Creative Midlands West |
- Email chain leads to a display full of <b>Art</b> an Soul
- King of Bhangra Malkit Singh honoured on <b>Birmingham</b> Walk of Stars
- Activating Contemporary Circus
- NEW £35,000 COMMISSIONING AND TOURING AWARD
- Red Teapot – Networking Event (26th May)
- Women & Theatre Are Recruiting
- New Theatre Initiative Workshops
- News from Stage2
- The Oracle of the Taprooms (by Vanessa Oakes)
- Birmingham Comedy Festival
- Rogue Play Theatre Playwright Course
- Upstairs Improv – 31st May
- Notes from the Midpoint Meeting
- writingwestmids: RT @PoetryTranslate: Gregory Leadbetter has some nice (and bright) things to say about the @writingwestmids Birmingham reading http://t. ...
- writingwestmids: #wlyc #belgradetheatre We Love You City is a wonderful piece of real theatre. Even better 2nd time around. Go see it!
- writingwestmids: @BirminghamReads thank you for RTing our #persianpoets event - the night was fantastic with over 70 in attendance! keep an eye out for more!
- writingwestmids: @KarenInSellyOak thank you for RTing our #persianpoets event - the night was fantastic with over 70 in attendance! keep an eye out for more!
- writingwestmids: @nikki_bi thank you for tweeting our #persianpoets event - the night was fantastic with over 70 in attendance! keep an eye out for more!
- writingwestmids: @filtermeuk we have a few spaces left for our excellent writing workshops this Sat - now £10 off per 2 bookings! http://t.co/8Jb4AynX
- writingwestmids: @jennaclake have you seen our writing workshop day this Sat? now £10 off per 2 bookings http://t.co/8Jb4AynX
| Email chain leads to a display full of <b>Art</b> an Soul Posted: 11 May 2012 04:03 AM PDT WHEN Gloucestershire artist PJ Crook was invited to Estonia to exhibit her work alongside a national artist, she jumped at the chance. Her first visit coincided with the Queen's first visit to the Baltic States in 2006. Now it is her turn to invite ... See all stories on this topic » |
| King of Bhangra Malkit Singh honoured on <b>Birmingham</b> Walk of Stars Posted: 11 May 2012 04:00 AM PDT By Neil Elkes HUNDREDS of fans gathered in Birmingham City Centre on Thursday night as the King of Bhangra Malkit Singh became the first Asian celebrity to be honoured on Broad Street's famous Walk of Stars. The Punjubi singing star, whose anthem, ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Activating Contemporary Circus Posted: 11 May 2012 03:16 AM PDT Activating Contemporary Circus If there are any programmers, venues, festivals, strategists and producers interested in having conversations around the development of Circus you would be welcome to an informal get together ahead of two fantastic Circus shows presented as part of International Dance Festival Birmingham. Thursday 17th May 6.30pm – 8pm Informal gathering and Circus development conversations (Five minute walk from New Street Station – and with a car park on Thorp Street if you are driving) 8pm – 9.20pm URBAN – Circolumbia – Complimentary tickets strictly for those committed to attending the informal gathering Birmingham Hippodrome, Main Stage Circolombia's highly acclaimed show URBAN will thrill audiences with a unique blend of electrifying circus, South American hip-hop and reggaeton dance. Set against the backdrop of the Colombian city Cali, the show features graduates of the Colombian National circus school Circo Para Todos. A tale of confrontation and redemption, of gangs and individual freedom, of poetics and cruelty, URBAN is the voice of these young people. They tell the world what it's like in their reality, through their hearts minds and experiences on the streets of Cali and most of all, through their bodies. —- Followed by a five minute walk to Victoria Square to see outdoor show and International Dance Festival Birmingham festival highlight: 9.30pm – 10.20pm Starring: Goldie // 2Faced Dance Company // CIRCA // seeper If anyone is interested and would like to attend please confirm with Sarah Allen on SarahAllen@birminghamhippodrome.com as soon as possible and I'll arrange the complimentary tickets for URBAN. Wings of Desire is a free outdoor event and does not require tickets. We might also be able to facilitate a quiet meeting space on that day if any of you need one. If you want to stay the night in Birmingham you can access our special rate at the very convenient Holiday Inn hotel by quotingBirmingham Hippodrome - |
