We’ve had a very busy September here at Fused towers with no less than 3 magazines to produce this month. It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting too much rest either due to the amount of great happenings in the region throughout October – all neatly packed in to the Area Culture Guide for your enjoyment. Read more here…
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Pointes of View: 22-25th September
Romeo and Juliet: 28th September – 2nd October
Birmingham Hippodrome
Ticket prices: both £15 – £45
The Birmingham Royal Ballet has a packed fortnight in the city this September, starting with Pointes of View: Concerto, The Lady and the Fool and In the Upper Room. This is followed closely by Kenneth MacMillan’s brilliantly choreographed Romeo and Juliet – the all-time classic love story. MacMillan also lends himself to Pointes of View, choreographing Concerto with sparkling displays of energy and virtuosity. Continue reading
Shazia Mirza – Multiple Choice
The Public, West Bromwich
25th September
“Most people have a crush at 16, a relationship by 32, sex in between. Not me and Susan Boyle (allegedly)”
Guardian Weekend columnist and international award-winning comedian, Shazia Mirza’s reputation precedes her. She has had people rolling around laughing all over the world with her notoriously hilarious, dead-pan stand-up and is now bringing the funny to West Bromwich this month with her new and award-winning live show ‘Multiple Choice’, at The Public. Continue reading
The Habit of Art
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
0121 236 4455
birmingham-rep.co.uk
28 September – 2 October
Tickets: £18.50 – £35
Following sell-out success at London’s National Theatre, Alan Bennett’s latest play focuses on composer Benjamin Britten, and poet W H Auden. It reflects on growing old, creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion is spent: ultimately, on the habit of art.
The main focus, the imagined meeting meeting of composer and poet as Britten seeks advice from Auden, sees the characters observed and interrupted by everyone from a young man from the local bus station to their future biographer. Bennett explores the unsettling desires of the two difficult men, and the ethics of biography.
ENRON
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
0121 236 4455
birmingham-rep.co.uk
22 – 25 September
£12 – 32
Following rave reviews on the West End, Headlong’s production of ENRON is coming to Birmingham. Inspired by one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, ENRON follows flawed men and women in a narrative of greed and loss. Continue reading
Kitagawa Utamaro
Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
22 September -14 November
ikon-gallery.co.uk
With the help of artist Julian Opie, and Timothy Clark who is the head of the Japanese Section in the British Museum, there is the opportunity to catch a rare glimpse into 18th century life. Utamaro lived in Edo and painted beautifully delicate woodblock prints detailing the life he saw around him, although be warned that life in his part of town was less than savoury.
The intricate depictions are of the women who populated the Yoshiwara district of Edo, an area otherwise known as the regulated brothel district. His works show these courtesans in alluring poses, exposing the most private areas of the anatomy in a deliberate manner to gain the attention of the observer. Continue reading
Afghanistan
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
wolverhamptonart.org.uk
18 September – 20 November
Afghanistan has been at the centre of British politics for the last decade. It’s presence in society and it being forefront in the news and media has lead us as a nation to make certain assumption about the place and its people, assumptions that this exhibition contradict.
This exhibition brings forth and uses the talents of a lot of contemporary artists to create visual representations and responses to Afghanistan and also highlights a lot of historical context surrounding the conflict. Continue reading
Fierce Festival presents
Interrobang 2: Relationships (Black Country)
Friday 24 – Sunday 26 September 2010
www.wearefierce.org
Fierce Festival presents a live art and performance weekender in The Black Country.
Highlights include the Live Art Speed Date in the splendid environs of Wednesbury Town Hall on Saturday night. This event, devised by Stoke Newington International Airport brings a series of intimate performative encounters together for audiences to experience – in private booths, at tables and in nooks and crannies of the Town Hall. Featuring, amongst others Mitra Memarzia, Companis, Sheila Ghelani, Leo Kaye, Mamoru Iriguchi, Hannah Nicklin, Neil Bennun, Deborah Pearson and more…
The Interrobang also features works in progress on Friday night from Plan B performance and Sheila Ghelani (of pieces being developed for Fierce Festival) at The Old Post Office in Wednesbury, The Slightest Movement (a week-long workshop process led by Quarantine) coming to a conclusion on Saturday evening and An Artists Guide to the Black Country and a talk from Alex Kelly of Third Angel on Sunday at the Town Hall. Continue reading
This Autumn is a very exciting time down at the Lighthouse, Wolverhampton.
The first exciting exhibition takes place in the main gallery:
As Above So Below – Odette England (27th August – 22nd October)
Straight from it’s New York debut, Odettes show enthuses about the study of geography, belief systems and the flow of nature. The exhibitions title epitomizes this as it is a phrase many indigenous cultures follow. They believe that the heaven and earth are a foundation for all creatures, including themselves. The land and sky aren’t merely something geographical, they are mirrors that reflect themselves. Continue reading
Back in 2004, we saw Lisa Travers and Kelly Washbourne (under the name ARK exhibitions) collaborate to bring a new burst of energy and vibrance to Moseley Village with their exhibitions consisting of local artists musicians and DJ’s to create pack-out show ‘Made in Moseley’
6 years on from their resounding success the girls have been working hard individually with Kelly exhibiting in the UK, Europe and New York and Lisa gaining a Masters degree at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.
Now, finally, the girls are getting back together, ‘recollecting’, and joining forces once again to showcase their new pieces and to take advantage of the beautiful venue, The Vaults in Birmingham, which has established itself as both stylish and unusual. Both artists have fully taken advantage of this to highlight their vibrant and modern abstract pieces on the beautiful Victorian brick walls. Continue reading
Area Culture Guide 