Italoeuropeo – Page 8 – L'ItaloEuropeo – Independent Magazine in London

NANNI MORETTI READS: “CARO MICHELE” BY NATALIA GINZBURG

Natalia’s birth centenary falls this year and we are giving to our public a great opportunity to celebrate it with us through the voice of the very famous film director Nanni Moretti.

He has brought back to life one of the very well-loved books by Natalia Ginzburg “Caro Michele” in the audiobook just published by EMONS. We have invited Nanni to come to the Institute and read some abstracts from this book.

The readings will be followed by a discussion between Nanni and Italian writer Chiara Valerio. They will be pleased to share with our audience their impressions and to recall the life and works of Natalia, who is valued as the most important woman writer of post-World War II Italy.

Giovanni “Nanni” Moretti (born in Brunico in 1953) lives in Rome, where, since he was a kid, he devotes himself to his passion: cinema.

Once finished high school studies, he sold his stamps collection to buy a super8 cinema camera, using which he started shooting home-made short films with his friends in 1973. Since then he has never stopped and has had a long successful carrier as a film director.

He won The Palme d’Or in 2001 and was the President of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011. Chiara Valerio (born in Scauri in 1978) is the author of several novels such as: A complicare le cose (Robin 2007), La gioia piccola d’esser quasi salvi (nottetempo 2009), Spiaggia libera tutti (Laterza 2010) and Almanacco del giorno prima (Einaudi 2014). She contributes to the television programmes «Pane quotidiano» and «Ad alta voce» (Radio3). She has translated Flush by Virginia Woolf.

[phone .primissima.it]

SPECIAL NIGHT: MUSIC & CHARITY! GIOEL

SPECIAL NIGHT: MUSIC & CHARITY! GIOEL is an emerging Italian singer you will never forget due to… READ MORE

SPECIAL NIGHT: MUSIC & CHARITY! GIOEL

SPECIAL NIGHT: MUSIC & CHARITY! GIOEL is an emerging Italian singer you will never forget due to her vocal timbre. She is supporting Cittadinanza (cittadinanza.org) and MAES Therapy (maestherapy.com) through Easy Dragons Charity (easydragons.com).

MAES Therapy is a specialised treatment for children with movement and coordination difficulties It aims to provide the highest quality in physical therapy. Cittadinanza is a charity that develops and supports psychiatric rehabilitation and psychosocial projects in low income countries.

An emerging Italian singer Gioel has kindly offered to perform a concert at Union Chapel on the 22nd of March to support Easydragons Charity and Cittadinanza, English an Italian Charities that provides assistance to children with mental health issues. To buy tickets please visit www.easydragons.com Gioel first album Nausea was recorded in Umbria at CET, a global music school directed by Mr Mogol, recognised as the greatest Italian songwriter ever, having written the major part of all pop Italian music!

The title of the concert is LONELY TOWN this will introduce to the public the most famous classic British hits, which were translated and reproduce in Italy in the 60s.

“Well known songs performed in Italian and in English will make the show very interesting and fun…! Who knows for example that To love Somebody (Bee Gees) was translated into Così ti amo (Califfi)… ? Nights in White Satin (M. Blues) became Ho Difeso Il Mio Amore (Nomadi)? Happy Together (Turtles) is Per Vivere Insieme (Ragazzi del Sole)?? And much more…

Let’s see how many of you will be able to recognize the song from the first notes!!! “ Gioel “Our music is emotion and if it can be used to give a smile to people less fortunate than us… the emotion we feel is joy!” Gioel LONELY TOWN is a fantastic opportunity to experience an amazing concert in an award winning venue, Union Chapel, and help children with disability “We hope to see you all there to enjoy together this evening“ Easydragons Charity Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/210097289337464/

www.maestherapy.com www.cittadinanza.org

LONELY TOWN ITALIAN COVERS OF ENGLISH HITS LONELY TOWN band born from a strong musical understanding between two Italian musicians of exception: Samuele Rossini (pianist and accordionist) and Fabio Crociati (guitarist); and the Italian songwriter GIOEL (GIOvannardi ELeonora). Together they decided to start a new original and dynamic project: propose to the British public their most famous hits that in the 60s were translated and reproduced in Italy. Songs performed in Italian language make the show very interesting and fun… “who knows which Hit is performing now???”

