Culture Birmingham

1 culture

1.1 music
1.2 theatre , performing arts
1.3 literature
1.4 art , design
1.5 museums , galleries
1.6 nightlife , festivals
1.7 entertainment , leisure
1.8 dialect

culture

music


mirga gražinytė-tyla conducting city of birmingham symphony orchestra @ symphony hall

the city of birmingham symphony orchestra s home venue symphony hall. other notable professional orchestras based in city include birmingham contemporary music group, royal ballet sinfonia , ex cathedra, baroque chamber choir , period instrument orchestra. orchestra of swan resident chamber orchestra @ birmingham town hall, weekly recitals have been given city organist since 1834.

the birmingham triennial music festivals took place 1784 1912. music specially composed, conducted or performed mendelssohn, gounod, sullivan, dvořák, bantock , edward elgar, wrote 4 of famous choral pieces birmingham. elgar s dream of gerontius had début performance there in 1900. composers born in city include albert william ketèlbey , andrew glover.

jazz has been popular in city since 1920s, , there many regular festivals such harmonic festival, jazz festival , annual international jazz festival.

birmingham s other city-centre music venues include national indoor arena, opened in 1991, o2 academy on bristol street, opened in september 2009 replacing o2 academy in dale end, cbso centre, opened in 1997, hmv institute in digbeth , adrian boult hall @ birmingham conservatoire.

black sabbath, pioneers of heavy metal

during 1960s birmingham home of music scene comparable of liverpool. although produced no single band big beatles seething cauldron of musical activity , , international success of groups such move, spencer davis group, moody blues, traffic , electric light orchestra had collective influence stretched 1970s , beyond. city birthplace of heavy metal music, pioneering metal bands late 1960s , 1970s such black sabbath, judas priest, , half of led zeppelin having come birmingham. next decade saw influential metal bands napalm death , godflesh arise city. birmingham birthplace of modern bhangra in 1960s, , 1980s had established global centre of bhangra culture, has grown global phenomenon embraced members of indian diaspora worldwide los angeles singapore. 1970s saw rise of reggae , ska in city such bands steel pulse, ub40, musical youth, beat , beshara, expounding racial unity politically leftist lyrics , multiracial line-ups, mirroring social currents in birmingham @ time.

other popular bands birmingham include duran duran, fine young cannibals, felt, broadcast, ocean colour scene, streets, twang, deluka , dexys midnight runners. musicians jeff lynne, ozzy osbourne, tony iommi, bill ward, geezer butler, john lodge, roy wood, joan armatrading, toyah willcox, denny laine, sukshinder shinda, apache indian, steve winwood, jamelia, oceans ate alaska, fyfe dangerfield , laura mvula grew in city.

since 2012 digbeth-based b-town indie music scene has attracted widespread attention, led bands such peace , swim deep, nme comparing digbeth london s shoreditch, , independent writing in 2012 birmingham fast becoming best place in uk exciting new music .

theatre , performing arts

the birmingham hippodrome, home stage of birmingham royal ballet, busiest single theatre in united kingdom.

birmingham repertory theatre britain s longest-established producing theatre, presenting wide variety of work in 3 auditoria on centenary square , touring nationally , internationally. other producing theatres in city include blue orange theatre in jewellery quarter; old rep, home stage of birmingham stage company; , @ a. e. harris, base of experimental stan s cafe theatre company, located within working metal fabricators factory. touring theatre companies include politically radical banner theatre, maverick theatre company , kindle theatre. alexandra theatre , birmingham hippodrome host large-scale touring productions, while professional drama performed on wide range of stages across city, including crescent theatre, custard factory, old joint stock theatre, drum in aston , mac in cannon hill park.

the birmingham royal ballet 1 of united kingdom s 5 major ballet companies , 1 of 3 based outside london. resident @ birmingham hippodrome , tours extensively nationally , internationally. company s associated ballet school – elmhurst school dance in edgbaston – oldest vocational dance school in country.

the birmingham opera company under artistic director graham vick has developed international reputation avant-garde productions, take place in factories, abandoned buildings , other found spaces around city. in 2010 described guardian far , away powerful example ve experienced in country of how , why opera can still matter. more conventional seasons welsh national opera , other visiting opera companies take place regularly @ birmingham hippodrome.

literature



w. h. auden

literary figures associated birmingham include samuel johnson stayed in birmingham short period , born in nearby lichfield. arthur conan doyle worked in aston area of birmingham whilst poet louis macneice lived in birmingham 6 years. whilst staying in birmingham american author washington irving produced several of famous literary works, such bracebridge hall , humorists, medley based on aston hall.

the poet w. h. auden grew in harborne area of city , during 1930s formed core of auden group birmingham university lecturer louis macneice. other influential poets associated birmingham include roi kwabena, city s sixth poet laureate, , benjamin zephaniah, born in city.

the author j. r. r. tolkien brought in birmingham. award-winning political playwright david edgar born in birmingham, , science fiction author john wyndham spent childhood in edgbaston area of city, did dame barbara cartland.

birmingham has vibrant contemporary literary scene, local authors including david lodge, jim crace, jonathan coe, joel lane , judith cutler. city s leading contemporary literary publisher tindal street press, authors include prize-winning novelists catherine o flynn, clare morrall , austin clarke.

