February - April 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
The Influence Project Exhibitions / Gigs / Comedy / Theatre / Dance / Creative Courses / Event Screenings 1 macbirmingham.co.uk MAC-Highlights-Feb-Apr20.indd 1
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See More. Save More. Book early for the best prices. Keeping You Entertained for Less We want to help you experience the best in entertainment. That’s why MAC has pledged that 10% of all our tickets will be available for £10 or less. Our exhibitions are free and there’s always plenty of free drop-in events and activities happening here at MAC. Make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about new on sale events and snap up those early booking bargains. If you’re a MAC regular, you can save even more. We’re running a multi-buy offer so everything you buy between now and 31 August 2020 will accumulate towards a discount. • Once you buy 4 performances or films you’ll unlock a discount of 15% on all future performances until 31 August 2020 • Buy 9 performances or films and your discount will increase to 20%. You don’t need to keep track. We’ll do that for you, so the discount is automatically applied to your purchases.
For more information and full listings visit macbirmingham.co.uk or call 0121 446 3232 Follow us: mac_birmingham
MAC. Here for Everyone. Always. Without you, our fantastic work simply wouldn’t happen. So, next time you book your favourite show, purchase something special from our shop, or even just buy a coffee from the café – know that you are helping us continue our ground-breaking learning, community and outreach work, which is changing lives for the better. From all of us at MAC, we want to say a very big thank you.
Karl Newton
Every year, because of you, MAC is making art accessible to thousands of people.
Cover image: Erykah Badu, Dublin 2018 C-Type © Alexis Chabala
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Exhibitions Art and Social Change: The Disability Arts Movement. Curated by Anna Berry Sat 11 January – Sun 22 March Opening times as building | Free | Arena Gallery This exhibition is inspired by the Disability Arts Movement, a civil rights group of artists and activists who fought the marginalisation of disabled people. Artist Anna Berry has been on a year-long placement at MAC, as part of DASH’s curatorial residency programme for artists/curators who identify as Disabled.
ASSOCIATED EVENTS Public Conference Disability Arts: Slaughtering the Sacred Cows Wed 11 March | 11am-4pm | Theatre Free, booking required See page 7 for further information.
Curator Talk and Tour
Thu 27 February | 6.30pm | Hexagon and Arena Gallery | Free, booking required
BSL Tour
Sat 1 February | 1-3pm | Arena Gallery Free, booking required Led by artist Olivier Jamin.
Great Britain From A Wheelchair © Tony Heaton
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Exhibitions Alexis Chabala and Lorayne Crawford: The Influence Project Sat 18 January – Sun 22 March | 11am - 5pm, Tuesday – Sunday | Free | First Floor Gallery The Influence Project celebrates the trailblazing Black artists who were at the forefront of Funk, Soul, R&B, Afrobeat and Hip Hop. It explores the seismic impact of these cultural pioneers and their enduring creative, social and political influence on new generations of artists. Photographer Alexis Chabala and curator Lorayne Crawford have captured these icons and their contemporaries through beautiful portraiture, photography, film and sound.
Andrew McMillan and Proper Job Theatre Company: Dorian Wed 23 October | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Theatre Ages 16+ An inspired contemporary re-telling of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, exploring male vanity, gym culture, masculinity and body dysmorphia. In a society where genre is becoming fluid, how do men deal with the airbrushing, catfishing and online beautification?
Jorja Smith, London 2018 C-Type © Alexis Chabala
George Clinton, London 2014 C-Type © Alexis Chabala
ASSOCIATED EVENTS Film Screening + Q&A Mr Dynamite - The Rise Of James Brown with Pee Wee Ellis & Soweto Kinch in Conversation
Fri 24 January | 6.30pm | From £8.50 | Theatre | Ages 15+ Documentary from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney featuring rare footage, interviews and photos chronicling the ascension of the Godfather of Soul. The film is followed by Soweto Kinch in conversation with Brown’s former bandleader Pee Wee Ellis, as they chat about their dynamic collaboration and how their music became an anthem for a generation living in segregated America.
