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Glasgow Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Autumn arts programme brings live shows to Glasgow
Glasgow Life's community touring programme will deliver musical, theatrical, and interactive events to community venues across the city this autumn and winter, with a focus on accessibility and festive entertainment. Katie Duffy, head of arts and music at Glasgow Life, said: "Glasgow Life's community touring programme provides high-quality, accessible and affordable arts experiences to communities across the city by taking fantastic shows to venues on people's doorsteps. (Image: Sean Purser) "The programme is designed to bring music, theatre and performance to new audiences, particularly those who face economic, social or geographic barriers, so more people can experience and enjoy the work of our city's internationally renowned cultural sector up close and in person." The programme begins with Martin O'Connor's spoken word piece, Rebuilding a Nation, running from September 22 to 29. Read more: 'My nervous system has been shaken up': Woman subjected to sex attack in private hire This double bill also includes Why d'ye talk lik' 'at? by The Village Storytelling Centre. O'Connor's piece, delivered in Glasgow Scots, explores themes of language and identity. Family-friendly ceilidh tours will form part of the city's Celtic Connections festival, with events planned for November and January. These ceilidhs will feature live Scottish folk music from The Celine Donoghue Band, Gaelic songs, stories, and opportunities to learn traditional dances. The community pantomime returns with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, running from November 26 to December 20 at venues citywide. The show is produced in partnership with Hopscotch Theatre Company and written by Isla Cowan. The pantomime reimagines the classic tale, following Dorothy on a detour while dreaming of stardom. Tickets are priced at £3 and £1. Other highlights include special art sessions delivered to nurseries as part of the Glasgow 850 celebrations. These will culminate in an interactive exhibition, Wee City Big City, co-created by young people and artist Rebecca Fraser. The exhibition will be on display at The Forge Shopping Centre on November 8 from 10am to 4pm. All events will be listed on the Glasgow Life website at as details are confirmed. Free tickets for the September and November events are available directly from participating venues.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Nerds Gummy Clusters became the candy aisle's biggest hit
This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. When Nutella maker Ferrero purchased Nestlé's candy business for nearly $3 billion in 2018, the acquisition added popular brands such as Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and 100 Grand to its enviable roster of sweets. But while much of the attention went to these iconic offerings, it may be Nerds, a product largely seen as an afterthought by its prior owner, that could turn out to be the sweetest brand of them all. Nerds is on track to hit more than $900 million in sales this year, a more than 1,700% increase from the $50 million in sales the brand was generating when it was first incorporated into Ferrara, which is owned by a Ferrero-affiliated holding company. The unprecedented surge is directly attributed to the widely popular Nerds Gummy Clusters, which represented the first meaningful innovation for the once-sleepy brand in years. Nerds Gummy Clusters are now the top sugar confection on the market, overtaking Mars Wrigley's Skittles, according to Ferrara. 'We knew we had something that was kind of special, but we really, truly had no idea how special it was or that it would grow as fast or as big as it has become,' said Katie Duffy, vice president of global brands with Ferrara. But the success of the clusters, which are a gummy ensconced in crunchy Nerds candies, wasn't a given. Initial tests weren't particularly encouraging, Duffy recalled, with consumers struggling to comprehend the multi-textural eating experience. 'We looked at the scores that came back from the concept and it was not all sunshine and rainbows,' Duffy recalled. 'We were really trying to understand, okay, why are they not getting it.' Ferrara remained hopeful that Nerds Gummy Clusters would catch on with consumers, especially after the treats proved to be an early hit with its own employees. After tweaking the visuals and language around how they showcased the treats, Nerds Gummy Clusters finally started resonating with testers. When Nerds was acquired, Ferrara observed that the 35-year-old brand had a high level of consumer awareness but went years without meaningful innovation and minimal marketing, Duffy said. Nerds also were not viewed as a market leader in candy because of their small size and the fact that they were messy. Nerds Gummy Clusters solved many of these problems. The candy has proven to be a hit at movie theaters and airports. Nerds Gummy Clusters also have helped attract older consumers and new snacking occasions to the brand. Most surprisingly, some distance runners and endurance athletes have used them as a booster in place of supplements such as Gu Energy Gel, Duffy said. Despite the recent sales boom, Duffy said there is plenty of growth left for the Nerds brand. Ferrara is rolling out more seasonal Gummy Clusters varieties in the U.S. and has expanded the brand into overseas markets such as the U.K. and Canada. At the same time, the company is hopeful Nerds Gummy Clusters can grab more shelf space at existing stores to better match its product velocity. Ferrara also is planning its next big launch under the Nerds banner later this year with Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters. The snack contains juice in the center and is three times the size of the Gummy Cluster. 'Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters is going to give us an opportunity to continue to build momentum that Nerds has already established,' Duffy said. 'It's a different eating experience.' Recommended Reading Leftovers: Nestlé sweetens game day with Cookie Nachos | Godiva doubles down on gourmet chocolate Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
