Saturday 12 of December: two weeks before Christmas and the city centre is buzzing with activity, full of people out to buy presents for their loved ones. What’s the essence of Christmas? Even if nowadays it has become a little bit of everything, from taking a loan to getting drunk, even if you’re not a Christian yourself, you’ll probably agree that Christmas is also about caring for others as we care for ourselves (and you may go as far as admitting that it is actually in our own *interest* to care for others). That’s why we thought it totally ‘Christmassy’ to make a programme about things that matter to Sheffielders, both at home and away.

This programme will take you for a *political* stroll around the city centre. First we follow the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to the Moor: how do Sheffielders respond to the call for a boycott of Israeli goods? The discussion is there, sharp and live, ranging from a “yes I will” to “No, thank you, I’m shopping now” (why thank me?) and to outright cussing. At the Town Hall the Stop the War Coalition is gathering signatures for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. We ask them where we can find hope for the anti-war movement when the government ignored million-strong rallies; walking down Fargate and past the open-air market, we come upon the Body of Sound choir. They’re singing to raise funds for an asylum seekers support group.

Blah blah blah….Merry Christmas, have a listen, and tell us what you think!

A ‘Political’ Stroll Around the City Centre: PART 1

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A ‘Political’ Stroll Around the City Centre: PART 2

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Sheffield Live! End of Year Blowout @ the Harley
Monday, 14th December Doors @ 8pm

Join the Sheffield Live! team and some of Sheffield’s best musical talent for an end of year blowout at the Harley.

This is our time to bring on the festive spirit and celebrate another fab year! The gig is also the start of a great new relationship with the good folks at Sheffield’s premier live music venue. Get out your diaries
for a monthly Sheffield Live! night at the Harley in 2010. Don’t miss our showcase of Sheffield’s musical talent every second Monday of the month.

December’s gig has an eclectic line-up as you would expect:

La Folie
Let La Folie be your Alka Seltza. It might taste a little funny at first but you’ll feel better for it later.
http://www.myspace.com/lafolieband

The Deutschmarks
Deutschmarks (f.k.a. Neon Claws) are a musical group, who play classic pop songs with lyrics that are suggestive and names that harbour their love of terrible puns.
http://www.myspace.com/deutschmarkssss

Marmalade Sun
A modern take on sixties pop rock harmonies in a Sheffield stylee.
http://www.myspace.com/marmaladesun

Taylor & Cohen
Jazz Funk and a bit of soul for the new decade.
http://www.myspace.com/ry2kmusic

The night will close with Sheffield Live! DJ sets from Joel and Owen from ‘The Breakdown.’

Doors open at 8pm and £3 gets you in.

Tune in to Sheffield Live! to hear tracks from all the bands and interviews with the music makers!

Conceived in 1998 by the Labour government, New Deal for Communities (NDC) was a scheme aiming to bring about community-led regeneration in the most deprived neighbourhoods of the UK. The Burngreave neighbourhood in Sheffield was identified as one of those areas and has been awarded £52 million, to be spent over a ten year period from 2001 to 2011. Burngreave NDC received extensive coverage in the local press when it announced that its coffers were close to running dry two years earlier than planned. A very controversial subject, the funding crisis overshadowed the work that had (or hadn’t) been done so far.

This seven part series, produced from May to September 2009 by *Eirini Apostolidou, aims to portray the change in Burngreave from the 90s onwards, and to trace the effect of NDC on the local community. As well as streaming the show from this page, you can also download the entire series using this zip file link.

Special thanks for their participation in the programme to:

Fran Belbane (management committee of Burngreave Messenger), Drew Dallen (local artist & social worker), councillor Jackie Drayton, Steve Gayle (BCAF), Rashida Hassanali (project Advancing Together), councillor Ibrar Hussain, Dr. Nelson Kaggwa (chair of BCAF), Ronnie Lewin (chair of BNDfC Partnership Board), Bronwyn McCarthy (project Advocacy Now), Gareth Roberts (organising committee of Abbeyfield Park Festival), councillor Colin Ross, Chris Sissons (member of BNDfC Partnership Board),  Diana Totle (project Sage Greenfingers), John Vincent (member of BNDfC Partnership Board).

Part 1: Burngreave in the 90s and the Arrival of New Deal for Communities

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Part 2: Projects Funded by New Deal for Communities

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Part 3: The Riddle of the Finances

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Part 4: Community Coherence Put to the Test

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Part 5: The Relationship Between Burngreave Community Action Forum and New Deal for Communities

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Part 6: BNDfC’s Performance Rated

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Part 7: From Conception to Implementation: General Reflections on New Deal for Communities

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*Eirini Apostolidou graduated from Panteion University in Athens, Greece, with a B.A. in Political Science & History in 2005. After graduating she worked at newspapers as a journalist and sub-editor. Since November 2008 she volunteers for SheffieldLive! 93.2FM as both a producer and a presenter.

Sheffield Live! 93.2 FM is celebrating it’s second anniversary on the 29th October 09.  It’s been 2 years since we first went on air full-time broadcasting to the City of Sheffield. We would love you to come along and celebrate with us at the Ethio Cubana Restaurant on Arundel Gate (near the academy and just opposite TJ Hughes) from 8 - late on Thursday night.  You will get the chance to met some of our DJ’s including Mauricio from Latino Times, Sergio from Pasha Mama and Andy Healey of Africabeat.  We will also have some live music from the local scene. The resturant will be open and sells gorgeous food at very reasonable prices and there is a late licence going on until 4 in the morning if we want.  We are asking people to make a donation of £3.00 if they can afford it on the night.  So please come along with your party hat on and your dancing shoes.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Legendary poet guitarists and soul rebels from the southern Sahara desert, Tinariwen were in Sheffield on 20th October for a show at the O2. Ahead of the gig, the band’s guitarist and vocalist Abdallah Ag Alhoussenyni popped into Sheffield Live! for a half-hour Tinariwen radio special. Joshua Nem and Ouattara Houadjotany asked Abdallah about Tinariwen’s philosophy, their new album ‘Imidiwan’ and their show at the O2 Academy Sheffield.

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Tinariwen : Official website

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Tommy Reilly was the  winner of Channel 4’s ‘Orange unsignedAct’ competition was in Sheffield on 19th October for his show at the O2. Emma Cleave caught up with Tommy ahead of the gig and asked him about his music, his new life and his UK tour.

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Tommy Reilly: Official website

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Tune in to ‘Talking Balls’ with Adam, Danny and James this evening at 6pm for a chance to win a years supply of Lucozade! As part of Get Moving Week, we have teamed up with Lucozade Energy Cherry to offer one lucky listener the chance to win a years supply of the drink, providing you with the energy to do more.

Get Moving is a week of physical activity events in October (3 to 11 October 2009) which bring people together to challenge stigma and discrimination and promote the benefits of being active for mental wellbeing.

Get moving week encourages the public to do something energetic for at least an hour a week, and the new cherry flavoured Lucozade Energy is perfect to enjoy alongside any kind of fun activity.