Innovative BSL book for children published in Welsh

Arts & Culture, Books

Amara and Manon Steffan Ros (Photo: Geraint Ros)
Amara, a new book for children under 7 years old is the first of its kind to be published in Welsh and BSL – introducing two new ethnic minority characters, one of them being deaf.
The book, which was published on 31 March, is the result of a project between Atebol press, The National Eisteddfod, Disability Arts Cymru and Taking Flight theatre company. It was inspired by the need for access toresources where Welsh and British Sign Language sit side by side.
According to the book’s publishers, Atebol, there is a demand for such resources for children and their families or guardians in Wales, as well as a need to promote communication between different cultures and communities
The first steps of the project came from panel talks in the Literature Tent at the Eisteddfod.
Following these, celebrated writer Manon Steffan Ros and award winning actor and director Stephanie Bailey-Scott were commissioned to hold creative workshops with deaf and hard of hearing children and young people with Taking Flight theatre in order to create a collection of stories.

Representation
Jac Jones shared: “This is an important book. It was a pleasure to be part of it.”
The book is full of beautiful pictures by the iconic children’s books artist Jac Jones, telling a story about thefriendship between two girls.
Femi is shy and keeps to herself, away from the excited children in the park. But the confidence of a colourful, smiling girl called Amara manages to draw her out of her shell.
Femi is amazed at her new friend’s amazing powers, and her ability to communicate through BSL.
Amara – the innovative BSL book from Atebol
A BSL video has been made to accompany this groundbreaking book. Any reader whether a child, parentor guardian can have access to it by scanning a QR code on the back of the book.
Stephanie Bailey-Scott from Taking Flight theatre translated the story into BSL for the film. She shared:“I’ve loved being a part of the project, especially for the deaf representation it will open up to Welsh speaking young people, Deaf AND hearing.
“From the workshop with Manon Steffan Ros with our Youth Theatre for Deaf and hard of hearing people, to now, it’s been a wonderful journey.
“Having BSL and Welsh together within Amara is something to be celebrated!”

Lack of knowledge
There’s still a lack of knowledge of BSL according to Elen Elis, Artistic Director at Wales National Eisteddfod and the person who had the original video for Amara.
She said: “It has been an interesting personal journey for me as I learnt more specifically about the lack ofunderstanding that exists of BSL. We started to discuss to see how we at the Eisteddfod could start making adifference and contribute towards transforming things.
“There’s a lot of excitement that this will pave the way for others to follow in our footsteps.”
Manon Steffan Ros (Photo: Geraint Ros)
Meanwhile, Manon Steffan Ros shared: “Working on Amara has been a complete pleasure and an education for me as well.
“The process which has been a long one and has included individuals and groups who were willing to give time and energy to help me get this story right and I appreciate that so much.
“It was a pleasure to work with Jac Jones and I’m very proud of this warm and lovely story.”
The book’s editor Sioned Erin Hughs explained on behalf of Atebol: “The process of co-ordinating Amarahas been great. I want to hold these characters tight.
“They are kind and curious and they care for one another. There are quiet lessons here on how easy it is to veer towards kindness and that celebrating out differences should feel like the most natural thing in the world.”
You can buy a copy of Amara online or in all good book stores.

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1,900+ Scientists Write Letter In ‘SOS’ Over Trump’s Attacks On Science

Science and Health

“Members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine warned Americans of ‘real danger in this moment’””More than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter warning Americans about the “danger” of the Trump administration’s attacks on science.

The letter comes amid the administration’s relentless assault on US scientific institutions which has included threats to private universities, federal grant cancelations and ideological funding reviews, mass government layoffs, resignations and censorship.

“We see real danger in this moment,” the letter states. “We hold diverse political beliefs, but we are united as researchers in wanting to protect independent scientific inquiry. We are sending this SOS to sound a clear warning: the nation’s scientific enterprise is being decimated.”

The National Academies of Sciences was established by an act of Congress in 1863, during Abraham Lincoln’s administration.”

Jessica Glenza reports for the Guardian March 31, 2025.

Babe at 30: why this much-loved film is one of the best cinematic translations of a children’s book

Arts & Culture, Books

This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful story of a piglet who saves his bacon through intelligence, kindness and hard work.

