Looking for a start in journalism? Graduated recently? Still filling your days with whatever cheesy American drama is on E4 whilst growling at financial journalism job ads on Gumtree ? You know nothing about finance but you do want to write. We know the feeling.

Consider arts journalism. You want to gain experience writing copy, reviews and news pieces to develop a range of skills and build an interesting portfolio. Here’s a way you can get into a myriad of London events and do all that: apply for an intern position at Spoonfed Media this autumn. We’re looking for someone to work on the Spoonfed Comedy, Art, Live Music and Theatre desks reviewing events, writing news pieces and interviewing artists.

You’ll also get your pretty face on this here Spoonfed Blog along with other Spooners.

Essential info:

Spoonfed.co.uk is one of the best events site in London – covering a huge range of culture and nightlife in the city: clubbing, gigs, comedy, art, theatre and leisure.

The site offers previews of thousands of events as well as news, features, reviews, artist profiles and roaming features like our iPhone Event Radar. We are looking for exceptional candidates to spend 3 months at the friendly Spoonfed offices in Angel.

The Internship

Your time will be spent learning varied skills, including writing concise, accurate event descriptions; chasing event information; profiling and interviewing artists, promoters, comedians and interesting London folk; reviewing shows; plus marketing through social networks and traditional media. During the 3 months, we’ll provide a structured, supportive environment where you can learn a broad range of skills. There are weekly seminars on topics like copy writing, community management and search engine strategy. But by far the greatest learning experience is practical – you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of online publishing and leave us with an insider’s knowledge of web journalism and commerce.

Though our internships are unpaid, we do provide a travel allowance and ensure your time with us is meaningful experience complete with training – we give graduates of the scheme every support in building their portfolio and finding future work.

Our internship placements are offered in line with the Internship Charter produced by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for someone who is self-motivated and very enthusiastic. You’ll need to be up for going to all kinds of events from poetry slams to opera and every teeny fringe show inbetween. You also need to be able to work quickly and learn fast.

Please apply for Theatre, Art and Comedy internships by  September 13th by sending your CV, a covering letter and an example of your work to contribute@spoonfed.co.uk

If you would like to apply for an internship on our Live Music desk you have until 27th September. Hop to it.

So you’ve met a nice girl/boy, you’ve swapped numbers and you want to arrange a date, but where are you going to take them? All the traditional dating ideas like “drinks”, “dinner” or “watching a film” seem so cliched and you want to impress, but if you’re a music lover then you’re in luck. We’ve scoured the city – with the help from our friends at Tastebuds.fm – to drum up some dating ideas with a difference.

1. British Music Experience at The O2

This is an absolute must see for anyone who considers themselves a music lover. The exhibition looks at how popular music has influenced Britain’s culture over the last 70 years, but is also invitingly hands on.  If you’re a budding musician you’ll love the Gibson Interactive Studio where Blur themselves will teach you how to play the epic Song 2 (alright it’s a video, but still!) And if you’re already sufficiently talented when it comes to making sweet, sweet music, why not challenge your date to jam?

2. 100 Club

If you fancy something a little more central, head to the 100 Club on Oxford Street. This historic music venue will celebrate its 68th birthday this year, having been everything from a 40’s swing club to host of the very first International Punk Festival. With decor unchanged since the 70’s, we’re not saying it’s going to be glam, but as a music lover in London it’s a rite of passage that everyone should experience at least once.

3. Musical Bingo

Held in cool new Shoreditch venue, Concrete, music bingo is definitely not for grannies. Forget numbers – they do things differently in E2. Your bingo card holds a list of songs, which you have to identify from the tracks played by the DJ. Once you have a full house, get onto the dance floor to claim your prize. This is not just a great date for music lovers, but foodies too. Kill two birds with one stone by popping in to Concrete’s upstairs neighbour, Pizza East. They serve delicious pizzas at reasonable prices, but make sure you choose one with a tomato sauce or you’ll be disappointed.

4. Royal Albert Hall

If you’re a music lover – but not the beer swilling, head banging type – then consider something a little more sophisticated and head down to the Royal Albert Hall for a proper concert. If you happen to visit over the summer months you may even be lucky enough to catch the BBC Proms. If you want something a little lighter, check out their free lunchtime jazz concerts for a bite-sized date.

5. Karaoke with a twist

Oh no, I hear you say, oh no, no, no, no, no, no. I am not going to do karaoke in front of my date who I want to impress; this is not a date for a music lover. Well actually, it just might be. KaraUke is karaoke with a twist. Rather than wailing Total Eclipse of The Heart along to a slightly out of tune backing track, at KaraUke you’ll be played in by your very own ukulele band, instantly transforming karaoke from Harakiri to something far more enjoyable, fun even. Who knows, if it goes well you may even end the night with a duet.

Liked these ideas? Head over to Tastebuds.fm, a new dating service for music fans, and find that special someone to rock out on a ukulele with!

We managed to sneak outside today for a little al fresco Cake Thursday action. Good spread for the team – except the Jaffa Cakes – Eugh!

