Northern Quarter Love

I was wandering around in Manchester's Northern Quarter today, firstly getting my lip ring and stud replaced with much more comfortable jewellery. I go to a place called "Holier than Thou", which I reccommend to anyone interested in body modification in the Manchester area. Their set up is reassuringly hospital-like, and you walk into the procedure rooms knowing that you are in very safe hands. Their eclectic collection of body jewellery is like no other. The shop is a fantastic little find, in my opinion.

My cousin was with me, getting a microdermal implant, which looked like a rather painful procedure, but at the same time fascinating watching how they attach the jewellery to the skin.

After the pain, I took my cousin to the Cocoa Emporium in Afflecks palace - a stunning cake and chocolate shop and cafe, this is a relatively new addition to Manchester's landmark attraction, Afflecks palace. They sell the most exquisite vegan cupcakes - the kind that you are too scared to eat for fear of ruining them. But my god do they taste good!

The Northern Quarter seems such an appropriate location to showcase Manchester's eclectic notions of culture. It's vibrant scene is inspired by the new generations in Manchester, and it's long been the home of burgeoning arts companies. In fact, I know that my former employers at the 24:7 Theatre Festival are looking into finding a base in that area, because it is so perfect for such revolutionary activity.

Much love.
CC.





Holier than Thou - www.thirteentwelve.com/holier/
Cocoa Emporium - www.cocoaemporium.co.uk
24:7 Theatre Festival - www.247theatrefestival.co.uk

A Lesson from the Ancients

Whilst I was planning on taking my Grandmother to see the Tutankahmun exhibition which is coming to the Trafford Centre in Manchester in the next month, I stumbled across the BBC's pages on the Ancient Egyptians - http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/

I've been obsessed with Ancient Egypt since I was 9 years old. My class in primary school studied them as part of a history project and, although it was more of a "Horrible Histories" approach back then, I was instantly fascinated. My fandom of them has grown to the extent that I now have an Egyptian ankh incorporated into the tattoo on my back. The Ankh's meaning is not yet completely clear to Egyptologists; it could mean "life" or "death" and it is the current ambiguity of this symbol that really intrigues me, hence my permanent tribute to it.

I feel that the Egyptians have such a wealth of stories that they add to our world history. For example, the story of Hapshetsut, a queen who ruled as pharoh, and who's nephew destroyed her monuments because he wanted the thrown. Add to this the famous story of Cleopatra - the ancient world's first Celebrity, who's love life and suicide where talked about as if in one of today's tabloid newspapers.

Another thing which greatly interests me about the Ancient Egyptians is there belief in the afterlife, which was not just a belief but a detailed description of how to get there.

Their many rituals and poly-theistic beliefs may seem silly and unneccessary to today's secular society, but the fact that they once had 400 years of peace suggests that maybe we should take a leaf from their book. If spirituality has something to do with that, we should look into it. And that's coming from an atheist.

Oodles of Ancient love.
CC.



N.B: This Tattoo has since been touched up and looks a lot less red! I just haven't got a final photo of it yet =)

"Manchester's got everything - except a beach"

The above quote comes from Ian Brown, and appears too have been the inspiration for a fantastic event which took place in Castlefield yesterday.

"Scruff of the Neck" are known for running music events around Manchester and Poynton, but this festival of theirs really stood out for me. The area next to the Manchester canal had been covered in sand and converted into a beach for the day, complete with deck chairs and buckets and spades. As some of Manchester's most talented musicians played on the stage at the edge of the venue, the afternoon saw children making sand castles and adults attempting the same, but using plastic pint glasses instead. Certainly a throwback to the summer festivals around the country, but it also had a huge Manchester feel to it - looking up from the sand and brightly coloured benches, you could see the northern trains and the Manchester metro switching back and forth above us. I wondered what the people on those trains could possibly thinking, seeing such a commotion going on below them...

The festival saw performances from "The Missing link, a young band whos hard riffs and impressive ballad "Now it's over" showcased their versitilty and "Silverclub" who offered an electronic alternative at this largely rock event.

