Centrala

We’re a little bit late with our newsletter - blame the weather, because why not - but here it is and there’s so much to look forward to!

On Wednesday we have and ! As part of their EU/UK tour, the bands are gearing up, preparing their magic spells and sharpening their blades to kill the dragons - expect screamo and unforgettable vibes!

On Thursday we have our regular Women’s Empowerment Group, a safe and nurturing space for women. We will provide you with the tools and guidance to realise your aspirations. We welcome women of all ages and backgrounds, especially those from Ukraine, so come as you are and join the sisterhood! The session is run by and the project is funded by and Paul Hamilton Foundation under the .eu Scheme.

Saturday is looking busy as we have three events for you! First, there is our regular yoga session - bring your yoga mat, breathe in and out, and follow the mindful guidance of .biaal. This class is free - book via our website.

Also on Saturday, we have our Leadership Training: Building Confidence and Resilience for Future Leaders. This training session is exclusive to CEEus! Network* members - you will learn how to effectively navigate challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and support others in times of crisis. This session is free - book via our website.

Saturday night will see the return of intelligent music hosted by Open Case Recordings. Open Case 3 will see Ray Borg of , of , , , , - all there to tickle your musical taste buds! Free entry, free samosas and the most intelligent and best looking audience in the West Mids - you know we’re talking about you here! 🫠

On Monday we have our fav trio - , and - joined by , and ! ***rAsJoke is Birmingham’s original LGBTQIA+ stand up comedy night and we absolutely love hosting them! Is there a better way to spend your Monday?!

* To join CEEus! Network, follow - it’s free!

We’re so excited to be bringing People Power: Ukrainian Film Festival to Centrala this month!

Centrala, in partnership with the and , will host Ukrainian Season: People Power - a three-day celebration of Ukrainian cinema from 19-21 July, and tickets are available NOW!

This festival features three magnificent films that showcase the resilience and creativity of the Ukrainian people. Screenings include ‘Ukrainian Sheriffs’ by Roman Bondarchuk, ‘Roses’ by Irena Stetsenko, and ‘Iron Butterflies’ by Roman Liubyi. All films will be subtitled in English!

Each film provides a remarkable perspective on Ukraine’s cultural and political landscape, and we will also be hosting a Q&A with the filmmakers. Head to our website to book your tickets! And keep an eye on our socials - we will be spotlighting each film in the coming days!

See you soon! 🇺🇦🍿🎥

Today is Election Day in the UK!

Your voice can shape the future - get out and vote today.

What You Need to Know:
• Polling Stations open until 10PM tonight
• Bring Photographic ID such as driving licence or passport (see www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/ for full list).
• Lost Your Polling Card? No worries, you don’t need it!

This is your chance to make a difference, your vote is powerful. Be part of the change you want to see. If you care about arts, culture, and those around you, this is your chance to make a difference.

Head to the polls and make your voice heard!

Good day, lovely people of Birmingham and beyond! Finally, the glorious British summer has graced us with her vitamin D filled sunrays, extended daylight hours, baby blue skies and many other seasonal delights 😏

Pop in to Centrala for a refreshing summer drink by the (slightly murky 😅) waters of the Grand Union canal and soak up the atmosphere - we’re open Tuesday to Saturday 12-6pm!

We have a quieter week ahead, but the weekend is looking rather full on! Here’s the plan:

On Saturday, CEEus! Network have their regular Yoga class with .biaal! This class is free, but we ask you to book a place. CEEus! Network is a hub for migrants from Central and Eastern Europe, which offers a range of cultural and music events, creative workshops, professional opportunities, support and training. You can join the Network by visiting the link in our bio or following !

Also on Saturday we have AAA - Access All Areas - presented by in collaboration with . This is a music seminar, industry networking event and a new artist showcase all in one! Agenda: panel discussion on ‘How to Get into the Music Industry?’, networking sessions hosted by , a photo exhibition by , and exclusive live performances from three unsigned local artists , and . This unique event is perfect for artists, producers, musicians, managers and budding music execs and will guarantee to be a sell-out, don’t snooze!!

, , .band, will be playing across two rooms until late on Saturday night - expect acid techno, loads of strobes, unnecessarily large smoke-machines, energetic dancing. You get the gist!

Join us on Sunday for an improvised and experimental music afternoon with , Paul Dunmall and . Trumpet and electronics, saxophone and percussion, piano and vocals - that’s your Sunday sorted!

Stay longer and enjoy a wonderful evening of poetry and music! A Zimbabwean-born poet and creative from the Black Country, Memory Bhunu (), will perform at - incredible lines, incredible vibes!

hey hey
we see you soon on the road with The Noname in Centrala Birmingham!!!!

Last week Centrala Team attended ‘What We Found on the Dancefloor’, a fantastic summit on accessibility organised by the MOBILISE* steering group at . 

