Monthly Archives: August 2011

First ever West Midlands Human Rights Film Festival launches in Birmingham on 6 September 2011

First ever West Midlands Human Rights Film Festival launches in Birmingham on 6 September 2011

First ever West Midlands Human Rights Film Festival launches in Birmingham next month 6 September – 4 October 2011 The national-award-winning Birmingham International Film Society (BIFS) is pleased to announce it will be hosting the first ever West Midlands Human Rights Film Festival, next month. ‘There are so many films coming out at the moment that raise a variety of human rights issues, we thought the best way to present them would be in a Festival,’ said film programmer, Max Simpson, one of the four local film enthusiasts who founded BIFS in 2008. ‘We hope the Festival will help promote awareness of human rights in the West Midlands and encourage debate.’ The Festival will be launched on Tuesday 6 September at 6.30pm at the Birmingham Library Theatre, with a reception and opening address from special guest speaker, Simon Davies, Director of Privacy International. The reception will be followed by an exclusive preview screening of the acclaimed Iranian film The Green Wave (12A) at 7.30pm at the Birmingham Library Theatre. Professor A.C. Grayling, Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, London, author, philosopher, and renowned supporter of Human Rights, has voiced his support for BIFS’s West Midlands Human Rights initiative: ‘One...

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The Boat That OxjamBrum Rocked OxjamBrum is gaining quite a…

The Boat That OxjamBrum Rocked

OxjamBrum is gaining quite a…

The Boat That OxjamBrum Rocked OxjamBrum is gaining quite a reputation for gigs with a difference. Remember the bus? Well this year we are going one better – an evening of music and entertainment on a barge. Come and join us as we navigate Brum’s canals starting at the mooring opposite the Canalside Café and travelling along Birmingham’s waterways. We will be making stops and collecting artists along the way. Tickets are £15 which includes a pre-sail BBQ. Starting at 5pm and finishing back in Brum city centre at 9pm. (via The Boat That OxjamBrum Rocked! | OxjamBrum 2011 ) from Brumblr, the scrapbook of Brum web ephemera:

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Support our markets: Sign the petition to save Birmingham’s Bull Ring Markets

The Mail host a petition to prevent closure of the wholesale markets: "And if the wholesale markets go down, stallholders on the remaining markets would be left with crippling bills to travel and pick up their fresh produce in other cities, they say. Traders fear that would kill off their businesses and they are adamant that city council assurances over the future are hollow."

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B’ham Comedy Festival returns

B’ham Comedy Festival returns

Usual mix of stuff that may well have been touring anyway, local stuff that gets gets a promo boost and some other stuff… - Full line-up announced! - Big TV stars and up-and-coming names! - Over 50 events! - Tenth anniversary! Birmingham Comedy Festival returns this October with another great line-up featuring big shows, fast-rising stars and top new talent. Highlights include Legally Blonde: The Musical, plus appearances from Russell Kane, Jack Whitehall, Stephen Merchant and Andy Parsons. Music acts, brand new comics, pub quizzes, visual arts, special events and more…. For further details, including full listings, see attached documents, or see: www.bhamcomfest.co.uk, where you can also see full listings. BIRMINGHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL Friday 7 October to Sunday 16 October 2011 www.bhamcomfest.co.uk  |  twitter.com/BhamComFest Highlighting great comedy in Britain’s second city since 2001… bcf2011_full_listings.pdf Download this file BCF2011 – PR2.pdf Download this file A piece of PR we couldn’t be bothered to re-write.

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Will Self and Alan Hollinghurst confirmed as the Birmingham Book Festival 2011 announces its line up

Will Self and Alan Hollinghurst confirmed as the Birmingham Book Festival 2011 announces its line up

Will Self confirmed as the Birmingham Book Festival 2011 announces its line up Will Self, Tony Harrison, Alan Hollinghurst and Ian Rankin will be among the international writers, poets and artists involved in the 13th Birmingham Book Festival (6-16 October) this year.   Birmingham Cathedral will host Will Self (Thurs 13 Oct – 7.30pm) as he offers his ‘alternative’ sermon based on Jean Jacques Rousseau’s observation that we all think at walking pace and therefore driving, by contrast is an intrinsically thoughtless undertaking. He will also be talking about his latest novel Walking To Hollywood; a triptych in which Self burrows down through the intersections of time, place and psyche to explore some of our deepest fears and anxieties.   Tony Harrison – Britain’s leading theatre and film poet – will make a rare appearance (Sat 15 Oct – 8pm) to talk about his work which has included The Gaze Of The Gorgon (awarded the Whitbread Prize for Poetry) and The Shadow of Hiroshima And Other Film Poems (awarded the William Heinemann Prize 1996). Tony was the recipient of the Wilfred Owen Award for Poetry in 2007 and the European Literature Prize in 2011 and is currently working on...

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Arts & Crafts Market this Saturday 11am – 5pm Digbeth

Arts & Crafts Market this Saturday 11am – 5pm Digbeth

Makeshift Flyer-1.pdf Download this file The event has been organised by Makeshift for Fairbridge Charity to support young people, local artists & the community by providing free tables and space for the event. It will be a great family day with over 27 stalls, music, food, refreshments and face painting for children. A piece of PR we couldn’t be bothered to re-write.

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Home of Metal Black Country Weekender 1-4 September

Home of Metal Black Country Weekender 1-4 September

Home of Metal Black Country Weekender which takes place from 1-4 September. There is so much going on over the weekend across the region from a touring Vintage Mobile Cinema and Heavy Metal conference to concerts and Heavy Metal bingo. You can also have a peek at the Weekender brochure here: http://issuu.com/capsulebrum/docs/hom_blackcountryweekender Home of Metal Weekender.pdf Download this file A piece of PR we couldn’t be bothered to re-write.

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Keep calm & candy on “Staff at CyberCandy in good…

Keep calm & candy on
“Staff at CyberCandy in good…

Keep calm & candy on “Staff at CyberCandy in good spirits, love what they’ve painted on the boards from #BirminghamRiots aftermath” /via @lauracreaven (via http://yfrog.com/h0tw0smoj) from Brumblr, the scrapbook of Brum web ephemera:

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The Bitter End — sacrilege?

The Bitter End — sacrilege?

In a shock to rival the ‘sexy’ Smufs reboot currently going on. Look what they’ve done to the old Costermongers : a pub up the road from it: From the FAKE magazine blog: “Owners of the Hairy Lemon bar at The Square Shopping Centre are putting the finishing touches to their brand-new basement bar, with the promise that Birmingham’s latest venue will be a sumptuous mix of style, great food, and fantastic live music. The Bitter End will be unveiled on Friday (5th) to reveal a chic and sophisticated venue, which is the perfect setting for a get together whether it’s a girls’ lunch date, drinks after work or a big night out.”   Chic and sophisticated. There’s even talk of a “brand and interior design concept”. Ozzy Osbourne will be turning in his grave. EDIT: Seems we may have jumped the gun a little (copying the news from elsewhere). Because: “It’s just the other side of the entrance to Oasis from Argos. There’s a bar which was once called The Priory and uses the ground floor and basement. It’s had loads of names over the years including B2 and the scottish (something or other – might be haggis). That place...

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