VANLEY BURKE IN CONVERSATION WITH DR REZA GHOLAMI

Vanley Burke is in conversation with Dr Reza Gholami, Deputy Director of the Centre for Research in Race and Education, University of Birmingham, about his artistic practice and photographing Birmingham’s diverse communities to inform a more inclusive and engaging education in schools around themes of diversity, belonging and equality.

This event takes place at The Exchange, Centenary Square. Book tickets here.

This event is presented as part of The Migrant Festival 2023. 

A Gift to Birmingham by Vanley Burke is on display at The Exchange, Birmingham (3 July – 16 September 2023).

About the participants

Vanley Burke (b. 1951) is often described as the ‘Godfather of Black British Photography’: an artist, photographer and curator whose archive, surveying the Black British experience, is held at the Library of Birmingham. His exhibition, At Home with Vanley Burke, took place at Ikon Gallery in 2015. Arriving in Britain in 1965, Burke has documented the experience of black people in the UK for decades, producing what is regarded to be the greatest photographic record of African Caribbean people in post-war Britain. A Gift to Birmingham was previously exhibited at Ikon Gallery in March-April 2022.

Dr Reza Gholami, FRSA, is Reader in Sociology of Education at the University of Birmingham, UK, where he is also the Deputy Director of the Centre for Research in Race and Education (CRRE). Gholami’s research is internationally recognised and focuses on community-led and ‘diasporic’ forms of education, working with formal and non-formal educators in the UK, US and Australia to develop innovative educational resources to support local schools and foster intercommunal learning. Currently, he is working in partnership with The Play House, and with funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, on a project which addresses issues of belonging and diversity in schools through theatre-based pedagogies. He is also working on a Leverhulme Trust funded project that explores how young people in England engage with freedom of expression around sensitive issues of race and faith. Gholami is the author of numerous books and articles in his field.

EVENT DATE

Wednesday 23 August 2023
6.00pm–7.00pm

EVENT DETAILS

Free, donations welcome

Booking essential via The Exchange

Please note this event takes place at The Exchange, Centenary Square, B1 2DR

This is a seated event

Information on The Exchange’s accessibility is available here

For additional access enquiries please contact  education@ikon-gallery.org

A British Sign Language interpreter can be provided. Please contact us at least 10 working days in advance of the event to request a BSL interpreter

Blooming lovely! Worcester’s roadside verges and green spaces help boost biodiversity

Worcester’s roadside verges and green spaces are becoming a riot of colour again this year as Worcester City Council continues to expand its wildflower initiative.

 

The City Council declared a biodiversity emergency three years ago, recognising that action needed to be taken immediately to stop the decline of native species.

 

Since then it has been looking to boost biodiversity wherever possible by keeping the edges of grass verges trimmed, planting wildflowers and leaving patches to nature itself. Mowing of these areas is carried out every two to three weeks, depending on the weather.

 

Biodiversity is also high on the agenda in the City’s parks and open spaces where patches of poppies, cornflowers and a host of other plants are flourishing, creating the perfect habitat for bees, butterflies and other insects and wildlife.

 

Information boards explaining the initiative have been put up in many areas.

 

Chair of Worcester City Council’s Environment Committee, Cllr Karen Lewing, said: ''We are increasingly receiving positive comments about our approach to managing nature in the city as residents understand the importance of helping wildlife. Our aim is to keep our roadside verges neat and tidy around the edges, but also to provide a valuable habitat where flora and fauna can flourish by providing 'important wildlife corridors' or 'connected natural habitats' through the built-up urban environment. This gives a huge boost to local biodiversity and looks very pretty too!”

 

Other biodiversity-boosting measures taken by the City Council include placing bat boxes and bird boxes in many areas, as well as some log piles to attract reptiles such as slow worms. Areas of long grass are also kept, providing habitat for small mammals.

 

The council is working alongside Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Worcester Environmental Group, Severn Rivers Trust and the RSPB, as well as volunteers from the ‘Friends’ groups of local parks.

 

Paul Snookes, co-founder of Worcester Environmental Group, said: “We are happy to be working with Worcester City Council on these biodiversity initiatives. Research has shown that when we manage our green spaces and grass verges with wildlife in mind, it results in a huge increase in the numbers of bees, bats, butterflies and many other species, all of which means we can also flourish in this thriving environment.”

 

To find out more about the City Council’s plans to boost biodiversity, go to  www.worcester.gov.uk/climate-emergency/enhancing-biodiversity

 

Male chorus members wanted for The Wizard of Oz

 

Hi Spaghetti

Wonder if you can help at all. We are performing The Wizard of Oz at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall in September this year. We are really struggling for chorus members over the age of 16, specifically men. Could you give us a shout out please. We rehearse every Monday evening 7.30 till 10 pm. For further information people can contact me on 07990727355 or email us at info@cloc.org.uk 

Many thanks

Stacey Muxlow 

Chair of Cloc MTC 

Artist-led workshops to explore the future of public art in Hereford

Workshops and events involve local people in bringing art to public spaces in our city.

Local people, organisations and businesses are being invited to share their thoughts and ideas about public art in Hereford, at a series of artist-led workshops and events in June.

The workshops mark the launch of a new public art programme for Hereford - Art + People + Place - and are designed to stimulate ideas and creativity for what public art looks like and where it goes. The outcomes will help inform the creation of a contemporary public art strategy for the city and generate ideas for new public art commissions.

The new public arts programme is funded jointly by the council and Marches LEP as part of the ongoing £6m Hereford City Centre Improvements to enhance the city public realm and create a more attractive environment for residents and visitors, encouraging people into the city and ensuring they have a great experience when they are there.