During the panel discussion led by .amott, panellists Cassie Leon of , Malika Holder () and Emma Round () shared their lived personal and professional experiences and gave suggestions on the improvements that venues can make to ensure their events are more accessible.

Here at Centrala, we are committed to providing a safe, accessible and enjoyable experience for all our visitors. We rigorously conduct risk assessments and adhere to comprehensive guidelines for all our events and activities. We take our responsibility for the health and safety of our customers, visitors and team members seriously and aim to maintain and improve the accessibility of our venue.

As organisers and hosts of hundreds of events each year, we found this summit very useful and would highly recommend downloading a digital version of ‘What We Found on the Dancefloor’!

We would also love to hear YOUR feedback on our accessibility so that we can continue to improve! ☺️

*MOBILISE is Birmingham’s accessible sober dance party. Organised by , this event is funded by the . 

🌟 Exciting Update from Centrala’s Team! 🌟

Centrala’s team, Veronika Zaiceva and Nanna Katsia attended Workshop 3 of the Creative UK West Midlands Create Growth Programme.

Held at Birmingham Open Media, the workshop focused on the vital topic of Intellectual Property. Here’s a glimpse of the issues discussed:

- IP and Your Guiding Principles
- IP Law, Legal Risks and Protection
- Individual Intellectual Property
- Intellectual Property in Music

It has been a fantastic day so far, filled with learning and networking opportunities. We can't wait to apply the knowledge gained to our creative projects.

We had so much fun with ***rAsJoke last night!! 😅

Last night’s fabulous line up:

comedy




***rAsJoke is Birmingham’s original LGBTQIA+ stand up comedy night, where our regular show runners - , and - are joined by up-and-coming comedians and some well-known headliners. Give them a follow and make sure you pop in to their next show at !

Psst, Early Bird tickets for ***rAsJoke July show are now on sale through ! Grab yours now and see you soon! 😏

📸

***r ***rAsJoke

We’re still buzzing from last Friday!!! And what a night it was - Centrala were delighted to host so many hc bands who had boycotted Download festival due to its sponsorship by Barclays!

, , , , , and all came together and we weren’t left disappointed - it was a great night of joyful sounds, raw energy and dancing!

We cannot thank and enough for the impeccable organisation of this show in just 3 days! 🤯👏 We’d like to extend our gratitude to the bands, Centrala bar team and, of course, our wonderful audience.

All takings from the show and merchandise sales have been distributed to the bands and chosen Palestinian charities.

Barclays Bank have suspended their sponsorship of all Live Nation festivals this year 💪 

📸

Just what is it going to be today - sunglasses or a brolly? 🤔 Your guess is as good as ours! We can all agree on one thing: with its pollen-scented-hail, this June has been utterly frustrating.

However… unlike the month of June, Centrala is determined to bring you some good summer vibes and offer you several exciting events THIS WEEK! ☀️

First of all, this is your final warning: Encoded Realities only runs until the 22nd of June. Do the maths and come to check it out - we’re open Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm until 6pm!  

On Monday we have Q***r as Joke! Our favourite trio of hosts , and will be joined by , and .comedy! ***rAsJoke is Birmingham’s original LGBTQIA+ stand up comedy night, where our regular showrunners are joined by up-and-coming comedians and some well-known headliners. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there is no better way to spend your Monday 🙂‍↔️

Join us on Wednesday for CEEus! Networking event - we run these every third Wednesday of the month. CEEus! Network is a hub for migrants from Central and Eastern Europe - it offers a range of cultural and music events, creative workshops, professional opportunities, support and training. You can join the Network by following - it is free!

Wednesday night also sees , , and play live. Hardcore punk. If you know, you know.

Join us on Saturday for a celebration of Slavic and Eastern European culture at our Summer Solstice event - there will be music, dance, crafts, storytelling, face painting and traditional rituals! This is a family-friendly event, and we’d love to see as many of you as possible - please book your free space via Eventbrite!

On Saturday night we will have from London, from Glasgow, .hc from Newcastle upon Tyne and locals coming together under one roof to bring you miserable screamo, emo and punk. It doesn’t get better than that, does it?

This is it from us! Stay cool, whether you’re wearing your sunnies or wellies, or both!!

BIG announcement incoming and we hope you’re ready for it!! 💥

This Friday (14/06) we’re hosting some world-class hardcore acts including , , , , , and !💥

Now that we’ve announced the good news, the sad news is that we’re completely SOLD OUT, and this happened in six - yes, just SIX - minutes!! 🤯 As much as we’re overjoyed to be hosting this night, we’re also very sorry that we cannot offer any additional tickets on the door, so those of you who missed out, well, you’ve missed out… 😕

Please see each band’s page for more information about their decision to be here and reasons for playing this show. All proceeds will go to Palestinian Aid and charities.