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COVERS In the 60s in Europe there were two different music expectations: a system of reproduction and consumption of music accessible to all, and a new and fun music, that would break with tradition and melody, adapted for socializing (ie dance, also “unleashed”).

On the musical side, the only culture ready to give an answer to this waiting for new music, it was (of course) the Anglo-Saxon one. Winners of the recent war, they had at their disposal imported stylistic influences (jazz and blues) and autonomous (English and Irish traditional music), who had certainly the characteristic of sound “different” and “new”, and were supported by rhythms suitable for dancing.

So came in waves of more or less success: rock ‘n’ roll, twist, folk, beat, rhythm & blues, soul, funk … In Italy there was a great preparation for consumption, but insufficient production. What better solution than take the Anglo-Saxon production and resubmit as their own production?

There were two different approaches to cover: the first was to take a song already successful and make the Italian version, which meant assured success such as “Sono Bugiarda” of Caterina Caselli taken from “I’m a Believer” of Monkees.

The second was looking for a song in the vast Anglo-Saxon songbook, to offer as new because was not known and not yet proposed in Italy.

There were groups specialized in these operations, such as Dik Dik in the early years or I Corvi, that practically did not released any of their own songs but only cover, from their first hit “Sono un Ragazzo di Strada” (which was a cover of a song by Brogues – I Rozzi – called “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker”). The curious thing is that, thanks to the cover, sometimes the original English version found the way to arrive in Italy as “the original version of xy”. In many cases the text of the cover in Italian were not faithful to the original one, and in some occasion were completely different.

Why at some point, the phenomenon has run out?

The reason is, as always, due to globalization the offer of music via radio increased with the liberalization of the airwaves, singers and Anglo-Saxon groups have quickly become popular in Italy too.

People were looking for the originality and creativity in music, so the simple performers of covers were quickly brought back to the role of just a cover band. Italian bands who wanted to aspire to their own role had to produce something original, possibly different from the Anglo-Saxon model, but not antagonist

GiOeL: It is the acronym of the Italian songwriter/singer GIOvannardi ELeonora. In Italy she was glad to cooperate and record her first album “NAUSEA” with the best Italian musicians, one of those is FABIO CROCIATI that composed all melodies. “NAUSEA” was recorded in Umbria to the CET (http://www.cetmusic.it/) that is a global music school captained from Mr MOGOL, the best Italian songwriter ever, he wrote the biggest part of all the Italian music! NAUSEA was displayed in the 2012 and Mogol was in Rimini at the theatre as a principal guest. She participated to CASTROCARO FESTIVAL (one of the biggest Italian competition festival) with her song “GIUDA” and she reached the semi-finals. She decided together with Fabio Crociati to make their music available to help some unlucky children in India/Vellore, so they started to cooperate with CITTADINANZA ONLUS (http://www.cittadinanza.org/2012/10/gioel-e-la-sua-musica-per-aiutare-i-bambini-e-lefamiglie-di-vellore/) writing a song named “E’ TUTTO NORMALE” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKF83-ble84) all moneys earn from royalties of that song were given in donation to the Childen Center in Vellore. “Our music is EMOTION and if it can be used to give a smile to people less fortunate than us … the emotion we feel is the JOY!”

