Search results for ""aurora metro publications""

Artists, painters, writers and discerning travellers from royalty to rock stars have long been attracted by the region’s bright light, perfect climate and joie de vivre. Take the road less travelled as you find out more about the extraordinary range of places and people who’ve found inspiration in the mountains and valleys, rocky coves and verdant islands.

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The quality and range of Theatre for Children and Young People in the UK is one of our greatest cultural assets. This essential book provides the first ever guide to the wealth of talent and creativity displayed by over 150 professional companies involved in theatre for young audiences.

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The astonishing women involved in the Actresses Franchise League set up their own theatre companies and engaged with the battle for the vote by writing and performing campaigning plays all over the country. They launched themselves onto the political stage with their satirical plays, sketches and monologues whilst at the same time challenging the staid conventions of the Edwardian Theatre of the day. The legacy of their inspiring work to change both theatre and society has survived in the political theatre, agitprop and verbatim theatre we know today. Introduced and set in an historical context by Dr Susan Croft together with a chronology of suffrage drama.

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Now Kathryn Bigelow has made history as the first woman to win an Oscar for directing, is this a new era for women filmmakers? The figures suggest otherwise. Seeking to redress the imbalance between male and female film directors, Celluloid Ceiling explores inspiring new work appearing in the USA, the UK and globally. Highlighting emerging women directors alongside ground-breaking pioneers, this is a one-stop guide to the leading women film directors in the 21st century and those who inspired them. From Oscar-winning action director Kathryn Bigelow to emerging strong voices from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Laos, particular attention is paid to women making films in traditionally male-dominated areas such as action, sci-fi and fantasy and to works with a new take on the violence and pornography of the horror genre. This book shows that the changes overturning current business and artistic processes are opening up new opportunities for women film directors who are determined make the most of these. The contributors represent women making film Africa, Latin America, Europe, USA, Asia and India, with new voices in Japanese and Middle Eastern cinema, the women directors working in TV, as well as the first woman director Alice Guy Blache, the rise of the independent and the horror aficionados the Soska Sisters, Celluloid Ceiling includes numerous interviews and b/w photographs.

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These powerful, contemporary monologues share the courage, conflicts and joys of characters facing difficult decisions. Developed through consultation with young people, they offer a range of authentic, memorable voices to stimulate discussion and participatory drama work.

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Inspired by the experiences of refugees in the UK, and set in a refugee centre in London, I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given To Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda, is a funny and moving story about the bittersweet relationship between a I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document.... (Production shot; Finborough Theatre) young Rwandan woman and a British poet as he tries to help her write her story. Juliette is a young Rwandan asylum seeker, determined to write a book on the genocide that killed her family; Simon is a poet whose job is to help people write. I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document... was a Time Out Critics' Choice and was broadcast by BBC World Service as well as touring nationally and internationally. Following a London run and National UK tour, the play received its American premiere at Kansas City Rep in March 2005 and has subsequently gone on to receive more than 30 productions across the US.

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Winner of the Writers' Guild Best Children's Play Award. Holly has to spend New Year with the grumpiest pair of farmers who ever ploughed a field. Luckily, she meets a faery called Tom, whose magic and mischief brighten up her days and transform her stay into a real adventure.

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Shortlisted for the Saga Award for Wit. A darkly satirical vision of a society in which a political party conspires to stay in power at all costs . Grace Fry, bold and beautiful Minister for Women, discovers a plot to suppress the truth by means of spin, murder and manipulation. And what is going on right under her nose in her own constituency? With her own life in danger, will she dare to speak out or be seduced by the promise of a post at the top table?

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Filmed as Kadosh by Amos Gitai; Selected for the Cannes Film Festival Sacred is the moving love story of a young woman, living in the ultra-orthodox community in Jerusalem. Spurned by her community for failing to conceive a child in ten years of marriage, her husband is forced by custom to reject her. Should she tell the truth about his infertility - or watch while her husband, the son of the Rabbi, marries another?

