May Meeting of Digbeth Residents Association

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

The next meeting of Digbeth Residents Association will take place on Monday 14th May at 6pm in the Nomad room, ground floor Zellig, Custard Factory.

Changes are afoot with DRA, so if you can make only one meeting this year make it this one!

As well as important changes, we will also be discussing a DRA summer street party. We’d like each and every resident to have a part in the street party, whether that’s naming it, turning up to it or even volunteering their time to help with its organisation.

All residents, local businesses and interested parties are welcome to attend! Further details will be circulated shortly; if you would like to submit apologies, agenda items or just ask a question, please feel free to contact Secretary Pam.

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Hello to the Unaward Winning DiG!

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

Nicky and Pam modelling their unaward prizes. Photo: Mark van Harmelen

The fourth annual Talk About Local Unconference (search #TAL12 on Twitter) took place on Saturday in central Birmingham. Hyperlocal bloggers, activists and reporters from around the UK and Ireland attended the event which was jointly hosted by Talk About Local and n0tice, an online community noticeboard.

Before the day even got underway, Talk About Local founder Will Perrin got out the microphone and interviewed myself and (former?) “Doyenne of Digbeth” Nicky Getgood on the handing over of DiG. Will stated the common belief with hyperlocal sites is that they are seen as unsustainable, a ‘one man band’ which dies when their founders move on to pastures new. Not at DiG, where we have proven that handovers can be successful. You can listen to the very short interview on Audioboo.

As mentioned in the interview, we at DiG are always looking for contributors to the site, be it on a regular or ad-hoc ‘guest’ basis, so please get in touch if you’d like to offer your services!

Keeping with tradition, #TAL12 ended with the presentation of the Unawards for hyperlocal sites. Digbeth is Good achieved a Handover Unaward with prizes handpicked from the shelves of Latifs in Digbeth. You can see Nicky and I modelling our lovely prizes in the photo (thanks to Mark van Harmelen for the pic!). Altenatively you can watch the full prize-ungiving ceremony video below, thanks to John Popham (speed to 5:56 for the DiG unaward).

Thank you to everyone at Talk About Local for unawarding us this unaward – we are really flattered for the recognition, and hope that DiG continues to go from strength to strength. We’d also like to say congratulations to the other fantabulous winning hyperlocal sites, including the brilliant Lightmoor Life, WV11, Stratford Road Project, B31 Voices, Drimnagh is Good, A Little Bit of Stone, Saddleworth News, Lichfield Live and HU12.

Thanks to Sas and Marty from B31 Voices for some of the above content and linkage :-)

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Helicopters over Digbeth

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

Never shying away from unusual performances, Birmingham Opera Company has announced it will be performing Mittwoch aus Licht (Wednesday from Light) in Digbeth in August. This will be the first time that all six parts of the opera have ever been staged together, forming a five-hour-long epic.

The show will be performed four times between 22nd and 25th August, starting at 4pm each day at the Argyle Works on Great Barr Street. The Birmingham Opera Company (BOC) needs all that space for the show, which features two choirs, numerous musicians, and two separate performance halls.

BOC’s vision is “that opera must go beyond the opera house and beyond the enclosed existing opera audience”. This is certainly true of other performances held in Digbeth: the BOC used the Argyle Works for their specially-commissioned Life is a Dream during March. Using a disused warehouse with no stage or seating means that the show and its actors become part of the audience.

Helicopter quartet in rehearsal for Mittwoch aus Licht. Photo: Stockhausen Stiftung for Music

You might think that a five-hour operatic performance using BOC’s trademark audience participation is ground-breaking enough to be part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Think again. The finale of Wednesday from Light features a string quartet performing from four separate helicopters, with Radio 1′s DJ Nihal commentating!

The helicopter segment will be available for all to see online, although those of us living in Digbeth may find it easier to just look out the window! For more information, visit the Birmingham Opera Company website.

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Posted in Art, culture and that, The Sound of Music | Tagged ,

Live Music Round Up

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

See more events at the All Brum in Digbeth website.

Tuesday, 1st May
Jazz at The Spotted Dog
The Spotted Dog hosts Jazz every Tuesday. Music starts at 9pm – free entry with collection.

Sunday, 6th May
ALL-DAY BANK HOLIDAY GIG
Adam & Eve
Free Entry
(Wo)man
Alex Aitken

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Filum Night

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

When: Monday, 30th April, 19:30 onwards
Where: The Spotted Dog, 104 Warwick Street, Digbeth, B12 0NH

Monday evenings are boring aren’t they? Not in Digbeth!

