Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Aug 8

Prepping for a week in Canterbury, workshopping "The Unstoppable Letty Pegg - the musical" with @nymt.org.uk... the dream is coming true! We have an amazing young company, director, choreographer, MD and more in the room - plus a Q&A with Letty's book-mum @iszi.com.

Get ready for LONDON CHAOS!

A copy of "The Unstoppable Letty Pegg" and sheet music for one of the songs I've written for the show with James Hughes

2 4

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Aug 4

ncredible scenes!

I applied a second (final) time for a DYCP grant from @artscouncilengland.bsky.social and... I got it!

From September, I'm developing my bookwriting skills for youth companies & coming up with new ideas for British Musicals to nurture towards production over the coming years 🙌

1 1 8

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Jul 26

So so glad my one woman PR campaign for Ride is working out 😝😝😝

1

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Jul 23

Digging into the Science Museum archive today, and found this: an original notebook of Hertha Ayrton’s research into fans 🪭

Also found a Suffragette Society letterhead being used as a bookmark in a science journal 😝💪🔥

Hertha Ayrton Fan Club assemble! We have some big things coming soon…

3

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Jun 5

Oh dear! I managed to tag @iszio.bsky.social instead of @iszi.com... apologies to both!

1

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Jun 5

Throw back to June 2023 when we sent "Unstoppable" from The Unstoppable Letty Pegg into the Stiles+Drewe Best New Song Prize... and Sienna Aurora Clarke sang it in the final concert! 💁‍♀️ 🥋 💪

Now we're about to workshop the rest of the show based on @iszio.bsky.social's book with @nymt.org.uk 🤯 🤩 😲

1 1 2

Reposted by Helen Arney

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · Jun 4

What a night #PintOfScience was on 20 May! @neilgostling.bsky.social shattered dodo myths with science & wit, then @helenarney.bsky.social stole the show with songs, smarts & a ukulele.

Extinct birds + geek comedy = a Tuesday treat. Thanks for the laughs, facts & full house! @pintofscience.uk

3 11

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Jun 3

You are the kindest. It is a story that NEEDS to be told!

1

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Jun 3

Kid's publishing people, and adjacents!

I've written a draft of a kids picture book text in a genre I'm calling GIANT SQUID MAGICAL REALISM.

My 4 year old and 8 year old like it, but does anyone want to have a look at it?

🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑 🦑

Screengrab of first page of a picture book text called "HELP! I'm trapped inside a squid!" with a cartoon squid creeping across the top of the page.

4 9

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · May 11

Not yet! Though several BBC producers have had the same idea it seems… 2 months I made a (shorter, more selective) rare earth version of the same song for More Or Less with Tim Harford :) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

More or Less - Defence Spending, Rare Earths and Trunk Truths - BBC Sounds

The numbers behind Ukraine’s rare earth worth and the UK’s defence spending ambitions.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Reposted by Helen Arney

James Topham @jamestopham.bsky.social · May 8

IT’S FUN TO STAY AT THE

5 32 130

Reposted by Helen Arney

Brian Mackenwells @mackenwells.bsky.social · May 8

If you're in Southampton at the end of the month, you should go to The Stage Door and hear them sing some of the songs from @firebrigademusical.bsky.social (the musical I'm writing with @jennipinnock.com and @helenarney.bsky.social !)

thestagedoor.org.uk/product.php/...

A poster showing a woman singing. It's for an event called 'Showtime', on the 24th of May at the Stage Door in Southampton.

2

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Apr 28

Happy Birthday Hertha Ayrton! Physicist, inventor, science communicator, social activist and founder of the Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade:

youtube.com/watch?v=lkiU...

The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade - Birmingham Hippodrome New Musicals Showcase

YouTube video by Birmingham Hippodrome

youtube.com

1 1

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Apr 15

A rare solo show from me, doubling up with an even rare dodo expert… what a team!

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · Apr 14

🧪 Science... 🦤 Dodos.... 🎶 Ukuleles!

We're back at Pint of Science again on Tues 20 May, 6 - 8pm: @neilgostling.bsky.social reveals the dodo’s wild side, then @helenarney.bsky.social hits you with sharp wit & science songs.

Expect surprises, LOLs & maybe singalongs. 🍻

Book here: bit.ly/3G3hGIH

1 5

Reposted by Helen Arney

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · Apr 14

🧪 Science... 🦤 Dodos.... 🎶 Ukuleles!

We're back at Pint of Science again on Tues 20 May, 6 - 8pm: @neilgostling.bsky.social reveals the dodo’s wild side, then @helenarney.bsky.social hits you with sharp wit & science songs.

Expect surprises, LOLs & maybe singalongs. 🍻

Book here: bit.ly/3G3hGIH

2 10 26

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Apr 12

Was a pleasure to bring it to the party!

Reposted by Helen Arney

Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · Apr 9

Check out the updated version we helped produce in 2019 with @helenarney.bsky.social, the Waterbeach Brass Band and chemists from around the world!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDY...
#ChemSky #ScienceSky #MusicSky

1 6 21

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Apr 9

Happy Tom Lehrer Day to everyone!

Especially to Tom Lehrer ⚗️🧪🎹

youtu.be/hzvVLK9Y048

Tom Lehrer's Elements, Live! - from You Can't Polish A Nerd, out now on DVD and download

YouTube video by Helen Arney

youtu.be

5

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Apr 7

That should say Jenni, Brian and myself... but hey, I'm the only one without an ear cut off in the graphic so I think it's obvious that I'm the third in the trio :)

4

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Apr 7

Sharing brilliant news that @jennipinnock.com and @mackenwells.bsky.social are part of Lincoln Arts Centre's 2025 Innovate Artist intake!

Can't wait to work with local talent to bring @firebrigademusical.bsky.social to life here - one of our Fire Fighters is Lincoln-born Charlotte Scott! 🔥🔥🔥

1 3 9

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Mar 29

Head over here to find out what I’ve been wanging on about for a year and a half so far…

The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade @firebrigademusical.bsky.social · Mar 28

Ready for some sparks to fly? Head over to our website to watch our showcase filmed at Birmingham Hippodrome earlier this month! firebrigademusical.com/about/

1 2

Reposted by Helen Arney

The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade @firebrigademusical.bsky.social · Mar 28

Ready for some sparks to fly? Head over to our website to watch our showcase filmed at Birmingham Hippodrome earlier this month! firebrigademusical.com/about/

1 3

Reposted by Helen Arney

Jenni Pinnock @jennipinnock.com · Mar 29

The showcase recording of our fire brigade musical is here! Head to the link to see what the fabulous @helenarney.bsky.social , @mackenwells.bsky.social and I have been up to this year (aside from spending 30 minutes on single bars of music of course..)

The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade @firebrigademusical.bsky.social · Mar 28

Ready for some sparks to fly? Head over to our website to watch our showcase filmed at Birmingham Hippodrome earlier this month! firebrigademusical.com/about/

3 5

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Mar 28

It was a single 7 4 bar in my head... or some other madness... this may have been part of the problem...

1

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Mar 27

Happy World Theatre day, to anyone and everyone who feels seen by this...

Helen Arney @helenarney.bsky.social · Mar 27

Sometimes writing a musical involves spending 30 minutes on a zoom call "discussing" a single bar in a song in ever decreasing circles of madness and then adding one SINGLE WORD and the song is suddenly 3,000% better and everyone is happy (PS love you @jennipinnock.com @mackenwells.bsky.social)

2