News Update - Leisure from knowitall.ch

: Published: 16 January 2024

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Read below to enter a competition for the 11h performance on the 27th January 2024

GAOS' director of the current musical pantomime, Pinocchio, Liz Williams, played her first role for GAOS as the Blue Haired Fairy in Pinocchio in 1985. She suggested to the Committee last year that it was about time to roll out another version. 39 years later, Liz remains a Good Fairy for GAOS, elevating the best of them all, Cast and Crew, to a splendid spectacle.

For 40 years, one of Liz’s partner in crime, John Fox, has been designing and painting sets for GAOS. This is his second attempt at the pantomime Pinocchio, the last one being also in 1985. Adopting an entirely different approach, he hopes that previous errors have been corrected. If not, third time lucky?

Other members of the 1985 Production are having fun with this new one: Sue Bergomi, singer in 1985, is now responsible for making Pinocchio's nose. Cheryl Ball, spotted in children's ballet in 1985, is now in charge of... children's ballet!

The story of Pinocchio

Geppetto, an old toy maker, longs for a son of his own. With a little help from the Blue Fairy and a cheeky little cricket, his wish comes true and his puppet, Pinocchio, comes to life!

The magical puppet catches the eye of the evil showman Stromboli who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the enchanted toy. With the help of Mamma Mia and her hapless son Lampwick from the local pizzeria, will Pinocchio learn in time what it takes to be a 'real boy’?

Come and find out with Pinocchio, a traditional English Pantomime, with no strings attached!
On stage 16 children and 20 adults. Behind the scenes, around a hundred people are also working to make this show a success.

In a Panto, one of the most important aspects is the interaction between the actors and the audience. Join in the fun!

Boo and hiss the villain, cheer the hero, sing along, shout out phrases and much more!

: Published: 14 January 2024

raderadiance

Geneva Lux is a free festival of lights, organized by the Département de la sécurité et des sports de la Ville de Genève (Department of Security and Sports of the City of Geneva), will take place between 19 January and 4 February 2024.

Geneva Lux: 10 years of magic

This year's edition is unlike any other. The Geneva Lux festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary. It now boasts a true cultural dimension, featuring creations that are works in their own right, signed by renowned light artists. Some of the works are original, while others travel across Europe and stop off in the Rade de Genève, like a museum hosting a temporary exhibition.

Geneva Lux also helps to boost Geneva's appeal by encouraging people to get out and enjoy a free moment of urban poetry.

This 10th edition brings nearly thirty luminous works, a third of them never before seen in Geneva. Several astonishing performances will also brighten up your weekend evenings during the festival. And, as last year, the public can enjoy a glass of mulled wine or a cup of tea at the festival refreshment bar on Quai du Mont-Blanc.

Rade Radiance - every Friday and Saturday
Sound and light show

Every Friday and Saturday – 19h, 20h, 21h – in front of the Jardin Anglais

Immerse yourself in a magical world when Geneva Lux opens, illuminating the Jardin Anglais with a thousand lights. This daring new sound and light show transcends the limits of technology and creativity.

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A monumental screen of water rises like a veil over the lake, providing the perfect canvas for the light projections. These lights, dancing and merging with the water, give life to a majestic hologram, playing with perspectives and offering a three-dimensional visual experience.

: Published: 18 December 2023

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We wrote about Reptile Expo back in February when it was being hosted near Neuchâtel. We just found out that the exhibit of these live reptiles and friends will be set up the day after Christmas through 14 April 2024 in Sierre! And the exhibitors have kindly offered one of our readers a "pack famille" including 4 tickets! Read below to enter the competition.

The array of species that many have never seen in real life are set up in this temporary, mobile vivarium located in Sierre, at the Centre COOP Rossfeld. The museum is open daily from 10h-18h (even on Sundays).

The aim of this exhibition is to teach young and old alike to get to know these much-feared animals better, while at the same time enabling them to experience an unforgettable moment through a family-friendly, educational activity. Nowadays, it's vital to inform people and help them discover the little-known world of reptiles and their danger of extinction. "Better knowledge, better protection".

New this year!
This year, for the first time in Switzerland - and practically UNIQUE IN THE WORLD, as the only other place to find it in captivity is in a zoo in the Czech Republic - you'll be able to discover an exceptional snake that was officially discovered fairly recently in Iran (2006): the spider viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides), top photo. It has the most elaborate lure of all snakes, with a protrusion at the end of its tail that resembles a small spider, making it a formidable lure for foraging birds.

Visitors will be able to observe more than 250 animals, including 80 different species, in their natural habitat over an area of 1,200 m².

: Published: 05 October 2023

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Photo by David Floyd from Pexels

Have you ever heard the expression, "A Black Swan Event"? It signifies an unpredictable or unforeseen event, typically one with extreme consequences. The black swan theory is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a significant impact, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. The theory was developed by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

In the 16th century, the expression "black swan" was part of everyday language, referring to an impossible event, since all swans are white. Thus, looking for a black swan was as futile as going on a wild goose chase or looking for a needle in a haystack. At that time, all swans were indeed white in Europe.

The catching of black swans in Europe in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries brought the birds into contact with another aspect of European mythology: the attribution of sinister relationships between the devil and black-colored animals, such as a black cat. Black swans were considered familiar to witches and often hunted or killed by superstitious people. This may explain why black swans never established a significant presence as wild animals in Europe or North America.

Black swans do exist and you may have even seen one yourself. They originally come from Australia and Tasmania, but many parks and zoos around the world have introduced these beautiful creatures to their fauna. Here are a few places where you might see one or two!

: Published: 20 September 2023

If you've got kids that dream about becoming a fireman or you have visitors coming and you have already taken them to countless other locations, then why not visit one of these fire-fighter museums in the area?

Musée des Sapeurs-Pompiers de la Ville de Genève
1bis, rue du Stand
1204 Genève
022 418 71 81
https://mspg.ch
The history of Geneva Fire Fighters since 1840. Fire trucks and artifacts over 1,000m2 of exhibits on 3 levels. Open Wednesday and Sunday 10h-12h and 13h30-16h. Note: Closed during holidays, the end-of-year holiday, and July and August. Free entry. Click here to load their brochure.

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