| NEW £35,000 COMMISSIONING AND TOURING AWARD Posted: 11 May 2012 03:14 AM PDT house have consulted with over 90 venues in the South East and East of England about what work they want to programme, what gaps exist and what challenges they face. Many programmers spoke about 'the well made play', about needing a hook to reach the audience, about classic theatre. At the same time Arts Council England, rightly places an emphasis on innovation, excellence and extending the form. Our view is that it is possible to achieve both. The challenge we are putting to companies is to create a contemporary piece of classic theatre that has wide appeal for audiences, and that is suitable for touring on the small to mid-scale to venues of up to 250 seats. The commission is for a maximum of £35,000, broken down as follows:
In addition the commissioners will offer contacts, advice, specialist intelligence, equipment, producing expertise, rehearsal space, etc. The call is open to national and international artists. Ideally we would like to see the commission delivered in spring or autumn 2013. We are looking for an idea that would not be possible without this investment but have no view on the content or length of the finished piece. For more information about house, visit housetheatre.org.uk HOW TO APPLY:
FILES TO DOWNLOAD:
This is a house commission in association with The Lights, Andover; The Gulbenkian, Canterbury; Lakeside Theatre, Colchester; The Cornerstone, Didcot; and Hertford Theatre, Hertford. |
| Red Teapot – Networking Event (26th May) Posted: 11 May 2012 03:12 AM PDT Red Teapot has teamed up with Capital Theatre Festival to host a networking event for regional theatre-makers on Saturday 26th May at mac. If you are a theatre-maker, working in the West Midlands at the moment, what are the things you feel the sector should be talking about? We'll be asking this question via twitter (with the #capitalfest12 tag) in the weeks leading up to the festival – and will be using your suggestions to provoke the discussion and help shape the calls for action drawn up at this informal networking event, hosted by www.redteapot.co.uk. Think sort of Open Space around a pot of tea – and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect. It runs from 10am-1pm on Saturday 26th May at mac. If you can't be there in person, do join in via the hashtag #capitalfest12 on twitter, but take note that if you do, you'll only get your tea and biscuits via twitpic. @redteapotcov / #capitalfest12 |
| Women & Theatre Are Recruiting Posted: 11 May 2012 03:02 AM PDT General Manager (Maternity Cover) Part time: 3 days a week Fixed Term Contract for 12 months from August 2012 Salary: £29,180 (pro rata) Award winning company, Women & Theatre seeks a creative and effective General Manager. Women & Theatreis a project-funded organisation with 28 years' experience of producing well-researched pieces of original, exciting theatre about things that matter. The company's work reaches audiences in a variety of settings including theatres, hospitals, community venues, schools and conference centres. By dramatising subjects at the cutting edge of people's consciousness we create challenging and uplifting theatre that people want to see. The successful candidate will have a positive attitude, a passion for the arts and the knack for getting the best out of people. They will have experience of financial, project and business management, fundraising and marketing activity and a strong track record in implementing strategy. If you have relevant experience and are interested in working in a friendly, supportive environment, please contact us for an application pack on 0121 449 7117 or info@womenandtheatre.co.ukClosing date: Wednesday 6th June 2012, 5pm
Interviews: Wednesday 20th June 2012 Women & Theatre welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
www.womenandtheatre.co.uk |
| New Theatre Initiative Workshops Posted: 11 May 2012 02:58 AM PDT We are pleased to announce a new series of Workshops aimed at creating New Theatre here in Birmingham. This is a great opportunity for Actors to develop their skills in delivering Shakespeare, as well as developing new writing. For writers, this offers a unique chance to learn new ways of creating plays, as well as developing their own writing voice. this is the course for you if . . . You are an Actor who wants to explore and discover fresh ways of how Shakespeare can work for you You are a Writer who wants to find inspiration in the words of Shakespeare and wants to rise to new writing challenges You are an Actor who enjoys working with new writing You want to work in collaborative way to produce performance standard material You want to see the efforts of your work in performance The Workshops will use speeches from Hamlet, and Actors (under the