Latest news with #TheQuad
Korea Herald
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: ‘Concerned Others' sheds light on addiction's silent fallout
South Korea is no longer the drug-free society many believe it to be. In 2023, the number of drug-related offenses surpassed 27,000, the highest on record, with a staggering rise among teens and young adults. Korean National Police Agency data for 2018-2023 showed that over 1,400 teens were investigated for drug offenses — more than triple the number from the previous year. Additionally, a recent report from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Thursday showed that methamphetamine has been detected in wastewater from major sewage treatment plants in the country for four consecutive years. Addiction never affects just one person. The fallout ripples outward to friends, family and caregivers — to the concerned others. "Concerned Others" by Scotland-based Tortoise in a Nutshell blends delicate visuals and first-person testimony to explore the emotional toll of addiction, not just on those who use drugs, but their loved ones, too. The production, currently on show at The Quad in Seoul's Daehangno district until Sunday, premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the Made in Scotland showcase. The creative team said the work was first developed in 2022 in response to Scotland's own drug crisis. The country holds one of the highest drug-related death rates in the developed world, with 1,330 drug misuse deaths recorded in 2021. 'There is also regularly a feeling that the statistics have now become part of a yearly 'shocking news' cycle, a kind of way of the public engaging with the problem only once a year for 'as little time as possible,'' said Alex Bird, co-artistic director of the play, in an interview with The Korea Herald, on Wednesday. Wanting to do more than simply respond to headlines, the company spent six months gathering stories. They met with hundreds of people, conducting extended interviews with around 50 of them — from individuals in recovery to family members, medical professionals and outreach workers. Of the 20 hours of recorded conversations, only about 30 minutes make it into the final show, but each word carries weight. "A real priority for us in this story was simply to pass on the live testimony we captured from everyone who wanted to speak with us,' said Bird. In this intimate production, audiences peer into a delicate world built on a rotating table — a miniature landscape brought to life through a handheld camera, micro-projections, and an immersive soundscape. While the central focus is drug addiction, the play expands to consider alcoholism, a socially accepted but equally destructive form of dependency in many cultures. 'Highlighting other forms of addiction was therefore just to allow people the chance to think again about the moral structure that exists around how we understand addiction,' Bird noted. 'Similar to how Korea has been described to us whilst we're here, people still use alcohol as a way to socially treat stress. The potential for this to become a big problem is obviously high, but for some reason it's viewed as more acceptable.' Bird emphasized that 'Concerned Others' is not designed to offer solutions, but rather to create space for reflection, an emotional foothold from which to begin a conversation. 'Our one hope really is just that people have the time to consider the stories of the people whose voices you hear in the piece. We know addiction is a complicated and, for many people, deeply personal subject. But we really believe that by safely considering and imagining the topic together that we can support ourselves to find better outcomes for the millions of people who are affected.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'All American' renewed for eighth and final season
The time has come for a final huddle. On Monday, the CW announced that All American has been renewed for an eighth and final season, giving fans a chance to say goodbye to the characters they've come to love since the show premiered in 2018. "How do I condense into just a few words what would be the longest love letter to this show, the fans, the cast, crew, staff, and producers. My heart is so filled with love and gratitude for everyone who helped bring All American to life and kept it going for its historic run," said showrunner Nkechi Okoro in a statement. Okoro went on to thank executives at Warner Bros Discovery and CW for their support, as well as Brad Schwartz, Channing Dungey, Brett Paul, and Greg Berlanti for their help in bringing the All American franchise to life. "It is so hard to say goodbye to the thing that you love, but we are so excited we get to do it in the way we envisioned with this final season," Okoro continued. "Thank you to our OG and new generation cast members, our writers, crew and full staff for raising the bar every episode. Thank you to Spencer Paysinger, whose life inspired this epic journey. And thank you to everyone who not only watched the show, but took Spencer James's mantra of 'Dream Big. Stay Real' to heart and were inspired to chase their seemingly impossible dreams. We see you. We salute you. Here's to leaving it all on the field one last time." Brad Schwartz, President of The CW Network, praised the series as "one of the greatest CW shows of all time," saying it was an honor to "bring it back for one final season to give fans a chance to say a meaningful goodbye to these inspiring characters and this incredible world." "The series took bold new steps in Season 7, adding exciting new characters to the ones we already love, and viewers truly embraced it all," Schwartz added. "We cannot wait to see the emotion, heart, and magic that Nkechi Okoro Carroll and the entire cast and creative team deliver in giving this story the proper ending it deserves." Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks, said, "Since the moment All American kicked off, the audience fell in love with these characters and their heartfelt stories. Season 7 provided a rare opportunity to keep this world for the fans while introducing new characters alongside some beloved favorites. I couldn't be more thrilled to see this story continue for an eighth and final season." Dungey continued, "I know Nkechi and our very talented team of writers and executive producers will deliver something unforgettable. Thank you to Greg and Sarah at Berlanti Productions for their leadership, and to our partners at The CW for this opportunity."All American's final renewal comes a year after its spinoff, All American: Homecoming, aired its third and final season. Created in the vein of shows like A Different World and The Quad, the series followed Simone Hicks (Geffri Maya) from the flagship series to college, where she strives to reclaim her athletic aspirations of conquering tennis. Homecoming brought the HBCU experience to television and highlighting Black excellence while exploring a formative, pivotal moment in a young person's life. All American's final season will air 13 new episodes in 2026. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Huge interest' in Telford town centre eco-homes, council boss says
Work to build almost 200 new eco-homes in Telford, as part of a wider regeneration of the area, has attracted "huge interest from local people", a council leader has said.A six storey apartment block and 103 new town houses and maisonettes are being built between Telford's train station and the town and Wrekin Council leader Lee Carter said the the first phase of the Station Quarter development was on track to be completed by summer than half of the homes will be owned by the council's lettings company, Nuplace. Plans for Station Quarter were approved in 2023 and construction on the digital learning centre The Quad began later in the five-storey building was completed in September and will welcome students from Harper Adams University and Telford College this council has invested £66.5m in to the Station Quarter project, while a further £36.6m of funding has come from central government."We'll generate income from some of the business units here," said Carter."Aside from that, we'll be giving people educational opportunities, which will give them better skills and access to good jobs."It means those young people can learn in Telford, get a job in Telford and live in Telford and contribute to the economy, which will benefit us all," he added. The council said that sustainability was at the heart of its Station Quarter homes will be fully electric with no gas, and heating will be provided by a mixture of electric panel heaters and storage heaters."The state-of-the art apartment block is our first living accommodation to be built and it's already causing huge interest from local people," said Carter."People predominantly over the age of 55 want to live there and that will be completed soon."The council has said 117 properties, including all of the apartments in the block and 33 of the town houses and maisonettes will be owned and managed by Nuplace, which both builds and manages the homes they rent. An iconic red footbridge linking the train station with the shopping centre was demolished last year so the area around Station Quarter could be 48m bridge crossed over Lawn Central, which has been closed to traffic ever since.A new pedestrian crossing has been installed and ramps and steps have been built on the bank alongside the shopping centre by council hopes to have the road reopened on 21 March. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