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Featuring five plays by Dutch women writers (Hella Haasse, Matin Van Veldhuizenm, Suzanne Van Lohuizen, Inez Van Dullemen and Judith Herzberg) this play collection showcases the best plays by women writing in the Netherlands at the time of publication. The Plays A Thread in the Dark by Hella Haasse: This is a profound retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, from the viewpoint of Ariadne. Winner of the Visser Neerlandia prize. “[W]e cannot rephrase it for you. If we Could, why would we trouble to show you the myth?” Eat by Matin Van Veldhuizen: A darkly comic exploration of the lives of three sisters who come together to eat, drink and celebrate the anniversary of their mother's death. Dossier: Ronald Akkerman by Suzanne Van Lohuizen: A two-hander, detailing moments between a patient suffering from AIDS and his nurse. “...the moving story of a relationship between a young man in the final stages of AIDS and his nurse, Dossier: Ronald Akkerman ... tackles the epidemic full-on.” Gay Times Write Me in the Sand by Inez Van Dullemen: A poetic portrayal of a family where layer upon layer is removed to reveal the painful secrets within. The Caracal by Judith Herzberg: A comic one-woman show about a teacher whose complicated love life is revealed through fragmentary telephone conversations.

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Winner of the 4th Virginia Prize for Fiction • A thought-provoking new novel from Dipika Mukherjee, Virginia Prize for Fiction winner, Aurora Metro Books' biennial prize to encourage and promote new writing by women. • Mukherjee's debut novel was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize (2011) and republished as Ode to Broken Things (Repeater, 2016).

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This collection features four new plays about war, tyranny and discrimination by Eastern and Central European writers. Includes the plays The Body of a Woman as a battlefield in the Bosnian war by Matei Visniec, Cordon by Nebojsa Romcevic, When I want to whistle, I whistle... by Andreea Vălean, Soap Opera by György Spiró The title of this volume alludes to the history of political double-dealing in a troubled region within southern Europe, surrounded by the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas. G.B. Shaw wrote Arms and The Man about a small Balkan plot in the 19th century. It's in this tradition, rather than in a geographical sense that we use the title Balkan Plots. The plays in this volume are dramatic works which have emerged from, or which take as their subject matter, the struggle of individuals within societies affected by recent political upheaval. The writers explore aspects of freedom and rebellion, ethnicity and discrimination, loyalty and betrayal in situations where conventional attitudes and beliefs are severely tested. In some plays, the conflict is between traditional socialist attitudes and western capitalism. In others, the values and beliefs of the younger generation collide with and challenge those of the older generation. Within each of the plays, the way in which the personal and the political interacts, is very much in evidence.

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A unique and essential guide to Media Labs. Gives advice on where they are, what they offer and how to apply. Includes history and discussion of Media Labs and how they will play a key part in the digital world of the future for both film and games development.

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Breathless is a funny, honest and stylish exploration of the knife-edge of hoarding, from the joy of purchasing new fashion, to the addiction and suffocating shame of having way too many clothes. What happens when the things we covet, hide us from ourselves? Opening up to new experiences in her late-thirties, Sophie is exploring long-repressed sides of herself. When a secret she's keeping from those she loves, and even from herself, threatens to unravel it all, she has to make a choice. Who or what will she decide to give up?

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"I have lived with these trees and watched them grow. You have been away from here for too long, you don't see it. Or you have simply forgotten..." Responding to a call-out, a repairman finds himself inexplicably drawn to an old woman and her house in the woods. At first it seems like a simple fix, but as a storm starts to close in, he is forced to confront the ghosts from his past. A tale of guilt and childhood memory - can we ever really mend what is already broken?

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When Adi leaves his village in Indonesia to take up an art scholarship in Australia, he arrives in the bewildering Sydney art world, determined to succeed. Following his first solo exhibition at a notable art gallery, Adi dares to reveal his true feelings for his outgoing friend, Lisa, and a passionate relationship unfolds. But will their differing expectations of one another drive them apart? This is a deeply felt love story between people -- of different nations, cultures and religions -- and the unseen impact of local and global events on individual lives.