Babe becomes the trusted ally of both farmer and farmyard animals and, like so many Hollywood heroes before and since, he refuses to stay in his lane.

It’s a film which, on paper, really shouldn’t work and which sounds alarm bells to any self-respecting children’s literature scholar like me. It takes an expertly crafted English children’s book with tasteful black-and-white illustrations – Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep Pig (1983) – and turns it into an all-singing, all-dancing technicolour extravaganza.

Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

The film inserts new episodes and characters – an evil cat, a plucky duck and (most alarmingly) a brace of brattish kids. And it replaces a perfectly good, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin book title with the cutesy moniker of the piglet star.

Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep Pig on which Babe is based.
PA / Alamy

It shouldn’t work … but it really, really does. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the most successful film adaptations of a children’s book of all time.

It met with both commercial and critical success, making over US$254 million at the box office and being nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards, one of which it secured for visual effects.

So, what exactly is so special about Babe? It was one of the first films which, thanks to the then-cutting edge combination of animatronics and visual effects, delivered convincing talking animals who, endowed with the gift of speech, could themselves “look like movie stars”. But with all the jaw-dropping technological advances of the last 30 years, how has this film managed to stand the test of time so well?

The answer in part is that its source material is exceptionally strong. The Sheep Pig is written with restraint and economy, but also great warmth and relish. King-Smith has immense fun, wallowing in words like the proverbial pig in muck, and putting it all to the service of a story whose core values are easy to get behind. The Sheep Pig is a soft-power parable which advocates for brains over brawn, for respectful communication and common decency.

But the excellence of a film’s bookish bedrock is no guarantee of success. Indeed, the brilliance of a book can often be something of a liability. Think of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, or any of the film and TV adaptations of Noel Streatfeild’s superb Ballet Shoes. With Babe, though, the book is catalyst rather than straitjacket, an enabling prompt which initiates a new work of equal strength and quality.

The pacing is well judged, the look of the film lush, and there are several actual laugh-out-loud moments – including the duck’s panicked realisation that “Christmas means carnage!” Above all, it’s a film with immense emotional intelligence and power.

Recognised for its visual effects, it also succeeds in large part because of the strength of its soundscape and score. There’s one scene in particular which really soars, and which takes on the elephant in the room: the human habit of eating pigs.

Babe is so shocked and upset on learning this fact from the evil cat (who else?) that he loses the will not just to win in the sheepdog trial, but to live at all. The supremely taciturn Father Hoggett must act to make amends and save his pig protégé.

In an astonishingly moving act of love, this man of few words takes the sickly and sick-at-heart pig onto his lap and sings to him. At first a gentle crooning, the farmer’s expression of care and affection soon swells to an out-and-out bellow, accompanied by a wild, caution-to-the-wind dance.

It’s difficult to imagine a more lyrically apt song than the 1977 reggae-inflected hit based on the powerful tune of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C Minor: “If I had words”, it begins. It’s a moment of huge emotional force and intensity, in which the gaping abyss of age and species difference are bridged through music and dance.

Puffin Books

James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett, here and throughout the film, is tremendous, his reserved performance a key factor in its success. The role – which he almost didn’t take because of the paucity of lines – was career-defining, and prompted personal epiphanies which flow naturally from this scene.

First, Cromwell never ate meat again. Second, he has spoken (with visible emotion) of the delivery of the film’s final pithy-but-powerful line of approbation – “That’ll do pig, that’ll do” – as a moment of communion with his father on catching sight of his own artificially aged reflection in the camera lens. “My life changed, and I owe it to a pig,” the actor concludes.

Babe is a film and an adaptation with many qualities. It’s wholesome without ever being sickly. But above all, it has an emotional force which worked on actors and audiences alike and which, 30 years later, remains undiminished.

Babe at 30: why this much-loved film is one of the best cinematic translations of a children’s book

Arts & Culture, Books

This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful story of a piglet who saves his bacon through intelligence, kindness and hard work.

Babe becomes the trusted ally of both farmer and farmyard animals and, like so many Hollywood heroes before and since, he refuses to stay in his lane.

It’s a film which, on paper, really shouldn’t work and which sounds alarm bells to any self-respecting children’s literature scholar like me. It takes an expertly crafted English children’s book with tasteful black-and-white illustrations – Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep Pig (1983) – and turns it into an all-singing, all-dancing technicolour extravaganza.

Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

The film inserts new episodes and characters – an evil cat, a plucky duck and (most alarmingly) a brace of brattish kids. And it replaces a perfectly good, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin book title with the cutesy moniker of the piglet star.

Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep Pig on which Babe is based.
PA / Alamy

It shouldn’t work … but it really, really does. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the most successful film adaptations of a children’s book of all time.

It met with both commercial and critical success, making over US$254 million at the box office and being nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards, one of which it secured for visual effects.

So, what exactly is so special about Babe? It was one of the first films which, thanks to the then-cutting edge combination of animatronics and visual effects, delivered convincing talking animals who, endowed with the gift of speech, could themselves “look like movie stars”. But with all the jaw-dropping technological advances of the last 30 years, how has this film managed to stand the test of time so well?

The answer in part is that its source material is exceptionally strong. The Sheep Pig is written with restraint and economy, but also great warmth and relish. King-Smith has immense fun, wallowing in words like the proverbial pig in muck, and putting it all to the service of a story whose core values are easy to get behind. The Sheep Pig is a soft-power parable which advocates for brains over brawn, for respectful communication and common decency.

But the excellence of a film’s bookish bedrock is no guarantee of success. Indeed, the brilliance of a book can often be something of a liability. Think of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, or any of the film and TV adaptations of Noel Streatfeild’s superb Ballet Shoes. With Babe, though, the book is catalyst rather than straitjacket, an enabling prompt which initiates a new work of equal strength and quality.

The pacing is well judged, the look of the film lush, and there are several actual laugh-out-loud moments – including the duck’s panicked realisation that “Christmas means carnage!” Above all, it’s a film with immense emotional intelligence and power.

Recognised for its visual effects, it also succeeds in large part because of the strength of its soundscape and score. There’s one scene in particular which really soars, and which takes on the elephant in the room: the human habit of eating pigs.

Babe is so shocked and upset on learning this fact from the evil cat (who else?) that he loses the will not just to win in the sheepdog trial, but to live at all. The supremely taciturn Father Hoggett must act to make amends and save his pig protégé.

In an astonishingly moving act of love, this man of few words takes the sickly and sick-at-heart pig onto his lap and sings to him. At first a gentle crooning, the farmer’s expression of care and affection soon swells to an out-and-out bellow, accompanied by a wild, caution-to-the-wind dance.

It’s difficult to imagine a more lyrically apt song than the 1977 reggae-inflected hit based on the powerful tune of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C Minor: “If I had words”, it begins. It’s a moment of huge emotional force and intensity, in which the gaping abyss of age and species difference are bridged through music and dance.

Puffin Books

James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett, here and throughout the film, is tremendous, his reserved performance a key factor in its success. The role – which he almost didn’t take because of the paucity of lines – was career-defining, and prompted personal epiphanies which flow naturally from this scene.

First, Cromwell never ate meat again. Second, he has spoken (with visible emotion) of the delivery of the film’s final pithy-but-powerful line of approbation – “That’ll do pig, that’ll do” – as a moment of communion with his father on catching sight of his own artificially aged reflection in the camera lens. “My life changed, and I owe it to a pig,” the actor concludes.

Babe is a film and an adaptation with many qualities. It’s wholesome without ever being sickly. But above all, it has an emotional force which worked on actors and audiences alike and which, 30 years later, remains undiminished.

Babe at 30: why this much-loved film is one of the best cinematic translations of a children’s book

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful story of a piglet who saves his bacon through intelligence, kindness and hard work.

Babe becomes the trusted ally of both farmer and farmyard animals and, like so many Hollywood heroes before and since, he refuses to stay in his lane.

It’s a film which, on paper, really shouldn’t work and which sounds alarm bells to any self-respecting children’s literature scholar like me. It takes an expertly crafted English children’s book with tasteful black-and-white illustrations – Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep Pig (1983) – and turns it into an all-singing, all-dancing technicolour extravaganza.

Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

The film inserts new episodes and characters – an evil cat, a plucky duck and (most alarmingly) a brace of brattish kids. And it replaces a perfectly good, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin book title with the cutesy moniker of the piglet star.

Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep Pig on which Babe is based.
PA / Alamy

It shouldn’t work … but it really, really does. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the most successful film adaptations of a children’s book of all time.

