aa-rt is a “new art and contemporary craft show” taking place in the Custard Factory on the weekend of the 24-25th March with a private view on the 23rd.
If you are looking for an original piece of artwork, a unique wedding gift or a specially commissioned present, aa-rt ’07 will have it all. The disciplines being represented at the exhibition will include photography, painting, ceramics, glass, textiles, fashion, lighting, furniture and much more.
aa-rt will be showcasing the best new artists and makers giving you the opportunity to exhibit and sell directly to the general public, galleries, buyers and industry specialists.
I get the impression (and I may be wrong) that the people behind this are not part of the Birmingham art scene as they’re looking to make more contacts in that area so the work on display should be somewhat different to the norm (if there is a norm). 47 artists are displaying and details can be found at that link.
Tickets for the show are £3.00 (£2.50 adv) and the private view is free for gallery owners, publishers, commercial buyers and members of the press. For more info email info@aa-rt.co.uk or see this page for contact details.
Media consultant Antonio Gould is intrigued about Co-working spaces and how they might benefit Birmingham.
The idea is to create a flexible working space which can be hired out whenever necessary but more importantly to create a social space and sense of community around the space. As the post put it (sort of) “Part cubicle, part coffee shopâ€.
I think this is exactly the kind of space we need in Birmingham City Centre and / or in Eastside. I’d use it. It fits exactly into a lot of what I think Glenn Howells was trying to say about the importance of dialogue to the development of the creative industries at the Eastside Dialogues last year.
This “sense of community” is what makes the concept interesting. As the creative quarter in Eastside develops it will probably be made up in part by autonomous people who are not directly tied to offices or businesses. While there have always been “virtual office” services for this type of worker it’s hard to develop an environment where ideas can be shared in a working environment (as opposed to, say, the pub).
There’s a good article about this in Business Week which, though it has an American bias, doesn’t seem unreasonable for this country. Make sure you check the slideshow which shows the range of environments the concept covers, from cybercafe-style booths to open plan lounges. Interestingly none of it seems radically original – a number of them look like university libraries. The main difference seems to be you rent the space which presumably ensures a serious working environment while retaining the random nature of a cafe.
While at the very early stages there are already moves to establish a co-working space in Birmingham. You can register your interest here and debate the issue on Antonio’s blog.
Moseley has always had a reputation for having a vibrant creative community and the Moseley Community Development Trust have put together Made in Moseley, a directory of local creatives and businesses across a wide range of categories. As well as being online it’s also available as a small booklet which I picked up in the Central Library. Copies are also available from the CDT offices (next to the Post Office on Alcester Road) or by calling 0121 704 0820.
The guide is part of a general push to promote the Moseley Creative Village and there are regular Creative Forum meetings, the next being on May 24th.
A regular selection of photos from the Birmingham Flickr community.
Matt Murtagh
Photo-Gedden
Matt Fairview
Mike Warren
All copyright as applies.
To suggest photos for inclusion in this feature add them to this thread or leave a link in the comments.
Fused Magazine has three articles online profiling recent Fashion Graduates from UCE: Janine McGaff, Kat James and Sian Dawkins.
Women & Theatre are doing two free performances of The Cervical Monologues at The Hub, 318 Vicarage Road, Kings Heath on March 8th.
Researched with a wide range of patients & health professionals, The Cervical Monologues explores issues such as life, love, sex & sexuality, as well as demystifying the screening process through the sharing of stories and experiences of real people. The play has been devised to be equally effective for both health professionals’ training and health promotion in the community, as well as being an entertaining and thought provoking piece of theatre.
Performances are at 2pm and 6pm and there will be tea and cake!
As mentioned in the interview I did with Rich Batsford, the Project X Presents collective are applying for funding to put on their next big event. Part of this involves getting letters from the public in support of the application. If you enjoyed the Like Fxck event last July and think there should be more of that kind of thing please contact richardbatsford [at] blueyonder.co.uk for details.
The first of the Fierce Festival items for this year launched today. Name in Lights is a competition whereby someone will have their name installed in giant illuminated letters on the side of the Central Library building. The whole thing is the brainchild of artist Joshua Sofaer and the winner will be chosen by a panel of judges including “advertising guru Trevor Beattie, cultural commentator Mark Lawson and celebrity interviewer Alison Hammond.”
Here’s the skinny:
Ever since Music Halls and Hollywood Cinemas flashed the titles of their leading lights across hoardings in illuminated letters, we have had a fascination with seeing names in bright illuminated signs. Many a would-be star has dreamed of gazing up and seeing their name in lights.
With fly-on-the-wall television shows like Big Brother we now make stars out of the person next door, sometimes discovering their hidden talents and sometimes just valuing them for who they are, with all their quirks and oddities. What makes you vote for one contestant over another? Do they make you laugh more? Do you fancy them? Do you agree with their politics or what they stand for?
In our celebrity obsessed culture who do we really want our role-models to be? Do you think you have what it takes to be looked to by others as an example, or know someone who should be? Perhaps you simply want to become famous for the sake of it. Well here is your chance.
Interestingly there’s an RSS feed which lists the last ten submissions along with their reasons for doing so. It wouldn’t take much to turn this into a rolling stream and project it somewhere. Maybe it could be displayed on the Big Screen rather than the incessant football and news that’s always blaring out? (Sorry – bugbear of mine…)
The competition closes on April 17th and the sign will be unveiled on May 18th forming the centrepiece of the festival.
