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Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
OOBE seeking growth in business with new move
The landscape architecture firm OOBE has appointed property communications experts, Building Relations PR, to improve its brand profile across the UK. With studios in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, OOBE is at the forefront of landscape architecture, having spent the past 15 years shaping landscapes that connect people with outdoor spaces. The practice is widely recognised for its sustainability-led approach to landscape architecture, urban design, master planning and building information modelling (BIM) services. The firm has delivered some of the most significant and high-profile public realm and development schemes in the country. OOBE's portfolio includes work on transformative regeneration schemes such as The Spark, The Lumen and Biosphere at Newcastle Helix, a dynamic urban campus landscape that integrates rain gardens and biodiverse planting with a steeply sloped topography. In the Midlands, the team is helping to shape the vision for New Garden Square in Edgbaston – a striking build-to-rent community developed with Moda Living and Calthorpe Estates. Elsewhere, the Barbara Hepworth Building at the University of Huddersfield exemplifies OOBE's approach to integrating academic architecture and landscape into a single design language, while projects like Littlehaven Promenade in South Shields underline its capacity to deliver elegant, resilient coastal infrastructure. In Scotland, OOBE is currently delivering the landscape vision for Blindwells, a major new community in East Lothian. Commissioned by Hargreaves Land, the project spans everything from town centre design and routes to school, to woodland corridors, play areas and a dedicated art strategy. At its heart is a commitment to biodiversity, wellbeing and creating a place where people feel genuinely connected to their surroundings. The team is also leading the green infrastructure at Holland Park in Glasgow, where a bold build-to-rent development is being brought to life with thoughtfully designed public realm and sustainable planting. Just along the Clyde at Pacific Quay, OOBE has helped shape a distinctive riverside space that blends amenity, ecology and local character. Most recently, the practice completed the landscape design for the new Woodmill and St Columba's RC High School campus in Dunfermline – the world's largest Passivhaus school project – integrating rain gardens, attenuation basins and outdoor teaching spaces. With a growing portfolio and established presence in Edinburgh, OOBE continues to help shape some of the most exciting new places across Scotland. The appointment of Building Relations PR marks a strategic move for OOBE as it looks to further strengthen its position in the property and construction sectors, showcasing its award-winning design ethos, collaborative approach and unique approach to placemaking. Speaking about the new partnership, Emma McNicholas, Director at OOBE, said: 'As we approach our 15th year in business and reflect on the outstanding projects we've delivered, we feel it's time to take the business to the next level. We're excited to be working with Building Relations to raise our profile, make new connections and share the impact of our work more broadly. We have a strong reputation amongst our current partners and a high rate of repeat business, which we are exceptionally proud of. 'Building Relation's specialist knowledge of the property sector combined with its sustainability expertise, makes them the ideal partner to help us help us tell our story and communicate the value of our design-led approach. ' Rachel Colgan, Founding Director at Building Relations, commented: 'OOBE has delivered an impressive portfolio of landscape projects that help shape the way people interact with outdoor spaces and there are so many brilliant stories for us to help them share. Our teams in Edinburgh and London are looking forward to supporting OOBE as they look to grow their successful business across the UK.' Like this: Like Related
Irish Examiner
23-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Council issues €1.5m tender to manage St Patrick's Day and 'ad hoc' events in Cork City
