Birmingham ArtsFest 2009

This is an archive page for 2009.
See www.artfest.org.uk/programme/ for 2010.

ArtFest this year is 11–13th September. A PDF scan of the programme is available, and the details are now on the official ArtsFest website, but it is organised by place, not time, which is quite annoying when you actually want to decide what to go and see when you’re in town in the middle of the day. So here it all is, rearranged in time order, and with some details from the PDF that are missing from the website. The official website might have changes, do check there. 2008 version of this site, for historic interest.

You can search the listings or ignore listings, e.g. (and these might be the things I’m in, come along!), Sinfonia on Saturday or City of Birmingham Choir on Saturday.

Search for: and/or ignore things containing:

10:00

Katherine Waters @ Flowerbeds around Chamberlain & Victoria Square
Birmingham Babies Sculptures
Stan's Café @ A. E. Harris Factory
Giant Steps

11:00

Carmen Herra @ Ikon Gallery
Final weekend of Cuban artist's exhibition, Dave Sherry impromptu performances, Simon & Tim Bloor narrowboat on canal.
Over the Top Puppet Company @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Willie The Wicked Wolf
Taiko West Drumming Workshop @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Spaces
Hands-on Japanese Taiko Drumming Workshop
CSP Activity Area @ City Centre Gardens Activity Area Marquee
Archery, Chainmail / Armour dressing up, Fire building, woodwork, sword reinactment, face painting, Community Games display boards.
Park Friends Natural Heritage Celebration Nature Trail Stall @ City Centre Gardens Activity Area Stall
Park Friends Natural Heritage Celebration @ City Centre Gardens
Giant sculptures located around the gardens.
Yoga Haven @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
Words on Wheels, Birmingham Library Service @ Chamberlain Square - Congreve Passage
Stories for all.
Birmingham City Council Arts Section @ Chamberlain Square
Supporting and funding Birmingham's Arts.
Matt Tyler @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Off Our Trolley Carnival & Community Arts @ Visual Arts Village Workshop Marquee 1 & 2
Birmingham Photospace @ Visual Arts Village Workshop Marquee 3 & 4
Creating A Portrait of Birmingham
Craftspace taking time: Craft and the Slow Revolution Take time learning to make @ Visual Arts Village Workshop Marquee 5 & 6
Kiran Rangoli & Creative Arts @ Visual Arts Village Workshop Marquee 7
Threads of Identity with Ranbir Kaur
Heart of England Galleries @ Visual Arts Village Workshop Marquee 8 - 11
Midland Potters Association @ Visual Arts Village Workshop Marquee 12
Being creative in clay
ArtSpace @ The Council House Banqueting Suite
ArtsFest's Affordable Art Fair
Playtrain @ The Council House VIP Room
Friends of RBSA Open Exhibition @ RBSA 1st & 2nd Floor Galleries
Work by contemporary Birmingham artists
Guided Cemetry Walk @ Key Hill Cemetery

11:30

Soccatots @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area
Rockets @ BBC Bang
Visit the Bang Goes The Theory Interactive Area to have a go at a range of experiments and really put science to the test! @ BBC Bang Interactive Marquee

11:45

Taiko West Drumming Workshop @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Spaces
Hands-on Japanese Taiko Drumming workshop

12:00

PG Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Birmingham and beyondÖ Showcasing WeVee - Personal reflections on the region's archive film edited to music Shift Work (Dir. Ikon & Gallery 37) ñ Beautifully shot documentary about Digbeth Seen You in Birmingham (Dir. Ikon & Gallery 37) ñ Have you been captured on CCTV? The End (Dir. Barney & Lucy Heywood)
Birmingham Library and The REP present Building Stories @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Art on the Railings @ Art on the Railings
Acting Out @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
Sound It Out @ The Yardbird
Musical Connections
Ticket Booth @ Central Library
The Gruffalo's 10th Birthday Party @ Central Library - Centre for the Child
Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
The Convulsions @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
RE: Place @ The Works Gallery Pershore Street
A Birmingham / Bordeaux exchange exhibition featuring Peter Grego, Tom Ranahan, Pamina Stewart, Paul Woof (Birmingham) Isidore Krapo, Christophe Masse, Francis Viguera, Veronique Lamare, Joss Burke & Richard Biardeau (Bordeaux)
HINGe @ St Paul's Gallery
Guided Cemetry Walk @ Key Hill Cemetery

