Latest news with #Bradwell
NZ Autocar
3 days ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Government passes third Warrant of Fitness test
The Government is roadworthy and driving forward in key areas, according to the Motor Trade Association (MTA). This is the result of its third 'Warrant of Fitness' check of the term. There's a mixture of passes and fails, according to the MTA. But the Government's progress on workplace training and banking means it can leave the workshop with another six-month sticker. 'At the halfway point of their term, the Government is, overall, doing a good job for the automotive sector,' according to Head of Communications, Simon Bradwell. 'The return of workplace training to industry was an important and welcome step that MTA had led the calls for. A big tick for that. 'The focus on 'woke banking' is also good news. We're working with the Government on that because automotive businesses shouldn't be unfairly penalised by well-meaning but prohibitive environmental standards. 'Crime is a mixed bag. Service stations are still at high risk from crime, as recent headlines have shown. Government earns a pass because other measures, such as beat patrols, are making a difference… But there is definitely more work to be done in this space.' The Government also gets ticks for road safety, vehicle safety, and business support. However MTA's assessment found the Government was coming up sharply short on immigration measures to address the labour shortage many automotive businesses face. 'Government needs to put pedal to metal on that one,' Bradwell says. And bureaucracy is still a nuisance for many businesses. MTA hopes new Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour will make progress there. 'MTA works with a number of Government Ministers and departments,' Bradwell says. 'We are willing and ready to help build a stronger automotive sector that benefits all Kiwis. Let's see how they're going in another six months.' To make sure Government MPs see where they're passing and failing, MTA has taken out billboard space right under their eyes, across the road from the Beehive.
Vancouver Sun
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
5 facts about queer animal behaviour from CBC's Animal Pride
Victoria wildlife conservationist Connel Bradwell wanted to know more about queer behaviour in the animal kingdom. The result of that curiosity is the new documentary Animal Pride: Nature 's Coming Out Story. Directed by Rio Mitchell, the documentary is now available on CBC Gem just as Pride season kicks into gear. 'As a gay wildlife conservationist, I've always been deeply connected to nature, but I never really encountered any information about queerness in the natural world. I've studied wildlife for years, yet it wasn't until I saw same-sex behaviour in orcas that I realized how little I knew,' Bradwell told Postmedia via email. 'That moment was a wake-up call, I'd been so focused on the more familiar aspects of nature that I missed a whole world of diversity right in front of me.' Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Bradwell discovered that for more than a century, researchers had been documenting same-sex relationships in animals but, due to societal or culture pressure, their findings were often 'hidden, removed, or dismissed.' 'What really struck me, though, was how this secrecy has impacted both the science itself and conservation efforts,' said Bradwell. 'Understanding the full range of animal behaviour, including queerness, is essential to protecting these species and the environments they rely on. 'Luckily, today there are amazing scientists who are doing this work, often against the odds, and bringing these stories forward. They're trail-blazing a path for more inclusive, honest science that better reflects the natural world.' 1. Female albatrosses raise chicks together: On islands like O'ahu, female Laysan albatross pairs form long-term bonds, some lasting decades. They mate with males to produce fertilized eggs, then return to their female partners to co-parent and raise the chicks together. Similar long-term, same-sex pairings have also been observed here in British Columbia, including among Canada geese and gulls, who nest and raise young together. 2. Queer behaviour is found in over 1,500 species: Scientists have documented same-sex sexual behaviour in more than 1,500 animal species, from insects and birds to dolphins and primates. It is not an anomaly; it is a natural, widespread part of the animal world. 3. Banana slugs and others challenge the gender binary: Banana slugs, found in B.C.'s forests, are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female sex organs. They often exchange sperm mutually, and sometimes self-fertilize. Slugs aren't alone; many fish change sex mid-life, and fungi have thousands of genders, showing that nature often thrives in fluidity, not rigid roles. 4. Homosocial behaviour strengthens bonds: Many animal species engage in same-sex social bonding, known as homosocial behaviour. These cooperative partnerships often involve sexual behaviour and play a key role in trust and group cohesion. We filmed bighorn sheep displaying this behaviour in Radium Hot Springs showing how queerness shapes complex animal societies. 5. There's still more to learn: Same-sex behaviour has been hidden and ignored for a long time, but it is finally being studied and understood. Many species, including penguins and orcas, require specific social structures to survive, structures that include same-sex behaviour. Understanding this diversity is crucial for better conservation. Thankfully, more scientists are now embracing and exploring this work.