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Original by Arthur Ransome Adapted by Nick Wood Father is away and mother brings Roger, John, Susan and Titty to stay at Pin Mill where they can spend the summer messing about in boats. Their adventure begins when they go out with Jim on his boat Goblin. But disaster strikes when the boat is becalmed and Jim goes ashore to fetch petrol. Fog descends over the Harwich estuary and, as the tide turns, the boat begins to drift away ...

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Women have been at the dawn of the blues since Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey were singing about hard knocks and tough love in smoky bars. This book gives an overview of the early days of the blues and its development from the Mississippi Delta to the home of electric blues, Chicago, to becoming the vibrant global musical movement it is today. In addition, there are exclusive interviews with dozens of the women leading the Blues today. With an introduction by acclaimed music writer Zoe Howe, this book explores the pioneers who created the blues from the 1920s onwards, as well as providing exclusive interviews with around 30 extraordinary women who take the blues to new heights today.

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Based on true events, the play follows the stories of Anna, a rape complainant, and Sean, the defendant, with insight and sensitivity. This heart-breaking, multi-layered play jolts the audience into exploring the implications of consent, focussing on the impact of toxic coercive relationships, the power of social media and the need for healthy sexual boundaries, especially when alcohol or drugs blur the lines. The play deliberately takes no specific moral or legal standpoint, forcing you to question long-held beliefs and inherent prejudice. A socially provocative play, which is of particular significance in the light of recent shocking reports about the low incidence of convictions for rape and sexual assault in the UK.

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Reversing the usual refugee story cliches, Homing Birds shares the hopes, fears and aspirations of a young man searching for a place in which he feels he truly belongs. Young Afghan refugee Saeed desperately wants to reconnect with his roots and find his long-lost sister. So he leaves his adoptive family in London and returns home to Kabul to work as a doctor, eager to contribute to rebuilding a new Afghanistan. But as past and present collide, Saeed must face up to the reality of his changed world. This captivating and evocative play asks if a place can ever be home without a connection to family and roots?

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A landmark collection of Indonesian plays in English. Seven contemporary plays by established playwrights in Indonesia exploring topics such as the aftermath of political clampdown, gay lives, sex trafficking and the effects of urban redevelopment. Provides insight into a nation and its people at the centre of ASEAN growth.

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The frustrated wife of a French-Tunisian plantation owner, a mysterious older woman, a world weary tomboy, an unhappy mistress, a Parisian factory worker destined for tragedy, an acrobat turned cabaret sensation – these are the women whose lives are linked by their relationship with one man – Ștefan Valeriu. Divided into four separate stories connected by one man, Women takes us from Ștefan’s amorous entanglements at an Alpine lake resort, to his life in Bucharest and Paris, as each of the women in his life opens up new worlds for him. Women is a hymn to love in all its forms, romantic or platonic, sometimes reckless, often glorious and always, ultimately, ephemeral.

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* First collection of full-length plays from British East Asian playwrights * Ideal for schools, colleges and theatre companies * In association with a conference at Tara Theatre and Goldsmiths University in Spring 2018 A landmark collection of contemporary full-length plays by British East Asian writers. Exploring subjects such as cultural identity, the fragmentation of communities, tradition, invisibility and discrimination, these plays are ideal to perform. With an introduction by academics Dr Amanda Rogers and Dr Ashley Thorpe, which sets the plays into context and explores the hidden history of theatre from the BEA community. BOUND FEET BLUES by Yang-May Ooi THE LAST DAYS OF LIMEHOUSE by Jeremy Tiang JAMAICA BOY by Stephen Hoo CONVERSATIONS WITH MY UNKNOWN MOTHER by Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen SPECIAL OCCASIONS by Amy Ng TANGO by Joel Tan THE FU MANCHU COMPLEX by Daniel York Loh

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• Follow up collection of plays from award-winning South African playwright • Ideal for schools, colleges and theatre companies unafraid of gritty drama • In advance of a talk at Nehru Centre, London on 18 May 2018

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Some say the streets of New York City are paved with gold, full of wealth and opportunity. In 1911, five young immigrant women search for their promise of the American Dream while working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. But battling poverty and dangerous working conditions, can they keep their dreams alive? Or will it all turn to ashes?

