July’s performance will co-incide with the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay in Norwich.

The performance – called Pulse – will bring together people from all backgrounds – athletes, dancers and percussionists for a one-off outdoor show in Chapelfield Gardens.

“Pulse will be a feast of rhythm and movement.  We’re looking for excellent percussion musicians along with people who have great physical skills, whether it be in martial arts, dance, circus, gymnastics or any sporting field,” said Pulse Project manager, Carrie Mansfield.

It’ll be choreographed by Norfolk dancer, Aaron Sillis who has worked with big names such as Kylie Minogue and Take That. He’ll host four master classes for 11-25 year olds at venues in and around Norwich during the February halfterm. The master classes will be followed by auditions at The Garage in March, open to everyone, of any age. Thirty performers will be picked to attend a ‘bootcamp’ followed by rehearsals throughout May, June and July.

The show comes about as a partnership between Norwich City Council, The Garage and Norwich and Norfolk Community Arts (NORCA).

The master classes are free but places are limited.

MASTER CLASSES:

Tue 14 Feb, 10am – 1pm: Norfolk Academy of Gymnastics, Besthorpe, Attleborough

Wed 15 Feb, 10am – 4pm: The Garage

Thu 16 Feb, 10am – 4pm: Norwich Academy of Martial Arts, King Street, Norwich

Fri 17 Feb, 10am – 4pm: UEA Sports Park, Norwich

Places for The Pulse auditions will be available to book via The Garage website from Tuesday 7th February.

To join in with The Pulse, you’ll need to be available on the following dates:

AUDITIONS: Sun 4 Mar: The Garage

BOOTCAMP: Sun 11 Mar: The Garage

REHEARSALS: 15, 29 April / 6, 13, 20, 27 May / 3, 10, 17, 24 June

PERFORMANCES: Wed 4 Jul: Olympic Torch Event / Fri 6, Sat 7 & Sun 8 Jul: Lord Mayor’s Procession

For further information, look up The Pulse at The Garage.

For further information, visit www.thegarage.org.uk.

This weekend, a local clinic will be raising money for the unit, by offering cut-price therapy sessions at The Forum.

Almost 6,000 babies were born at the N&N in 2012, up from 4,855 in 2003/4. In response, the hospital opened a new midwifery-led birthing unit in August 2011 to cater for 4 more pregnant women at a time on Blakeney Ward.

The idea of the new unit is to allow women with straightforward births to have a natural delivery in a more homely and less medical setting. The hospital provides a midwife service from its 12-bed delivery suite, and a home birth service from the hospital’s community midwives.

Baby Hattie Rose was born in the unit in January making her the 500th baby born there. Mum Aisha Heward, who is a bar-maid in Norwich, said: “It’s such a lovely tranquil unit, it really helped my to relax and be at ease. The whole positive experience of having both my children at the NNUH has led me to want to train as a midwife when my children are older.”

This Saturday (4th February 2012), The Orange Grove Clinic in Norwich will be raising money for the unit. They’ll offer a range of 15 minute taster sessions at The Forum including massage, reflexology and acupuncture for £5, with all money going towards buying more equipment for the unit.

With a summer of sporting events around the corner, details of which events will be screened at Chapelfield have been announced.

Take a seat for Wimbledon, the Olympics or the Queen’s Jubilee.

Coming up in 2012:

February
Tuesday 14th: Send your loved one a Valentine’s Day text message to be displayed on the Big Screen.

March
Sunday 25th: Coverage of the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief mile

April
Wednesday 18th: Local talent on display in celebration of 100 days until the 2012 Olympic Games
Friday 20th to Sunday 22th: The Live Site will be supporting the national Face Britain arts project.

Monday 30th: The Big Dribble record breaking hockey attempt.

May
Thursday 10th: BBC live broadcast coverage of the Olympic Torch Lighting ceremony from Greece
Thursday 17th: Screening of La Bohème from the Royal Opera House
Friday 18th: Live coverage of the Olympic Torch arriving in the UK
Saturday 19th: BBC live broadcast of the start of the Olympic Torch Relay
Monday 21th: Local talent on display in celebration of 100 days until the 2012 Paralympic Games
Wednesday 30th: Screening of Falstaff from the Royal Opera House.

June
Sunday 3rd: 12noon – 2pm. A Big Lunch to mark the Diamond Jubilee along with the rest of the country.

