This Is For You is an art show currently running at the Studio 4 Gallery in the Custard Factory until August 24th. The launch is tonight and it features over 50 international artists collaborating with Paul Roberts’ Monsters Monsters.
Here’s the flyer:
Also tonight, and also at the Custard Factory, is the launch of a show by Them Lot taking place in the Gallery. This features music from The Outdoor Types and Andre Aristotle and the show is open 10am – 6pm until Sunday.
Here’s their flyer:
If it’s not raining too hard I may well pop along.
(You might remember me blogging about this niche last month)
Word to the wise. If you want your album launch mentioned on this blog don’t just hold it in a pub or club. Hold it in an allotment. That always works.
Details.
The Birmingham Flickrmeets people held their monthly meet at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday, which made a change from the usual rust and decay. Here’s a selection of the results.
and here’s the whole pool. The next meet is September 9th at a venue / location / area to be decided. All are welcome.
The first Sunday Flea Market at the Custard Factory took place last weekend. Bongo Vongo got some photos including the ones in this post and here’s Karl Binder, writing on the Adhere Creative blog:
Since my Sunday mornings are almost always entirely free of bungee bouncing and poolside live music I had a thoroughly entertaining lunchtime. I did feel there were not quite enough stalls to hold my attention for much longer than an hour at most, but the overall atmosphere was quite refreshing.
I happily bought my share of freshly ground coffee beans, old fashioned liquorish sweets, the aforementioned red paste and fresh crepes all round, but I was a little disappointed not to find anything else of note that caused the purse strings to pucker. There was a beautifully boxed ZX Spectrum that we considered buying to challenge our freelancers, but alas common sense prevailed and we gave it a miss.
A quick pint in the Old Crown capped lunchtime off nicely. All in all I would give the Sunday Flea a thumbs up. It remains to be seen how effective it will be in lesser weather and it could certainly do with a bigger attendance but for now I’ll enjoy my Crème Brule coffee beans and doff my cap once again in the direction of Gibb Square.
As I understand it the Custard Factory have big plans for this weekly market, seeing it as a bridge between the art made by their tenants and the public. They also want to make the CF a cultural destination on Sundays along the lines of the markets in Spittalfields or Camden (if you know your London Markets). So definitely early days.
Update on the mysterious Pudelskern collective. They’ll be in Brindley Place from midday to 5pm Tuesday through Thursday. You are advised to “take your lunch and prepare for a comfortable experience.”
From Gareth Courage
Photos are posted here from the Birmingham Flickr community. Click on the image for more details.
Not sure when this happened, maybe it’s old news, I dunno, but I’ve just discovered there’s a whole gamut of video from the Fierce Festival on their site, combining recordings of the events as they happened with interviews with the artists. Lovely.
found on…
The Designer Makers Handbook is a neat publication put together by Designer Maker West Midlands and Craftspace. It contains a few interviews with practitioners and a whole gamut of contact details across the world and specific to the region. Download the 68 page PDF here.
via Creative Wolverhampton.
Andrew Dubber’s 20 Thing You Must Know About Music Online, which originally ran as a series of blog posts, then collated into a PDF has been edited into a booklet by Digital Central for easy reading on the bus or toilet. It also comes with a cardboard thing for putting stuff in. And it’s free. Contact Dave at Digital Central if you’d like a copy.
via himself.
I don’t normally like to push commercial stuff here but The Fireworks in the Jewellery Quarter looks like an interesting setup. Situated in a former fire station they offer the usual office / studio space but really push the community aspect of the business. They offer “regular business-focused events and support” and, most intriguingly, limit the tenancies to one from a number of sectors, creating a group of companies that complement each other. Currently they have space for the following sectors: New media, Film and video production, Animation, E-marketing, PR, Brand strategists and Copywriters.
In an email co-founder Brett says: “Hopefully businesses will be able to support each other, collaborate and inspire – or maybe just gossip over a cup of coffee. Rents are low, and the leases are flexible so they are ideal for people who maybe work out of their bedroom or shed to take a first tentative step into ‘proper’ premises.”
Location and contact details are here.
A rather cryptic event from the Festival of Xtreme Building this Saturday:
Pudelskern arrive in Birmingham City Centre saturday 11th August with their Space Programme Furniture suitable for all planet.
The Austrian art collective promise to “bring some flowers from the Austrian alps to the Heart of England” along with “spaceship, performers, light installations, a parallel universe, sculptures and structures” at venues yet to be announced…
Then on Monday The Paper House arrives on site.
The Paper House structure was originally made for one of Sozos’ previous projects (The X Ray factory, Live Work) from recycled junk mail that had been posted through [artist Peter Hadfiled's] letterbox.
The Festival of Extreme Building has recreated the beautiful aesthetic of the Paper House but adapting it to with stand the rigours of outdoor exposure.
Although no longer adhering to the original ethos of sustainable recycling it stands up for the idea and we hope it will become a debating point around the issue of green technologies.
The Church like structure is fabricated from wire mesh filled with high quality polystyrene foam balls.
Volunteers are needed to help put it together starting on the 13th. Contact claire@festival-xtremebuilding.org.uk or just turn up on the FXB site.
