The rest of the EP – two duets by Jodi and Poppy Tibbetts and a solo track by each – is worth a listen but this track grabbed me.
Archive for August, 2011
No Aloha are next (and last, I think) to step up to the plate at anticurate, running at the mac from this evening (for the opening party) until 4 September.
(Via Radar Magazine)
15 July 2011 was the first anniversary of Birmingham not winning the title of City of Culture 2013. An odd thing to celebrate maybe, but Radar Magazine used it as an opportunity to get a load of people to talk about the creative or cultural experience that had most impressed them over the past year.
I could’ve mentioned any number of things, but in the end I gave a nod to Birmingham Opera Company‘s really-very-excellent-indeed Othello.
Others went for the 4am Project at Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Lundahl & Seitl at Fierce Festival, Companis, Flatpack Festival and the Soweto Kinch Quartet.
I can’t find a copy online – if there’s one floating about then please add a link in the comments.
Actually, speaking of CoC 2013, have the plans for the “six-week Autumn Festival which will have the significance of the Edinburgh festival and Paris Autumn Festival” been officially binned? I remember statements to the effect that it was going to happen regardless of whether Birmingham got the title or not, so strong were the arguments in favour of going ahead.
Still, as has been pointed out, there are quite a few festivals happening in October already.
- Marc Reeves: Why ‘business as usual’ is a fatal response to Birmingham’s riots
If you only read one thing in this round-up, make it this - ACE dancer Letty on new challenges « ACE dance and music
A nice peek behind the scenes - Birmingham Hippodrome Autumn Season 2011
A few musicals (Top Hat, Evita, End of the Rainbow), some dance (plenty of BRB, Some Like It Hip Hop, Burn The Floor), opera (WNO doing Don Giovanni) and acrobatic craziness (Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China and Cirque Eloize). All to be squeezed in before the panto - BCMG Concerts, Workshops and Events Sept 2011 – Jan 2012
A new season brochure’s out for you to browse if you fancy - 70-Eight.com
Or 78. Maybe even Seventy-Eight or 7eventy Eight. The replacement for the Medicine Bar at the Custard Factory opens this weekend - Bring Out Your Dead
“We are working with Grand Union, an artist-led studio and exhibition space, that support the development of artists and aim to establish a dialogue between contemporary visual artists and art organisations” - 7 Inch Cinema – Event – Adventures in freelancing
“At this free one-day event you can explore what it takes to be a freelancer in the film and moving image industries, getting inspiration and advice from professionals in a huge range of fields – from art to animation, from gaming to graphics.” - Heritage Lottery Fund workshop | The Moseley Exchange
“To find out more about Heritage Lottery Fund grant schemes, top tips for filling in the application form and a chance to meet the HLF Development Team come along to a workshop at the exchange on Tuesday 4th October – 10am til 12.30″ You’ll need to register for this. - Birmingham Ballroom Wall Of Fame Open Day – Saturday 3rd September
“Following the unrest not only in the second city but throughout the UK, we were very sad to announce that the original date for the Open Day had to be re-scheduled, however we’re very happy to inform you all that the show is now most definitely going on and we will now be opening the venue to you all on Saturday 3rd September to welcome you all back to the bosom of Dale End once more!” - transmissions from the hub
“A volunteer based radio venture homed in the Our Place Community Hub, Sutton Coldfield” Volunteers wanted - News from Writing West Midlands
Plenty of good stuff in their newsletter - Home of Metal Black Country Weekender
On the first week in the Sept the folksters will be in Moseley for the festival, the metalheads will be in the Black Country for this - Programme Support Scheme Awards 2011/12 « Museum Musings
Some museums have gone some money for doing some things
BAZ are a semi-satirical ‘think-tank’ sporadically documenting the Birmingham Art World
I mentioned The Baz Top 20 Most Powerful People & Organisations in the Birmingham Art World thing a couple of years back. Little did I know they’d updated their website with some videos and a musical based on the Grants for the Arts application form. Barmy, but some of the videos made me laugh – I liked the one for The Lombard Method.
Working with galleries: part 1 is an informal and practical discussion with Ikon Gallery director Jonathan Watkins, providing insight into how relationships and working processes develop between artists, curators and public art galleries. Using Birmingham-based and international artists as examples, Jonathan will discuss how these working relationships begin, progress and develop and will also talk about his experiences as a selection panel member for art prizes, exhibitions and commissions. This is a rare opportunity for you to find out how large art institutions operate and there will also be time for your questions.
