First Word Warwicks_Worcs August.qxp_Layout 1 22/07/2019 18:54 Page 3

First Word

West Midlands parks compete for national title Twenty-four parks in the West Midlands are vying for the title of UK’s Best Park. And they need your vote! The organisers of the competition, Fields In Trust - a charity that legally protects parks and green spaces in perpetuity - recently revealed that the West Midlands region has more than 255,000 people whose nearest green space is more than a 10minute walk from their home. With public sector cuts, the charity says that a lack of legal protection could lead to an increasing number of parks being sold off or developed. You can vote for your favourite park until noon on Monday 19 August, by visiting fieldsintrust.org/best-park/west-midlands

Henry VIII’s wives in the Midlands

Finding love at the Coventry Belgrade Themes of family, friendship and finding love dominate the Coventry Belgrade Theatre’s B2 programme this autumn, with Bollywood musicals, gripping drama and an immersive theatrical party at Christmas among the season’s highlights. The programme kicks off with Holding The Centre, a powerful new drama by Birmingham writer Joan Carty, and also features brand new musical Stardust from Bring On The Bollywood creators Phizzical. New productions of Frankenstein and My Beautiful Laundrette also feature. For full details, visit belgrade.co.uk

Australia’s first female prime minister to give talk at Coventry peace forum

Bridging the divide

Australia’s first female prime minister will speak at this year’s internationally recognised peace forum in Coventry. Julia Gillard has been confirmed as one of the keynote speakers at the RISING Global Peace Forum. She will talk about her time as Australia’s first female head of state and the importance of education in sustaining global peace. The event takes place at Coventry Cathedral from 13 to 14 November.

A starry time at Lichfield Cathedral

Smash-hit West Ender SIX is coming to the Midlands. Nominated for five 2019 OIivier Awards, the show sees the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their personal stories, ‘remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into a 75minute celebration of 21st century girl power’. The yet-to-be-announced cast will be backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies In Waiting. SIX runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 July 2020. 6 whatsonlive.co.uk

Lichfield Cathedral’s Great Exhibition is this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing with a show that reveals ‘the universe, galaxies, space, creation and light’. Space: God, The Universe And Everything is a stunning visual spectacle created by the award-winning Luxmuralis artistic collaboration. The exhibition features internal Son-et-Lumiere, artworks and sound & light installations. It’s available to view on selected dates between 8 & 26 August.

An ambitious new outdoor experience called Bridge - produced by Coventry-based Imagineer Productions in collaboration with a talented creative team - is set to bring people together in ‘new and playful ways’. The initiative will see a temporary bridge located in the centre of Coventry for a three-day period, during which it will play host to outdoor performances of dance, comedy, theatre, circus acrobatics and live music. Inspired by local people’s stories, the performances are designed to create a ‘thrilling and moving montage of the courage, compassion, imagination and humour needed to bridge a divide’. Bridge visits Broadgate, Coventry, from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 September, and Cathedral Plaza, Worcester, in July next year.