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

CBSO Open Rehearsal @ Centenary Square Stage
Full Potential Arts @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Community Gallery
Stan's Café @ A E Harris Factory
Giant Steps

10:30

Friends of RBSA Open Exhibition @ RBSA 1st & 2nd Floor Galleries
Work by contemporary Birmingham artists.
Ranjit Kaur Mendi Design @ The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
Henna body art.

11:00

Carmen Herra @ Ikon Gallery
Final weekend of Cuban artist's exhibition; Dave Sherry impromptu performances; Simon & Tom Bloor narrowboat on canal.
Over the Top Puppet Company @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
CSP Community Games @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area
Birmingham Repertory Theatre: The Snowman @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 1
Snowman Workshop
Park Friends Natural Heritage Celebration @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 3
Arts Tributes Workshop
CSP Activity Area @ City Centre Gardens Activity Area & Marquee/Yurt
Archery, Chainmail/Armor Dressing Up, Fire building, woodwork, sword reinactment, face painting, Community Games display boards.
Opal West Midlands @ City Centre Gardens Activity Area Stall
Darwin 200 Nature of Birmingham Trail
CARAD and The Elan Valley Community Museum @ City Centre Gardens
Brazilian Soccer School @ 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.
Birmingham Libraries @ The Library Theatre
Hipnotic @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
Full Potential Arts @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Activity Space
Midlands Fretted Orchestra @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Music across the decades.
Birmingham Conservatoire Klezmer Band @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
ArtSpace @ The Council House Banqueting Suite
ArtsFest's affordable art fair.
Playtrain @ The Council House VIP Room
Connie Wan @ RBSA 1st Floor Gallery
Art historian Connie Wan discusses RBSA founder Samuel Lines.
Guided Cemetery Walk @ Key Hill Cemetery

11:30

Magenta @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Intimate Productions @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
The Sonnet Experience
ThinkTank @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
The Beauty of Science
BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow Interactive Marquee @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow Interactive Marquee
Visit the Bang Goes The Theory Interactive Area to have a go at a range of experiments and really put science to the test!

11:45

Rascal the Clown @ Shared Earth Shop, New Street

11:55

Music for Youth @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
City of Birmingham Choir @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Mini-concert.

12:00

Beingfrank Physical Theatre @ The CBSO Centre
Raging Skulls Workshop
PG Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Art Detection Services (Dir. Matthew Moore) (Introduction from the ADS team) ñ The art worldís answer to Ghostbusters; I Love it in the Town Hall when you give me a Squeeze (Dir. Mark Whale) ñ Music promo for folk musician Tom Peel; Phenomenal Birmingham (Dir. David King) ñ Comedy about Birmingham, its culture and language; Pissed Off (Dir. Alec Chalmers) ñ
1st in a number of fantastic animated shorts by Alec Chalmers; Tea (Dir. Ben Lynch) ñ Animated comedy; The Uncreative Process (Dir. Ben Lynch) ñ The creative/uncreative process of filmmaking; Dog Tired (Dir. Greg McLeod) ñ Animated comedy about an insomniac; Empathy (Dir. Alec Chalmers); G.U.4(Dir. Nixon Leung)(Introduction from NixonLeung) Superb animated short in the style of an 80's computer game;Showcasing WeVee - Personalreflections on the region's archive film edited to music
PG Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Flip Presents. Flip Animation Festival is now in its sixth year and the quality of films just seems to get better and better. Here are some of the best. Look out for more from Flip on Sunday afternoon too. Terrafarmer (Dir. Will Adams); This Way Up (Dir. Smith & Foulkes); Alien Abduction (Dir. David Han); KJFG NO.5 (Dir. Alexei Alexeev); Muto (Dir. Blu) ñ Lost Cargo (Dir. Pieter Engles); Showcasing WeVee - Personal reflections on the region's archive film edited to music.
Royal Shakespeare Company @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Storytelling for the under 5's
Over the Top Puppet Company @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 2
Art on the Railings @ Art on the Railings
The Birmingham Stage Company @ Birmingham REP - REP Door
George's Marvellous Medicine
The Gruffalo's 10th Birthday Party @ Central Library - Centre for the Child
'The City Sings' by Helen Ottaway @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Presented by the mac & Artmusic
Chloe & Barry Hunt @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
Natasha Solomon @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
Flatworld @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Bollywood Dance Workshop @ Town Hall
History of Town Hall Exhibition @ Town Hall Foyer
With free audio guide.
Birmingham Repertory Theatre @ Baileys Fish Bar & Restaurant, Stephenson Street
East is East
Face Painting @ Shared Earth Shop, New Street
Treefrog Theatre Company @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
Pink Tape
DanceXchange @ DanceXchange Studios
Class taster sessions.
RE: Place @ The Works Gallery, Pershore Street
The Mandrills @ St. Paul's Gallery
Saturday BBQ @ St. Paul's Church
Black Adder Clog Morris @ St. Paul's Church
Guided Cemetery Walk @ Key Hill Cemetery
Bournville Young Singers? @ Tourist Information, New Street

12:30

Gavin Medza @ The Prince of Wales
Park Ensemble - Making Music West Midlands @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Tindal Street Press @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Gases @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
Someone-at-the-Door Samba Band @ Tourist Information Centre New Street
Stella Maris @ RBSA 2nd Floor Gallery
Six Wives - Music from in and around the court of Henry VIII
SMART Poets @ The Pen Room
Poetry workshop.

