Grand Union x University of Birmingham

For the second year Grand Union staff have been supporting MA Art History and Curating students, Ryan Kearney, Alice O'Rourke, and Ariadne Tzika in their curation of a group show.

Three Models for Change is a group exhibition asserting the importance of historical awareness in establishing future potentials of communities.

The works in this exhibition fluctuate between three actual and staged narratives: the formation of a fictional Quaker-punk band; the staging of cross-generational Queer histories; the uncertainty surrounding a newly formed volcanic island and its territorial disputes.

This mailout includes opportunities and details of events occuring during the course of the exhibition.

The exhibition will take place at Centrala.

Opens Friday 1 June
6–9pm
more info

Call for Performers:
Auditions for one-day script development and performance with artist Ian Giles

We are looking for up to 6 performers to join artist Ian Giles to develop a new immersive play exploring the value of LGBTQI+ social spaces. Through role-play and texts, the participants will collectively unpack what a queer space is and could be.

The performance will be developed during a one-day workshop with a public audience joining to view our work-in-progress at the end of the day.

Auditions will take place at Recent Activity.

Workshop and performance will take place at Stryx.

Auditions
Monday 28 May
6–8pm

Workshop / Performance
Saturday 9 June
10am–5pm

more info

Guerilla Gardening Talk & Walk

Historically, the act of planting has proved political; certain species suggest ideas around ownership, whilst planting crops in the urban space has acted in defiance of a growing anti-working-class narrative. Join University of Birmingham Art History & Curation for an in-conversation with Digbeth Community Garden on claiming space and peaceful forms of protest.

This event will take place at Digbeth Community Garden.

Saturday 2 June
2–3.30pm
more info

Performance:
Rainbow Flag / Trojan Horse by Ian Giles

Ian Giles presents an immersive performance drawn from scripted conversations with the activist group which campaigned against the closure of The Joiners Arms, a Queer pub. Through role-play and texts, the play’s participants will collectively unpack what a queer space is and could be.

This performance will take place at Stryx.

Saturday 9 June
4–5pm
more info