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.

I’ve still not popped in to see the Big Issue Hard Times exhibition yet. It’s only on the end of this week (30 September 2011 at St Martin-in-the-Bullring Church) so I’d probably best get my skates on.

Bullring have launched a new website to unveil their proposed plans for the regeneration of Spiceal Street, creating a hub of restaurants around St. Martins church.

With Jaime Oliver’s Italian restaurant set to open in October, Bullring are preparing to submit their planning application for the new development, with a view for completion in the Autumn of 2011.

What are you thinking? With the Mailbox and Brindley Place do we really need another batch of restaurant chains? Or are you excited at the prospect of finally getting a decent bite to eat without the trek away from the centre? If so you can pledge your support for the project via their site.

Warwick Uni’s opera, drama, and dance societies have got together and are putting on performances of Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas‘ at a selection of churches around the West Mids, including a show at St Martin’s church on Wed 26 November.

There’s plenty more info on the press release here.