Funny Women at the Fringe

In association with Benefit Cosmetics

George Square Gardens – Bosco

2.00 to 3.00pm 3^rd to 17^th August

 

 

Leading female comedy producer, Funny Women, will be celebrating its 10^th Anniversary during the Fringe with a specially curated show featuring great comedy from the Funny Women Awards and beyond. This is the company’s eighth year at the world famous arts festival and it will showcase the broadest spectrum of comedy entertainment embracing all genres: stand up, sketch, musical comedy, character and improv.

Funny Women has one of the UK’s most successful beauty brands on board as a partner for the shows. Benefit Cosmetics will be on hand throughout the two week run with complimentary make-uppers and goodies from their Benebus, a bespoke mobile beauty salon, which will be parked alongside George Square Gardens.

Two exciting semi-finals of this year’s Funny Women Awards will take place on Wednesday 8^th and 15^th August. The cream of the UK’s crop of new female comedy acts will compete for the last few coveted places in the charity final on Monday 24^th September at the Leicester Square Theatre in London.

The main prize this year is the Benefit Funny Women Award, sponsored by Benefit Cosmetics, which will be awarded to the act who, in the judges’ opinion, is the best all round comedy entertainer. The winner will receive a bursary worth £2,000 which includes a development package with Funny Women and Red 24 Management, £500 worth of Benefit products and the opportunity to work as a brand ambassador for Benefit Cosmetics for a year.

“We are really excited to be working with Funny Women,” says Kyra Oates, head of promotions for Benefit Cosmetics. “Funny Women is all about empowering women which is what we do through our products so the synergy is perfect!  As we say at Benefit, ‘laughter is the best cosmetic….so grin and wearit!’.

 

The Variety Award is given to the best new sketch, character or speciality act and is sponsored by wine company, Blue Nun. The winner of the Blue Nun Variety Award will be offered a fully promoted show at the Leicester Square Theatre, a year’s worth of product and a publicity campaign.

The Comedy Writing Award offers non-performers with great ideas a chance to compete. This year Funny Women are teaming up with multi-award winning comedy production company The Comedy Unit to offer a spectacular prize of a £500 script commission for a 12 month development period, three weeks intensive mentoring to complete their script, and dedicated access to a professional script editor.

Funny Women is also being supported by its box office partner, WeGotTickets, and working closely with East Coast Trains on a special 10^th Anniversary promotion and party which takes place at Harvey Nichols on Tuesday 7^th August.

As with every year since the Awards were first launched in 2003, Funny Women is partnering a charity. This year it is Women’s Aid, the national domestic violence charity that helps up to 250,000 women and children every year.  The charity works to end violence against women and children, and supports over 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the country.

“There’s a treasure trove of great women comics right now’ Guardian

“There’s a lot of taboo breaking female comedy out there that deserves recognition. With so many emerging female comics determined to make their mark, the country’s funny women could well be having the last laugh.”DailyTelegraph

“This comedy show provides something for everyone!”Broadwaybaby.com

“women making you laugh?! What could be better?!”Cosmopolitan

Funny Women and The Comedy Unit present the

Funny Women Comedy Writing Award 2012

 

The Funny Women Comedy Writing Award is now in its second year running, offering non-performers with great comic ideas an opportunity to compete in the annual Funny Women Awards. Recognising that not every writer is also a natural performer, Funny Women launched this Award last year so that those happier behind the scenes have an outlet for their comic potential.

“This Award has added a whole new dimension to the comedy platform that we provide,” says Funny Women founder Lynne Parker. “This is open to any of the women performers as well as writers and gives us all a real opportunity to develop new talent on all levels.”

This year Funny Women is running the Comedy Writing Award in partnership with award-winning comedy production company, The Comedy Unit, who are offering a spectacular prize package: A £500 script option fee for a 12 month development period, three weeks mentoring for the writer to complete their script, and dedicated access to a professional script editor.

