All I see is the present

CCA Derry~Londonderry is pleased to announce its summer exhibition by artist Christopher Steenson will launch over the solstice weekend on Friday 19 June 2026, 7–9pm.

For Christopher Steenson’s solo exhibition All I see is the present, the artist combines sound photography, installation and archival material to explore the ways in which moments from prehistory can be used as a gateway to the present. 

The exhibition is the first manifestation of the artist’s long-term engagement with research exploring the prehistoric past of the island of Ireland.

With a practice that spans sound, lens-based media, text and digital systems, Christopher Steenson’s (b.1992, North of Ireland) work bridges historical and speculative narratives to interrogate the politics of time, environment and more-than-human-relations. 

In approaching these concerns, he seeks to make work through which we can ‘listen across tenses’. Recent solo exhibitions include: They haven’t gone away you know, mother’s tankstation, Dublin (2025); Breath Variations, Flat Time House, London (2023); and Soft Rains Will Come, VISUAL, Carlow (2022).

An In Conversation between Artist Christopher Steenson and Historian Dr Brian Lacey moderated by CCA Director Catherine Hemelryk will take place on Saturday 20 June 2026 from 2pm as part of Heritage Month across Derry City & Strabane District.

The exhibition runs until Saturday September 12 2026.

https://cca-derry-londonderry.org

Anglesey's New Pilgrimage Festival Brings History, Heritage and Adventure Together

Walk in the Footsteps of Saints at Anglesey's New Pilgrimage Festival.

Discover Anglesey's new Gŵyl Cybi a Seiriol pilgrimage festival, featuring historic churches, guided walks, music, ancient landmarks and stunning coastal scenery.

If you've ever watched a programme like Pilgrimage and thought, "I'd love to try that," then a brand-new festival taking place on Anglesey this summer could be right up your street.

From 3–5 July, Gŵyl Cybi a Seiriol will invite visitors to discover one of Wales' most fascinating pilgrimage routes, combining history, heritage, stunning scenery and a healthy dose of adventure.

The route stretches an impressive 57 miles across the island, linking churches, ancient monuments and some of Anglesey's most breathtaking coastal landscapes. Inspired by the story of sixth-century saints Cybi and Seiriol, it offers a chance to explore the island in a completely different way.

Even if you're not planning to tackle all 57 miles, the festival programme is packed with events designed to bring the route's rich history to life.

Along the way, pilgrims and visitors can discover remarkable landmarks including St Cybi's Church inside the Roman fort at Holyhead, the dramatic coastline around Rhoscolyn, the beautiful St Gwenfaen's Well, Wales' last working windmill at Melin Llynon, and the ancient Lligwy Burial Chamber, which dates back around 5,000 years.

Other highlights include the Royal Charter shipwreck memorial near Moelfre, the Iron Age hillfort of Bwrdd Arthur, St Seiriol's Holy Well and the historic Penmon Priory.

The festival itself will feature guided walks, talks exploring local history and sacred landscapes, a cello recital at Penmon, a special performance inspired by the Royal Charter shipwreck, a pilgrimage service and blessing, and a traditional Cymanfa Ganu at Holyhead.

The route is rooted in the legend of Saints Cybi and Seiriol, who established religious communities at opposite ends of Anglesey. According to tradition, they regularly met in the centre of the island to pray together. Their journeys even inspired local folklore, with Seiriol becoming known as "Seiriol Wyn" and Cybi as "Cybi Felyn" because of the way the sun shone on their faces during their respective walks.

One particularly charming feature of the route is the pilgrim passport. Visitors can collect stamps from 11 churches along the way, with the stamp designs created by local schoolchildren to reflect the history and character of each location.

Best of all, the festival events are free to attend, although advance booking is required for most activities. Whether you're interested in history, faith, walking, music or simply exploring somewhere new, this unique festival offers a wonderful way to experience the stories and landscapes of Anglesey.

