Category archive for: Tenant News

Ammo at Punch Records sent through this 11 minute video report on the BASS Festival which I’ve uploaded for your viewing pleasure:

Also, congratulations to Ammo for being selected for the Couvoisier Future 500 network.

Last week artist Ian Cook was building a Christmas tree at the Custard Factory commissioned by Poundland made of their own products. It’s finished and the tree is currently on show at The Studio on Cannon Street before Poundland launch it to the press next week. Here’s a photo!

Fancy taking to the stage and treading the boards in 2009? Then Class Act may be the ones for you…

The Studio4 gallery at the Custard Factory gets a nice profile in The Guardian’s Urban Undiscovered microsite.

Future Systems’ dramatic, aluminium-clad Selfridges building in the new Bullring Centre may be the icon of Birmingham’s inner city regeneration, but the real seed of the city’s cultural rebirth has been sown 10 minutes down the road in Digbeth. The old Bird’s Custard Factory is now home to 20,000 sq metres of club, theatre, media and workshop space – among it, a small but vibrant gallery called Studio4, the nerve centre of Birmingham’s new art underground.

Studio4 is a joint venture between the Outcrowd Collective and Beat13, two local street/folk art cabals who have graduated over the last six years from hosting coffee-shop shows, via temporary displays at the Custard Factory, to owning their own permanent space within the complex.

read on…

Adam from Looks Can Kill sent through some info about Kings Of Neon, a new venture he’s starting:

Kings of Neon is a concept brand offering a personalised footwear service. Our service is completely unique in that we are able to print footwear in colour and detail with any supplied graphic and with short lead times. Photos, names, band names, company logos, an illustrators favourite piece, a sports team, a dance team; everything and anything can be branded onto the most popular styles and brands of footwear.

We produce one off pairs (perfect for presents) through to supplying band merchandise and corporate events. Individual personalised pairs are £29.99. For prices on larger orders contact Adam Duffy.

Cinnamon Aitch emailed to say their range of hand-made Christmas cards is now for sale to tenants. Please pop into Studio 203 in Scott House, 8.30 - 4.30 Monday - Thursday. All cards are £2.00 each.

Fiona & Bernie from World of Homoeopathy send this for publication after chatting with Frankie on reception. They have a shop on Gibb Terrace.

Hi All,

Frankie tells us that a lot of you in the Custard Factory, are not aware of us and what we do, right on your very doorstep! So below is a short description of what Homoeopathy is about, and other things that we cover in the service we offer.

What is Homoeopathy?

A complete system of alternative medicine , which reminds the body how to get back to its natural balance, without the need of addictive drugs. And no side effects!!!

What is Hair analysis? What can it tell me?

For whatever reason: Stress! Grief! Job change or loss! Marriage and partnership breakups! Our bodies can start to get tired, weary, drained of energy, and what energy we do have seems to be going round that same old thought process. Sleep can be restless, un-refreshed or in short supply, then other things start to happen; constant coughs, colds, headaches, mood swings, aches and pains, indigestion , IBS, depression, etc. All of these are signs the body is becoming more imbalanced. Hair analysis is a good place to start, it will show if there are simple foods draining the system. Deficiencies of vitamin and minerals that can also be creating excessive tiredness .

What is Reiki?

A relaxing form of healing , which unblocks stuck energy both emotional and physical to aid a more stress free approach to life.

Reiki (Wednesday & Saturday afternoons – by appointment only)

Tuesdays only from November 25th to December 16th, from 12.30 to 2.00pm, we are offering free 10 minute consultations. To give you a better idea of how Homoeopathy can help you to maintain a healthy more stress free approach to the problems we all encounter within the home and work environment.

Christmas Gift Vouchers
£5, £10, £20 (available now)

Treatment gift vouchers :
Reiki £30
Hair Analysis £35
Homoeopathic Consultations £50 & £35

Ready made or tailor made remedies (tablets):
Coughs, Colds , Flu, Coldsores, Stress, Tiredness, Headaches, Toothache plus much more

Also a range of remedies for babies teething, colic, bumps and bruises and temperatures.

We also stock oils for burners etc

Claire Farrell of EC Arts sent through a load of information about a public art project she’s involved with in Digbeth. Here’s the artist’s sketch:

The final piece, she says, will be “181 linear meters spanning Mill Lane, Bradford St and Rea Street, standing at lowest point 2.2 meters per sculpture/haunch and rising to 6 meters tall” and is due to be finished next Autumn.

Here’s the artist’s statement by Rob Colbourne & Stuart Mugridge:

Digbeth Public Art Artists Statement

Here’s a photo of the prototype being built and tested:

And a video:

Something of a spate of website redesigns at the moment. Must be the time of year. Here’s Substrakt’s new site:

Punch Records have revealed the theme for the 2009 BASS (British Arts and Street Sounds) Festival - “Inspired by Africa and Africans.”

The aim of this year’s theme is celebrate and explore Africa’s influence on the arts scene. Working with mainstream and grassroots organisations, we will also be encouraging a broad range of audiences to participate in and experience the global impact of African cultural expression.

BASS 09 isn’t just about djembe drumming! We will be celebrating the wealth of African talent present in the UK through international artistic exchange, major presentations of contemporary work, new installations, artist lounges, concerts and masterclasses.

They’re also open for comissions for the festival, welcoming “from any art form (music, film, fashion, visual art, theatre, dance, etc) but will favour those that have a bias towards urban or black forms of expression or content.” In the past these have included:

• Grime theatre show
• Photographic exhibition of Hip Hop legends
• Film screening and Q&A with graffiti legends Henry Chalfant and Goldie
• Live Jazz and Hip Hop night with Jazzanova and Eska Mtungwazi
• Book launch on the history of Reggae Dj’s and sound systems with Dr Lez Henry
• Hip Hop and Poetry fusion night with Ursular Rucker and Ty
• Sole Elements – exhibition featuring trainer and street inspired art

Full details and application form here.