Latest news with #MikeRoss
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
The rural P.E.I. music hall that makes history pop
Mike Ross and Nicole Bellamy left Prince Edward Island for Toronto many years ago to establish careers in the performing arts. Over nearly two decades, the couple became fixtures in the worlds of theatre and music. But after becoming parents, they felt the call to return to the island, and made the move back as a family of four in 2020. While settling back into their Maritime home, they came across a music hall in the town of Hunter River, P.E.I., that was for sale. Though Ross was unsure, it was "risk-averse" Bellamy who pushed to purchase the space. The couple bought the venue, known as Harmony House, in November 2020. Since opening, Ross has employed many artists from across the island, developed a loyal audience and built the majority of Harmony House's original productions himself. Ross, who previously served as Soulpepper Theatre's music director, always felt a calling to music and storytelling, and to combining these together. "If there was a certain amount of context provided around the performance of a piece of music, that always really enthralled me," he says. This fusion was somewhat satiated by theatre — which includes elements of design, storytelling and music — but once back in P.E.I., he concentrated on a format he has dubbed the "docu-concert." Harmony House's docu-concerts use pop songs as a vehicle for historical storytelling. The show Inside American Pie, for example, does a line-by-line breakdown of Don McLean's hit song American Pie, explaining references to historical events, figures and popular music, while also offering commentary related to the present. Last March, they took the show from Hunter River to Mirvish's CAA Theatre in Toronto for a run of sold-out performances. And this summer, it will be Harmony House's fifth season performing Inside American Pie on the island. They're also just about to debut a brand new show. Fifty years ago, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank beneath Lake Superior, taking all 29 crew members with it. The shipwreck was immortalized in song by the great Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. On Friday, Harmony House will begin previewing its new production, Inside the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which explores the story of the ill-fated ship. During his time with Soulpepper, Ross created docu-concerts inspired by all sorts of subjects, including distant time periods and major historical events. "We've made shows about Paris in the '20s," he says. "[It's] post-World-War-I, everybody's traumatized and this insane art explosion came out of that … with Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein." He's even done a show about the Voyager Golden Record — the album NASA shot into space aboard the Voyager spacecrafts in 1977. To create the docu-concerts, Ross and co-writer Sarah Wilson begin by building two lists: one of songs tied to the subject matter and another of storylines they want to tell. The pair then find natural relationships between the elements. With Inside American Pie, for example, Ross selected the Creedence Clearwater Revival song Bad Moon Rising"to talk about the end of the 1960s and not knowing what was going to come next," he says. "We've always known the upbeat version; you've never heard it as the apocalyptic, dystopian song that it is." The lyrics — which go: "Hope you got your things together. Hope you're quite prepared to die. Looks like we're in for nasty weather. There's a bad moon on the rise" — are actually quite "foreboding" when you remove CCR's happy tune, Ross says. "There's an awakening happening for the listener. It's nostalgia, but it's interpreted nostalgia. It has a really wonderful energy." One of the musicians who's been working with Ross on Inside American Pie and other shows is Brielle Ansems. She has been singing and playing music since a young age, but she was unsure about making the leap into a music career because of the lack of financial stability. It was after working a season at Watermark Theatre in North Rustico, P.E.I, that Ansems was invited to perform in a festival Ross was putting together. "I remember showing up and working with him for the first time and just feeling that something clicked into place," Ansems says. Afterward, Ross asked the young performer if she was interested in joining a new show he was building with Wilson about the song American Pie. Ansems was intending to move back home, more than an hour away from Harmony House, but she wanted this opportunity to work with Ross so badly that she stayed. "I ended up staying with Mike and Nicole and their family every weekend that summer while we did Inside American Pie," she says, "and it immediately felt like this was exactly what I'd been looking for. It's rare that you come across something that is so rewarding artistically, working with people who you connect with on a really intense, emotional and artistic level." For Ansems, the experience of bringing Inside American Pie to Toronto's CAA Theatre has been surreal. "We're all honoured to be getting that kind of attention for the show that we all care a lot about. But it felt like we were just bringing a piece of home with us and just sharing that home with other people. We had three weeks where we were doing eight shows a week and it was so intense. Then we got home and … we kind of can't believe that it actually happened." Harmony House has changed Ansems's life. She is now able to work full time as a performing artist between Harmony House and other shows, while also pursuing her own musical endeavours. "It means so much to be able to do this as a career and to have found something that is sustainable, rewarding work in a place where we're treated really well." Completing its final performance earlier this month, Ansems recently led the creation of her own Harmony House show, entitled Soundtrack Songbook. Ross has seen the success of the docu-concert format and he hopes it continues to thrive long past his time at the helm. " There's a community of incredible island artists and storytellers here that have been part of these shows … that are really now starting to understand the format in a way that they can become the captains of their own shows," he says. "We're trying to expand things so that I'm not the only one making these shows."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
