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The all new BE (Birmingham European) Festival kicked off this week offering an exhilarating mix of live performance, workshops and new experiences all set within the AE Harris space that is the home of Stan’s Cafe.

Over four evenings, four companies each perform a 30-minute show giving audiences the opportunity to see a taster of a newly developed piece. After the first two performances each evening the audience will be invited to dine with the companies to talk and gain further insight in to the work. When all the shows are finished a programme of music and DJ’s will round off each night.

Companies from nine countries will share the stage throughout the festival offering a varied nights entertainment set along the theme of crossing borders.

You’ve got 2 more nights to catch the action…

BE FESTIVAL
AE Harris, 128 Northwood Street, Birmingham B3 1SZ
Until – 3 July 2010

Video by CRAIG BUSH

We are very excited to announce the launch of our Special Edition Culture Guide for Visit Birmingham. We love our home city and have had lots of fun putting this edition together that showcases some of favourite places and people.

The guide is part of Marketing Birmingham’s new campaign that launches on Monday 26th April to raise the profile of the city’s arts and culture offering domestic and international audiences.

The campaign’s aim is to encourage people to plan weekend breaks in the city around key events in Birmingham’s cultural calendar which this year includes some great events including International Dance Festival Birmingham, The Flyover Show III and the launch of the gorgeous new mac at Cannon Hill Park.

Fused worked closely with the team at Visit Birmingham to put together an annual guide to highlight the range and depth of the city’s entertainment and lifestyle offer.

Chief Executive, Neil Rami, said:

“The new Culture Guide highlights a selection of this city’s innovative arts scene. From the best in classical music and award-winning ballet through to cutting edge visual arts and experimental theatre, Birmingham’s cultural offering is a real reason to visit.”

100, 000 of the booklets are being distributed in Amsterdam, Dublin, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford and Bristol. It will also become part of a toolkit for touring companies from the city to help them promote Birmingham.

To download or request you copy of the guide click on visitbirmingham.com.

During the 4th to 8th November Birmingham’s Eastside is being taken over by 100 artists for the second contemporary art festival organised by BCAF (Birmingham Contemporary Art Forum).

Featuring a number of the city’s artist led projects The Event will be held at a variety of established, new and slightly more unusual spaces throughout Digbeth.

Digbeth’s previous guise as an area of manufacturing has been slowly transforming in to the city’s Creative Quarter or ‘Eastside’. Artists have always been resourceful and where they move in to old and disused spaces to hone their craft a community builds around them – this is of course how The Custard Factory came in to being.

So it’s with no surprise that when the steel bashers moved out and abandoned their factories the artists moved in and new spaces emerged. Several of these new spaces will be open to the public for the first time including Grand Union’s unit on Fazeley Industrial Estate, Fazeley Street, a temporary space at 119 Floodgate Street which will be home to Mona Casey Projects for the duration and Crowd6’s use of fellow artist group The Lombard Method’s raw space at 68a Lombard Street, B12.

We’ve picked out our highlights of The Event that shouldn’t be missed.

Join Mark Essen for his roaming Record Exchange. He’ll be popping up at most of the venues as well as The Anchor Inn on Bradford Street (5 Nov). Not only can you debate, negotiate and swap records but you can also try the specially made ‘The Event Brew’. For the Friday night official launch (6 Nov) Essen will lead a performance of “and you will know us by the trail of Morris men” where Morris dancers will escort the audience from each venue to the after party at Eastside Projects on Heath Mill Lane.
If you are feeling lonely and need something else in your life then everyday at 10am and 2pm join The Family who will engage you with a variety of ‘activities’. Taking their inspiration from the dubious cults that offer comfort to the lonely and confused a.a.s. will live together at Birmingham Central Backpackers on Coventry Street and invite you to join them each day. They still have spaces left to live with them for 24-hours – call them on 07806 50 27 26.

The flat-capped life of the Pigeon fancier is relived by [insertspace] who will be opening their Pigeon Loft to visitors from 2-4pm on Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 at The Rea Garden, 1-8 Floodgate Street, B5. Having built the loft and reared pigeons artists Alex Lockett and Ian England’s practice combines their interests in nature’s relationship with culture, as well as traditional and contemporary modes of communication.
Latest artist led initiative Grand Union open up their new Fazeley Street home to host an artists’ publishing fair on Friday 6 from 12pm. Stick around until 2pm and you can see Calum F. Kerr and his Book Coat, a portable garment containing over 50 individual artists’ books.

Be part of the art from 8pm on Friday 6th at Eastside Projects on Heath Mill Lane. Stan’s Cafe will be hosting a continuous dialogue of visitors to the exhibition commenting on their every move. From 9pm there will be a live performance by Juneau Projects who invite the audience to become their percussion – prepare to get involved.

If you want a more rounded view of The Event then a great way to engage with the artist community and see the continually changing face of Digbeth is through the free, guided tours which leave from Eastside Cafe everyday at 3pm.

The Event Talks
Saturday 7 November, 2-5pm at Eastside Projects
A programme of talks to investigate the role of the artist led festival within contemporary arts practice. Implicit within this is an investigation of the role of consortium working, both as part of a forum but also within the wider context of the region in which the activity is based. ‘The Event Talks’ aims to examine the impact of artist led activity on the creative industries and its role within regeneration. Furthermore these talks seek to question the autonomy of artist led activity within a wider political agenda. ‘The Event Talks’ will provide insight into previous, key artist led activity from UK, through presentations and moderated discussion. Speakers include Katy Woods (Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum), Milika Muritu (Cell Project Space), Chris Brown (a-n and g39). Chaired by Adam Sutherland (Grizedale Arts)
Places are free but space is limited. To book email kaye@the-event.org

For a full timetable and information on all the performances, events and interventions taking place visit the-event.org.

Information Point: Eastside Cafe, 101 Coventry Street, B5

Various venues throughout Eastside, Birmingham
4-8 November, 12-5pm
the-event.org

Converting a factory in Birmingham in to a race track may not seem like a clever idea but when the cars are only a few inches long and the factory is really big it turns in to quite a spectacle.

If the glamorous life at the side of a Formula 1 track is a little out of your league but still you crave excessive speed and exhilaration then we have a suitable and enterating alternative. Theatre Company Stan’s Café will be presenting a 24-hour Scalextric race at their home, A E HARRIS. Head down there to see 6 teams bash it out to become the greatest Scalextric champion. Think Jenson Button and team Braun on a miniscule scale and you’ll get the gist.

Visitors can watch the race unfold from the Grandstand with live uninterrupted commentary provided by Stan’s Cafe directors Craig Stephens and James Yarker.  The race can also be followed in its entirety around the globe through a live web stream at www.stanscafe.co.uk/24hourscalextric.

On the Sunday morning visitors will be able to come and join the teams for brunch, as we count down to see who will win the coveted 24 Hour Scalextric Trophy. Everyone is invited, live or over the web, to be part of one of the most memorable events of the sporting / artistic year.

If Scalextric is not your thing, or you find your mind wondering at the constant whizzing of the slot cars, their are plenty of other events taking place to keep you occupied. Complete with Screenings from the 7 Inch Cinema and Outersight and French cuisine courtesy of the Kitchen Garden Café.

On your marks, get set, GO!

A.E. Harris, 110 Northwood Street, Birmingham
13 June: 13:00 doors open – 14.00 race starts – 22.00 closed to public
14 June: 10:00 venue open to public – 14:00 chequered flag & awards.
Entrance charge – £3 Adults/£2 Children – Weekend tickets – £5/£3
A.E. Harris Factory, 110 Northwood Street, Birmingham, B3 1SZ
www.stanscafe.co.uk