Created in Birmingham

I’ve not talked about the shop very much which seems a bit remiss of me. As well as lots of things to spend your money on we’ve been using the space for other things.

We had Flatpack in last week – they gave out brochures and also installed David Hurley‘s installation ‘A Thought. An Afterthought‘. This week International Dance Festival Birmingham are taking up residence to promote the impressive line-up they’ve assembled.

For Good Friday and Easter Saturday Sarah Loves… has arranged for Sam Pierpoint to take up residence in the shop window:

Sam takes a plain pair of shoes of your choice and transforms them into original works of art entirely unique to you. Transporting her studio to the window of the temporary Bullring shop she will be inviting people to engage with her process and inspire new designs

But c’mere, there’s more. The following weekend the shop will be hosting a knit-in by Stitches and Hos. Click the link for all the info. Here’s the eflyer thing for it:

There’s a PILOT night tomorrow – an evening of ‘new, untested shorts from some of the UK’s most exciting theatre companies’. AE Harris are housing and Kindle Theatre are hosting. It’s only a fiver so get down by 7.30pm for this little lot:

The line up will include performances from Needle & Thread Theatre’s continuing project The Story Exchange, a brick built Ziggurat from The Resurrectionists, a comic twist on a Greek myth from The Company Project, a public pillory from Mark Butcher, an operatic performance from Kirsty Lothian and the dulcet tones of Greg McLaren from Stoke Newington International Airport.

The evening will be fanfared by the City Sings Trumpeters and serenaded by The Mellow Peaches

The new exhibition at Ikon opened last night and is Ron Terada’s first solo show in Europe, apparently. It’s called ‘Who I think I Am’ and:

it involves a deadpan reproduction of texts drawn from a wide range of sources including street signage, popular music and advertising

Which makes it sound like one of the more easily accessible things they’re likely to have down there, so if you’ve not been then maybe go check it out. This one’s on til 16 May but, if you’re like me, you should make plans to go soon or you won’t go at all.

(Pic – Ron Terada.Big Star, 2003. Gold and white neon. Courtesy of the artist and Catriona Jeffries Gallery)

Now this I heartily endorse – the clever folk at the Bulls Head in Moseley have been recording mixes by residents and guests at their Freestyle night and uploading them to Mixcloud.

There are mixes from Yam Who?, Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia), Mama Feel Good, Sam Redmore, Adam Regan and a whole bunch of others. Very nice. Here’s The Bulls Head on Mixcloud.

Is anyone else doing anything similar? There’s the listen again thing on some Rhubarb Radio events but I’m struggling to think of any others. Then again, maybe the copyright issues put some off.

If you’ve not come across Mixcloud it calls itself ‘the YouTube of radio’ and is basically somewhere to upload radio shows, podcasts, mixes and mixtapes. If you’re interested in that kind of thing then maybe cast a glance at Soundcloud and Bandcamp – they each do slightly different things but aren’t too far removed from each other.

Pogus Caesar’s film ‘Muscleback’ surfaced on the Wooster Collective‘s site the other day. I’m not going to feign understanding but I did watch for the whole 6-ish minutes:

Via the Wooster Collective.

New vid for Juice Aleem’s ‘Rock My Hologram’:

The vid was shot at Boxxed in Digbeth and, looking at the blurb in the YouTube description a whole host of local folks were involved (aside from Juice Aleem himself).

• We Are Eastside brochure « We Are Eastside | Birmingham
  “For your viewing pleasure, a guide to Eastside”
• Young People and Arts Boards Training Programme – Audiences Central
  “Arts organisations across the city have said that they would like young people aged 18–25 to become members of their management boards”. If you are a young person and fancy sitting in an arts org’s board then read on…
• Birmingham community museums reopen this week – BiNS
  “Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, Sarehole Mill and Soho House open their doors again from April 2″
• An Endless Supply | Issue Eleven up and out
  “Copies are already at International Project Space and Eastside Projects, Birmingham. During the week they’ll be available from VIVID, Ikon Eastside and all across Bristol”
• BASS Festival Returns to Birmingham This June
  Here’s a sneaky peek (although I’m maybe over-egging it with ‘sneaky’ – it’s posted on a PR agency’s website) at what’s coming up at this year’s BASS Festival
• Behind the Screens « D’log
  “PACT and Adobe are teaming up for a “Behind the Screens” Digital Showcasing event in Birmingham, on the 13th May 2010″
• Call for young filmmakers from the West Midlands to show their work at Glastonbury Festival 2010
  “The West Midlands Culture Programme for London 2012 is looking for films in two categories which reflect both the spirit of Glastonbury and the Olympic movement”

Happening upon the 31st day of March in the year 2010. Holly Grange and Kate Pennington-Wilson are on curation duty:

For one night only the catacombs of The Vaults will be flooded with sonic reverberations inspired by the lives, past and present, of this renovated Victorian building. The mute histories contained within the walls will surrender their silence and seep out into your ears.

Artists include: Sarah Farmer, Rob Glover, EL Heath, Scott Johnston (aka Film Ficciones), Matt Eaton (of Pram)and Candice Jacobs.

The exhibition will be followed by a DJ set and archival footage from Birmingham-based music promoters COLOUR.

Here’s one of those Facebook events for more info. Cue picture:

Others have written about this too:

• More Canals Than Venice
• An Endless Supply
• ARC themselves

Another one!