FaBiO CrOcIaTi: Fabio is a great guitarrist and he started to play when he was just 8 years old. In 2004 he enrolled at the Music Academy in Bologna, where admitted to the 2nd year, he passed all exams with the highest grades and he passed directly to the Professional Course. In 2006 he began to study at the AMM (Modern Music Academy) where in 2007 he passed the examination for the course Professional Guitar Rock / Metal with 87/100. In October 2010 Fabio graduate at MMI in the Modern Guitar Institute, with 100/100 in the master guitar Rock / Progressive / Metal. In 2003 he recorded his first album of instrumental tracks “EVOLUTION” with his first band STAY JAM. In September of 2011, took part at the Tour Music Fest (International festival of emerging music) and began writing songs together with Gioel (GIOvannardi ELeonora). Their first album “NAUSEA” was recorded in Umbria . to the CET (http://www.cetmusic.it/) that is a global music school captained from Mr MOGOL, the best Italian songwriter ever! He decided together with Gioel to make their music available to help some unlucky children in India/Vellore, so they started to cooperate with CITTADINANZA ONLUS writing a song named “E’ TUTTO NORMALE”. All moneys earn from royalties of that song were given in donation to the Childen Center in Vellore

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Opinion Polls and Democracy

Statisticians have already overrun every branch of science with a rapidity of conquest rivalled only by Attila, Genghis Khan, and the Colorado beetle. – M.G. Kendall ( 1907 – 1983 ), pioneer of advanced Statistics.

At the dawn of western civilisation Pythagoras said, ‘All is number.’ In the pursuit of this dictum ever more fields of knowledge have been conquered by the empire of numbers, the hard sciences first, astronomy, physics, chemistry, then the soft ones, psychology, sociology, ethology, and so on. The general public is daily bombarded with opinion polls, which aim to mirror people’s beliefs, just as they do any other form of human behaviour.

[photo greece.greekreporter.com]
The French scientist H. Poincaré ( 1854 – 1912 ) remarked that, because of our human inability to grasp the overall sense of the world, we were compelled to cut it into slices. This is the rationale for opinion polls. Statisticians working with market research findings stratify their random samples into various groups by age, gender, race, social class and so on, in the same ratio as exists in the population under scrutiny. Then, by interviewing a cross section of selected people, they endeavour to envisage the behaviour of specific groups or classes of human beings.
The American George Gallup ( 1901 – 1984 ) using a robust statistical sample of a few thousand people made his reputation – and fortune – when he predicted in 1936 that the Democrat, Franklin Roosevelt, would defeat the Republican, Alfred Landon, in the U.S. Presidential elections, in direct contradiction of the authoritative Literary Digest magazine, whose poll was based on 2.4 million completed questionnaires.

Asking citizens their point of view lends visibility to public opinion, creating a semblance of democracy and modernism, even though it still remains to be ascertained whether, and to what extent, the proliferation of opinion polls has shrunk the distance between rulers and ruled and/or augmented the reliance of the public on the political class. It is important to remember here that one is dealing with opinions about facts, rather than with facts themselves. Managing opinion and actually understanding attitudes of social communities are two entirely different aims.

In addition there are a number of matters that may evoke a range of different shades of opinion, subtleties that just cannot be picked up by a questionnaire. As the Latin poet Terence put it, ‘So many men, so many opinions.’
Leaving statistical technicalities aside, the crux of the matter is the essential nature of the questionnaires that underpin the opinion polls. First of all, one has to bear in mind that the population samples are far from random. Some interviewees when asked for their opinion will straightaway realize that they do not really have one. And it is a constant occurrence that a fair proportion of those interviewed do not, in fact, fully complete the questionnaires, thereby altering the significance of the sample used. In France, the country that ranks second in the world in its use of opinion polls, 20% of those interviewed fail to answer the questions because of a basic reluctance to challenge majoritarian attitudes. This conspiracy of silence involves the aged, single women and persons socially or culturally on the periphery of society. Hence the oft repeated criticism that opinion polls lend more relevance to the needs of the middle class.

It is also important to remark that each questionnaire is but a sample listing of all the possible questions on a given issue, and the panel of experts, in charge of the questionnaire, is itself but a sample of all possible panels.

Furthermore, even the answers returned by the people being interviewed are merely a sample of their attitudes, based on their interpretation of specific questions at a given moment in their lives.
Finally, the personality of the interviewers as well as the wording of the questionnaire may provoke different reactions in the same people. During World War Two, the National Opinion Research Centre sent out two teams of interviewers to ask questions of five hundred black Americans in a southern city of the United States. White interviewers made up one team, black the other. One of the question was, ‘Do you think it is more important to concentrate on beating the Nazis, or to make democracy work better here at home?’ ‘ Beat the Nazis ’ was the reply of thirty–nine per cent, according to the black interviewers; of sixty–two per cent, according to the white.