Cork City Council is set to spend up to €1.5m for event management and security for the annual St Patrick's Day parade through the city. In an invitation to tender, the council said it could also require services for 'ad hoc' events such as commemorations and visits to Cork from VIPs as part of the contract over the coming years. This ad hoc work may include 'festival markets' in the city that may be held, while the contractor will also have to liaise with artists and musicians to perform at the events. However, it stressed that its main requirements and the bulk of the spend will lie with the annual St Patrick's Day parade in March which attracts tens of thousands into the city centre. At the most recent parade, up to 50,000 people turned out with one of the standouts being the inspirational Kabin Crew kids behind the viral hit of 2024 bringing The Spark to the people of Cork. It said: '[It] is the central event of the Cork St. Patrick's Festival weekend that attracts up to 60,000 people to the City and between 3,000 to 3,500 participants in the parade. The Kabin Crew kids leading Cork City's St Patrick's Day parade this year. The council's main requirements and the bulk of the €1.5m spend will lie with the annual parade in March. File photo: Darragh Kane 'Other annual events that the events section may deliver include an event to celebrate the switch on of the Christmas Lights and Cork Christmas Festival. "This framework may be used by other sections of Cork City Council who deliver events such as the Carnival of Science, VIP visits, commemorations, etc, as well as other ad hoc events of various size and scale.' In terms of event management the council will be paying for a supplier to manage the different participant groups in the parade, including collating applications from those who want to be in the parade. It will also need to plan out the parade from start-to-finish, and liaise with services such as the gardaí and fire service while having first-aid and ambulances on standby across the event. Security services will also need to be provided, such as event stewards and supervisors. As well as that, it must also erect barriers for crowd control on Copley Street and Anglesea Street the day before the parade, as well as on South Mall and Merchants Quay on the day itself. The council added that it wanted the supplier to develop 'concepts, identify and source suppliers, negotiate artists fees and advise of feasibility of programme ideas and concepts as they arise in conjunction with Cork City Council'. While the initial contract is for 2026 only, Cork City Council said it may extend it into 2027, 2028 and 2029 also.
Extra.ie
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Cork kids' viral dance lands in Fortnite as Kabin Crew make gaming history
You've read that right — the mega-viral Kabin Crew now have their dance immortalised in Fortnite. For the uninitiated, Fortnite's 'emotes' can be bought in the popular battle royale game's store for V-bucks (which can be purchased using real money) which can then be used in game as you blast at your enemies and dance after getting your Victory Royale. While dances to songs such as Sabrina Carpenter's Please, Please, Please and Drop It Like It's Hot by Snoop Dogg, Kabin Crew and the Lisdoonvarna Crew have had their dance immortalised in the game. You've read that right — the mega-viral Kabin Crew now have their dance immortalised in Fortnite. Pic: The Kabin Studio For just 500 V-Bucks (which is about €4.50 in real money), your Fortnite skin — be it Sabrina Carpenter, Travis Scott or Michael Myers from the Halloween movies — can now do an energetic dance that the kids made famous, complete with the backing track of the actual song. The drum and bass rap song went massively viral after the Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew last summer, when it was released as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 — the national day of free creativity for children. The song went viral worldwide, gaining over two billion views on social media, over 50million streams on Spotify, and even being longlisted for a Grammy. @extradotie No, your eyes do not deceive you – that is Sabrina Carpenter dancing to The Spark by Cork kids Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew. The song and dance has appeared in Fortnite as an 'emote' meaning players can do the dance in game. #kabincrew #thespark #fortnite ♬ original sound – Extradotie The song also won the Choice Music Prize for Irish Song of the Year, beating out a massively competitive category with songs from artists such as CMAT, Fontaines DC and Cian Ducrot, with the public vote going to the kids. The Kabin Studio, a non-profit youth music space in Knocknaheeny, on the northside of Cork City, is made up of a crew of songwriters, rappers, musicians, creatives, volunteers and participants of all ages. 'The Kabin has grown out of a love for hip hop, songwriting, performance and building confidence within young people,' says creative director Garry McCarthy. Fortnite's emotes can have players dancing in the game, with The Spark being the latest addition to the item shop. Pic: Epic Games 'We're doing stuff like this all the time with the lil legends that attend – new songs every week with the team of talented and caring tutors and volunteers at The Kabin, having loads of fun and making memories in the process.' 'The Spark' has scored praise from the likes of Stormzy, Becky Hill, and Tove Lo since its release – while The Needle Drop's Anthony Fantano crowned it the 'banger of the year.' 'We hope that the success of this will help to secure the Kabin Studio's future, support the wider group of young people that we work with and allow us to deliver more outreach projects for kids with fewer opportunities,' Garry remarks.
