Tuesday 5 December at 4.30 pm – Norah Boyce Science Lecture entitled Design Engineering for Artificial Intelligence by Professor Per Ola Kristensson. Click HERE for the link or open Zoom and enter Meeting ID: 845 3339 4957 Passcode: 222057.
Tuesday 5 December at 1 pm – The Film Group screening will be Babette’s Feast at Arts Picturehouse.
Wednesday 6 December at 2.15 pm – Wednesday Lecture entitled Before Evolutionary theory and the Dinosaurs: Adam Sedgwick’s Geological Museum of the 1840s and what Queen Victoria thought of it all by Dr Douglas Palmer. Booking is now open to attend in person in the Pink room – please contact the Office.
Giselle: Context, Form and Meaning on deconstructing the greatest ballet of the Romantic Era
Speaker: Emeritus Professor Philip Stott
Date and time: Thursday, 14 December, 10.30 – 12.00
Venue: U3AC, Pink room
Places: 30
Requested repeat lecture: ‘Giselle’ is widely regarded as the seminal ballet of the Romantic Era. In this fully-illustrated talk, with excerpts of the ballet in performance, we shall explore the historical and artistic contexts in which it was created for an 1840s’ Parisian audience, an audience increasingly steeped in romanticism and in stories involving ‘real’ people in ‘real’ locations. We shall trace its lineage from German romanticism and Heinrich Heine through Victor Hugo to Théophile Gautier and Adolph Adam, who composed for it one of the finest of original ballet scores. We shall examine in detail the structure and meaning of the ballet, and consider difficulties ‘Giselle’ might hold for ballet companies and audiences today.
Emeritus Professor Philip Stott has already presented a number of lectures to the U3AC, including on ballet and the Darwin family. He has had a longtime interest in both Early Music and the history of ballet, especially during the early C19th. He was a Professor and Dean at SOAS in the University of London. He has recently written a monthly column on British wild flowers for ‘The Countryman’ magazine, and is a classical composer. He is Vice-Chair of the U3AC.
I would like to see if there is any interest in a textiles/sewing afternoon in the 24/25 academic year. My idea is for a skill-sharing group rather than a taught class and I wonder if this might appeal to members and if anyone fancies joining with me to plan and organise such a group. I have identified a possible venue, the activities room at Victoria Homes. Victoria Homes is at the Milton Road end of Victoria Road, it has parking and the activities area has very good natural light. A possible day and time – Monday afternoon, something like 1.00 to 3.00pm. If you think you might be interested please let me know, tessamitchell9@gmail.com This is an opportunity for everyone, men can sew too!
Tessa Mitchell
Application forms are now available for the New Year Social event at The David Rayner Building at Scotsdales Garden Centre on Friday 12 January 2024 from 12 – 2. Cost: £8.50. Places can now be booked either via the Office or Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/u3ac-new-year-social-event-tickets-767534535457
This is a member only event and places must be booked in advance.
There is a new exhibition by Simon Draper, of limited edition prints and paintings, with a Jazz and Blues theme. The exhibition was inspired, in part, by seeing the work of Jackson Pollock, a jazz aficionado, in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. There are also references to the Blue Note Jazz Club, and to double bassist Charles Mingus. The Mingus drawings explore the feeling of apparent chaos at the heart of some modern jazz, with hand-drawn ink sketches eroded to the extent that the viewer must search to find the figurative elements. Simon’s paintings are influenced by performing on bass and percussion in several local bands. He was short-listed for the Royal Academy (RA) Summer Exhibition in London in 2016 and 2021.
To prevent the unnecessary transmission of germs we kindly request that you do NOT attend courses if you are experiencing cough or cold symptoms. Please consider your fellow U3AC members, some of whom are particularly vulnerable to infection. Thank you for your cooperation.
If you are interested in applying for additional courses, there is a Vacancy list on the website showing all courses currently with spaces; this is regularly updated.
Come along to hear your U3AC friends and fellow classmates vocally wishing you a Merry Christmas! Programme features traditional and modern Christmas songs and carols followed by seasonal refreshments. The concert is on Thursday 14 December at 11am, at St James C of E Church, Wulfstan Way, CB1 8QJ. Friends and family are welcome too!
Application forms for the U3AC Christmas Lunch to be held on Monday 18 December at Wildwood Restaurant are now available on the website: https://www.u3ac.org.uk/social/social-events/, to collect from the Office or by email on request. Closing date is Friday 8 December. Places are limited, so first come, first served.
A member has recently very kindly negotiated discounts for U3AC members in local businesses. The complete list can be found on our website HERE.
This term, U3AC dance teacher Cathy Middleton is exhibiting her paintings in the social area at Bridge Street for the Autumn term. Cathy rediscovered her love of painting during Covid. She was inspired by time spent looking through her ‘locked view’ (name of the exhibition) of the studio window. We hope members enjoy this view too!
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U3AC supports other local organisations by listing their activities on the Other organisations page of our website https://www.u3ac.org.uk/news/other-organisations/