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Four people come together for a political debate in a remote house, deep in a forest. Mehrosh is a celebrated activist, made anxious by recent death threats. Her opponent, Bina, is a wily politician from the ruling party, determined to look good and win. Jai is a journalist who wants to launch his new channel with a bang. Scherezade is Bina’s PA, and not quite who she seems. Is anyone? Set in an imaginary country in the near future, "Phantasmagoria" pits the terror of speaking out, against the fear of staying quiet, in order to warn us of the very real dangers of populism, social media and the use of fear to control us.

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Adapted by Mark Norfolk Preface by Dr David Linton Continues Aurora Metro Books' partnership with Black Theatre Live, a pioneering national consortium of regional theatres led by Tara Arts (London), with the necessity of diversity in theatre at its core: committed to effecting change for BAME theatre, and audiences.

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• Award-winning playwright explores classroom bullying and teachers' responses. • Includes Teachers' Resources to aid structured discussion and exploration of the themes raised in schools, colleges and beyond. Care Takers is part of an Edge Hill University (Birmingham, UK) research project on homophobia. The team invites everyone, after seeing or reading (or both!) the play, to give feedback by completing the online survey, here (10 minutes). • Care Takers included on a programme of International Health and Humanities Conference, Health Humanities: Creative Practices as Care (September 2016): a growing worldwide interdisciplinary dialogue across diverse communities of arts and humanities academics and practitioners, clinicians, informal carers, service users and the self-caring public. Conference details are here. • The play is great for use as a source text for all those interested in the impact of creative practices in health, psychological well-being and enhancing social inclusion of people. Includes: hospitals, social and community centres, mental health centres, schools, and museums.

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"Experienced journalist and debut novelist Martini spent a decade researching the real men whose stories form the basis of this work of fiction, and it shows in the both epic and intimate details that make this story spring to life. In Martini's prose, one can almost hear the tires screeching around the track, from the dry deserts of Libya to the damp mountains of Italy, from the sparkling streets of Monaco all the way to the shores of the United States. Amid the pungent fumes of gasoline, readers will also feel the sense of dread as the world inched closer to war. A sprawling, adrenaline-drenched story that will appeal even to readers who know next to nothing about auto racing." - Kirkus Reviews; In this epic novel about the motor-racing heroes of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, legendary characters battle to win incredible races on switchback roads along the edges of ravines. Exploring the relationships between the champions as much as the sporting events themselves, this is a thrilling tale based on the true rivalries, triumphs and disasters during a fascinating period in European sporting history.

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An entertaining collection of new short plays by popular children's playwright Rachel Barnett. Specially commissioned for young people, these plays are a great resource for schools, colleges and youth theatres. With contemporary themes and a wide variety of roles, this is a collection which enables young people to engage with serious topics while enjoying all the fun of performance.

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• The first historical novel about the American Civil War, written from the perspective of real events in Liverpool at that time. Published on the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War (2015). • Provides vivid insights into the significance of Britain in the conflict and events that could have decided the outcome of the American Civil War. • A powerful story of courage, betrayal and love, told in the compelling voices of an escaped slave girl and a Confederate general.

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• This manic farce explores the ideas of radical psychiatrist RD Laing on the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Association which he co-founded. • Ideas which were way ahead of their time about the treatment of those with mental health issues, have now been incorporated into everyday practice. • Produced by Stepping Out Theatre Company which aims to raise awarenesss of mental health in the UK.