Rhapsodies in Blues: The Influence of Music on Black Women’s Writing
Sat 7 March | 10am-4pm | From £74 Join playwright Polly Wright and actor Deborah Tracey for a special writing workshop celebrating the musicality of Black women’s writing. See page 22. 4
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ASSOCIATED EVENTS Radical Influence Thu 13 February | From 7pm | First Floor Gallery | Free, booking required Turning up the volume on some of the most exciting musicians and poets making waves in Birmingham and beyond, this special event features music from Lady Sanity, Call Me Unique and Reuben and the Band and spoken word from Vanessa Kisuule, Adrian B Earle and Lexia Tomlinson. Produced by Free Radical, part of the Beatfreeks Collective.
Portrait Photography Workshop led by Alexis Chabala
Mon 24 February | 6.30 – 8.30pm | First Floor Gallery | Free, booking required Bring your digital camera and get professional advice in this practical, hands-on session exploring the concept of portraiture.
Artist and Curator Talk and Tour
Wed 18 March | 6.30 – 8.30pm | First Floor Gallery | Free, booking required Join Alexis Chabala and Lorayne Crawford as they share their inspiration for the exhibition along with experiences of working with some of music’s most influential artists.
BSL Tour
Sat 22 February | 1-3pm | First Floor Gallery | Free, booking required Artist Olivier Jamin leads a BSL tour of The Influence Project. MAC would like to thank the Exhibition Technology Partner, Allsee Technologies, for their generous support.
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Exhibitions Caroline Walker: Women’s Work 4 April – 28 June
11am - 5pm, Tuesday – Sunday & Bank Holidays | Free First Floor Gallery This is Caroline Walker’s most comprehensive exhibition to date. It examines the often unseen jobs performed by women, such as tailors and chambermaids and viewed from the side lines in their otherwise invisible worlds. Comprising of preparatory studies, small and large-scale paintings, Women’s Work provides a unique insight into Walker’s artistic processes as a painter with an intuitive understanding of her subjects. Publically funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and by players of People’s Postcode Lottery through Postcode Culture Trust.
Caroline Walker, Three Maids, 2018, Oil on linen Private Collection.
Maxine Walker: UNTITLED 4 April – 21 June
Opening times as building | Free | Arena Gallery Reintroducing a pioneering artist whose practice focused on representations of black womanhood, the exhibition is a poignant exploration of identity by a young artist at the height of her career, using photography to interrogate the intricacies of skin, blackness and being. Active between 1985 – 1997 this is Maxine Walker’s first solo exhibition in her home city of Birmingham.
Maxine Walker, Untitled, 1997. © Maxine Walker. Courtesy of the artist and Autograph, London.
This exhibition has been organised by Autograph, London curated by Renée Mussai and Bindi Vora with additional loans from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and The Photographers’ Gallery, London.
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BE PART OF THE DEBATE The Art of Ageing Artfully Conference Wed 5 February | 11am – 4pm | £5 | Theatre A high-profile national summit exploring the role of creativity, arts and cultural change within experiences of growing older. The Art of Ageing Artfully sets out to investigate how arts practice is exploring the times we live in and the ages and stages of life we live through. Open to arts professionals, people working in the health, well-being and social care sectors and the general public, it asks how we can address the creative and cultural realities of our lives as we age. The day offers important insights from 10 years of research and experiment, along with active workshops, demonstrations, performances and discussions, provoking questions that affect all of us.
Produced by Midlands Arts Centre on behalf of The Baring Foundation and Arts Council England.
Celebrating Age at MAC MAC offers a range of activities for people aged 65+ to have fun and get creative. • Culture Club is our free arts group which meets on the third Monday of each month. You can enjoy creative activities including dance, photography and drawing • Tea with a Twist is our Sunday afternoon cabaret with a delicious afternoon tea plus entertainment from professional dancers, comedians and musicians (tickets £5). • Morning Movies on Tuesdays offer free light refreshments and a chance to socialise before the screenings. Contact Lucy Rix for more information lucy.rix@macbirmingham.co.uk 0121 446 3261
Public Conference - Disability Arts: Slaughtering the Sacred Cows
Relaxing the Building
Wed 11 March | 11am-4pm | Theatre Free, booking required
MAC will be ‘relaxing’ the building for the day by providing sensory spaces and reducing the use of fluorescent lighting and screens, while offering a range of activities aimed at people who prefer a relaxed environment.