It met with both commercial and critical success, making over US$254 million at the box office and being nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards, one of which it secured for visual effects.

So, what exactly is so special about Babe? It was one of the first films which, thanks to the then-cutting edge combination of animatronics and visual effects, delivered convincing talking animals who, endowed with the gift of speech, could themselves “look like movie stars”. But with all the jaw-dropping technological advances of the last 30 years, how has this film managed to stand the test of time so well?

The answer in part is that its source material is exceptionally strong. The Sheep Pig is written with restraint and economy, but also great warmth and relish. King-Smith has immense fun, wallowing in words like the proverbial pig in muck, and putting it all to the service of a story whose core values are easy to get behind. The Sheep Pig is a soft-power parable which advocates for brains over brawn, for respectful communication and common decency.

But the excellence of a film’s bookish bedrock is no guarantee of success. Indeed, the brilliance of a book can often be something of a liability. Think of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, or any of the film and TV adaptations of Noel Streatfeild’s superb Ballet Shoes. With Babe, though, the book is catalyst rather than straitjacket, an enabling prompt which initiates a new work of equal strength and quality.

The pacing is well judged, the look of the film lush, and there are several actual laugh-out-loud moments – including the duck’s panicked realisation that “Christmas means carnage!” Above all, it’s a film with immense emotional intelligence and power.

Recognised for its visual effects, it also succeeds in large part because of the strength of its soundscape and score. There’s one scene in particular which really soars, and which takes on the elephant in the room: the human habit of eating pigs.

Babe is so shocked and upset on learning this fact from the evil cat (who else?) that he loses the will not just to win in the sheepdog trial, but to live at all. The supremely taciturn Father Hoggett must act to make amends and save his pig protégé.

In an astonishingly moving act of love, this man of few words takes the sickly and sick-at-heart pig onto his lap and sings to him. At first a gentle crooning, the farmer’s expression of care and affection soon swells to an out-and-out bellow, accompanied by a wild, caution-to-the-wind dance.

It’s difficult to imagine a more lyrically apt song than the 1977 reggae-inflected hit based on the powerful tune of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C Minor: “If I had words”, it begins. It’s a moment of huge emotional force and intensity, in which the gaping abyss of age and species difference are bridged through music and dance.

Puffin Books

James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett, here and throughout the film, is tremendous, his reserved performance a key factor in its success. The role – which he almost didn’t take because of the paucity of lines – was career-defining, and prompted personal epiphanies which flow naturally from this scene.

First, Cromwell never ate meat again. Second, he has spoken (with visible emotion) of the delivery of the film’s final pithy-but-powerful line of approbation – “That’ll do pig, that’ll do” – as a moment of communion with his father on catching sight of his own artificially aged reflection in the camera lens. “My life changed, and I owe it to a pig,” the actor concludes.

Babe is a film and an adaptation with many qualities. It’s wholesome without ever being sickly. But above all, it has an emotional force which worked on actors and audiences alike and which, 30 years later, remains undiminished.

Babe at 30: why this much-loved film is one of the best cinematic translations of a children’s book

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful story of a piglet who saves his bacon through intelligence, kindness and hard work.

Babe becomes the trusted ally of both farmer and farmyard animals and, like so many Hollywood heroes before and since, he refuses to stay in his lane.

It’s a film which, on paper, really shouldn’t work and which sounds alarm bells to any self-respecting children’s literature scholar like me. It takes an expertly crafted English children’s book with tasteful black-and-white illustrations – Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep Pig (1983) – and turns it into an all-singing, all-dancing technicolour extravaganza.

Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

The film inserts new episodes and characters – an evil cat, a plucky duck and (most alarmingly) a brace of brattish kids. And it replaces a perfectly good, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin book title with the cutesy moniker of the piglet star.

Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep Pig on which Babe is based.
PA / Alamy

It shouldn’t work … but it really, really does. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the most successful film adaptations of a children’s book of all time.

It met with both commercial and critical success, making over US$254 million at the box office and being nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards, one of which it secured for visual effects.

So, what exactly is so special about Babe? It was one of the first films which, thanks to the then-cutting edge combination of animatronics and visual effects, delivered convincing talking animals who, endowed with the gift of speech, could themselves “look like movie stars”. But with all the jaw-dropping technological advances of the last 30 years, how has this film managed to stand the test of time so well?

