Unseen art shows the 'real' LS Lowry

Unseen art shows the 'real' LS Lowry

1 June 2013 Last updated at 00:12 By Ian Youngs Arts reporter, BBC News Continue reading the main story

The works were found in LS Lowry's studio after his death in 1976

The works were found in LS Lowry's studio after his death in 1976

The works were found in LS Lowry's studio after his death in 1976

The works were found in LS Lowry's studio after his death in 1976

The works were found in LS Lowry's studio after his death in 1976

The works were found in LS Lowry's studio after his death in 1976

Continue reading the main story

More than 100 previously unseen drawings, oil sketches and paintings by LS Lowry are to go on show in Salford.

The exhibition traces how the artist developed his distinctive style and reveals the extent of his fixation with drawing erotic figures in later life.

Titled Unseen Lowry, the exhibition opens at The Lowry gallery on 22 June.

The Lowry's Michael Simpson said: "The works provide a unique insight into the breadth of Lowry's work but also the hidden depths to him as a character."

The Salford exhibition will coincide with LS Lowry's first major London exhibition for more than three decades, which takes place at Tate Britain.

Girl in Bows in a Formal Interior is one of a dozen "mannequin" figures

The pieces on show in Salford include around a dozen "mannequin" figures - drawings of young women in tight corsets and high heels.

"He always described himself as a simple man - that's become almost legend," said Mr Simpson, the Lowry's head of visual art.

"But actually what these works help demonstrate is that he was anything but. He was a very complex man with complex emotions and had a darker side to him as well.

"I was surprised at the obsessional nature, the dark nature of some of the later drawings. There's a sexualised undertone to those works.

"Before, people thought there were maybe one or two but the exhibition has really quite a few, and shows that it became quite an obsession for him in his very last years."

The works were found in Lowry's studio after his death in 1976 and then put into storage.

'Good draughtsman'

While Tate Britain is showing his most famous industrial scenes, many of the Lowry's exhibits are art school sketches, preparatory drawings or visual aid memoires he made on scraps of paper while walking the streets of Salford and Manchester.

"To this day, there are still a lot of people who assume that he never went to art school," Mr Simpson said.

"But actually he studied extensively at art school and here we have the life drawings that came out of his student years. They show that actually he was a very, very good draughtsman.

"The rest of the exhibition shows the journey in terms of his approach to drawing a figure - how it changes from that very formal Edwardian style, right through to him developing his own very individual style of figure painting.

"Also in the exhibition are some very desolate drawings and oil sketches that show that he's someone who wrestled with depression and loneliness."

The collection is believed to be the last set of Lowry's creations that have not yet been exhibited, Mr Simpson added.

Unseen art shows the 'real' LS Lowry
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Stones and BBC in Glastonbury talks

Stones and BBC in Glastonbury talks

31 May 2013 Last updated at 15:12

The Rolling Stones will play Glastonbury after their current North American tour

The BBC has said it is having "ongoing conversations" with the Rolling Stones over how much of their Glastonbury performance can be broadcast on TV.

Press reports suggested the band had refused to let their full set be aired.

"Discussions with artists are business as usual for this stage of our festival planning," a BBC spokesperson said.

Speaking to The Independent, the BBC's head of music television Mark Cooper said the rock legends were "nervous about how much they should share".

The Stones, he told the paper, were "stepping out of their comfort zone". He added: "At this point, I'm quite optimistic we'll get a sufficient amount of music."

The BBC statement said: "We're confident that we'll be able to deliver fantastic coverage of this year's amazing Glastonbury line-up."

The Rolling Stones' spokesman declined to comment. The veteran rockers, he said, chose to remain "tight-lipped" on the subject.

The band will play on the festival's main Pyramid Stage on Saturday 29 June. Mumford and Sons and the Arctic Monkeys are the other headline acts at this year's event at Worthy Farm, Somerset.

On Thursday, the BBC said there would be 250 hours of live broadcasting from Glastonbury's six main stages.

Stones and BBC in Glastonbury talks
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Funeral for Hi-de-Hi! star Shane

Funeral for Hi-de-Hi! star Shane

31 May 2013 Last updated at 16:48

Paul Shane made his name playing holiday camp entertainer Ted Bovis in Hi-de-Hi!

The funeral for Hi-de-Hi! star Paul Shane has been held in South Yorkshire.

The 72-year-old performer, who played Ted Bovis in the hit 1980s BBC sitcom, died in a hospice in Rotherham earlier this month after a short illness.

The actor, whose real name was George Frederick Speight, leaves behind three daughters and six grandchildren. His wife died in 2001.

Canon David Bliss said the funeral at Rotherham Minster was a "celebration and chance to say thanks".

'Bye-de-bye'

Mr Bliss, the vicar of Rotherham, added it was a "great honour" to lead the funeral, which celebrated a life of "tremendous joy and happiness".

Co-stars Su Pollard and Ruth Madoc were among the mourners

Inside the minster were some of Shane's co-stars, including Jeffrey Holland, Su Pollard and Ruth Madoc, while a crowd of hundreds gathered outside.

Yellow and white flowers in the hearse spelled out "Bye-de-bye" in homage to the show that made Shane a household name.

Shane's Ted Bovis costume was hanging next to a photograph of the character at the service.

In a eulogy to his longstanding showbiz friend, Holland said: "Thanks for all those wonderful times, but most of all, thank you for the fun."

The actor, who played Bovis's sidekick Spike, said he worked with Shane for 18 years.

"In all that time, the one thing that sticks in my mind is fun," he told the congregation.

'Really loved'

And he led them in a rendition of the show's "Hi-de-Hi!, Ho-de-Ho!" catchphrase, saying: "Let's have it one more time for Shaney".

Shane's Ted Bovis outfit was on show at the service

Outside, Pollard said: "He would have loved today.

"He would have thought: 'All these people, I must have done something right'."

She added: "He was just really loved. What a great, great day for it."

As well as his role in Hi-de-Hi!, a long-running television series set in a holiday camp, Shane went on to appear in the sitcom You Rang, M'Lord? alongside some of his Hi-de-Hi! co-stars.

He also acted in another sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching, again alongside some of the Hi-de-Hi! cast.

Funeral for Hi-de-Hi! star Shane
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-22732804#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Bradford documentary wins Rose d'Or

Bradford documentary wins Rose d'Or

31 May 2013 Last updated at 08:38

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The Rose d'Or winner set out to define what it means to be British

A documentary about integration in multi-cultural Britain that drew criticism from community leaders has won a leading international TV award.

