james yarker

Links for 18 May 2012

Chris Unitt — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:46:53 +0000

Birmingham-made film NFA to premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival – News
“not only was it filmed on location but also stars Birmingham-born actor Patrick Baladi, who played Ricky Gervais’s boss in The Office, and was produced by 104 Films, a production company co-founded by acclaimed Sutton Coldfield filmmaker Justin Edgar”
Cultural Entrepreneurship
Annette Naudin’s students have been interviewing James Yarker (Stan’s Cafe), Rosie Kay, Dorothy Wilson (MAC), Emma Chetcuti (Multistory) and many others
The Chamberlain Files = Sport and culture to “take centre stage” under Labour
“Giving details about how the new cabinet system would work, Sir Albert explained that deputy council leader Ian Ward will oversee the city’s arts, culture and sport budget, with the cabinet Member for Commissioning, Contracting & Improvement, Stewart Stacey, ensuring that the arts and sport budget is effectively used by organisations receiving council grants.”

Predictions and resolutions for 2012

Chris Unitt — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:43:27 +0000

Creative Times have published some predictions and resolutions for 2012 featuring contributions from Noel Dunne, Katie Day and James Yarker among others.

Their hopes and aspirations cover better collaboration, apps for artists and a look at what to expect from Birmingham’s theatre scene over the coming months.

Have you got any predictions you’d like to make?

I Like Theatre

Chris Unitt — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:43:12 +0000

I Like Theatre is a lovely, simple idea and a nice progression from last year’s theatre pledge cards.

Note: a mention of the West Midlands Theatre Awards 2012. You saw it there first.

I Like Theatre was prompted by Ian Craddock at Old Joint Stock Theatre from an initial idea and Pledge Card from James Yarker at Stan’s Cafe / @ A E Harris.

Links for 23 September 2011

Chris Unitt — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:19:42 +0000

Dance blogs in the West Midlands
If you like dance, these are the blogs to follow
Tindal Street Press’s summer ebook success | Tindal St Press
“This summer the clear genre appeal of a regional crime novel and a summer beach romance have reached more readers than we could have expected”. Nicely done.
Iona Waite awarded BBC Dance Fellowship « ACE dance and music
Congrats to Iona
Home is where the Art is: Progressive Birmingham
“‘Birmingham Faces and Places’ is a late nineteenth century publication celebrating the great and the good in Birmingham, people and places. I talked to Dr Andy Green about ‘Faces and Places’ and Birmingham in the late nineteenth century, when it was granted city status, and attempting to define itself as a modern, progressive city.”
(All) Night at The Museum: 24 hour usage – it could make sense « Museum Network Warwickshire
BMAG “are opening their Collections Centre for a ‘led’ overnight creative writing session”
Dramaturgy in Dialogue: James Yarker | Outside Eye
Michael Pinchbeck is researching the role of the dramaturg for a PhD. Here he interviews Stan’s Cafe’s James Yarker
THE COMMENTATORS | and
Speaking of. “The Commentators are delighted to be invited to report on all the action at Egremont Crab and Sports Fair. See them in the flesh or tune in via the widget below for the latest manifestation of this occasional project by theatre company Stan’s Café”
Self Assembly 2: Pitching Event Thursday 29 September 6.30-8pm Eastside Projects « We Are Eastside | Birmingham
“If your idea is successful you will be supported by ESP and Eastside Projects as you organise and host your event/s, giving you the opportunity to start conversations, make connections, hear about particular aspects of practice or explore ideas that you are interested in.”
Winterbourne Call for Artists
“We are now seeking new artists to exhibit their work in the Edwardian visitor attraction during 2012.” Which is nice. As impressive though is the mention of the £3m redevelopment of the Arts and Crafts house in 2010

Power videos

Chris Unitt — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:00:34 +0000

I’ve just noticed that Paul Hadley’s been interviewing people named in the Birmingham Post’s Power 50 and has managed to get hold of quite a few of the creative nominees. Here are a few:

Knowing Me, Knowing You

Chris Unitt — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:22:05 +0000

For the next CiB Project we’ve been asked to take part in Capsule‘s 10th birthday celebrations. We’re getting together a bunch of Birmingham creative types, putting them on a stage for 3 minutes and asking them ‘What would you do if you were given the run of a space like Vivid?’

Featured folks will include:

ATTA Girl, Scott Johnson aka Film Ficciones, Stephen Earl Rogers, James Yarker of Stans Cafe, local historian Ben Waddington, illustrator extraordinaire Ben Javens to name but a few

That list is from Capsule’s website.

There are 20 places left for spectators, so if you want to come along then please admin@capsule.org.uk. If it goes well it might be the first of many such events.

There’ll be full reporting back after the event, so if you can’t make it down then don’t worry.

The challenge of pledges

Chris Unitt — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:38:29 +0000

A couple of weeks back there was a meet-up of West Mids theatre folk – the event was called The Challenge of Change and (from what I understand) there were two days of workshops and discussions around the future of West Mids theatre.

Graeme Rose (Stan’s Cafe, The Modified Toy Orchestra, etc) has written up some notes about the first day.

There’s talk of Action Plans coming out of the event but I’m yet to find anything online anywhere just yet. Until they turn up, I rather like this list of pledges sketched out by James Yarker (also of Stan’s Cafe):

Attend 12 theatre shows in the next 12 months, 4 by West Midlands writers/artists/companies you haven’t seen before, 1 in a West Midlands Venue you’ve never been to before.
Take 12 people who have never been, rarely go, or don’t ‘do’ Independent Theatre to a show. Share transport.
Host a meal/party for 8 people 4 of which you barely know.
Write 12 comments/reviews/blog entries about theatre on other people’s sites.
Attend 1 mid*point or return to the next Open Space event.

They seem like common sense things that you’d hope people would be doing anyway but probably aren’t by everyone. I’m sure very similar things could be drawn up for many different artforms. James explains where the pledges came from. It’d be nice if they really were written up in some formal way. Michelle Knight has opted in. Is anyone else prepared to be held to these? If not, how come?