Poetry 12 & under 15 years – Tensi Beautyman, 85

Poetry, 15 & under 19 – Julia Smith, 83

Sonnet, open to all ages – Alice Palmer-Ross, Commended

Short Story, 9 years & under – Liberty Shirnia, 76

Short Story, 10 & under 13 years – Niamh Taylor, 90

Short Story, 13 & under 15 years – Emma Bessent, 87

Short Story 19 & over – Tony Clark, 92

Report Writing, 11 & under – Orla Smith, 81

Journalism, 19 years & over – Jane Wade-Scarlet, 85

Drama

• Devised Group Drama
• Duologue Acting
• Group Acting
• Duologue Mime
• Shakespeare Acting
• Solo Acting
• Verse Speaking
• Memorised Prose
• Sonnet
• Prepared Bible Reading
• Prepared Prose Reading
• Television News Reading
• Public Speaking

Creative Writing

• Poetry
• Sonnet
• Short Story
• Report Writing
• Journalism

Classical Guitar

• Solos by Grade
• Duets by Grade
• Ensemble
• Duet accompanied by a teacher
• Workshop

Full details are available in the Festival Programme which is on sale from Brian Taylor Music or at the Festival itself.

Thanks to all those who came it was a fun afternoon!

Hard at work

Story Writing

Still hard at it!

Phew it wasn't all nose to the grindstone then!

The next Pulsar ‘live-microphone’ performance poetry (and music) evening will be held at The Oxfam Bookshop, 29B High Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1LW on Wednesday 6^th July 2011, from 7.00 pm until approx. 09.00 ‘ish.  All persons invited are welcome to read their own poems, or poems of choice, to a friendly audience.  A P.A. system will be provided by Pulsar.   Note: you don’t have to read poems, why not come along to soak up the ambience. This is an excellent venue for Pulsar Poets in historic Marlborough, with funds to a good cause.

Participants / guests are encouraged to make donations to Oxfam at the event.

The evening will be reviewed for Pulsar Poetry Webzine, www.pulsarpoetry.com and will be featured in a coming edition.   If you wish you may bring your own musical instrument for accompaniment, (guitars / leads will not be lent). The evening will be photographed – photos for Pulsar Webzine.  Performing poets will also be filmed, for posting to You Tube, (with poets permission).

Interested poets / spectators should initially please contact either David Pike, via e-mail: pulsar.ed@btopenworld.com or Michelle (manager of Oxfam Bookshop), tel. 01672-515932 to confirm attendance, (so we may gauge numbers).

Look forward to seeing you at The Marlborough Oxfam Bookshop.

SPEECH AND DRAMA

PATRICIA HAMMOND LLAM PGCA. HON FLAM.,

Patricia Hammond has been a teacher of speech, drama and theatre studies since 1968 having established a theatre school with her late husband. She transferred ownership of the school to an ex-student several years ago.  Many of her students have worked professionally in theatre, television, film and radio appearing in numerous productions in Europe, London and the provinces including The National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Seventeen ex-students have now opened their own schools of performing arts both in the UK and overseas.

She has been examining and adjudicating for very many years and has travelled frequently for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).  Her work has taken her to all parts of the British Isles, Kenya, California, Singapore, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.  She is an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals.  Patricia has provided demonstration classes and Master Classes in Verse Speaking and Devised Performance a LAMDA McGowan Theatre and has co-written with Alison Muir a book entitled “Mime and Improvisation” published by LAMDA/Oberon Books and is currently writing another book.  She is actively involved in community arts and serves on a number of consultative panels relating to conservation, arts projects and animal welfare, serving also as a Drama Officer for Bromley Arts Council.  She is very much looking forward to her first visit to the Wootton Bassett Arts Festival 2011.

Tish Nicoll  LGSM,  Dip CE,  MSTSD,  FESB

Tish Nicoll is a Fellow of The English Speaking Board; a member of The Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama; a member of The British Voice Association, and a Member of the Panel of Speech and Drama Adjudicators of the British and International Federation of Festivals.

Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Tish is a Licentiate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  She has a wide range of experience in teaching all age groups in schools, colleges and the business world.  Tish now lives in Oxfordshire and works freelance. She is visiting lecturer in Vocal Communications in colleges in the UK and in Italy. She also examines for The English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. and was their Chief Examiner for seven years. She has travelled widely both in the UK and overseas lecturing, running workshops, examining and adjudicating and in 2007 was honoured to become Patron of “Oracy Australia Assoc.”

As well as “Voice Over” work for advertising, Tish has television experience as a performer and stage experience as a performer and a director. She is also a trained singer, specialising in recitals of poetry and song.

From an early age Tish took part in Festivals and well remembers how it feels to be a participant!  Now, herself a Festival organiser and adjudicator, she knows the importance of these events and welcomes the opportunities offered to performers of all ages, giving them a platform for their work and a chance to celebrate music, poetry and drama.