Whatever one’s views about the gradual transformation of Spitalfields Market and its surrounding streets, there’s one indisputable upside. And that is the fact that, if you happen to find yourself around there at lunch-time, there’s an almost infinite variety of places to eat. As an indecisive sort however, the sheer number of options available is faintly intimidating – lucky then that I’ve already arranged to visit the latest instalment of small pizza group Fire & Stone. At least that’s one decision out of the way.

Fire & Stone’s schtick is that the pizza menu is arranged by global location – so there’s sections entitled Asia, Europe, Africa, Australasia and The Americas. Each section then has five or six cities available, each with a vast array of ingredients involved: like Koh Samui – which features Thai yellow coconut curry sauce, roast sweet potato, shallots, mozzarella, red chilli, mangetout, baby sweetcorn, basil and toasted sesame seeds – or Sydney, comprising smoked bacon, egg, ham, mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil and chives. Oh god, more decisions!

But before we even get there, it’s starter time. We opt for pitta bread with a selection of dips (feta and red pepper, black olive tapenade, tzatzki) and calamari. Both are really nice – light and zingy, and a good introduction to the lunch ahead. Other options include chorizo, bruschetta and the like, and with prices ranging from £2.95 for garlic pizza bread to £7.45 for a full sharing antipasti platter, it’s all perfectly reasonable.

On to the pizzas then, and at around the £8 mark these too are well priced. One minor criticism of the menu here is that, even though there are loads of options for vegetarians, a lack of distinctive mark (combined with quite lengthy descriptions for each pizza) makes things a tiny bit tricky. For those who don’t feel like pizza (what’s wrong with you!) there’s a decent selection of pasta and salad dishes (Caesar salad and Nicoise, bolognaise and that sort of thing). But we opt for pizza. My lunching companion pays a trip to Melbourne with one featuring butternut squash, red onions, brie, mozzarella and toasted pumpkin seeds, whilst I pop across to Athens with red pepper sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, feta, pesto and pine nuts.

Both are delicious – crisp of base and loaded with fresh, tasty and innovatively combined ingredients. The Melbourne was a tad sweet for my tastes (but I’ve never been a fan of the vogue for caramelising everything) and the Athena a mite underseasoned, but really I’m nit-picking. These are great pizzas, and unlike I’ve had anywhere else. My companion, having worked in a Pizza Express for years and therefore something of an expert on such matters, declared herself an instant convert too.

Unfortunately by this stage we’re both far too full to sample dessert, although the people at the adjoining table had some kind of ice cream and waffle extravaganza, which looked pretty darned good. We sat outside in the market bit, where you can see the chefs doing their thing, but inside is nice too: modern, clean, quirky and comfortable – with pleasantly off-kilter lighting, and a calmly relaxing atmosphere. With a decent wine-list as well as cocktails and smoothies, this is actually somewhere you can imagine settling into for the afternoon.

There also seems to be a lunchtime offer taking place from Monday to Wednesday with pizzas for £4.95. This is ludicrous value for pizzas this nice – get down there before they see sense!

www.fireandstone.com

From the title, you’d be forgiven for thinking of black people in chains on plantations run by fat white men hundreds of years ago. But contrary to our general perceptions of slavery, Gabriel Range’s film I Am Slave is a stark reminder of the human consequences of modern domestic slavery.  Cleverly framed excellently cast, and hauntingly incisive, this is a film I haven’t been able to stop think about for 5 weeks and counting.  Courtesy of BAFTA, I sat in on a screening and Q+A at Princess Anne Theatre with director Gabriel Range (Death of a President), lead actress Wunmi Mosaku and producer Andrea Calderwood.

After a raid on her village in the Nuba mountains, 12-year-old Malia finds herself in the service of a wealthy Arab family in Khartoum After one too many innocent transgressions of youth, she is shipped her off to London where she finds herself trapped behind the net curtains of a suburban prison.

Range’s consistent subtle frames and Mosaku’s quiet presence which fixates her audience, creates an onslaught of harsh, necessary contrasts. From Malia’s dank cupboard of a room, we move with her as she is drawn to windows whenever she’s offered the luxury of natural light. Shot entirely with handheld cameras that seems to breathe with Malia. Range has his audience on edge as he presents her controlled interaction within the world of her employers and her desperation when she gets tauntingly close to breaking free.

Based on the true story of Mende Nazer, who escaped slavery in 2000, Jeremy Brock writer of The Last King of Scotland, avoids the “worthy” label with a sparse script. As Wumni mentioned, Malia doesn’t have many lines. Her personality is shut down and her speech controlled. This only makes Mosaku’s ability to covey her warmth even more impressive.

Through comforting non-linear storytelling, Malia uses memory to sustain her in London. She reminds us that amidst this fast city awash with arts, fuelling progress, there are those who are forced to be here.

I Am Slave is on Channel 4 on Monday 30th August

The lovely Jamal models angel slices and bakewell tarts inside our new office. What you can’t see in this photo are the Yum Yums – they were the best ever!

Ah Hush. I remember coming here basically all the time when it first opened. When most people of my age would sneak nervously into the nearest Sam Smith’s pub and try their luck with a half pint of lager, my chums and I used to stroll brazenly into super-snazzy Hush, tucked away in Lancashire Court, just off Bond Street, and gorge on lobster, chips and d’Arenberg’s GSM. Oh what frightful little brats we must have been.

