Arts Diary: Will Marriott

HERE'S yet another illustration of how it often pays to take your problem right to the top: With further strike action looking likely at British Airways, the company has pulled out a few stops to ensure that a group of young musicians don't miss their performing dates at the Harrogate International Youth Festival.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Apr 2010, 11:57 BST
Updated 2nd Apr 2010, 11:57 BST

The 11-18-year-olds of the Point Grey Secondary School from Vancouver, Canada, have become popular regulars at the Festival, which starts tomorrow but this year's 10-gig contribution from their choir, jazz band, band and orchestra looked to be in jeopardy when they heard at short notice that their flight into Heathrow today was to be cancelled due to industrial action.

So a bright spark at the school decided to appeal directly by email to Willie Walsh, the man at the top of BA.

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Although it looked initially as though the only way to get the musicians into the UK in time would involve flights via Hong Kong, a less circuitous route has been found, and the travellers and their instruments should have touched down this morning.

"We're delighted and relieved to be making our trip the to UK after all," said Brent Taylor, director of music at Point Grey School.

No doubt BA will be pleased with this nugget of good publicity.

Harrogate International Youth Festival April 3-8. Information and box office 0845 130 8840 or www.hiyf.co.uk

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AN exploration of "the dark side of passion through dance and the moving image" has received major funding from Arts Council England, Yorkshire. The award will support Slanjayvah Danza, based at Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, to develop a new contemporary work Crazy Joanna, to be premiered at Seven Arts on May 1 before touring four other venues in the region. The work is based on the true Spanish story of Juana, the "mad Queen of Castile". n www.slanjayvahdanza.com

THEY may be older and no longer "Beautiful" but their thousands of fans will no doubt turn up in droves when Hull's finest The South (formerly the Beautiful South) strut their stuff once again following their split over "musical similarities"back in 2007.

Original members Dave Hemingway, Alison Wheeler, Dave Stead, Damon Butcher, Tony Robinson and Gaz Birtles will be reprising the songbook which sold them 15 million albums and filled stadiums worldwide.

The band play Harrogate Royal Hall on June 4. Box office 0845 130 8840. www.thesouth.uk.com

Related topics:British AirwaysCanada