Art and Culture

Art & Culture

Strictly come dancing

Swan Lake in rehearsal; the agony of dancers with injuries and aching limbs, struggling with a demanding ballet and an aggressive director. Off-stage, unseen immigration officials execute a perfect faux pas when they fail to grant the star of the show, Russian ballerina Polina Semionova, a visa to enter Britain in time for the opening night. Czech-born Daria Klimentová stepped in save the day and English National Ballet’s performance at the Royal Albert Hall received ecstatic reviews. But the treatment of artists such as Semionova by the UK Borders Agency is not unique. In 2009,…

Swan Lake in rehearsal; the agony of dancers with injuries and aching limbs, struggling with a demanding ballet and an aggressive director. Off-stage, unseen immigration officials execute a perfect faux pas…

Balkanarama, the place to be in Glasgow

Balkanarama puts together Central European music and dance club nights with typically 20-30 musicians performing Gypsy, Klezmer and Balkan music. The performances are full of energy and audiences dance along to the high quality music. Urszula Kretowicz attended one of their evenings. It was just after half past ten on a Saturday in April and I had just arrived at the Make Do club in Glasgow’s Hope Street. The queue outside was very long and it was growing quickly. Not knowing what to expect, I followed the friendly crowd inside. At…

Balkanarama puts together Central European music and dance club nights with typically 20-30 musicians performing Gypsy, Klezmer and Balkan music. The performances are full of energy and audiences dance along…

Long journey to musical success

Camilo Menjura was named ‘Musician of the Year’ and ‘Community Worker of the Year’ in the 2013 Latin-UK Awards, or LUKAS, which celebrates the contribution of Britain’s Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese residents. “Mmmmm! Wow, what is this?” Colombian musician Camilo Menjura recalled his thoughts about the first time he tried curry in the UK. He felt the same mixture of exhilaration and bemusement when he heard the uniquely diverse sounds of London. “Currently I am playing with a singer-songwriter from Sudan. We play traditional Sudanese music.” He also played…

Camilo Menjura was named ‘Musician of the Year’ and ‘Community Worker of the Year’ in the 2013 Latin-UK Awards, or LUKAS, which celebrates the contribution of Britain’s Latin American, Spanish…

Making jewels for Birmingham's crown

When Birmingham’s £189 million library – a flagship project for the city’s redevelopment and the largest public cultural space in Europe – opened in 2013, a group of seven migrant and refugee women was among the organisations taking part in the celebratory events. They were members of Shelanu, Hebrew for ‘Belonging to us', who met once a week to design and make jewellery inspired by the city they lived in. Members ranged in ages from 30 to 72. They invited visitors to contribute to an artwork, which over the span of…

When Birmingham’s £189 million library – a flagship project for the city’s redevelopment and the largest public cultural space in Europe – opened in 2013, a group of seven migrant…

Art and Culture

Art & Culture

Strictly come dancing

Swan Lake in rehearsal; the agony of dancers with injuries and aching limbs, struggling with a demanding ballet and an aggressive director. Off-stage, unseen immigration officials execute a perfect faux pas…

Balkanarama, the place to be in Glasgow

Balkanarama puts together Central European music and dance club nights with typically 20-30 musicians performing Gypsy, Klezmer and Balkan music. The performances are full of energy and audiences dance along…

Long journey to musical success

Camilo Menjura was named ‘Musician of the Year’ and ‘Community Worker of the Year’ in the 2013 Latin-UK Awards, or LUKAS, which celebrates the contribution of Britain’s Latin American, Spanish…

Making jewels for Birmingham's crown

When Birmingham’s £189 million library – a flagship project for the city’s redevelopment and the largest public cultural space in Europe – opened in 2013, a group of seven migrant…

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