[photo cbc.ca]

Right from the beginning, opinion polls have achieved their greatest visibility and successes at election time, even though this activity represents less than 10% of the overall business of market research entities. Economic competition operates primarily on a basis of the number of researches undertaken in the shortest possible space of time, since consumer’s wishes have often proved quite difficult to grasp and a preference made explicit for something not yet possessed may well disappear once that same prize has been obtained. The techniques of market research, however, ever more skilfully refined in electoral issues, have become a useful investigative exercise with which to grasp the volatility of consumer attitudes, and analysis of the latest elections results along with the relevant opinion polls, has revealed itself to be a suitable tool with which to test the degree of consistence in people’s behaviour.

Harold Wilson ( 1916 – 1995 ), statistician and British Prime Minister in the 1960s and briefly again in the seventies, declared that one had to pay attention to opinion polls without turning them into idols… to consider them as honest attempts to encode public opinion at a given time… The presentation of the relevant outcomes should not, he felt, be influenced by the prejudices and the interests of those who controlled information… Opinion polls were a service to the public in that they contributed to democratic decisions… Eventually, people were elected to legislate, to rule and to give a judgement basing their decisions not upon what was electorally convenient but upon what was good.

London fashion week 2016 NEW DESIGNERS THIS SEASON

London fashion week 2016 ( italoeuropeo and LondoONERadio are presents in stage) The British Fashion Council (BFC) announces the womenswear designers who will showcase AW16 collections in the Designer Showrooms at Brewer Street Car Park from 19th – 23rd February 2016. This season’s showrooms include ready-to-wear, footwear, jewellery, bags and multi-label showrooms.-

This season 45 designers will show their collections in the Designer Showrooms for the first time. Highlights include: Knitwear designers such as Caitlin Charles-Jones, who was tipped as one of Vogue Talents’ ‘Ones to Watch’, and is a part of Boden’s Future British scheme in partnership with the BFC; Yakshi Malhotra which uses domestic machines and artisanal techniques to create interesting textures; Laura Theiss which adapts knitwear techniques to produce intricate pieces; Sabinna, which employs crochet alongside other traditional cloth-making techniques.

Tailoring can be seen at Teija which uses highly specialised fabrics from Europe and Japan; Alexander McQueen alumnus Samuel Dougal previously worked on one-off red-carpet pieces and this season shows a full collection at the Designer Showrooms; Rok Hwang, formerly a ready-to-wear designer at Celine and winner of the 2010 MA Womenswear prize at Central Saint Martins, will show his own line, ROKH.

NATALIEBCOLEMAN

works with sequinned applique and printed fabric; Tommy Zhong develops all of its fabrics in-house, with an emphasis on hand finish; Leanne Claxton who trained under Christian Lacroix, digitally transforms her oil paintings into the screen prints used in her scarf collection. New footwear designers include No. 288, whose trainers fuse the classic with the avant-garde; and Ellis White, which focuses on material innovation and experimental production processes.

International Fashion Showcase 2016

BFC INITIATIVES

The BFC’s talent identification scheme NEWGEN sponsored by Topshop will have an installation in the showrooms, alongside a pop-up showroom for this season’s NEWGEN designers: Ashley Williams, Claire Barrow, Danielle Romeril, Faustine Steinmetz, Marta Jakubowski, Molly Goddard, Ryan Lo and Sadie Williams. The NEWGEN committee has also selected Roberta Einer as ‘One-To-Watch’ for this season; she will also present an installation in the Designer Showrooms. For the full pop-up schedule visit: londonfashionweek.com/events. Headonism, the BFC’s millinery initiative, will showcase collections from Emma Yeo, Harvy Santos, Keely Hunter and Sophie Beale in a space co-curated by Stephen Jones OBE. Rock Vault, the BFC’s fine jewellery initiative, will present Ana De Costa, Beth Gilmour, COMPLETEDWORKS, Jacqueline Cullen, Lily Kamper, Ornella Iannuzzi, Rachel Boston, Ruifier, Shimell and Madden and Yunus & Eliza in a space co-curated by Stephen Webster MBE.