12:35

Soccatots @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area
Treefrog Theatre Company @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
Opportunity Crashes

12:45

Bloco Louco @ St. Paul's Church

12:50

Taiko West @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
Opera Mint @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Unleashed!

12:55

Big Brum TIE Company @ Birmingham REP - REP Door
Edward Bond and The Need for Drama: An open rehearsal.

13:00

Strange Candy @ City Inn Café
This Beautiful Thief @ The Flapper
VOLume! @ The Yardbird
Sandwell Community Music Project.
Bournville Young Singers @ Paradise Forum
Glorishears of Brummagem @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
Morris Dancing Workshop
Geoff Stevens @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
Purple Poetry Patch
Anvil Chorus @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Fun in Harmony performance.
Sam @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Birmingham Repertory Theatre @ Baileys Fish Bar & Restaurant, Stephenson Street
East is East
Gabbidon @ St. Paul's Gallery
MDCC Theatre Company @ Key Hill Cemetery

13:05

Intimate Productions @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Matthew Boulton - Revolutionary Man

13:30

Force Dance Company @ The CBSO Centre
Samantha Hunt @ The Prince of Wales
Muted Tones
The World's Biggest Bhangra Group @ Centenary Square Stage
Bhangra Dancing World Record attempt.
Quinton Community Choir @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
The Crescent Theatre @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Chekhov's The Proposal
Anvil Chorus @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Fun in Harmony workshop.
Rockets @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia
Orchestra of the Swan String Ensemble @ Town Hall
Birmingham Belly Dancers @ Shared Earth Shop, New Street
Roux Gilbear @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
Extracts from original plays - Beat the Devil and Lose the Plot Black Joan
The Rose Trio @ RBSA 2nd Floor Gallery
Acapella Birmingham Chamber Choir @ St. Paul's Church
An introduction to singing the music of William Byrd.
Anglo Sikh Heritage Play @ The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
The Maharajah and The Kohinoor

13:35

Soccatots @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area

13:40

Sarah-Ann Cromwell @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
The trials and tribulations of finding 'Mr Right' in the 21st Century!

13:45

Cordao de Ouro Capoeira Birmingham @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
The Art of Capoeira Workshop

13:55

System Trap @ The Flapper

14:00

Danieal @ City Inn Café
Classic & Modern Documentary. Films shown in this section are rated U @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
The One Armed Smithy (Dir. The Rural Media Company) ñ The first of 3 delightful little shorts from the RMC
When We Build Again (Dir. Ralph Bond) ñ
Fantastic documentary from 1943. Co-written and co-narrated by Dylan Thomas
The Mole Catcherís Secret (Dir. The Rural Media Company) ñ The Mini at 50 (Dir. MACE) ñ
Wonderfully crafted nostalgic footage of the Mini at Longbridge produced by the Media Archive for Central England. This really is a real treat.
Facts & Fictions (Dir. Gill Whitting) ñ
An artistic commentary on the demise of MG Rover
Cider Ted (Dir. The Rural Media Company) ñ Kollywood (Dir. Vanessa Meister) ñ
Documentary exploring the rise of the South Indian film industry Showcasing WeVee - Personal reflections on the region's archive film edited to music.
Free Icon Creative Workshop @ Ikon Gallery
Carvalho & the Xtended Family @ The Yardbird
Birmingham Library Theatre Company @ The Library Theatre
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Frances Griffin and Leo Turner Guitar Duo @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
The Conscious Poets Society @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
Rhapsodies in Black
James Rea @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Birmingham Irish Collaborative Group Book Signing @ Borders Book Store, Bullring
Tom Dale Performance @ Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome
Birmingham Irish Collaborative Group Family History Workshop @ The Irish Club, Digbeth High Street
Yoga Haven @ Yoga Haven Studio, Livery Street
Yoga class.
John Shakespeare @ RBSA 1st Floor Gallery
Demonstration of oil painting techniques.
Shebangg @ St. Paul's Gallery
Guided Cemetery Walk @ Key Hill Cemetery
Stella Maris @ Key Hill Cemetery
Six Wives - Music from in and around the court of Henry VIII