Calgary Herald
29-05-2025
- Science
- Calgary Herald
5 facts about queer animal behaviour from CBC's Animal Pride
Article content Victoria wildlife conservationist Connel Bradwell wanted to know more about queer behaviour in the animal kingdom. The result of that curiosity is the new documentary Animal Pride: Nature 's Coming Out Story. Article content Directed by Rio Mitchell, the documentary is now available on CBC Gem just as Pride season kicks into gear. Article content 'As a gay wildlife conservationist, I've always been deeply connected to nature, but I never really encountered any information about queerness in the natural world. I've studied wildlife for years, yet it wasn't until I saw same-sex behaviour in orcas that I realized how little I knew,' Bradwell told Postmedia via email. Article content Article content Article content Article content Bradwell discovered that for more than a century, researchers had been documenting same-sex relationships in animals but, due to societal or culture pressure, their findings were often 'hidden, removed, or dismissed.' Article content 'What really struck me, though, was how this secrecy has impacted both the science itself and conservation efforts,' said Bradwell. 'Understanding the full range of animal behaviour, including queerness, is essential to protecting these species and the environments they rely on. Article content 'Luckily, today there are amazing scientists who are doing this work, often against the odds, and bringing these stories forward. They're trail-blazing a path for more inclusive, honest science that better reflects the natural world.' Article content Article content Article content Article content 1. Female albatrosses raise chicks together: On islands like O'ahu, female Laysan albatross pairs form long-term bonds, some lasting decades. They mate with males to produce fertilized eggs, then return to their female partners to co-parent and raise the chicks together. Similar long-term, same-sex pairings have also been observed here in British Columbia, including among Canada geese and gulls, who nest and raise young together. Article content 2. Queer behaviour is found in over 1,500 species: Scientists have documented same-sex sexual behaviour in more than 1,500 animal species, from insects and birds to dolphins and primates. It is not an anomaly; it is a natural, widespread part of the animal world. Article content 3. Banana slugs and others challenge the gender binary: Banana slugs, found in B.C.'s forests, are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female sex organs. They often exchange sperm mutually, and sometimes self-fertilize. Slugs aren't alone; many fish change sex mid-life, and fungi have thousands of genders, showing that nature often thrives in fluidity, not rigid roles.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
Motorcyclist killed hours after death on same road in Bradwell
A motorcyclist died after colliding with a vehicle on a busy A-road, an inquest opening Kennedy was one of two men killed on the same stretch of the A120 in Bradwell, near Braintree, Essex on 16 42-year-old from Earls Colne died at the scene from chest injuries, area coroner Michelle Brown suspended the inquest at Essex Coroner's Court so police could continue investigating the collision. Officers arrested a 63-year-old man from Braintree on suspicion of causing Mr Kennedy's death by careless was released under investigation on 17 April. Opening Mr Kennedy's inquest, Ms Brown said: "This 42-year-old gentleman was riding his motorcycle along the A120 at Bradwell when he was involved in a road traffic collision with another vehicle."Sadly he was declared deceased at the scene by attending paramedics at 17:32."A fundraiser launched to support Mr Kennedy's family has received more than £6,500 in donations since his was killed about two-and-a-half hours after another fatal incident on the same road in Police said a 20-year-old man died in the first collision, which happened at 15:00 families of both of the deceased have been supported by specialist officers. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mike Bradwell obituary
Ebullient, pugnacious, larger than life. No single adjective is sufficient to describe the tumultuous, impossible talent of the director Mike Bradwell, who has died aged 76. The success of the Hull Truck Theatre company that he founded in 1971 led, eventually, to the great success of Hull's year as the European city of culture in 2017. His adopted home theatre in London was the Bush, a small room above a bustling Shepherd's Bush pub, where he continued an extraordinary powerhouse operation in British playwriting, succeeding Dominic Dromgoole as artistic director from 1996 to 2007. The playwright David Edgar averred that Bradwell was 'a giant of the alternative theatre some of us were privileged to grow up in'. While the film director Mike Leigh, with whom he trained on the director's course at the East 15 Acting School in Essex, said that 'his unique achievement in creating 'devised plays' was to integrate his own songs into the action in a delightfully idiosyncratic way'. As Bradwell explained in an article marking Hull Truck's 50th anniversary, in 2022, he moved to Hull in 1971 because it was the most unlikely place in the world to start an experimental theatre company – 'plus rents were cheap and social security were unlikely to find us any proper jobs. I was 23 and I believed that theatre could change the world. I still do. I wanted to make uncompromising, provocative, funny, tough, sexy plays about people you didn't see in plays, for people who didn't go to the theatre. I