What an exciting array of events happening for July’s Digbeth First Friday! Why not spend the afternoon at the July Salon with Many & Varied and then soak up all the fantastic independent culture Digbeth has to offer. Relax with an exhibition-inspired mocktail at Eastside Projects and join The Bond for an incredible night of spoken word.
Explore the wildness of Digbeth’s canals with Edible Eastside then venture round the eclectic variety of new exhibitions at Minerva Works featuring live art, site-specific projects, international artists, DJ sets and Fierce Festival’s exhilarating program launch.
On offer this month:
Many & Varied: July Salon, 1–5pm
For any practitioners who don’t fit into the usual pigeon holes. With invited speakers there will be time for you to demo/playtest your work in progress to get constructive feedback; a chance to discuss opportunities for change; and plenty of chances to chat to interesting people and seek out potential collaborators. Free, advance booking essential: www.manyandvaried.org.uk
Edible Eastside: First Foraging Walk, 7pm
This month Edible Eastside invites people to walk along Digbeth Canals with Edible Eastside Director, Jayne Bradley and Horticulturalist Alan Bale. Enjoy the wildness and identify the edible plants and herbs that grow naturally and abundantly in Digbeth. £15 with pizza and drink. Garden is open free from 6–10pm.
Centrala: PIND, 6–11pm
Opening of PIND (´surface´ or ´space´ in Estonian) an international art project, which focuses on site-specific art and collaboration. Followed by DJ set by Rob Glover (Field Harmonics)
Grand Union: OVER AND OVER PURE FORM, 6–8pm
Join Grand Union for a late opening of Fay Nicolson’s solo exhibition. Fay has produced exquisite, rhythmic screen-prints connecting to textiles and the body for this brand new installation.
HFWAS: Disconnect, 7–9pm
Emerging artists present live performance & video exploring disjunctures and overlaps between the real and virtual curated by Christopher Liam Oakes.
Fierce Festival: Program Launch at HFWAS ft CHRISTEENE, 9–11pm
Fierce (Birmingham’s international festival of live art) launch the 2015 programme with a gender-blending, booty-pounding perversion of punk live set from CHRISTEENE and DJs til late.
Vivid Projects: STEALTH, 6–8pm
STEALTH is a new exhibition of recent work by UK and international artists critiquing surveillance culture and the invasive and pervasive technologies that shape our daily interactions.
The Bond: Loud Mouth, 6.30–10pm
Launch Night of Loud Mouth; the newest FREE poetry night in Birmingham at The Bond Cafe Gallery. Join Poet, Ryan Murray for an incredible night of spoken word featuring an array of open mic and poet headliners Leon P and Giovanni “Spoz” Esposito.
Eastside Projects: Silks, 6–8pm
Join Eastside Projects for a last chance late night opening of Samara Scott and Roger Coward’s exhibitions with summery ‘Silks’ inspired mocktails in the Black Pleasure bar.
Sentiment: 5–9pm
Sentiment Art is an interactive soundscape with a wearable sensation device. Created from the voices and emotional response of fifty people, a chorus of humanity through sound and touch.
The Edge: Frolics Round the Fire, 8–10pm
Frolicking with a slightly different flavour this month, we have music round the fire, games and conversations about the AOTE live exhibition in July.
– Maps with details of all events will be available online at www.digbethfirstfriday.com
Many & Varied: 180-182 Fazeley Street, B5 5SE, 1–5pm
Edible Eastside: 122 Fazeley Street B5 5RS, 7pm
Centrala: Unit 4, Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, B5 5RT, 6–11pm
Grand Union: Unit 19, Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, B5 5RS. 6–8pm
HFWAS: Unit 9 Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, B5 5RS. 7–9pm
Fierce Festival Launch: Unit 9 Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, B5 5RS, 9–11pm
Vivid Projects: Unit 16, Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, B5 5RS, 6–8pm
The Bond Café Gallery: 180-182 Fazeley Street, B5 5SE, 6.30–10pm
Eastside Projects: 86 Heath Mill Lane, B9 9AR, 6–8pm
The Edge: 79-81 Cheapside, B12 0QH, 8–10pm
Sentiment: Old skate ramp, Gibb St, B9 4AA, 5–9pm
– Digbeth First Friday launched in May 2014 and takes place on the First Friday of each month. The next event will be on 7 August 2015.
– Digbeth First Friday is produced by a group of Digbeth-based arts organisations who are working together to create a critical mass of events and allow visitors to discover the exciting independent culture this unique part of Birmingham offers.