The real Heather Peace

Heather Peace is in an actor/musician known for her parts in London’s Burning and Lip Service. As soon as she entered the room it was obvious that there was a massive amount of respect. We sat in silence as she was interviewed by Beverly Hancock-Smith of Leicester College.

Within the first five minutes of seeing Heather, it became very difficult to not become enamoured by her demeanour. Heather smiles a lot and is so down-to-earth that when she laughs you can’t help but laugh along with her. You imagine taking her down to your local and having a few pints like it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Obviously the subject of Heather’s sexuality came into focus a quite a bit. I was surprised at her responses: that sexuality shouldn’t matter, that she has “never been in the closet” and questioning a person’s sexual preference is crass.

Tonight I felt we saw the real Heather Peace through her history, ambitions and honesty. We were treated to three of the songs from her upcoming album Fairy Tales.

And strike me down if Heather Peace can’t belt out a note or two.

John Marr

A fairytale event

This evening, room 3.03 in De Montfort's Clephan Building filled with excited chatter at the anticipation of Heather Peace's arrival. We were not disappointed.

As soon as she set foot into the room the audience was hanging onto her every word. She oozed confidence and gave the room a relaxed atmosphere. The sound of laughter frequently echoed through the roomin repsonse to her talk.

Heather was honest about her passion for performing, the choices she made regarding her career and comments about her sexuality. I thought the way she addressed the talk about her sexuality was fantastic. She asked 'Why should anyone care?' and I completely agree. Why should her personal life be treated as the focal point of her career? She's a wonderful actress, a superb singer and an inspirational woman.

Heather sang three songs from her new album Fairytale: 'Better than you', 'Thank god for you' and 'Fairytales'. They were all sung beautifully. The album comes out this spring, so watch the shelves.

Cultural eXchanges has blown me away by offering such a genuine talk from a well-loved celebrity and all for the cost of ... nothing.

Please listen to Heather Peace; she's remarkable.

Debbie Tinsley

Peace of Mind

I'll be honest and say that I wasn't massively aware of Heather Peace. But then with shows like Lip Service and The 'L' Word under her belt, I doubt I'm really her target demographic. However I was genuinely excited to welcome her into the lecture hall and hear what she had to say (and sing).

I was utterly smitten by just how lovely a person she is. She's probably the most genuine celebrity I've ever seen. She was extremely welcoming and friendly, had plenty of jokes and stories to tell and was an absolute delight to watch. It was a very real, heart-felt interview and Q&A.

Aside from the conversation, Heather also treated us to some of her musical talent. In a word: outstanding. I'm always in awe of people who can both play the piano and sing; with her power and vocal range Heather was simply fantastic. An utterly breath-taking and intimate live performance of three songs from her upcoming album Fairy Tales. The title track is particularly worthy of praise.

It's hard to believe that the event didn't cost a penny - a real treat for hard-pressed students. An excellent event on all accounts.



Shane Curiel

Signs of a star-shaped diva

It was being a lover of all things cabaret that initially made me book to see Caroline Parker, and the little snippets of performance during the event were definitely entertaining. They are not, however, what I will remember most; I left Clephan building feeling moved and full of admiration for this performer.

Caroline Parker is deaf. Not profoundly, she stated - she can hear bits and pieces of the songs she performs, using British Sign Language and mime. But this has not once stopped her pursuing her ambition of performing with music. She is well known for her signed performances, often finding herself with bookings for various cabaret acts. But alongside this she is a comedian and actress, having appeared in programmes such as My Hero. She has also toured her own one woman show, 'Signs of a Star-Shaped Diva.'

To listen to, she was fascinating, funny and full of energy; the hour long event seemed to pass in no time. You could hear the passion for her work in every word she spoke, and her genuine desire to change the discriminatory attitudes towards performers with disabilities in the industry.

Seeing Caroline has definitely sparked an interest in signed singing for me; I'd definitely like to go and watch her at some point. But mostly, the entire event was purely inspiring and thought-provoking - she definitely seems to be somebody you could learn a lot from.





Stephanie-Louise Farrell