direction of Frank Bramwell) will explore new ways of delivering and presenting Shakespeare. Writers will observe the work of the Actors, and then for the next workshop create new short pieces of writing inspired by what they have seen. These will be worked up in the following 3 Workshops, alongside the original Shakespeare words, and performed in front of a paying audience. Every Sunday for 4 Weeks starting 20th May at the OJST, 10.30am to 5.30 pm Performance 14th June, at the OJST, 7.30pm Fee: £12 for each Workshop or £45 for all Workshops, which also includes participation in the performance Places are limited to 10 Actors and 5 Writers. Please email inamoment@hotmail.co.uk if you would like to take part, including a CV of your Theatre / Writing experience and a few words about why you would like to take part. Closing date 13th May. in a moment are one of the partner organisations taking part in the New Theatre Initiative (NTI) about to be launched at the Old Joint Stock Theatre. We will be running a series of NTI Workshops throughout the year aimed at stimulating the creation of new theatre here in Birmingham, inviting Actors, Writers, and Directors to make Theatre together in the heart-of-Birmingham's independent theatre. in a moment are very excited to be taking part in the Alternative Shakespeare Festival at the OJST, Birmingham's very own response to the RSC's World Shakespeare Festival. Not only will we be presenting our award-winning Romeo & Juliet for all Time but we will also be premiering Ophelia, Princess of Denmark, especially written for this Festival. Production and Casting details will be up on our website shortly.
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| Posted: 11 May 2012 02:52 AM PDT Good News Our Town By Thornton Wilder Our Town takes place in a 1930s theatre. The gentle guidance and insightful words of the Stage Manager are used to create the fictional community of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. Our Town represents Americana, the small town life of the early 1900s, a world none of us have ever experienced. During the play, the Stage Manager (the show's narrator) explains that he is putting a copy of Our Town in a time capsule; 'So people a thousand years from now'll know a few facts about us. This is the way we were: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying.' Thornton Wilder's drama is its own time capsule, allowing the audience to glimpse turn-of-the-century New England. As nostalgic as Our Town appears, the play also delivers powerful life lessons, relevant to any generation. Use your imagination and let this play and these people come beautifully, charmingly and touchingly to life. Please find attached a copy of the leaflet for you to use in emails, facebook, twitter etc – we look forward to seeing you there. Stage2 Summer Schools 2012 |
| The Oracle of the Taprooms (by Vanessa Oakes) Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 AM PDT If you missed Joe on his recent outings around Nuneaton you can catch sight of him once more at a FREE PERFORMANCE at 3pm onSaturday 19th May 2012 at Chilvers Coton Heritage Centre in Nuneaton. The performance is part of the George Eliot Weekend which is organised by the George Eliot Fellowship. The performance lasts approximately 20 minutes and is followed by a Q&A with the creative team. i needed to belong somewhere and those words anchored me… the truth is living like this… adrift… always alone with no comforts to speak of… it leaves one so full of longing… After being asked to leave Cambridge, Joseph Liggins (1801–1872) struggled for years to make a living before being wrongly identified as the author of 'Scenes of Clerical Life' and 'Adam Bede'. In 2010 while I was working with local teenagers who were photographing the George Eliot statue, a homeless gentleman who was bedding down for the night in Debenhams' doorway called over to us with a warning,'don't you go taking the p*** out of my George Eliot or she'll come back and haunt you!', he inspired me to write this short play. Visit my blog for more information, photographs and audience comments on Joe's progress around town: http://desperatelyseekinggeorge.wordpress.com/ If you'd like to find out more about the whole weekend which includes talks by Dr. John Rignall (George Eliot and Europe), Professor Ken Newton (George Eliot and the Ethical), Dr. Valerie Fehlbaum (George Eliot and Geneva) and the unforgettable Charabanc Tour of George Eliot Country please contact John Burton jkburton@tiscali.co.uk The Heritage Centre has a large free car park and is adjacent to the Craft Centre http://www.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/visiting/craftcentre |
