Latest news with #GreatExhibition
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jenkyns to host Lincolnshire Great Exhibition based on 1851 event
The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire has announced details of a major event to promote "our amazing county".Dame Andrea Jenkyns said she had taken inspiration from the Great Exhibition of 1851, which showcased the industrial and cultural achievements of the UK and other nations to the Lincolnshire version would feature the very best of local innovation, invention and technology, she is due to be held at the Lincolnshire Showground, near Lincoln, on 22 October. Dame Andrea said the aim of the inaugural event was to attract new investment and trade, with the guest list including overseas delegates and investors, business figures and leading hoped the "Great Exhibition" would raise the county's economic profile and become a "flagship annual event" showcasing all that was great about the county."We are truly world-leading in some key industry sectors and have extraordinary potential for inward investment and innovation," she said."Our county is rich in so many ways – it is a place to trade, to innovate, and to invest." Dame Andrea pledged to stage the exhibition following her victory in May's mayoral election, when she represented Reform her victory speech, she vowed Reform would "reset Britain to its glorious past".The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the idea of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who wanted to show off the work of the best inventors and scientists in the was staged at the mammoth Crystal Palace and attracted six million people, with notable attendees including Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte and Charles money made from the exhibition was used to set up the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum in London. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
Otago Daily Times
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
The whare that travelled the globe
The little-known story of the Mataatua Whare will be brought to life by the music of Dame Gillian Whitehead, the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and soloists Tomairangi Henare, Paul Whelan and Rebecca Ryan this weekend. Rebecca Fox talks to Dame Gillian Whitehead and baritone Tomairangi Henare about the premiere of The Journey of Mataatua Whare. One hundred years ago the Mataatua Whare returned to New Zealand. The traditional carved meeting house was sent to Dunedin for the 1925 Great Exhibition from London where it had languished for 40 years in the basement of what became the Albert and Victoria Museum. It had originally been built in Whakatāne by several North Island Māori tribes as a symbol of unity and was richly decorated with woven wall panels and carvings of ancestors and named Mataatua Wharenui (The House of Mataatua) after the name of their ancestral waka. However, five years after its opening the government dismantled it and sent it to Sydney via steamship for the 1879 International Exhibition. It then travelled to Melbourne for its exhibition before being sent to London and put on display for a few years. It was re-erected in 1924-25 for the Wembley Exhibition and then put back into storage. After the Great Exhibition in Dunedin it was given to Otago Museum, on permanent loan from the government, which re-erected it, in truncated form. It stayed there for 70 years until it was returned to the descendants of the original tribes in 1996 and later restored. The story was brought to composer Dame Gillian Whitehead's attention by Dunedin Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster Tessa Petersen, who discovered it while looking into the Great Exhibition. Dame Gillian found it fascinating so the pair visited Ngāti Awa to consult with it about using the story in a piece for the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra to celebrate Matariki. Petersen researched the music of the time and found marches played at the various exhibitions, which Dame Gillian has incorporated into her score. Dame Gillian (Ngāi Te Rangi and Tuhoe) also did a lot of research into the story that helped inform the composition, including the situation New Zealand found itself in after World War 1, with illness and the confiscation of lands. "We've told the story in chronological order because it's an important story as part of our country's history, and it's a story that a lot of people just know a part of." They start with