Created in Birmingham

• Live Art Speed Dates « Stan’s Cafe Theatre Company
  “coming to the West Midlands on 25th September as part of Fierce Festival’s fun and games”
• Artists wanted for smoke-free project
  Suggest an idea. A group of young people may choose to apply for a grant (up to £2000) and commission you to deliver it. Interesting model
• Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands: September 2010 « Oh. (I know Russ L, and Russ L is no Russ L)
  Lots of things
• Dig out your camera and get snapping for free tickets to The Secret Garden!
  The REP are after pics of your secret gardens
• Screen WM: News
  Not sure what this is about, but I’m putting it out there – “Submissions for BRAIN WASH BRUM are now open, as we have not confirmed a date there is currently no deadline although it is probably wise to get them to us by the middle of October”
• September Brum Notes Out Now « Brum Notes Magazine
  The new edition’s out. The website seems to have been rejigged since I last looked too
• 09/10 Annual Report now online | The Other Way Works
  Annual update from the Birmingham-based theatre company
• Screen WM: News – Full Circle
  “Tucked away in attics, sheds, cupboards and garages are forgotten gems capturing local life and history on film. These are a vital part of the Midlands’ screen heritage. With the help of 60 midlands groups, MACE is looking for these old films and videos to preserve and share them with future generations”
• URGENT: Crew needed for Midlands Feature October/November 2010
  Hit the link for the info
• Facebook | Thatched
  This club night has one of the most horrific posters I’ve ever seen. Congrats, I suppose
• Corporate Development Manager
  The Hippodrome are after a corporate fundraiser with a passion for the arts

The REP have put tickets on sale for the second half of the year. What’s more, they’ve written an eminently copy/paste-able  round-up in a blog post about it. That’s always good to see.

Highlights include:

• A new production of the sci-fi spoof Little Shop Of Horrors
• Sir Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of The Cherry Orchard starring Josie Lawrence
• The premiere of an imaginative and high tech drama First Person Shooter
• Direct from the West End and Broadway, Lucy Prebble’s award-winning ENRON
• The National Theatre production of Alan Bennett’s The Habit Of Art
• Simon Stephens returns to The REP with the outstanding Punk Rock
• A witty story about friendship and betrayal amongst IRA sympathisers The Big Fellah
• Our lavish Christmas production The Secret Garden

Tickets for all productions are onsale now – see the full programme of events.

I feel a bit daft for not mentioning this earlier because it finishes tomorrow (Sunday 15 June).

Behind Closed Doors were given an area of rough ground just behind the Custard Factory and on it they’ve installed a couple of shipping containers and (in my prosaic language) done something arty.  In their (more betterer) words The Secret Garden is:

Reflecting on the regeneration of the surrounding industrial landscape, the familiar and iconic image of the shipping container has been transformed into an art object as a strategy for an encounter exploring function, transformation and fictional narrative.

Behind Closed Doors have been documenting the whole thing on their website, which features a few time-lapse videos and some of Pete Ashton’s photos.

They’re wrapping things up with a closing BBQ at 4pm and promise sun, sounds and sausages.  If you go down you’re encouraged to take a bottle.