RETURNING BRANDS

Established brands returning to the showrooms this season include Boden’s Future British recipient Camilla Elphick as well as Eudon Choi, Fleet Ilya, Fyodor Golan, Georgia Hardinge, Holly Fulton, Loxley England, Phoebe Coleman, Stephen Jones Millinery, William Chambers Millinery and Zoë Jordan.

BREWER STREET CAR PARK

Brewer Street Car Park will play host to a number of pop-up spaces for press, buyers and guests of London Fashion Week. Sunglass Hut is offering accredited guests the chance to personalise their London Fashion Week tote bag designed by House of Holland, and receive their very own customised sunglass case. The first floor sees the Press and Buyers Lounge brought to you by American Express x The Store, provide a working area, wi-fi and refreshments to all accredited guests. Also be sure to look out for the Amex Insiders, the onsite concierge service around London Fashion Week. Following last season’s success, the HIX Café, the pop up restaurant of Brewer Street Car Park by Mark Hix, will serve a unique menu designed exclusively for London Fashion Week with deli classics, healthy salads, snacks and Lavazza coffee. Guests can also visit the Maybelline New York Lounge for expert tutorials and make-up refreshes. On-site salon from TONI&GUY with label.m will provide a space where guests can relax and enjoy a complementary restyle, cut and blow-dry or hair-up service. For up-to-the-minute information on shows and schedules, the Swatch Timeline on the first floor will be on hand to answer any questions or queries.

This season, London Fashion Week will continue working with womenswear trade show, Scoop London to allow buyers from each event to use their passes and business cards to access both showrooms. A complimentary bus will take buyers between both venues; the Brewer Street Car Park in Soho and the Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road where Scoop will take place. For more information please visit: www.scoop-international.com.

AN EVENING TO DIE FOR AT THE SHERLOCK HOLMES One of London’s most iconic pubs

One of London’s most iconic pubs, The Sherlock Holmes, has re-opened its doors following an extensive refurbishment. Last night the pub hosted an exclusive VIP murder mystery evening, with a host of special guests attending including the head writer of the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the complete Sherlock Holmes canon.

AN EVENING TO DIE FOR AT THE SHERLOCK HOLMES One of London’s most iconic pubs, the Sherlock Holmes on Northumberland Street, has re-opened its doors this week following an extensive refurbishment.

To celebrate its fresh new look, the historic pub, which is owned by Greene King, hosted an exclusive VIP murder mystery launch event last night, with guests invited to take part in an evening of Sherlock-inspired crime-solving entertainment. A host of VIPs attended the launch night to welcome the return of the pub, including the chairman of The Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the head writer of the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the complete Sherlock Holmes canon.

The interior of the pub has been completely refreshed, introducing a brighter, more contemporary feel whilst retaining the venue’s traditional heritage and period features.

A mouth-watering new menu has also been revealed, featuring dishes such as Mrs Hudson’s Shin of Beef and Ale Pie, and Buffalo Chicken served in hot sauce with blue cheese dip, spring onion and celery.

The newly revamped bar will continue to offer an extended selection of local craft beers, real ales and classic cocktails. Matthew Bennett, general manager of the pub, said: “The re-opening of the Sherlock Holmes has been a great success with a number of special guests taking part in our exciting murder mystery themed launch event.

“For decades the pub has been a firm favourite with both locals and tourists alike. We look forward to continuing to welcome Sherlock enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as our regulars and new guests who come to enjoy our friendly pub atmosphere, delicious food and drink – and our quirky and eclectic collection of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia.”

The pub, formerly known as the Northumberland Hotel, was established in 1736 and famously featured in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1901 classic novel, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ – where protagonists Holmes and Dr Watson met with Sir Henry Baskerville.