Funny Women has also attracted an array of amazingly accomplished writers to judge this year’s Comedy Writing Award.  They include:

Hattie Naylor, a hugely successful script writer who has won several national and international awards for her plays. Ivan and the Dogs was nominated for the Olivier Awards, and won the Tenniswood Award for best Original Drama in 2009. Other recent theatre productions include the blood-thirsty Nutcracker for Theatre Royal Bath and Going Dark with Sound and Fury. Hattie’s acclaimed adaptations of The Diaries of Samuel Pepys are currently being broadcast on BBC Radio 4. 

Harry Venning is an award-winning writer, performer and cartoonist, best known for creating the larger-than-life cartoon character, Clare in the Community for the Guardian newspaper, which he has also adapted into a Sony Award winning BBC Radio 4 sitcom, now on its eighth series.  Harry is also the creator of the weekly strip cartoon Hamlet The Pig in The Stage and he is currently working on a family sitcom for BBC 1 television.

Jennifer Howze, formerly The London Times’s online lifestyle editor and Alpha Mummy blog editor, is a journalist and co-founder of the BritMums social network, the UK’s leading network of parent bloggers with more than 3,500 members and holds the biggest parent blogging conference in June, BritMums Live.

Rowan Pelling, worked as Ian Hislop’s PA at Private Eye before setting up the Erotic Review magazine, which she edited for eight years. She now writes a weekly comment column for the Daily Telegraph and is the Daily Mail’s sex columnist, advising middle England about such bracing topics as Brazilian waxes. She does the odd bit of broadcasting, has been a Man Booker Prize judge, is a patron of the Cambridge Wordfest, and is the editor of The Decadent Handbook.

Gavin Smith is the creative director of business and development for The Comedy Unit and will chair this impressive panel. The Comedy Unit makes hit shows including Rab C Nesbitt, Still Game and Fags Mags and Bags. In his time with the company Gavin first worked with the creative team to win a number of children’s and youth commissions before going on to manage the development department and secure various comedy pilots and series from broadcasters including Gary: Tank Commander, Limmy’s Show, Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights, Burnistoun and new project The Scot Squad.  Like many of the staff in the company Gavin is also a comedy writer and currently co-writes Radio 4’s comedy series –  Mordrin MacDonald: 21st Century Wizard.

Gavin Smith says “The Comedy Unit has a long tradition of nurturing talent at an early stage and firmly believes that the best comedy comes from the best writing. We were delighted to be approached by Funny Women to be involved with this great award dedicated to the craft of comedy on the page and look forward to uncovering the next big thing in writing talent.”

Last year’s Award was won by Christine Robertson who said, “Winning last year’s Funny Women Comedy Writing Award was a major foot in the door (both literally and metaphorically – I have size 11 feet). My mentoring and script development has been invaluable and I’d urge any ladies looking to break into comedy writing to get off their boobs and send their scripts in.”

Writers wishing to enter for this Award should check out www.funnywomen.com for the detailed criteria and to register. Performers who have already registered and would like to also enter for the Comedy Writing Award do not have to register again but submit their written work in the required format.

Funny Women In The City

Supported by Snow Queen Vodka

Thursday 14^th June 2012

The Hoxton Apprentice, City of London

Funny Women celebrated its 10^th Anniversary and International Women’s Day back in March with its biggest comedy Challenge to date. Ten successful women from all walks of life took it upon themselves to perform comedy for the very first time, all in the name of charity. Now Funny Women reprises some of the magic of that evening with Funny Women in the City.

The positive feedback received after the show and requests for an ‘action-replay’ of evening has led to Funny Women In The City with the support of Snow Queen Vodka. The evening promises cocktails, music, food, drink and of course hilarious entertainment from some very special Funny Women guests.

Snow Queen Vodka, launched in 2005, is an organic, super premium vodka which has a clean, fresh taste. It is produced in Kazakhstan from the finest ingredients, using organic wheat and artesian spring water.

