Latest 7 magazine

Rachel Pegg talked to new Dome and Festival Boss Andrew Comben about his favourite events, the city’s arts scene and how to bring in the crowds

Andrew Comben is the successful young arts boss charged with moving Brighton Dome and Festival forward into a new era. Currently head of artistic planning at Wigmore Hall and previously director of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (Aldeburgh Festival), the 34-year-old will take up his new post as chief executive of the Dome and Festival in May.

What is your vision for the Dome and Festival?
The Dome and the Festival have one remarkable thing in common and that is Brighton itself. It’s a fantastic and vibrant artistic community and that really sets it apart, both in this country and internationally. I want to tap into that, showcasing the best work here and bringing work from around the world that will stimulate artists and audiences in the region.

What are your initial thoughts for the 2009 festival?
Although it’s not too soon to be planning 2009 it is too soon to be talking about it! Having pored over the 2008 Festival brochure I’m excited that this May will be my first opportunity to experience a whole Brighton Festival. There are wonderful things on offer in some great spaces and I’m looking forward to experiencing it all.

“I’m committed to making exciting things happen, to working with a wonderful team and to maintaining the business’s stability”

Read the rest of this article »

The wait is over for the guinea pig year in the new schools admissions system. Rachel Pegg looked over the results.

When it came, admissions D-day probably wasn’t nearly as bad as some predicted. The so-called ‘lottery’ scheme made national headlines when it was first devised by the former Labour-run Brighton and Hove City Council.

Richard Cairns

In an attempt to make the system fairer, the council decided that after children with special needs, in care or with a sibling connection to a school were dealt with, the remaining places at over-subscribed schools would be distributed randomly by computer. Critics accused the council of playing with children’s futures for the sake of a social experiment.

The council replied that for too long affluent parents had cheated the system by buying homes within the ‘golden halo’ catchment areas of popular schools, while others had insisted their children went to top-rated schools even if they lived on the other side of the city.

Read the rest of this article »