Accountancy firm sponsors Carlisle rock band's tour of Ukraine
Armstrong Watson is sponsoring Hardwicke Circus, who are based in Carlisle, as they embark on the international tour, which will include a series of performances and community workshops across the war-torn country.
Paul Dickson, CEO and managing partner of Armstrong Watson, said: "We believe access to arts and culture can have a huge positive impact on communities.
(L to R) Stephen McCullough, Armstrong Watson partner; Jonny Foster, band leader of Carlisle-based Hardwicke Circus; and Paul Dickson, Armstrong Watson CEO (Image: Armstrong Watson) "Supporting Hardwicke Circus on this extraordinary tour is not just about backing local talent, it's about amplifying voices that bring hope, resilience and unity through music.
"We are incredibly proud to help make this tour possible and to see a band from Carlisle take such a courageous and inspiring step on the international stage to raise funds for Mission Ukraine."
The 2,500-mile journey is set to begin in the Czech Republic on Sunday, June 8, the day after the band is scheduled to open the show at Carlisle Weekender at Brunton Park.
The band will tour alongside Ukrainian group OKAZIA, with whom they will play several dates in the Czech Republic before crossing into Ukraine.
Their route will take them from Lviv eastwards through Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Dnipro and Kharkiv, with plans to perform at a military base before concluding in Kyiv, and returning to the UK.
All proceeds from the Ukrainian shows will go to Mission Ukraine, a charity delivering aid to war-affected regions.
The band will also be runing youth music workshops.
Jonny Foster, lead vocalist and band leader of Hardwicke Circus, outside the Amstrong Watson office (Image: Armstrong Watson) Jonny Foster, lead vocalist and band leader of Hardwicke Circus, said: "Music has always been about more than just entertainment, it's about connection, courage and community.
"This tour is our way of standing with the people of Ukraine, sharing our songs and showing that Carlisle's voice can carry across borders in solidarity.
"We're honoured to be part of something bigger and we're grateful to Armstrong Watson for believing in the power of music to make a difference."
With the conflict ongoing, as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine fail to progress, the band is aware of the risks involved.
Tom Foster, the band's drummer, and Jonny's brother, said: "Danger is one side of it, but I think the importance and significance of what we're aiming to do outweighs the personal danger.
"We were presented with the opportunity, and we weren't going to say no."
The band's collaboration with OKAZIA facilitated connections with the Ukrainian concert venues.
According to a spokesperson for the band, this "underscores the unifying power of music in times of adversity and highlights the role of the arts in fostering cross-cultural solidarity and humanitarian support."
Hardwicke Circus, known for their energetic performances and socially conscious lyrics, are no strangers to pushing boundaries.
They previously completed a 15-date prison tour in 2021.
During this latest tour, they will be working on a new live album titled Songs of Freedom.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hypebeast
43 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Escape to the Italian Riviera With LEGO's Latest Set
Summary LEGOis transporting fans to the sun-soaked Ligurian coast with its newest release: theLEGO Ideas Italian Rivieraset (21359). The 3,251-piece model, designed for adult builders, captures the charm of a Mediterranean fishing village with three colorful, angled buildings housing a gelato shop, diving gear store and bustling fish market. The creation was submitted by Oregon-based fan designer Alex Sahli through theLEGO Ideasprogram, which turns community-voted concepts into real sets. Inspired by Italy's Cinque Terre, Sahli focused on architectural angles, vibrant colors and textural detail, saying he's 'especially proud of the roofing and stonework.' The set includes 10 minifigures, like a pasta-making nonna and a gelato vendor, bringing everyday coastal life to the build. Early access for LEGO Insiders begins August 7, with general release on August 10. Priced at $300 USD, purchases between August 7–13 include a free LEGO Mediterranean Scene gift set, while supplies last.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Don't believe your eyes at Utah's first Museum of Illusions
The Museum of Illusions opens at The Gateway Friday, with over 80 mind-warping and interactive exhibits. State of play: This is the Croatia-based company's first location in Utah, packing puzzles, illusions, holograms into a roughly 13,000-square-foot space downtown. "Illusion experts" are nearby to explain the illusions and take your group photo.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Rich with visual effects, ‘King Kong' stomps into Fullerton