The answer in part is that its source material is exceptionally strong. The Sheep Pig is written with restraint and economy, but also great warmth and relish. King-Smith has immense fun, wallowing in words like the proverbial pig in muck, and putting it all to the service of a story whose core values are easy to get behind. The Sheep Pig is a soft-power parable which advocates for brains over brawn, for respectful communication and common decency.

But the excellence of a film’s bookish bedrock is no guarantee of success. Indeed, the brilliance of a book can often be something of a liability. Think of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, or any of the film and TV adaptations of Noel Streatfeild’s superb Ballet Shoes. With Babe, though, the book is catalyst rather than straitjacket, an enabling prompt which initiates a new work of equal strength and quality.

The pacing is well judged, the look of the film lush, and there are several actual laugh-out-loud moments – including the duck’s panicked realisation that “Christmas means carnage!” Above all, it’s a film with immense emotional intelligence and power.

Recognised for its visual effects, it also succeeds in large part because of the strength of its soundscape and score. There’s one scene in particular which really soars, and which takes on the elephant in the room: the human habit of eating pigs.

Babe is so shocked and upset on learning this fact from the evil cat (who else?) that he loses the will not just to win in the sheepdog trial, but to live at all. The supremely taciturn Father Hoggett must act to make amends and save his pig protégé.

In an astonishingly moving act of love, this man of few words takes the sickly and sick-at-heart pig onto his lap and sings to him. At first a gentle crooning, the farmer’s expression of care and affection soon swells to an out-and-out bellow, accompanied by a wild, caution-to-the-wind dance.

It’s difficult to imagine a more lyrically apt song than the 1977 reggae-inflected hit based on the powerful tune of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C Minor: “If I had words”, it begins. It’s a moment of huge emotional force and intensity, in which the gaping abyss of age and species difference are bridged through music and dance.

Puffin Books

James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett, here and throughout the film, is tremendous, his reserved performance a key factor in its success. The role – which he almost didn’t take because of the paucity of lines – was career-defining, and prompted personal epiphanies which flow naturally from this scene.

First, Cromwell never ate meat again. Second, he has spoken (with visible emotion) of the delivery of the film’s final pithy-but-powerful line of approbation – “That’ll do pig, that’ll do” – as a moment of communion with his father on catching sight of his own artificially aged reflection in the camera lens. “My life changed, and I owe it to a pig,” the actor concludes.

Babe is a film and an adaptation with many qualities. It’s wholesome without ever being sickly. But above all, it has an emotional force which worked on actors and audiences alike and which, 30 years later, remains undiminished.

How To Start A Million Dollar Business In A Weekend

Business News

Want to build a million-dollar business? Stop planning and start launching. While you perfect your business plan, someone with less experience is making more money because they took action. They built a basic product, found paying customers, and created momentum. All in a single weekend.

I’ve met and interviewed entrepreneurs who built seven figure businesses by testing ideas fast and doubling down on what worked. The path to a million-dollar business begins with a weekend of focused action.

You won’t hit seven figures by Monday morning. But you can build the foundation for a business that scales to that level faster than you think possible.

Why fast beats perfect in business success
The biggest business killer isn’t competition or lack of funding. It’s overthinking. Successful entrepreneurs launch before they feel ready. They put something into the market and improve it based on real customer feedback.

Waiting for the perfect moment means missing countless opportunities. Every day you spend planning, someone else spends launching and iterating. Every week you delay, potential customers find other solutions.
Technologies now exist that let you build in days what once took months. AI tools create content and designs instantly. No-code platforms let anyone build apps without programming skills. Payment processors set up in minutes. There’s no excuse. Here’s what to do.
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How to build your weekend business framework
Friday evening: Identify a profitable problem worth solving
Start with problems you understand personally. What frustrates you daily? What would you pay to fix? Pick a problem that meets three criteria: you understand it deeply, others share it, and people would pay to solve it.

Identify the simplest possible solution. Figure out the minimum viable product you could build in two days that delivers value. Zero in on that core offering and nothing else.
As the day closes out, send messages to 10 people you know or suspect have the problem your business solves. Don’t tell them your solution outright, but get feedback on what they’d be willing to pay for.