The venue is also home to a Sherlock museum which features rare memorabilia including original theatre posters, Watson’s old service revolver and the stuffed and mounted head of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

The collection, designed with the support of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s family and maintained by The Sherlock Holmes Society London, resumed its place in the refurbished pub when it re-opened its doors to the public this week.

To find out more about the Sherlock Holmes pub, visit www.sherlockholmes-stjames.co.uk/ or find the pub on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sherlockspub and Twitter @TheSherlockPub

“Trumbo”: the unstoppable rise of the film which recounts one of the darkest pages of the golden story of Hollywood.

Praised by critics at its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, “Trumbo”, by Jay Roach, the biopic of

the famous screenwriter, victim of a witch hunt in the golden years of Hollywood, receives its well- deserved recognition in Europe, at its London premier. A rise to success which many believe will lead to the Oscars, both for the quality of the film itself and the impressive leading performance by Bryan Cranston

(Breaking Bad, Argo).

Hollywood, late 1940s. The screenwriter and novelist Dalton Trumbo is at the peak of his career, with a

beautiful family, big house, lots of friends, and wanted by all the big Hollywood studios. Screenplays,

adaptations, original scripts; Trumbo is one of the most talented and prolific screenwriters of American

cinema. That is not all he is, however. He is also a fervent activist in trade union disputes, of which he is a

front-line supporter. These convictions, in the political climate of the era, cost him dear: he loses work, his

health, his reputation and his freedom. In fact, identified as a Communist sympathiser along with other

illustrious exponents of the cinematic world of Hollywood, Trumbo is fired by MGM Studios, banished from

big productions and added to the blacklist of those under investigation (”Hollywood Ten”). Called to testify

in Congress for anti-American activities (“House Un-American Activities”), he refuses to give his deposition:

“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Despite the ostracism he faced however, the 11 months spent in a Kentucky prison and the dark years of his career, Trumbo refuses to be bent and intimidated by the big studios and quietly continues his screenwriting work for small studios, using pseudonyms for some of his greatest films such as Roman Holiday (Oscar in 1953) and The Brave One

(Oscar in 1956).

The American director Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet The Parents, Dinner For Schmucks, The Campaign),

working from the biography “Dalton Trumbo” by Bruce Alexander Cook, airs the dirty washing of the golden

world of 40s and 50s Hollywood. “Trumbo” is a politically charged film which, through its biographical narrative analyses with great lucidity the injustices of the American post-war system and its obsessive anti- Communist crusade. Dalton Trumbo is surrounded, as if they were other characters on the stage, by American ideals, the lobby of the Hollywood cinematic machine with its ‘boss’ producers, the conspiring and hypocritical press of a political society in need of consensus and identity. “Trumbo” is a circular film

which moves and involves, its story of the protagonist leading the viewer back in time and reeling them in scene after scene, taking them on the discovery of an era as wonderful as it was rotten. Costumes, scenography, photography, and music all blend effortlessly with the high-calibre acting: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren and John Goodman all excel with memorable performances.

“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?”

British Museum What’s on February 2016

Egypt exhibition closes this week

This week is your last chance to see the exhibition Egypt: faith after the pharaohs, which closes on Sun 7 Feb. The Guardian gave it five stars, calling it ‘a magical dig into the past’ and the Evening Standard found it ‘terrifically compelling’, so don’t miss it! Plus, there will be more to discover about Egypt later this year in our exhibition on underwater archaeology – the BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds. If you can’t wait until May, you can explore the wonders of ancient and medieval Sicily in a new show opening in April, announced last week. Also this month, win tickets to see English National Opera’s production of Philip Glass’s extraordinary opera Akhnaten, and discover what your Chinese zodiac animal says about you!

Final chance to see

Egypt: faith after the pharaohs

Until 7 Feb 2016

‘a magical dig into the past’
★★★★★ The Guardian
‘terrifically compelling’
★★★★ Evening Standard
‘heart-stopping’ The Telegraph

Don’t miss your last chance to discover Egypt’s incredible journey over 12 centuries in this special exhibition, closing this Sunday.