We’d like to thank and for organising this so quickly! 👏 ⚡️

Get excited, and we’ll see you soon!!!

Last night was a memorable one - the Centrala team attended a talk from the celebrated, award-winning photographer, Martin Parr at MAC!

Martin Parr is known for his intimate - and rather satirical - portrayal of the modern society in Britain and beyond. Hearing him talk about his prolific career in photography and being able to ask questions was a fantastic experience! 🎤

Martin Parr: Autoportrait was presented by and . Interviewed by journalist .

📸: Irina Mackie

Digbeth First Friday was such a treat!!

Thank you all for joining us at the launch of Encoded Realities - we couldn’t have wished for a more splendid night!

We loved seeing so many artists, creatives and guests come together at our gallery - enjoying themselves, immersing themselves in artwork, exploring and discussing the science and the stories behind each piece! 🤓

Encoded Realities is a creative collaboration between 49 scientists of and , and 12 artists. The exhibition runs until the 22nd of June, so do check it out!

Exhibiting artists:










roden

We’re open Tuesday to Saturday, from 12pm until 6pm. See you soon!

Thank you for capturing the night so beautifully! 📸

Good day, fair people of Birmingham and beyond! Hope you’re all feeling rested this Sunday afternoon, even if it is slightly gloomy, windy and drizzly... Ahh, what is there not to like about the British summer? 😏

Here’s our THIS WEEK to brighten up your mood:

First of all, were you there at the opening of Encoded Realities last Friday? Then, just like us, you’re probably still feeling high on creative vibes of ! It was indeed a gorgeous event - we loved seeing sooooo many people roam through our gallery, mingling and discussing the artwork! If you missed it, fear not: Encoded Realities runs until the 22nd of June and you must, simply MUST check it out! We’re open Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm until 6pm!

On Saturday we have two wonderful community events for CEEus! Network* members - a Yoga class with our fabulous instructor .biaal and Women’s Art Workshop with .the.box.cts! These events are free, but we ask you to book a place. We look forward to welcoming you!

On Monday we have our favourite trio - , and - joined by , and .comedy! ***rAsJoke is Birmingham’s original LGBTQIA+ stand up comedy night, where our regular showrunners are joined by up-and-coming comedians and some well-known headliners! We absolutely love hosting them - is there a better way to spend your Monday?! Absolutely not! 🙂‍↔️

This is it from us, we look forward to welcoming you at Centrala. Stay well!

*CEEus! Network is a hub for migrants from Central and Eastern Europe, which offers a range of cultural and music events, creative workshops, professional opportunities, support and training. You can join the Network by visiting the link in our bio or following - it is free!

We’re so excited for Digbeth First Friday!! 🤩

Did you know that Digbeth comes alive on the first Friday of each month with exhibitions, late-night openings, culture events, alternative screenings, pop-up performances and live music? 😎��This Friday we’re hosting the launch of Encoded Realities and you shall not be disappointed!! This exhibition is one of a kind as interdisciplinary scientists and artists in at the University of Birmingham (University of Birmingham ) present mathematical models and computational algorithms to interrogate and analyse various natural principles, providing novel insights into the mechanisms of health, wellness and disease! Intrigued?! Check it out! Arive at 6pm - we’re open until late! 😏

…Although we’re very busy setting up the exhibition at the moment, we thought we’d give you a sneak peek of what to expect - swipe left for some BTS images!

As you roam the streets of Digbeth, why not check out the following venues and events nearby:

Eastside Projects - Eastside Projects:
Launch Night: dirty nails (les ongles noirs) and Idols of Mud and Water (6 - 8pm)

Vivid Projects - Vivid Projects:
Dr XYZ Film Screening (5 - 8pm)

Grand Union - Grand Union:
Unmasking || Remapping: Masked Ball and Making Workshops @ Plane Structure Gallery (4 - 6pm, 6 - 10pm)
Love is Real, and it’s Inside Of My Computer (6 - 8pm)

Digbeth Community Garden - Digbeth Community Garden:
Secret Garden Gig (6:30 - 9:30pm)

Purple Ladder Studios:
Zinesplosion (4 - 8pm)

Let’s make it a night to remember! 🥂

📸:

We are thrilled to read Vlatka Horvat’s interview in Contemporary Lynx magazine !

Full article: https://tinyurl.com/4jem4f3b

Back in April our director Alicja Kaczmarek travelled to Venice where she attended ‘By the Means at Hand’*, an exhibition by Vlatka Horvat at the Pavilion of Croatia as part of the 60th Venice Biennale.

Invited by Alicja for an artistic residency at in March, Vlatka did some preparatory work to develop her project further and prepare the collages. As part of her residency with us, Vlatka also organised an exhibition, showcased her film “Until the Last of Our Labours Is Done” (2021), led a series of workshops and made a presentation at our CEE Creatives Networking Event titled ‘The final encounter’ alongside , a Polish photographer from West Bromwich.