Saturday morning: Create your professional brand quickly
Develop your brand identity using Looka. For $20, you’ll get a professional-looking logo and visual identity in minutes. Buy a domain that matches your business name through any standard registrar.
Next, construct a simple website using Wordpress or Thrivecart. Both of their drag-and-drop interfaces let you create functional websites without writing code. Then you can build them, within Thrivecart itself or with a no-code tool like Bubble.io. Prioritize clear navigation and strong calls to action.
Use Claude to generate your website copy. Share information about your business concept, describe your dream customer, and watch pages of compelling messaging appear. Edit to match your voice, but let AI handle the first draft.
Saturday afternoon: Assemble your minimal viable product
Now build the simplest version of your solution. For a service, create your delivery process. For software, use AI and no-code tools to build a functional demo.
Perfection kills progress. Your goal is something you can put in front of real people by Sunday. It won’t be polished, and that’s okay. Concentrate solely on solving the core problem better than existing alternatives. That’s your only job today.
Sunday morning: Establish your customer acquisition system
Create a Typeform that says “Join the waitlist” or “Be the first to know when we launch.” Place it prominently on your website. This collects potential customer information and validates market interest.
Set up a payment processing system like Stripe. Even if you’re not selling immediately, having this ready shows you mean business.
Develop a simple email sequence that welcomes people who sign up, explains your solution, and prepares them for launch. Schedule it to send automatically when someone joins your list.
Five business models get you to a million dollars: Repeatable monthly income. Annual subscriptions, high ticket sales, high-volume-low-cost, or building up to a million dollar exit. Plan your way forward from this exact point.
Sunday afternoon: Launch, test and gather insights
Go public. Share your creation everywhere relevant. Post on social media. Tell friends who have the problem you’re solving. Probe those initial people you told about your idea. Message more people in your network who might benefit from your solution.
Your goal is feedback and validation. Talk to everyone who shows interest. Ask what they like, what they don’t, and what would make them pay for your solution. Here’s when you can build your offer to fit the demand.
Study how people interact with your website. Note where they click, where they hesitate, and where they leave. This data tells you what’s working and what needs fixing.
Watch for promising signs: people signing up, asking questions about features, or inquiring about pricing. These indicate you might be onto something worth pursuing beyond the weekend.
Turn your weekend project into a million-dollar business
Your weekend work is just the beginning. If you’ve found promising signs of market interest, double down on what works. Listen carefully to early users. Focus on generating revenue right away. Money from customers provides validation and freedom that investors never will.
Document your processes immediately. Systems let you delegate or automate tasks as you grow, so at some point you can make your business run without you.
Dreamers plan forever while doers launch imperfect businesses and improve them using real market feedback. Many successful businesses started with a burst of focused action like your weekend sprint. Start now and adapt fast. What are you waiting for?

Book festival brings authors and readers together to support Felton Primary School

Arts & Culture, Books

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowThe Little Felton Book Festival brought together book lovers, authors, and creatives for a programme of readings, discussions, and workshops.The festival, in its second year, took place from March 27-29 at Gallery45, once again using all proceeds towards enhancing the learning environment at Felton Primary School.The event opened with the Little Poetry Corner, beginning with readings from three students from the Duchess’ Community High School, followed by award-winning poets, Ali Rowland, Harry Gallagher, Linda France, Catherine Ayers, Richie McCaffery, and Tony Williams. Visitors also enjoyed author talks and book signings from authors such as AD Bergin, Tony Glover, Katharine Tiernan, Sue Reed, Bea Davenport, Kay Wilson, Kimberley Adams and Fiona Erskine, and workshops on writing and publishing provided useful advice.An author reading at The Little Felton Book Festival in Gallery45.Starting as a small idea over coffee in 2024 between three mums – Kirsty Cooper, Jan Claridge Hall, and Brianna Haddow – the festival has now grown into a celebration of books and creativity, with the ultimate goal of raising funds for the school.Jan and Kirsty commented: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in this year’s festival. The support from the authors has been outstanding, and we truly appreciate them giving their time to be part of this relatively new festival.”Their enthusiasm and generosity in sharing their work made the event such a success. We also want to thank all the visitors who came along, asked questions, bought books, and helped create such a wonderful atmosphere. We look forward to growing the festival even further next year.”This year, the Little Felton Book Festival Children’s Day will take place separately on Sunday, May 4.Continue Reading