Monday 4th: BBC live broadcast coverage of the Diamond Jubilee music concert in London
Tuesday 5th: BBC live broadcast coverage of the Thanksgiving service from St Paul’s Cathedral
Thursday 21th: Join in a free aerobics session from 12noon-2pm to mark the start of the Olympic Festival
Monday 25th: Join the Live Site celebration of World Sports Day. Further in formation and activities to follow
Monday 25th June to Tuesday 3th July: Wimbledon coverage

July
Wednesday 4th: Live coverage of the Olympic Torch Relay arriving in Norfolk and making its way through Norwich to the celebration in Chapelfield Gardens, where the Torch will light the cauldron

Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th: Semis and finals from Wimbledon
Monday 16th: Screening of Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 from the Royal Opera House
Wednesday 25th July to Sunday 12th August: Get a front row seat to the long-anticipated London 2012 Olympic Games.

Friday 27th: Watch the Olympic Games kick off with London 2012 Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium

August
Wednesday 29th August to Sunday 9th September: Coverage of 2012 Paralympic Games.

Next month there’s a chance to learn about after-school tuition at an Open Day at The Forum.

With over 200 children (many doing both subjects) already on their books, the director of First Class Learning talks about what they offer in our Features section: “Every child can do better given more practice and support.”

Available to download from next week, all the proceeds will be ploughed back into the charity.

YMCA residents and staff have been working with youth arts organisation, Culture Works East, to create an original album from scratch.

All the young people are either not in employment, education or training. By working with industry professionals, they’ve learnt what it takes to work in the music industry, including album design, marketing, social media and advertising.

Elli Chapman from Culture Works East said: “It’s about giving young people ownership of a project. If you set the bar high enough for them, they’ll reach for that bar.” Many are now hoping to find apprenticeships locally, drawing on their experience of making the album: “They can use the album as a virtual cv, allowing them to talk to potential employers about how they kept to deadlines and worked as part of a team.”

One of the young people involved, Sonya Dover, said: “I have been in charge of doing things like press releases and creating marketing materials. The money raised will contribute to homelessness, training, education and making sure that people get back on the right track.”

Tim Sweeting, Chief Executive of YMCA: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Culture Works to create our first charity album to promote gifts of our amazing young people who will be using and developing their talent for design, promotion, sound technology and other industry skills as well as expressing their own story through music.”

For more information and to purchase the ‘Right Tracks’ album, go to the YMCA online.

Norwich South MP Simon Wright became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families, in August.

Mr Wright said: ”Many of the policies she is delivering in Government are those that Liberal Democrats have been championing for years. The Pupil Premium is delivering a real boost for the education of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds locally, while the massive expansion in free early years education will also thousands of families in Norfolk.”

The Minister will address Liberal Democrats at the local party’s Annual Dinner.

Traffic lights at that junction are being upgraded as part of a wider scheme to improve bus journey times along Dereham Road.

The works on the junction of Dereham Road and Grapes Hill are scheduled to last two months and will run until the end of March. During that time, temporary traffic lights will be in use, which the county council warns is likely to lead to delays at the junction, especially during peak periods.

Norfolk County Council apologises for any inconvenience caused by these works.

The search is on to find Britain’s Favourite Market. To vote, go to the National Association of British Market Authorities’ website before Thursday 5th January 2012.

Ian Patterson, markets manager for Norwich City Council, said: “Norwich Market is still very popular with people living in the city and visiting it. We’re very proud of the market and we’d urge everyone who feels the same to give it their vote and help it lift the national title.”

Norwich Market is unique in Britain with almost 190 stalls, it it the largest Monday-to-Saturday open market in the country.

There’s been a market in Norwich since Saxon times and it’s been on its current site longer than any of the buildings that surround it.

Originally the market was held in Tombland, in the open space now occupied by café terraces. This ancient market was displaced when the Normans began to build the cathedral, and so, for more than 900 years, the market has been on its current site.

The choir, who won this year’s BBC Radio Norfolk Choir of the Year, are having a Charity Christmas Concert to raise funds The Mancroft Advice Project. MAP offer free, independent advice and counselling to disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.

Dan Mobbs, the charity’s chief executive thanked the singers: “With this support we are able to offer expert advice, guidance and support to young people when they need it most. It’s essential we remember that some young people are without a family, and some without a home this Christmas.”

Tickets for the concert on Saturday 17th December at 6pm cost £6 (£4 concessions). A family ticket for 4 people costs £16. Tickets can be bought in advance from St George’s Music Shop tel: 01603 626414 or on the door.

Running from 3-8pm, it’s the sixth farmers’ market to be held in the heart of Norwich this year.

Around 20 stallholders will offer a range of goods, including specials in time for Christmas.

The event co-incides with snow showers, produced on the hour outside The Forum, throughout December. Organiser Sarah Pettegree said: “Thursday’s festive market will be beautiful with all the torch-lit stalls and the snow. It’s a great port of call for Norwich’s late night Christmas shoppers to pick up lovely local produce.’