Experience the incredible variety of events on offer this month, discover something new and enjoy the fantastic independent culture Digbeth has to offer!
On offer this month:
Grand Union: Grand Union Studios Sale, 6–8pm Join Grand Union Studios for their annual Christmas sale and Open Studios event. Want a bespoke gift for someone for Christmas? Grand Union studio artists will be selling prints, books, ceramics, sculptures and much more, call by to pick up something wonderful!
Grand Union: Grand Union Christmas Party produced by MAIA Creatives, 8pm–late Join Grand Union for their Christmas party, produced this year by MAIA Creatives. The Grand Union Christmas Party: where live music and liquor collide. Expect to shake your leg alongside one of Birmingham’s best live bands. Expect a DJ with contagious energy. Expect a booze-fuelled lip-sync battle. Expect cocktails made for the occasion. Basically, expect to have fun, drink up, laugh lots & dance more.
Centrala: Supersonic Presents: ORE album launch + Health & Efficiency, Adrena Adrena and ILL, 8pm–late Returning for one more dose of experimental, underground music before the year is out, Supersonic
Festival brings ORE album launch to Digbeth First Friday at Centrala. Featuring an exclusive performance of the new ORE album ‘Belatedly’ out on Box Records this month, plus 3 other acts performing: Adrena Adrena, Health & Efficiency and ILL, plus DJs ’til late – all for a mere £5. Starting as a one-day event in Birmingham in 2003, Supersonic Festival, curated and produced by Capsule, is an internationally renowned experimental music and arts festival. Occupying an exalted position at the heart of Birmingham’s cultural life, as well as attracting an international audience.
The Old Crown: Gindependent Birmingham presents: Gin Battle, 5.30pm–late The Old Crown will be putting 4 of the best gin distilleries in the country against each other to see who will come out trumps and be crowned the winner of Gin Battle. As part of Digbeth First Friday, journey to Brum’s oldest inn, The Old Crown, where it’s officially gin o’clock. Upon arrival you’ll be given a token to redeem a FREE double gin and tonic (choose from one of 4 signature G&T’s, one created by each distillery). Then during the evening each distillery will be championed by one of Birmingham’s best bartenders who will host a cocktail demonstration where they’ll showcase the distillery’s gin and you’ll be given the opportunity to taste each creation from all 4 bartenders! In addition to all the gin, there will also be live music and party games taking place throughout the evening. (Including Gin wheel of misfortune!) Tickets cost just £20 (£15 for early bird) and include: entry to the event, a FREE signature double gin and tonic (from your choice of distillery) and 4 gin cocktail tasters made by Brum’s best bartenders.
Chitty’s Cakes Limited: Snowman Biscuit Decorating, 6 – 8pm Come along to Chitty’s Cakes on Digbeth First Friday and you can learn to decorate a biscuit with a snowman face design using sugarpaste and modelling tools. The biscuit will be yours to take home along with a new skill. Admission is completely free and Chitty’s Cakes will be open late (until 8pm) with the usual offering of cakes, cupcakes and hot drinks to
warm you up on a December night. They also have a shop full of Christmas gift ideas for creative bakers.
Market Hall, Custard Factory: Etsy Made Local Event, 12 – 8pm Browse a fabulous range of unique handcrafted goods, rare vintage finds and crafty gifts at the Custard Factory’s Etsy Made Local Event. Held on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 December, you’ll find a host of unique stalls in the Market Hall, all featuring local small businesses specialising in handmade, craft and vintage.The Etsy Made Local fair is being joined by Bert and Gert’s Craft Market, offering even more choice for those in search of that special Christmas gift.
Recent Activity: Nomadic Vitrine, 6–8.30pm Nomadic Vitrine invites artists to respond to a nomadic display case, either using it functionally to present work or intervening with it sculpturally. The vitrine, itself a redundant sculpture, replaces the gallery as a space for artists to create work in / on / for. The vitrine builds on historical notions of display and visibility, both within and beyond the gallery. The vitrine is placed in various locations around Birmingham, changing for each exhibition. For this First Friday, Recent Activity presents a new iteration of Nomadic Vitrine, featuring work by Liam Fallon. In his practice, elements of sensuality, sexuality and the hyper-fetishised are used to navigate and explore queer culture, more specifically erotically charged social spaces. His lack of engagement with such spaces encourages an often naïve approach to his sculptures and it is this, paired with writings on monumentality from Henri Lefebvre and queer literature from Jean Genet-that enables him to engage and explore these spaces without physically having to do so.
Vivid Projects: SYN, 7 – 9pm Vivid Live presents new work from artists Priya Saujani and Grace A Williams to be exhibited as part of SYN. SYN explores the dynamics of female empowerment, resistance and violence
through the iconography of the mythical, offering a confrontational interrogation of stereotypes relating to the sinning female body. Priya Saujani’s ‘Forbidden Fruit’ weaves a narrative of sexual freedom vs. sexual violence and social etiquette in Indian communities through photography, poetry and performance; exploring thoughts on the Indian female body throughout art and history. Grace A Williams’ ‘Maiden Voiced’ takes the allegory of the sea siren as a subversion of female silencing presenting a performative transmission of voice through sound.
Stryx: Arma Agharta, OCCUPIED – Holders show, 6 – 9.30pm Stryx presents Occupied, an insight into the makings of its studio holders, curated by Gabriella Papa and Asuf Ishaq. This unique opportunity allows those to experience the space in situ; in celebration and collaboration with its multidisciplinary artists that have been in the midst of work throughout 2017. Studio holders come from diverse backgrounds and practices, expressing this eclectic mix within the space, while also taking inspiration from their surroundings to which their practice inhabits. Stryx welcomes you to chat to the up and coming artists that have been occupying the West Midlands.
Access Creative College: Access Christmas Party, 6 – 10pm Head over to Access Creative College on the 1st December and join them for an evening of Christmas festivities. The evening will showcase the Artists of Access To Music, a vocal ensemble and a special performance from the industry professionals that teach at the college. Live Music from; Ross Griffiths, Witness Orlando, Midnight Paradigm, David Barnfield, Kelly Underwood, Maddie Juggins, Amelia Hughes & Chelsea Leigh.
Daphne Francis Gallery: Solstice; Art Exhibition and Artist Networking Event, 5.30 – 8pm Head over to Daphne Francis Gallery in Digbeth for a great show of new work bringing together the Custard Factory, local national and international artists. The exhibition will be open every day
excluding Sundays from 10am til 5pm until the end of December. Access is through Custard Factory reception.
The Edge: Club Integral Midlands Branch – Spaceheads, Rucksack Cinema, Dofadoquebrado, Shott Ivangorod (LARVA), 8pm – late Head to The Edge, as part of Digbeth First Friday, where Club Integral Midlands Branch, Dofadoquebrado, Shott Ivangorod (LARVA), Spaceheads and Rucksack Cinema promise an audio-visual spectacular! And for the first time at The Edge, Kamura of Kamura Obscura, who oft welcomes you at the door, will instead be serving very reasonably priced Japanese deliciousness from Kam’s Daidoko.
Muthers Studio: Real Live Music Events, 7.30 – 11pm Head over to Muthers Studio in Digbeth, where they will be hosting a showcase gig/networking event for the Indie Band, Sugarthief. Experience the new indie band’s showcase gig in an intimate stylish studio setting, with a fully licensed bar (over 16s only). Please check out their music at www.sugarthief.co.uk. The band will be supported by students from Access to Music in Digbeth and it is a chance to get their music heard by new fans. The band are currently unsigned. Tickets available at www.RealLiveMusic.EventBrite.co.uk, limited availability on the door on the night.