12:05

Desi Nach @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
W.R.G Dance Group @ The Hall of Memory

12:15

Birmingham Opera Company @ Paradise Forum

12:30

Robyn Hope Hall @ City Inn Café
The Return of Redman Greenman @ The Prince of Wales
Shine Costume and Arts Creative Enterprise Development Carnival Dance Workshop @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area
TANTRUM Carnival Cheer Leaders
The Skylines @ Centenary Square Stage
Brazilian Soccer School @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
Full Potential Arts @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Activity Space
Full Potential Arts @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Community Gallery
Gases @ BBC Bang

12:35

mac & Artmusic present @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
'The City Sings' by Helen Ottaway
Middleton Hall String Quartet @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21

12:45

PG Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Flip Presents Introduction to Flip by Peter McLuskie Bertha & Bruno (Dir. Michael Rokes) ñ Love Story (Dir. Lena Von Dohren) ñ Monster Movie (Dir. Stephen Hammond) ñ Codswallop (The Brothers McLeod) ñ Small Bird Singing (Dir. Linda McCarthy) ñ One Nice Family Photo (Dir. Tom Senior) ñ Pencil Tree (Dir. Niki Naroz) ñ Wire and Bows (Dir. Andrew Brand) ñ The Weatherman (Dir. Will Becher) ñ Small Thoughts (Dir. James Clarke, Daniel Howe & Robert Green) ñ My First Crush (Dir. Julia Pott)
Cow @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 1
A party for me!!
Park Friends Natural Heritage Celebration @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 3
Tile engraving and arts tributes workshop.

12:55

Falun Gong @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Touch of Life Dance Crew @ The Hall of Memory

13:00

Eclectic Rhythms @ The CBSO Centre
Bhangra workshop.
Rawality @ The Flapper Bar
NK Kreations @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
3T's Tunes Times Tables
Thinktank @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
The Beauty of Science
Julian Powell's Solo Vibes @ The Yardbird
HYPA (Halesowen Youth Performance Arts) @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Jagged Edge
Tim Robinson Solo Guitar @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
Poetry Wednesbury @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
In the Oss Road
Tindal Street Press @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Count Zero @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Black Voices & Town Hall Gospel Choir @ Town Hall
History of Town Hall Exhibition with free audio guide @ Town Hall Foyer
Four Lovers @ St Paul's Gallery

13:15

Nate @ The Flapper Bar
The Lines @ Centenary Square Stage
The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain @ Paradise Forum
Sax to the Max
Yang's Tai Chi School @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
Notorious @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Nice! A celebration of 25 years of the Birmingham International Jazz Festival.

13:20

Turntable II. Films shown in this section are rated PG. @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Breaking the Ice (Dir. Arron Sheakey) (Special introduction from Arron Sheakey) ñ
Superbly choreographed music video
BB Manik ñ Madness/Army Riddim (Dir. Trav) ñ Hip-hop music video
Trance (Dir. Alex Haworth) ñ
Free running drama
Midlands Retraspec (Dir. Trav) ñ
Skate video; Trav style
Mandolin Summer (Dir. Chris Keenan) ñ
Super 8 part III
Dance of the Coward (Dir. Ben Barton) ñ
A humorous portrayal of a gay matador
Daylight Ghosts (Dir. Paul Banks) ñ
Hand-drawn animated music video for Epic45

13:30

Fola @ City Inn Café
The Valuable Fools @ The Flapper
Wrote Under @ The Prince of Wales
Magical mystery merry-go-round.
mac & Artmusic present @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
'The City Sings' by Helen Ottaway
Rockets @ BBC Bang

13:40

Birmingham Youth Dance Company @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Hipnotic @ The Hall of Memory

13:45

Birmingham Concert Orchestra @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
Marvin Wayne @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33

