Trends, Travel, Film, History and Books

March 12, 2013

Business, Education, Entertainment, Trends

Elizabethan inspiration for Kenilworth Castle‘s 2013 events program

Source: Cision

Kenilworth Castle’s most famous visitor has provided the inspiration for a blockbusting events program from English Heritage, with a host of Elizabethan-themed fun, hands-on activities and historic re-enactments at Britain’s largest ruined castle!

“In the summer, we’ll be opening our new viewing platforms in Leicester’s Building, which will enable our visitors to share the views that Queen Elizabeth would have seen during her visit in 1575, so it seems only fitting that this year, we look to celebrate Kenilworth’s Elizabethan heritage, and bring to life many aspects of medieval life, from the role of the jester to recreating some aspects of her visit with the help of some of the country’s finest historic interpreters,” comments regional events manager for English Heritage, Charlie Evans.

The year kicks off over the Easter weekend (29 March to 1 April) with an invitation for visitors of all ages to be foolish – and indeed, to hone their skills of tomfoolery and slapstick – with a traditional court jester sharing his experiences and anecdotes on how to keep the monarch laughing, without losing your head!

The 16th century fun continues over the late Spring bank holiday (25 – 27 May 2013), with a celebration of ‘Sonnets and Swords’, a recreation of some aspects of the famous visit in 1575 when Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, rebuilt several sections of Kenilworth Castle to better please the Queen – and hopefully make her more susceptible to his ‘wooing’!

When the recreated Elizabethan Garden is at its most stunning and fragrant, visitors can celebrate the mid-summer weekend with a special garden party. Although the garden was originally built exclusively for the private use of the queen, members of the public will be invited to mingle with Tudor royalty and nobles in a stunning event designed to make the most of the longest day of summer – continuing until 9 pm! The Elizabethan Garden party takes place on Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 June.

The Elizabethan celebrations are also joined by a host of other activities based around other key periods in Kenilworth Castle’s history. A Medieval Joust over the weekend of 13 & 14 July recreates the time of chivalry and heroics, as English Heritage’s knights face each other across the tilt rail in a nail-biting competition of skill and daring!

Arthurian legends are also tackled as part of Kenilworth Castle’s summer holiday workshops, with a Knights of the Round Table Academy running from 5 – 9 August. Other week-long summer holiday activities include a ‘siege challenge’ running 12 – 16 August and ‘Knights and Princesses Academy’ from 19 – 23 August. The summer holidays round off with an epic “Siege” event over the August bank holiday weekend (25 & 26 August).

Following a hugely successful program in 2012, Kenilworth Castle will also run a number of ‘after hours’ events this year, including spine-tingling ghost tours, a ‘Museums at Night’ evening of talks and tours and the ever popular Family Sleepovers.

SXSW Review: ‘White Reindeer’

Source: Indiewire

Filmmaker Zach Clark’s first two features, the scrappy nurse-turned-dominatrix comedy “Modern Love Is Automatic” and the wicked beach party noir “Vacation!,” paired restless formalism with Clark’s penchant for deadpan humor. By contrast, his touching Christmas tale “White Reindeer” funnels Clark’s darker sensibilities and erotic themes into a decidedly more complicated vision of suburban unrest. With a mixture of pathos and dry wit, Clark delivers a solemn twist on the holiday movie formula that simultaneously inhabits the genre and turns it inside out. Read more.

NEW WEB SITE HIGHLIGHTS THE POSITIVE IN HIP HOP AND POP CULTURE

— ProfessU.com features exclusive interviews with hip-hop artists who attended college, and are sharing their perspectives on career and world events. —

Source: BlackNews.com

Nationwide — ProfessU.com is where hip hop and pop culture meet education. The web site was created by educators Dr. John P. Hamilton and Dr. John Spruill III, and their goal is to capture the positive essences of hip hop and pop culture in trending news, and create original content in the same vein.

ProfessU “flips the script” to give the world a glimpse of conversations with your favorite high profile individuals which allows them to discuss their lives, dreams, and perspectives on the industry or world events. More importantly, ProfessU wants you to experience these individuals’ humble beginnings, and become a witness to how many have tapped into the academy as an option for opportunity, or used their newfound wealth to assist others.

Imagine watching Dom Kennedy, Alicia Keys, or Common discuss how education played a role in their life. Envision Grammy-nominated rapper No Malice of The Clipse discussing his major life transition and giving back to the community, while also being able to hear NFL quarterback Cam Newton explain his return to college to complete his degree. Visualize a chat with David Banner or Jennifer Hudson about the relevancy of their lyrics. More importantly, listen to Dee-1, Ice Cube, Queen Latifah, or Will Smith talk about having a Plan B.

In reality, everything we see and hear regarding the entertainment and sports industries cannot all be rooted in negativity. ProfessU takes on the responsibility of sifting through the negative with a strong desire to provide a venue for the stories that are never told, seen or heard. Simultaneously, ProfessU also serves as a platform for dialogue that does not exist on the plethora of gossip-based sites.

This website is fully interactive, as its multimedia, social network-based foundation will allow visitors to leave comments and provide discussion on the trending news and original content available. Clearly, ProfessU has found a niche that grabs the positive to motivate and educate others from diverse backgrounds.

Fall into These Suspenseful Books
You want stories that keep you up all night. You want juicy plot twists and characters worth cheering for all the way to the end. So here they are, from the newest to the plot-twistiest.