Channel 4's Make Bradford British won the Rose d'Or for best reality and factual entertainment series.

Broadcast in March 2012, the two-part series was accused by one councillor of portraying the city in a bad light.

Channel 4 defended the show, saying it aimed to overcome preconceptions about people from different ethnicities.

The programme looked at how people from different backgrounds lived together in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and filmed them as they shared their lives.

Its triumph at the ceremony in Brussels came at the expense of Apocalypse, another Channel 4 nominee, which starred the illusionist Derren Brown.

Other British winners at Thursday's event included Sky comedy Spy, which was named best sitcom, beating the BBC's Twenty Twelve and The Thick of It.

In the arts category, The Great Pretender - a BBC documentary about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury - was favoured ahead of the Julien Temple documentary London: The Modern Babylon and a third nominee, Just Ballet from Austria.

More than 300 entries from more than 30 countries were submitted for the 2013 awards, which were held outside Switzerland for the first time in 52 years.

The ceremony, held as the final event of the 2013 Media Summit, was hosted by Dutch TV personality Lucille Werner in the presence of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium.

Bradford documentary wins Rose d'Or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22727215#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Reni misses Stone Roses premiere

Reni misses Stone Roses premiere

31 May 2013 Last updated at 10:28

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Guitarist John Squire says new material will be ready "in five years"

A documentary charting the return of The Stone Roses has premiered in the seminal rock group's home city of Manchester, but drummer Reni failed to join his bandmates at the event.

Singer Ian Brown said Reni was absent because he had "a really bad cold".

The drummer has had a fractious relationship with his bandmates in the past and walked off during one of their reunion gigs in Amsterdam last year.

Meanwhile, guitarist John Squire said they had written "a few" new songs.

The group, who signed a new record deal at the end of 2011, will be working on a new album this year, he said.

"We won't be playing any of them live until we've recorded it," Squire told the BBC's Colin Paterson on the red carpet.

Singer Ian Brown was on the red carpet

But the guitarist walked away when asked about what happened in Amsterdam. In the documentary, Reni is shown complaining about sound problems and leaving the stage before the encore.

After the premiere, a spokesman for the band said he had nothing to add about Reni's absence or his illness.

The film, titled Made Of Stone, features footage from the band's career and their comeback shows. It was directed by This Is England and Dead Man's Shoes filmmaker Shane Meadows.

The Stone Roses, whose 1989 eponymous debut is widely regarded in the UK music press as one of the best British albums ever, broke up in 1996.

After a reunion tour in 2012, the quartet have been on the road again this year. They are due to play in Paris on 3 and 4 June before appearing at Finsbury Park in London on 7 and 8 June.

The premiere was simultaneously broadcast to 200 UK cinemas, with a general release on 5 June.

'Nervous wreck'

Self-confessed Roses fan Meadows said: "You hear people say 'never work with your idols, it can only go wrong' and I was a bit of a nervous wreck.

"Normally as a director you're in control, you have written a script, whereas on this I was following their lead."

The director, best known for his semi-autobiographic film and television series This Is England, said the documentary was as "much about the fans as the band".

He said: "They [the band] were really open with me, they gave me access to clips, photographs, things no-one has ever seen."

Reni misses Stone Roses premiere
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-22716657#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Heavy metal singer released on bail

Heavy metal singer released on bail

31 May 2013 Last updated at 11:36

Tim Lambesis faces up to nine years in jail if found guilty

The singer of Grammy-nominated US metal band As I Lay Dying, who is accused of plotting to murder his estranged wife, has been released on $2m (£1.3m) bail.

Prosecutors allege that Tim Lambesis handed $1,000 (£650) to an undercover police officer posing as a hitman.

The 32-year-old singer was released from jail in San Diego on Thursday.

The judge said Mr Lambesis, who denies the charge, must stay away from his wife and children, wear a GPS monitor and observe strict travel restrictions.

Mr Lambesis' solicitor Thomas Warwick said the singer had been using steroids and that they had a devastating effect on his mind.

He faces up to nine years in jail if convicted. Last week, a judge reduced bail from $3m to $2m.

Tim Lambesis's band As I Lay Dying have called off their latest tour

Mr Lambesis was arrested on 7 May at a shop in San Diego after a meeting an undercover agent. He was recorded saying he wanted his wife killed, according to prosecutor Claudia Grasso.

The undercover operation was staged after the singer told a man at his gym that he wanted his wife killed, Ms Glasso told a court hearing in Vista, California.

He had allegedly complained that she was making it difficult for him to see their children and to complete their divorce, the prosecutor added.

"He is substantially motivated to kill his wife,'' Ms Glasso said.

The singer's wife filed for divorce last September, according to San Diego Superior Court documents. The couple adopted three children from Ethiopia in recent years before separating.

As I Lay Dying, who formed in San Diego in 2000, have sold more than a million albums. Last year, the band - who take their name from a 1930 novel by William Faulkner - released their sixth album, Awakened.

In a message posted on the band's website earlier this month, Mr Lambesis' bandmates said they would call off a forthcoming tour.

"Given the circumstances, we feel that it is best for the band to be off the road while the current situation gets sorted," they said. "We'd like to thank all of our fans for their ongoing support at this difficult time."

Heavy metal singer released on bail
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22727750#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury

30 May 2013 Last updated at 15:47 By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News

Glastonbury coverage on BBC One will include The One Show

The BBC has unveiled plans for its first "truly digital" coverage of this summer's Glastonbury Festival.

For the first time there will be 250 hours of live broadcasting from the six main music stages.

Bob Shennan, the BBC's controller of popular music, called it a "monumental logistical challenge".

This year's headliners are the Rolling Stones, Mumford and Sons and the Arctic Monkeys.

It is the first time the Stones have played the festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, which takes place on the final weekend of June.

The line-up includes Primal Scream, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Elvis Costello, alongside such chart acts as Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal.

Also on the bill is Sir Bruce Forsyth, who will perform songs from his solo album These Are My Favourites. At 85, Sir Bruce will be one of the oldest performers ever to appear.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said the one-man show was "a bit of singing, a bit of dancing, a bit of piano (a lot of people don't know I play piano) and an awful lot of laughter, I hope".

Announcing the Glastonbury plans on Thursday, Shennan revealed a new four-year deal had been signed to cover the event.