I was glad to see a female guitaris in "The Tapestry", a rarity in this industry, which is something that I hope the likes of the "Jesse Rose Trip" can change. "Still City Sound's" lively riffs matched their rather lively guitarist, who managed to blow his own amp. Great to see them soldiering on regardless, the guitarist still getting into it, vigorously clapping to get the audience going. Great show guys!

Highlights of the festival included "Loaded Message" who's songs really lived up to the band's name. They teamed fantastic musical ability with great lyricisim; my personal favourite being "I'd rather be a dreamer than have now dreams". The effortless John Ainsworth filled his very short set with a celestical acoustic to sound. Absolutely stunning. Kudos also goes out "Green Vigo", a proper Manchester band. Fantastic music, which I can only describe as 'like Oasis, but happier!' Loved them!

The Quangos brought back memories of the Leeds Carling Weekend for me, being the first band to play in the dark. Definitely a festival feel. Their Noisettes cover was amazing. You can catch it in the vlog below.

Small festivals such as this are what makes Manchester such a great city. I just wish that more people would pay attention to them.

Much Love.
CC.



Disclaimer: Apologies, the band named "Bright Kicks" in the video, are in fact called "The Missing Link". Sorry guys! Confusing running order!



Above: John Ainsworth



Above: Loaded Message



Above: Green Vigo

Photos by Francesca Hughes of Original Fuse - www.originalfuse.co.uk

Not Stationary, but Shooting.

I feel good. I feel like I'm back writing again, but properly this time. During my three years at university, I never really got the chance to write much more than the odd poem; I was far to busy with essays and dance societies and performances.

But now, I seem to have a lot more time on my hands. I've been faffing around with my two new scripts on Final Draft 8 for the past couple of days (excellent programme, I reccommend it to anyone writing a play or screenplay) but it hasn't really felt like I've been writing. Tonight, I opened the novel I had begun working on a few years ago, "Gemini". Then I really got back into the swing of things.

The reason I've been working on the same novel for years is because I changed so much whilst I was writing it, as a writer and a person. The plot has undergone many changes and the characters even more... Just like life, I suppose. I'm determined to get stuck into it. So, after furnishing you guys with a blog about the Scruff of the Neck festival in Deansgate, Manchester tomorrow, all day Sunday I plan to spend on the novel and on finishing the first full drafts of the plays "Bitten" and "Cobwebs."

I'm so excited to finish them. All my life I've never properly finished a writing project, unless it was a university project, in which case, if I didn't I'd have been screwed! Instead, I've always managed to fill notebook after notebook full of ideas and my hard drive is currently overflowing with excerpts from novels, plays and screenplays I will one day write. I can't wait to see the final products now.

I'm also working on putting together an anthology of my poetry - I've written so much of it over the past few years that it shouldn't be too long before I get enough words together to make a book. Now, as I have accumulated some extremely dedicated fans of this blog over the past couple of weeks, I'm gonna reward you with a little taster of my poetry.

Much Love.
CC.


"The Price of Fame"

His mother had always told him
He had bedroom eyes
And when he walked in
With his piercing gaze and feathery locks
Leda could see what she had meant

I’ll make you a star

Not stationary, but shooting
I’ll make your limbs sparkle through the sky
But first let me sculpt my scene around you

She didn’t know what he meant
But she let him move closer
Longing for the devotion he had promised

And when the pain kicked in
And her eyes flushed with tears

She persevered

Such a Nerd.

I embraced the geek within me tonight and watched both "The Lost Land of the Tiger" on BBC1 and the Time Team Special "Britain's Drowned World" on More4.

Firstly, and I've said this on twitter, but I feel it needs to be said again, it was so inspiring in the first programme to watch a guy who had been diagnosed with lukemia 9 years ago dedicate the rest of his time on this planet to ensure the survival of tigers in the wild. Tomorrow's episode is set to be even better - a teaser at the end of today's programme promises a discovery which one of the researchers was brought to tears over.

