ub40

Links for 9 November 2009

Chris Unitt — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:39:42 +0000

Lucy McLauchlan: Tacit
Your vote is required for a lovely and excellent thing – “A short film featuring Lucy McLauchlan’s improvised painting process and the harvesting of urban detritus”. Only takes a sec and can be done while you’re watching
New Textiles, Crochet & Paper Craft Workshops
“New Creative Workshops will be starting at the Creative Open Workshop’s base at Birmingham’s Custard Factory from 10 November 2009”. Added bonus – find out what the heck a Yo-Yo Fascinator is
The challenge of change: How can we create a better future for theatre, here, in the West Midlands?
Free event organised by ACE WM’s Theatre Officer, Alison Gagen. Looks very interesting. To be held at the Crescent on 26 Nov
UB40 Live at The Rainbow
“Listen to the whole show, thanks to Rhubarb Radio”
War in a Rack Launch
Free gig by Soweto Kinch to highlight his troubles categorisation troubles and to launch Soweto Kinch Productions as an independent recording and production company
The Sunshine Underground at Hare & Hounds, 16 Nov – free tickets
I quite liked ‘Put You In Your Place’. Free tix available for this one so be quick if you fancy it

Links for 5 November 2009

Chris Unitt — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:24:15 +0000

Best Believe – Inclusion Inspires
“a free conference delivered by MusicLeader West Midlands, Youth Music and Symphony Hall on Monday 16th November”
Loaf Needs YOU! :: Loaf Online
Tom wants to ‘kickstart a social movement around local food in Birmingham’. Get in touch with him if that sounds like fun
Ego Theatre and ITV Fixers
“Leminc has collaborated with ITV Fixers on a unique journey to find nothing but the very BEST of birmingham’s raw, artistic talent. (Actors, Dancers, Singers, Poets, Rappers, Entertainers and any other innnovative production) in order to create a powerful, innovative Musical Theatre with purpose”. At the Library Theatre, 7 Nov
Game Central / Previous Meetings
Minutes from the first meeting of the new get-together for West Mids games people
The criteria for Arts Council England regular funding | Arts Council
“We have a strategy for the arts which underpins our decisions about funding for individual organisations. This document aims to describe the framework we use in making these decisions”
Outside IN commissioning leading disabled artists – Audiences Central
“Outside IN is commissioning new work from three of the UK’s leading Disabled Artists for inclusion in three mainstream galleries in the West Midlands and Welsh Borders from 2010 to 2011”
Robin Valk – UB40: Live, Loud and Local
Andrew Dubber interviews Robin Valk
shona mcquillan
Artist Shona McQuillan has revamped her site and now has some prints for purchasing
Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre sold to ATG in £90m deal
The Ambassador Theatre Group have bought the Alex from Live Nation (along with 15 other venues around the country). No great changes planned, according interviews with folks involved, other than to reduce the amount of time it stands idle – currently around 16 weeks a year

Some thoughts on Birmingham’s music scene

Chris Unitt — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:06:12 +0000

A couple of music-related things came out over the weekend both adding up to paint a less than rosy picture of Birmingham’s current live music scene.

The Interactive Cultures team at BCU have launched MusicAsCulture.org – a place to discuss the idea that ‘music is not just commerce’. It’s not an exclusively local thing, but it launches with a Birmingham-focussed campaign dealing with the noise issues at The Rainbow in Digbeth. The campaign is being headed up by UB40 and is called Live, Loud and Local:

Here in Birmingham, as with many places elsewhere, heritage music venues are in danger of closure or losing their live music licence because of issues of noise. Areas that were once not residential now have tenants, and the clash between apartment dwellers and local music venues has demanded a response at a policy level

UB40 will be playing a one-off gig at The Rainbow on 3 November to raise money for a new roof on the building in an attempt to reduce outside noise. I don’t know where you can get tickets from yet, but then nor do the folks on the UB40 forum.

Meanwhile, Fused interviewed Johnny Foreigner who aren’t afraid of sticking the boot in. They’re working on a documentary about how Birmingham’s music scene “suffers as a result when compared to other major cities”, which they see as a result of neglect by the council. Their advice for the city:

Drop the ego like Liverpool or nurture the homegrown stuff like Leeds and see the results in five years time when there are famous and forward looking bands not ashamed to say where they’re from

(Pic – The Rainbow, Digbeth by ell_brown)