First Fold records’ Bring Out Your Dead returns for its fifth night on Thursday 2 February, incubating local talent and encouraging collaboration.

Ear-opening experimentation comes from Papa November, AAS group performing live under Samekhmem, Arc Vel and Hellocatfood providing visuals.

You can read more about the musicians here.

The night is at the Bull’s Head in Moseley. It starts at 8pm and cost £3.

If you have been to Stirchley recently you may have noticed a couple of new artworks in the area. The pieces are part of Place Prospectors‘ Stirchley Prospects project and aim to add beauty and highlight the industries and former prosperity of the area. I love history so it’s a fascinating insight into Birmingham past.

The first piece, located above the International Supermarket (1240 Pershore Road - previously Westprint and Glen’s Café) references the local willow beds on which locals earned a living, bees representing the resident’s industrious nature and the beautiful Stirchley clock which hangs in Stirchley Library. The piece also shows pigs, kept by locals for the Co-operative which has had a presence in Stirchley for many years, and a crucial ingredient in Jewells award-winning pork pies, popular in the 1940s.

Located in the window of Stirchley Prospects, Place Prospectors headquarters (1427 Pershore Road), another piece references Cox Wilcox – local lamp makers and Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, famous manufacturers of nuts, bolts, and screws. The piece also features cocoa plants in reference to the Cadbury’s factory nearby as well as horseshoes, a symbol of good luck for the future of the area.

Another piece, yet to be installed shows the older factors in Stirchley’s prosperity, the millstones of nearby Hazelwell Mill and the bridging of the River Rea.

The pieces will be located along the Pershore Road until April.

‘Sparrow + Castice Vs…’ is the first Aedas presents show of the year and will take place on Thursday 26 January from 5-7pm.

For the show artists Peter Sparrow and Astrid Castice have made work in direct competition with other artists on topics chosen at random,  selected by impartial curator Charlie Levine. It is conceived in an attempt to better demonstrate their fascination with the ‘peculiar collision that is working against and alongside other people (artists, curators, the audience etc.) simultaneously.’

The show can be found at Aedas, Colmore Plaza, Birmingham, B4 6AT.

Run by Ridhi Kalaria, Josephine Reichert and Noemi, three artists and philosophers, the space runs as a cafe in the day and bar at night as well as being a community centre where people can gain access to information about the area and events, meet new people, gain knowledge and skills.  Ort provides free space for  meetings and there is also a gallery space within the cafe that allows people to exhibit their work free of charge. All the profits from drinks and cakes go towards organising more events and maintaining the space.  I have particularly been impressed that language lessons are taking place in the space. Take a look at the website for their full programme. I think I may have found my new favourite place.

As part of the beautiful current Stewart Easton exhibition at mac, curator Trevor Pitt hosts an evening of lively conversation on Tuesday 17 January with male artists who use needle and thread.

Talking on the night will be:

David Littler: an artist, curator, educator and DJ currently based in Berlin. In 2007 he initiated sampler-cultureclash – an international collective of DJ’s, embroiderers, sound artists, textile designers, dancers, spoken word artists, curators and graffiti artists. Together they explore the connections between textiles and sound and the cultures of embroidery and DJ-ing using the common word ‘sampler’ as the starting point for investigation.

Jamie Chalmers a.k.a Mr X Stitch is on a mission to bring the world of cross stitch and embroidery to a whole new audience. He has been cross stitching for years and believes in the benefits of stitching, both from a relaxation and a sustainability perspective. Mr X Stitch was started in 2008 and has evolved into a terrific resource showcasing the best in new needlecraft and textiles.

Stewart Easton: a Coventry-based artist currently working in hand embroidery and digital print on fabric. His work is focused on stitch and narrative using authorial illustration to create large scale embroidered panels. Using folk song and story as a starting point, Easton weaves story-based narratives, utilising the space of a single panel to explore time, movement and transition within his tapestry based works.

The talk takes place from 7.30-9pm. The event is free but booking is essential. Stewart Easton‘s exhibition Four Tragic Tales is on at mac until 22 January.

A new year has come around and it’s time to look ahead to what’s in store for 2012.

Flatpack Festival returns from 14-18 March with their fantastic festival of film and much much more. Their programme is due to be announced soon.