Via We Are Eastside.
There’s a certain amount of kerfuffle going on regarding the proposed move of the wholesale markets from the city centre. I won’t pretend to have looked into it all that much and so couldn’t hazard an opinion about any of it. It’s not really this site’s remit either. However, it seems important, so here are a few links and things.
Here’s a video of a meeting of traders at the market. They’re not at all happy. The Birmingham Mail have been following the story and are on the side of the traders, setting up a petition here and covering a call for shoppers to write to council leader, Mike Whitby.
And in order to provide some balance (look at me, ma! I’m doing journalism!) here’s Birmingham City Council partially rebutting some of the claims that are being made.
Tin Box Theatre are:
A Birmingham based theatre company who create immersive theatre that explores inventive uses of storytelling, visual theatre and site-specific performance
They’re the group that did a show called Stop The Clocks at Newman Brothers Coffin Works recently, if you remember that. They do the Facebook and Twitter thing too.
Another good Flyover Show took place at the weekend. I didn’t stay for the whole thing but I enjoyed Juice Aleem, Why G and Jay Phelps. The best thing about those events is always the atmosphere (and the little kids trying to breakdance) and it was nice to see Goldie just wandering around chatting to people the whole time too.
Here’s a video from IAmBirmingham
There’s some more on the website and loads more on the Facebook Page too.
Ben Lowe recently completed a documentary on stand-up comedy, learning the art and doing a gig at his (then) local pub, The Station in Sutton Coldfield (which is home to The Comedy Junction).
It features interviews with Johnny Vegas, Jo Brand, Ed Byrne, Jack Whitehall, Russell Kane, Rhod Gilbert, Shappi Khorsandi, Lenny Henry and others and is worth a watch.
Arts & Business are organising a match-making event to pair up willing volunteers with arts organisations who could do with a helping hand. They say:
Come and join us for a glass of wine and mingle with representatives from theatres, museums, festivals and galleries who would love your help this year bringing cutting edge art to Birmingham.
Whatever time or skills you have to offer we will look to match you to the right opportunity. These could be in marketing, set design, accountancy, tour guiding, front of house, customer services, exhibition set up, shop assistant, even HR!
If you’re at all interested in getting involved in the arts in some way then this is probably worth a punt. A few years back I volunteered on Fierce Festival 11. Through that I met loads of interesting people and, although this wasn’t the expectation, I was offered all sorts of opportunities to get involved in other things. So arts volunteering gets a thumbs up from me.
It’ll be on Monday 19 Sept 2011 from 6 to 8pm at etc.venues (Maple House, 150 Corporation Street). You can register here.
Those crazy cats at Stitches and Hos:
On Friday night our knit graffiti faction struck at the heart of a Birmingham suburb. We met after night fall and covered 48 safety bollards surrounding a roundabout in a rainbow of knitting.
There are photos of the dastardly deed here and a slideshow of photos from Sparks68 on Flickr.
A nod to Leonardo Morgado for flagging up this one.
Speakers include Sarah Ballard, literary agent whose clients include Julian Barnes and Blake Morrison, Catheryn Kilgarriff of independent publishers Marion Boyars, and Luke Brown of Birmingham based Tindal St Press. Performers include poets from Nine Arches, Dan Holloway of Year Zero Writers, and stand-up philosopher Matthew Hammond.
Tickets here and more info here.
The line-up for this year’s Birmingham Comedy Festival is out. Two comments from my esteemed colleague Ian Ravenscroft (who knows his comedy):
Is there anything that grabs your attention?
A thing from a couple of weeks back with a neat summary of events from The Hearing Aid:
Here’s a (very) brief potted history. Group of Bearwoodians reckon there should be more live music in Bearwood. Groups meets in pubs and bars. Quite a bit. Not a lot happens. Group has a bit of a rethink. Group decides to put on a free afternoon of music in an old, long neglected bandstand in Lightwoods Park. Working on a bit of a shoestring budget group assembles all the kit, fills in all the forms, books all the bands (7 in total…7…ambitious eh?) and does the whole promotions thing. Restoring the group’s faith in human nature around 500 people turn up to watch. Blimey. Slightly sweatier group returns to bar to plan the next one
A full write-up then follows. If that’s relevant to your interests, you’ll be interested in welovebearwood.
I liked their flyer.