The Pavilions Pop-Up Arts Shop will be open from Friday 1 April to to Wednesday 7 April (excluding Easter Sunday). Here’s some info about what they’ll have in there:

Organiser Jamie, a contemporary feltmaker from Selly Park specialising in fashion and home accessories, will be offering his own range of items for sale, including clutch bags, satchels and trilby hats, many made with locally sourced wool from Worcestershire.

Other artists scheduled to showcase their work are Jan Bowman, architect turned painter, illustrator and author of the recent children’s book ‘This is Birmingham’; Dudley based glassmaker Ian MacDonald; jeweller Ettore Consorte (Smethwick) digital illustrator Jane Anderson (Bearwood) and Nisha Grover who produces various different artworks such as acrylic painting, textiles and murals.

As well as providing valuable retail space for the artists, the shop will also act as a gallery space, showcasing a wide selection of art from Midlands artists. Among the work on display and for sale will be the acrylics, oils and silkscreens of Emma Hardicker, who will also be compiling collections from eight fellow members of Birmingham Printmakers including Harborne based Anne Crews, Tim Southall and Phil Wilkinson.

I happened to walk past it earlier today – this is what it looks like:

For your consideration:

Project Brutal: Initial Meeting: 20th April 6:30-7:30pm. CiB Shop.

Project Brutal is a plan to bring together people and networks interested in creatively celebrating and capturing Birmingham’s Brutal library before it’s too late. We’re looking to formulate a series of events and projects under the Brutal banner over an extended period of time.

So if you’re passionate about the library’s architecture, space and history and are keen to find out more and get involved in making this a reality then come and join us on April 20th

You can register your attendance on Eventbrite and follow developments on the Project Brutal website. There’s a tag for Twitter too: #projectbrutal.

We Are Eastside is a joint-venture of sixteen organisations, including VIVID, Eastside Projects, Ikon Eastside, The Lombard Method and 7 Inch Cinema, coordinated by Capsule, to link-up and expose the goings-on in the area, now dubbed Birmingham’s Creative Playground.

Here’s what they’ve said:

Underneath Eastside’s arches you’ll find a whole host of organisations making and presenting film, music, visual arts, digital media, craft, literature, and photography – and some great pubs and cafes too. We Are Eastside is a guide to some of these hidden treasures.

Arts enthusiasts, film and music fans, historians, city visitors and the downright curious from across the West Midlands will have the opportunity to explore creative work being produced in the area by taking in a film screening or magic lantern show, experiencing live experimental jazz or electronica, learning about pigeon fancying, training as a traditional jester or clown or by attending the opening of a new gallery during three days of activities.

To coincide with We Are Eastside’s launch there are a load of events going on over the weekend. There’s the Curtain Show at Eastside Projects, the East Stride walking tour, Purple Ceiling at The Lombard Method, and GONGOOZLER at Grand Union, as well as a bunch of other interesting things.

I’ve posted the listings here if you want to see what’s happening in full, but you can also check out the We Are Eastside blog for any changes and additions to the programme.

The blog looks like it’ll be an ongoing source of regular updates, programmes, event information, opportunities and contributions from the cluster of artists, collectives, promoters and spaces based in the Eastside area, so you can keep an eye on it here: www.weareeastside.org.

Which stands for Tits Brains, Balls, a new thing from Ben Rackstraw, Charlie Levine, Emma Vickers and Edward Green Fingers.

Read it here.

• Birmingham Big City Culture – City of Culture Bid 2013
  There’s an official website for the bid. I’m always the last to know about this kind of thing
• £1.285million National Heritage Memorial Fund grant saves the Staffordshire Hoard
  “The grant, awarded to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) and Potteries Museum and Art Gallery (PMAG) in Stoke-on-Trent, will fill the funding gap to reach the Hoard’s purchase price of £3.285million and means this outstanding collection will remain in the West Midlands close to where it was discovered in July last year”
• Sir Michael Lyons to head up Tindal Street board
  He’s chairman of the BBC Trust, dontchaknow

I spotted this in Forward, the lightly reprehensible propaganda rag that Birmingham City Council foists upon unsuspecting folk every once in a while. The general gist is that graffiti is great in the right place; bad in the wrong place. I paraphrase, so before taking issue with that you’d best read the original here (PDF). Anyway, there’s apparently a fund for getting rid of naughty graffiti, it’s a great success, etc and blah.

On the other hand, of course, Birmingham is a canvas – see canvasbirmingham.com for proof. That’ll be the difference between literal and metaphorical right there.

However, none of that is the point. I was pondering about how council folk can encourage what you might call ‘edgy and alternative elements’ of their city. Other places are known for the quality of their street art – name your own names there. Do they set out to foster that kind of thing? Is it included in glossy brochures selling their city? How did that happen?

In other news, this made me laugh like a drain.

• ‘Re-building the TV Drama industry in the West Midlands’ – Public meeting
  “With TV drama series like Hustle and Survivors now filming here, we look at how we can rebuild our TV drama industry in the region”
• Avatars-Live! and other stories : Adventures in interactive art and drama at The Public
  “Could you write a piece for performance using digital artworks at The Public art gallery in West Bromwich?” That is the question, what is the answer?
• Getgood Link: YouTube – Hobgoblin Birmingham Courtesy Of Birmingham Business Showcase
  Nicky’s spotted this: “Nice little film of Hobgoblin music store in the Custard Factory, who sell everything from £3 penny whistles to £1,000 accordions”
• Theatre Sandbox
  “Theatre Sandbox, a new opportunity for theatre artists, companies and collectives, is offering six £10,000 commissions to support the research and development of experimental pieces of performance which engage with Pervasive Media Technologies”. Workshop in Brum on 12 April if you’re interested