Ash to Headline New Festival Headstock

Legendary rock band Ash will head the line up at this year's new Headstock Festival.

Ash, who this year headlined the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury, have bought into the ethos of Headstock and are flying back early from their South African Tour to help an ex-mining village still suffering deprivation following the pit closures.

Other acts already confirmed for the Main Stage and Muzika! Big Top are The Beat, Field Music, Penguin Café Orchestra, and Edward II. And featured, will be top DJ's in two dance arenas - the DIY/ Smokescreen Soundsystem playing a range of deep and underground house music and UDS/Desert Storm featuring cutting edge DJ's playing drum and bass, gabba, techno, jungle and breakcore.

The music line up is completed by the Orange Tree chill out tent which will feature regional bands and acoustic acts in a chilled out environment.

Headstock is being organised by the Newstead community who have set up a community business - Newstead Enterprise, with all proceeds will go directly back to the community.

Over 100 local volunteers have so far signed up to help make Headstock Festival, named after a colliery 'headstock' - which is the iconic structure used to transport miners up and down a mining shaft, a unique event.

The festival, will be held on the site of the old mine and organisers wanted to honour the heritage of the area and the community.

In addition Headstock will feature a dedicated Kid's Field offering drum and jewellery workshops, face-painting, story-telling, puppet shows and an eco-sculpture which will be built during the day with help from the children and families attending.

Other activities include an arts and crafts section, innovative workshops and a diverse range of food as well as a full bar facility including a selection of real ale and cider. The Newstead and Annesley Country Park is a 220 acre site of exceptional natural beauty, currently being developed as a sustainable eco-sensitive public park, located on what was formerly the villages coal mine.

Headtstock Festival will beheld on September 11th at the Newstead and Annesley Country Park, 9 miles north of Nottingham. Adm: Early Bird Ticket Price of £29.

Note: The Park is conveniently located 200 yards from Newstead train station and 15 minutes from Junction 27 of the M1. East Midlands Trains will be running late trains during the evening of the 11th. Camping is available overlooking the main arena and is priced at £5. Info: www.headstockfestival.com and tickets are on sale. via www.wegottickets.com.

BASS Festival - June 2010

BASS Festival (British Arts and Street Sounds) is the UK's only month-long celebration of Black Music and Art, and it returns this June for a celebration of urban music and culture.

Taking place for the fifth consecutive year, the month-long festival will see a range of music and arts events in venues across Birmingham. This year, all events will fall under the theme of DNA, looking at both personal DNA and the heritage of music.

The festival features Desert Boy, an a cappella musical with story-telling and song, woven seamlessly together into an epic musical drama. With singing from across the ages from Mali to hip hop, from slave songs to rap, Desert Boy is a funny, fantastic and provoking new musical tale.

Last year's African-themed festival saw over 20 events including an opening performance by award-winning Kenyan artist Opiyo Okach, The Shrine Synchro System performing live alongside vampire movie Nosferatu, UK beat-makers Louis Den Beat Cypher, and female DJ duo Mama Feel Good. The festival also hosted new commission 'I Dream of Fela' featuring Sway, Baby J and Richard Olatunde Baker, in addition to securing the UK rights to 'Art's Own Kind', an exhibition of the world-renowned album sleeve designer Ghariokwu Lemi and his work for African legend Fela Kuti.

BASS Festival is produced by Birmingham-based Punch Records, in association with music partners and artists. In 2010, the festival will work with mainstream and grassroots organisations to deliver a range of new commissions, live performances, art exhibitions, dance and theatre performances, film screenings, and master classes.

For more info about the Festival and line-up visit: www.punch-records.co.uk

BASS Festival - Line-up.

Wed 2 - 26 June
PROTEST: FIGHT THE POWER: TWENTY YEARS OF THE POLITICAL POSTER
Now in the UK for the first time Protest is a startling exhibition of shock and awe by graphic designers from around the world. Over two decades of street-fighting struggles created these propaganda and protest masterpieces which have toured Africa and Asia in a British Council sponsored show. Venue: Devonshire House, Custard Factory.

Thurs 10 - 11 June
DESERT BOY
An a cappella musical with story-telling and song, woven seamlessly together into an epic musical drama. With singing from across the ages from Mali to hip hop, from slave songs to rap, Desert Boy is a funny, fantastic and provoking new musical tale. Venue: Birmingham REP.

Sun 13 June
BEYOND THE BALLROOM FEAT. SNOWBOY
At its peak, Jazz Fusion involved thousands of utterly devoted young people, whose commitment and enthusiasm would have been the envy of the UK dance world, if only they knew about it. With Dick Jewell's film The Jazz Room, book signing and a DJ set from Snowboy this night gets below the radar to find a remarkable part of our dance history. Venue: MAC, Manchester.

Sat 19 June
FUNKY HISTORY - FUNKY UNDERGROUND CLUB NIGHT
Movers and shakers Felix and Jezta run Birmingham's premier funky night Funky Underground. For one night only they will take us on a personal journey through their musical DNA. With a mix of local DJs and some special guests, Funky History will be a big party in the middle of this year's BASS. Venue: Sence Bar.

Fri 25th June
RUDI & SMASH BRO'Z
A double bill of work from US based artist and dancer Rudi and Birmingham based hip hop dance collective Smash Bro'z. Through reclaiming street culture for themselves, both artists will reconnect with their heritage that outside forces have tried to subvert from their DNA. Venue: MAC, Manchester.

Sat 26 - 27 June
DNA OF HARD TIMES
In a commission for Punch and The Drum, Martyn Glynn and a group of spoken word artists use the visual imagery of the DNA double-helix to represent both the spiral of economic recession and the ladder of artistic opportunity. This hard hitting theatre piece provides a vital comment on the economic recession and the Darwinian theme 'survival of the fittest'. Venue: The Drum, Birmingham.