the building of the whare and the "incredible journeys" it made follow on. "It was supposed to be away for six months and yet it didn't come back until 70-odd years later." To tell the story, Dame Gillian has included three vocalists, those roles to be performed in the premiere by Tomairangi Henare, Paul Whelan and Rebecca Ryan. "One is a baritone, who represents Māori. One is a bass, who represents Pākehā. And there's a soprano, who is the voice and the presence of the house. So she sings from the perspective of the house, as it goes through its various manifestations, situations. "The bass also plays a couple of specific roles, as the government representative, who wants to take the house to Sydney. And the judge of the Waitangi Tribunal." The baritone role performed by Henare (Ngāti Kahungunu), as the voice of Māori, is often a lament for what is happening, as Ngāti Awa wanted the whare back but did not have the resources to do that. For Henare, who will be singing in Dunedin for the first time, the piece resonates — especially as he had not heard the story before and found it fascinating and "mind-boggling". "As a tangata whenua myself, I think it's important to protect our culture and to preserve it and present it as Māori people intend it to be presented, and show that respect that is needed, for it to still resonate with people, for the tipuna to resonate with us." To prepare for the piece, Henare, who is Hamilton-based, has been doing a lot of "note bashing" but also a lot of speaking and rhythm. "That's a big thing for me, because singers already are pretty notoriously bad at rhythm. So I think that extra work and that extra attention to detail is really important for me." Performing a work for the first time, it is important to respect it, he says. It is always exciting to perform a new composition that has not been marred by tradition or touched by other performers. Normally he would listen to other recordings of a performance as part of his preparation. "Hopefully, I can make it my own while also paying respect to the composer, to Gillian. So, maybe somewhere down the line, if anyone else is performing this, then I'll be a reference, which is something that's actually really nerve-racking to think about." It is another step in his career, which began in the small North Island town of Nuhaka where he found his love of performing through kapa haka and church choirs. It was not until he became involved in Project Prima Volta, a youth initiative in Hawke's Bay, that he discovered opera. He was 15 when he performed in his first opera having never seen one before. "I just fell in love with opera. It was an amazing community. I found a lot of my closest friends there, found my partner there and we've been together since." Henare, who plays guitar and video games in his spare time, loves the larger-than-life aspects of an opera production and the challenges of embodying a character through singing, acting and moving. He went on to study singing and composition at Victoria University and is now studying for his masters in advanced opera in Hamilton. While Henare loves the drama of opera, for Dame Gillian her new work is her first dramatic piece with orchestra and multiple soloists. Coincidentally, however, Wellington Opera is next month also premiering her chamber opera, Mate Ururoa , which tells the story of Māori Gallipoli soldier Captain Roger Dansey, one of first contingent of Māori allowed to go overseas to fight. He was sent home for disobeying orders. He went on to recruit the pioneer battalion, which was to become the Māori Battalion in World War 2. It is to be performed in Māori and English. Originally planned to premiere in 2021 at New York's Carnegie Hall, it was cancelled due to the pandemic. It also turns out that when the Mataatua Whare was rediscovered in London, Dansey was one of the people sent to attest to its quality before it was sent home. "It's funny how the two things are happening at a similar time," Dame Gillian says. "He's not in the other piece but there is a picture of him. He's in a photo, which I thought was quite interesting. " Alongside the performance a multi-media presentation will screen showing the whare over its history, which will first be presented to Ngāti Awa in Whakatāne before the premiere. Brahms & Mataatua: A Journey in Music, Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, June 28, 7.30pm Dunedin Town Hall.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who Gets to Stand on the Buckingham Palace Balcony?
