The Event - 2007
The first two weeks of April 2007 saw the culmination of a series of artist-led activities within Birmingham, and this was ‘The Event‘. At that point in time, the number of artists choosing to stay and work within the city had increased, and an intensification of artistic production had taken place. It felt very much like Birmingham projected a unique sense of identity, and it was easy to believe that the city held great potential.
Consisting of exhibitions and performances devised by ten of the brightest young visual art organisations in Birmingham at that point in time, the sixteen-day celebration focused on a myriad of event-based practices and exhibitions in such a way as to implicate the whole city into its logic. Participating organisations included: a.a.s., Capital Art Projects, Colony, [insertspace], International Project Space, Modulate, Periscope, 7inch Cinema, Spectacle, and Springhill Institute.
A lot of interesting work took place, and indeed some of these organisations have developed and flourished (surely most notably 7inch Cinema) – but those without links to their work above, and even some who do have links, are either no longer working as artists / arts organisations, or have begun working under different names without leaving on online breadcrumb trail for me to follow.
In 2007, whilst not all that long ago, there was a definite sense of optimism and indulgence in the arts and arts practice – much moreso than we now have in 2009. The recession will inevitably have played a large part in this shift, with organisations cutting back or closing down – but what other changes has Birmingham faced that has brought us to this point, so different to that of 2007? Is there still intense artistic production? Do people still believe that Birmingham has this great potential? Have artists changed their practice in response to the current financial climate and retreated back into their stereotypical draughty garrets?
In a timely fashion, The Event has returned once more to open up and explore contemporary art making. Through an open submission process, artists are invited to send proposals to be included in the November festival. The deadline for proposals is quite soon – July 13th – but submissions can also be emailed. I’ve included the details taken from the website below, but please send any specific queries to kaye@the-event.org I will be keen to see which artists are selected, and how their practice reflects the current mood of the city – and also how different the artforms will be, if at all. Will The Event be inundated with digital submissions, and will there be any entirely virtual submissions running concurrently?
Open Submission
Deadline Midday 13 July 2009
The Event is a contemporary arts festival in Birmingham, showcasing the best in artist-led activity.
We are currently seeking proposals and submissions from artist projects and artist/curators in the Midlands for inclusion in The Event, November 2009.
Proposals with a budget of up to £2000 can be considered. Deadline for submissions is midday on Monday 13 July, proposals received after the deadline cannot be considered.
Proposals must include the following information:
Project proposal (maximum 200 words)
Brief biog/CV
Indication of project costs
Supporting materialPostal applications should be clearly marked:
BCAF Steering Group
The Event
Eastside Projects
86 Heath Mill Lane Birmingham
B9 4ARNB. Please enclose a SAE for return of material.
e-mailed application should be compiled into one document and emailed to:
kaye@the-event.orgPlease contact Kaye Winwood 07834 244 609 or email kaye@the-event.org with any queries.
Hello. As I recently pointed out in my editorial on ‘An Ecomomic recession never stopped an eccentric’ in K/3 – The Cockeral that beareth (The Eccentric City tabloid newspaper) – I pointed out that, whilst for many years, there has been an ongoing cultural recession (regression), I was delighted to observe, and celebarte, that an eccentric population continues to flourish – in Birmingham and worldwide. There is a truly inspirational world out there aside from the sustained ‘crisis’ that tries to put a nail in the coffin. We don’t need ‘cultural operational’ healing whatsoever!
As someone who took part in the Art Stike in 1990-93(re: Stuart Home) ‘Cultural workers put your tools down’ – I have reasserted, and remain animated, by the delights of (undefined) eccentric people and groups, many who rally outside the norms of ‘contemporary art’, irrespective of hi or low culture(without knowing any school of thought..). Birmingham doesn’t need saving. Its all out there, I found someome who inspired me the other day whilst walking along the cut….