First Word Birmingham.qxp_Layout 1 30/09/2020 18:30 Page 2
First Word Community-led project is growing A community-led scheme aiming to grow food and create green spaces in Birmingham has expanded its number of sites. The Growing Project is a collaborative partnership between Grand Union art gallery, St Anne's Hostel in Digbeth, Crisis, Sifa Fireside, Modern Clay, and artists Carolyn Morton and Kirsty Clarke. Having initially used space at St Anne's, the project has now expanded to include a number of new garden areas within the city. To find out more, visit grandunion.org.uk
‘Horrible’ drive-in Christmas show heading for the region A drive-in Christmas show from the Horrible Histories team, Birmingham Stage Company and Car Park Party - an ensemble which presented the summer’s only national tour of comedy, theatre and live music shows - is heading for the Midlands. Car Park Panto’s Horrible Christmas will see
The Hive to host pop-up cafe
Lichfield call-out to songwriters Lichfield Arts is urging both professional and hobby songwriters to take part in its annual L2F songwriting competition. The organisation is looking for songs that ‘explore aspects of the theme of Lockdown To Freedom’. An L2F spokesman said: “We’re looking forward to receiving your entries and sharing your work with a wide audience, so get your creative hats on and let us hear what you’ve come up with.” For more information, visit l2f.co.uk
An initiative which takes waste food from supermarkets, suppliers and manufacturers, then redistributes it around Birmingham in food boxes and events catering, is hosting a monthly community café pop-up at The Hive Café & Bakery in the city’s Jewellery Quarter. The Real Junk Food Project’s Hive take-overs are being held on 10 October, 14 November and 12 December. The café will operate on a pay-as-you-feel basis, meaning that diners can donate money, time or skills in exchange for a hot meal. Pre-booking is required via thehivejq.org
historical characters including Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII and St Nicholas join forces to save the festive season from ‘a jolly man dressed in red’. Dates and venues for the show are yet to be confirmed, but you can visit carparkparty.com to find out more.
New poster celebrates Birmingham Birmingham Museums Trust has teamed up with satirical collage artist Christopher Spencer - aka Cold War Steve - to produce a brandnew poster celebrating Birmingham and its people. Benny's Babbies is Cold War Steve's most complex photo collage to date. The poster features, among others, comedian Joe Lycett, Duran Duran, members of Black Sabbath rocking out on top of the Rotunda building, and the character of Benny Hawkins from long-running Birmingham-made television soap opera Crossroads. The A2 poster is printed with a white border framing the design. It costs £15 and is available from shop.birminghammuseums.org.uk
whatsonlive.co.uk 05
