Photos from Ballet on the Buses are starting to appear. Here are mine (including the above), these are Matt Murtagh’s and Candice Smith has a few. There were loads of cameras out there (including, I noticed, a rather nice Leica, but I digress) so if you have any shots or even video online leave a link in the comments.
If you missed the last two shows because they were during the working day and happen to have woken up early on Saturday morning you’re in luck because there’s another unpublicised performance at Victoria Square (outside the Council offices) at 11am. Please go. You won’t regret it.
On Friday I went to see The Pandora Effect / Frozen Sea at the REP and without getting into a review I was completely blown away by it. Not being a drama aficionado I’ve been burnt a few times at the theatre (most recently at Stratford for the RSC’s Tempest which was terrible) but this was one of the best things I’ve ever seen in any medium, from Gary Carter’s script (dense and complex on one level while still being accessible and flowing) to the actors who really acted with the subtlest of emotional shifts.
Blinding stuff, and if that doesn’t convince you then how about free tickets for the final performance on Saturday evening at 7.45pm?
I probably shouldn’t do this but what the hell. If you ring the box office on 0121 236 4455 and quote FANTASTIC FIERCE OFFER you can book up to six tickets for free. If they ask where your heard say you’re an “Audiences Central Subscriber” but there shouldn’t be any problems.
If there are problems then it’s £10 and well worth every penny.
The Solihull College Fine Art Degree show for 2007 runs from June 9th to 21st from 10am – 4pm (noon on Saturdays) with a Private View on the 8th at 6-8pm. The Fine Art degree at Solihull has something of a reputation apparently with many graduates going on to professional arts careers so this should be worth checking out at the Blossomfield Campus (map). Phone 0121 678 7001/2 for more details.
Any other degree shows happening in the area (other than New Generation Arts which I’ve got covered) do let me know.
I was just making a note to go photograph the Birmingham Gay Pride Parade on Sunday when it occurred to me it easily fits under the umbrella of the performing arts, which makes it fodder for this blog. So here’s the route.
They’ll start gathering at Victoria Square at noon with the parade running from 2pm to 3pm.
Here’s some nice photos from last year.
News reaches me from a trusted source that the UCE campus at Margaret Street (map), which houses the Art department of the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, is to close and the classes relocate.
The Wikipedia entry for the building tells us it was purpose built for the Birmingham School of Art in 1885 and has served as an art school ever since. UCE themselves describe it as “filled with light, airy studios ideal for the students based here.”
Speculation is, of course, just speculation but I suspect a combination of high property values and a desire to consolidate UCE in Eastside might come into play here. Whatever the reasons, good or bad, it’ll be a shame when after over 120 years the building stops being used for art.
I went to the Ballet on the Buses today in Victoria Square and can heartily recommend it, especially if you get into the bus itself so make sure you get there early-ish for a ticket. The proximity to the dancers is quite the experience and the general oddness of the performance, especially when they move outside and dance in… no, I won’t spoil it. I’ll be at the performance outside the Hippodrome tomorrow at 4.30 for the photos and really suggest you try to be too. Wonderful stuff.
Another interesting looking training opportunity from Creative Alliance:
Creative Alliance and Friction Arts bring you a unique opportunity to develop your socially engaged practice and use your art form to connect with hard to reach sectors of the community.
This practice led programme will challenge and test not only your creativity but also your boundaries, whilst also inspiring and giving confidence to anyone who’s considered running workshops or teaching/mentoring with difficult to reach groups. The course is open to all creatives/artists, regardless of your technical practice.
Eligibility: As the core programme is supported by the Learning and Skills Council, utilising public funding from the European Social Fund there are certain eligibility criteria. You must be in some form of employment (i.e. full time, part time or registered self employment) and living in an Objective 2 area – For further clarification on these terms please contact the CA office for advice.
Deadline for Submission: If you are interested in getting involved please send a CV and personal statement to anna@creativealliance.org.uk by Friday 8th June, for a programme start mid June.
What’s in it for me?
This programme is fully funded, so you’ll have free access to a great learning opportunity which results in a level 2 award in progression with awarding body OCN
You will also have the opportunity to take part/develop an end of programme event, this will be negotiated by the course participants and may take the form of a show, conference, catalogue or perhaps something we haven’t even considered, with a secured budget of £2k in place the only limit is the groups imagination.
Invaluable networking and peer to peer support
If you require more information please call Annie or Anna on 0121 224 7308.
This is an interesting looking course run by Birmingham City Council for those who want to get into community arts.
Flying Start 2007
Part time, free of charge, training course (September 2007 to January 2008) for artists working in any art form who are 18+ and living or working in Birmingham or Solihull. Closing date for applications 4th July.
Flying Start is an accredited training scheme for artists who want to work in community and participatory arts and gain workshop/project planning and delivery skills.
It provides:
- Hands on project and workshop delivery experience via work placements with Birmingham arts organisations including The REP, sampad and Sound Futures. Information on other placements available included in application pack.
- An opportunity to work as part of a supportive group of artists on practical course work
- Networking opportunities with other artists, key contacts and potential employers
- Freelance set up information; regular updates on current funding, training and employment opportunities
- Mentoring, support and advice.