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Barrie Willerton

Barrie Willerton has spent a life-time in art and design education.  He was Head of Faculty; Design Technology and Art & Design, at Wootton Bassett School for 25 years.  He has been involved in the development and implementation of vocational education working for City & Guilds and examination boards, in establishing GNVQ courses in Art & Design at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels.  He was also Principle Examiner for GNVQ Art & Design at all levels for AQA.  He is co-author (with Sylvia Willerton) of books for art courses in secondary education and for Business and Professional Practices in Art & Design.  As an artist, he works from studios at home, principally in print-making and has exhibited in Birmingham and locally.

Sylvia Willerton

Sylvia Willerton has a wide range of experience in the field of Art, Craft and Design as a practitioner, teacher and writer.  She was Chair of Examiners for VCE, GNVQ and GCSE applied art and design qualifications at AQA and Chief Examiner at CGLI.  She has extensive experience as a consultant, researcher and adviser with national and regional authorities and councils, including National Council for Vocational Qualifications; Schools Curriculum Assessment Authority; Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and Awarding Bodies.  She has been involved in the specifications, development and assessment of a wide range of art and design qualifications from National Curriculum to National Diplomas.  Her 24 years in teaching was spread across Secondary and Further and Higher Education. Publications have mainly focussed on assessment, professional practice and vocational assignments, while her work has been exhibited mainly in London and Birmingham. She studied fine art at St Martin’s, London; education at Leicester and has a doctorate from Sussex University.

FILM

Mark Kenna, BEng. (Hons) | AMPS

Mark started his career in 1989 with Rolls Royce, specialising in Electronics, Music Technology, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics at the University of York.  In 1997 Mark joined Dolby Laboratories and as Senior Consultant, provided technical and creative support to the international motion picture industry, helping many first time productions and independent filmmakers through post production, working on over 600 films in more than 100 film studios, cinemas and film laboratories worldwide.

Mark has worked with all the major studios including Disney and Warner Bros.; toured Scandinavia with Baz Luhrmann; provided support at the Cannes Film Festival; completed the first Dolby Digital mixes in the Czech Republic and Egypt; provided consultancy services for new studios in Thailand and Denmark and has completed work for George Lucas, Tim Burton and Ken Loach.

In September 2009, he started Dreambase Studios Limited, a sound post facility specialising in bespoke sound for independent films and digital media.  He continues to provide international sound consultancy services and produce high end media content.

Mark is a full member of AMPS (Association of Motion Picture Sound).

Alex Hudd, BSc | AMPS

After studying for a degree in Electronic Engineering, Alex worked for professional audio company Dolby Laboratories and spent eleven years as a Sound Consultant to the film industry, working on over 200 original film productions.  Alex has extensive experience in film sound post production all over the world, including motion picture film laboratory, digital cinema work and product development.

He continues to provide a variety of sound services for independent films and digital media from his company Dreambase Studios, based in Wootton Bassett, who also provide high quality video productions.  Alex’s picture editing was shortlisted for the BBC’s Digital Revolution short film competition in 2010.

He is writing several screenplays and developing his own music catalogue, and is a full member of AMPS (Association of Motion Picture Sound) and the PRS (Performing Rights Society).

CREATIVE WRITING

Phil Kirby

Phil began trying to write things around 1984, just after starting an English teaching career. In the late 80s he had couple of journalistic pieces published in a local newspaper. In the early 90s Phil started getting poems published in literary magazines/journals. His first poetry pamphlet of work that had appeared in magazines was published through his own Waldean Press in 1993. A second one in ’94 to coincide with the fact that he was awarded an East Midlands Arts Writer’s Bursary ‘94 and a place on their ‘New Voices’ reading tour. A third pamphlet was published through Shoestring Press, Nottingham, in 1997. He ran Waldean Press from 1993-98, publishing work by 8 other poets and receiving an East Midlands Arts subsidy for quality work. Also during this time he taught many adult writing classes, mostly through WEA. A short story was published by ‘nthposition’ on-line journal 2005. And his first full poetry collection: ‘Watermarks’, was published by Arrowhead Press, 2009. He has given subsequent readings in Cirencester and Islington. New poems continue to appear in magazines and he is expecting a group of poems to appear in the near future in an anthology being prepared by Brittle Star magazine. He has recently completed his first children’s/teenage novel and is hoping, eventually, to find a publisher for that, too.

CLASSICAL GUITAR

Mark Ashford ARAM, GRSM (Hons), Prof Cert (Hons), LRAM

Mark Ashford is an internationally renowned performer and teacher. He began his formal musical education as a scholarship student at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester at the age of 12. He then won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London from where he graduated with first class honours. Mark then completed his studies with the eminent guitarist David Russell in Vigo, Spain.

He is a prize winner at many national and international competitions including the Guitar Foundation of America, Alessandria International Guitar Competition (Italy), Scandinavian International Guitar Competition, Julian Bream Prize, and BBC Radio 2 Young Musician. He has performed as a soloist at major venues including, Buckingham Palace, the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Queens Hall (Edinburgh) and St George’s (Bristol). In 2004 Mark was honoured to record Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Nicholas Cleobury. This led to a successful concerto tour of many venues throughout the UK including Fairfied Halls (Croydon) and Bridgewater Hall, (Manchester). He was course director at the Bath International Guitar Festival for six years and is now head of guitar at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music. He regularly gives masterclasses at the leading Conservatoires of Music and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for his achievements in the music profession.

