Artsfest Friday

Artsfest starts tonight. Despite mutterings about it being the last one (emphasised by some quite half-hearted promotion) I think it’ll be a good one. There’s certainly lots of neat stuff going on from a very wide range of arts organisations who deserve your support so make sure you have a good wander around.

Tonight it’s the big stuff that’s the main draw, specifically the Blast event behind Curzon St Station which kicks off at 8pm. I was passing by on my bike yesterday afternoon while they were setting up and testing the bangs and whistles and it looks tremendously exciting.

Fire and water combine, creating an explosive mixture of steam, sound, fire and pyrotechnic marvels. Come and experience the awe-inspiring Large Hot Pipe Organ, the unforgettable Orchestrated Steam Whistles, and the Fire Horns, the Percussion Engine, Pyrotechnic Whistles, Flying Rockets, Pyrophones and Balls of Fire. Immerse yourselves in sounds, sights, smells and raw energy evoking ‘an age of miracles in which anything could be achieved.’

Here’s another piece of info from here:

Created by artists including Turner Prize-nominee Richard Wilson, the event includes a massive projection of the Lumière Brothers’ seminal 1895 railway film Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat. The show will also feature the Steam Whistle Orchestra and the Large Hot Pipe Organ, orchestrated by flag-waving conductors on the platforms.

Whilst trying (and failing) to find a nice big graphic for this post I came across this nugget from Wikipedia (which could, of course, be bollocks):

Curzon Park is located in a “blast zone” – a theoretical danger area that could be affected by an explosion or toxic leak from the MacDermid Canning facility that stores and manufactures chemicals in Digbeth.

The Luminarium has also been set up on Eastside Green and it’s massive! Can’t wait to get inside that.

The other big draw on Friday is BRMB’s “Indie Invasion” in Centenary Square from 6pm to midnight-ish. The highlight for me here is Misty’s Big Adventure at 6.50 and I understand Ocean Colour Scene will be closing the event. Which is nice.