This year's plans had been shaped by the experience of covering the London Olympics, he added.

The BBC's Glastonbury 2013 presenter line-up

"We've learnt a lot from the experience the BBC had in 2012," he said, "We will be covering six stages and offering live streaming in a way we have never have done previously."

The BBC's coverage will feature more than 120 live performances broadcast on TV, radio and online on four screens: PC, mobile, tablet and connected TVs.

"Not only will this be the first truly digital Glastonbury, this will also be the first mobile Glastonbury," said Mark Friend, the man in charge of the BBC's multi-platform coverage.

"We expect mobile and tablet viewing and listening to reach unprecedented levels, particularly over the weekend."

Coverage across the weekend will appear on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Radio 2 and 6 Music.

BBC One will include coverage in its mainstream programming, including The One Show and Songs of Praise.

The Rolling Stones are the headline act on Saturday

The BBC's presenting team includes Chris Evans, who will launch coverage on Radio 2 on 28 June, plus festival veterans Steve Lamacq, Mark Radcliffe and Jo Whiley.

They are joined by Nick Grimshaw, Gemma Cairney, Lauren Laverne, Dermot O'Leary and Craig Charles.

"In 1997, there was a two hour programme on the telly," said Lamacq. "Now it's going to be on virtually all the time."

Jo Whiley predicted that the "big story" of the Glastonbury weekend would be the Rolling Stones' performance on the Saturday night.

"I'm sure they would never have committed to doing Glastonbury unless they were 100% sure they could pull it off," she said. "So it's going to be fascinating watching that."

The festival, set to be attended by 135,000 people, was not held last year because of the Olympics and to allow the farmland to recover from the 2011 event.

"The BBC have stuck with us through thick and thin since 1997 and they've earned their stripes the hard way," said festival founder and organiser Michael Eavis.

"It's been quite a journey since 1997, and to have a complete record of what we've been up to over the years is music history gold dust."

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22715930#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Frank Sidebottom film hits target

Frank Sidebottom film hits target

31 May 2013 Last updated at 00:48

Chris Sievey, who created Frank Sidebottom, died in 2010 from cancer

An online appeal to raise funds for a tribute documentary to cult comedian Frank Sidebottom hit its £40,000 target hours ahead of deadline.

The appeal to pay for Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story closed at 01:00 BST on the Kickstarter website.

Filmmaker Steve Sullivan said the project had received "amazing" support since its launch a month ago.

Chris Sievey, who played Sidebottom wearing an over-sized papier-mache head, died of cancer in 2010.

Mr Sullivan filmed The Magical Timperley Tour, a documentary where Sidebottom toured the area of Greater Manchester where he lived with 100 fans on an open top bus.

"We talked about making another film but sadly he died and I just started to get fascinated by the idea that nobody really knew who Frank Sidebottom was and who was beneath the head," he added.

Mr Sullivan added: "This is going to fund an incredible documentary."

Kickstarter is a website that allows people to raise funding for films, games, music, art, design and technology.

TV regular

Mr Sullivan said the funding will enable the film to use footage from TV performances of Frank Sidebottom as well as rare interviews with his creator Chris Sievey.

Sievey, who died aged 54, hit the charts in the late 1970s with his Manchester punk band band the Freshies and had a hit with I'm In Love With The Girl From the Manchester Virgin.

But it was Frank, the comedy character he created satirising the music business, that he was best known for.

Often accompanied by his sidekick Little Frank - a glove puppet made in his own image - Frank became a regular face on TV in the 1980s and 1990s.

His TV fame peaked in the early 1990s with his own series Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show.

Frank Sidebottom film hits target
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-22723680#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Jimmy Savile cottage sells at auction

Jimmy Savile cottage sells at auction

30 May 2013 Last updated at 20:59

There had been a number of proposals about what should happen to the cottage

The Highland cottage owned by Jimmy Savile has been sold for more than double its asking price at auction.

The remote three-bedroom property in Glencoe was put on the market by trustees of the late DJ's estate for £100,000, but it sold for £212,000.

Savile, uncovered as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders, bought the cottage named Allt Na Reigh in 1998.

It was the target of vandals in the aftermath of the revelations with "Jimmy the Beast" spray-painted across the walls.

The cottage was sold at an evening auction by Ross Harper Property Auctions in Glasgow.

The firm described it as "a traditional refurbished detached cottage in an attractive location within scenic Highland countryside" and highlighted its proximity to Glencoe Ski Centre.

Mountaineering museum

The company also said: "The grounds also boast a large outbuilding with one-bedroom chalet, log store and there are garden grounds with waterfalls and a large parking area to front."

Jimmy Savile bought the house in 1998

Opinion had been divided over the future of the cottage, which was previously the home of renowned Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes.

Some have suggested it should be demolished while mountaineers think it should be transformed into a museum dedicated to their sport.

Previous plans to turn the property into a respite care centre for disabled people were abandoned when the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust closed in the wake of the scandal surrounding the former Top Of The Pops and Jim'll Fix It host.

In January, detectives revealed that they had recorded 214 alleged sex offences committed by the presenter who died in October 2011 aged 84.

By March there were 450 claims made against the former presenter since Operation Yewtree was launched by Metropolitan Police last October.

Jimmy Savile cottage sells at auction
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-22713282#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury

30 May 2013 Last updated at 15:47 By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News

Glastonbury coverage on BBC One will include The One Show

The BBC has unveiled plans for its first "truly digital" coverage of this summer's Glastonbury Festival.

For the first time there will be 250 hours of live broadcasting from the six main music stages.

Bob Shennan, the BBC's controller of popular music, called it a "monumental logistical challenge".

This year's headliners are the Rolling Stones, Mumford and Sons and the Arctic Monkeys.

It is the first time the Stones have played the festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, which takes place on the final weekend of June.

The line-up includes Primal Scream, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Elvis Costello, alongside such chart acts as Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal.

Also on the bill is Sir Bruce Forsyth, who will perform songs from his solo album These Are My Favourites. At 85, Sir Bruce will be one of the oldest performers ever to appear.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said the one-man show was "a bit of singing, a bit of dancing, a bit of piano (a lot of people don't know I play piano) and an awful lot of laughter, I hope".

Announcing the Glastonbury plans on Thursday, Shennan revealed a new four-year deal had been signed to cover the event.

This year's plans had been shaped by the experience of covering the London Olympics, he added.