Time Team told the story of Boxgrove in Sussex, where prehistoric human remains have been found. It appears that there used to be land where the English Channel is, connecting our funny little island to the continent. The first human settlers in Britain made their way across this land, before it was submerged in water.

Apparently, our lot is the only "successful" settlement made in Britain. It's funny how their definition of "successful" was sketchy. We've been here for 12, 000 years apparently. Our time here will only be successful if we stick around for a lot longer. Well, if the human race really is destroying itself at the rate which has been recently reported, Britain may remain an island which has never been "successfully" settled upon.

On a lighter note... I discovered my childhood favourite band, a1, to be back in Norway! Ben Adams (the one who used to have the curtains) has his own YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/benadamsuk - get over there - it's hilarious!

Thanks for all the views that have been coming in their dozens over the past couple of weeks. I really apprieciate it guys!

Much Love.
CC.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

I'm sure you've all heard about Lady GaGa's address to the US Senate about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell issue. If you've been on the moon for the past week, basically she's fighting against a part of the American Constitution which states that homosexual members of the military should hide their sexuality whilst in service. I have to say, the woman makes a good point, and I'm glad that someone like her is standing for this issue.

It's a sad world that we live in when people only listen to what celebrities say, but if Lady GaGa uses that influence to bring about a good outcome, I'm behind her all the way.

All sounds good so far. But, what I find shocking is the coverage of these events in the UK. The presenters of the English programme "Live from Studio Five" commented on how they thought it was a surprise to see Lady GaGa 'doing politics', a statement which was a surprise to me - when does Lady GaGa NOT do politics? Always speaking out about homosexuality and injustice. Her music videos make a statement, and although I agree it's fun to shock people, Lord knows I done it before, but I truly believe that there's more to it than that. Take "Alejandro", for instance; religious and military imagery turned on it's head to make a statement about both areas.

Lady GaGa doesn't just DO politics. Lady GaGa IS politics. Get used to it.

Watch her address below. I only wish I lived in America already and was able to make a difference on this topic.

Much love.
CC.

Ready, Aim... Fire!

I'm so proud - my brother's got a job interview tomorrow. I really wish him all the best and pray (not in the religious sense) that he gets the job, but it is another reminder of my job search.

I spent hours per day (something which I have yet to see my little bro do) filling in application forms, emailing scores of performing arts companies with my CV, and sending even more to "back up" jobs, letting industry professionals know that I was searching for work, attending auditions and interviews. Because I was applying for positions in the performing industry, something which is not heard of in my family, and largely seen as far too ambitious, even for a trained dancer and Warwick University graduate with experience coming out of her ears, those jobs I was applying for tended to take a little longer to get back to me. My mother was convinced that I was just dreaming, that a job such as the one I now have (Trainee Producer at Manchester International Festival) was not possible for me, OR, as she told me more than once, that I simply wasn't trying hard enough.

Now that, I wasn't happy about. It's difficult to explain to a mother who's generation grew up leaving school at 14 and going out and getting any job to "earn your keep" that I had been preparing myself for such a job search for 5 years. All through sixth form and university, I filled my days with performing arts projects and events, many of which I was the sole producer, so that I could fill my CV and pretty much guaruntee huge chances of getting a good job in this industry at the end of my university career. Explaining this to my mother, didn't work.

I find it really difficult to understand people without ambition. I'm not saying that not having a huge ambition is a bad thing, it's just that my brain doesn't seem to work that way. I guess it must be the same when it's the other way around, and that's why my mum couldn't understand me. Everything I do is aimed towards California. It's not just to pay the bills...

...Which is why, when I heard my dad tell my mun to stop trying to change my mind about the move the other night, it made me smile sleepily.

Never give up my friends.
CC.

Rock and Respite

I've just got back from the "Rock and Respite" festival at Manchester's Sound Control. The event was put on in aid of Francis House, which aims to give terminally ill children a better quality of life. A fantastic cause, and a fantastic gig put on in aid of it.