Chart Egypt’s transformation from a world of many ancient gods to a society that worshipped just one. Uniquely preserved in Egypt’s arid climate, the objects in the exhibition show how the shift to monotheism – the belief in one God – affected every part of life. Egypt’s experience reflects the wider move from the ancient to medieval world, a transition that has shaped the world today.

The exhibition has been very popular so advance booking is strongly recommended.

Generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation

#EgyptExhibition

Book now ›

Sicily: culture and conquest

21 Apr – 14 Aug 2016

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has been shaped by waves of conquest and settlement by different peoples over 4,000 years. Since the 7th century BC, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans all settled or invaded the island, lured by its fertile lands and strategic location. Over time, this series of conquests forged a cultural identity unlike any other.

This exhibition tells Sicily’s fascinating stories – from the arrival of the Greeks and their encounters with the Phoenicians and other settlers, to the extraordinary period of enlightenment under Norman rule in the 11th to 13th centuries. Discover a cosmopolitan island where the unique mix of peoples gave rise to an extraordinary cultural flowering.

SPARKS WILL FLY AS SONIC ART FESTIVAL ARRIVES AT KINGS PLACE

Cryptic presents a taste of Sonica in London – a weekend of visual sonic art, Kings Place, 5 & 6 February 2016 Following in the footsteps of Bjork and The Terminator series of films, sound artist Robbie Thomson is set to bring sparks to music venue Kings Place in his live performance with a Tesla coil.

XFRMR will see Thomson “conduct” a spitting caged Tesla coil as part of Sonica, the weekend of visual sonic art at King’s Place 5-6 February 2016.

Produced by Cryptic, Sonica presents immersive sonic art installations and performances – a series of incredible, immersive experiences for audiences that will ravish the senses.

Thomson’s live performance work explores the sonic possibilities of the Tesla coil and uses the sounds of electromagnetic fields as source material for the composition. Other highlights of this two-day event include VJ sessions by composer and visual artist Mark Lyken and Mongolian-born NORTH of X (Sisi Lu), and a performance and installation by Kathy Hinde.

Mark Lyken is a composer and film-maker inspired by the relationship between nature, culture and technology.

In The Terrestrial Sea he explores the ever-changing environments of the Cromarty Firth, Scotland in a live performance of film and sound.

Oscillon Response is Lyken’s latest composition and homage to Ben F. Laposky, the forefather of Electronic Art, a live set accompanied by Laposky’s original visuals together with Lyken’s own.

Kathy Hinde also draws inspiration from the natural world for her work.

Tipping Point is both a sound sculpture and a musical instrument, which Hinde plays live, and explores the sonic complexities and possibilities of combining glass vessels with shifting water levels.

NORTH OF X uses elements of pop culture, music, film and sound design in his live set accompanied by visuals that examine the artist’s own relationship with Inner Mongolia and his adopted Europe, old and new industries and landscape. Sisi Lu was awarded a 2013 Sky Academy Arts Scholarship to create The Age of Digital / Analogue.

Finally, The New Alps is Robbie Thomson’s latest installation, an immersive dystopian landscape of motorized mechanical sculptures brought to life with machine-powered choreography – a soundscape for our time.

What is Sonica? A taster of Glasgow’s cult sonic art festival in London for the first time, Sonica presents immersive sonic art installations and performances – a series of incredible, immersive experiences for audiences which will ravish the senses.

When is it? Sonica runs Friday 5 February 6pm-10pm and Saturday 6 February, 2pm-10pm Is it free? Access to all the installations is free. Special offers for tickets for individual performances and festival passes are available online at http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/sonica

London to celebrate 40 years of punk cul…

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British court has confirmed the charges that her husband directed to Putin from his deathbed

In her last address the Mr Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, released that the British court has confirmed the charges that her husband directed to Putin from his deathbed .[foto – internazionale.it]

During the morning of yesterday Mr Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, released a declaration in which she seems confirm the rumours around the mysterious death of her husband.