Are we robust enough to criticise ourselves? Are there no-go topics which aren’t debated in Disability Arts? This dynamic event examines current issues related to the challenges and opportunities of Disability Arts, bringing together leading practitioners including keynote speaker, artist Aaron Williamson. 7
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Sun 15 March | Free | Throughout MAC
For more information about MAC’s access facilities and services, visit macbirmingham.co.uk
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Comedy
Harriet Dyer: The Dinosaur Show
Paul Sinha: Hazy Little Thing Called Love
Harriet Dyer (BBC Live at The Fringe, BBC Radio 4, Absolute Radio) loves dinosaurs very much. It’s about time you discovered the cold hard truth about what really happened to our prehistoric pals - come and dip your body in her very large catacomb of chaos. "Natural comedic genius" Funny Women
Thus far, Paul has lived his life content in the understanding that stability and emotional happiness were lovely ideas, but not really for him. However, several decades of cheerfully bearing boozy witness to the narratives of others can slowly change a man. And so can a proseccofuelled Christmas. Includes support and interval.
Jayde Adams: The Ballad of Kylie Jenner's Old Face
John Kearns: Double Take and Fade Away
Sat 15 February | 8pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 17+
Rah Petherbridge Photography
Sat 8 February | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon | Ages 16+
Sun 9 February | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Foyle | Ages 14+
Fri 21 February | 8pm | From £12 | Foyle | Ages 16+
If you want to be a successful independent woman, you better have something you want to say and you better be wearing a Serious Black Jumper™. In her SBJ™ Jayde will rifle through all the noise and self-promotion and figure out what's actually going on. As seen on 8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown.
Existential comedy gold from the two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner. John has booked a tour based on the theory that the most interesting places on maps are the empty spaces. His hilarious and most definitely unique observations are inspired by the most unlikely of places.
“Glamour, glitter and a deconstruction of modern feminism? Now that’s divine.” Fest Mag
“A distant, absurdist cousin of Tony Hancock...” The Telegraph
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Alexei Sayle
Fri 28 – Sat 29 February | 8pm | From £10 | Theatre Ages 16+
Idil Sukan
Alexei Sayle has been performing stand-up for forty years, since the day he invented modern comedy. He’d like to stay at home with his cat but he’s still really funny, dangerously political and wildly energetic so he feels compelled to do a live tour. The least you can do is to come and see him.
Ahir Shah: Dots
Jess Fostekew: Hench
Best Show nominee at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2017 and 2018, Shah’s new stand-up show features his signature blend of philosophical inquiry, personal examination, and real fun jokes. Dots explores love, politics, culture, depression and faith in an effort to examine the necessity and the absence of certainty. Probably.
Regular host of The Guilty Feminist, star of BBC sitcoms Motherland and Cuckoo and absolute powerhouse Jess explores her big, strong strength. Have you ever watched a feminist try and take ‘hench’ as a compliment? It’s like watching a snake eat but funny.
Sun 1 March | 8pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 16+
“Intricately crafted, profoundly moving, howlingly funny… a blazing talent firing on all cylinders” The Telegraph 9
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Sun 15 March | 7.30pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 16+
“Wears her smarts on her sleeve” The Guardian.
For our full programme and to book online visit macbirmingham.co.uk 9
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Comedy
Njambi McGrath: Accidental Coconut
Fri 20 March | 7.45pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon | Ages 16+
Lou Sanders: Say Hello to Your New Step Mummy
The winner of Hackney Empire’s New Act of The Year 2019 deconstructs the concept of ‘coconut’ in this funny, illuminating show. What defines one’s identity? Can a black person really think white? In an era when British people are re-examining who they are in relation to the rest of the world, Njambi scrutinises her own story, from the other side of the empire.
