Refugee Art

Link to a recent article I wrote on the Hybrid blog about Refugees and Imaginative Space:
"In the same way that work by black artists has become ‘black art,’ work by refugees and asylum seekers is considered ‘refugee art’ with expectations that it will contain certain themes – pain, loss, displacement, marginalisation. These are comfortable themes for what Rotas describes as a “right on” culture that wants to pat itself on the back for its commitment to diversity and giving voice to ‘others.’"

Fierce Interrobang: Regeneration

Fierce's Interrobangs are 'mash-ups of performance, experiments, enquiry, workshops, hot drinks, conversation and direct action.' The first will be taking place at Warwick Arts Centre from 24-26 June from 11am - 11pm. China Plate will be there running On Call sessions (more here), which offer a great opportunity to get advice and support or just have a general chat about your own work.

BE Festival

The Birmingham European Theatre Festival starts on 30th June, and the programme is packed with interesting stuff. It's all taking place at A E Harris. I love the poster - nothing better than going barefoot through a puddle.

ROAD WORKS: art on the meter in Birmingham

Image via inhabitat

Tomorrow, 48-hrs before we enter our final bid for UK City of Culture 2013, Birmingham City Council are transforming 5 parking spaces in the city centre in pieces of public art.

The project is BCC's contribution to PARK(ing) Day - in which artists, activists and citizens temporarily transform metred parking spaces into public parks.

Located in close proximity to Victoria Square, St Phillips Cathedral (Colmore Row) and Waterloo Street the ROADWORKS will feature:

• ‘Not My Type’ by Fluid Design and collective illustrators
  Three easels will be set up and some of Birmingham’s best graphic designers will be demonstrating their skills, illustrating letters forms and numbers, as the public look on. 
• ‘Camera Obscura ‘ by Arlene Burnett
  This will be a ‘walk in camera’ in a light proof garden shed, projecting an image of some of Birmingham’s impressive civic buildings onto its inside surfaces.
• ‘The Incidental Estate’ by Trevor Pitt
  A domestic, suburban garden transplanted into the city centre. A space to sit in, enjoy the flowers and consider the sense of freedom it can give you.
• Human, All too Human’ by Nat Pitt
  This is a bird spotters hide, fitted with periscopes for members of the public to view animal characters who will be appearing nearby, you may spot an owl with a pushchair, a cat traffic warden or a badger with a briefcase.
• ‘Digger’s Revival’ by Uddin and Elsey
  This artist’s duo will create a growing environment, inspired by Van Gogh’s painting of the ‘Potato Planters’, with wooden pallets, grow bags and plants. They will invite the public to take away seeds and encourage them to grow their own vegetables.

Intercultural dialogues

A recent blog post  about intercultural dialogues at the mac. From my blog at hybrid.

treasured a secret journey

Treasured - A Secret Journey from Jane Packman on Vimeo.

I just received a link to this trailer for Jane Packman's Treasured - A Secret Journey, which is currently at the mac. It's beautifully shot. I think I will have to check it out.

who wants to be?

A response to Birmingham's bid for UK city of culture Who Wants to Be Birmingham is a 'spontaneous, democratic, live theatrical experience' that aims to harness the full power of the public imagination. If these are some of your favourite words you don't want to miss it. It's on Friday 11th June at 7pm at The Patrick Centre, delivered by The Hippodrome and  Fierce.

intercultural dialogues at mac

Sampad and mac deliver the first in a series of conversations about important issues in society around themes of cultural space, policy, arts and communities. Hopefully this will give some insight into the development of the new mac centre and the thinking behind it. At the hexagon theatre on monday 7th June from 6-7.30pm. More here.

this week...

Protest: Fight The Power, part of BASS Festival, opens June 2 at Devonshire House, Digbeth. Celebrating radical poster art from around the world. See a short gallery of images on the guardian online here.

Routes to New Routes at St Martin's Arts is on until June 15th. Featuring metal work and textiles produced by women from the Community Integration Partnership in workshops led by artists Mel Tomlinson, Nicola Griffiths and Ruth Singer. It's a simple, unassuming exhibition that is really worth seeing. (Image via we are eastside)

Determinism: Where ever we go, we shall lead the way for our daughters is the final show of Walsall College HND Fine Art Students Katie Hobday and Sharon Powers, which looks really fun. Preview is on Friday June 4th 6pm-8pm at the New Art Gallery Walsall