Irish Independent
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Rutland Rap gets a remix as pupils keep their love of music going 10 years on
Fourth class pupils from Rutland National School have written an updated version of a song titled, What Music Is, which previous students of the school released in 2015. The 2015 song was written with the help of Irish rap star Garry McCarthy, aka GMC Beats, who spent time with the children, teaching them to write, create and record their rap. The lyrics included: 'Music is the game and I am the player, and everybody knows I'm a sick rhyme sayer." Their creative efforts featured in the Herald in October 2015, and the latest song brings the story full circle as it features one student whose brother was part of the original 'Rutland Rap'. The school is also no stranger to the spotlight, as students from Rutland Street National School created the now infamous Give Up Your Aul Sins recordings over 60 years ago. But in 2025, the students choose to communicate through the medium of rap. The new song draws inspiration from the Kabin Crew's summer hit, The Spark, which gained international attention last year and has almost 8 million views on YouTube. Fourth Class teacher Niamh Bermingham said the idea of rewriting the school's 'Rutland Rap' came about in January when a student teacher who was musically inclined joined the class. 'I had previously taught my class the original Rutland Rap,' Ms Bermingham said. Darren, one of her students, wanted to make an updated version because his brother had featured in the 2015 song. ADVERTISEMENT ' My brother was in the old one and I wanted to make a new one,' he said. 'You have to take a lot of responsibility to do a rap. If you make one mistake, your whole rap is gone. 'You have to just keep on going until you get the right line.' he added. Ms Bermingham, along with fellow teacher Liam McDonald, helped the students write the song, which pays homage to local hero Kellie Harrington. Ms Bermingham said the double Olympic gold medal winner has been a huge role model to the children growing up in the north inner city. The new lyrics include the line: 'Rutland Street, we're the best, we are here to stay. Good as Kellie Harrington because she is proper slay.' When asked what the best part of the song writing process was, one pupil, Darcy, said it was 'missing Irish'. Other students are rethinking their after-school plans, with Darren saying: ' I would like to be a rapper because like you get paid [well]. 'Like it's not about the money, it's about the music that you're making and it makes other people enjoy their life.' Ian Sherry, Vice Principal of the Rutland Street National School, said the students are very excited about the updated rap song. ' You walk past the class and you could hear them singing and making music and just having fun,' he said. 'There's a sense of community and there's a buzz around the school because all the other classes know there's a new rap being written.' He believes the benefits of making a new school rap extends far beyond just music. 'There's a lot of learning going on in the background, they've also produced a fantastic video to go along with it. So even practicing all those skills like editing is fantastic'. The school has won the DCU Changemakers award for their song writing efforts and hope to make another song when they are in sixth class.
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks celebrate 37th wedding anniversary
Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks are celebrating 37 years together. The actors, both 68, shared Instagram tributes to one another on Wednesday. "Happy 37th Anniversary my love!!!" Wilson captioned a photo of her and her husband bundled up in hats and jackets. Hanks, meanwhile, shared a warm-weather selfie his wife took of them while out for a swim. "37 years married. Today! Love you, Mrs. - Hanks wrote, capitalizing the first two letters in "thanks" as a play on his own initials. Back in 2013, Hanks opened up about his marriage to Wilson in a CNN interview, calling "every day" with her a "blast" and "fun." "I must say that when I met Rita, I thought, 'Oh, this is what it's supposed to be like when you are married to somebody," Hanks said. "It's supposed to be this carefree and easy and, you know, oddly enough, weighty." Over the years, Wilson has expressed her gratitude for Hanks as well, writing in a 2019 Instagram post that her song "The Spark" was inspired by her relationship with her husband. Rita Wilson praises Tom Hanks in birthday tribute: 'You bring joy wherever you go' "In any long term relationship, if you're lucky, you started with a spark, that beautiful glimmer that ignites into a lasting love," Wilson wrote in part. "Fires need to be tended to, stoked, added to, watched. As long as there is a spark you'll always have a fire. I love you, Tom." Hanks and Wilson married back on April 30, 1988, and share a blended family, including their sons Chester "Chet" Marlon Hanks, Truman Theodore Hanks, and Tom Hanks' son Colin Hanks and daughter Elizabeth Hanks, whom he shares with ex-wife Samantha Lewes.