Lou examines relationships (all kinds), mental health (other people’s, she’s fine) and perverts (that one is mainly her, actually). She’ll be oversharing, wanging on about spirituality and giving everyone some much unwanted advice. As seen on Taskmaster, QI, The Russell Howard Hour and more.
Thu 26 March | 8pm | From £13 | Foyle | Ages 16+
Mark Thomas - 50 Things About Us
Thu 2 – Fri 3 April | 8pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 16+ Following sell out success with last year’s Check Up: Our NHS at 70, Mark returns to MAC with his brilliant new show. Combining his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material, he examines how we’ve come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom, picking through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask, who do we think we are? A show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, sods of soil and how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land.
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Tom Rosenthal: Manhood
Adam Hess: My Grandad Has a Fringe
Let the beaky boy from Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4) and Plebs (ITV2) tell you the story of how he spent his life trying to avenge the theft of his foreskin. As seen on Drunk History and sassing Chris Ramsey on Roast Battle (Comedy Central).
One of the UK’s hottest comedy talents bounces through the mundane minutiae of everyday life in his award-winning, high-energy show
Wed 8 April | 8pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 16+
“Packs in a very high degree of laughs per minute” The List
Sat 18 April | 7.45pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon | Ages 15+
“Exceptionally well observed... hilarious” Chortle
Fri 17 April | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Theatre | Ages 15+
The Delightful Sausage: Ginster's Paradise
The twelve time sell-out veterans of The Edinburgh Fringe charge into their sixth national tour with a spectacular new show that puts the audience in charge in brilliant and bombastic new ways. Enjoy an evening of uproarious scenes, mind-blowing songs and finely-tuned anarchy.
Thu 23 April | 7.45pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon | Ages 18+ A surreal sketch comedy nightmare. As the new Salmon Coats at Ginster’s Holiday Camp, Chris and Amy’s job is to keep the guests entertained, medicated and above all else - obedient. You wouldn’t want to upset Colonel Whippy.
“Comedy gold, staggeringly well executed.” The Guardian
Best Show Nominee at the 2019 Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
The Noise Next Door: In Charge
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&Spoken Word
Theatre
HFH Productions & James Baldwin
…If We've Never Been To The Moon?
Thu 6 February | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Foyle | Ages 14+ Why do we crave truths and untruths? Join Noel on an adventure to the moon and back as he navigates moon landing conspiracy theories in a quest to find his own clarity and happiness, fuelled by gaming and a soundtrack of 80s karaoke. "Thought-provoking, nerdy and retro. Perfect combo! One of the best productions I've seen all year!" Greg Foot, BBC Radio 4 Creatively captioned throughout. Suitable for D/deaf audiences.
Pipeline Theatre: Drip Drip Drip
Thu 27 February | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Foyle | Ages 14+ A provocative, poignant and unexpectedly humorous love-letter to the NHS. A hospital ward reveals Daniel, an Eritrean refugee training to be a nurse; Rahmiya, a second-generation Muslim doctor; and David, an elderly white cancer patient and discredited alt-right academic. Over time, the carers and cared-for become an unlikely dysfunctional family. 12
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Mr & Mrs Clark present
Louder Is Not Always Clearer
Tue 10 March, 7.30pm + Wed 11 March, 6.30pm From £8.50 | Foyle | Ages 12+ Meet Jonny Cotsen: teacher, father, artist. He loves music, festivals and nightclubs. He’s also deaf. He shares his story through his brilliant multimedia performance, which is illuminating and emotional for a hearing audience, a familiar tale of misunderstanding and isolation for deaf audience members and an honest, funny and moving experience for everyone.
Kirsten Mcternan
Accessible to D/deaf, hard of hearing and hearing audiences through spoken English, BSL and creative captions.