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Translated by Karin Chubb • Karin Chubb was Shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation, a unique award celebrating the high quality and diversity of translated fiction for young readers, in 2013. • Made into an award-winning film. A hard-hitting, and emotional story of AIDs in South Africa, following Themba and his dreams of becoming a famous footballer. Themba grows up dreaming of becoming a football star. One day he leaves the village and travels with his sister to the city in search of their mother. Life is a struggle and Themba has to grow up fast. A lucky break gives him the chance to train as a footballer and play professionally - but Themba has a secret - should he tell the truth and risk everything he's ever dreamed of?

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The apparently simple story of a toll-collector who works in a booth on the motorway, watching people come and go, while his life remains static. But then an invisible force begins taking over, its only tell-tale sign, a terrible, obliterating sound like a scream, that seems to come from nowhere. As time goes by, the flow of traffic on the motorway slows and diminishes. The world appears to be coming to an end... An ode to love and loss comparable to the work of Samuel Beckett, in which everything is both ordinary and extraordinary and every man is truly an island...

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A collection of three plays for adults by award-winning playwright Brendan Murray, that have proved a hit with theatres in the UK and abroad. This book is ideal for schools, colleges and drama students. A collection of three plays for adults which showcase Murray's most successful recent work and productions. The Plays The Falling Sky: Cast 5 (2m/3w); 90 minutes. Drama about priorities and choices told through the lives of five inhabitants of a rural community over the course of one fateful year. Commissioned and produced by Oxfordshire Theatre Company 2007. The audio version of New Perspectives Theatre Company 2010, Starring Stephanie Cole. Entertaining Angels: Cast 5 (3m/2w);110 minutes. A story of a rural parish in decline, a priest facing both a crisis of faith and the collapse of his marriage and the strange figure who arrives in the village one day, seemingly with an answer to everyone's prayers. Commissioned and produced by New Perspectives Theatre Company, 2013. www.newperspectives.co.uk Missing in Action: Cast 5 (3m/2w);110 minutes. The story of two mates who join the army; how one dies and the other survives to battle with post-traumatic stress - and the impact these outcomes have on their families. Commissioned and produced by Proteus Theatre Company 2012. www.proteustheatre.com

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Recipes, tips and ideas to help you eat well, pay less and save the planet. Created by young people, The Green Teen Cookbook contains over 80 mouth-watering recipes that won't cost the earth. Going green is hard to do - especially when it comes to food. The Green Teen Cookbook cuts through all that chaos and shows teens how to shop smarter, cook more consciously, and eat a healthier diet. And in addition to the incredible recipes (created for teens, by teens), the book also includes: • Tips on how to shop on a budget and get the most out of what you already have at home • A seasonal key that ensures the freshness of the recipes (and a minimal carbon footprint) • Essays on ethical eating, and photos for all the recipes For all those who care about what they eat, and where it comes from, The Green Teen Cookbook is more than just another set of recipes: it's an all-in-one guide for going green and eating well.

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When Matt Clements meets an enigmatic prophet on the Kurdistan border, he is set on the trail of ancient relics that have profound consequences for our time. Assembling his team, he travels to the most remote desert regions of the Middle East unaware that the search for evidence endangers all their lives. In a race against time, Matt must outwit his adversaries to present his discoveries publicly in New York - discoveries that will send shockwaves throughout the Western world and rewrite history as we know it.

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A useful, practical handbook for local community groups, youth theatres, amateur players, universities and colleges, students of Community Theatre/Theatre Studies and others wanting to stage a successful community play. Drawing on a wealth of personal accounts, and useful historical background information, How To Put On A Community Play is full of detailed advice concerning the preparation, planning and execution required to achieve success. Including essential tips on: • the creative process • administrative hurdles • technical headaches that must be overcome This is an invaluable guide to the myriad tasks and decisions facing any community play organiser.