The Art + People + Place artist-led workshops will be held on:

21 – 23 June 2023, Unit 18 Gomond Street, Hereford City Centre

The artists are looking to involve people of all ages and backgrounds, with a wide range of interests and expertise. 

Please email alexander@studio-response.com for further details, and to register your interest. Look out for the full workshop programme advertised on Studio Response’s website in the coming days.

Out Of The Blue at Leamington Spa - Sunday 6 August - Art in the Park

 

Through stunning visuals, breathtaking choreography, and a captivating original score, "Out of the Deep Blue" explores the delicate balance between humans and nature, reminding us of the power of connection and the importance of preserving our planet.

We are delighted to announce the initial tour dates, but the journey doesn't end there! We have heard your calls for more shows, and we are thrilled to share that we will be adding additional tour dates to meet the overwhelming demand.

'Street Games' returned!

Street Games is an inclusive and accessible fun day of street games, live music and dance with BSL Performance and Interpretation.

Last weekend we joined Wednesbury Day community festival to celebrate the town. Black Country Touring and Multistory brought together family-friendly theatre performances, interactive street games with live music and other fun activities to the town centre. Our new hosts Bethan, Kevaughn & Will had an amazing time with our first audience this summer and are ready for all the upcoming tour dates!

You can expect games from around the world that everyone can get involved in, hosted by fabulous Game Hosts and party music sets from EIF Sound and Music.

 

Recently commissioned by OPUS (Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces) as the official Festival Site warm-up party to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony and for Birmingham Pride, we engaged with a total number of 6750 people!

2023 Tour Dates

Grew Up 80s - Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

 

• I Grew Up 80s arrives at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum on 8 July until 9 September 2023
• Exhibition includes over two-hundred treasures from the 1980s
• From the same collector, Matt Fox, who brought to Worcester the exhibitions May the Toys Be With You and The Magic of Middle Earth

An entire generation has a chance to wallow in nostalgia when the fantastic new exhibition I Grew Up 80s arrives at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum on 8 July until 9 September 2023.

 

This summer, visitors to Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum will travel through the cultural landscape of a childhood spent in 1980s Britain – revisiting the vibrancy, quirkiness and innovation that defined the decade. From Betamax to the BMX, the Rubik’s Cube to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, the Thompson Twins to Transformers, over 200 objects will inspire memories and moments for families to share.

 

Collector and cultural commentator Matt Fox has devoted himself to exploring a 1980s childhood through the iconic objects of a decade in which so much changed. Matt, who was aged eight in 1980, has carefully curated a time capsule of over two-hundred treasures that showcase the youthful exuberance of the much-loved decade. Matt hopes the exhibition will have parents sharing memories and stories with their children:

“Those that grew up 30-40 years ago pre-internet, in the 1980s, can genuinely state that life was very different then. In my view, the 80’s were a remarkable time to be a child. We roamed out on our bikes, away from our parents and without the umbilical cord of mobile phones. In cinemas Star Wars had ushered in a new era of special FX movies – perfect for us kids. Music similarly was a feelgood riot of colour and sound. And televisions were no longer just for watching programmes like Grange Hill and The Young Ones - as games consoles and home computers transformed the humble telly into a host of imaginary worlds where children could play and explore.”

 

I Grew Up 80s showcases a wide array of wonderfully preserved objects and encompasses, toys, technology, sport, fashion, food, film, books, TV, and more. Visitors can also dress up in bright 80s fashions for their selfies and play iconic 80s board games in the Gallery. To really get in the spirit visitors can purchase 80s Deely-boppers when they arrive.

 

Matt adds: “It’s a look back at objects that many people either owned or perhaps desperately wanted to! For example, you’ll see Dunlop Green Flash trainers alongside cool Adidas High Tops. Toys and electronic games that kids once poured longingly over in the Argos catalogue. Iconic albums you played to death on vinyl and cassette. Chocolate bars and candy that are no longer with us. Plus, some great examples of 80s excess like the Casio KX-101 ‘king of boomboxes’, neon leg warmers, and purple shell suits!”

 

So, if you grew up in the 80s get ready to exclaim “I remember that!”, and like Bill and Ted in their phone booth or Marty McFly in his DeLorean, let Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum take you on a most excellent adventure this Summer to revisit the greatest decade in the history of history – the 80s!

The exhibition opens on Saturday 8 July and admission is free. For more information, please visit www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk

 

Fighting for fairness: Everybody’s Battle, Everybody’s Business!

Read an important blog post on how the findings of the Birmingham Pakistani Report are already familiar to the citizens of Sparkhill – and how Birmingham City Council is working to address them. 

WINDRUSH 75: events do us PROUD in BRUM!

The Windrush generation brought incalculable benefits to modern Britain – and it has NEVER been more important for us all to have celebrated the super-important, annual, national Windrush Day on 22 June: marking 75 years since the first passengers disembarked HMT Windrush, to play a key part in helping rebuild this country after the Second World War. And, perhaps nowhere in Britain have they made a bigger contribution than HERE, with us, in BRUM.

• You might want to take in the INCREDIBLE Vanley Burke Fire & Blood exhibition at Soho House Museum – and discover more about the other fantastic Windrush 75 attractions in Brum.

IKON: THE MIGRANT FESTIVAL 2023

 

17 August – 3 September 2023 For five years, Ikon has produced The Migrant Festival, a free annual event that celebrates Birmingham as a city of migration, sanctuary and refuge. This year’s festival features projects by three Birmingham photographers – Vanley Burke, Maryam Wahid and Ayesha Jones – who are collaborating with inner-city communities to share their stories of migration. The festival also includes artists’ talks, music events by Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham and a family workshop.

FIND OUT MORE