14:00

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group @ The CBSO Centre
Music Maze for all.
Billy the Kid @ The Flapper Bar
51 Breaks @ Centenary Square Stage
Theatre Ark @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
Mountain Language by Harold Pinter
Birmingham Opera Company @ The Yardbird
Birmingham Library Theatre Company @ The Library Theatre
Who's Breaking?
sum ...in association with Scientific Reactions @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Tides of the Lunar Minds
Al-Almerat Belly Dancers @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
SCUPA @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
The Cantilena Duo @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Ben Calvert @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Voices of City of Birmingham Choir @ RBSA 2nd Floor Gallery
Mini-Concert
Sons Of The Desert @ St Paul's Gallery
Guided Cemetry Walk @ Key Hill Cemetery
Alexander Lockett & Ian England @ Key Hill Cemetery
Project Pigeon

14:10

12 Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Showcasing WeVee -Personal reflections on the region's archive film edited to music Vessel in Vain (Dir. Duncan Groves) ñ
Short film about the significance of memory
Mere ñ (Dir. Richard Turner) ñ
Thoughtful drama
741 ñ (Dir. Tim Orchard) ñ
Fantastic cinematography in this film about a man and his vintage glider
The Inner and Outer (Dir. Matthew Sefton) ñ
A metaphorical expression about time
Bye Bye Darling (Dir. Amedeo Procopio) ñ
Italian comedy, UK premiere

14:15

Shropshire Youth Theatre @ Paradise Forum
Surinder Sandhu @ Town Hall

14:25

S&J Stars @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Bgirl Fuzion @ The Hall of Memory

14:30

Anna Burge @ City Inn Café
Belly Dance Elements @ The Flapper
Release the Goddess within.
Lab Monkey Productions @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Magic and Mystery Show.
Over the Top Puppet Company Glove Puppet Making Workshop @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 1
Purple Mermaid Circus @ Centenary Square Fountain
mac & Artmusic present @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
'The City Sings' by Helen Ottaway
Ingrid's Accordions @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Gases @ BBC Bang
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia
Get Frank @ Tourist Information Centre New Street

14:45

The Amateurs @ Centenary Square Stage
Windsor Dance Company @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
Suspend Slide Fall!
Birmingham Clarion Singers @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Leo Turner @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33

15:00

Jim Meehan & Pete Russell @ The Flapper Bar
PJ's Band
CSP Community Games @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area
Midland Opera @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
Capoeira Conviver @ The Yardbird
Lady Georgianna @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Singalonga Georgianna Workshop
The Arcadians @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
The Birmingham Basson Choir @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Fordante @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
The Arrival
Voices of City of Birmingham Choir @ RBSA 2nd Floor Gallery
Mini-Concert
This Beautiful Thief @ St Paul's Gallery

15:05

Richard Adey Accordionist @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21

15:10

CDJ Dancers @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Degrees Dance Company @ The Hall of Memory

15:15

The Comedy Hour. Films shown in this section are rated 12. @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Shut Up (Dir. Alec Chalmers)
Arthurís Lore (Dir. Matthew Cooke & Vincent Lund) ñ Birmingham's answer to Shaun of the Dead
Oh Dear (Dir. Antonio Di Benedetto & Nicky Cary) ñ Delightful animated comedy
The Lodger (Dir. Andrew Wickett) ñ
Comedy about an accidental murder
Rogue God (Dir. Alec Chalmers)
Next Door (Dir. AJ Hewson & David Hillier) ñ
Short dark comedy
Knock Knock (Dir. Alec Chalmers)
Stand Up (Dir. Mickey N Sharma) ñ
Story of an Indian comic
Male Grooming (Dir. Alec Chalmers)
Microshotz (Dir. Mark Pressdee)
Stinks (Dir. Qiangian Liu)
Weisnancy Polish Folk Song & Dance Group @ Town Hall
Songs and Dances from the Highlands of Zywiec Poland

15:30

Music from the Notebenders Perspective @ The CBSO Centre
Jazz on Tap @ City Inn Café
Live jazz.
FebruaryMarch @ The Flapper
Albarz Resounding @ The Prince of Wales
Shropshire Youth Theatre @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Templeton Pek @ Centenary Square Stage
Birmingham Bach Choir @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Rockets @ BBC Bang
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia
Ramblers - Get Walking Keep Walking @ Victoria Square & New Street Ask it! Marquee 1
MDCC Theatre Company @ Tourist Information Centre New Street
The Hamlet Globetrotters

15:35

The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
Sax to the Max

15:55

Phoenix Dance Company @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Funk Art Fusion!
Step Up School of Dance @ The Hall of Memory