DWP confirms £200 payments for state pensioners who lost Winter Fuel Allowance
The DWP has announced new funding for local authorities and councils across England - with households in Hull potentially eligible for up to £200 worth of payments Thousands of UK households are set for a financial lifeline amid the soaring cost of living crisis, as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rolls out new funding to English local councils. Thanks to this government initiative extended by Labour, Hull's residents may see up to £200 transferred into their bank accounts. Pensioners within the area are eligible for a £200 boost, while low-income families could qualify for a £40 grant to help cover school uniforms, in addition to food vouchers during school holidays for those receiving free school meals. Acknowledging the struggle faced by many, Hull City Council's Leader, Councillor Mike Ross said: "We know that people are continuing to be severely impacted by the ongoing increases in the cost of living". As a Council, we're using this funding to help vulnerable residents afford the essentials." He further emphasised the dire choices some face in adverse weather conditions: "No-one should have to make the choice between heating or eating when we get to the colder months, so we've allocated this money now to make sure we have the right things in place for the next year." Whilst applications for the scheme in Hull remain pending, eager residents are advised to keep an eye on the council's website for impending announcements. This move comes as Sir Keir Starmer's Labour administration reconsiders reversing the contentious slash in Winter Fuel Payments, reports Birmingham Live. One disgruntled pensioner expressed their frustration, saying: "To U-turn any policy without some acknowledgment of it being a dreadful mistake will probably lead to even more anger and deeper distrust. "We are not only losing voters but party activists as well. Members are resigning because of their disagreement with government policies on a range of issues,". In a letter to the Guardian, they vented: "We need more than a U-turn. Instead, a complete reset is required, but I'm not holding my breath." They also doubted the leadership's ability to act, stating: "I doubt that the current leadership is capable of doing anything without being forced into it and, if they do, that will enable the cheerleaders for Reform to make cynical political capital of the situation we find ourselves in." Another person took a jab at the Labour leadership: "Starmer and Rachel Reeves will never be forgiven for this. Their reputation is now indelibly damaged, and quite rightly so. Ruthlessly targeting the poorest, most vulnerable members of society was indefensible."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Thousands of households urged to check if they can get £200 cost of living cash
The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that is distributed by local councils to struggling or vulnerable residents Struggling pensioner households could be entitled to a £200 payment through a new cost of living scheme. Hull City Council is issuing the support as part of the Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that is distributed by local councils to struggling or vulnerable residents. The help provided is usually cash grants or vouchers to pay bills, but it does vary between local authorities. Hull City Council has been awarded £5.3million from the Household Support Fund, which has been extended several times before. Pensioner households who are eligible will receive £200 after the Government made cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment. Meanwhile, low income families will get a £40 school uniform grant, as well as food vouchers in school holidays for those eligible for school meals. Leader of Hull City Council, Councillor Mike Ross, said: 'We know that people are continuing to be severely impacted by the ongoing increases in the cost of living. 'As a Council, we're using this funding to help vulnerable residents afford the essentials. No-one should have to make the choice between heating or eating when we get to the colder months, so we've allocated this money now to make sure we have the right things in place for the next year.' Councillor Ross added: 'While we await clarity on the Government's reforms to the Winter Fuel Payment, it is important that our older people know what help they are eligible for, and we realise there could be many who are entitled to Pension Credit who are not receiving it. 'Anyone who gets Pension Credit also gets the Winter Fuel Payment and may also be able to claim further help with things like housing costs, council tax and heating bills. 'It is right that the council supports Age UK to provide expert advice to pensioners to ensure they can maximise their incomes.' If you're not a Hull resident, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you through the Household Support Fund. For example, Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to all households where a child is aged between two and 19 and is eligible for free school meals. Meanwhile, households with pensioners who are in receipt of council tax support will get £100 in bank payments or food vouchers this year. Worcestershire County Council is giving Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest residents up to £500 in energy help. There is up to £500 available for homes with children under 18 or full-time students under 21, or up to £300 for adult-only households aged 18–66. Pensioner households can also get up to £300.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Hull and East Yorks mayor outlines his position on green energy