birmingham home of uk s longest-established local science fiction group, launched in 1971 (although there earlier incarnations in 1940s , 1960s) , organises annual science fiction event novacon.

art , design


rhyl sands (ca. 1854), oil on canvas, david cox depicting rhyl, wales

the birmingham school of landscape artists emerged daniel bond in 1760s , last mid 19th century. important figure david cox, later works make him important precursor of impressionism. influence of royal birmingham society of artists , birmingham school of art made birmingham important centre of victorian art, particularly within pre-raphaelite , arts , crafts movements. major figures included pre-raphaelite , symbolist edward burne-jones; walter langley, first of newlyn school painters; , joseph southall, leader of group of artists , craftsmen known birmingham group.

the birmingham surrealists among harbingers of surrealism in britain in 1930s , movement s active members in 1940s, while more abstract artists associated city included lee bank-born david bomberg , cobra member william gear. birmingham artists prominent in several post-war developments in art: peter phillips among central figures in birth of pop art; john salt major european figure among pioneers of photo-realism; , blk art group used painting, collage , multimedia examine politics , culture of black british identity. contemporary artists city include turner prize winner gillian wearing , turner prize shortlisted richard billingham, john walker , roger hiorns.

birmingham s role manufacturing , printing centre has supported strong local traditions of graphic design , product design. iconic works birmingham designers include baskerville font, ruskin pottery, acme thunderer whistle, art deco branding of odeon cinemas , mini.

museums , galleries

barber institute of fine arts

birmingham has 2 major public art collections. birmingham museum & art gallery best known works pre-raphaelites, collection of outstanding importance . holds significant selection of old masters – including major works bellini, rubens, canaletto , claude – , particularly strong collections of 17th-century italian baroque painting , english watercolours. design holdings include europe s pre-eminent collections of ceramics , fine metalwork. barber institute of fine arts in edgbaston 1 of finest small art galleries in world, collection of exceptional quality representing western art 13th century present day.

birmingham museums trust runs other museums in city including aston hall, blakesley hall, museum of jewellery quarter, soho house , sarehole mill. birmingham backs last surviving court of back-to-back houses in city. cadbury world museum showing visitors stages , steps of chocolate production , history of chocolate , company. ikon gallery hosts displays of contemporary art, eastside projects.

thinktank birmingham s main science museum, giant screen cinema, planetarium , collection includes smethwick engine, world s oldest working steam engine. other science-based museums include national sea life centre in brindleyplace, lapworth museum of geology @ university of birmingham , centre of earth environmental education centre in winson green.

nightlife , festivals

digbeth institute, influential music venue since 1960s

nightlife in birmingham concentrated along broad street , brindleyplace. although in more recent years broad st has lost popularity due closing of several clubs, arcadian has more popularity in terms of nightlife. outside broad street area many stylish , underground venues. medicine bar in custard factory, hmv institute, rainbow pub , air large clubs , bars in digbeth. around chinese quarter areas such arcadian , hurst street gay village, abound bars , clubs. summer row, mailbox, o2 academy in bristol street, snobs nightclub, st philips/colmore row, st paul s square , jewellery quarter have vibrant night life. there number of late night pubs in irish quarter. outside city centre star city entertainment complex on former site of nechells power station.

birmingham s st patrick s day parade largest in europe outside dublin, , city s largest single-day event

birmingham home many national, religious , spiritual festivals including st. george s day party. birmingham tattoo long-standing military show held annually @ national indoor arena. caribbean-style birmingham international carnival takes place in odd numbered years. uk’s largest two-day gay pride birmingham pride (lgbt festival), typically held on spring bank holiday weekend in may. streets of birmingham s gay district pulsate carnival parade, live music, dance arena djs, cabaret stage, women s arena , community village. birmingham pride takes place in gay village. 1997 until december 2006, city hosted annual arts festival artsfest, largest free arts festival in uk @ time. city s largest single-day event st. patrick s day parade (europe s second largest, after dublin). other multicultural events include bangla mela , vaisakhi mela. birmingham heritage festival mardi gras style event in august. caribbean , african culture celebrated parades , street performances buskers.

other festivals in city include birmingham international jazz festival, party in park festival hosted local , regional radio stations died down in 2007 , has been brought life unsigned festival regional unsigned acts showcase in one-day music festival whole family. birmingham comedy festival (since 2001; 10 days in october), has been headlined such acts peter kay, fast show, jimmy carr, lee evans , lenny henry, , off cuff festival established in 2009. biennial international dance festival birmingham started in 2008, organised dancexchange , involving indoor , outdoor venues across city. since 2001, birmingham has been host frankfurt christmas market. modelled on german counterpart, has grown become uk s largest outdoor christmas market , largest german market outside of germany , austria, attracting on 3.1 million visitors in 2010 , on 5 million visitors in 2011.

entertainment , leisure

birmingham home many entainment , leisure venues. home europe s largest leisure , entertainment complex star city europe s first out-of-city-centre entertainment , leisure complex resorts world birmingham owned genting group. mailbox caters more affluent clients based within city.

dialect

the local dialect called brummie.