Archive for category Birmingham

Introducing… The Photography Collective

Something is stirring below the surface of Birmingham’s art scene. A unique collaboration is being formed. Contact is being made.

During the first two weeks of September 2010 there will be a rare opportunity to explore some new work by seven talented Birmingham photographers.Contact, the exhibition, is a collaboration between The Photography Collective, a newly formed pool of photographic talent for the Midlands, and Birmingham Photospace, which exists to establish a permanent space for photography in Birmingham. Graced by the one-time opportunity to exhibit as a group at Rhubarb East Gallery, Contact is an associate exhibition of the recent Rhubarb-Rhubarb Photography Festival, a highlight of the year in the fine art photography world’s calendar.

As a member of The photography Collective, we formed the group essentially to build a stronger presence for local photographers within the Midlands art scene, discuss all things photography and launch exhibitions together. We began meeting in April in Birmingham Central Library, and before long found ourselves working towards an exciting debut exhibition.

Since then, it’s been all hands on deck, identifying an exhibition theme, selecting work, writing press releases, building an exhibition website and a whole lot more. And with the support and expertise of Light House curator Kathryn Klizsat, we are proud to showcasing the group’s talent.

Contact – a Fine Art Photography Exhibition
3rd – 18th September
Rhubarb East Gallery, Heath Mill Lane, Digbeth, Birmingham, B9 4AE

Open Thursdays to Sundays, 11am – 5.30pm

With such a fast start off the blocks already, i’m sure there will be lots more exciting Photography Collective projects and collaborations on the horizon. So, watch this space!


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Students lobby Andrew Mitchell MP on Global Education

This morning’s shoot was in Sutton Coldfield where i photographed students from Fairfax School lobbying their MP Andrew Mitchell. The year 7 students presented the Secretary of State for International Development with 250 hand-made scarves containing 1100 signatures calling the government to help children living in poverty around the world go to school.

The students were involved in a month-long project for 1Goal, a global campaign running throughout the World Cup, which is calling on world leaders to bring education to 72 million children by 2015: http://www.sendmyfriend.org/one-goal

Students from Sutton Coldfield lobby Andrew Mitchell MP on Global Education. Photo credit: Jane Baker/ Greensnapperphotography.com

Andrew Mitchell MP makes a speech at Fairfax School in Sutton Coldfield. Photo credit: Jane Baker/ Greensnapperphotography.com

Copyright © 2009 Jane Baker. All Rights Reserved


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Stepping Up in Lozells

When it comes to having street cred i think i miss the mark. Put me in a recording studio and ask me to MC and i wouldn’t have clue. For the last ten days i’ve been blown away by the talent of young people in Lozells, Birmingham. I’ve been documenting Step Up + Step Out, a summer arts project where young people get stuck in to movie making, MC’ing, street dance and a whole host of other workshops.

Directing a movie

Directing a movie

The guys are in to movie making, and act out scenes of street fights, meetings in dark grafitti covered underpasses, money exchanging hands, high speed chases on foot. Of course, as with every good movie, in the concluding scene the protagonists change their ways and a resolution is found between gangs.

When it comes to music, thanks to the project, i’ve discovered a little gem, the Young Disciples recording studio, tucked away above a shop on Lozells Road. Packed full of state of the art macs and recording equipment it’s a great place to find young local talent sweating out the beats over an open mic session. Each young guy projecting a natural air of ‘cool’ in the fast and furious atmosphere of the breathless, dimly lit studio.

MC'ing in the recording studio

MC'ing in the recording studio

The girls are pretty hot on street dance, each one watching their moves reflected in the mirrors in the dance studio above Gerrard St Methodist Church. They barely get to the end of a track before they fall about laughing when one of the group misses a beat, forgets the step or complains that the track is too fast. Their faces start to become familiar to me as the girls return at the next session to perfect what they started.

Street Dance

Street Dance

The Guardian reports that since the success of dance troupe Diversity on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent the hiring of street dance instructors has tripled in schools, not to mention spilling over in to summer holiday activity schemes like this one.

If that’s anything to go by, who knows, maybe Lozells is growing young talent today that we’ll see on our TV screens tomorrow.

Watch this space!


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