The Digbeth is Good pigeon
Find out how the Digbeth is Good pigeon is doing along with his pigeon friends, with Project Pigeon’s updates to syndicate members below. Also check out Project Pigeon’s YouTube Channel and Flickr stream.
Project Pigeon: Updates to the Project Pigeon Syndicate
Orbitecture, curated by Cedar Lewisohn and Andrew Hunt, examines current trends in contemporary art through the work of mainly young artists who deal with important social issues. These include ecological, political and ethical matters, which are often seen through the idealistic perspective of youth. Featuring painting, sculpture, film and music, the exhibition looks at possible alternative ways of living outside of the mainstream and asks if rebellion is still possible. For these artists the crossover between art and life is apparently seamless, their work becoming a product of their philosophy. This project showcases a group of works that engage with these issues with innovative forms and formats. D.I.Y aesthetics are an overriding stylistic theme of the work. Added to the contemporary works is the inclusion of Gerd Arntz. This historic inclusion grounds the contemporary pieces in a lineage and tradition while also showing us that as much as times change, they also stay the same. Optimism and pessimism often walk hand in hand in these works, a sign perhaps that there are no clear cut answers, only more questions.The show includes several works from outside of the fine art arena, such as music videos and documentation material. By placing this work into a new context, the exhibition hopes to question the areas where art and protest are happening today. Can a pop video have more political residence than art work? What are the social implications of the shape of the buildings we live and work in? Is Orbitecture the answer?Includes: Gerd Arntz, Pim Conradi, Romain Gavras, Head Gallery, Man Like Me, Alastair MacKinven, Stephen Molyneux, Laura Oldfield Ford, David Osbaldeston, PLANNINGTOROCK, Francis Thorburn.Exhibition Preview Event: Friday 21 January, 3.30pm
Free, all welcome
The exhibition curators will introduce their ideas behind the exhibition and lead a tour with participating artists Alastair MacKinven, Man Like Me, Stephen Molyneux, Laura Oldfield Ford, David Osbaldeston and Francis Thorburn.Supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Image above:
Laura Oldfield Ford
From the series ‘London 2013, Drifting Through the Ruins’
Pen and ink on paper
Courtesy of Hales Gallery and the artist Copyright the artist 2011
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Dear Syndicate,
We hope that you had a good christmas and new year. Â The pigeons enjoyed themselves and got extra sweetcorn for christmas dinner! Â For info about our first project in the new year with the Grundy Art Gallery at British Homing World Show of the Year 2011 have a look at:
http://www.grundyartgallery.com/programme/forthcoming/Yours in Sport,
Project Pigeon
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Date: 18 December 2010Â
Dear Syndicate,
It was the Aston and District Pigeon Flying Club prize giving last night and we were happy to collect our certificates and total of £14.50 prize money.  Matt's pigeon won £5.80 so a total of £2.40 is making its way to him and Emma's pigeon won £8.70 so a total of £4.30 is on it's way to her – as well as photocopy's of the certificate- which are now precious artworks! (See photos attached).  It was hard work but we're looking forward to next race season.  Unfortunately some pigeons have gone missing (part of pigeon racing I'm afraid) so we will be letting you know about that – but you can always sponsor another one if yours has gone awol!
The weather made things really hard this morning, i wondered if I was actually going to make it to the pigeon loft and then back, the roads were mad with all the snow and it took over an hour of careful driving. Â This is when having them in your back garden (or at least near where you live) is good! Â I made it and they were very happy to see me as they we completely out of food (guess they are more hungry when its cold) and the water had frozen. Â And i just about made it back home. Â Hope its not like this tomorrow….
We've been busy making things for the British Homing World Show, see one of our t-shirts attached. Â There will be a discount for all syndicate members on all our products so watch out for the launch of the range!
Also, we have a facebook page now, this will be a good way for you to keep informed about things so if you're on facebook please join us -Â
Yours in Sport,
Project Pigeon
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Date: 5 December 2010Â
Dear Syndicate,
The hens have moved to their new home & I've had three escapes over the weekend! Â Each time one got out and flew straight out of the new loft back to the old loft! Â I had to go over to get them (at this point I am very glad that we are only a street away and not 20 miles!) and bring them right back. Â I'm a bit sad that they were like this, but as Ernie said it'll just take a bit of time for them to get used to the new place (i knew it would but i wasn't quite expecting that they would be that determined to ). Â See photo attached- just waiting for me to open the door! Â The cocks will be moving tomorrow. Â & then we have to make some nest boxes to get ready for pairing up & breeding.
Yours in Sport,
Project Pigeon
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Dear Syndicate,
Its cold at the loft now. Â The pigeons water has been freezing over and it was really solid today & they were in need of a big drink, I put a bit of salt in it so I'm hoping it might stay liquid at least for a few hours. Â Ian has been finishing off the new loft & its very nearly done, just a last push (very very hard in this weather though – I've promised Ian that the first thing we're getting when our funding comes is some kind of fire!). Â We were on the Arts on the Move bus again at the weekend which was good, lots of people, but again, very cold, so I'm glad & impressed people stopped to chat us. Â I'm off to the Gulbenkian Foundation tomorrow to receive my award, talk about pigeons, listen to some talks, meet other award holders etc. Â Very excited about that.