| Posted: 11 May 2012 02:47 AM PDT Just a reminder that the dates for this years' BIRMINGHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL are Friday 5 October to Sunday 14 October 2012. "For sheer entertainment, this laugh-out-loud festival can't be beaten." GUARDIAN If you'd like to register your interest in contributing/ taking part, feel free to drop us a line now as we're already looking ahead (and have some greta shows already in the diary!). Offical submission forms will be available later this month… The 2011 festival was attended by just shy of 50,000 people and garnered some quite frankly ace media coverage … so we're hoping to build on that increased success as we head into our second decade! While stand up comedy continues to form the core of the festival, we are, of course, hugely interested in anything with a humorous edge and previous fest's have included: film, theatre, dance, visual arts, cabaret, music, food, spoken word, talks, literature, readings, poetry, photography, performance art, magic, courses/ workshops, quizzes, beer and more … so do let us know if you have any ideas for interesting events, or would like to get involved. BIRMINGHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL Friday 5 October to Sunday 14 October 2012 |
| Rogue Play Theatre Playwright Course Posted: 11 May 2012 02:45 AM PDT Our scriptwriting course is an 8-week course that culminates in a rehearsed public reading by professional actors. It will run every Tuesday from 6-8.30pm upstairs at The Patrick Kavanagh Pub, Woodbridge Road, Moseley. The next course starts on TUESDAY JUNE 12TH and runs for 8 weeks. At the close of the course there will be a break for you to develop your work for a public rehearsed reading later in the year by RoguePlay's professional actors. This reading gives you the valuable time needed to see your work performed and gain feedback from an experienced audience. Session fee: £90 for the full course including the rehearsed reading. To book your place pay £25 deposit online. (The remaining £65 to be paid at the start of the course) Book online via www.rogueplay.co.uk or give us a call on 07746 327284. Limited places available. |
| Posted: 11 May 2012 02:41 AM PDT UPSTAIRS Improv brings you another hit show at the Old Joint Stock - with a bullet! TICKETS ARE GOING FAST – DON'T MISS OUT! After the standing-room only sellout of our ImprovSlam, Upstairs is thrilled to bring you its second fab, funny and fearless nights of spontaneous comedy at the Old Joint Stock Theatre, on Thursday May 31st. SHOOT OUT AT THE IMPROV CORRAL |
| Notes from the Midpoint Meeting Posted: 11 May 2012 02:34 AM PDT Midpoint meeting 14 March 2012 At the Belgrade, Coventry. Present: Justine Themen; Pippa Frith; Ola; Katie Day; Thomas Wildish; Vanessa Oakes; Catherine Edwards; Tom Gorman; Ed Collier;Toyin Omari Kinch and Jouvan Fucinni; Alison Gagen (notes) There was a recap on what Midpoint is and what it's done so far for those new to it. There was a reiteration that it's an open access network and all are welcome – and that it was great to see new faces at this meeting. Bitesize: had just happened at Warwick Arts Centre, so there was some discussion and feedback as some of those present had attended. Comments included: it was nice to see it grow in size and more programmers present. Seemed successful and China Plate were congratulated on this. However, given that it's the only showcase of its kind in the region and has high strategic importance as a result, there were some suggestions for possible improvement: People were keen to know which promoters were there and wondered if the attendance list could go up on the website (action Ed Collier). More networking opportunities would have been welcomed. It was felt it's a great and rare opportunity for local artists and companies to meet national promoters and it would be great to exploit this to the max. Some people wondered who Bitesize is aimed at – is it 'the public' or 'the profession'? People would appreciate better food and more time to eat it in future… could this be included in the ticket? There was some discussion about the curatorial approach to it. Is it purely a showcase for studio touring work? Aside from Kindle's piece, there was little evidence of other sorts of practice from the region. Sustained theatre: Toyin and Jouvan talked about the regional Sustained Theatre Hub for BAME artists (Jouvan is chair of the West Midlands Hub) about about the artists' showcase called an Artists' Salon which has started