I love events like this. I've said before that I don't go to enough festivals, so I guess this was me starting as I mean to go on. The line-up was phenomenal. As The Suns stamped the balls of their toe picker shoes in unison, even a discarded penny managed to get in on the action, bouncing it's way onto the set.

Highlighs included Kid British's punk/reggae/rap which showed everyone how proud they were of being northern, cleverly including a song about getting lost in London, which definitely warmed the cockles of my heart!

As always, The Jesse Rose Trip were simply amazing. Their funky riffs juxtaposed with Jesse Rose's Soulful voice make for unique listening. You heard it here first - this girl is going to be huge!

Bummed that I missed my faves, Sonic Boom Six, because the last train home is ridiculously early. Man, I need to learn how to drive...

Jesse Rose Trip Photos:




Much love.
CC.

Artistic Promiscuity

That's what my new boss called it. Mixing different styles and elements of otherwise unrelated performance arts. Something I've done before, and will continue to do in the future and something which Manchester International Festival are involved in. Fantastic. In my opinion there's not enough of this kind of thing in the world.

One of the best examples I have seen of this Artistic Promiscuity was in Tanja Liedtke's Twelfth Floor, which I saw at the Warwick Arts Centre in February 2009. Liedtke's mix of fluid the contemporary dance, which was performed by the majority of the cast, with the rigid balletic movements of the repressive dictator character created a show like nothing I've ever seen before. To top it off, the story that was told was extremely touching, visually arresting and rather thought provoking. A true performance with such unique artistic flair.

Artistic Promiscuity...
Ima keep using that :P

Much love.
CC.

Baby Steps... or a huge leap... hard to tell.

Good news bloggers! I got the job! I am officially the new Trainee Producer at Manchester International Festival! I start on the 5th October and I'm so excited! I'll be Assistant Producer on 5 or 6 different events for the 2011 festival (which runs 30th June - 17th July). I cannot wait to get going. I'll be assigned a mentor, who will hopefully help me find my way through the industry, and help me with where to go once my one year placement ends. I'm hoping she might be able to give me a few pointers with regards to Broken Rose aswell.

One step closer to California :)

Much Love
CC.

Naturally.

This month's isseue of National Geographic contains a Green suppliment which asks the question: "What's Nature Worth?"

The article which claims to answer this speaks of how, if people focus on the economic value of nature, we might have a better chance at saving it. Now, while I appreciate the attempt to instigate a change of heart in individuals who currently don't seem to care about the environment, I feel that the issue of the survival of the planet should be pushed more forcefully.

I don't understand why certain people have to be convinced by the amount of money they would conserve by being environmentally friendly. Shouldn't the survival of the planet which is there home and its preservation for future generations take precendence over this? I guess I will never understand such people.

However, reading such things has put this book on my wishlist:

"How Bad are Bananas?" by Mike Berners-Lee

I add this to my already rather pricey list of:

Second and third book of Steig Larsson's Millenium trilogy - I read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" as part of a book club recently, and I was completely enthralled by it. It's a pity that I've got such a huge pile of books to get through first, before I'll have the chance to read the other two of Larsson's books.

"Bones" seasons 3-5 - I had forgotten how much I loved this programme. I watched it religiously from it piolot until about halfway through season 2, at which point Virgin Media had an argument with Sky and the channels Sky 1 and 2 were cut from my television package. Right on a cliff hanger. I bought the second series box set when it came out and I've only just gotten around to watching it. A fascinating and touching look into the life of a forensic anthropologist - I would reccomend it to anyone.

In other news, I've got to figure out 2 lines of banter for the "Cobwebs" play and then I'll be away on my second draft! Long story...

Much love.
CC.

A Celtic Californian and her Broken Rose

Yo dudes and dudettes!

I have a new networking site for you. I've put together information on all of my projects, including Broken Rose performing arts and Celtic Californian, on a new social networking site called "A Celtic Californian and her Broken Rose", which can be found at http://celticcalifornian-brokenrose.webs.com

On this site, you are able to interact with the material, rather than just reading blogs. You can sign the guestbook, and give us your thoughts on Broken Rose or Celtic Californian. You can also be a part of the Broken Rose "Your Story" series without the need for a video camera! We've provided a wiki which allows you to write an article about your organisation and have it published on that social network. We will then promote these articles through our other social media networks, as we do with the videos.