The show will feature performances from two of the 10^th Anniversary mentors who lent a helping hand to the brave ‘challengers’. Hosting this spectacular evening is business woman and comedian Julia Streets who has performed her show ‘Streets in the City’ at a variety of comedy festivals and been featured on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme and in the City media. Headlining is comic duo, Ladies Live Longer, winners of the 2011 Funny Women Variety Award, with a wonderfully mad mix of song and sketch. “Think Jessie J meets Women’s Institute”.

Special guest performers include two ‘challengers’, Rowan Pelling and Sharon Simpson, from the event in March. Rowan Pelling was voted overall winner with her brilliant set based on her former job as editor of The Erotic Review. Sharon Simpson, a life coach, public speaker and creator of The Reinvention Diva blog, came close runner up to Rowan.

Music comes in the form of the hottest new vintage girl band in London, Four Femmes on the Thames, who provided wonderful musical entertainment at the 10^th Anniversary Challenge.

The show will take place at Hoxton Apprentice which has been the venue for a past Funny Women Business Challenge and other Funny Women showcases. The venue is one of the Apprentice restaurants owned by the charity Training for Life. The charity provides a platform to give people who have rather lost their way in life, a chance to get their lives back on track, learning invaluable skills that will secure them future employment in the hospitality industry. A raffle will be held during the evening in support of the charity.

Ticket holders will be treated to a Snow Queen Vodka Cocktail and canapés upon arrival. The ticket price also includes delicious ‘bowl food’ showcasing a variety of fresh, imaginative cuisine created by The Apprentice team.

Funny Women In The City

Thursday 14^th June 2012

Cost: £35 per head

Time: 6.30pm for 7.00pm Cocktails, 8.00pm Show

Venue: Hoxton Apprentice, 16 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NT

Tickets are now on sale at www.funnywomen.com

 

JCI : Creative Young Entrepreneur Award for 2012

The criteria are quite wide although they do have to be of JCI age which is between 18 and 40! The term creative can be through a new product or a new way of marketing or through turning an exisitng business around. In particular extra points are awarded for people who have a strong element of CSR built into their business model. Full information is here: http://www.jciscotland.com/events/cyea/

While you may not want to recommend yourself for this award, I’m sure you will have come across someone in the last 12 months who you think is outstanding in what they’ve achieved and should be nominated. The deadline is the end of May.

PS: there is also the outstanding young person award is for amazing people in any field, be that arts or sports, science or politics so let me know of any potential winners!

Last year Jen Gash came up to Edinburgh from her home in Bristol to be the very first presenter to the FAir Comment initiative from the3rdimagazine. We all loved the idea that Jen described at delighted that she has now launched this fantastic business.

“Discovery Party has been developed by Jen Gash from ideas about how we support each other as friends, especially women. They have been created as a way that life coaching can reach the world in an accessible, affordable and above all fun way! A Discovery Party is a low pressure way that gives you practical tools to bring about positive change rather than focusing on past regret. It is also about recognising that you don’t have to read millions of books, go on expensive courses or become a tee total fitness freak in order to make your life as you want it to be!!!

The idea is so fabulous (we think!) that it has been selected to be part of BBC Three’s Be Your Own Boss programme and as part of this opportunity we are holding several parties in and around Bristol to help as many women (and the odd man!) as possible to start on the path to the lives they want to achieve using our simple and fun format. It’s only £5 to attend one of these events so book your place now or email info@discoveryparty.co.uk to find your nearest party:

Monday 21st May 1pm to 3pm The Square Club, Clifton,Bristol
http://dpsquareclub.eventbrite.co.uk/?ref=elink

Wednesday 23rd May 10am to 12 noon BHive, Regus, Temple Quay, Bristol
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/3530643249

OR

If you are a Coach yourself and interested in finding out how to become involved in Discover Party we are running a special evening just for you on Tuesday 22nd at 7.30pm at The Square Club, Clifton

To find out more or book your place go here:
http://coachesdiscoveryparty.eventbrite.co.uk/

We hope to see you at a party soon!
Jen Gash

Glasgow’s East End is renowned as a centre for people’s history and some of the most remarkable characters of this famous historic area are women, whether carpet weavers and market traders, campaigners or artists.

