Arts Diary: Will Marriott

The film follows six members of Leeds Young Authors as they prepare to travel to Washington DC to represent the UK at Brave New Voices, the USA’s most prestigious poetry slam, in 2009. Khadijah Ibrahim, who runs the grassroots youth literature organisation based in Chapeltown, was appealing for donations to send a team to this year’s Brave New Voices in San Francisco. Antony and Ian decided they should – and could – do something to help. Exactly a week later, they announced the line-up of a poetry reading to raise funds for Leeds Young Authors to add one extra member to their team bound for the USA this summer. Names like Rommi Smith, John Siddique, Ian Duhig, Antony Dunn, Andrew McMillan (son of Ian, and himself a rising star in the poetry world), Paul Adrian (winner of the 2010 National Poetry Competition) are all appearing at Yorkshire Dance on July 15, in a fundraiser which aims to raise £1,000. We can’t think of a more worthy cause. Book at 0113 243 8765.

Having spoken with outspoken broadcaster Andy Kershaw recently, we can guarantee a fun afternoon when he comes to Leeds next week for a signing of his new book No Off Switch. Kershaw, who appears to have plenty to say always, about everything, is at Leeds Waterstones, July 16, at noon.

People power – we love it. The 80s Rewind concert due to take place on a Sunday in September at Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre has been shifted to a Friday – Sept 2 – because the people demanded it. A spokesman said: “Due to popular demand and the public expressing their desire to attend but unable to on the Sunday, the decision has been made to move the date.” Tickets for the Friday night event are on 0844 888 9991.

Five lucky women in Yorkshire have won their very own replica of some of the region’s most-loved masterpieces thanks to Yorkshire’s Favourite Paintings, a project which sees the county’s collection of stunning oil paintings available to view online for the first time. Thousands entered a competition to submit a story about their favourite Yorkshire painting choosing from over 100 of the most-treasured works uploaded online. Each winner received a framed replica of their favourite piece as part of the project, which is funded by the Yorkshire Regional Museums Hub. The winners include Rachael Mather, from Hull, who won her favourite painting Ulysses and the Sirens, painted in 1909 by Herbert Draper, which provided the meeting point for the first date with her partner 10 years ago.

Congratulations to Madani Younis. The artistic director of Bradford’s Freedom Studios has been appointed artistic director at London’s Bush Theatre. It makes him the first Asian director of a theatre building in the UK and a major player in the UK’s theatre scene. We’re quite smug this week that we put him in our “ones to watch” supplement three years ago.