re not doing takeaway or trying to be a café. The shop is artisan and in the summer there’ll be tables and chairs outside.”
So let’s go back to the beginning. Who are you and how did you get here? “We live next door and this shop used to be the garage for the house. My husband has looked into the history of the house and has always wanted to put it back together, to bring it back. I’ve worked in shops (and the oil industry, and tourism and hotels…) but I’d never had a shop. I had a feeling it was going to come on the market and one day we were sitting in the garden and a friend said ‘Come here, there’s a guy in the street with a clipboard outside the shop.’
And you ran outside and said “Stop!”?
“More or less.”
To anyone opening a shop in 2020, it’s the obvious question to ask, so let’s just ask it. You’re setting up a new shop from scratch, how much of a nuisance has lockdown been? “Not really that much of a problem because I knew it was coming. We’ve had a four-week turnaround – we bought it at the end of November and…”
Hang about. Stop. You only got hold of this at the end of October?
“Yes, the 23rd. We came straight in after getting the key and started with the paint…”
That’s just… That’s amazing.
“Was it longer? I’m so tired… It’s gone really quickly, I know that.”
While it’s Karin’s shop, Karin’s idea, Karin’s dream, she’s very keen to support Sussex based suppliers for my local goods. “The idea of helping and promoting local produce and business is really important. We’re very lucky to have a shop and while it’s OK to be online, if you can have somewhere to show your goods, that can make all the difference.”
So you’ve got?
“Well, we sell Craft House Coffee, which is based in Wivelsfield. There’s Katie’s Nuttery, who do all sorts of organic nut butters and they’re based in Henfield. We’ve got Park Farm honey, from just up the road. J.Cocoa, the chocolatier from Hassocks, and Slice, the local Seven Dials bakery and sweetmaker.”
And it’s not just about the small producers; there’s a place at the table for shops, too. “We’ve got stuff from ‘And More Again’ in Upper Gardener Street because they – Penny –goes to India a lot and she’s going to have a permanent feature in the shop because she fits what I like, the vibe.”
So are you going to expand into things like local cheeses? “My core is art, that’s what the vibe is. The heart of the shop is community, but my core is art. If we can bring those things together…”
We hear so much about the death of the high street, about big stores closing, about how people only shop online. But maybe this is what the future will look like, post-Covid when big high street shopping has recalibrated. Community-based shops that work together, that help each other, that support other local businesses.
“There are so many lovely people here and if we can all work together we can only make everyone stronger, and have more fun while we’re doing it”
Every parent knows the story. No sooner have you stocked up on your baby or toddler’s new wardrobe than little Johnny has already outgrown the lot. You’re looking at your bank account and scratching your head while the kids’ clothes manufacturers are gleefully ringing up the tills. It’s the price you pay as a parent, but the cost to the earth isn’t funny.
“I was making organic baby and kids clothes for my company SuperNatural Collections but I got to thinking that the world really does not need me to produce any more baby clothes whether they are organic or not”, said Jenny Barrett, the founder of SuperLooper. “There are 183 million items of unused baby clothing stored in UK homes.”
Jenny is on a mission to make a difference and created SuperLooper, an online baby clothing library of pre-loved clothes for babies 0-2 years to offer parents a waste-free-wardrobe for as long as they need. ‘And when your child has outgrown them, you just send them back to be loved & looped again’.
When it comes to sustainable fashion, baby clothing is often forgotten. Of the estimated £140 million worth (around 350,000 tonnes) of used clothing which goes to landfill in the UK every year, baby clothes account for huge portion simply because of how fast they grow. After spending much of her life in the fashion industry Jenny realised things didn’t have to be that way. SuperLooper, a subscription service of around £20 a month enables parents to avoid buying new clothes altogether and to clear out all their outgrown items to share with other families. “You can choose as many clothes as you like.”
The circular economy is an alternative to the traditional way where we make, use and dispose of items, ensuring that the life of a product doesn’t end when it is no longer used. It is re-used, remade and eventually recycled into another product. SuperLooper makes sure that great clothes will be at least be kept in circulation for as long as possible.
So far, the clothes library has over 1600 items to choose from and will have lots more by Christmas “It’s a huge job, ironing labels on, taking photographs then uploading them. It’s all a bit overwhelming but I’m very determined!”
We know we can do things to help our planet but it’s that further step to make the change which seems to stop most people from actually doing anything. “Just keep on it and don’t worry that it’s a tiny thing because we all know tiny things eventually, become big things. We can all make the difference. We just have to believe.”
If you would like to join the
community check them out
on Facebook @SuperLooper or sign up at www.superlooperlife.com
Idly flicking through the TV the other day, I chanced upon “Dad’s Army”. Haven’t seen it for ages, but still it’s so familiar. The bumbling incompetence, the mind-numbing arrogance, the hubris. The idea they know what they’re doing, but behind their eyes we can see that even they know they’re absolutely clueless. But then on closer look, I realised they were wearing suits, not fatigues and I was actually watching a Government briefing about the new Covid guidelines.
Oh well. Strange times. As The Whistler goes to press, we don’t know whether there’ll be a second wave or a second lockdown, whether six people is a group or five is a bubble. As ever, the people who do best are the ones with the positive attitude, like Mark and Hatt at The Eddy, like Pam and Philippe at The Red Snapper. That’s what we’re buying into here. The positive. And as long as it’s linen suit and straw hat weather…. it’s all good.
Finally, a quick and very large “Thank You” to Joanna Bettles for her time as designer of The Whistler. For Jo, as for the rest of us, new challenges await.
And don’t forget – if you’ve got something to say, drop us a line. Join in. Life’s better that way. XX
News and views from West Hill and Seven Dials in Brighton