ADD YOUR ARTICLES TO THE "YOUR STORY ARTICLES" SECTION OF THE "YOUR STORY SERIES" PAGE (Go to the social network, click on "Your Story" series, then click on the Wiki Navigation drop down menu and go to "Your Story" Articles).

Always looking to give you guys opportunities :)

You can also upload your own fan photos of Broken Rose, add random photos as part of the Celtic Californian madness and take part in the many forums that are now live on the site, so get over there!

Remember, http://celticcalifornian-brokenrose.webs.com

I also have plans to get some reviews/reccomendations of some far to marginalised art forms up there too, so stay tuned! But keep up with this particular blog site as not all of the Celtic Californian blogs will be posted up there :)

Whoot for the internet.

CC.

Jack-in-a-Box

It's weird how you think you know that you're not going to cry. But then an older relative, her husband, breaks down at the front of the church, and you wonder how you ever thought that you'd remain stony faced at all.

It was the funeral of my great aunty this morning. For about seven years, I hadn't had much contact with her. I occaisionally saw her in the street when I was back from uni, but she wouldn't always recognise me, or she'd at least get me confused with my cousin. It was for these reasons that I was convinced that I wouldn't cry today. Instead, I'd be a rock for my mum, who was sure to end up rather teary eyed.

Instead, when I saw my great uncle burst into tears a couple of rows in front of me, and his son (my idol) follow suit, my eyes began to well up. A beautiful ceremony for such a vibrant, wonderful woman.

On the world news front, I caught Granada Reports as a spent the afternoon chatting in the pub with my Dad and his friends, and I was horrified to hear about the "Burn a Koran Day" which some horrifying people wanted to hold tomorrow. Not only is it wrong on so many levels, but I cannot understand what they think it could possibly achieve, other than yet another Holy war, which is the last thing that this planet needs. Some people...

I have made it to the next round of my interview process! Yayness! With that huge Ego boost in mind, I was planning on getting a lot of writing done today, but I appear to have developed a cold overnight, so I didn't get much sleep due to a lack of the ability to breathe. In addition to that, I'm finding it rather difficult to look at the screen of my laptop through bleary eyes :(

Again I say... Meh.

CC.

Want some, Have some

I've made a pact with myself to go to more music festivals now I have the time. My Festival cherry was popped in 2006 when I went to the Carling Weekend at Leeds. Since then, I've seen dozens of gigs, but not enough festivals. I love the buzz you get at festivals. Everything's happening in one place - it's a unique feeling.

Well, starting as I mean to go on, I'm off to Rock and Respite (Manchester's Sound Control) next Sunday. LOVING that Jesse Rose Trip are playing - that girl is gonna be HUGE very soon. And of course, one of my fave ska bands, Sonic Boom Six, will be rocking the set. Can't wait for that. I will report back on that fest, of course.

For all those YouTube fans out there - get yourself over to bubzbeauty 's channel. The world's 2nd biggest make-up guru, Bubbi made a name for herself on the internet and now has an entire business based on that foundation. She is a true inspiration. Her new clothing range comes out on the 10th October... and I got dibbs on this little cutie:



P.S. Blogging is for the early hours of the morning. I've decided.

Much Love.
CC.

I think I hear my brother hoovering...

...Well there's a first!

Job interview today, to be a trainee producer at Manchester International Festival. I want this job so bad. I really think it could help me in my hop across the pond.

The interview went well, I didn't stop talking, which is always a good sign! The woman who I would be responsible to is lovely, and she said she was really impressed with my application, so fingers crossed.

My advice for anyone who has an interview coming up:
Have a closing statement - tell them how much you want to work for them and why. Tell them that you can help them as much as they can help you.
Tun any trick question quickly into a positive.

Right... now to properly start my day.