On 23 November 2006 Mr Litvinenko, who served as officer for Russia State Security Service, dies three weeks after having tea with former agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun in London, exactly at the famous Millennium hotel located in Grosvenore Square.
The tea that caused the death of Alexander Litvinenko was been contaminated by a high radioactive substance called polonium-210.

Polonium 210, from the first moments, has been at the centre of the inquiry into the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. This substance it’s fit for poisoning and murdering one target without leave tracks of its presence, in fact it’s known as the perfect poison. Polonium has no colour or taste, so could be easily added to food or drink, furthermore cannot be transmitted through skin, paper or clothes and its deadly Alpha particles can damage the organs only if ingested, inhaled or if they gone into a wound.

For that murder the British court immediately dropped its suspicions on two Russian agents ,Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who deliberately poisoned Litvinenko adding the polonium into his tea cup, but initially the judges of that court did not do any mention about the involvement of president Putin.[foto www.forexinfo.it ]

Although the press from all over the world suspected that behind that murder there was the hand of Putin, never before the morning of yesterday it has been held a public declaration so explicit like that.

The Alexander Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, in her last address has released that she is feeling better that: “the words my husband spoke on his deathbed when he accused Mr Putin have been proved by an English court”.

Tommaso Vicarelli

OVER A THIRD OF LONDONERS HAVE WITNESSED RACE HATE IN T…

( Holocaust Memorial Day Trust) Two thirds s…

OVER A THIRD OF LONDONERS HAVE WITNESSED RACE HATE IN THE LAST YEAR

( Holocaust Memorial Day Trust) Two thirds say they regret not intervening Over a third (36%) of Londoners have witnessed at least one hate crime or hate incident based on race or ethnicity in the last year, according to research released today by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on Holocaust Memorial Day (Wednesday 27 January 2016).

[theweek.co.uk]

And one in three (29%) have seen an incident based on religion or beliefs. In total, almost four in ten Londoners (38%) say they’ve witnessed a form of hate crime or hate incident in the last year, defined as acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are.

More than two thirds (70%) of those who’ve witnessed abuse of this kind say they regret not challenging it.

The research focused on five centrally monitored characteristics; race or ethnicity, religion or beliefs; sexual orientation; disability; and transgender identity.

Younger people seem more willing to challenge a hate crime or incident by speaking to the person responsible for the abuse. One in six (17%) of 16-24 year-olds said they had intervened during an incident in this way, compared to one in eight (13%) of 25-34 year olds and just 7% of 35-44 year olds.

One in three Londoners (30%) said they themselves have been a victim of a hate incident or crime, with 45% saying no one intervened when it happened, despite there being people in the area. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust Chief Executive Olivia Marks-Woldman says: “The theme for the thousands of Holocaust Memorial Day events taking place across the country today is ‘Don’t stand by’, and these figures show just how important that message is.

Today is about remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, but it’s also about finding ways to make sure they can never happen again.

We know that silence and indifference in the face of discrimination and hatred allows persecution to take root, so we want to encourage people to stand up and speak out, in the way many brave souls have in the past.” Forms of abuse Nationally, verbal abuse such as name calling was cited as the most common form of hate crime or incident, seen by 70% of those who’d witnessed something in the last year. Nearly a third (28%) said they’d seen harassment, a quarter (27%) said they’d witnessed threats of violence, and a fifth had seen physical attacks such as hitting, punching, pushing or spitting.

Victimisation on social media More than a quarter of people (26%) said they’d witnessed abuse online through platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

72% said they felt that there is no difference between bullying or ‘trolling’ someone online and shouting abuse in the street. Olivia Marks-Woldman added, “As well as taking stock of what’s happening in our own communities here in the UK today, we also need to be mindful of the fact that genocide is continuing in Darfur, where thousands of people have been murdered and millions have been forced to flee to makeshift refugee camps.

We all need to reflect on the fact that the path to genocide begins with exclusion and discrimination, and that standing by allows hatred to take hold.”