happening regularly at Friction's space in Digbeth 'The Edge'. They also talked about the capital plans for developing the Edge as a dedicated R & D space for BAME artists. An application has gone to Arts Council for a feasibility study into this. They talked about the success of the Salon, which had had good attendance from diverse and young audiences and enabled a range of artists and aspiring artists to show and pitch their work. The Salon is managed by the West Midlands Sustained Theatre Hub and is run on a membership basis, currently with around 200 members. Toyin and Jouvan feel that, subject to funding from Arts Council, the Salon will develop and they hope to attract more people from venues and from the arts sector in the region – having kept it a bit low profile in its early stages. The rest of the group welcomed hearing about the developments, as not everyone had known about it, and said how much they hoped for crossover (in terms of artists and audiences) between this and existing platforms, such as Pilot. They hoped members of the Hub might feel interested in and able to connect with Midpoint too. Capital: Catherine talked about the new writing festival called Capital which takes place at mac 24 – 27 May, featuring readings, mentoring, workshops, discussions. It's intended to encompass both 'new work' and 'new writing' www.capitalplays.co.uk and #capitalfest12 The programme should be out in early April. Some discussion about whether or not Midpoint might have a presence there, perhaps an On Call – as Janet Vaughan is running a Red Teapot (artists drop-in/catch-up session). Stan's Cafe are running a workshop on the devising process. BE Festival: a reminder to look out for it in July. Belgrade news: Justine talked about the writing programme and its crossover with the community and outreach programme, particularly in terms of finding new voices, underpinned by the Belgrade's policy/belief that community arts is an artform in its own right. The Belgrade is also interested in finding partners who might want to work with them on setting up community theatre groups, like the black youth theatre with which they have had success, young people at risk etc. Cold they share resources with smaller companies to make work go further? Justine will put this out on the Midpoint website (action). They are building towards 2014 when they want to celebrate 50 years of Theatre In Education with a conference. Midpoint website: Stan's Cafe's keen to handover responsibility for running it, Catherine said she'd pick it back up again if necessary. Edinburgh: Pippa and Tom (action) will put a call out to see if anyone is going and would like to meet up to talk about it, drawing on the experiences of those who've been before and are happy to share. Other Midpoint admin points: the email circulation group needs updating (Raidene has left) – also it is worth putting the notes from meetings up on the website so call can see, as well as circulating to those who've expressed interest in the meetings. Next meeting: 20 June at 3pm at Arts Council West Midlands offices – AG has booked a room. |
| Posted: 11 May 2012 01:13 AM PDT writingwestmids: RT @PoetryTranslate: Gregory Leadbetter has some nice (and bright) things to say about the @writingwestmids Birmingham reading http://t. ... |
| Posted: 10 May 2012 02:16 PM PDT writingwestmids: #wlyc #belgradetheatre We Love You City is a wonderful piece of real theatre. Even better 2nd time around. Go see it! |
| Posted: 10 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT writingwestmids: @BirminghamReads thank you for RTing our #persianpoets event - the night was fantastic with over 70 in attendance! keep an eye out for more! |
| Posted: 10 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT writingwestmids: @KarenInSellyOak thank you for RTing our #persianpoets event - the night was fantastic with over 70 in attendance! keep an eye out for more! |
| Posted: 10 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT writingwestmids: @nikki_bi thank you for tweeting our #persianpoets event - the night was fantastic with over 70 in attendance! keep an eye out for more! |
| Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT writingwestmids: @filtermeuk we have a few spaces left for our excellent writing workshops this Sat - now £10 off per 2 bookings! http://t.co/8Jb4AynX |
| Posted: 10 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT writingwestmids: @jennaclake have you seen our writing workshop day this Sat? now £10 off per 2 bookings http://t.co/8Jb4AynX |
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