Jane Bower Actress, Writer, Speaker, Presenter, Spoken Word artist, Vocal coach, Storyteller, Artist
Welcome to my website! Please scroll down and browse to see the range of work I currently offer. Click on the blue banner above left to see different categories of my work. To book entertaining and informative talks, author visits, poetry readings, concerts, performances - see below
Radio interview here:https://www.dropbox.com/s/ldbxgz6l3elz0fk/JaneBower.mp3?dl=0
2024:
April - I was honoured to be invited to perform Kit Hesketh-Harvey's Swansong at his memorial concert in Ely Cathedral. Kit, who formed the much-loved duo Kit and the Widow with pianist Richard Sisson, died in February.
May 15th 1-2pm Changemakers - Words and Music with Revd Dr Alex Clare-Young, harpist. Included new pieces by Alex and me.
July 6th 7.30pm Transformations - An hour of thoughtful and humorous words and music with pianist Andrew Black, St. Andrew's Church, Girton. 'What a wonderful way to spend an hour' - audience member
July 24th 1-2pm I narrated, and illustrated on-screen, Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals. With Ian de Massini, organ. 'Stunning' 'Children mesmerised'
August 19th A partial repeat of the above show for the Macular Society, music and narration only (no illustrations). Suitable for visually impaired, all welcome. Downing Place Church.
Coming up in 2025:
February 17th 1-2pm Concert with Peter Britton (piano), Philippa Jones (cello) Downing Place Church
March 16th 12.45-1.15 Peter and the Wolf, live illustrations, all-age, Downing Place Church
May 14th 1-2pm Concert for Christian Aid with Alex Clare-Young (harpist) Downing Place Church
June 15th 12.45-1.15 Carnival of the Animals, live illustrations, all-age, Downing Place Church
August 18th 1-2pm Downing Place Church, all-age concert with Ian de Massini (organ) Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals, with me narrating and live-illustrating!
Reactions from audience members:
'Jane Bower, as Margery Kempe, won the audience within seconds' - review of performance of 'Cell Talk' Oxfordshire
Thank you, Jane, for your massive and much appreciated contribution to yesterday. It was a real pleasure to watch your different appearances and I’m most grateful for the quality you brought to the day. You could tell from the response of the audience: they were completely caught up in it all. It was a real triumph. Nick Warburton, Radio 4 playwright
Several verses really caught my attention. But most of all – the Canaanite Woman! I was transfixed and, before long, in tears... Prof. T. Rowland
Your own work and that of others was superbly performed and I do not think I was the only member of the audience to be moved to tears during ‘Canaanite Woman’ - absolutely captivating. Warmest congratulations on such a brilliant performance in spoken word! Every piece was perfect and I loved the piano and organ music too. Your choice of published poetry was perfect but I enjoyed even more your own compositions. Wow - you really do know how to capture a moment in time! You touched hidden corners of my heart, Jane, and I feel sure that was the case for many others in your audience. Thank you! K. Milne
I was gripped from beginning to end - not the slightest drowsiness even after a strenuous keep fit session and a busy day. Your event was a perfect fund-raising occasion. S. Porrer
Thank you so much for the fascinating account of your childhood home and the earlier occupant. It was riveting! You must have been pleased with the size of the audience. Dr. S. Jackson
I don’t know how you could manage to share that experience so eloquently and with such dignity but I am so very glad you did. It will stay with me and I just want to say thank you very much. It was perfect. Jennifer Dunn
Your concert was stunning. Thank you for the amount of time you must have spent thinking, writing and putting it all together. It worked beautifully from start to finish. H. Sanderson
What a wonderful way to spend an hour! C. Courtney
I will sign you a copy of my book, Thread and Thrum with your choice of dedication (see image above; joint runner-up in the Eyelands International Book Awards 2021) in aid of the Macular Society. Please contact me with your postal address at the email address below. £9.00 plus P&P.