The BBC's Glastonbury 2013 presenter line-up

"We've learnt a lot from the experience the BBC had in 2012," he said, "We will be covering six stages and offering live streaming in a way we have never have done previously."

The BBC's coverage will feature more than 120 live performances broadcast on TV, radio and online on four screens: PC, mobile, tablet and connected TVs.

"Not only will this be the first truly digital Glastonbury, this will also be the first mobile Glastonbury," said Mark Friend, the man in charge of the BBC's multi-platform coverage.

"We expect mobile and tablet viewing and listening to reach unprecedented levels, particularly over the weekend."

Coverage across the weekend will appear on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Radio 2 and 6 Music.

BBC One will include coverage in its mainstream programming, including The One Show and Songs of Praise.

The Rolling Stones are the headline act on Saturday

The BBC's presenting team includes Chris Evans, who will launch coverage on Radio 2 on 28 June, plus festival veterans Steve Lamacq, Mark Radcliffe and Jo Whiley.

They are joined by Nick Grimshaw, Gemma Cairney, Lauren Laverne, Dermot O'Leary and Craig Charles.

"In 1997, there was a two hour programme on the telly," said Lamacq. "Now it's going to be on virtually all the time."

Jo Whiley predicted that the "big story" of the Glastonbury weekend would be the Rolling Stones' performance on the Saturday night.

"I'm sure they would never have committed to doing Glastonbury unless they were 100% sure they could pull it off," she said. "So it's going to be fascinating watching that."

The festival, set to be attended by 135,000 people, was not held last year because of the Olympics and to allow the farmland to recover from the 2011 event.

"The BBC have stuck with us through thick and thin since 1997 and they've earned their stripes the hard way," said festival founder and organiser Michael Eavis.

"It's been quite a journey since 1997, and to have a complete record of what we've been up to over the years is music history gold dust."

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22715930#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Hometown launch for Stone Roses film

Hometown launch for Stone Roses film

30 May 2013 Last updated at 15:00

The Stone Roses played to 220,000 people at three shows in Manchester last year

A documentary film charting the return of influential Manchester band The Stone Roses will be premiered in the group's home city later.

The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone features footage from across the band's career and their comeback shows of last year.

Filmmaker Shane Meadows and the band are expected to attend the screening, at Victoria Warehouse, Trafford.

The film will be simultaneously broadcast to 200 UK cinemas, with a general release nationwide on 5 June.

The Stone Roses, whose 1989 eponymous debut is widely regarded in the UK music press as one of the best albums ever, returned after their 1996 break-up for a string of gigs last summer.

'Nervous wreck'

Concerts at Manchester's Heaton Park, attended by 220,000 fans, were the first in the UK to feature the band's original line-up for 22 years.

Meadows, a self-confessed Roses fan, said: "You hear people say 'never work with your idols, it can only go wrong' and I was a bit of a nervous wreck.

"Normally as a director you're in control, you have written a script, whereas on this I was following their lead."

The director, perhaps best known for the film and later television series This Is England, said the documentary was as "much about the fans as the band".

He said: "They [the band] were really open with me, they gave me access to clips, photographs, things no-one has ever seen".

The Stone Roses are due to play further gigs this summer, including dates at Finsbury Park and a headline slot at the Isle Of Wight Festival.

Hometown launch for Stone Roses film
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-22716657#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury

30 May 2013 Last updated at 15:47 By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News

Glastonbury coverage on BBC One will include The One Show

The BBC has unveiled plans for its first "truly digital" coverage of this summer's Glastonbury Festival.

For the first time there will be 250 hours of live broadcasting from the six main music stages.

Bob Shennan, the BBC's controller of popular music, called it a "monumental logistical challenge".

This year's headliners are the Rolling Stones, Mumford and Sons and the Arctic Monkeys.

It is the first time the Stones have played the festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, which takes place on the final weekend of June.

The line-up includes Primal Scream, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Elvis Costello, alongside such chart acts as Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal.

Also on the bill is Sir Bruce Forsyth, who will perform songs from his solo album These Are My Favourites. At 85, Sir Bruce will be one of the oldest performers ever to appear.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said the one-man show was "a bit of singing, a bit of dancing, a bit of piano (a lot of people don't know I play piano) and an awful lot of laughter, I hope".

Announcing the Glastonbury plans on Thursday, Shennan revealed a new four-year deal had been signed to cover the event.

This year's plans had been shaped by the experience of covering the London Olympics, he added.

The BBC's Glastonbury 2013 presenter line-up

"We've learnt a lot from the experience the BBC had in 2012," he said, "We will be covering six stages and offering live streaming in a way we have never have done previously."

The BBC's coverage will feature more than 120 live performances broadcast on TV, radio and online on four screens: PC, mobile, tablet and connected TVs.

"Not only will this be the first truly digital Glastonbury, this will also be the first mobile Glastonbury," said Mark Friend, the man in charge of the BBC's multi-platform coverage.

"We expect mobile and tablet viewing and listening to reach unprecedented levels, particularly over the weekend."

Coverage across the weekend will appear on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Radio 2 and 6 Music.

BBC One will include coverage in its mainstream programming, including The One Show and Songs of Praise.

The Rolling Stones are the headline act on Saturday

The BBC's presenting team includes Chris Evans, who will launch coverage on Radio 2 on 28 June, plus festival veterans Steve Lamacq, Mark Radcliffe and Jo Whiley.

They are joined by Nick Grimshaw, Gemma Cairney, Lauren Laverne, Dermot O'Leary and Craig Charles.

"In 1997, there was a two hour programme on the telly," said Lamacq. "Now it's going to be on virtually all the time."

Jo Whiley predicted that the "big story" of the Glastonbury weekend would be the Rolling Stones' performance on the Saturday night.

"I'm sure they would never have committed to doing Glastonbury unless they were 100% sure they could pull it off," she said. "So it's going to be fascinating watching that."

The festival, set to be attended by 135,000 people, was not held last year because of the Olympics and to allow the farmland to recover from the 2011 event.

"The BBC have stuck with us through thick and thin since 1997 and they've earned their stripes the hard way," said destival founder and organiser Michael Eavis.

"It's been quite a journey since 1997, and to have a complete record of what we've been up to over the years is music history gold dust."

