Dear All,
We continue with our online zoom events, and have new lectures on film, music and history. In view of the current situation, we are planning to offer online courses only until autumn, at the earliest. If the situation changes and we are able to meet up in person, we will let you know.

BEA PROGRAMME
The following online lectures and courses are available for booking either as single sessions or full courses on Eventbrite, or by going to our website www.berwickea.org:

APRIL
Anne Everest's Saturday morning course continues, a series of three lectures on Roman Britain which finishes on 24th April.

MAY
Prof Maria Chester begins a new lecture series on Latin American Literature. 'The Latin American Literary Boom - what is it?' will look at the lives and works of four renowned authors: Julio Cortazar, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargos Llosa and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The four sessions will run on Tuesdays at 4pm-5pm from 4th May, and can be booked individually at £4 per session or £12 for the full series. You don't need to have read these authors to enjoy the lectures.

On 5th May we begin a series of three one-hour talks on 'Chants: Ancient and Modern' with Prof Mike Worboys. These are being held in association with Berwick Arts Choir, and its members can book tickets at half price. The sessions run on Wednesdays from 6pm-7pm and the full course costs £9. Mike's lectures are always enjoyable and accessible for beginners, so do join us if you can.

On the 27th May we have the first of three Film Studies lectures which are held in association with Berwick Film Society, and these will run on Thursdays from 5pm-6pm until June 10th. The course costs £9 and individual sessions can be booked for £4.

• 27th May: Dr Jennifer Coates will be talking about the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema (1945-60), featuring directors such as Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi.
• 3rd June: Dr Martine Pierquin will provide a general introduction to the philosophical cinema of Austrian director, Michael Haneke, with a focus on his enigmatic and much discussed film, Caché (Hidden, 2005).
• 10th June: Pasquale Iannone will explore four films directed by Ida Lupino, including The Hitch-Hiker and discuss how Lupino merges some of the formal and thematic elements of noir with a 'ripped-from-the-headlines' immediacy.

JUNE
Five sessions on Summer Astronomy with Dr Adrian Jannetta will run on Saturdays from 5th June at 11am-noon at a cost of £15 for the full course. Details and booking should be on Eventbrite soon.

On June 8th, we welcome our local archivist Linda Bankier who will be introducing a new four part course 'Aspects of Berwick's History through its Archives'. Linda will be covering topics such as crime and punishment and Berwick's Guild of Freemen. The sessions will run on Tuesdays from 10am-11am until 29th June, (cost £12 for four lectures).

Please book on Eventbrite or by going to our website www.berwickea.org

LOCAL EVENTS
Berwick Visual Arts has launched a new online exhibition, ‘Portrait of a Town’ developed in partnership with Berwick Record Office and curated by Cameron Robertson. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the lives of townspeople of Berwick over the last 60 years and draws from the Photo Centre collection, a photojournalism business established in the town in 1951 by David Smith. Aspects of everyday life including industries which once thrived in the town, shops and leisure time activities, ranging from darts teams to leek shows, sit alongside images the Smiths captured of news and life events.

The website also includes some great resources for children, families and teachers to develop their own photography skills with the help of photographer Joanne Coates. 'Portrait of a Town' is supported by the Friends of Berwick & District Museum and Archives and the Community Foundation. You can view the exhibition here: photocentreberwick.co.uk

Berwick Visual Arts in partnership with English Heritage and supported by Berwick Welcome Visitor Project have also commissioned 'a bold and contemporary installation' from artist Tim Etchells, at the Barracks in Berwick, which is on view until the 21st April.  

BVA says: 'With 2021 marking 300 years since Berwick Barracks opened and was first occupied by soldiers, 'Wait Here (Double Line)' makes a playful intervention into the site, invoking an imaginary situation of peril and a fictitious mission to gather support. The Barracks were home for troops until 1963 and are recast by Etchells as the location for another kind of story about danger and the need for caution or defence'. BVA also suggest viewing the work after dark for the full effect of the neon. You can find more information and see images of the artwork here: Berwick Visual Arts

Looking ahead, Hadrian's Wall 1900 is a year-long festival throughout 2022 marking the 1900th anniversary of the commencement of the building of Hadrian’s Wall, (a World Heritage site). A rich programme of events is planned and if you'd like to find out more, then visit hadrianswallcountry.co.uk or #hw1900 on Facebook.

Very Best Wishes
Andrea Butler