Order my winning T shirt design in aid of the Marine Conservation Society here:
https://mcsshop.org.uk/product/turtles-t-shirt/
My song How Far Away is Heaven? featured in the service at Downing Place URC, Cambridge on 26.6.22.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hCAiK3jtLg (My talk on the song starts at 30.38 and the song at 39.35)
December 2021:
1.Winner of the Jeremy Lewis Memorial Prize for a piece of writing about the past
2.THREAD AND THRUM MAKES THE FINAL THREE IN THE EYELANDS INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS See cover images above.Thread and Thrum is an exciting and imaginative novel for age 7 to adult, designed to be read to classes, read alone, or in book groups. Includes discussion points. Superbly illustrated by my father Len (whose original training was in book illustration). 30% goes to the Macular Society, as macular degeneration robbed Dad of his sight. In memory of Dad, who died January 4th 2021.
'Thread and thrum' means the good and the bad together - which will triumph?
To book an author visit, see contact information below.
Talks, author visits, readings, virtual or real
See the true story of my grandfather's rescue by the enemy, told here
for children: https://youtu.be/uQWp_nupAIc
Scroll down for the full show for age 11 and above, Daddy's Diaries.
July 2020 - winner of the national Christian Aid Poetry competition. My winning poems also featured regularly in The Oldie magazine.
See me in action: Here is a short video of my own story Mrs. Wrinklefinger's Ring, which was broadcast on BBC's Playschool in 1983. Recorded 2015 for Epic Tales (epictales.co.uk) by founder Chip Colquhoun.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F26is9ma8WCEAshmAPRdMuj9TbBBTCZB/view?usp=sharing
Solo shows:
Owed to Joyce See poster top left
My solo show on the life and work of Joyce Grenfell.
'A finely judged, mellifluous performance, thrilling to watch!' - audience member
Radio interview : https://cambridge105.co.uk/leigh-chambers-01-04-2019/
Daddy's Diaries is the true story of my father's journey through war to peace, with his original clarinet and piano recordings, and slides throughout. Humorous, poignant, with unexpected twists. Suitable for Y6 to adult.
'I sat riveted throughout your wonderful performance - everything worked - I was gripped' - email from audience member
In honour of my father's100th birthday in 2020, and in memory of him (5.6.1920 - 4.1.2021) the full show is on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/bLJ3xy7UPVA
The play has toured since 2015 and was chosen for an Arts Council grant for performances in Cambridgeshire Libraries.
Daddy's Diaries has now been professionally filmed and is available as a DVD, price £10 plus postage. This is a non-profit-making venture, with 20% of takings going to the charity War Child (https://www.warchild.org.uk). The sealed case includes photos and explanatory notes. To buy, please contact me.
SEE TV FOOTAGE HERE: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i3e3h4xda6cpegp/Daddy%27s%20Diaries.mp4?dl=0
Radio interview: Leigh Chambers: Writer and Performer Jane Bower (cambridge105.co.uk)
SEE UNDER 'SHOWS' (on the blue banner above left) FOR FURTHER SHOWS, REVIEWS AND PHOTOS
Talks
Sandstone in my Blood - Ashwood, the first villa in Headingley, Leeds, which was my childhood home and that of Britain's worst Poet Laureate, Alfred Austin See above for next talk via Zoom on May 10th
Ruth, Joyce, Maureen and Me (or Maureen Lipman's handbag) - How I came to write a play for Maureen Lipman and perform it with her on World Cup night
Thread and Thrum - the forty year story - the strange background to my latest book, and its remarkable illustrator, with readings
See under SHOWS for further talks offered
My work as a specialist teacher of the arts
To access hundreds of my magazine articles on practical primary art, drama, history, dance, storytelling and other aspects of the arts, visit https://resource-bank.scholastic.co.uk/ and enter 'Jane Bower' in the search box.
Heartfelt thanks to the 616 establishments both here and abroad (India, UAE, Armenia) for which I worked for forty years (455 primary schools, 21 churches, 5 libraries, 17 publishers, 3 TV companies, 5 theatres, 4 tourist attractions, 21 clubs and groups, 13 colleges, 2 museums, 14 private houses, 3 recording studios, 7 secondary schools, 5 village halls, 4 hospitals/care homes, 2 galleries, 35 other educational companies). You provided me with a wonderfully varied freelance career!
Contact
Please note: Having completed forty years as a primary specialist I am now retired from teaching in schools, and as associate lecturer in primary art, drama and history at the Faculty of Education. I do, however, retain my keen interest in performance, speaking, writing, singing, vocal delivery, art, drama, dance, acting and storytelling.
To make a booking for a show, concert or talk, discuss your needs or any queries, please contact me.
[email protected]
I look forward to working with you!