On Trooping the Colour each year, various members of King Charles's family join him on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. This isn't just a casual family jaunt into the open air—there's a strict protocol about who gets an invite. And of course there's drama about who stands where. There's no fixed list of attendees for balcony appearances, since the group is tailored to each occasion. It will however always include the monarch and his or her spouse (if living), plus the first and second in line to the throne, along with their spouses (if applicable), and potentially their children. One steadfast rule is the familiar "no ring, no bring," so no boyfriends or girlfriends allowed. At the 2022 Trooping the Colour, which was part of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the group included only working members of the royal family and their young children. That precedent has largely continued since. At Trooping, in addition to King Charles and Queen Camilla, the past few years have featured Prince William, the Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Sir Timothy Laurence, and the Duke of Kent along with Wales children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis and occasionally the Edinburgh children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex. As with many royal practices, this one was started by Queen Victoria. During the opening celebrations of the Great Exhibition in 1851, she was the first monarch to utilize the balcony as a way to greet her subjects. Seven years later she also instigated the family going out onto the balcony to acknowledge the crowds who had gathered for the wedding of her daughter Princess Victoria, and an iconic royal wedding tradition was born. The monarch historically stands in the center of the balcony with his or her spouse, except for royal weddings, in which case the bride and groom take center stage. There are no designated spots for the different members of the family—so it's not a case of Princess Anne always being on the left, or the Princess of Wales always on the right. On most occasions, however, the first and second in line to the throne—now Prince William and Prince George—will always be grouped around the monarch. The most regular—and the one with the largest group—is Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the sovereign's birthday, which is always held on a Saturday in June. After the King inspects his troops, he and his family process on horseback and in carriages back to Buckingham Palace where they make their traditional balcony appearance. In the past, invitees included descendants of Queen Elizabeth, her sister and her cousins, plus their spouses and has been known to tip the 30+ mark. For the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016, there were more than 40 family members gathered. Under King Charles, we have seen a smaller group on the Palace balcony, in keeping with Charles's vision of a "slimmed-down" monarchy. Ever since the wedding of Princess Victoria in 1858, it has been customary for royal brides and grooms to acknowledge the crowds below. The image of kissing newlyweds on the balcony has become so iconic, it is perhaps surprising to note that it has only happened on three occasions. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were the first to kiss for the crowds, followed by Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson—who joked around pretending they didn't hear the request, before obliging. On Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day, they kissed twice as the crowds cheered wildly. Not all royal couples end up on the balcony on their wedding day though, as some marry outside London. Prince Edward, Peter Phillips, and more recently Prince Harry chose to get married in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and Zara Phillips's wedding took place in Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh. Major anniversary of the monarch's coronation always ensure a little balcony action, but with a far smaller group. For Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee in 1977, which marked 25 years on the throne, there were just nine people present: the Queen, her husband, their four children, and her mother, sister, and a cousin. For her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002, it was a larger crowd, made up of her children plus their spouses and offspring. The Diamond Jubilee (60 years) marked a stark contrast with the previous celebration; just five figures stood beside the monarch. With Prince Philip in the hospital, it was then-Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry taking center stage. The message was clear: Here was the stripped-down future of the royal family. At her Platinum Jubilee (70 years), the group again was smaller, consisting of only working royals. There have been a handful of balcony appearances following a coronation—the most recent was of course that of the King's in May 2023. Following his coronation, he and Queen Camilla appeared alongside their pages of honor, Camilla's two ladies-in-attendance, and working members of the royal family. The newly-crowned King and Queen also appeared solo: At Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, she appeared on a jam-packed balcony with her attendants and her family, including a young Prince Charles. She was also present for her father King George VI's coronation appearance when she was 11. In times of war, a balcony appearance is sometimes deemed appropriate. It's a reminder that the monarch is not merely a ceremonial figurehead—the kings and queens are a potent national symbol for their people, and their appearance cements that relationship. On August 4, 1914, when the UK officially went to war with Germany, King George V was called out onto the balcony three times by the crowds below, who were looking for reassurance from their head of state. To commemorate the end of World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill appeared alongside the King and Queen and their daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The family made eight appearances throughout the day, and during the final one, Elizabeth and Margaret slipped into the crowd to experience the celebrations with everyone else. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
The National
30-05-2025
- The National
Domed ceilings, rugs and fibreglass heels: Inside the Middle East collections at London's V&A East Storehouse