BBC unveils 'digital' Glastonbury
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22715930#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Underground Warhol dispute settled

Underground Warhol dispute settled

30 May 2013 Last updated at 11:13

The Velvet Underground was formed by Lou Reed (left) and managed by Andy Warhol (right)

US band The Velvet Underground have settled a legal dispute with the Andy Warhol Foundation over rights to their famous Warhol-designed album cover.

The band sued the foundation last year after it licensed the famous banana logo from their 1967 debut for use on other products.

The legal claim argued the design had become a symbol of the band and the foundation had no right to use it.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The agreement averts a trial that was set to begin on 29 July.

Warhol served as manager and producer of the band, formed by Lou Reed and John Cale in the mid-1960s.

He designed the cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico, which incorporated the banana symbol and the phrase "peel slowly and see".

Legal papers filed in a New York court showed the band claimed exclusive use of the banana design for licensed merchandising and sought damages and an injunction to prevent the foundation from licensing the image.

The foundation - which was set up under Warhol's will to advance the visual arts - took ownership of his copyrights in 1987 and argued The Velvet Underground had no enforceable trademark rights to the image.

In its original claim, the band had asked the court to rule the foundation had no copyright to the banana image.

In September, however, a federal judge rejected the claim for copyright infringement.

Neither party's lawyers have commented on the settlement.

Underground Warhol dispute settled
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Five original TV series for Amazon

Five original TV series for Amazon

30 May 2013 Last updated at 10:04 Continue reading the main story

John Goodman stars in political comedy Alpha House about four misfit senators who share a house

Set in the land of Silicon Valley start-ups, Betas follows four friends as they try to strike it rich

Annebots introduces science and technology to children

Creative Galaxy is an interactive art show to encourage crafts, music and dance

Stop-motion Tumbleaf follows the adventures of Fig the fox in the show aimed at pre-school children

Continue reading the main story

Amazon has announced the five original TV series it will make this year after seeking customer feedback on 14 pilot shows.

Political comedy Alpha House, starring John Goodman, and Betas, a sitcom about Silicon Valley, were among those selected for full series production.

Children's programmes Annebots and animations Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf will also be made.

The shows will initially be shown on Amazon's Prime Instant Video service.

It is Amazon's first foray into original programming, following in the footsteps of rivals Netflix and YouTube.

The pilots were shown on Amazon.com in the US and on Lovefilm in the UK last month, with customers asked to help decide which series should be made.

Alpha House, written by Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Garry Trudeau, stars Goodman as one of four misfit senators who share a house.

"We're thrilled to have emerged safely from this harrowing exercise in online democracy," said Doonesbury creator Trudeau.

Betas follows a group of friends hoping to strike it rich in Silicon Valley and has Ed Begley Jr as part of its cast.

Both shows will shoot another 10 episodes, with Alpha House airing in November.

'Just the beginning'

Annebots, a programme about science and technology featuring robots; interactive art show Creative Galaxy; and pre-school stop-motion Tumbleaf will all get 26-episode runs.

"We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots," said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios.

"The success of this first set of pilots has given us the push to try this approach with even more shows. This is just the beginning."

A pilot based on the film Zombieland was one of the unsuccessful projects

Simon Morris, Lovefilm's chief marketing officer, told the BBC last month that the shows would be made available to everyone, not just subscribers of Amazon's services.

Pilots that were not picked up as full series included Zombieland, a comedy based on the 2009 movie, and Browsers, a musical comedy starring Fraser's Bebe Neuwirth.

Rhett Reese, the writer and producer of Zombieland, blamed viewer feedback for the TV show's demise.

"I'll never understand the vehement hate the pilot received from die-hard Zombieland fans," he wrote on Twitter. "You guys successfully hated it out of existence."

Meanwhile, Emmy-winning director Adam Bernstein - who directed the pilot for Amazon's Alpha House - has signed on to direct the first episode of FX series Fargo.

Based on the 1996 Coen brothers film, the 10-episode series will feature a new crime story with new characters.

Five original TV series for Amazon
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Edinburgh Fringe line-up announced

Edinburgh Fringe line-up announced

30 May 2013 Last updated at 13:45

Ardal O'Hanlon will be appearing as part of the comedy line-up

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe line-up has been announced with a pledge to cram almost 3,000 shows into every "nook and cranny" of the city.

Acts range from the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra to ground-breaking theatre from Scotland and beyond.

The Fringe comedy festival includes Russell Kane, Reginald D Hunter, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jenny Eclair, Al Murray and Lucy Porter.

Organisers said the August line-up made it the world's largest arts festival.

The 2013 Fringe programme features 45,464 performances of 2,871 shows in a total of 273 venues.

Strands involved include comedy, theatre, music, children's shows, dance and spoken word.

The spoken word section includes George Galloway MP, while Three Lions imagines David Beckham, Prince William and David Cameron finding themselves in a hotel room the night before England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Ian Lavender, who played Pike in Dad's Army, makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut alongside Omid Djalili in a stage version of The Shawshank Redemption.

Scottish Opera will perform five shows and Motown legends Martha Reeves and the Vandellas will appear at The Assembly Rooms.

'Freedom of expression'

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society chief executive Kath M Mainland said: "The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is not just important for being the largest arts festival in the world, or for being completely open access - although those things are profoundly important - but more important for being the most wonderful event, created by the spontaneous freedom of expression of tens of thousands of creative souls, from all over the world, from all walks of life, at all stages of their careers, and representing all artforms."

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop added: "The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest, most vibrant festival of its kind in the world - bringing visitors from far and wide to Scotland's capital to see the incredibly diverse array of creative activity it has to offer, and promoting Scotland's rich culture and distinct heritage on the world stage."

Tickets for 1,800 shows have been on sale, with a further 1,000 shows becoming available this week.

The Fringe will also see the return of the Glasgow Box Office at Queen Street Station, giving festival-goers the chance to buy and collect tickets before catching a train.

There is also an official Fringe app, for iPhone and Android users.

Edinburgh Fringe line-up announced
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Gibb to be honoured at music awards

Gibb to be honoured at music awards

Barry Gibb has produced songs for Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross

Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bees Gees, is to receive a lifetime achievement award at a music event in June.

He will be honoured at the Silver Clef Awards in recognition of his role in the chart-topping pop group.

Robin Gibb died last year, nine years after his twin Maurice, who made up the multi-million-pound selling trio.

The Silver Clef awards raise funds for the charity Nordoff Robbins to provide music therapy for adults and children.

