Point Magazine by Ayesha Brown

CONTENTS 3 A lesson on the rich architectural landscape in Britain’’s’ second city.

16 A brief but telling portrayal of what it is like to be a female muslim in modern Britain.

number of people are of the belief that Birmingham is a shithole. This issue of Point magazine is set to change that opinion. HIdden beauty is woven throughout Birmingham and we’re here to show the magnificence of this city, to turn a negative to a positive.

7 Worthless pieces of tat or works of genuine art? Explore street art around Birmingham in the City of Colours.

21 Street musicians, artists or beggars? I’m sure you have you’ve already decided. Can we change your mind?

11 Using the body as a canvas, the possibilities are endless for outstanding art pieces. Tatoos are more than scribbles.

26 Stop looking down at your phone all the time and you may notice these hidden beauties in plain sight.

CITYSCAPES

irmingham is considered as the most important city in UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial development. Some people claim that the industrial role of the city affected it visually, as well as its residents and their opinions. As a student who came here quite recently I can say that Birmingham lacks this particular sparkle that other

cities have. It might be due to constant renovations and construction sites that you can find scattered across the city it certaubky does have an impact on the landscape, but does it mean that all beauty is gone?

In Rugby where I live people usually tell me they feel sorry for me when they hear I am studying in Birmingham and it is not because of how far I have to travel but the city itself. Some say that since Birmingham started going through modernization process there is less places there to visit and that all the beauty and attractiveness was hidden behind tall office buildings and businesses;

Others say that because of that it became simply boring and that their relatives or friends regret moving there because of all the noise and busy feel to it. I also hear that the mixture of modern and old architecture in one city does not work that well.

As a human beings it is our nature to be curious and so whatever is hidden attracts our interest more. Also, all those buildings some people consider as having a negative impact on the overall look of the city are in fact pieces of art.

Sometimes I like to take my time and think of them as something other than a block of concrete combined with glass. They are someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creations after all and it must have taken ages to design them in the first place.

The truth is that many cities have their beauty concealed during a daytime and so does Birmingham. However, if we decide to visit it at night we can see what this city really has to offer. I could easily compare it to a firework display as it is that time when all true colours of Birmingham come to life. There is plenty of illuminated screens, neon lights and logos which are reflected in nearby buildings and shop displays making the streets even more alive.

Despite suffering from many stereotypes like being boring, unattractive and â&#x20AC;&#x153;lacking this particular sparkleâ&#x20AC;? Birmingham is definitely the city worth visiting. A lot of people these days judge places either because they had bad experiences with their residents and services, heard bad things about them from other people or perhaps they were hit by the bad weather. I assure you that being in Birmingham is not a waste of time.

RAFAL DOMAGALA 6

GRAFFITI G

raffiti has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good and has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bad examples. The good graffiti is that which has been thought about by the designer, the design has a meaning or emotion within it. The designer has created their artwork based on the emotion they are feeling or it has been created to be based on affairs that are going on or are part of the history of the area. It is a creative way of showing an opinion and if it is done in the correct manner it can be done without offeneding anyone which makes the design more enjoyable to the wide audience.

houghts on graffiti is that it is a very risky and experimental way of being creative and i think some people can take their designs to an extreme which will changes peoples feelings about graffiti from good to bad. There will never be a deffinate end to people stereotyping graffiti artists such as Inkie, whos work has influenced recent designs that have appeared on walls at the Custard Factory, Birmingham and the area that surrounds it.

ersonally i enjoy looking and studying graffiti because it inspires me to think deeper into a design and work out what the meaning of the design is or it emotion. By doing this i can portray the same process of thought into my design work. The colours used in graffiti designs are strong, vibrant colours which means the image is trying to send over a bold statement towards the audience. I believe that the real beauty behind graffiti is itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diversity to appeal to a wide audience with just one design, This causes different opinions. Not everyone likes the idea of graffiti because they see it as someone defacing a clean wall with something that doesnt appeal to them and they are intitled to there own opinion about it.