Tunisian woollen rugs were among the first items from the Middle East collected by the organisers of the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, which paved the way for the creation of the city's Victoria and Albert Museum. Today, as the landmark museum expands to the east of the capital, its collection boasts some of the rarest and most refined examples of Islamic art, as well as a range of contemporary design commissions from the Middle East. Among the major feats at the Storehouse, the V&A's new venue in the Olympic Park which opens on Saturday, is the reassembly of an Islamic domed ceiling from a lost 15th century palace in Torrijos, central Spain. The ornate wooden marquetry panels are believed to be from a dining room because of an Arabic inscription that reads 'we drink and have fun together'. For Storehouse curator Georgia Haseldine, the ceiling is an illustration of the collaboration between Christian and Islamic craftsmen of the time – a coexistence that was thwarted soon afterwards by the Spanish Inquisition. 'It was a moment when Islamic design was the high point of fashion across the Iberian Peninsula,' she told The National. 'Yet it is obviously tinged with sadness, because we are on the eve of that moment of the expulsions.' The ceiling is among 250,000 objects, 350,000 books and 1,000 archives from the V&A's collections which have been made publicly available at the new venue in Stratford. Occupying four levels, the 16,000-square metre space takes over a large section of the former London 2012 Olympics media centre. A new V&A East museum will also open at a separate venue in the Olympic Park in 2026. The Storehouse's innovative approach makes the pieces normally confined to museum storage accessible to the public. Designed by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, a central atrium is surrounded by racks of open shelving. V&A deputy director Tim Reeve, who developed the concept for the Storehouse, described it as a 'backstage pass' to the museum. '[It is] transforming how people can access their national collections on a scale unimaginable until now. I hope our visitors enjoy finding their creative inspiration and immersing themselves in the full theatre and wonder of the V&A as a dynamic working museum.' Visitors can walk through the space, where items are curated according to themes rather than by region or time period, and they can also 'order' objects for viewings in the private study rooms. Tatreez Palestinian dresses, decorated with traditional tatreez embroidery, are displayed on the way to the viewing studio. 'It is so important for us to be collecting tatreez because it is so regionally specific, and they're also so popular," Haseldine said. "Loads of people in east London are wanting to come here and see Palestinian tatreez." Contemporary design items such as rubber and fibreglass shoes designed by Zaha Hadid, and a silverwear sculpture by Miriam Hanid, commissioned by the V&A, are also prominently displayed. A stone sculpture by Lebanese artist Najla El Zein is one of the earliest pieces the museum acquired after appointing its first contemporary Middle East curator, Salma Tuqan, in 2011. 'That appointment was really important for the V&A,' Haseldine said. Community is at the heart of the V&A East expansion and Haseldine worked with young women from the Museum's Youth Collective to curate some of the displays. The Storehouse is expected to make important contributions to the regeneration of the Olympic Park and its surrounding areas, which this year were ranked as the UK's best for social mobility. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was "proud" to be supporting the project, which "marks a hugely significant moment in our work to create the most ambitious cultural development in decades, helping us to ensure London stays the creative capital of the world'. Four Yemeni funerary stones nod to the V&A's work preserving culture in conflict. The stelae were discovered in a Hackney antiques shop by a Yemeni student in 2010. The items had been looted and were being sold in London as Mexican icons. The items were then seized by the Metropolitan Police and identified by the V&A. They are on temporary display at the Storehouse and will eventually be returned to Yemen. 'It is really moving for the Yemeni community in London that we've been talking to about this, because they can come see these artefacts and be in their presence,' Haseldine said. A Yemeni artist has been invited to produce a work inspired by the stelae later this year. A key feature of the Storehouse will be Order an Object, which invites viewers to 'order' an item from the collection to view and handle it in one of the study rooms. More than 1,000 objects have already been ordered since the online platform launched this month, including by someone seeking inspiration for her wedding dress design. Senior Middle East curator Tim Stanley recommends ordering the Tunisian rug that appeared at the Great Exhibition in 1851. 'Tunisian textiles have an honoured place in the history of the V&A. The organisers of the museum were so impressed with the design qualities of the textiles from Tunisia and other parts of the Islamic world that they bought them in large numbers,' he told The National. Dr Stanley also recommends an engraved ivory tent pole fitting, which marks the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman sultan Selim I in 1517. The Sultan is named in the Mamluk-style decorations, and it is believed the pole was made for him in Cairo. Visitors can also order items from the V&A's extensive fashion collection, such as a 1954 pink taffeta evening dress by Balenciaga. Haseldine hopes the collection and outreach programme can be used to promote cultural heritage projects in the Middle East. One example is the 1883 plaster cast of a rosette from the Mamluk period in Cairo which was recently restored and stabilised. It is being studied by Omniya Abdel Barr, a Cairene conservation architect and housing activist whose research at the Storehouse aims to show how museum objects can be used to support heritage conservation policies in Cairo. 'A collection can become an activist's tool. The evidence that we hold within the V&A points to things that need to be taken into concern by city planners,' Haseldine said of Barr's research. 'It's so exciting that this thing that was recorded and brought back to the V&A in the 1980s as this amazing example for craftspeople here in London, now has a whole other meaning, where its significance is going back to Cairo,' she said.