Book festival brings authors and readers together to support Felton Primary School

Arts & Culture, Books

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowThe Little Felton Book Festival brought together book lovers, authors, and creatives for a programme of readings, discussions, and workshops.The festival, in its second year, took place from March 27-29 at Gallery45, once again using all proceeds towards enhancing the learning environment at Felton Primary School.The event opened with the Little Poetry Corner, beginning with readings from three students from the Duchess’ Community High School, followed by award-winning poets, Ali Rowland, Harry Gallagher, Linda France, Catherine Ayers, Richie McCaffery, and Tony Williams. Visitors also enjoyed author talks and book signings from authors such as AD Bergin, Tony Glover, Katharine Tiernan, Sue Reed, Bea Davenport, Kay Wilson, Kimberley Adams and Fiona Erskine, and workshops on writing and publishing provided useful advice.An author reading at The Little Felton Book Festival in Gallery45.Starting as a small idea over coffee in 2024 between three mums – Kirsty Cooper, Jan Claridge Hall, and Brianna Haddow – the festival has now grown into a celebration of books and creativity, with the ultimate goal of raising funds for the school.Jan and Kirsty commented: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in this year’s festival. The support from the authors has been outstanding, and we truly appreciate them giving their time to be part of this relatively new festival.”Their enthusiasm and generosity in sharing their work made the event such a success. We also want to thank all the visitors who came along, asked questions, bought books, and helped create such a wonderful atmosphere. We look forward to growing the festival even further next year.”This year, the Little Felton Book Festival Children’s Day will take place separately on Sunday, May 4.Continue Reading

El Paso events: Science Festival, Borderland BeerFest, Big El Paso Fair

Science and Health

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Here’s a roundup of some culture and civic events in the borderland in the coming week.El Paso Science FestivalFamilies are invited to spark curiosity and ignite a love for science during the El Paso Science Festival on Saturday-Sunday, April 5-6, at the El Paso Convention Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza. The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days and features more than 100 interactive exhibits and hands-on activities designed to engage students from pre-K to eighth grade. The festival will also include a main stage with science demonstrations every two hours and a speaker series with hourly talks from leading scientists sharing insights on discoveries and real-world challenges. Information: elpasoscience.orgBorderland BeerFest DeadBeach Brewery will host the return of Borderland BeerFest from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at 3200 Durazno Ave. The free event will showcase independent craft breweries from El Paso and throughout Texas, New Mexico and California. This year’s festival also includes more non-alcoholic offerings and a partnership with the Upper Valley Farmer’s Market, which will bring more than 30 local vendors to the site. DJs and local bands will perform. The event is open to all ages. Information: deadbeach.comStorybook Studio at UTEP’s Rubin Center Families with young children are invited to explore art, storytelling and hands-on creativity during Storybook Studio on Saturday, April 5, at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts, 720 Dawson Road. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center on the University of Texas at El Paso campus, and features a child-centered visit to the exhibition MUD+CORN+STONE+BLUE, led by UTEP art education students and faculty. Children ages 3-10 and their families can enjoy read-aloud activities focused on themes like agriculture and the environment, followed by art-making in the auditorium. Information: Rubin Center.
Big El Paso FairThe Big El Paso Fair continues to offer family-friendly fun through Sunday, April 13, at Ascarate Park, 6900 Delta Drive. The fair features amusement park rides, live entertainment and fair food. It is scheduled to be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 1 p.m. to midnight Saturday-Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online. They cost $30 for super saver wristbands, which offer unlimited access to rides, and $15 for general admission. Parking is free at Ascarate Park. Information and tickets: bigelpasofair.com
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Family Eid PartyThe Islamic Center of El Paso is hosting a family-friendly festival to celebrate Eid al-Fitr following Ramadan. Activities include laser tag, a petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting and race track. There will be dinner provided as well as a Craze frozen yogurt truck. Entrance is free and the event takes place 6-9 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the mosque’s grounds, 143 Paragon Lane. Dress code: Casual attire, though shoulders, back and chest area should be covered. Information: icelpaso.orgTexas Epilepsy Walk — El Paso Take part in the annual Texas Epilepsy Walk – El Paso from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 5, at Eastwood Park, 3110 Parkwood St. The free event begins with check-in at 8 a.m., followed by a brief presentation and a walk around the park at 9 a.m. Participants are encouraged to register individually or as part of a team and to consider donating or fundraising to support the Epilepsy Foundation Texas. Proceeds help fund local programs for individuals living with epilepsy. Information: epilepsyfoundationtexas.org or aannelus@eftx.orgThe 2024 season of Viva! El Paso opens at 8 p.m. Friday, June 21, at McKelligon Canyon. Performances are Friday and Saturday through Aug. 3.“Viva! El Paso” auditionsAspiring performers have a chance to be part of “Viva! El Paso,” the long-running outdoor musical celebrating the region’s history, with auditions scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Officer David Ortiz Recreation Center, 563 N. Carolina Drive. Actors, singers and dancers ages 16 and older are invited to audition. Singers should bring prepared music, while dancers should wear comfortable clothing for movement. Auditionees must bring a photo ID, Social Security card, headshot and performance resume. Information: 915-307-0617 or 915-276-5681.
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Coming UpThe fall FloraFest native plant sale returns Saturday, Sept. 28, to the University of Texas at El Paso campus offering a chance to support the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens while enhancing your home through the purchase of water-conserving native plants. (Photo courtesy of the University of Texas at El Paso)FloraFest at UTEP: FloraFest, El Paso’s signature native plant sale, returns from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens on the University of Texas at El Paso campus. The spring sale offers a wide variety of native and native-adapted plants — many in bloom and ideal for planting before summer heat sets in. Shoppers can seek gardening advice from local Master Gardeners and horticulturists while supporting the maintenance and operation of the gardens. Plants sold are often unavailable at local retailers and are well-suited for the region’s climate, helping conserve water and support pollinators. Information: utep.eduPublic Art Program Master Plan community meetings: The City of El Paso’s Public Art Program is updating its Master Plan, and residents are invited to help shape the future of public art across the city. The Museums and Cultural Affairs Department will host a series of open-house meetings Monday-Thursday, April 7-10, at various locations to gather input and share details about the new plan, which will guide public art development over the next decade. Community feedback collected through these events and an online questionnaire will help inform strategic decisions about how public art enhances El Paso’s cultural and visual landscape. 

All meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. at the following locations: 

Monday, April 7: Dorris Van Doren Branch Library, 551 E. Redd Road

Tuesday, April 8: Esperanza Acosta Moreno Branch Library, 12480 Pebble Hills Blvd.

Wednesday, April 9: Northgate Transfer Center at Metro 31, 9348 Diana Drive

Thursday, April 10: Sylvia A. Carreon Community Center, 709 Lomita Drive

Information: epmcad.orgEl Paso Comic Con: El Paso Comic Con returns Friday-Sunday, April 11-13, to the El Paso Convention Center with a guest list that includes Vincent D’Onofrio, known for his roles in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Daredevil,” and WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter. Actor Sean Gunn of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Gilmore Girls” is also set to appear, alongside voice actors and comic book artists. VIP passes, which include early entry, autograph line access and other perks, are $150 and available online only. General admission ranges from $25 to $80. Full event details and the Q&A panel schedule are available online. Information: elpasocomiccon.comUTEP football spring game: Fans of the University of Texas at El Paso football program can get a first look at the 2025 Miners under second-year head coach Scotty Walden during the team’s annual spring game at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 12, at Sun Bowl Stadium. The scrimmage marks the culmination of spring practices, which are otherwise closed to the public. More than 30 new players and five new coaches — including offensive and defensive coordinators Mark Cala and Bobby Daly — join 67 returners this season. A key storyline this spring is the competition at quarterback, with returning players and highly touted recruit Malachi Nelson battling for the starting role. Admission to the spring game is free.Mark Your Calendar Las Artistas Spring Show and call for artists: Las Artistas is accepting applications until Thursday, May 15, for its 55th annual Art & Fine Crafts Show, set for Nov. 15-16 at the EPIC Railyard Event Center in South El Paso. The juried show features work from painters, sculptors, mixed media artists and other fine arts professionals, attracting collectors from across the region. A $35 jury fee and five images, including a booth shot, are required. Meanwhile, the organization’s Spring Show takes place Saturday-Sunday, April 26-27, at the El Paso International Museum of Art, 1211 Montana Ave. Admission is free. Information: lasartistas.org

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