Fringe to bring Grand programme of events to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire

From European prison reform to the feasts of the 18^th Century and the elitism of space travel, the fringe programme for The Grand Tour arts festival this summer is set to intrigue and entertain. Full details for the programme have been announced today, with the partners for The Grand Tour in 2015 confirmed as QUAD in Derby; the School of Artisan Food; Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey; Derby Festé and Deda Producing; the Galleries of Justice Museum; and the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. The Grand Tour will bring the region alive with arts and culture when it takes place throughout July, August and September, thanks to funding from Arts Council England and the D2N2 LEP. Chatsworth, Derby Museums, The Harley Gallery and Nottingham Contemporary are the four lead venues, who will each be presenting exhibitions inspired by the historic grand tours of the 18^th and 19^th Centuries. Experience Nottinghamshire and Visit Peak District & Derbyshire are also partners of the project, to help encourage new visitors to the region as part of The Grand Tour. Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have strong connections to the original grand tours of the aristocracy, which helped shape the art collections of private estates such as Chatsworth and The Welbeck Estate. Iconic figures from the region such as Lord Byron also took part in the European grand tours of old. The Grand Tour Fringe will feature a number of events and exhibitions, each offering a unique interpretation of the historic Grand Tours of the 18^th and 19^th Centuries. From one-off events to specially commissioned exhibitions and artistic performances, the Fringe will compliment the events taking place at the four lead venues, offering locals and visitors the chance to immerse themselves in new cultural experiences. The Grand Tour Fringe programme is as follows: Benedict Drew: KAPUT QUAD 27 June – 6 September 2015 FREE Oscillating between space tourism and the mystical power of sacred objects, between the scientific and the esoteric, this exhibition of new work by artist Benedict Drew will question different modes of learning and the power and privilege of the acquisition of knowledge. The gallery visitor will enter a darkened space featuring a new installation of sound, sculpture and video works that will offer a fascinating and transformative experience between body and mind. http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/exhibition/benedict-drew-kaput Re-imagining Prison Reform: Past, Present and Future Galleries of Justice, Nottingham  4 July – 27 September  The exhibition is free when purchasing a ticket to the Museum’s daily tour – please check website for details. This exhibition tells the story of an alternative ‘Grand Tour’ that took place around Britain and Europe in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries.  A tour, that was not in search of cultural enlightenment. This was a tour of a sub-culture that most civilised British citizens could not imagine; a tour of prisons and gaols in Britain and Europe. This exhibition will display material associated with the work of Britain’s first most famous Prison Reformers, John Howard and Elizabeth Fry alongside objects from the museum’s own HM Prison Service Museum collection related to some of the reforms that they introduced. An ex-offender turned artist has been commissioned to create a series of paintings illustrating the conditions in European prisons today as part of the exhibition.  http://www.galleriesofjustice.org.uk/ The Grand Feast School of Artisan Food Sunday 5 July SOLD OUT The era of the Grand Tour, when wealthy young gentlemen visited the sites of the classical past and recorded their experiences, provides a fascinating, and not always appetising, commentary on the state of Continental cuisine.  This Grand Feast will bring back to life the long forgotten dishes and intriguing food and drink combinations encountered by the grand tourists. Guaranteed to feed the appetite and the mind the six-course feast will be led by acclaimed food historian Ivan Day; guests will experience both delicious and unconventional food as they are transported back through time to savour a wide selection of historical dishes. http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/ Grand Tour Art Walks Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey 10.30am, 25 & 26 July at Nottingham Castle 1pm, 9 & 16 August at Newstead Abbey Castle Walks: £5 Newstead Abbey Walks: £7 (includes parking which is usually £6 per day) Join artist Alison Lloyd for two newly-commissioned Grand Tour Walks that offer fresh perspectives on the collections, architecture and landscape at Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey. Lloyd adopts the role of a ‘woman on the Grand Tour’, breaking free from the confines of house and garden to explore the architecture, landscapes and vistas of two of Nottinghamshire’s most significant heritage sites. Explore the buildings and their immediate grounds on the short walk or go further into the landscape on the long walk, following in the footsteps of Lord Byron at Newstead Abbey, or taking in panoramic views from the Castle terrace, before roaming the urban landscape of the city centre. Bookings at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/nottingham-castle-museum-amp-art-gallery-8183157918?s=39129814 Derby Festé – The Enlightenment Comes Alive Derby Silk Mill 7.30pm – 10pm (15 minute show on a loop), 25 & 26 September FREE See the stories of artist Joseph Wright brought to life through animation and building projection as part of the Derby Festé. Wright of Derby is one of Britain’s most celebrated painters, and was a member of the Lunar Society, a group of artists and influencers of the Enlightenment period. See the stories of their time brought to life through animation and projected onto Derby’s much-loved Silk Mill for a spectacular show. Using the latest building mapping technology this familiar landmark will be manipulated in a unique way to reveal the stories of the city’s past. http://www.derbyfeste.com/ The School for Scandal Theatre Royal Nottingham 8 – 12 September 2015 Tues – Sat 7pm, Weds, Thurs and Sat matinees 2pm Tickets £13.50 (includes a celebratory glass of fizz or soft drink) On Friday 25 September 2015, the Theatre Royal Nottingham will celebrate its 150th anniversary. To commemorate this special occasion, a revival of Sheridan’s The School for Scandal, the first play to be seen at the Theatre Royal in 1865, will be performed. This promenade performance will use the Theatre Royal’s stage, foyers, staircases and portico to revive this classic comedy of gossip, intrigue and amorous goings-on. The theatre’s community ensemble will perform the piece, and it features costume design by students at Nottingham Trent University as part of The Grand Tour Fringe programme. http://www.trch.co.uk/ or call Box Office on 0115 989 5555 For more information on The Grand Tour, visit: www.thegrandtour.uk.com For media interviews and images, please contact: Erin Huckle, Experience Nottinghamshire: erin.huckle@experiencenottinghamshire.com / 0115 962 8304 / 07411 355 293