Birmingham

I T

he streets of birmingham are turned into a sea of colour when artists from all over paint the city joined by musicians, beat boxers and live illustrators. The City of Colours event is used as a platform for up and coming artists to project themselves into the world of art, street art and contemporay art. And to be alongside the more distinguished talent of Inkie, Dan Kitchener and N4T4. The whole concept of the event was made out of the passion for the industry and urban culture. In the event such things as large murals to quick canvases. From the size of the events growth it takes place across numberous venues.

t is funded by the Arts Council in partnerships which consists of over 20 expert organisations with Street Art Birmingham, including The Bench 504, The Custard Factory, The Rainbow and Graffitartist.com, and Boxxed. The Event has 4 music stages promoted by some of Birminghams biggest premoters such as PST, Jam Holt and Seedy Sonic. With such music as hip hop, jungle, house and many more. The main focus of the event is getting the youth of the area and surrouning areas involved in urban culture. Supplying over 15 workshops like graffiti, breakdancing, DJing. Another aim of the event is to break the dividing line between different cultures and ethnic groups in the community to make Birmingham a more diverse city. The event is used as a way of raising funds for Many midland based charities such St Basils, whos work supports young children from the the age of 16 - 25 who are homeless or are at the risk of becoming homeless.

TATTOOS A

HOW BAD CAN THEY BE?

s human beings have evolved over the last few million years, we have developed natural fears of a broad range of things. Things like falling, fire and the dark. But each human has one or two fears of certain, finite things. Take me, for example. Sharks scare me. Going to the toilet in the middle of the night scares me. And large, burly men with tattoos scare me. But why? Why do I find tattoos intimidating? I believe it’s pretty much entirely down to the media, which we are bombarded with every single day. Newspapers, magazines, TV shows, every single form of media tend to portray tattoos, those who have them and those who create them, in a bad light, making them out to be thugs and hooligans. Combine this with the place where I grew up (a rural village where

everybody is white and middle-class) I’ve not met many people with tattoos. If the media is all I’ve got to go on then, of course, my perceptions are going to be a little bit manipulated. However, over the last year or so, my eyes have been opened. I learnt that there is far more to tattoo culture than simply “looking hard”. It’s an expression of a person’s personality, an art form. People get images and words tattooed onto them that mean something to them. Something personal that they don’t want to forget and be forever reminded of. That’s certainly the message being promoted at “Birmingham Ink”, a small, professional tattoo and piercings parlour located on Dalton Street. The interior had an immediate gothic feel to it. A church pew in the front, a 19th

century style chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a beautiful, ornate piece of furniture placed behind the front desk. A bell that rang whenever someone entered to notify the staff of a new customer, which I felt was a nice touch, although it did startle me. The staff were slightly apprehensive when I asked if they minded me writing an article about the parlour. I thought they would be happy and a little proud that their business was going to be written about, so I was a little taken aback when they showed the amount of caution that they did. Their reasons, however, were justified. They had previously had ITV enter, telling them that they were going to make a documentary about tattoos, and “Birmingham Ink” agreed to help them make it. Unfortunately, the good people at “Birmingham Ink” were portrayed badly and “made out to be cunts”, according to one of the staff. Good old ITV…

Nevertheless, I had the moral high ground over ITV and they eventually agreed to talk to me. It’s a very co-operative establishment. There is a wide range of designs for customers to choose from but a majority of people design their own tattoos. This is not an obstacle for the artists, as they work with the customer and their design. It’s not just your typical designs either. They’ve had some interesting requests over the years. One girl, who had a slight toe deformity, had cut lines tattooed on her toe, indicating the deformity to be cut off. Grammar and misspelling are not an issue as they keep a names book under the desk for the customers to write names and quotes for the artists. It is then checked, stencilled onto the skin and checked one final time before being applied. This is particularly good, considering that one of the most popular forms of tattoo they are requested to do are people’s names and quotes.

“I like the idea that my body is a blank canvas and I’m changing it.”

Kieran Marshall

2ND YEAR ARCHITECTURE STUDENT AT BCU AND CONFESSED TATTOO ADDICT.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET TATTOOS?

wanted to be reminded of personal things.There are certain figures and moments in my life that I don’t want to forget about.

WHICH WAS YOUR FIRST AND HOW OLD WERE YOU?