From sailing on a ship to Skull Island to a fight between King Kong and a T-Rex, Maverick Theater's 'King Kong' is in its sixth year of bringing live audiences a bit of movie magic. Using live-video capture, rear-screen projection, a green screen and miniature sets, the tech-heavy production opened July 11 and runs until Aug. 10 at the Fullerton-based community theater. 'It's all filmmaking and theater tricks,' said Brian Newell, theater founder and the show's writer and director. 'I fell in love with special effects when I first saw 'King Kong' on TV when I was 5. I collected any magazine or book I could read to learn how the effects were done.' Guests enjoying the production might not realize the challenges of presenting a show with live visual effects, where some actors perform backstage in front of a green screen, or a projected backdrop with a miniature set. There are pre-recorded scenes, but most are done live. And then there's the 16-foot long Kong arm. 'The basic concept I came up with to pull off the giant scale of Kong was to project his image on a large rear screen that nearly fills the stage,' Newell said. 'Actors could then interact with Kong, and he would appear larger than life. 'Also, shooting my Kong actor on miniature sets gives the audience a forced perspective that Kong is a giant in our world. The only large-scale Kong element in the show is his hand and arm. The arm I built is about 16 feet long with articulating fingers to grab the actors. To add an actor in some of the Kong scenes, I set up a green screen to capture their performance and then mix their video feed into the live Kong video feed, blending the two together on the stage's rear screen.' The Kong hand and arm is a welded metal frame on casters that can roll on and off stage. The hand is made up of hinges, pulleys and aircraft cable controlled by an operator backstage. The technology has been used before, just not in this way, Newell said. 'All arena concerts have a live camera feed on a giant screen for audiences to see the musicians. The difference is with 'Kong,' the audience never sees what we are shooting backstage,' he said. 'Some theater productions have used live footage but probably not the way I do. I think our show could be a one-of-a-kind.' But there are always challenges. 'Opening night, the backstage crew couldn't transfer the camera to a tripod in time for the scene on the Empire State Building,' Newell said of their first performance in 2019. 'So for the entire scene, they had to hold the camera as still as they could to get the shot. Of course that's really impossible, so it looked like Manhattan was having a small earthquake. That's frustrating because we all want perfection, but it was also very funny, which is probably why the camera was shaking.' Alex Wesevich, of Fullerton, has been helping manage backstage for the production since its first year. 'I work on the cabaret side of the theater,' Wesevich said. 'My job, along with quick changes and the usual set movements, is to cue the actors using the green screen — who can't see what or who they're interacting with — and let them know what's happening and when to move. 'I also coordinate to help cue the Kong actor on the other side of the building since he can't see the actors either. Working with green screens means sometimes our actors are interacting completely blind. It takes a lot of trust. It's such an interesting and unique blend of technology and live theater. Of course cameras and projections are used in other shows, but it's rare to see people working with live projections, much less compositing several green screens while doing it.' Wesevich said the technical aspects of the show can be very difficult. 'We've got it down pat after so many years, but oh boy, Kong's very first tech week was still the worst tech week I've ever had, before or since,' Wesevich said. 'But even now, I mean, what hasn't gone wrong? Sometimes the screens all go off and the actors have to continue on anyway in total darkness. Sometimes the green screen curtain falls down seconds before we need to use it. One memorable time, the stage-right curtain leg ripped in half horizontally on the Kong arm side and had to be held up with safety pins. It's never dull.' Alex Conway, of Long Beach, who is a scenic artist by trade, initially helped Newell with the miniatures and Kong suit, and continues to assist on each production. 'The challenge of building mechanical props for a show like this is you can't just buy it off the shelf. Everything needs to be designed and fabricated from scratch,' he said. 'From paper to model to mockups, there are quite a few steps to make sure things will look and work great. Just like creating all of the props and sets for this production, the staging is also very complex. With the miniatures, projections, large-scale props and sets, it's really not like anything you have seen on stage.' 'King Kong' runs through Aug. 10 at the Maverick Theater, 110 E. Walnut Ave., Fullerton. Tickets range from $17.50 to $33 and can be purchased online at