Organised by the Diocese of Bangor, the festival aims to introduce more people to Anglesey's churches, landscape and Christian heritage. Archdeacon of Anglesey John Harvey said: "We're seeing growing interest in pilgrimage across Wales because of programmes like BBC Pilgrimage. People enjoy the chance to walk, discover new places and learn about some of Anglesey's historic churches."

https://bangor.eglwysyngnghymru.org.uk

Drama Club Remembers Much‑Loved President

Iver Heath Drama Club will dedicate its upcoming summer production to long‑standing member John Williams, who passed away in December 2025 at the age of 67 following his battle with Parkinson’s disease.

John, from Slough, was a committed member of the non‑profit community drama group for around 30 years, appearing in a wide range of plays and pantomimes. He also served as the club’s President for several years until his death.

“John was our club president for several years, so it feels perfectly fitting that we dedicate our summer show to him, in his memory,” said Carol Campling, Treasurer of Iver Heath Drama Club.

The club will perform Return to Hotel Doom, a standalone comedy sequel, on Saturday 13th June.

“John appeared as Major Horseradish in the original Hotel Doom play a decade ago. His kindness offstage and his impeccable comedy timing are fond memories we all treasure,” said Lee Hall, the play’s author and director.

The community is invited to purchase tickets for the two‑act show at www.ticketsource.co.uk/ihdc. During the performance, the club will also be encouraging donations to the Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead branch of Parkinson’s UK via the show’s programme and interval screen. The charity supports people living with Parkinson’s and funds vital research into new treatments.

John’s widow, Mrs Joanna Williams, met her husband at the drama club around 25 years ago when she appeared in the club's shows. Earlier this year, she was invited to take on the role of Club President in his honour.

https://www.ihdc.co.uk/

Art Alert! FRIENDLY BRUTES by Andy Siege

Filmmaker and Author Andy Siege Launches FRIENDLY BRUTES, A Color-Drenched Art Collection to Lighten the Image of Mental Illness

New oil-pastel series uses loud colour and open faces to challenge stigma and invite joy into mental health conversations

Andy Siege, the German-Kenyan director of the award-nominated debut Beti and Amare and author of eleven novels, releases his first fine art collection, FRIENDLY BRUTES now live on Fine Art America: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/andy-siege

The collection is not about darkness. It is about lightening the visual language we use for mental illness.

Made in oil pastel in 2026, FRIENDLY BRUTES works in a tight, joyful palette of yellow, green, red, pink and blue, outlined in thick, confident black. Faces pile on top of faces. Mouths are open in a yell, a laugh, a yawn. Eyes are squeezed shut not in pain, but in rest. Forms tip into each other like people on a crowded train.

Siege, who publicly identifies as POC, neurologically diverse, and queer, says the series grew directly from his own experience navigating clinical spaces where mental difference is rendered in grayscale.

"I was tired of the poster in the waiting room. Always a head in hands, always blue and gray," Siege says. "My brain is noisy and colourful. Sometimes it screams, sometimes it giggles, often both at once. I wanted pictures that look like that, so someone seeing them might feel less alone, and less pathologised."

FRIENDLY BRUTES deliberately borrows from Art Brut, the tradition of raw, immediate mark-making outside academic art, but reframes it. Instead of using "brut" to mean broken, Siege uses it to mean honest, and pairs it with "friendly" to remove fear.

The approach mirrors themes in his wider practice. Born Andreas Madjid Siege in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985, he is a director and author known for making work on a human scale. His debut feature Beti and Amare (2014), which he directed, wrote, shot, edited and acted in on a €14,000 budget, was nominated for the Golden St. George at the 36th Moscow International Film Festival. 

His second film, Barefoot Rasta (2017), and his books, including the magical-realism novella Don't Let Me Drown, the tragicomic Mohamed In The Stars, and the climate-fiction novel Biopunk: Aristotle released in January 2026, all center characters living with war trauma, grief, neurodivergence and identity pressure without turning them into cautionary tales.

With FRIENDLY BRUTES, Siege brings that same narrative compassion to a single image.