I got ‘Mother’ written down my arm when I was 17, so only slightly underage. She is an important figure in my life so it made sense.

WHY DO YOU GET THEM?

I’m not going to lie it’s an addiction for me. A lot of people are concerned about the pain but it’s a nice pain: a good sensation. I like the idea that my body is a blank canvas and I am changing it.

DID YOU DESIGN ANY?

Yeah, a few. The dog paw, the bird, the stethascope on my left arm and the wings across my chest.

ANYMORE ON THE WAY?

I’ve got a few planned. I’m thinking of getting two portraits on my sides. One of my grandma, the other of my dog. Also the colour on my right arm sleeve needs touching up.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST PAINFUL?

They all hurt a bit, but the most painful was the Brooklyn Bridge on my arm, especially when the lines that represent the wires were drawn.

WHICH IS YOUR MOST MEANINGFUL?

It’s a draw between two, ‘Grandma’ written on my arm and the stethascope which reprents my sister as she is a doctor.

HAVE YOU SEEN OTHER TATTOOS THAT YOU LIKE THE LOOK OF? Other tattoos do influence me. More than once now I’ve known what i wanted and where I wanted it, then gone online to see how it looks on others. There’s no extra points for people who take risks with their tattoos.

ANY THAT YOU HATED?

Yes plenty. I hate cheesy quotes like ‘Only God can judge me.’ Actually speaking of God I hate it when non-religious people get religious quotes tattooed on them. I also hate tribal tatoos and flames. They just look tacky. 14

BURKA. HIJAB. NIQAB.

We all know the narrative, the same story, Jihadists commiting exceedigly violent crimes on the British public. The Woolwich attacks in May 2013, the recent foiled attempted assasination on the Queen and now the ongoing Trojan Horse enquiry into the threat of Islamist and Saffist ethos being integrated in to Birmingham schools,.It’s no wonder that Islam as a religion is being shown in such a negative light. Whispers of ‘banning the burka’ have transformed in to raging screams fully supported by groups such as the EDL. I’m here to not to shout at you to change your mind but to just to present a different point of view. This isn’t my story, this is their story, the women of the Niqab and their lives in modern day Britain.

THE NIQAB. THE TRUTH.

hat is about to follow is an honest, thought provoking insight in to the life of Zaitioon Patel a Muslim resident of Solihull, Birmingham.

The niqab originally was designed so your face is hidden from the outside world, other men most importantly but niqab is not compulsory, as long as your figure, hair, arms and legs are covered from people who aren’t your husband, because ultimately your husband is the only person who can see all those things. Personally I only wore the niqab when I went to mosque and I hated it. I felt that it’s not compulsory and there were disadvantages of it such as people can’t see your face, extremists use it as something to do bad things, for example kidnapping, false identities but I fell as well as most Muslim girls that as long as your head and figure is not showing it’s fine. I don’t have a definite answer to those who say the niqab should be banned in all public places but I think in some ways it is better. Although I feel they should be able to wear it, I mean yes there are reasons as to why they’re calling it to be banned, like the stuff I mentioned previously.

“The media doesn’t always go in favour of Islam due to previous events.” I think that beauty is what a person shows on the outside by their character or anything, as a Muslim, I believe that beauty is within your heart, your thoughts opinions and the way you portray yourself. Your character truly shows whether you are truly beautiful. Some people won’t agree with me, but that’s my

opinion, because that’s what I’ve always been taught at the mosque, in my religion and by The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). I would say to those who find the niqab as ugly or not attractive that they are entitled to their opinion but you shouldn’t judge someone by what they wear or by what you see because you don’t know their story, their life.

“You don’t know their story, you don’t know their life.” They could be a much better person than you and vice versa. I’ve never been treated as an outcast by my own family for not wearing a scarf and being modern but like I said, I believe true beauty lies within the heart and mind and I’d never change that belief of mine. In a way I think that wearing the niqab is a way of men controlling women because women are forced to wear it by their husbands at times against their will. It’s not just husbands though, it’s fathers too and pressure from the family. That forcing can result to completely going against it like I have, meaning at times choosing not to wear it at all. Also after being forced, some women find that it’s better and more beneficial for them for their afterlife and they come to terms with it. I have always felt fearful of wearing the niqab in public but I kept reminding myself that it’s for my religion and status and it’s okay I suppose. Zaitoon Patel.