Yours in Sport,
Project Pigeon
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Date: 23 November 2010Â
Dear Syndicate,
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The pigeons are doing well and no signs of the illness returning, thank goodness. Also we´ve got some more funding!!  L eaving us with a bit of a logistical nightmare… But we´re very very excited about the next several months with Project Pigeon! This particular project will involve building a loft with the local community – Chinese pigeon lofts are different for English pigeon lofts, are different from Irish pigeon lofts and so on, the idea is that we build a loft with all these different cultural influences and different communities. It´ll be fun and we hope that you will get involved and think of some pigeon loft designs for us.
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We went to the South Birmingham Federation do on Friday night. I feel a great weight of responsibility for rallying the pigeon community and getting lots more people involved. It was a very sad turn out and I just know that people would be interested in this grassroots activity if it was more exposed. What to do, what to do?
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We´re getting ready for British Homing World Show of the Year and it´s very exciting. We´ll let you know more about that nearer to the time.
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Yours in Sport,
Â
Project Pigeon
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Date: 23 October 2010 17:04
Dear Syndicate,
It's cold and dark in the mornings now, I can't wait until the clocks go back, but on the other hand it'll be really dark in the evening and closing the birds in the dark isn't much good either. Â At least the loft building is keeping us warm! Â Although its quite impossible to build in the dark. Â Summer is best for pigeon fancying. Â (But breeding in spring is pretty good too!)
We put the pigeon that has been living at home with us for the last three weeks back in the loft today, she's not quite right but she needs to be with her mates if she's going to get fully back to normal. Â She was really happy to see everyone again! Â The other one that was bad is fine now, but one is still really bad and is still in a separate area. Â
We've finally made a Project Pigeon website –
www.project-pigeon.co.uk – which has got a lot of info about what we've been doing, although there is more to put on.
Its the Federation 'do' on 19th November, its the yearly get together for all the pigeon men in Birmingham, with food and prizes for the very best fanciers  We're going to take the Arts on the Move bus and run some pigeon workshops.  I'm not sure if we get our certificates and prize money then or if we get them at the club prize giving, I think it'll be at the club prize giving but I'm not sure when that'll be yet.
We need to write a book about pigeon fancying.
Yours in Sport,
Project Pigeon
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Date: 13 October 2010 20:03
Pigeon news this week – Pigeons have the urge to gamble just like humans! Â Check out the article:
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Date: 13 October 2010 19:33
Dear Syndicate,
The majority of the pigeons are 95% back to normal now (some of them are pairing up now and there is lots of kissing going on- so they must be feeling better!). Â For the first time in weeks is was great to watch them and a happy experience to be at the loft. Â Today was the last day of their antibiotic treatment so we'll see how they do over the next few days. Â One of the two dodgy ones at the loft escaped yesterday and flew around a bit so I think that is a sign that she is also feeling a lot better – she can at least control herself to fly, and she wants to fly. Â The other one is still looking bad although his movements are more controlled than they were so we'll have to see. Â The one at home has picked up a lot too, but she is super skinny so we are feeding her lots of beans, we let her out of the basket for an hour every morning now and she has a good walk around the living room, i think she was getting really sick of being in the basket, i can't wait until we can reunite her with her friends (which i think we will be ale to do). Â
We've been getting on with making the new loft this week. Â Now we have experience of keeping pigeons we can really design it well. Â See a photo attached. We have even made a little loft so in case we ever have sick pigeons again we can put the bad one/s in there right away (and at least now we know what we are looking for). Â The last bit of your syndicate money has paid for some of the materials so thank you very much and we will be engraving all your names on the outside. Â The workmen at Boots Brindleyplace have been very helpful too! Â And someone dropped some amazing windows to us so thank you to whoever that was (possibly Swedish with dreadlocks?). Â And thanks to Boxxed who are being amazing and letting us use their spare outdoor space.
We'll be getting some new breeds of pigeons soon. Â Birmingham rollers are stunt pigeons (the breed was developed in Brum) which you fly in a kit of about 20, they tumble and roll in the sky. Â And some tipplers, pigeon which fly for up to 36 hours at a time, they fly upwards until they are dots in the sky and are attracted to light so it looks like they are flying to the moon, and you get them down by shining a big light from the roof of your pen up into the sky. Â Ian has also been getting obsessed about this guy we've found in Bavaria who has trained pigeons to come back down in to a basket – so what he does is take his pigeons off somewhere in a basket, lets them out, they fly around and then he calls them down and they go back into the basket. Â How cool is that! Â We've seen the potential in that particularly for doing pigeon whistle and flute performances, still reckon its pretty hard to train them. Â We've had to cancel the performance we were going to do at Supersonic :( Â because of everything but will be working on it for next year now, better that it is amazing & that the pigeons recover properly.
We'll invite syndicate members for a loft warming when it is all built and everyone has settled in (probably mid November),
Yours in Sport
Project Pigeon
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very good site
thanks