Horden's Story Returns To The Stage As Pits, People And Players Comes Back By Popular Demand

A powerful community production, created from the voices, memories, and experiences of local people, is returning to Horden this month.

Pits, People and Players, produced by Ensemble '84, returns to The Playhouse 11-13th June following a successful run during Horden's 125th anniversary celebrations last year.

Created from conversations with Horden residents, the show brings together stories shared in community halls, over cups of tea and through generations of local families. It tells the story of a village shaped by coal mining, community spirit and determination.

Blending theatre, storytelling, music and movement, the production explores Horden's past, present and future. It celebrates the humour, friendship, pride and resilience that continue to define the community.

Written by Ensemble '84 and directed by internationally acclaimed theatre-maker Mark Dornford-May, the show features original songs by Tees Valley singer-songwriter Jodie Nicholson and performances from the company's County Durham-based cast.

Mark Dornford-May, Director of Ensemble '84, told That's Books and More: "This show is about the heart of Horden. Every scene, every memory and every moment has its roots in conversations with local people. We've taken the stories, scars and dreams shared with us and created something that is rooted in this community and speaks to something much bigger. 

"At a time when places like Horden are too often defined by what they've lost, this production celebrates the people, pride and resilience that continue to shape its future."

Julia Handelman-Smith, Into the Light Director, told us: "We’re proud Ensemble ‘84 is bringing this remarkable production to life, once again, as part of Into the Light. ‘Pits, People and Players’ is a shining example of how local arts can reflect national conversations, about community, resilience, and the stories we choose to carry forward. It’s a testament to the talent and vision in County Durham, and a powerful reminder of the role the arts play in regeneration, connection, and belonging."

The return of Pits, People and Players follows a triumphant run of The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet at Ensemble '84's new home, The Playhouse.

The production received a string of four and five-star reviews and attracted audiences from across the region. Many people experienced Shakespeare for the first time after national attention focused on Horden when acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen officially opened The Playhouse last month.

Sir Ian's visit generated widespread media coverage for Horden and East Durham. During the opening, he declared that he wished he lived in Horden, helping to shine a spotlight on the area's growing cultural ambition.

Now, Ensemble '84 is once again turning its attention to the people and stories of East Durham, bringing Horden's story back to the stage where it belongs.

Pits, People and Players will be performed at The Playhouse, Horden, between 11-13th June. Tickets are available from ensemble84.com/pits-people-players

Listings Information:-

Pits, People and Players

Date: Thursday 11 June 2026 - 13th June 2026

The Playhouse, South Terrace,Horden, Peterlee, SR8 4NQ

Tickets: £16 for all other performances, with optional £10 concessions ‘no questions asked’ and £20 ‘show of additional support’.

Running Time: approx 90 minutes

Age restriction advised: 12+

Box office: ensemble84.com/pits-people-players/ 0191 300 4340

Website: ensemble84.com

Facebook: facebook.com/ensemble84theatre

Instagram: instagram.com/ensemble84

YouTube: youtube.com/ensemble84

The Secret on the Second Shelf

The Secret on the Second Shelf, Jonathan White’s supernatural time-travel adventure for young readers, is now available as an audiobook, narrated by SOVAS Voice Arts Award-winning British narrator David Sweeney-Bear of DSB Audio.

Part ancient conspiracy thriller, part supernatural coming-of-age adventure, The Secret on the Second Shelf has drawn comparisons to The Da Vinci Code for its relentless pace and layered mystery, and to Stranger Things for its dark atmosphere, supernatural menace, and a young protagonist thrust into a world he was never supposed to find.

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Bonfire Night, the story follows fourteen-year-old Tim Shaw as he is hurled 300 years into the past in a supernatural race to uncover the truth behind his mother’s mysterious disappearance. 

Along the way he must battle the Deceivers, terrifying creatures capable of shifting between human and bird form and unravel a dark secret that holds the key to the survival of mankind itself. With the help of a mysterious golden compass and sixth-former Gemma Bowen, Tim must confront forces far beyond anything an ordinary boy could imagine.