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* An exploration of the creative explosion that occurred when the campaign for the vote brought together the talents of so many female writers and artists at the start of the 20th century. * An overview of the artists, designers, writers and actors involved in the long campaign for women's suffrage. * Originally published to coincide with a major exhibition on the Suffragettes in 2010. Writers and artists included: Cicely Hamilton, Chris St. John, Inez Bensusan, Elizabeth Robins, Ernestine Mills, Pamela Colman Smith, Mary Lowndes, Emily Ford and Sylvia Pankhurst.

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Staged in theatres by successive generations and proving relevant to contemporary audiences, the plays demonstrate the wit, theatrical skill and innovation of their creators in exploring timeless topics from marriage, morality and money to class conflict, rage and sexual desire. An essential resource for students, playwrights, colleges, universities and libraries, this collection also provides theatres with the opportunity to programme a range of theatrical classics by women. Plays from: 'Paphnutius' by Hroswitha (extract);'The Tragedy of Mariam' by Elizabeth Cary (extract); 'The Rover' by Aphra Behn; 'A Bold Stroke For A Wife' by Susanna Centlivre; 'De Montfort' by Joanna Baillie; 'Rutherford and Son' by Githa Sowerby; 'The Chalk Garden' by Enid Bagnold; 'Top Girls' by Caryl Churchill (extract); 'Stones in his Pockets' by Marie Jones.

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Separated from his parents who are deported by the Nazis, David struggles to survive, alone, hungry and scared, until he eventually finds his way to the city of Warsaw. There he learns from other Jewish boys how to work in the black market, dodging the police and the Gestapo until the eventual day comes when the ghetto is cleared and everyone is herded into trains for the long trip to the camps. Will David survive? Can he outwit them one more time? Shortlisted for The Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation.

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How many women sculptors can you name? This book will help you to understand the work and lives of dozens of women sculptors - significant artists from the past as well as those working in the exciting world of sculpture today. Camille Claudel Barbara Hepworth Elisabeth Frink Niki de Saint Phalle Louise Bourgeois Ruth Asawa Rachel Whiteread Malvina Hoffman Maggi Hambling Cornelia Parker Senga Ningudi Sophie Ryder and many more... With an overview of women making sculpture from the 1800s to today, we explore the work of fifty extraordinary women artists who have forged a name for themselves in a male arena, broken rules, pushed boundaries and inspired us with their visionary creations.

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Original by Aristophanes Adapted by Germaine Greer With additional dialogue from Phil Willmott. Aristophanes' classic play retold in a bang up to the minute way. The world's leading feminist raconteur, polemicist and wit plunders the archetypal story of female resistance... This new version of the ancient tale gives the battle of the sexes an outing full of fun, farce and innuendo.

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Pop Rock Icons takes us into the extraordinary world of London, England at the time of the greatest countercultural upheaval that the country has known. A real musical revolution began at the beginning of the 1960s, led by the Beatles, further ignited by the Rolling Stones and many others. The incredible rise of rock music continued until the end of the 1970s, when Punk arrived and launched a new wave of DIY rebellion. In photographs which capture the spirit of the times, [re]discover the optimism of the Beatles; the Stones' dark rhythm'n'blues; the energy of The Who; the innovation of prog rock with Pink Floyd and Genesis, as well as the explosive heavy metal of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The 70s gave us the glam rock of T Rex and the gritty pub rock of Dr Feelgood, without forgetting the rock giants: Led Zeppelin, Queen, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and the unclassifiable David Bowie.

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The author unpicks the threads that link female textile artists and the arts they produce, revealing a global and historic patchwork of assorted roles, identities and representations. Entertaining as well as informative, this book offers a unique overview of female-centric textile art production including embroidery, weaving, soft sculpture and more. Includes over 20 interviews with contemporary textile artists, providing fascinating insights into their practices, themes and personal motivation. Tells us: How knitting became a spying device in wartime Why dress design was so important for the Suffragettes Why spiders were emblems in ancient times and now How women's arts and crafts moved from the backroom to the gallery showroom.

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