Created in Birmingham

Birmingham Architecture Festival is happening this weekend – their launch party is in fact tonight. Here is a small selection of CiB’s highlights/recommendations, but do be sure to read up on the programme yourself to see what other activities you could be getting up to this weekend.

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KINO 10 are showing a series of short films over the weekend at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. They’re all building related (of course) and feature shorts that explore Brutalist architecture, Urban explorers, the invasion of New York City by Space Invaders, MACE footage of Birmingham in the 1970s, and Billboard artists, amongst others.

On Saturday, KINO 10 are showing an exclusive intimate screening of ‘one of the best documentaries of the last decade’, You’ve Been Trumped, at 6/8 Kafé at 7.45pm.

Funny, inspiring and heart-breaking, the film brings to light the appalling way Trump abused the residents of the estate, destroyed an ecosystem and broke promises he never intended to keep.

KINO 10 have some special events coming up over the next few months, so keep an eye out for them – you’ll probably hear first on their twitter.

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Still Walking have a Material World Tour on Monday at 3pm

I went on two of Ben’s walks as part of Flatpack festival and loved them both, and I absolutely recommend Still Walking events. Tickets are £5 – really good value.

Every inch of the town and city around us has been designed, shaped and has a job to do. Material World examines the urban fabric of Birmingham to tell the story of the city, its natural resources and changing building methods, and provides a fascinating insight into the movement of valuable material around the world.

Worth noting, Still Walking are having a microfestival the weekend after this one, Friday 31st May – 2nd June.

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Pinhole Camera workshop with Matt & Pete’s Photoschool

It runs from 9.30am 5.30pm and costs £40.00. For that you get to make a camera out of a shoebox and take 10 photos which we’ll develop on-site at the Old Joint Stock theatre by Birmingham Cathedral. The photos will then be exhibited at 6/8 Kafe on Monday.

You can win a place on this – they’ve had a cancellation and the person doesn’t want a refund, so they’re giving their ticket away.

To enter, email the answer to this question to info@photo-school.co.uk  by 6pm today (Friday.)

Pinhole cameras derive from the Camera Obscura.

Where is the largest Camera Obscura in the world located?

Take a look at Matt & Pete’s Photoschool website to see what other courses they run.

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Whilst we’re here: THSH’s free interactive digital installation, Universe of Sound - The Planets starts this weekend at the Municipal Bank. They had their launch event last night (Thursday 23rd) and I’ve heard really good things about it. The team were invited along but none of us could make it – we’ll definitely be checking it out next week.

With the end of term approaching the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design will be showcasing the work of their graduates from 10th – 16th June. This is an opportunity to look for new talent or simply view a wide range of work across different disciplines.

The work is being showcased in the following disciplines Art, Visual Communication, Fashion/Textiles/3D Design, Architecture and Jewellery. Information about the shows location and times can be found through the above links or alternatively visit the website here.

Saturday 18th May – 1pm – 3:30pm

#InstaBrum is an Instagram Photomarathon, an event in which participants are given themes to photograph within certain time and post to Instagram.

Taking place on Saturday May 18th, the goal of this event is to network, have fun and spread great views of Birmingham through the web.

The starting point will be the Custard Factory, with participants given four themes to interpret and photograph within two hours before meeting at the finish line (the Bullring Bull) and heading for a drink and a chat.

More details can be found on the event’s Facebook page

Birmingham Civic Society is holding a Public Art Forum on the evening of Wednesday 15th May, to take forward the debate on the future of Public Art for Birmingham.

Birmingham Civic Society has decided to commission a new innovative work of public art to be positioned in the city centre through an open competition. The piece will be unveiled in 2018, their centenary year. This Forum will not only influence the approach and vision Birmingham Civic Society will take in commissioning this new piece of public art work, but will also allow for a wider discussion and debate about the changing status and function of public art, relating to both its relevance and relationship to a city and its residents, and the parameters of what public art can be.

Birmingham Civic Society and a panel of speakers from cultural, planning and business sectors will introduce a series of questions for discussion.

You can book a space for the event via the Birmingham Civic Society: info@birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk

More information on the Birmingham Civic Society website.

“Hit the Ode brings the most exciting poets from the region, the country and the world to the heart of Birmingham. Join us! We have poems. Poems which contain small parts, unsuitable for unsupervised play; poems scored for philharmonic orchestras and rush-hour traffic; poems with wind-up mechanisms. Good poems. Come and get them.”

The next Hit the Ode is on Thursday 16th May at The Victoria (upstairs I assume) and tickets are £5.  A very few open mic slots will be available on the door. More detailed information on their facebook page.

On 15th May, The Public are launching Ordinary/Extra/Ordinary, an exhibition curated by David Thorp, “celebrating the vitality, diversity and humour that art can embody.”

They have a number of local names you may recognise amongst their big name artists, which include; Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, Tracey Emin, David Shrigley (pictured) Martin Creed, Hugh Locke, Vivan Sundaram, Doug Fishbone and Lucy McLauchlan.

You can read their release with more information on their website.

Of course West Brom isn’t exactly in Birmingham, but close enough and interesting enough for a mention. 

Art Bus celebrates its tenth birthday this year. Organised as part of Museums at Night 2013, the free bus will visit five galleries across Birmingham during the evening of Thursday 16 May 2013.

The bus will also stop at the mac, Barber Institute, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Eastside Projects, Ikon Gallery and the RBSA Gallery.

Each gallery is open late (to 9pm) so visitors can look round several galleries in one night.

On the night there are two art buses – both starting at Ikon Gallery in Brindleyplace – each bus will visit three galleries, enabling visitors a chance to spend more time at each venue.

Spectrum is an exhibition showcasing the work of the jewellery and silversmithing world through the work of the 13 Artists in Residence (2012-2013) at the Birmingham School of Jewellery.

The exhibition gives the audience the opportunity to see the work of the current emerging and established designers within this field. Each resident has a specialist interest within their discipline which sees traditional precious materials sit alongside concrete and wood. Examples of the work by two of the residents, Christine Davies and Hannah Fewtrell-Bolton, are featured below;

The private view is on Tuesday 7th May from 6pm – 8pm and you can confirm your attendance by visiting their Facebook page. The exhibition will continue to run from 8th May – 24th May open Monday-Thursday 9am – 8pm and Fridays 9am – 5pm.