Gibb, who has also had huge success as a songwriter and producer working on songs for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick, as well as the title track for the film Grease, said he was "honoured" at being chosen to receive the accolade.

"Having had music play such an important role in my own life for over 50 years I can truly appreciate the work Nordoff Robbins do, using music to transform other people's lives," he said.

The Bee Gees picked up the special achievement award at the Silver Clefs in 1993.

Other award recipients at this year's event include Coldplay, who will receive the best British act award, Labrinth, who has been recognised in the innovation category and trumpeter Alison Balsom, the classical award winner.

Winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony at London's Hilton on 28 June.

Gibb to be honoured at music awards
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Museums prepare for strike action

Museums prepare for strike action

29 May 2013 Last updated at 17:36

Clockwise from top left: Museum of Liverpool, Tate Modern, Stonehenge

Access to several UK museums, galleries and heritage sites may be affected this week due to industrial action.

The National and National Portrait Galleries have warned some of their rooms may be closed on Thursday.

Tate Britain and Tate Modern will open as usual but access to some galleries may be limited, while Tate Liverpool's galleries will be closed completely.

More stoppages will follow on Friday as a result of walkouts planned by the Public and Commercial Services union.

Workers at the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum in London are expected to participate.

In Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum and three others will be closed to the public from Friday lunchtime to Saturday afternoon.

The Museum of Liverpool will be closed for part of Saturday but will reopen once the 24-hour action is completed.

According to organisers, strikers and supporters will form a human chain around the museum on Friday afternoon.

Employees at English Heritage sites, including Stonehenge in Wiltshire, will take action on Sunday.

The industrial action is part of a three-month campaign of industrial action prompted by a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and pensions.

The PCS union, the UK's largest civil service union, is planning a national walkout at the end of June.

"These strikes highlight the huge gap between the valuable work our members do and the contempt being shown to them by ministers who are imposing cuts and refusing to even talk to us," said PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka.

"Both in our cultural attractions that are known and loved around the world and across the civil service, the government urgently needs to invest to improve services to the public and to help our economy to grow."

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), some of whose employees will take part in Thursday's walkouts, declined to comment on the planned industrial action.

Museums prepare for strike action
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Mendes back in talks with Bond team

Mendes back in talks with Bond team

29 May 2013 Last updated at 13:23

Sam Mendes celebrates Skyfall's Bafta success with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson

Sam Mendes has resumed talks with the producers of the James Bond films about the possibility of directing the next in the series, the BBC understands.

The Skyfall director previously ruled himself out due to other commitments but is believed to be reconsidering.

According to industry website Deadline, his change of heart was prompted by Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli's willingness to wait for him.

Skyfall, the 23rd official Bond film, earned more than $1.1bn (£727m).

It was named best British film at this year's Bafta Film Awards and is the highest-grossing movie in UK box office history.

Mendes was invited to direct Skyfall's successor but turned down the job due to theatre commitments in London.

The 47-year-old's musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is currently in previews and he is scheduled to follow it with a staging of King Lear at the National Theatre.

It is understood, though, that the Bond team are prepared to postpone production on the next 007 feature until he is available.

Ang Lee, Christopher Nolan and Nicolas Winding Refn are among other leading directors rumoured to have been approached.

Speaking in March, Mendes said he felt "very honoured to have been part of the Bond family" and that he "very much" hoped to work with the 007 team again.

The last film-maker to helm consecutive Bond movies was former editor John Glen, who directed five instalments in a row between 1981 to 1989.

Mendes back in talks with Bond team
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Record industry denies failing stars

Record industry denies failing stars

By Chi Chi Izundu and Anisa Subedar
Newsbeat reporters

Record industry chief Geoff Taylor has hit back at accusations that labels are failing pop stars because of a lack of long-term investment in new artists' careers.

It's after the head of the government-funded Arts Council, Alan Davey, said they had to step in to help fund the careers of new and emerging talent.

"They want talent to be delivered to them ready made," he said.

"They're not prepared to take a long period of time investing in talent."

But the head of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the British record industry's trade association, has denied that.

Continue reading the main story

The Arts Council should be supporting the music industry's excellent record of breaking talent, not attacking it with ill-judged sound bites

Geoff Taylor British Phonographic Industry chief executive

"Alan Davey's remarks about the lack of risk-taking in pop music are ill-informed and out of touch," said the BPI chief executive.

"UK labels have invested £1 billion over the last five years in new music.

"The results speak for themselves. Five out of the top 10 best-selling albums last year were from the UK.

"The new Arts Council fund represents a drop in the ocean - around a third of 1% - compared to annual investment by UK labels.

"New funding for investment in UK talent is always a good thing but the Arts Council should be supporting the music industry's excellent record of breaking talent, not attacking it with ill-judged sound bites."

A recording industry report last year estimated that it cost around £1 million to break an artist in a developed market.

But albums are significantly cheaper than 10 years ago, sales are falling and online piracy is still a major threat, according to Mike Smith - president of music at Virgin EMI records.

"I'm confident that the market will pick up," he said. "Certainly we've taken a battering over the last few years and that has resulted in less money flowing around the business."

The Arts Council says it is now offering new artists the chance to apply for a new fund called Momentum.

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Broadway takings and attendance fall

Broadway takings and attendance fall

29 May 2013 Last updated at 10:30

The musical Kinky Boots has received 13 Tony award nominations

Earnings for Broadway shows have fallen over the past year despite higher ticket prices, according to figures from The Broadway League.

Attendance was also down from 12.3 million in the 2011-2012 season to 11.6 million.

The League blamed the poor performance on Hurricane Sandy, which closed Broadway for four days in November.

It said gross earnings and attendance just before the storm hit were higher than the same time the previous year.

"The lost performances and the understandable slower return to Broadway by our tri-state area theatre-goers contributed to the decline in both grosses and attendance," Charlotte St Martin, executive director of the League said in a statement.

Theatre flops

"Plus with early closings of some of our open-ended runs creating a loss in playing weeks, comparable to the decrease in attendance, there just wasn't time to recover," she added.

Overall Broadway takings and attendances have been on the increase for the past four years, as has the number of weeks shows are playing for.

The League's figures showed that productions took $1.14bn (£757m) in the 12 months to May 2013 - $577,000 (£383,000) less than the previous season.

The early closing of a number of productions brought the total number of playing weeks down by 6% to 1430 and left several theatres empty for part of the season.