14:05

Royal Shakespeare Company @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Storytelling for 5-9 year olds

14:15

MDCC Theatre Company @ Paradise Forum
Black Adder Clog Morris @ Tourist Information Centre New Street
Someone-at-the-Door Samba Band @ St. Paul's Church

14:20

The Play House @ The Birmingham REP - REP Door
Rainforest Symphony

14:30

Spectrum Dance Company: Stop @ The CBSO Centre
Blue City Project - Gareth John Wood @ The Prince of Wales
Shropshire Youth Theatre @ The Hall of Memory
Khalgani @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
Bellydancing workshop
Freaky Feet Dance Company @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
The Manipulation of Souls
'The City Sings' by Helen Ottaway @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Presented by the mac & Artmusic
Second City Sax @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Saxophone quartet.
Haseley Clarinet Quartet @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Four in a Row
Birmingham Chamber Music Society @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Gases @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia
Something & Nothing @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
Patrick and Bernadine

14:40

Music for Youth @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area
Bollywood Steps @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee

14:50

Is I Cinema @ The Flapper

15:00

Yolanda Parinchy @ City Inn Café
Shine Costume and Arts Creative Enterprise Development @ City Centre Gardens Marquee Space 2
Shonanis @ The Yardbird
Solo Plus Theatre Company @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
Robin Bailey @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
For Better For Verse
Samantha Hunt @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Activity Space
Creative Workshop: Muted Tones
Kokumo @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Ex Cathedra and it's Academy of Vocal Music @ Town Hall
Jack McNeil & Charlie Heys @ Shared Earth Shop, New Street
Ex Cathedra and its Academy of Vocal Music @ Town Hall
Mr Cricket? @ St Paul's Gallery

15:10

Birmingham Library and The REP present Building Stories @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Birmingham Repertory Theatre @ Centenary Square Stage
Calling all Carols for Carols

15:15

Fletch@ @ The Birmingham REP - REP Door
Professional Signsong Performer
Kaiming @ Chamberlain Square - Monarch Beach
The Art of Tai Chi
Blouco Louco @ Tourist Information Centre New Street
Samba percussion band.

15:20

Aston Performing Arts Academy with the CBSO @ Centenary Square Stage
Latino Grooves
Quinton Community Choir @ Paradise Forum

15:30

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group @ The CBSO Centre
Music Maze for All
STUNTS @ The Prince of Wales
Freefall c/o Birmingham Royal Ballet @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
Royal Shakespeare Company @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Voice / movement workshop for over 16's.
Sarah-Ann Cromwell & Melissa Morris @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
Wild Swans Concert Suite
Jean Davison @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Tindal Street Press @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
Rockets @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia
Leanne Bridgewater - Doqtress @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
Doqtress invites you to pun drums and dizzy machinery - Sa(i)d; he Sugar Plum Fairy.

15:40

CSP Community Games Races @ City Centre Gardens Participatory Area

15:45

Turn Off The Sun @ The Flapper

15:50

Turntable 1. Films shown in this section are reated U. @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Secret of the Slagheap (Dir. Scott Johnson) -
Intro for Misty's Big Adventure videos
I Canít Bring the Time Back (Dir. Mark Locke) ñ Between Me and You (Dir. Mark Locke) ñ Brighton: Sunny Sunny Cold Cold Day (Dir. Chris Keenan) ñSuper 8 promo for Herman Dune
Backlash (Dir. Laura Rayner & Gareth Barnett) ñ
Animated music video for the Scarlet Harlots
Heijoshin Dojo @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Traditional Japanese sword arts
Hina & Co Bollywood Dancer @ The Hall of Memory
Burn the Dance Floor

16:00

Elliot Jack @ City Inn Café
Big Bus Groovy @ The Yardbird
Birmingham Library Youth Theatre Company @ The Library Theatre
Why Is John Lennon Wearing A Skirt
The Kings of Spain @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Round Room
SMART Poets @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 33
Gabbidon @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Pete Williams @ Shared Earth Shop, New Street
The Lights @ St. Paul's Gallery

16:10

Thinktank @ City Centre Gardens Performance Area
Leanne Stoddart: Tongue-Tied @ Birmingham REP - REP Door
Presented by The Drum

