This Thursday take an after-hours cultural excursion on the Art Bus. Visiting seven Birmingham galleries for this edition, (The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Eastside Projects, Ikon Gallery, mac birmingham, The Parkside Gallery (BCU), RBSA Gallery and the Waterhall Gallery at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery) all will be open from 5pm until 9pm. The free bus will be transporting visitors throughout the night.

More information can be found here.

Birmingham Literature Festival

This week Birmingham Literature Festival have released their full programme, running from 2-11 October 2014. For updates and news follow them here.

Fierce Festival

The Fierce Festival programme is also now live, running from 2-12 October 2014. They recommend joining their mailing list for updates.

Plastic Fantastic at Ikon Gallery

On Saturday 23rd August join Ikon Gallery for an hour-long 80s inspired jewellery workshop by Working Clasp. Book online or call Ikon Shop on 0121 248 0711.

The Gloaming Tales at mac birmingham

An Artist Rooms Project, The Gloaming Tales is going to be a spellbinding night of myth and legends told by storytellers around the campfire during the most magical time of day, twilight. Find out more here.

Glug Birmingham

We are on the final countdown to Glug, with less than a week to go! This week we have been sending out more flyers and beer mats, folding programmes and also released a promo video by Created in Birmingham’s Finlay Bell. It’s not too late to book tickets, visit the website to book.

Glug Birmingham: Midland Masters [PROMO] from Inkygoodness on Vimeo.

Local artists create edible flag to mark Indian Independence Day

Local artists Alexandria Robinson-Sutherland and Lexx Carby of Uneek Walls worked with ingredients at Birmingham wedding caterer and restaurant, Itihaas, to adorn the four-foot canvas. Using turmeric, basmati rice and coriander leaves the artists created the edible flag to mark Indian Independence Day.

• mac
• Barber Institute of Fine Arts
• Ikon
• RBSA Gallery
• Eastside Projects

Hop aboard the bus as it travels around the city, all while enjoying a mince pie and glass of wine at selected galleries.

Some of the galleries taking part in Art Bus were featured in our brief CiB exhibitions round-up last week, including the launch of Trade Show at Eastside Projects, and Tim Johnson, David Tremlett, Amikan Toren and Dean Kelland exhibitions at Ikon Gallery.

Visit the galleries’ websites (linked above) to find out more information about current exhibitions for each of the venues.

The Art Bus will run from 5 – 9pm and a schedule of the bus times can be found here.

Are you a West Midlands based artist or maker?

If yes, then mac birmingham wants your art.

The Open Project is guaranteeing the regions artists a place in mac birmingham’s prominent first floor gallery to show and sell their work, and all eligible work will also be considered to take part in a series of exhibitions throughout the summer.

So what do you do next? There are eight simple steps to follow that are detailed further here, but in the mean time, as always, please read the terms and conditions and then register online for the Open Day on Saturday 29th June.

There will be a workshop tomorrow, 15th June, to give you all the information you need to know about taking part. You can book your place at the workshop here.

Crisis Skylight is the education scheme of the homelessness charity Crisis. Working in hostels & community spaces it engages with the homeless using arts classes & creative courses. The results of some of this work is currently being exhibited at St. Martin’s Church.

Running from the 4th to the 30th August the exhibition includes photography, sculpture, painting & drawing.

Breakin’ Out

Described as a “celebration of urban culture” Breakin’ Out is taking place at mac on Wednesdays throughout August. Using the hashtag #NextGen it’s trying to discover the “Next Generation of Bboys, Bgirls, Rappers, MCs, DJs, Street Artists + Film-makers”.

There’s a mixture of workshops for ages 13 to 19 (street art & graffiti, Streetdance/Breakin’, making music tracks or music videos), events (music & spoken word, Love to Jam) and pop-up performances. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook

Brindleyplace outdoor films

The programme for the first Brindleyplace film festival has been announced. For 2 weeks from Monday 13th of August there will be a daily free screening of some classic movies and family films starting at 6 on weekday evenings, with two films shown at 11 and 2 on Saturday and Sundays.

The full programme can be found at Brindleyplace films and includes Back to the Future, Mamma Mia!, Ghostbusters, Kung Fu Panda, Back to the Future Part II, Grease, Happy Feet, Ice Age, Shrek, and E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial.

Sandwell Arts Festival

Between the 6th and 18th August the third Sandwell Arts Festival has a focus on participation. It takes place throughout Oldbury, Smethwick, Wednesbury and West Bromwich with a wide variety of activities across the borough. The climax of the festival will be a procession through West Bromwich high street on Saturday 18th August.

The festival organisers include Multistory, Black Country Touring, The Public, Sandwell Third Age Arts and Sandwell Primary Care Trust.