ArtsFest365’s Weblog

Stephanie Greenfield reports:

‘Regeneration through art and the artisan’ is the key quote from the Jewellery Quarters Arts and Designer Crafts festival, and how fitting it is that a city as established in the arts world as Birmingham is using the arts to regenerate.

 With ArtsFest entering its 11^th year there has never been a better time to showcase your work as an artist in Birmingham. Artsfest is here today at the festival, trailblazing for the main event September 12-14 2008, and there presence is clear, everybody wants to be part of ArtsFest (and can you blame them?!).

            The festival, although small, (it was spread out over two sites leaving my poor legs shattered) had a good buzz about it with lots of local artists and jewellers showing a great range of talent.

            After getting my bearings and the rain finally deciding to hold off (not for long though…) I wandered over to watch ArtsFest’s first showcase of the day The Street Shepherd Band, who’s intricate, bluesy flamenco fusion made for a wonderful setting, but by no means background music!

            Next on my schedule was the Jazz Festival’s Becky Brine and the Rhythm Boys, so off I dashed across to the recently refurbished Concrete Bar, only to find it not nearly as busy as I’d of thought, thankfully this didn’t deter the band, with Becky’s smooth vocals and Paul Sortell’s huge piano solos hugely pleasing the barman (an unlikely jazz fan), and myself (an even more unlikely jazz fan), and the handful of actual jazz fans so much so that it didn’t matter it was a small crowd.

           Feeling all jazzed out I took a little time to take in the work of the local artists. With everything from quirky jewellery to iron mongering on display, as well as the standard fare of photography and paintings.

           Feeling like I could take in a bit more jazz now, I dashed back across to St Paul’s Cathedral to catch Digby Fairweather and his band, having being assured that they were great I was rather looking forward to this. Digby Fairweather’s trumpet filled the slightly cold setting of St Paul’s with 1950’s vibes perfectly!

           Now on a bit of a high after Digby’s energetic performance I happily skipped across to catch the final act of Skins and Feet and ArtsFest’s second showcase group Babamundi. These African drumming and limbo specialists didn’t let the suddenly strong winds (where on earth did they come from?!) stop them from putting on a show that provided many an ooh and an ah, mainly from Itara’s mind boggling, or should that be back breaking, limbo skills. Drumming up a great carnival atmosphere Skins and Feet, and Babamundi – the children’s drumming group- finished off the festival spectacularly!

            And then the wind pretty much destroyed everything…typical.

            Before retiring back to concrete to gather my thoughts I managed to grab a quick word from Joan Durose, Head of Events for Birmingham City Council, who said of today’s event ‘Today has been very good as a vehicle and trailblazer for showcasing what Artsfest is all about. A good turnout has allowed people to see what Birmingham has to offer’.

Judging by today, I’m guessing lots!

Look out for Babamundi and The Street Shepherd Band at ArtsFest 08 and Keep an eye on the website for updates on the programme during August www.artsfest.org.uk.

Check out www.myspace.com/thestreetshepherdband