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
London's newest tourist town in ‘forgotten' district is £1.3bn attraction with hotels, theatre and rooftop bar
A MAJOR UK attraction has revealed plans to start reopening later this year after a £1.3billion upgrade. Olympia London has undergone the huge renovation to turn it into a new "cultural hub," having become a forgotten district in the city. 7 Olympia London is reopening some of its huge £1.3billion redevelopment this year Credit: Olympia London 7 New hotels, restaurants and bars are part of the makeover Credit: Olympia London 7 Olympia Theatre is the biggest new purpose-built theatre in 50 years Credit: Olympia London Known for being the home of global events including BBC Good Food Show and Comic Con as well as live music and fashion shows, the major upgrade started back in 2019. Spread across 14 acres it will be a new "arts, entertainment and exhibition district". Two new hotels will open on-site, including the 204-room Hyatt Regency and 146-room citizenM design hotel. A new Music Hall with a 4,000-capacity arena will be run by AEG Presents, the second biggest live music promoter in the world behind Live Nation. Olympia Theatre, run by Trafalgar Entertainment, is the biggest new purpose-built theatre in 50 years, with space for 1,575 people. Another 30 restaurants and bars will open including street halls and rooftop venues, alongside a boutique gym. And a new office space, performing arts school and pedestrianised streets are also part of the plans. The project is being backed by Deutsche Finance International and Yoo Capital, who are funding the full £1.3billion. The website states: "We're now looking forward to our next chapter, as we bring new life to one of the UK's most iconic heritage sites and become part of something much bigger." Yoo Capital added: "The £1.3 billion regeneration of Olympia will create London's newest creative district: a destination for culture, education, entertainment, exhibitions, incredible offices, eateries and over two acres of public realm." I tried the London tour that lets you make the viral TikTok doughnuts - and you can book for Easter 7 Olympia London first opened in 1886 Credit: Alamy 7 The huge venue is now home to more than 200 shows a year Credit: Alamy Parts of the renovation are opening this year, although others such as the new ICC conference space will open next year. Olympia London first opened in 1886, following the success of Crystal Palace's Great Exhibition in 1851. Upcoming events include London Tech Week, London Film and Comic Con and Hyper Japan Festival. The venue also has its own train station with Kensington (Olympia) having both overground and underground services. 7 The complex is known for hosting global events Credit: Olympia London Already open is a huge new glass canopy which launched at the end of last year and was inspired by the original exhibition halls. Designed by Heatherwick Studio, founder Thomas Heatherwick, said: 'Olympia was once a people's palace – a place to come together and experience unusual things. "Having lost its way over the years, we're now working to bring back its original spirit and make Olympia open and available to everyone." In the mean time, a new "first of its kind" Titanic attraction is set to open in London. The UK's only Guinness attraction is opening in London later this year as well. And we've rounded up 15 attractions across the UK where you can find £1 entry tickets.