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Jamal Gerald: Idol
Fri 13 + Sat 14 March | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Foyle Ages 16+ Who would you rather pray to, Beyoncé or a white Jesus? A daring, unapologetic examination of religion, pop culture and Black representation. Combining African diasporic ritual, storytelling, movement and live music, this spiritual journey asks what happens when you don’t see yourself represented. “This is performance at its greatest” Culture Vulture 14
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Benji Reid
Theatre &Spoken Word
Keisha Thompson: Man on the Moon
Fri 20 March | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Foyle | Ages 12+ Keisha communicates with her reclusive dad through books, letters and symbols. But when the letters stop coming, she’s forced to venture into his world. Poetry, looped sounds and story-telling explore the impact of adverse mental health on the family dynamic, particularly within the context of the Black British experience.
Nottingham Playhouse & Nottingham Lakeside Arts
Silent Uproar: Thank You for Doing Nothing
The Merchant of Venice
Thu 23 April | 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Foyle | Ages 14+
Wed 1 April | 1pm and 7.30pm | From £8.50 | Theatre Ages 8+ Shakespeare’s most controversial play is relocated to a modern-day fair. Greed, poverty and personal vendettas collide in a production full of music, energy and no-nonsense Nottingham spirit.
Manchester 2150: climate change has ravaged the UK and Big Corporations have bought up entire cities. Meet Molly Pazgan, a charismatic spin doctor for Big Corporations, who’ll fight their rights to do whatever they want, even if it kills us all. A satirical comedy for fans of Black Mirror, Thank You for Smoking and Bladerunner, inspired by 80s Sci-Fi and climate change research. 15
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Music Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker & John Doyle Fri 6 March | 8pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 12+ Folk’s leading musical magpies bring you their special blend of beautifully crafted songs and charming bonhomie. The masters of flute, fiddle and guitar have shared stages and studios with everyone from Bob Dylan to Paul Weller, Joan Baez and Linda Thompson. Join them for a memorable evening, featuring songs from their recent album, The Wishing Tree.
Jon Wilks: Midlife Mon 16 March | 7.45pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon Ages 14+ Folk performer Jon Wilks presents a collection of traditional and music hall songs and tunes from around Birmingham and the wider Midlands. “One of the best of the New Wave of Folk Blokes” fRoots Magazine
Yorkston Thorne Khan Thu 12 March | 8pm | From £10 Theatre | Ages 14+ Songwriter James Yorkston (guitar, nyckelharpa, vocals), jazz musician Jon Thorne (double bass, vocals) and Suhail Yusuf Khan (vocals and 8th generation sarangi player) are on tour with their third album, Navarasa: Nine Emotions which takes in Robert Burns, Sufi poetry, traditional Scottish songs, ragas and their own inspired compositions.
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Lucy Wainwright Roche Fri 27 March | 7.30pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 14+ As the daughter of Suzzy Roche (The Roches) and Loudon Wainwright III and half-sibling to Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Lucy grew up steeped in music. Armed with a guitar, a deadpan sense of humour, killer songs and a voice that makes tough guys cry, she’s built a solid following across the US and Europe with her unshakeable melodies and knack for wise, wry lyrics that clench the heart.
Belinda O'Hooley: Inversions
Lady Nade: Safe Place Tour
Wed 29 April | 7.30pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 12+
Fri 1 May | 7.45pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon | Ages 14 +
Showcasing Belinda’s exceptional gifts as a pianist, singer, songwriter and composer, Inversions features piano pieces inspired by the songs and tunes that her father inherited from a long line of musicians in the West Coast hills of rural Ireland.
Bristolian singer-songwriter, Lady Nade, wows audiences with her soulful, experimental folk-jazz and pop. Her deeply emotive songs nourish the heart and soul, weaving words and melodies that evoke the velvet tones of Joan Armatrading and Nina Simone, with a heady, folk-jazz splash of John Martyn thrown in.
“Defiant, robust, northern, poetical, political folk music for the times we live in.” The Independent
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Surge in Spring 2020 Surge in Spring returns for a day of amazing music and arts from around the globe, featuring high-energy performances from world-class musicians, along with a range of free drop in events and workshops for all ages and abilities.