Vlatka Horvat is a Croatian-born London-based artist who uses a range of media such as sculpture, installation, drawing, performance, photography, video, and writing.

*’By the Means at Hand’ is curated by Antonia Majaca and presents works by various international artists, invited by Horvat to exchange artworks with her, using an informal network of couriers to get the works to and from Venice, instead of traditional means of transport.

📸 (2-5), (6-7), Alicja Kaczmarek (8-10)

Thank you all for joining us at Rhythm Sticks last Friday - we had a blast!! 💥🤩 It was such a wholesome event, with photography, experimentation and live music!

The audience had a chance to explore ’s wonderful photographic exhibition on deconstructing DJ Beatmatching, and talk to the artist himself. We then had an incredibly interesting panel discussion with artists and scientists, including Dr Maria Witek (), and observed live demonstrations of synchronisation!

Then the evening got lively! We danced to Sic’Nis’s () set with their witty lyrics, marvelled as ’s constructed his magical mechanical techno, and enjoyed NikNak’s () unique sound… We all learned so much about the art of synchronisation… or perhaps ‘vibing’, as one might say? 😏

However, this was not the end! This coming Friday (07/06) we will be launching a one of a kind art exhibition - Encoded Realities! Through the lens of bridging art and science, the exhibition explores and playfully decodes hidden patterns, structures and complexities of different health conditions, and their profound impact on human experiences. Excited? Watch this space for more info and make sure to check it out!

Both the event and exhibition have been supported and funded by the Centre for Systems Modelling & Quantitative Biomedicine via the University of Birmingham Dynamic Investment Fund.

📸:

Centrala's Art Programme Coordinator Nana Katsia participated in the Trans Europe Halles' 97 thconference in Tartu, Estonia .

As a full member of the network, Centrala was actively involved in strategic sessions, workshops, the General Assembly, and the voting process.

It was a fruitful and extremely busy program with wonderful opportunities for networking and engaging with organisations from the Entire Europe and meeting other people united by art and culture projects.

The recent event was held in Tartu, Estonia, and hosted by a member centre - a popular destination for locals and an important landmark in Estonia's independent arts and culture scene.



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Welcome to the new week, babs, and a very happy Pride Month to you all! 🥰

A quieter start to the week for a change, giving you a chance to consider working with us here at Centrala! We are currently advertising for two roles: Event Producer (deadline: 14/06) and Fundraiser and Relations Manager (deadline: 28/06). Know someone who’d be perfect for us? Do us a favour - let them know, and thank you muchly! For full JDs follow the link in our bio.

So, THIS WEEK at Centrala:

On Thursday we have our Women’s Empowerment Group, and the theme is Love and Acceptance. This is a safe and nurturing space for women - we aim to share stories, uplift each other and connect. Our Women’s Circle is open to all ages and backgrounds, so come as you are and join the sisterhood ☺️

is a wonderful monthly opportunity to come together for arts and culture - we’re open until late! This Friday, University of Birmingham ( x ) will be taking over our gallery as they launch their brand new exhibition, Encoded Realities. The exhibition explores and playfully decodes the hidden patterns and principles governing various aspects of life, including health, health conditions and wellness. Encoded Realities runs from the 7th to 22nd of June and is free to attend, so make sure you check it out!! …Pssst, keep an eye on our socials - we’ll be dropping a BTS reel shortly! 😎

On Sunday we have ‘Tell it to the Music’ (), our popular open mic event with a live band! Headlining the night is Ciarán Hodges (), an award-winning Irish spoken word poet - you do not want to miss this one!!

That’s it from us, have a wonderful week and we’ll see you soon!

We are open Tue - Sat 12-5pm, and late for events! 😏

We are looking for a talented and experienced Event Producer to join our team!

A hub of Experimental and DIY music, from lunchtime improv Jazz to late-night LGBT+ electronic club nights, we present up to 4 events per week. Our performances are interdisciplinary and cross-genre, creating a space for musicians and artists to meet and connect. We aim to operate as a safe space for all, often working with performers and artists who are excluded from mainstream venues. As well as presenting our own programme, we host numerous national and local promoters, and partner with local festivals.

Centrala’s Event Producer will reflect the diverse nature of the Midlands conurbation. You will be responsible for planning, organising and executing a wide range of music events and programmes that align with our mission. This role requires creativity, strategic thinking, and strong organisational skills to ensure each event is successful and beneficial to our community.

This is a part time (22.5 hrs) position with immediate start. Various shift, including nights / weekends. Pay: £24K-£26K pro rata.

Full JD: https://uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=c1e0f276e6bff57b

We look forward to hearing from you! 🤩