The novel blends fantasy, time travel, history, and horror into a breathless adventure, praised for its vivid world-building and pace.

“I’ve spent much of my life moving between countries, sitting in airports, living out of suitcases, staring out of train windows at unfamiliar landscapes. You find yourself with a lot of time to think. What are we really doing here? What do we leave behind? What secrets does the world keep from us? Tim Shaw’s story grew out of those questions. I wanted to write something that would grip a young reader the way the best stories gripped me as a child: something that made the world feel bigger, stranger and more alive with possibility than it appears. Hearing David bring that world to life in audio is one of the most extraordinary experiences of my writing life, author Jonathan White told That's Books and More.

David Sweeney-Bear is a SOVAS Voice Arts Award-recognised narrator, voice actor, and audio producer, and the founder of DSB Audio. With over 25 years of experience in music production and eight years specialising in audiobook narration, David has produced and narrated over 50 titles for publishers including Audible, HarperCollins, and Pro Audio Voices. An Audible Approved Producer, his work spans fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction, and adventure, and he is recognised for his exceptional range of character voices, emotional depth, and cinematic production quality.

David told us: “It was an absolute joy to narrate and produce this outstanding supernatural horror mystery by Jonathan White. Jon and I worked closely to get the tone and characters just right, and it was an unusual pleasure to voice a book set in Cambridgeshire, UK, which happens to be where I grew up.

"In ‘The Secret on the Second Shelf’, Jon has written a well-conceived and thrilling story with a plethora of fascinating characters, surprises and thought-provoking narrative. It is rare that a story manages to strike that perfect balance between dread and whimsy, light and shade to deliver a satisfying and absorbing experience for the reader. This is one such story, and I hope that my audio narration and production will deliver that same experience for audiobook listeners.”

The Secret on the Second Shelf is available as an audiobook and in Kindle, paperback, and hardback editions. Listeners and readers can also explore the world of the novel through No Such Thing as Monsters, a short film adapted from the novel, written, produced, and directed by the author and available to watch on YouTube.

You can order your copies here: https://amzn.to/3RRb323

Finchley Filmmaker Returns With Second Psychological Drama Following 30-Million-View Viral Success

London filmmaker Raffaello Degruttola is back with another emotionally charged relationship drama, and this time he’s diving deep into the unsettling world of manipulation, obsession and emotional control.

Following the viral success of his debut feature Transference: A Love Story, which reportedly amassed more than 30 million views worldwide, Degruttola returns with To Love A Narcissist, a raw and psychologically intense look at modern relationships and the blurred line between love and emotional manipulation.

Produced through Degruttola’s London-based production company Contro Vento Films and shot locally in Finchley and across London, the film has already started making waves internationally following its North American digital release on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video on 19 May 2026 through Freestyle Digital Media.

The success of Transference helped establish Degruttola as a filmmaker with a distinctive voice in psychologically intimate storytelling. That growing reputation has now attracted major industry backing, with Hollywood producer Ted Field, known for films including The Last Samurai and Jumanji, joining the project as Executive Producer alongside actress and filmmaker Sadie Frost.

Critics have already praised To Love A Narcissist for its grounded portrayal of toxic relationships and its emotionally unsettling realism. Early reactions have highlighted the film’s “chillingly honest ending” and its refusal to glamorise emotionally destructive behaviour, something increasingly rare in relationship dramas.

The cast includes Lyndsey Marshal, Stephen Campbell Moore, Andrea Lowe, Nathalie Armin and Sule Rimi, with production credits shared by Bill Bossert, Sadie Kaye and Degruttola himself.

The film also enjoyed its world premiere at the Socially Relevant Film Festival in New York, continuing the rise of locally rooted independent productions finding global audiences.

For fans of emotionally intelligent cinema, character-driven storytelling and psychological drama that lingers long after the credits roll, To Love A Narcissist looks set to become another compelling chapter in Degruttola’s growing film career.

https://controventofilms.com