Homegrown is an ambitious artist development programme run by Birmingham live art agency Home For Waifs and Strays,  supported by Arts Council England and the Jerwood Charitable Trust. The aim of the programme is to showcase some of the great live art and performance talent in the West Midlands by giving emerging artists the chance to receive mentoring, develop new work and perform at venues across the UK.

After touring to some of the country’s premiere live art venues, Homegrown comes to Vivid Projects for the final performance of the programme. On Friday, there will be a showcase of the work developed by the chosen artists over the last four months. The artists are an eclectic group, with practices comprising drag performance, performative baking, filmmaking, writing and theatre. One of the artists, Albert Smith, uses baking and bread making metaphors to explore his ideas and tell his stories. Another, Andy Howlett, is an artist and filmmaker who is exploring the possibilities of film as a live medium. Andy draws inspiration from the streets of Birmingham and is interested in the work of the Birmingham surrealists. China Dethcrash is a ‘swamp witch, performer and storyteller’, who invites audience members into her specially constructed dwelling for one-on-one performance.

Homegrown takes place from 7-10pm on Friday 9 September at Vivid Projects, Digbeth. Entry is free.

With suitable weather upon us, this weekend Summer in Southside brings the seaside to the city.

Over the weekend, experience a vibrant carnival atmosphere where Hurst Street will be transformed with seaside sights, sounds and silliness. Be swept away by nautical encounters from a cod choir, deep-sea divers and even some pirates.

Play on wooden street games, dive into the mouth of an enormous whale, enjoy street acrobatics, a marching band with a difference and much, much more.

The festival takes place from 12-5pm on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July. The programme can be found here.

Spectra: Seek/Find
Fri 17 Jun, 7pm | Sat 18 Jun, 12:30pm and 4pm | Tickets £8 (£6) | Cannon Hill Park & Outdoor Arena | All ages | Tickets: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/spectra-seek-find

Come along on a beautiful beast of a multi-sensory promenade, immersive performance experience made by a mixed community and professional cast.
Taste, feel, see, smell and hear your way on a daring quest through Cannon Hill Park. With the help of Spectra’s intrepid guides, delve into adventure to seek your treasure and marvel at the delights that await you when you reach the Arena.

Spectra is a performance project for people with learning disabilities that has been developed through a partnership between mac birmingham’s Next Generation programme, independent artist Kate DeRight, and Queen Alexandra College. The project aims to empower participants and develop them as creative leaders while making compelling performance experiences.

This project is supported by QAC, Arts Council England and mac birmingham.

For more information please visit: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/spectra-seek-find

From Wednesday 11 to Saturday 14 May, head to Centenary Square for Live Nights – four nights of free spectacular performances. Performances will start at 6pm and Digbeth Dining Club will also be offering food.

Each night will culminate in a perfomance of The Machine Show, a brand new production featuring outstanding international dance artists Aakash Odedra, Melanie Lomoff and Spider Salah, with incredible live music from rock band rinôçérôse. A great chance to get a taste of contemporary dance and all that the festival celebrates.

What: Two free, outdoor performances of ‘The Hand That Feeds’

 

When: Saturday 14th May at 12pm & 2.30pm 

 

Where: Outside St. Martin in the Bull Ring. 

Each artist selected will:

• Spend four months developing new work
• Receive mentoring from some of the most innovative and exciting live artists currently working in the UK.
• Have access to rehearsal space in Birmingham.
• Receive support from the Directors of Home For Waifs And Strays.
• Attend talks on making, documenting, producing and funding from experts in these fields.
• Perform your work in development across four venues in the UK.
• Receive £100 for each performance (£400 total) plus documentation of your work.

More information on the programme can be found here. Apply by noon, Friday 22 April 2016.

Clipping the Church took place once a year when young apprentices and women in service were allowed to visit their families and their ‘mother’ church. Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘clyp-pan’ meaning ‘embrace’ or ‘clasp’, the ceremony is often associated with Mothering Sunday. Church-goers would join hands and move around the outside of the church in an unbroken ring, often singing a traditional hymn. Although there is evidence that the ceremonies took place in Birmingham, it is unknown where.

In her take on the Clipping the Church ceremony, Tereza will explore the tradition in a new performance and video work exploring motherhood, the meaning of rituals, family ties and relationships with the local community. As part of the ceremony baked goods will be paraded. She is asking people to make salt dough decorations for the performance at workshops in the run up to the event. Try your hand at making beautiful traditional Eastern European plaited doughs, or express what motherhood means to you by using only flour, water and salt – and see them in the final performance and film.

Workshops take place on the following dates:

Saturday 19 March 2016, 11am-1.30pm – Kingstanding Food Community.

Saturday 30 April 2016, 11am-1pm – Loaf Bakery and Cookery School, Stirchley.

Saturday 14 May 2016, 2.30pm (then a gathering with the artist, films screening + food and drink from 5pm).- St Barnabas’ Church, High Street, Birmingham. B23 6SY

‘A stranger arrives in Birmingham City Centre as the passover festival begins. The events of the next few days will turn the world upside down…’

After sell-out performances in 2014, ‘Passion’ returns to Birmingham from 15-25 March. The production will re-imagine the life and death of Jesus Christ by leading the audience across the city centre.

Tickets are available here.

Ever been to an opera? I have to admit, I haven’t. Considering I live in a city that has a wonderful opera company that successfully turns the art form on its head (that involves the local community to a great extent, and has even put on a production that involved a string quartet flying around in helicopters), it’s about time I got round to seeing one of Birmingham Opera Company‘s productions.

Their next production is Henry Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’. Based on Book IV of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’, the opera recounts the love of Dido, Queen of Carthage, for the Trojan hero Aeneas, and her despair when he abandons her. The opera was first performed in 1689.

‘Dido and Aeneas’ runs from 18-23 March in a top secret Birmingham location. Tickets are only a fiver and can be bought here.