The new mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire has said he would always put the region before party during a meeting of the combined authority's executive board about his position on green energy, Reform UK's Luke Campbell said: "I represent the people of this region, and if that can create local jobs and help local businesses that is what I will do."Campbell also told the meeting that all types of energy – including nuclear and hydrogen power – should be UK previously said it would impose taxes on the renewable energy sector under its plans to scrap the country's net-zero target. In February, deputy leader Richard Tice claimed net-zero policies were to blame for higher energy bills and deindustrialisation, adding that renewable energy was a "massive con".Campbell previously said he did not think net-zero was in answer to a question from a member of the public at Wednesday's meeting, the former Olympic gold medallist boxer said: "I have consistently supported the region in green energy for local business, creating local jobs."I will keep on that same track – I was brought in by the people of this region."At the meeting, the board approved a bid to enter into a funding agreement with the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and bid for up to £1.6m for public sector renewable energy projects, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The meeting was attended by Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, and Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire described them as "two very good, strong leaders" who were "ready to fight for this region", adding: "Including myself, you've got the third one."As head of the combined authority, Campbell is responsible for housing, public transport, infrastructure, economic development, business, skills and regeneration. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Thousands of households being handed free cost of living cash worth £200
THOUSANDS of UK households will soon be able to apply for £200 worth of cash to cover the cost of living, after a government scheme was extended. The help comes as part of the Government's Household Support Fund, and aims to aid those who are most vulnerable. 1 The scheme has been extended a number of times, with the latest round of payments running between April 2025 and March 2026. Each council in England is allocated a portion of the £742 million fund, which it then distributes to residents struggling with the rising cost of living. Eligibility criteria varies based on where you live but usually help is offered to those on benefits or a low income. Thousands of households in Hull will soon be able to benefit from the scheme, after the Yorkshire council was allocated £5.3 million of the fund. The fund will be used to give eligible pensioners £200 to help them out after the Government made cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment. Low income families will also be eligible for a £40 school uniform grant, as well as food vouchers in school holidays for those eligible for school meals. The Leader of Hull City Council, Councillor Mike Ross, said: 'We know that people are continuing to be severely impacted by the ongoing increases in the cost of living. 'As a Council, we're using this funding to help vulnerable residents afford the essentials. 'No-one should have to make the choice between heating or eating when we get to the colder months, so we've allocated this money now to make sure we have the right things in place for the next year.' Hull City Council has not yet opened applications for payments, but updates will be posted on the council's website. Child Benefit cap, Lloyds fee changes and Father's Day gift ideas - Money News Today What If I Don't Live In Hull? The £742million Household Support Fund has been shared between all councils in England. So, if you don't live in Hull but are struggling financially or are on benefits you will likely be eligible for help. This is because the fund was originally set up to help those on low incomes or classed as vulnerable. What type of help you can get will vary but it could range from a free cash payment to supermarket vouchers. Household Support Fund explained Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund. If you're battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline. The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living. Every council in England has been given a share of £742million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households. Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments. In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families. Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying. Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income. The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer. The current round runs until the end of March 2026. It's worth bearing in mind, because the new round of the HSF has only just opened, you might not be able to apply for help yet. However, it's worth keeping an eye on your local council's website or social media channels. Most councils have pages on their websites dedicated to their HSF as well. You might be able to find it by typing in the name of your council then "Household Support Fund" into Google search. You may have to apply for help through the HSF or you may be contacted directly by your council. Some local authorities send letters to your home to let you know about next steps you need to take.