The Chuanju Surge! Sat 25 April | 7pm | From £10 | Theatre | All ages From Southwest China, the internationally acclaimed Chongqing Chuanju Opera Troupe travel to Birmingham to perform with Sid Peacock’s Surge Orchestra. Don’t miss this unique concert experience featuring a fiery fusion of Chuanju Opera Styles, folk, roots and groove. “Wildly creative, the best stuff I’ve heard in an age” Independent on Sunday on the Surge Orchestra 18 MAC Highlights / Jan – Apr 2019
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Sebastian Bottcher
Krar Collective Sat 25 April | 4pm | From £8.50 | Theatre | All ages A colourful feast of funked-up Ethiopian grooves based on traditional music that will move your soul and rock your feet. “One of the grooviest and most hypnotic bands at Damon Albarn’s Africa Express bonanza” Time Out
A Focus on Steve Tromans Sat 25 April | 1pm | From £8.50 | Theatre | All ages Pianist and composer Steve Tromans performs with young saxophonist and composer, Olivia Murphy and his Dead As Dillinger Band, featuring Tymoteusz Jozwiak on drums, Richard Scott on viola and vocals and Sarah Farmer on violin.
Celebrating 30 years of Sampad TDE Promotions Presents Our friends at Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage are celebrating their 30th anniversary. with a special programme from March to mark the occasion, featuring local, national and international artists. For more details, visit sampad.org.uk
Trevor Watts and Dialogue with Strings Thu 20 February | 8pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon A key figure in the UK improvisation scene, Trevor Watts was an influential figure in the development of free jazz in the 1960s. He’s joined by pianist Veryan Weston, cellist Hannah Marshall and violinist Alison Blunt.
Richard Foote Quintet Fri 29 May | 8pm | From £8.50 | Hexagon
Craig Oddy
A new quintet featuring a double trombone front line of Richard Foote and Kieran McLeod, plus Andy Woodhead on piano, Olie Brice on bass and Andrew Bain on drums. 19
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Dance Joseph Toonga: Born to Manifest
A powerful new hip hop dance double bill illuminating the experience of young Black British men. Joseph Toonga draws from real life accounts to a create a poignant, responsive piece that champions cultural identity and challenges racial stigmas. Featuring an original score from Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante.
Camilla Greenwell
Fri 31 January | 7.30pm | From £10 | Theatre Ages 14+
Tribe//: Still I Rise Sat 7 March | 7.30pm | From £10 | Theatre Ages 12+ A call to arms performed by an all-female cast. Danced with full-bodied urgency and gutsy power, this raw, visceral and emotive work from choreographer Victoria Fox channels the resilient, unapologetic nature of the iconic poem by Maya Angelou. Cinematic sounds, from pounding beats to stirring classical arias, drive the journey onwards. Marking International Women’s Day.
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Botis Seva: BLKDOG Thu 19 March | 7.30pm | From £10 | Theatre | Ages 14+ A genre-defying blend of hip hop dance and free form antics, BLKDOG explores the inner battlefield of an ageing artist trying to retain his youth. Performed by Seva’s powerhouse company Far From The Norm, BLKDOG searches for coping mechanisms in the ultimate hunt for acceptance.
Camilla Greenwell
Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award 2019 for best new dance production.
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Creative Short Courses for Adults From a day to a few weeks, our short courses for adults are the perfect way to try a new and interesting creative activity. You can see some highlights below, but we have lots of other options to allow your creative talents to shine. For the full list visit macbirmingham.co.uk/short-courses
Sun Ra Arkestra, London (2017) C-Type © Alexis Chabala
Ceramics & Sculpture
Creative Writing & Literature
Pots for Flowers Inspired by Japan
Rhapsodies in Blues: The Influence of Music on Black Women's Writing
Mon 3 – Mon 24 February | 1-6pm | All Levels From £96 Explore ancient and contemporary Japanese ceramics and develop your own designs inspired by Japanese flower arranging.