16:15

Birmingham Irish Collaborative Group Music @ Centenary Square Stage
Greenfest

16:30

U Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Tacit (Dir. Matt Watkins) ñ Artist Lucy McLauchlan at work Waiting for the End of the World (Dir. Lee Deaville) ñ A beautifully shot experimental drama
Beluga (Dir. Scott Johnson) ñ Avengers style music video for Pram Nocturne (Dir. Andrew Parker) ñ A journey through the night Vancouver (Dir. Chris Keenan) ñ
The second instalment of Keenanís Super 8 trilogy.
WOW Impro @ The Prince of Wales
Improv Yourself
Birmingham Choral Union @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
Voices in Harmony
Lab Monkey Productions @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Magic and Mystery Show
South Birmingham Sinfonia @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Industrial gallery
* Come and hear Bach's Brandenburg Concerto (with me on harpsichord! :) )
Big Script @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Gallery 21
Celebrating New Writing
Harborne Orchestra Wind Quartet @ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - The Waterhall
QUINTESSENCE
Gases @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts @ The Council House Room 1
Storytime: Tancred and Erminia
Town Hall Organ Demonstration @ Town Hall
Shropshire Youth Theatre @ Tourist Information Centre New Street
Marcus Reeves @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
three zero
Bollywood Steps @ DanceXchange Studios
Bollywood dance workshop.

16:40

Motion Figures @ The Flapper

16:45

Birmingham Irish Collaborative Dance Group @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Greenfest
The Unique School of Performing Arts @ The Hall of Memory
Swaggalicious

17:00

Dance Nuvo Colabo with Artistic Souls @ The CBSO Centre
Paul Cowley & Tony Stokes Acoustic Blues Duo @ City Inn Café
New Style Radio @ The Yardbird
Motorcity Blues
Million Empire @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage

17:05

Something & Nothing @ Birmingham REP - REP Door
Patrick and Bernadine

17:10

The Acoustic Theatre @ Centenary Square Stage

17:30

12 Rated Film Selection @ The Crescent Theatre - Ron Barber Studio
Pests (Dir. Lucy Naden) ñ
The life of a slug
Momster (Dir. Steven Spencer) ñ
Dark fairytale about a young girl
Butterfly (Dir. Hong Zhang) -
The last trip of a butterfly
24 (Dir. Becky Graham) -
This mesmerising film takes us on a journey through the capital. Beautiful soundtrack. Dear Mr President - Pink (Dir. Jayne Fletcher) - Signed music video by Fletch@
Vandlo Saxon @ The Prince of Wales
Drumvoice Orchestra @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
African Drumming
Lady Georgianna @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Masquerade with Lady Georgianna
Question and Answer with James Soper and Bang Goes The Theory TV Presenters @ BBC Bang Goes The Theory Roadshow
Community Vibe @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
'1 in 4' - Mental Health awareness.

17:35

Little Girl Screaming @ The Flapper

17:40

Sonia Sabri Company: Untitled @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Presented by The Drum
Khalgani @ The Hall of Memory

18:00

Shonanis @ The CBSO Centre
The Chickenbone Blues Experience @ City Inn Café
Crossroads Blues Club
Old School Tie @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage
Soweto Kinch @ Town Hall
* Jaz saxophonist and hip-hop MC

18:05

Anthony Joseph and the Spasm Band @ Centenary Square Stage
Presented by Nu Century Arts & The Live Box

18:15

Stella Seaton-Sims & Michael Jones @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
The Inspiring Spanish and those inspired

18:30

The Black Bloc @ The Flapper
Tony Wille @ The Prince of Wales
Left Handed Lyrics Aimed Right at the Hear
Cordao de Oura Capoeira Birmingham @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
The Art of Capoeira
Anyone for Shark @ The Yardbird
DFY @ Birmingham Conservatoire Recital Hall
Scattered
Needless Allies @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
City Living

18:45

Birmingham Repertory Theatre @ Centenary Square Stage
Cabaret

19:00

Sky Juice @ The CBSO Centre
ABS* Latin Promotions @ Centenary Square Dance Marquee
Live Latin salsa performance and workshop.
Robson Piano Duo @ Birmingham Conservatoire - Adrian Boult Hall
Urban Sunrise featuring DJ Reason, Rankin Pete and Wah Fish @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage

19:30

StRANGEtiME @ The Flapper
Birmingham Conservatoire Klezmer Band @ The Prince of Wales
The Bo Dudleys @ The Yardbird
International Singers Night @ The Library Theatre
Hosted by Norma Lewis
Void Physical Theatre @ The Old Joint Stock Theatre
Man Handled

20:00

Yelitza @ The CBSO Centre
CBSO & BRB @ Centenary Square Stage
Madman the Greatest @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage

20:30

Carpe Diem @ The Flapper
Marlem @ The Prince of Wales
The Fancy Toys @ The Yardbird

20:45

CBSO & BOC @ Centenary Square Stage

21:00

StoneSoulUK @ The CBSO Centre
Astro-Physics @ Victoria Square Fountain Stage

21:30

Shana Tova @ The Flapper
10 Guitars @ The Prince of Wales
Fireworks @ Centenary Square Stage

22:00

Subkicks @ The Flapper
The Heels @ The Yardbird