Visual Art Adventures in the Land of Robin Hood

ACT - Art Culture Tourism (Beeston) - has had an extraordinary busy and successful few months.  Marysia Zipser, Founder of ACT events agency raised the stakes profiling her ACT artists and photographers whilst promoting Nottinghamshire businesses.

The streets of Nottingham, Chilwell Arts Theatre and Beeston-Hive Visual Arts all came into spectacular and promotional play.  ACT artists and visitors came from near and far - Italy, Ireland, Belgium, USA, and France - to meet up with their Nottingham friends.

Five months of prior planning saw best selling Italian author and award winning journalist, Roberto Alborghetti, come to Nottingham for his 5th time in four years.  His first encounter with the rusty old Ghost Bus from Barton’s garage, inspired him to produce his first video to epic music in 2015 “...but if we look more closely, it continues to tell us the colours of its days along the dusty roads of the world.”

​During Roberto’s presentation to an enthusiastic audience at Chilwell Arts Theatre the programme included five short video films plus the world premiere of Land Rover Mapping, with his macro images taken from another rusty old vehicle at Barton’s garage.  

The Ghost Bus visual arts branding has developed into the world of fashion, textiles, and packaging.  It has also brought about strong inter-country art, cultural and tourism links between Italy and Nottinghamshire.

The ACT/Ghost Bus Roads Project/Robin Hood initiative is due to travel globally 2018/19 with hopefully USA media tour later in the year, which will springboard to those countries who have already contacted ACT to help create and sustain their art, cultural, tourism and educational projects.

Also during his visit this year Roberto was kept especially busy.  He officially opened the ACT Italy Arts & Photography Exhibition at Beeston Hive, after which the international group experienced a colourful tour of Nottingham to meet some of the city’s leading creatives and hospitality venues, led by Caron Lyon of PCM creative.  Robin Hood features were prominent throughout together with Nottingham Lace and ‘Red City’ architecture. ​

ACT tours for the international visitors also included Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, University of Nottingham Highfields campus, and Trent Embankment Memorial Gardens.  The latter highlighted Queen Victoria’s stately statue now immortalised by ACT Spanish visual artist Joe Ganech making our late Queen ‘Complete’ with her sceptre re-installed via his visual art.  Below the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire Col David Sneath and Joe Ganech at Nottinghamshire County Hall.

Beeston’s 4th International Film Festival took place 8-11 March and ACT Sponsor Marysia Zipser presented Best Audience Award to comedy short “Clanker Man” by FUME Films (Ben Steiner and Dan Dixon).  ​

Hospitality and hotel/accommodation venues benefited from both BFF’s biggest international short films festival in the Midlands, and ACT events.

ACT events and promotions are sponsored by local to global businesses to achieve the profile exposure being a cultural champion deserves.  ACT hosts inward and outward tourism opportunities encouraging local business investment, strengthening development and stimulating employment.

Marysia Zipser says, “Beeston is a transport and tourism hub.  Its location is supreme and for international visitors, Nottingham’s East Midlands Airport is just 30 minutes away via Trent Barton’s Skylink bus. ​

Over the following months The Beeston-Hive venue is being booked for multiple uses - art/photography exhibitions, receptions, networking, business meetings, workshops, art classes, evening guest talks and music/poetry/storytelling and more.  Summer 2019 will see ACT’s first Beeston Art & Culture Festival weekend and Beeston Transport Festival. With Nottinghamshire’s Robin Hood legacy,  ACT’s Grand Tours and events are continuing to travel regionally and worldwide.”  ​

On Roberto's Website

WONDERFUL NIGHT IN BEESTON NOTTINGHAM (UK) FOR THE PREMIÈRE OF “LAND ROVER MAPPING” SHORT FILM - The Beestonian feature by Christopher Frost and photos.

WELCOME TO NOTTINGHAM (UK) FOR A NEW AND EPIC VOYAGE IN THE LAND OF ROBIN HOOD!

​Theresa Moynes photography / video.

ACT international artists enjoy Nottingham

Watch on Animoto

---

Alborghetti presents… Land Rover Mapping
​

• The original “The Ghost Bus” Short Film by Roberto Alborghetti Created with pictures of the old Bus at Barton Garage
  
  
• The Ghost Bus Seaside Town Music by Barton Family
  
  
• Colours of Nottingham Streets “Can I Think of Love?”
• 'Song' by Jeanie Barton with images from along Nottingham streets.
  
  
• Beeston Rylands short film along Canalside.
• “Soon”, Song by Jeanie Barton with images of Beeston
  
  

​Finishing with Land Rover Mapping World Premiere of this Short Film ​

About Roberto Alborghetti - programme text

Roberto Alborghetti, an Italian author who has written several biographical volumes on Pope Francis, (his 5th coming out on 13th March “Dining with Pope Francis”) was on a book tour of the UK when he visited Bartons former bus depot, having been invited by Art Culture Tourism’s founder Marysia Zipser. 

While touring the various classic vehicles on show, he chanced upon the Ghost Bus, a 1956 URR 865 Reliance, which had spent 20 years slumbering in an open field in Suffolk. 

Roberto, also a visual artist had already started a project called “Lacer/Actions” focusing on images of natural cracks and scratches, urban and industrial tokens and materials. 

“The Ghost Bus Project is the power of visual and musical arts. This is the wonder of a family history, the Bartons. This is the beauty of what human beings can do through creativity and mutual co-operation.” 

So he made the Ghost Bus and its story part of his work. ​