Introduction to Ceramic Animal Sculptures Sat 21 March | 10am-5pm | All Levels | From £39 Learn how to make and decorate sculptures inspired by nature and beautiful creatures around the world, using hand building and coiling techniques.
Introduction to Ceramics Weekend Sat 15 – Sun 16 February and Sat 28 – Sun 29 March | 10am-5pm | Beginner Level | From £88 Always wanted to try ceramics? Learn hand building techniques including traditional coiling and slab building and produce a ceramic vessel, garden planter or sculpture.
Sat 7 March | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £74 Celebrating the musicality of Black women’s writing, this special workshop weaves readings from Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Bernadine Evaristo with music, along with a visit to The Influence Project exhibition (page 4) and a creative writing workshop.
Life Writing Tue 31 March | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £40 Acquire the skills and confidence to jump-start your creative writing with practical techniques to start a story and ways to improve the quality of your work.
Dance & Performing Arts Creating a Performer’s Portfolio Sat 14 – Sun 15 March | 10am-4pm | All Levels From £80 Take the next professional steps as you learn about performance techniques, music distribution and artist branding for creating a successful performer’s portfolio.
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Digital Arts & Film
Painting, Drawing & Print
Wildlife Photography: Cannon Hill Park
Painting a Head
Sat 21 March | 9.30am-4pm | Improver Level From £44 Improve your wildlife photography skills and gain a better understanding of the subject.
Mon 2 – Mon 23 March | 2-4pm | All Levels | From £54 A chance to make sustained portrait paintings over 4 weeks, with emphasis placed on structure and proportions, colour mixing and painting techniques.
Health, Wellbeing & Fitness
Textiles & Crafts
Colour Yoga
Wabi Sabi Textiles: Japanese Stitching
Sat 7 March | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £44 An immersive experience into colour and sound unique to MAC using a meditative approach to movement and stillness, inspired by the chakras.
Sun 9 February | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £44 Learn the art of Wabi Sabi, the Japanese philosophy for a perfectly imperfect life. Embrace the world of slow stitching and learn the Japanese techniques of Boro and Shashiko, hand stitching using templates to define a bamboo leaf or lotus flower.
Alexander Technique for Performers Sat 28 March | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £44 Re-learn posture and movement and undo bad habits, reducing stress, anxiety and tension.
Music & Performance Learn to Play World Percussion Thu 5 – Thu 26 March | 6.30-8.30pm | All Levels From £54 Learn to play an exciting array of world percussion instruments including djembes, bongos, cajons and North African and Eastern drums.
Introduction to Sewing Sat 15 – Sat 22 February | 10am-5pm | Beginner Level From £76 Learn how to set up and use a sewing machine and basic stiches and make a simple top or skirt.
Illustrative Stitch: Landscapes Sat 21 March | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £45 Embroider a piece of fabric art using stitches made by hand or machine to draw and paint with thread.
Textile Indian Treasures Sat 18 April | 10am-4pm | All Levels | From £44 Inspired by the vibrant colours of India, learn textile techniques including screen printing and batik to create a kaleidoscope of backgrounds to quilt and embellish with machine stitching.
Echo of a Wild Fox, digital photograph © Tal Choha
© Claire Leggett
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Exhibitions Crafting for a Better Future Until Sun 1 March | Opening times as building Free | People’s Postcode Lottery Community Gallery
Kate Green Photography
Janet Collins and a group of crafters have been working with Birmingham-based homeless charities SIFA Fireside and St Basils. During craft workshops, participants created a range of items including beads, bracelets and pompoms. This exhibition shows some of the items made, alongside scarves produced by experienced crafters to raise money for the charities.
Crafting Circle: Join The Art of Gentle Protest 9 + 23 January, 6 + 20 February, 11am–1pm | Terrace Gallery | Free, drop in Join Janet’s crafting circle and find out how you can make a difference through crafting. Donations can be made to SIFA Fireside and St Basils throughout the exhibition.
Made At MAC: All About Textiles Until 19 April 2020 | Opening times as building | Free Studio Gallery MAC's exhibitions and learning programmes regularly include textile art from all over the world.