Forty-six new productions opened during the 2012-13 Broadway season, including 15 musicals and a record high of 26 plays.

Despite a bumpy start, the season ended on a positive note as new productions of Cinderella, Kinky Boots, Lucky Guy, and Matilda joined long-standing shows such as Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, The Book of Mormon, Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera to give takings of $1m (£664,000) for the past week ending on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the US film box office, figures show it was a record-breaking May with hit movies such as Fast & Furious 6 and Iron Man 3 helping to get the summer box office off to its best start ever.

According to the movie tracking website, BoxOffice.com, gross earnings of $1.04bn (£690m) for the month topped the previous record of $1.03bn (£684m), set in May 2011.

BoxOffice.com predicted a total monthly tally of more than $1.1bn (£730m) when the final takings are counted on Friday.

Broadway takings and attendance fall
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Rob Lowe to play JFK in US TV drama

Rob Lowe to play JFK in US TV drama

29 May 2013 Last updated at 11:51

Lowe is 49 years old, three years older than Kennedy was at the time of his death

The West Wing star Rob Lowe is to play John F Kennedy in a US TV movie marking the 50th anniversary of the American president's 1963 assassination.

Lowe will play JFK in Killing Kennedy, a two-hour National Geographic "factual drama" based on a book co-written by Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly.

Ginnifer Goodwin, from TV's Once Upon a Time, will play First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy when filming begins in June.

Lowe can currently be seen in the US sitcom Parks and Recreation.

The 49-year-old has received rave reviews for his role as a plastic surgeon in Behind the Candelabra, a biopic of the flamboyant pianist Liberace that recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

For many, though, Lowe will be best remembered for his appearances in 1980s "Brat Pack" films such as The Outsiders and St Elmo's Fire, and for his role as deputy White House communications director Sam Seaborn in The West Wing.

His latest part sees him follow in the footsteps of former West Wing co-star Martin Sheen, who played JFK in the 1983 mini-series Kennedy.

Sir Ridley Scott's Scott Free production company will be hoping Killing Kennedy has a better reception than 2011 series The Kennedys, that was effectively disowned by its US backers.

The drama was to air on the History Channel in the US before its parent company, A&E Television Networks, pulled the plug following complaints over its historical accuracy.

Greg Kinnear played JFK in that series, broadcast in the UK on BBC Two, while Katie Holmes portrayed his wife Jackie.

Goodwin will play Jackie Kennedy in the new drama

Killing Kennedy will also feature Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg as Marina, the Russian-born wife of JFK's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

It is not yet known who will take on the role of Oswald, notably portrayed by Gary Oldman in Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK.

Elsewhere, another US icon who met a premature end will be the focus of the latest project from Iain Canning, the Oscar-winning producer of 2010 royal drama The King's Speech.

Life will explore the relationship between James Dean and Dennis Stock, a photographer from Life magazine who was assigned to capture the young actor before he rocketed to Hollywood stardom.

Anton Corbijn, the Dutch photographer turned film-maker behind the acclaimed Ian Curtis biopic Control, will direct the film tentatively scheduled to shoot in early 2014.

Dean had leading roles in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant before dying in a car accident in 1955 at the age of 24.

Rob Lowe to play JFK in US TV drama
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UK premiere for Watson at Edinburgh

UK premiere for Watson at Edinburgh

29 May 2013 Last updated at 13:28

Sofia Coppola's new film The Bling Ring, starring Emma Watson, will have its UK premiere at the festival

Harry Potter star Emma Watson's new film The Bling Ring will have its UK premiere at the 2013 Edinburgh Film Festival, organisers have announced.

The line up for the 67th annual festival in June includes 146 films from around the world.

Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, who was forced to pull out last year with illness, is among guest appearances.

The programme also features a number of new Scottish films, including The Great Hip Hop Hoax, about two Scots rappers.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Our programme is filled with films that I'm sure our audiences will find exciting and inspiring”

End Quote Chris Fujiwara Artistic director

The documentary tells the story of students Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain, aka "Silibil 'n' Brains", who set out to fake it as rap stars in America.

The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola's tale of a gang of Los Angeles fame-obsessed teenagers who rob the homes of celebrities, is one of 30 films that will premiere in the UK at the festival.

'Outstanding work'

Downton Abbey's Joanne Froggatt, Alan Partridge-creator Steve Coogan, and star of The Hobbit, Martin Freeman, are among the other British actors who feature in the festival's film line-up.

The festival's artistic director Chris Fujiwara said: "I'm very proud that in my second year at the festival we've again put together a programme that reflects our festival's commitment to international cinema, while giving our audiences opportunities to discover a broad range of outstanding work from British filmmakers.

"In our new "American Dreams" strand we bring the highlights from an exceptionally good year for American independent cinema.

"Altogether, our programme is filled with films that I'm sure our audiences will find exciting and inspiring."

World premieres

This year the festival will showcase films from 53 countries, including 14 World premieres, six International premieres and 10 European premieres.

The directors' showcase will feature Alex Gibney's film We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks.

Former Doctor Who star Karen Gillan's film, Not Another Happy Ending, will close the festival

Other special screenings include the documentary Fire in the Night, which tells the story of the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster in which 167 men died.

It is based on a book by The Scotsman journalist Stephen McGinty, which was pieced together from eye-witness accounts.

Animator Richard Williams, best known as creator of Roger Rabbit, will present the festival's McLaren Award, for new British animation.

The retrospective Richard Williams: 80 Animated Years will celebrate his life work.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival runs from 19 to 30 June.

UK premiere for Watson at Edinburgh
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Deller unveils Venice exhibition

Deller unveils Venice exhibition

28 May 2013 Last updated at 13:06 By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter

The Hen Harrier mural is titled 'A Good Day For Cyclists'

Turner Prize-winner Jeremy Deller has created an "aggressive" anti-establishment exhibition to represent Britain at the Venice Bienalle.

It features attacks on the Royal Family, former Prime Minister Tony Blair and the artist's pet hate: Range Rovers.

"Every room has a scene of destruction in it," the artist told the BBC.

The Bienalle, often called "The Olympics of Contemporary Art", sees 88 countries host exhibitions.

They are located in pavilions scattered across the floating city.

Other artists taking part this year include Ai Weiwei, Anri Sala, Jesper Just and Sarah Sze.

Deller's six-room exhibition, titled English Magic, opens with a giant mural of a Hen Harrier clasping a blood red Range Rover in its talons.

