Ideas for Speakers sent from u3a Office
The National Office is not recommending these talks, however some U3As might be interested.
Robert Nurden Author offers Zoom Presentation
I am the author of a new biography of my grandfather, Stanley James, an unorthodox minister at the turn of the 20th century. Having already given well-received, illustrated Zoom talks about his colourful life to a number of U3A groups, I would now like to offer this presentation to the U3A as an organisation. 'Between Heaven and Earth. A Journey With My Grandfather' charts the controversial life of my English relative who was a cowboy, hobo, newspaper reporter, actor, playwright, war correspondent and soldier in North America. Then, on his return to England, my mother's father turned himself into a passionate Nonconformist preacher, pacifist in the First World War, supporter of women's emancipation and socialism. He also - as a father of seven - had illicit liaisons with women in his Walthamstow congregation. Their fascinating correspondence is contained in the archives of the Women's Library of the London School of Economics. Mr James's final chameleon-like transformation saw him convert to Rome and become one of the world's leading Catholic writers, counting GK Chesterton among his closest friends. He died in 1951, seven months after the birth of his grandson, his extraordinary life earning him an obituary in The Times.
My fee for the 45-minute, Zoom presentation is £50.
Kind regards
Robert Nurden
Tel: 07722136033
Georgina Lock
I wonder if any branch of your organization would be interested in hosting a performance of my new solo show, The Walled Up Woman?
The Walled Up Woman is 45 minute play about a Medieval anchoress. Much of it is based on the contemporary book written by clerics, The Ancrene Wisse, a guidebook for would-be anchoresses. The character is loosely based on Christina Carpenter (c.1332), the anchoress of Shere, Surrey, someone known to have been walled up in a cell looking onto the altar of St. James’s Church. The show, written and performed by me, takes the reclusive life at face-value as a choice made by an independent woman, and articulates the challenges of a chosen life of close prayer, fasting, temptation and denial. Oddly, I started developing it long before Covid.
It has so far been performed (to an invited, socially distanced, audience) at the arts venue, South Lookout, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, and on Zoom for the Bromley House Library, Nottingham, a subscription library. It works well on Zoom (the confines of an anchoress’s cell suit Zoom amazingly well).
My previous solo show, Lady in a Veil, about Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (c.1721), the pioneer of variolation, the precursor to vaccination, toured England in 2019. That show is also available, either for a live audience or on Zoom. I recently zoomed it for your Richmond branch.
I usually run both shows with a post-performance Q&A for your members, but that is optional.
I suggest a Zoom fee of £100. I have noticed that, so far, hosts have managed to triple their normal audiences at my Zoom events.
You can find out more about me and my work at https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.georginalock.org.uk%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cu3a.office%40u3a.org.uk%7Ccc166812c7244c7252ad08d8b7cfc75b%7C8ba44ae7c27743f69ffd1eeac5a8c804%7C0%7C0%7C637461450331797387%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=nqwTFnUWL88NrwvFiUUZVulYeK1dXhNPIsykqhRGqVU%3D&reserved=0