Annette Reyburn
This exhibition showcases the breadth of textile courses on offer at MAC, led by our talented Artist Tutors, and the amazing art that is produced as a result.
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Event Screenings Enjoy world-class event screenings as we join our friends at the National Theatre and Royal Opera House. Check out some of the highlights here or visit macbirmingham.co.uk for full listings.
NT Live Swan Lake Wed 1 April | 7.15pm | From £10 | Theatre | 12A Liam Scarlett’s glorious production returns for its first revival. Additional choreography and John Macfarlane’s magnificent designs breathe new life into this much-loved classical ballet.
Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci Tue 21 April | 7pm | From £10 | Theatre | 12A | Subtitles
Cyrano de Bergerac Thu 20 February | 7pm | From £10 | Theatre | 15 James McAvoy returns to the stage in an inventive new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, broadcast live to cinemas from London’s West End.
Two opera classics are drawn together in this wonderfully observed re-creation of life in a south Italian village as a travelling theatre visits and emotions erupt. Damiano Michieletto ‘s award-winning production vividly presents the fast-moving, shocking events brought about by secret love and uncontrollable jealousy.
Exhibitions on Screen
Fidelio
Ugolino d Siena, The Last Supper, c. 1325–30, The Met
Annette Reyburn
ROH Live
Tue 17 March | 7.15pm | From £10 | Theatre | 12A | Subtitles
Easter In Art
Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. This new production is conducted by Antonio Pappano, with Jonas Kaufmann as political prisoner, Florestan and Lise Davidsen as his wife, Leonore who daringly sets out to rescue him
Tue 7 April | 6.30pm | From £8.50 | Cinema | 12A
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This beautifully crafted film explores the Easter story as depicted in art, from the time of the early Christians to the present day. Shot on location in Jerusalem, United States and Europe.
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Arts Markets 2020 First Sunday of each month (from February) 11am - 5pm | Foyer | Free Showcasing the work of talented local designer makers. Expect a range of stalls with a great selection of quality handmade products including ceramics, jewellery, paintings and craft items.
© Brumhaus
Vegan Cinema Poster Sale Sun 1 March | 11am – 3pm | Theatre | Free Entry Seize the chance to own a piece of MAC cinema history, with hundreds of posters from across our exciting cinema programme available to purchase - from classic thrillers to National Theatre Live. Prices start at only £10 and proceeds will support MAC’s vital outreach and community programme.
MAC Pop-Ups: Dirty Vegan + Gin & Jazz Thirsty lounge lizards and discerning foodies are in for a treat as MAC’s hugely popular Dirty Vegan and Gin & Jazz nights return this spring with mouth-watering menus and cool live music. Keep an eye on our website and social media for details.
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Shop at MAC Shop Local, Support Independent
Discover a selection of handcrafted products, sourced from talented designer-makers across Birmingham and beyond, at MAC Shop. Find us on the ground floor, next to our Sales & Information Desk. Open every day, 9am-late.
Making your event exceptional. Because we can. Because we care. Beth Quarmby Illustration | Andrew J Mason | Soapy Jones
Hire MAC for your event
Theatre Hire Functions and Parties Conferences and Meetings Performances and Screenings Making your event exceptional. Because we can. Because we care. Use our new Live Availability web feature to plan your next event Contact the team now: 0121 446 3250 | macbirmingham.co.uk/hire 27
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Access MAC is committed to offering a welcoming and accessible environment in which everyone can feel comfortable. We want to take any worry or difficulty out of your visit, so that you can focus on having a great time. You can find full details (including an audio guide) about all of our accessible facilities and services at macbirmingham.co.uk/access, or physical copies can be picked up from our Sales & Information Desk.
0121 446 3232 macbirmingham.co.uk Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH Registered company no. 718349 / Registered charity no. 528979
Prices correct at time of printing and may be subject to change. MAC respects your privacy. You can read more about our Privacy Policy on our website.
PLEASE RECYCLE ME
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