The painting is a response to allegations, made in 2007, that Prince Harry had shot two of the rare birds over Sandringham Estate (he was questioned by police but charges were never brought).

"It was something that bothered me," says Deller.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis Will Gompertz Arts editor

---

Jeremy Deller is a 21st century version of The Renaissance Man. His fifteenth century counterpart was the master of many crafts. Deller - by his own admission - is not that great at any. Instead he comes up with the ideas and commissions, collaborates and curates the work of others into themed (normally socio-political) exhibitions or artworks.

It's an approach that is unlikely to go down well with the purist, or for that matter, The Queen. Her Majesty is the President of the British Council - the commissioners of the Deller installation - and might be a little taken aback by the tone of some of the pieces, one of which obliquely alludes to Prince Harry.

How many of the hoards chattering around the exhibition will understand the nuances of his English Magic show is difficult to gauge, but at least everybody appeared to be enjoying the free cuppa on offer.

• Read more from Will

"Cruelty to animals in general. I know it sounds wishy-washy but I think that was a particularly nasty thing to happen.

"He [Prince Harry] may or may not have shot it but these two beautiful birds were shot. So whoever did it, it's about them."

The politically-charged exhibition also features a room of pictures painted or drawn by prisoners, many of whom are former soldiers.

They include scenes from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside portraits of Tony Blair, the former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and, pointedly, Dr David Kelly - the government scientist found dead after being exposed as the source of a BBC story questioning government reports into the presence of WMD in Iraq.

"The portraits, on the whole, are of the men that sent those other men to war," said Deller.

"It is about those in power and what that means to other people - what that puts them through."

Although the exhibition is broadly anti-establishment, the artist acknowledges he is looking from the inside out.

"I grew up in a very stable, English establishment environment. I went to private school, went to university, did all those things. So I'm part of that."

He says he surprised himself by creating such "an aggressive exhibition" but the project is nonetheless shot through with characteristic warmth and humour.

The Hen Harrier mural is titled "A Good Day For Cyclists" because Deller, a keen cyclist himself, is amused by the idea of a giant bird swooping down and grabbing Range Rovers off the road.

"Range Rovers are the enemy," he laughs.

The installation, set in the British Pavillion - a former tea room - is also peppered with music, including a steel band rendition of rave classic Voodoo Ray, and a gallery that juxtaposes the 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour with contemporary inages of social unrest.

The idea, Deller says, is to show how popular culture can provide an "alternative reality", allowing young people to "escape from the social, political and economic issues that their parents had to deal with throughout this period".

Taken as a whole, the installation is a darker alternative to the vision of England portrayed by Danny Boyle and Frank Cottrell Boyce at the opening of the London Olympics - equally eccentric but vastly more critical.

Audiences in the UK will get to see it later this year, as the exhibition will be taken on the road to London, Bristol and Margate.

Prison film

The Venice Biennale opens to the public on Saturday, 1 June.

Aside from Deller, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is also bound to make a splash.

Officially part of the German Pavillion, he is also presenting a new work outside the main competition, depicting his 2011 detention in a secret prison.

S.A.C.R.E.D. was created in secret and transported (he will not say how) from China to Venice's Church of Sant'Antonin.

Situated in the nave, it features six imposing steel boxes, each weighing 2.5 tonnes.

Looking into the boxes through a small "letterbox" the viewer is confronted by filmed recreations of Ai's 81-day imprisonment in a white padded room.

In one, he is asleep while two guards stand over him. In another, he sits on a toilet - again watched by two austere, uniformed guards.

The artist said his goal was "to give people a clear understanding of the conditions."

The installation will be officially opened on Tuesday by Ai's 80-year-old mother Gao Ying, who will be seeing the work for the first time.

Deller's work is a British Council Commission.

Deller unveils Venice exhibition
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Polunin set for Coliseum comeback

Polunin set for Coliseum comeback

28 May 2013 Last updated at 15:31

Polunin will appear as the "red-blooded" Franz in Coppelia

Dance star Sergei Polunin is to return to the London Coliseum, four months after abruptly leaving a ballet there just days before its UK premiere.

The 23-year-old will appear with the Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet in Coppelia, a comic ballet about a man who falls in love with a beautiful life-like doll.

Polunin had been due to appear at the Coliseum in April in a ballet version of prison drama Midnight Express.

The Ukrainian said he was "delighted" to be returning to the venue in July.

Concerns were raised about Polunin's health and state of mind when he failed to turn up for Midnight Express rehearsals in April.

The English National Ballet's artistic director subsequently confirmed he had returned to Moscow and was "Ok".

"I am very sorry that, due to health issues at the time, I wasn't able to explain to everyone why I couldn't perform in April," Polunin told reporters in London on Tuesday.

The dancer promised he would "be there" to perform Coppelia, a "favourite" of his that he first performed in Moscow following his 2012 departure from the Royal Ballet.

Coppelia, featuring music by Leo Delibes and choreography by Roland Petit, will have six performances at the Coliseum between 11 and 14 July.

Polunin set for Coliseum comeback
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The Fall to return for second series

The Fall to return for second series

28 May 2013 Last updated at 11:30

The first series of The Fall has achieved an average audience of 3.5m

BBC psychological drama The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson, has been recommissioned for a second series.

The BBC Two thriller has become the channel's most successful drama in eight years, attracting an average audience of 3.5m.

Anderson stars as Det Supt Stella Gibson who is brought to Belfast to help catch a serial killer.

Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC Drama, said a second series of the ratings hit was "a must".

"Obviously we can't give too much away as the first series builds to a gripping cliff-hanger, but what we can say is it will be as surprising and intense as the first," he said.

Writer and creator Allan Cubitt - who also wrote the TV series Prime Suspect - said he had always envisioned The Fall as a returning series, calling it "the best experience of my career to date".

Both Anderson and Jamie Dornan, who plays serial killer Paul Spector, have been praised for their performances and Cubitt congratulated them for playing "their parts to perfection."

Anderson said she was drawn to the role of Stella Gibson because she was "an enigma".

"She feels a little like an island but I find that interesting and it makes me want to know more, which is always a good thing where character and drama is concerned.

"I am intrigued by her no-nonsense way of being. And that over time we get to see warmth and what she cares about," she said.

The final episode of the first series will be broadcast on 10 June on BBC Two at 21:00 BST.

The Fall to return for second series
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