16:00

Nathan Bennett @ The Flapper Bar
The Children's Carnival Parade @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Featuring CSP, Shine Costume and Arts Creative Enterprise Development, Shropshire Youth Theatre, CARAD, Off Our Trolley, South Birmingham College, & Heart of England Galleries. Music by Oya Batucada samba drummers.
Dawn Falato @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
The Surface
The Sugarfoot Stomp @ The Yardbird
Down at the Sugarfoot Stomp 5th year anniversary.
Pink Space Theatre Company @ The Library Theatre
The Fear of Queer
Music in Motion @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Diverse Dance Company @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
Mary Rochford @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Birmingham
String Talk @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
A short history of Life, the Universe and Everything in words and music.
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eirann @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
East by South-East @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage

16:15

Mexicolas @ Centenary Square Stage
The Company from Dudley Performing Arts @ Town Hall
50 Ways to a Better Body!

16:30

Delano Mills: Not Strictly Jazz @ The CBSO Centre
Grover Washington Jr. 10 year anniversary tribute.
Rainbow Voices @ The Flapper
Gamblers Blues @ The Prince of Wales
ThinkTank @ BBC Bang
The Beauty of Science
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia

16:35

Claret @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall

16:40

Tru Street Dance Creating Positive Moves @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
CRC Future Theatre @ The Hall of Memory
The Human Thing To Do

17:00

The Final Feature. Rated 12 @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
One Minutes (Dir. Philip Pugh) (Introduction from cast and crew) ñ
Sixty 1 minute shorts. This is an epic, colourful and lively comic exploration into the world of cinema
Jack The Biscuit @ The Flapper Bar
The Arcadian Kicks @ Centenary Square Stage
Q2Q Theatre Company @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
Contemporary Youth Theatre
Ritmatic @ The Yardbird
Plays RITMATIK
Mendi & Guests @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Taal Bahar (Rhythm Thunder)

17:15

Street Wize DC @ Town Hall
A Celebration of Mowtown

17:30

Onethousandladders @ The CBSO Centre
Dennis Sold Me The Moon
Soul Survivor Theatre Company @ The Flapper
It's All Your Fault
Canoe @ The Prince of Wales
Transit Trix @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Capoeira Conviver @ The Hall of Memory
The Youth Showcase @ The Library Theatre
Featuring Birmingham's finest youth projects
Young Disciples - YD Famo @ The Library Theatre
Operamus - Birmingham Youth Opera @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
We do Opera for all.
Christiane Moran @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Question and Answer with James Soper and Bang Goes The Theory TV Presenters @ BBC Bang

17:50

Johnny Foreigner @ Centenary Square Stage

18:00

Earth Calling Alice @ The Flapper Bar
Women & Theatre @ Birmingham REP - The REP Door
Woman First
Yaz Alexander @ The Yardbird
Lucid Solution @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage

18:15

Back to Back Dancers @ Town Hall
Loyal 2 The Name

18:20

Electratone Dance Company @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Delerium
Belly Dance Elements @ The Hall of Memory
Release the Goddess within

18:30

AFS @ The Flapper
Rowena Knight @ The Prince of Wales
Creative Beat @ The Library Theatre
Live in the City

18:45

Saving Aimee @ Centenary Square Stage

19:00

John Brocklesby @ The Flapper Bar
Oya Batucada @ The Yardbird
Take me to Brazil!

19:15

Dudley Performing Arts Dance Theatre Group @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Is the grass always greener?

19:30

Graham Clews Band @ The Flapper
Stuart Zola @ The Prince of Wales

19:45

Elliot Minor @ Centenary Square Stage

20:00

BRAWD @ The Flapper Bar
MEMPHIS @ The Yardbird

20:15

Mef & Kem Motown Canvasses Charity Raffle @ Centenary Square Stage

20:30

Boris Nicoli ex-KGB Mind Reader @ The Flapper
Matt Tyler @ The Prince of Wales

20:45

Reverend & The Makers @ Centenary Square Stage

21:00

Lou Brown @ The Flapper Bar
Frutaloka @ The Yardbird

21:30

Highway Dave and the Varmints @ The Flapper
Arabella @ The Prince of Wales

21:45

Athlete @ Centenary Square Stage