For further information or a copy of the information pack, contact Pat Dawson, Birmingham City Council Arts Section on 0121 464 4337 or pat_dawson@birmingham.gov.uk.
From ikkio_too
Photos are posted here from the Birmingham Flickr community. Click on the image for more details.
Craig Holmes writes to say he’s started a new photoblog where he’s posting a new photo every day showcasing his personal, artistic and commercial work. He’s using a new service, Pixyblog, which is still in beta but looks like it could be useful for photographers who want a picture-specific blog.
Craig runs the Images of Birmingham image library and his work is available to buy from Crowded Gallery.
Birminghamusic.com have news of the Birmingham Jazz Festival for this year with “150 performances taking place in some 60 venues including bars, hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping malls, stores, concert halls, the city’s streets and squares” over the week of Friday 6th to Sunday 15th July with almost all the events free to the public. More details at that link and I’ll let you know when the full programme is online.
Tindal Street Press are offering a “unique 12-month publishing traineeship to degree level applicants from the Black African, Caribbean, Asian, Chinese or Middle Eastern communities.” The following is copied from Birmingham Words (who don’t have permalinks on their blog so I can’t link directly…)
Recent research highlights the under-representation of black and minority ethnic groups in the publishing industry. This forward-looking initiative aims to address the imbalance.
The paid traineeship is split into four 3-month sections and will include hands-on editorial experience at Tindal Street Press, sales and marketing experience at distributors Turnaround Publisher Services, and retail experience at Borders in Birmingham and their Head Office, with a final stint at Tindal Street Press.
External training courses and a mentor are to be provided to guide the successful applicant’s learning. The development of skills in these three crucial areas of the publishing process will provide an unequalled, structured insight into the industry. Tindal Street Press will pay a training bursary of £12,000 to the successful applicant.
Emma Hargrave, Managing Editor, says: ‘This is a superb opportunity for a motivated individual with a passion for contemporary fiction and the ambition to learn how it is marketed and sold.’
The background to the traineeship is the 2007 DipNet Measuring the Industry report, supplemented by the 2004 deciBel research, which concluded that black and minority ethnic groups are currently under-represented in the publishing industry. These traineeships form part of a strategic initiative, under section 37 of the Race Relations Act 1976, aimed at reducing this under-representation.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 29th May 2007. Further details of the traineeship are available on www.tindalstreet.co.uk and from Emma Hargrave (emma@tindalstreet.co.uk) or Luke Brown on 0121 773 8157.
How’s your Fierce Festival going? I’m already finding I’m missing stuff, such as the first two Cesare Pietroiusti events at the Ikon, and there’s still a good fortnight to go.
One thing I have managed to see is the Platinum showcase at Curzon Street Station which is also on Wednesday 23rd should you be free during the day, and I can very much recommend it because it’s just the sort of event I’d expect from the Fierce Festival, very accessible, quite challenging and a lot of fun.
The only thing is, to describe it would in some ways spoil it. What I most liked was how I went in completely blind, not knowing what was on or who was doing it. This really worked with the pieces as they’re about journeys and discoveries as you move around the rooms of the station never quite sure what’s going to happen next.
One thing to be aware of: there were no Fierce signs on the Station and the doors were shut so we initially assumed the events were cancelled. This is not the case so try and turn up on the hour and knock loudly. (That said, this lack of signage did add to the whole experience, that maybe the event wasn’t actually happening in that area of timespace. But I digress.) The whole thing is free, runs from 11am to 6pm (seeing all four events will take a couple of hours) and you get access to the basement of the Station.
The other reason for not describing the events is that I have a “no reviews” rule on this blog. If I do write reviews or commentary it’ll be on my own site and I expect I’ll do a big roundup when it’s all over. And if you’re writing about the festival do let me know as I’ll be posting a list here. (If you link to the Fierce website in your review I’ll pick you up from Technorati automagically, so make sure you link.)
Mr Silke is one of those collective things that seems to pop out of nowhere and amaze you with its scale and ambition. Whether it lives up to its aims remains to be seen but whatever happens the side effects should be positive and interesting. This is taken from Creative Wolverhampton:
From off the streets of Wolverhampton comes the Silke Collective. A group of like-minded, inspired individuals, working together to lead fulfilling, creative lives. Members of the 200 strong collective share resources, ideas and initiatives in order to gain visibility in a notoriously difficult part of the country. Artists, in particular, find themselves leaving university with huge debts and very little chance of paying them back through the profession for which they trained. The collective hopes to improve this situation.
Anyone can join the collective, as long as they are willing to help in its success. It is currently considering art exhibitions, music promotions, publishing and even a regular bazaar of small businesses, artists and crafts-persons.
They currently use the Wolverhampton Little Civic as their drop-in and the first official but very informal meeting is on May 26 between 10am and 3pm. There will also be a small exhibition of art, film and photography alongside readings and poetry recitals. In the downstairs café-bar there will be a book-sale specialising in literary fiction and books to inspire creativity. Everyone is welcome.