Much love Rockstars.
CC.

A Reading Matter...

I never actually acknowledged how useful my English Degree was going to be. I figured that I was there to perform, and prove that my brain hadn't completely gone to mush, but I didn't realise that in researching source material for a play of my own, I'd need to know everything the University of Warwick had taught me.

Some reference to "The Epic of Gilgamesh" being a source of vampirism in Ancient Babylonia got my brain ticking over and I realised that I had the text itself on my bookshelf from when I'd studied the epic tradition. It's weird how things seem to fit together like that. And also really weird how apparently there's some kind of monster/vampire that came from Leamington Spa, which just happens to be where I lived whilst at uni. Hmmm... creepy.

Speaking of reading material, a tweet from the lovely bubzbeauty reminded me how huge a stack of manga is collecting dust on that very bookshelf. I used to love manga... and now I can't remember what I've read and what I haven't.

Meh.

CC.

A short time for Burning...

I didn't realise I was going to hate this quite as much as I do now. I decided that it would be best to live with my parents before moving to California - the rent was MUCH cheaper than anywhere else in Manchester, by far, meaning I'd save the money to cross the pond much quicker. However, once you've lived on your own for 3 years, it's remarkably difficult to adjust to the house rules I now have imposed on me. Old fashion parents just can't seem to grasp the fact that a house is for living in - it's not a show home. But what I would do to cross the atlantic quicker...? It must be endured.

Speaking of the US, it has just been suggested to me on YouTube that I should get some Broken Rose stuff on at the Burning Man festival once I get over there. Now that sounds like a fantastic idea. I'd heard about the festival before, but for some reason I'd never considered it in the context of Broken Rose. It's deffinitely on the "To Do" list.

With my feet firmly on UK soil at the mo, I've started writing another play before I've even finished "Cobwebs". "Cobwebs" is looking good though - taking the time to make it a full length play now, whereas I think this new one will be a one act show. It's called "Bitten", and yes, the previous post about vampire research was referring to this particular baby. It's really quite interesting to write.

More info on both plays as and when :)

CC.

It's a strange world out there...

Just been watching the video of the dance parade I organised and choreographed in uni (video at the bottom of this post). I have such a hankering to do something like that again, RIGHT NOW.

It always seemed so easy in uni - loads of students, all trying to get some experience, lining up to help. But now, no one seems to want to do anything unless they're getting paid for it.

Well, I think I'm gonna add that to my list of things to do before I leave England for California - get a dance parade, even better than its predecesor, going through the streets of Manchester. We'll see how that goes.

In other news, did anyone hear about that goat who had its horns ripped out? Some seriously effed up people in this world...

Get listening to new Blaqk Audio tracks guys - I believe "Ill Lit Ships" and "Bon Voyeurs" (my personal favourite) are available on YouTube somewhere. I seriously reccomend them.

Much Love.
CC.

Got a bit of an obsession going on...

Okay, so I've been doing some research for a new play. I've been on a bit of a vampire kick myself lately, just dabbling in some old (and new) popular culture that I haven't looked at in a while, and I realised just how much the myth, or rather myths, of the vampire have penetrated society.

We all knew that the world was in a state of infatuation with blood-sucking Romeos at the moment, what with the Twilight Saga being so sucessful, and the new "Dark Romance" section in Waterstones, but it appears to go much further than that. The idea of a vampire has become so alluring and all-consuming as a real vampire would.

For some reason, I would like to say that the British Isles (where I am currently residing) has a wide array of legends on this subject, but once again we seem to fall short in this area of folklore. Most vampire stories come from Eastern Europe, but some, to my geeky ancient historian delight, come from Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Mayans.

Vampires were once used as an explanation for the plague, and are now a huge part of teenage popular culture, seemingly resembling the lives of modern teenagers... Hmm... teenagers and the plague - I wonder if there is a connection there? :P

Anyways, I just had the urge to share that with the world. I have many obsessions that tend to rear their heads from time to time and this is just one of them. Prepare for more world, prepare for more!

CC.