Anyway, ten years on I’m back at Hush to see what’s changed – in a way quite a lot, and also kind of nothing at all. The downstairs restaurant section has had a major overhaul: now light and airy, with soft creams, and artfully distressed mirroring, it’s a pleasant contrast to the more atmospheric upstairs bar and the comfy cushioned cubby-hole where I spent many a formative afternoon.

But, pleasantly, Hush is still the same. It still has that slightly aspirational snazziness – it’s the kind of place that reasonably cool thirty-somethings go when they’ve got cash and want to look stylish whilst supping some nice drinks. I think it’s part-owned by Roger Moore’s son – and if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.

But we’re not here to reminisce about old times; we’re here to sample the food. Sitting outside on a pleasant summer’s eve – the courtyard is abuzz with youngish, richish, coolish types – it’s clear why Hush continues to be so successful: whether you want a full restaurant meal, a bit of a snack or just a few drinks, it pretty much has all bases covered.

After some bread with great olive oil and some plump tasty olives, it’s starter time. My companion has gratin of maccaroni cheese (£7.50), which comes in a cute little copper saucepan and is apparently delicious. I opt – I don’t know why – for roast cabbage with saffron and black truffle (£7.50), and it’s not quite what I expected. I think I was envisioning something like they do in Fratelli Fresh in Sydney – all shredded and oily – whereas this cabbage is simply cut into two intimidatingly large halves. It is lovely – the flavours of the saffron and truffle strong and apt – it’s just that the presentation is a little odd. It’s also pretty darned filling for a starter.

For main course, my companion goes for the chicken, leek and morel shortcrust pie, which although great, is, at £14.50 with no accompaniments at all, a wee bit steep. I have steak tartare (£16.50).   And yes, I know it’s not the best dish upon which to judge a kitchen’s prowess, but it’s great. The flavours are well balanced, the spice well judged, and the steak meltingly tender. The waiter recommends a Chilean merlot and it’s a neat match. (It’s also good to see such an extensive array of wines offered by the glass – I’m pretty certain that’s new here.)

Pretty full by this stage, we share a dainty little dessert of upside-down vanilla and lemon cheesecake with lemon sorbet. It may seem an odd flavour combo, but surprisingly it works. As does Hush in general really. I can see why people don’t like it – with main courses getting up to nearly £30, it is quite expensive, but then this is Mayfair after all. I’d happily spent a lengthy, boozy afternoon here, followed by a spot of supper as the sun goes down. Oh to be 16 again.

www.hush.co.uk

If there’s anything that’s guaranteed to get me more excited than the launch of a new drink, it’s the accompanying invitation to spend an evening sampling said new drink’s cocktail-making versatility. So imagine my barely contained sense of smug delight when I’m invited to spend an evening  sampling cocktails based around a brand new citrus-flavoured Brazilian cachaça named Salto.

Launching in the UK this year, Salto constitutes a British twist on a classic Brazilian spirit. Cachaça is made from fermented sugarcane and usually clocks in at around 40%, but Salto aims to be light and refreshing, and as such is a very moderate 24% – this, combined with the zingy citric elements, makes Salto an ideal summer-time thirst-quencher.

Having said that though, there are two things worthy of mention. The first is that, as I write, the British summer seems to have all but capitulated to bully boy autumn. And the second is that, despite its light, zesty nature, I personally found it a little overwhelming when drunk neat, even with lots of ice.

But that, you’ll be delighted to know, is why we’re at Hush in Mayfair, where the bartender folk have come up with a selection of cocktails all based around Salto. There’s six in total, and I’m pretty certain we tried them all, but then these things can be tough to remember. My favourite I think is the Salto Emotion, designed by Guillaume – the goji liqueur, cassis and vanilla neatly cut through by Salto’s citrus energy. I also really like Boris’ Strawberry and Basil Caipirinha, Jorge’s Exotic Lemon and Slavko’s Brazil Daiquiri – given that it consists simply of Salto, fresh lime juice and gomme syrup, I reckon even I could make that. A cocktail-making afternoon in the Spoonfed garden is beckoning…

www.saltobrazil.com

Last year around this time we asked for your help in supporting our bid to reach the SXSW festival in Texas and thanks to your brilliant support, we made it there. SXSW is a massive annual event that combines the best of new technology, music and film into a three part conference/festival, which really lets Spoonfed Media shine on the international stage.

This year, we’re going to ask for your help again as we’ve prepared three brand new panels to present at SXSW 2011 and we really want your support.

To help us reach SXSW 2011 you’ll need to sign up at the SXSW 2011 Panel Picker site and visit each of our three panel submissions to give them the thumbs up and leave a comment if you’d like.

Here are the 3 panels we’re putting forward this year:

Baby, You Can Drive My Development: Customer-driven Development

B2C vs B2B Go-To-Market Strategy Smackdown

From Town Criers to Twitter: Promoting Your Concert

Feel free to pass this on to any of your friends who might be interested (I’m sure they’ll be queuing up!)

Thanks – we’ll let you know how we do….