GWL will be at Bridgeton Library in the heart of the East End from 10am on Saturday 19th May and we would love you to join us, wherever you’re from, for a day of fun and activities.

All day badge making (10.30am-4pm): Be inspired by our unique collection of campaign and historical badges and make a few of your own. Just turn up at Bridgeton Library and we’ll help with the rest – all welcome!

Memories are Made of This (10.30am – 12.30pm): Why not learn some oral history skills to make sure your grandma’s voice is captured and lives forever in the Women’s Library’s archive? Please contact us at GWL to book a place.

GWL’s ‘Pop-up Treasure Trove’ (1.30-3pm): Discover (or add to!) the treasures in our unique collection, from dressmaking patterns to suffragette brooches. This is your chance to get up close and personal with these special items. Please contact us at GWL to book a place.

The Big Women’s Quiz (3pm – 4.30pm): Bring a team, bring a friend or just bring yourself for some hilarity as we pitch our wits to find who will be crowned the Big Women’s Quiz Champions.

Please contact us for information about disabled access.

Saturday, 19th May 2012 at Bridgeton Library, Landressy Street

This event has been supported with a Festival of Museums grant from Museums Galleries Scotland. Visit  www.festivalofmuseums.com to explore the full events programme.

UK Government charity tax grab will harm Scottish charities

We, the signatories to this letter, are calling on the UK Government to reverse its decision to introduce a cap on the amount of tax relief that donors can claim on charitable donations.

This change will effectively increase the cost of donating to charities for large donors, almost certainly reducing the income of charitable organisations. Although it will only affect a relatively small number of donors, it will affect the largest and most significant donations. With around 50% of the £11bn donated to charities in the UK each year coming from just 8% of donors, the new rules will have a disproportionate effect.

As many organisations have been making clear in response to the change, today’s donations are tomorrow’s grants, and they translate into invaluable charitable activity in every community in the country. Voluntary grants and donations made up 10.7% of Scotland’s third sector income equivalent to £470m in 2010.

The new rule is additionally puzzling given that it is incompatible with the UK Government’s stated intention of building a “Big Society” and encouraging philanthropy. This becomes particularly important at a time when public funding of charities is reducing while demand for our sector is increasing. The cap will have the opposite effect.

The cap is also being introduced as part of a range of other tax relief caps aimed at tackling tax avoidance – effectively equating charitable giving with avoiding taxes is an astonishingly unhelpful message. Rather, this measure is a partial withdrawal of the Government’s tax support for charitable giving.

We want the UK Government to reverse its decision and exempt charitable donations from the caps on tax relief before it can do any damage to the essential work of charities across Scotland.

Yours sincerely

Martin Sime

Chief Executive

SCVO

 

Sir Timothy O’Shea

Principal and Vice Chancellor

University of Edinburgh

 

Professor Ian Diamond

Principal and Vice Chancellor

University of Aberdeen

 

Professor Steve Chapman

Principal

Heriot-Watt University

 

Dr Gordon Rintoul

Director

National Museums Scotland

 

 

Professor Anton Muscatelli

Principal and Vice Chancellor

University of Glasgow

 

Professor Pamela Gillies

Principal and Vice Chancellor

Glasgow Caledonian University

 

John Leighton

Director-General

National Galleries of Scotland

 

Gregor McNie

Scotland Manager

Institute of Fundraising

 

ChangeKitchen CIC has been nominated – against fierce competition – as one of 5 nominees to win the Santander Social Enterprise Exchange Award TOMORROW in Glasgow. The winner is decided by the public: YOU can help a great Birmingham / WM social enterprise to win. The award will enable us to develop a new Healthy Eating programme to inspire disadvantaged people locally!

