Here you can find out what's happening, at the Edge, and elsewhere

Image of a building being refurbished. It is covered in scaffolding and there are two container units in the yard in front of it, along with a full building skip.

Currently closed for refurbishment

As you can see above, our beloved building is currently undergoing some major alterations. The project is all about accessibility and sustainability, to attempt to make the space available for generations to come.  We’re installing a lift, all the way to the roof, where there’ll be a new green garden space. Putting in new stairways, and new accessible loos. We’re also working with Passivhaus architects, Coda Workshop, and installing heat pumps, mechanical heat recovery ventilation, new insulation and underfloor heating. We’re also extending the first floor to be the same size as the ground floor, giving us more space to be made available for arts and community use.

We’re aiming to reopen in early Spring 2025, when there’ll be a series of events celebrating our new renewed space, and until then we’re working out and about, mostly in neighbouring Highate, so watch out on the ‘news’ page for details.

November

A flyer for the event on 25th November at Library of Birmingham

Hear Here

Since March this year we’ve been working with hundreds of women and girls across the city on this project, using the metaphor of Shakespeare’s Ophelia character to examine issues around women’s mental health and wellbeing. Lead artist Joanne Tremarco has led dozens of workshops using a range of artforms to create material based around the theme, with women from across Birmingham. It’s all culminating in a performance installation at the Library of Birmingham on Saturday 25th November at 2pm. This is a free, one-off event and will be something to remember, so please feel free to join us on 25th November to celebrate the Hear Here project and the Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

                                                    August

Flyer for 'Invasion' a lunch event for MIST, Midlands Immigration Support Team

Invasion – MIST

On Friday 25th August from 6pm to 11pm, we’re pleased to be hosting this event at the Edge. In their words:

‘We’re the ‘army of liberal lefty do-gooder lawyers’ the Tories warned you about, and we need YOUR support with the INVASION!

DJ’s – Q Sermon ++ Lai Power ++ Tokyo Savage

Ticket pricing – £8 low/unwaged, £10 standard, £12+ solidarity. No-one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

Food: Tasty. Dress code: Black (or anything else). Attitude: Party.

Midlands Immigration Support Team is inviting you to join us on the journey to becoming the UK’s FIRST EVER immigration advice co-op. Since February 2023, the West Midlands has been without a vital service, helping the most vulnerable migrants in the region gain status and with it, access to work and public funds’

Flyer for hear here event at library of birmingham on 24th august from 3pm to 7pm

Hear Here Celebration

 

Join us for a community event that places women’s stories and creativity at the forefront. ‘Hear Here’ is a unique project that invites you to engage, connect, and contribute to a collective tapestry of voices; engage with the Birmingham Archives and the Shakespeare Memorial Library as well as celebrating women’s experiences and well-being. There’ll be a chance to dive into the archives and find out more about Birmingham’s history, and to share your own stories. Refreshments will be served and you’ll also be able to take a tour through the exhibition, while hearing about the project and the Library’s ‘Everything to Everybody’ Shakespeare project. You can book your free tickets via Eventbrite

 

Image of a man from the back, he has long dark hair. He is standing in front of a blue wall on which there are many small black and white framed photographs.

At Home With Friction

On Tuesday August 15th from 5-7pm we’ll be hosting an event in the 3rd floor gallery at Library of Birmingham. This will be an opportunity to find out much more about the exhibition we’ve been holding at the Library since June. We’re having talks with artists Ben Jones about our How Were You collaboration, a unique document of our times begun during the height of the Covid pandemic, and continuing today. There’ll also be an opportunity to hear from our Artistic Director, Sandra Hall and Executive Director Lee Griffiths, about all the many projects we’ve made since beginning our work in 1992. This will be a ’round table’ discussion, rather than a lecture, so please come armed with any questions you might have. The event is free to attend and refreshments will be on hand.

If you can’t make the talk, the exhibition runs until August 26th, opening times are the same as the Library.

 

A flyer for Jose's performance on Friday 4th August between 7 and 9pm at the Edge in Digbeth

We’re pleased to be hosting our latest international artist in residence, Jose Witteveen. Jose is an artist, photographer and master printmaker based in Rome, but hailing from the Netherlands. She’ll be hosting a performance and installation of her work here at the Edge.

Join us on Friday 4th August from 5-7pm to get a sample of her work, and the work she’s been making during her residency. 

July

Image of a woman hitch-hiking, she is standing against a blue sky and has a sign saying 'traveling storyteller' held in front of her

Tuesday July 18th 7pm at the Edge

Storyteller and modern-day wandering bard Juliana Marin from Colombia has travelled to nearly 40 countries on her quest to connect people through story, and (obviously!) enjoy her life in the process. This time she’s joined by her partner Julian Ospina, and together they’ve been on the Road for a year and a half, hitchhiking, sleeping in caves, and paying their way with stories and sun. 

In this special visit to Friction Arts, you’ll get to hear about adapting art to different cultures, what it’s like to travel on very little money, how art has played a key role in the transformation of Colombia and why it’s still desperately needed around the world today, and the urgent obligation to live bravely.…

Pay as you feel tickets available here – https://t.ly/CK_H

Lots of people in an art gallery, talking and looking at the art

At Home With Friction, Third Floor Gallery, Library of Birmingham until 26th August. Opening times are the same as the library. Entry free.

 Until 26th August, we’re in residence in the 3rd Floor Gallery at Library of Birmingham.
‘At Home With Friction’ is a developing exhibition that will dip into our archives and take a dive into work we’re developing over the Summer. Right now, we’ve installed our collaborations with Vanley Burke – ‘Home’ and ‘Back Home’ (bring your phone, there’s QR code-powered AR to listen to) and our ongoing portraiture project with
artist Ben Jones ‘How Were You?’ and ‘How Are We?’. We’ll be literally expanding the exhibition over the next few months with new work and further work from our 30-odd-year history, we recently added our Throne project and archival work. If you’re around the library over the next few months, why not drop in, and drop us a line to tell us what you think. Opening times are the same as the library.