wanted Hull Truck to be a nuisance.' Combative confrontation – as I knew only too well as a critic and contemporary of his – was second nature to Bradwell. He set up shop in Hull in a cold, damp squat, 71 Coltman Street, where his improvisations on sex, drugs and rock'n'roll in a communal living and rehearsal place were celebrated in a 2017 play by Richard Bean. There is now a blue plaque on the house once occupied by feral cats and long-haired, semi-starving, sometimes stoned, always underpaid actors. Hull Truck was a lifestyle choice of community engagement. They toured their plays around the theatres and community centres of Manchester and Yorkshire, meeting no reaction to speak of until the Guardian critic Robin Thornber acclaimed their third production, The Knowledge, the day after it was pulled – on grounds of alleged obscenity – from the Wythenshawe Forum in Manchester in June 1974. One scene from the next show, Bridget's House, in 1976, caused a furore when a character played by Rachel Bell observed that most men wouldn't know what a clitoris was if it jumped up and bit them on the leg. By now they were on a roll. They played the Bush in London, and Kenneth Tynan, no less, enthused about both the play and Bell. 'The bargain of real, proper theatre,' said Bradwell, 'is when a group of human beings on stage get together with a group of human beings in the audience to fearlessly celebrate their human being-ness.' He liked to say he was born in a pigsty near Doncaster – on a pig farm owned by his father's family, though his father himself, Frederick Bradwell, was a potato and vegetable farmer in the village of Epworth, near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. His mother, Olive (nee Johnson), worked in the box office at the Darlington civic theatre. After an unhappy time as a boarder at Canford school in Dorset (whose alumni include the artist and film director Derek Jarman and the novelist Alan Hollinghurst), he joined the Scunthorpe Youth theatre in 1966 and took a holiday job – his first professional appointment – as a stagehand on a pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln. His younger sister, Christine, was also in the youth theatre; she went on to run the Anvil Arts centre in Basingstoke. Bradwell belongs to the tradition of rough-house contemporary theatre that stretches from the Elizabethans and Jacobeans through Joan Littlewood and Ken Campbell, bypassing the monolithic National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. His friendship and association with Leigh led to him appearing as a risible, guitar-strumming hippie in Leigh's beautiful, melancholic stage play Bleak Moments (at the Open Space in Tottenham Court Road in 1970), then, a year later, in the film of the same name – Leigh's first, funded by his fellow Salfordian Albert Finney – which was hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as a masterpiece of quiet suburban anomie. His other adventures in showbusiness, as recounted in his glorious memoir The Reluctant Escapologist (2010), witnessed the onstage mass love-ins of the Living Theatre at the Roundhouse in the 1960s; teaching Bob Hoskins how to eat fire; becoming an escapologist (reluctantly) in the Ken Campbell Roadshow; and doing battle with health and safety inspectors in his 10 years running the Bush. Hull Truck relaxed its aggressive counterculture default setting – probably not a good thing – when they settled in 1983 in a delightful 150-seater converted church hall, the Spring Street theatre, under the artistic directorship of the playwright John Godber (who riled Bradwell, the bolshie beatnik, when, on the Terry Wogan TV show, he said he wanted to do theatre his mum and dad would like). The company became even more respectable when, in 2009, they moved into a £15m new home in Ferensway, Hull, funded by the Arts Council, Hull city council and the European regional development fund. The venue remains a thriving and going concern. Bradwell, meanwhile, ploughed his own furrow. When he left Hull Truck in 1981, Robert Cushman in the Observer saluted his 10 years there as 'the richest, sharpest and funniest work in the British theatre'. Bradwell became an associate director at the Royal Court (1984-86). At the Bush from 1996, he directed no less than 40 plays in 10 years, including work by Jack Thorne, David Eldridge, Georgia Fitch, Joe Penhall, Doug Lucie and Terry Johnson. Between 1991 and 2003, Bradwell directed three rollicking plays by the Mamma Mia! author Catherine Johnson, another of his proteges; Resident Alien, a wonderful Quentin Crisp monologue written by Tim Fountain and performed by Bette Bourne ('Life is a funny thing that happens to you on the way to the grave'); and a heartwarming musical play about a close-harmony singing group in a small mining village near Doncaster, The Glee Club, by another of his significant proteges, Richard Cameron. He first met his future life partner, the actor and playwright Helen Cooper, when working as dialogue coach on Campbell's sensational 24-hour epic, The Warp (1979), at the ICA in the Mall; she was dancing to Ravel's Bolero. They got together in 1983, and he directed two fascinating plays of hers about the forgotten wives of famous figures, real and literary: Mrs Gauguin (1984), at the Almeida in Islington, and Mrs Vershinin (1988), the unseen suicidal wife of the flirtatious battery commander in Chekhov's Three Sisters, at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Helen survives him, as do their daughter, Flora, a grandson, Beau, and his sister, Christine. Michael John Bradwell, theatre director, born 14 June 1948; died 7 April 2025