The Spotted Dog will be hosting their fortnightly Filum Night this coming Monday, showing Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out:

“Odd Man Out” is far more than just a very good “cops and robbers” movie, although it can hold its own with most. Beneath that is a deep psychological drama as Johnny McQueen, an IRA rebel, wounded in a holdup, is pursued by police, his own gang, and several unsavory characters. McQueen becomes less of a man and more symbol to his hunters. He is viewed as a martyr, meal ticket, and art project. Robert Newton is excellent in his role as a half-mad artist who wants to hold Johnny just long enough to paint the expression in the eyes of a dying man. Intensely suspenseful, set in the working-class neighborhoods and slums, the gray atmosphere compliments the plot perfectly. One of James Mason’s finest.

As per usual, free tea and cakes will be served.

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Birmingham Showcase Festival

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

When: Saturday, 28th April, 20:00 – 06:00
Where: The Rainbow Warehouse

For the past three years the Birmingham Showcase Festival, which spans the entire Rainbow complex, has been a complete sell-out. This year, Sub Focus and Art Department will be headlining, supported by Plastician, Alex Arnout and Cera Alba.

When: Saturday, 28th April, 21:00 – 06:00
Where: HMV Institute

On the same night just down the road at the HMV Institute, there will be a celebration of all things bass at the Bass Indoor Gathering. Celebrating its seventh year in Birmingham, the event will feature artists including radio star David Rodigan, Shy Fx, MJ Cole and a host of other talent.

More information for both events is available at www.theticketsellers.co.uk.

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It Chose Me

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

When: Friday 27th April, 18:30 to 22:00pm
Where: Bay Leaf Restaurant, Custard Factory, Digbeth
Free entry

Readers of DiG are officially invited to attend ‘It Chose Me’, an exhibition by upcoming young visual artist Alexandria, as she unveils some of her latest work.

Alex is a contemporary artist who paints and photographs nature, buildings, people and furniture. She draws influences from cubism, Bauhaus and the natural world.

Come along and be entertained by live music and food in a relaxed atmosphere. Bay Leaf is committed to promoting local artists by providing free exhibition space – get in touch via their website if you would like to display your work.

For further details, email or tweet Alexandria, or check out the Facebook page by clicking the image below.

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Posted in Art, culture and that, Custard Factory | Tagged ,

Cinema Society

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

When: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 19:00 until 23:00
Where: 22 Green Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B12 ONB
More information on the Facebook event page

Cinema Society invites you to join fellow film enthusiasts for a night of short films made by local students. For one night only, this converted warehouse in Digbeth will become the focal point of talented film makers from in and around Birmingham.

The collection of films being screened are all made by students currently studying, or recently graduated from Birmingham City University.

The night is an experiment on how to help shape the future of underutilised areas of cities by creating social spaces and using local talent as a means for communication and bringing a like minded audience together.

Free entry. Drinks and snacks available.

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Digbeth Shuffle

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

When: Saturday 12th May, 18:00 onwards
Where: The Spotted Dog, 104 Warwick Street, Digbeth, B12 0NH
This is a free event – just turn up and enjoy!

In May, The Spotted Dog’s marvellous beer garden will play host to a disco with a difference… The Shuffle will be coming to Digbeth for one night only, as part of International Dance Festival Birmingham 2012.

Attractions include Birmingham Hits the Floor; a compilation of archive rug-cutting from the Media Archive for Central England, and the soundtrack to the night will be provided by vintage vinyl squadron Sugarfoot Stomp. The Sugarfoot ladies will more than meet their match in special guests, 60s dance troupe The Actionettes (pictured), who plan to bring a blast of go-go glamour to Digbeth.

So come along and move your dancing feet! :-)

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Posted in Spotted Dog, The Sound of Music | Tagged ,

A Little Flavour

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Pamela | Leave a comment

When: Friday, 27th April
Where: The Rainbow Warehouse
More information on the Facebook event page

Flavour, with their own brand of colourful reggae, garage and dubstep, are coming to Birmngham with a bang and a free launch night at the Rainbow on Friday. A Little Flavour will be a stripped back party, focusing on local talents and Flavour residents in an intimate space, with Edinburgh’s Blackwax headlining.

For a taste of what to expect from A Little Flavour, see the YouTube video below.

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