Fierce Festival, will be from 29 March – 8 April incorporating Easter. They have a little more information for us…

As well as dachshunds galore there will lots of other events to get your cultural teeth into. Mette Edvardsen with Birmingham REP will see entire books from the soon to be defunct Central Library memorised and recited to visitors. A celebration of literature inspired by Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451.  In Berlin Love Tour, a guided tour of Berlin will take place on the streets of Birmingham inspired by a tale of love and heartbreak in the German capital (reminds me of BAZ‘s Berliningham…)

The best alternative Easter (Easter! sorry, too soon) celebrations will be provided by Fierce this year with events such as Coventry-born Daniel Lismore’s Shabba Dabba Dah Birmingham Easter weekend special. Channelling the spirit of Leigh Bowery, Lismore changes his visual identity daily, continually re-inventing and documenting his ever-changing look. He brings his opulent and outrageous London-based club night to Birmingham for a very special edition.

It sounds like a good’un! I’ve already been looking on Daniel Lismore’s websites for inspiration for outfits!

On another note, I will be travelling for a lot of 2012. If there is anyone interested in contributing to the blog please get in contact. I may have to let MCtV lie fallow.

Since June, Place Prospectors, a non-profit community interest company, have been working creatively with Stirchley residents, organisations and businesses with their Stirchley Prospects project. Based in a former shop unit on the Pershore Road they have been exploring what is of value to the people, what is unique about the area and what will be beneficial in the long term for regeneration that is badly needed.

Over the last few months they have started the Stirchley Knows zine, celebrating the past and present and the uniqueness of the area and held some great events including the Love Stirchley event earlier in the month (above).

The project will run until February/March next year and have some interesting events coming up:

‘January  - Prosperity – Three artworks on buildings at intervals along Pershore Road in Stirchley with imagery symbolising Stirchley’s prosperity. The intention is to add something beautiful to the degraded environment. The pieces reference the former industries of the area including Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, famous manufacturers of nuts, bolts, and screws, Cox Wilcox – lamp manufacturers, and natural phenomena such as willow beds. It will also reference the keeping of pigs in the area, particularly for the Co-operative supermarket who has had a presence in Stirchley for many years, and Jewells award-winning pork pies which were popular in the 1940s.

February 2012 – Stirchley Street Railway Station – Art will be located at Bournville Railway Station, known as Stirchley Street Station when first built. The piece aims to reassert Stirchley’s claim to the station, situated in Stirchley yet having taken the name of the famous home of Cadbury’s for over a hundred years. The art, which will be seen by thousands of commuters will highlight the area.

3 March 2012 – Hazelwell Lane In Memoriam– Soon to be lost due to the impending controversial Tesco development on the site, a series of workshops held on Thursday 9 and Wednesdays 22 & 29 February will commemorate the historic street for future generations. The project will culminate in a walk to celebrate the lane’s life on 2 March.’

The project’s headquarters on Stirchley High Street (1427 Pershore Road) will continue to welcome people who want to take part in the project and bring their local expertise. Their hq is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-4pm (but get in contact with them re: Christmas/New Year opening times.)

F7 Lux is a new pop up shop in Priory Square (by the Oasis market) which aims to support independent designer makers as well as helping them to gain more exposure including Birmingham-based artists. The shop is currently hosting Pickle, a travelling exhibition of contemporary jewellery by a collaboration of second year BA students from Birmingham School of Jewellery and displaying pieces curated by another Birmingham-based start-up Lamb White.

Running through December until February, the shop hopes to bring some sparkle to the shopping center. Ahh

Perhaps it’s just the place for that special Christmas gift you are looking for!

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KINO 10 will be getting us into the Christmas spirit on Friday 23 December with a screening of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Georges Méliès’ short film The Christmas Dream will also be performed with a brand new live score written and performed live by Birmingham Conservatoire composers, Luke Deane and Josh Herring as well as other  festive-themed shorts.

The screening is at St.Columba Church Hall, Moseley. Doors are at 4pm and is £5 (£3 for under 16s)

Dress Code: Christmas Jumpers (but not compulsory) – bottle of wine for the most impressive.

Refreshments available: mulled wine, beer, mince pies, specially curated cakes by The Bakehouse, mince pies, juice, tea, and coffee.

And if that wasn’t enough for one night, why not weave your way to Sugarfoot Stomp’s Winter Wonderland at the Hare and Hounds afterwards for an evening of top-notch vintage music and visuals with a yule-tide flavour.

This is TMRW and BrumNotes Mag Christmas Party looks great this year. Held at the Victoria on Wednesday 21 December it has sets from Calories, Cedar House Band, Bryn Bowen and the Shalfonts and Horror Show.

Tickets are a steal at only £3.