Please click on the link below by Tuesday 27th March 2pm , vote for Option 3 ChangeKitchen CIC and share with many people as possible!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SantanderSocialEnterpriseExchangeAward

The National Black Women’s Network and the Government Equalities Office are hosting a seminar on women and business on Thursday 29th March at the Mailbox, One Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RD between 1:00pm – 3:00pm .

This is a chance for you to have a say in Government policy as it is being made. The issues you will be discussing include:

• What equalities means to SMEs and micro businesses and what government can do to make them more confident in achieving minimum compliance with equality legislation – your contribution will help develop a national series of roadshows for SMEs taking place later this year
• The IPPR report “Women and Banks: Are female customers facing discrimination” http://www.ippr.org/publications/55/8186/women-and-banks-are-female-customers-facing-discrimination   – your contribution will feed into a review for the Deputy Prime Minister on the issues raised by the report
• Specific barriers faced by women when setting up or expanding their SMEs – your contribution will feed into the considerations of the Women’s Business Council, which is being set up by Government to provide advice on how to improve the business environment for women to maximise their success.

Due to limited capacity you must confirm your booking on a first come, first served basis to info@nbwn.org and please add full company details in your email.

Joining instructions and agenda will be sent to you once your place has been confirmed.

Saltire Fellowship applications for Scottish based business women extended until Thursday 26th April 2012 – please help us to spread the word about this fabulous entrepreneurial programme!

The Saltire Fellowship, a programme for Scottish based business leaders, is actively seeking female candidates for its 2012 intake.  The programme aims to develop leadership skills and build capacity for entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial thinking in the Scottish economy. The Fellowship, which starts in late August, incorporates three months in Boston working on an externship and in course work at Babson College, the top-rated Entrepreneurial MBA programme in the world, followed by a week in China. The fellowship continues after Christmas with another several months working in a Scottish externship, solving real-world business challenges. The date for applications has been extended to Thursday 26th April to give qualified women the opportunity to apply.
 
Sandy Kennedy, Chief Executive of The Saltire Foundation values a good mix of both men and women participants. He says: “The Saltire Fellowship is a ground breaking programme.  It blends world class teaching by faculty who have been there and done it with the opportunity to learn firsthand on real life projects.  Combine that with privileged access to top networks in Scotland and internationally through the GlobalScots, it is an exceptional platform for Fellows to deliver on their potential.  Based on experience, particularly from the graduating class of 2011, we know that female Fellows not only flourish on the programme but enhance it dramatically for all the participants.  The Foundation is delighted to offer bursaries of up to 80% for those who wish to apply through open enrollment.”  
Dr. Suzanne Doyle-Morris, director of FemaleBreadwinners.com, who has worked with Women in Technology for many years, will be one of the fellows in the 2012 class. She says: “I’m very excited to see how the programme can help me develop my entrepreneurial skills. I can’t wait to work with a small group of people who will not only challenge my thinking to help me grow my own business, but also be wonderful contacts and friends for years to come. I know it means I will be away from home this autumn, but this feels like an opportunity I can’t afford to miss.”
 
Amina Nabi, a former Saltire Fellow says of the experience: “It’s difficult to describe the experience and learnings of the Fellowship in short, it truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity that should be actively pursued. The Fellowship has been a tremendous catalyst in my personal and professional life.  I have not only met a family of like minded and driven individuals but really learnt the essence of putting thought into action as well as applying global teachings locally. I have gained an invaluable network, a whole new international family where I can seek help and advice at all times entrusted in a risk free ecosystem. The entire Fellowship experience enabled me to be comfortable being uncomfortable and at the same time being relentless in the pursuit of opportunity. I strongly advocate and encourage you to apply if you want to be a part of such amazing energy, drive, enthusiasm and belief in contributing to a global Scottish presence.”  

For further information, please visit www.saltirefoundation.com or contact katie.michels@saltirefoundation.com