All are welcome to attend this free of charge event and read their own poems, or poems of choice, to a friendly audience.   A P.A. system will be provided by Pulsar.   However, you don’t have to read poems, why not come along to soak up the ambience.   If you wish you may ring your own acoustic guitar for accompaniment, (guitars will not be lent).

The evening will be reviewed for Pulsar Poetry Webzine, www.pulsarpoetry.com Also, photographs of performing poets will be posted to Pulsar Webzine Photo Gallery.   Note: videos of poets reading / reciting will also be posted to You Tube, (but only with poets permission). To view videos of poets performing at previous Pulsar ‘Live’ events visit You Tube and search under the PulsarPoet channel.

To express interest and gain information about the event please phone 01793 875941 or e-mail: puls...@btopenworld.com or view Pulsar Poetry Webzine: www.pulsarpoetry.com

Look forward to seeing you at The Goddard Arms, Clyffe Pypard.  Please spread the word.

BlueGate Poets’ will be holding an open mic poetry evening on 11th November, starting at 7:30pm and ending at 10pm. The evening will be hosted by Hilda Sheehan at The New Studio, Swindon Arts Centre, Devizes Road, Swindon. SN 1 4BJ. If you would like to read your poetry or your favourite poems, please come along at 7pm to sign up. To book a slot in advance, email Hilda at: bluegatepoets@yahoo.co.uk and then buy your ticket available from the box office: 01793 614837
Bluegate Poets’ members £2, non-members £4.

Our first guest poet is Alan Buckley. His poems have appeared in a wide range of magazines, including Magma, Smiths Knoll and Orbis. He is committed to exploring creative ways of engaging audiences with live poetry, and has performed his work in a bus, a science museum, and a high-security prison, as well as more conventional venues. His pamphlet ‘Shiver’ was a Poetry Book Society pamphlet choice for summer 2009.

Artist and musician Stevie Gilmore will also be playing music and exhibiting some of his work:www.steviegilmoresound.com

BlueGate Poets hope you will join us for this exciting new regular poetry event in Swindon.

The Morning After The Staff Christmas Party

Woke up, head thumping, memories a blur
Vague recollection of things to regret
Acid indigestion, tongue lined with fur
Trying to recall the things to forget.

It had started at lunch, drinks in the pub
Slowly unwinding, caught up in the round
No intention to end up in a club
Sucked indoors by a Ministry of Sound.

I’d never noticed Suzanne from accounts
‘Til fizzing and buzzing in sultry dance
The department of discounts and amounts
Is the last place I’d be seeking romance.

She’s wife of the Boss, not one to accost
The jigsaw is complete, the line was crossed.

A Change in Lifestyle

I’m not well at all. The doctor said, “stop smoking and
drinking or soon you’ll be dead”.

“Eat lots of veg and don’t skimp on the fruit. It’s your
decadent lifestyle that’s really the root….”

“….of your health situation, that’s easy to tell. Oh, and
remember, won’t you, to exercise well”.

So here I am ladies) and gentlemen too), a month
down the line and I confess to you…

….I’m not finding this easy, not easy at all. The food
that I eat does not leave me enthralled.

It’s not that I hate it, it’s just that I feel, a sense of
dismay at the start of each meal.

Each portion of couscous I’d rather was chips, and I
dream that it’s Chablis, not water I sip

Dessert is not longer a Tiramisu. It’s goodness knows
what, but I think it’s tofu!

I’m paying, I think, a high price for my sins. I even
miss out on my post-dinner mints.

So, it’s goodbye to chocolates and biscuits and
cakes, to kebabs and burgers, to pizzas and steaks.

A farewell to whiskey (wish is was just au revoir). No
fly glass of Fosters, or Stella Artois.

I know that, come Christmas, it’ll be even worse.
Seeing others indulge while I’m under this curse.

Is it worth it, I’m thinking, enduring such strife. I have
one “existence”, but hanker for “life”.

If I can’t have the pleasures of things that I crave,
should I throw in the towel and just welcome the
grave?

Life has become just one heck of a drag, and I can’t
even go for a pint and a fag!

I’m sorry for whinging, but what can I say? Perhaps I
feel down, ‘cause it’s Monday today.

I’ll be fine in the morning, as it’ll be Tuesday, and I
can cheer myself up…with a nice bowl of muesli!

Shared Waters

Taken on a simple pine
you stay a while
Held the grasp of those
electric blue eyes
piercing
comforting
the silence is no bridge between us.
You sing a song; I listen
Each rise and fall
each crescendo, diminuendo
I mark the notes like one would carve a tree
Endless messages, spewed through the wood.

The music ends; soft lullaby is this pause
not the melody of your voice.
Moments pass
The conflict arrives.
Yet again, peace is snatched from our filmy grasp.