some blogs

hello, I was about to kick off this email writing about the icicles outside our office window, but then remembered I wrote the same thing at almost exactly the same time last year. Drat. Happily though, you won’t find us repeating ourselves with this year’s Flatpack programme. Once again a feast of film events awaits you in Birmingham next month… FLATPACK FESTIVAL 6 14-18 MARCH 2012 BIRMINGHAM, UK Contents may include: CULT ANIMATORS / BIKER MOVIES / LIVE CINEMA / FLOATING PICTUREHOUSE / CARTOON ROCK / TURNTABLE ZOETROPES / SLAPSTICK LEGENDS / WALKING TOURS And of course all sorts of films in all sorts of places, including new work by Werner Herzog, Park Chan- Wook, Aki Kaurismaki, Ben Rivers and so much more. As always we’re cramming as much as we can into five days, and all you have to do is come along and enjoy it. A selection of highlights is up now and available for booking on the website: > http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk …With the full lineup coming on 22 Feb, and lovely brochures shortly afterwards. In the meantime, here are a few opportunities to get involved: VOLUNTEERS WANTED Each year we’re knocked out by the energy and enthusiasm...

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It’s an advert, of a type, but this looks really nice to people of a *cough* certain age…   -   Jameson Cult Film Club goes Back To The Future   - Jameson Cult Film Club revs up to 88 miles per hour bringing Back to the Future to Birmingham -   Birmingham had better get ready, as Jameson returns to the city in 2012 with a unique screening of the cult classic, Back To The Future Screening to take place at the iconic Birmingham Town Hall on 6th March 2012 Box office for free tickets available through the Jameson Cult Film Club Facebook page facebook.com/jamesoncultfilmclub as well as the blog www.jamesoncultfilmclub.com   Birmingham better get ready to go ‘Back in Time’ when the Jameson Cult Film Club comes to town for an incredible showing of the quintessential 80’s classic, Back To The Future on Tuesday 6th March 2012.   Throwing guests back to 1955, Birmingham Town Hall will be transformed into the Hill Valley Courthouse for one very special evening, playing host to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, with a selection of 50’s inspired Jameson cocktails to boot. Outside Marty McFly and Doc Brown will be frantically...

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Please see press release below for information on Go Green, a week of sustainability-themed activities taking place at Aston University in early February. Further information, images and interviewees are available should the content be of interest to you.   Many thanks,   Kathy Hopkin   ***   PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   A SUSTAINABLE START TO THE YEAR AT ASTON UNIVERSITY   - 'Capitalism or a habitable planet' talk with comedian, author and environmental activist Robert Newman - Friends of Earth, Greenpeace and Digbeth-based walkit.com to feature in Eco-Marketplace - Second-hand bicycle sale from Birmingham-based social enterprise Cycle Chain - Aston University Chaplaincy faith and climate change debate, ‘Safeguarding the planet’ - The Co-operative’s highly acclaimed ‘Tarnished Earth’ exhibition on campus   Aston University Go Green Week Monday 6 February – Friday 10 February 2012 Aston University, Birmingham All events are free and open to the public   Website: www.aston.ac.uk/go-green-week Twitter: www.twitter.com/GreenAstonUni #AstonGGW Facebook: Green Aston Uni   Go Green Week, a five-day programme of inspiring free events, talks, activities and exhibitions open to the public and celebrating Aston University's commitment to sustainability, is to take place between Monday 6 and Friday 10 February around it’s Birmingham city...

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On Monday 16th January, students from Birmingham City University are launching The Oasis Radio, the official radio station for the legendary Oasis Market – Birmingham’s alternative lifestyle centre since 1971. The station will run until January 27th, broadcasting from Birmingham City University and being played out inside the market as well as online at theoasisradio.net. The station’s music has been selected to reflect the Market’s diverse range of store. Everything from rock, dance and urban will have their place on The Oasis Radio. The flagship shows, The Alternative Breakfast and Oasis Afternoons, will be live every week day, playing the best in against the curve music, as well as giving away prizes and providing up to the minute entertainment news and opinions. If that wasn’t enough, during the day there will be three different shows, tailor made to reflect some aspect of the Market. On a new theme every hour, the shows can range from specific genres of music, to ones dedicated to certain stores in the Market itself. The Oasis Radio is keeping things fresh by having a constantly revolving line up of presenters, so there will be something you like sooner rather than later. On top of...

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Do you know someone who owns a dachshund? It’s probably been pestering you all for a while, asking when it will get its big break. It’s grown tired of all the regular dog stuff. Going to the shops, enduring the seemingly endless ‘sausage’ remarks. You owe it a shot at the big time. Its chance has arrived.  Fierce Festival, Birmingham’s premier festival of live art, performance and public intervention returns from 29 March to 8 April 2012. The festival is currently recruiting sixty dachshunds from the West Midlands to participate in Bennett Miller’s ‘Dachshund U.N.’, a piece of live art to be performed in a central location in Birmingham during the festival. Dachshund U.N..doc Download this file A piece of PR we couldn’t be bothered to re-write.

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Hello, Please could you include info on things going on at Soho House over the half term? Come along to Soho House over the half term holidays (25th – 30th Oct) and explore the spooky cellars below the house. This year you can find out those spine tingling things that kept the Georgians awake at night… Highwaymen, headless ladies and the sinister swish of the guillotine!… As well as this there are creepy crafts to keep the kids entertained on Tues/Weds/Thurs, and Horror Effects face painting on Friday… Remember the last day of our open season this year is 30th October, so come along to see you before then!  Thanks very much, Rachel A piece of PR we couldn’t be bothered to re-write.

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Hi Jon, Please could you post the below info on your blog so we can get lots of Brummie’s involved an playing! Ta, Lucy Nicholls This summer I co-founded the West Midlands art collective Play More and we are having our first (of what we hope to be many) event in November and I would really love to get lots of artists involved. I see the Play More collective and this event Play School, as having a very collaborative ethos and approach and we’re keen to build relationships with other artists, gamers and performers within the West Midlands. I’ve attached the flyer for the event, Facebook links and a copy of the artists call-out that we are putting on arts jobs. If you have any ideas for a quirky little game or random task you would like to run or if you don’t mind helping out on the day, all contributions will be most welcome and rewarded with a pint. Anything from running a 3-legged race, to helping people make making music instruments or comedy mustaches – all ideas, however daft, are welcome! Please get in touch if you’d like more info and forward to anyone you think might...

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OxjamBrum is back for a third year taking over some of the city’s best independent music venues.  On Saturday 15th October Birmingham will play host to Oxfam’s national music festival by showcasing over 25 of the region’s most exciting emerging bands and artists.  Be a part of an amazing day by exchanging an advance £6 ticket for a festival wristband. OxjamBrum are extremely proud to announce ska funksters 360 as this year’s headliner, fresh from sets at Glastonbury and Shambala.  The Young Runaways have got right into the Oxjam spirit by planning not one but two sets during the day, including an EP launch at The Yardbird.  Their headline set at OxjamBrum’s sold out barge gig was something to behold! The Flapper will host an early evening set of singer-songwriters finishing with the beautiful tones of Vijay Kishore.  But don’t be late or you’ll miss out, live music upstairs at The Flapper from 5-8pm.  Then it will get all loud and sweaty downstairs in the gig room with God Damn and Romans – earplugs at the ready. Over at The Sunflower Lounge OxjamBrum have persuaded the city’s best indie pop and post punk bands to cram themselves into the...

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