STREET MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, OR

BEGGARS?

How do you see street musicians?

n the city of Birmingham there are a lot of different cultures, social groups and art forms. One of which are street performers, there are all types of different street performers in the city of Birmingham. Most of them are street musicians, personally I love hearing live music whatever the genre maybe. I find it refreshing hearing unknown artists playing music that they are passionate about whether they are covers of other artists songs or their own.

Do you see them the same way as me? Or do you see them begging for a hand out? Some people might see them as begging as they have a container of some sort for donations, you might see it as if they love performing to an audience surely they should be doing it for the fun of it as it gives them pleasure and excitement so it should be free right? You might see it as a bit of a con. That you feel guilty if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t donate which makes you donate even though you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do so in the first place. You might find street performers/ artists annoying.somebody else you have to walk past on the busy streets of Birmingham asking you for money.

However I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anything like that ,here are a few reasons why I think so. When I have been walking around Birmingham, I have had people stop me to ask me to donate to charity of some sort or homeless people have stopped me and asked me if I could spare some changes. My view is simply this street musicians do not come up to you and ask you if you can spare some change or to make a donation of some sort. I just see it as them entertaining the public and if you like the artist/performer you make a donation to show your appreciation for there talent. You have a choice if you want to give money to them or not it is completely up to you.

The photographs in this magazine are taken by myself. I personally think street musicians are unseen beauty in the streets of Birmingham, if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have my camera with me I would of missed the opportunity of photographing these musicians. I am so glad I got to expense first hand the difference they made to the general public, everyone who was walking passed had to stop for a few moments and hear more of there music, some stopped for a few minutes. They really did bring joy and happiness to the streets of Birmingham.

DAN CLEE.

DO YOU STILL SEE STREET MUSICIANS THE SAME WAY? 25

hat is hidden beauty? Hidden beauty can be what you want it to be. Beauty, what other people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice. Beauty, inside or within.Beauty, secrets within. Hidden beauty can be the different things, objects or places not everyone notices on a day to day basis. One version of hidden beauty is a total different version to someone else in comparison.

My aim in these images are to change negative thoughts into positive thoughts and this is why I have captured this imagery to show the hidden beauty within the streets of Birmingham, the places that people assume to be unseen and not noticeable.

The custard factory. You don’t notice its beauty until you’ve taken a picture of all of it, it’s so beautiful, colourful and so much going on in such a small open area. This fountain brings all its surroundings together, the hidden beauty here is seeing it at night time with all the lights coming shining, but do people notice it day or night? Do I just assume they don’t?

CUSTARD FACTORY 28

This here is a public place, great place to interact with people youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen or spoke to before throughout your days in Birmingham. This photograph is showing people playing ping pong outside the Birmingham Bullring Market. These images are representing hidden beauty by showing life, people coming together, communicating and interacting showing a strong multicultural society.

In essence this is a pretty simple photo but it offers a glimpse of everyday town life that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really notice unless they take a closer look to their surroundings

This here is The Horse Fair Mosaic, it is located in Holloway Circus. But the question is does anyone actually notice it? Are you to distracted? Or do you know notice it but not acknowledge it? This mosaic is located within the middle of a subway, the underpass allowing you to walk through the roundabout. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit of knowledge; Mosaic piece produced by Kenneth Budd, 1967 and still standing. The Horse fair Mosaic is the only remaining 1960s mosaic to still be in its original form, this mural is representing and showing the activities that took place in the Horse Fair from 1215 to around 1911. The Holloway Circus was never demolished. But when you take a close look at this mosaic you notice that parts of it appears to be missing. It is unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Alderman H.E. Tyler in 1966. According to the plaque â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it depicts the activities in the Horse Fair which took place in this area until 1911 and was the last remaining fair of the charter granted by Henry III in 1215. The sections of mosaic over the barrier. This probably led to one of the exits to the area which is now all filled in and covered up.