Next up for the Birds is 2 weeks at Warwick Arts Centre (starting on the 10th) to re-work CAPSULE which some of you will have seen in the freezing cold at FarGoSpace last year.
The shows at WAC are booking up fast, so get a ticket while you can…a nifty bit of programming means you can see Frantic Assembly on the same night.
We’re also trialling the tweaked version of the Difference Engine if you’d like to test that and feedback to us about what you think.
September’s resident artist in FarGo Space, curated by Talking Birds, is Cormac Faulkner who will be showing his piece ‘The Beacon Light Requiem’ on September 29th. [Details below]
The Beacon Light Requiem by Cormac Faulkner
29 September · 19:30 – 21:00
Unit 4, FarGo Creative Village, Far Gosford Street, Coventry CV1 5ED
(this is near the top of Far Gosford Street in a mini industrial estate – unit 4 is at the back)
The Whale at Mintfest
The Whale had a great time at Mintfest in Kendal over the weekend. Our aluminium leviathan was programmed as part of the Garden of Delights – a park-full of marvellous sideshows, many of them on wheels. There was a wonderful atmosphere and it was really well curated. It was also very, very busy – even on the lake-district-drizzly Saturday night the place was heaving…
Accordingly, the queues for the Whale were so long we had to bite the bullet and turn our “submersive theatre experience for one adventurer at a time (or two if you’re shy)” into a family-load at a time to avoid turning too many people away – it’s an interesting conundrum with a show made for small audiences: with an enormous queue rapidly building up, do you cram in more people per show (assuming, of course, it is safe to do so) or do you turn people away? Having discussed this with others who make shows for small numbers, I don’t think I’ve actually come across anyone who is hardline enough to stick to the original audience number and turn people away (yet!)…so, yes, we caved in and almost 500 people saw the show over the two evenings. We’re now thinking it is worth creating another show for the Whale; tailored to more than one-adventurer-at-a-time and made especially with these busy festival settings in mind…watch this space.
September: FarGo Space Programme
“A light in the dark times, a beacon of inspiration and innovation, the incandescent light bulb is due to be phased out at the end of 2011 in the UK. The incandescent lightbulb has a very particular light and is a thing of beauty in its design. I wish to invite you to an exaltation of this wonderful object – a ceremony of sound and vision illuminated by the Swan/Edison lightbulb.” This month, Cormac Faulkner/Sonic Graffiti is in residence – looking forward to seeing his piece. Dates and times that the space will be open to the public tbc.
October: Capsule & The Difference Engine
In October last year, we ourselves were resident at FarGo and we made Capsule. This October, we’re re-working the show for the Helen Martin Studio at Warwick Arts Centre. It’s another piece for small audience numbers (six this time) so it’s worth booking in advance. (There’s also a clever bit of programming from our friends at Warwick, meaning you can see Capsule from Talking Birds & Frantic Assembly’s Lovesong on the same night…)
Anyway, here’s our blurb:
Take your seat inside the Capsule – a theatre auditorium which seats just 6 people – and experience, through sounds heard and actions glimpsed, the performance happening on the outside, all around you. It’s often dark, and you’ll need to rely on your senses as the Capsule takes you on a journey through air, space and sea. Oh, and halfway through there’s a twist, but we can’t say too much about that…
“Glowing from the most enjoyable theatre for years…the biggest theatrical surprise I’ve had…and that is only half way in!” Audience comment
During Capsule, we’ll also be testing the second version of our digital access tool, the Difference Engine, which delivers subtitles and audio description to smartphones and other mobile devices. If your device can connect via wi-fi and you would be interested in testing and fee
ding back on the Difference Engine, please bring your device with you (but keep it turned to silent). Stewards will show you how to use the system before the show, so please arrive early if you intend to participate (handsets are also available to borrow).
Development of Capsule has been supported by the FarGo Space Programme and Warwick Arts Centre.
The Whale is off to Mintfest tomorrow. If you see it on its way up the M6, please toot! And maybe take a picture – and tweet it or post it on Talking Birds’ Whale’s wall if you’re so inclined?
We’re also *very* excited to announce we now have some lovely Whale t-shirts for sale – fancy one? Have a look-buy here.
Highly Sprung have been resident at Unit 4 this month and current events have apparently moved the young people they are working with to chuck their plans out of the window, and instead make an audiotour inspired by the riots. Performances will be on Friday 26th & Saturday 27th, details tbc.
The Whale is heading up the M6 to Mintfest the following weekend (if you see it on the motorway, please wave/toot/tweet), and will be ensconced in the Garden of Delights 2nd & 3rd September. Come & say hello? (& maybe even buy a t-shirt?!)
If you are in Edinburgh, keep an eye out for fellow Midlanders The Other Way Works, Kindle Theatre, Foursight Theatre & Untied Artists. Or if, like us, you’re further south, Edgelands looks like it will be worth keeping an eye on from afar.
Who:
Artists/Producers/Events Organisers/etc who can make interesting and productive use of a free empty space (approx 8m x 5m) in Coventry for a month – and, just before their month is up, invite the public in and make something amazing happen there. We’re looking for people/groups who can create something original and wonderful (and perhaps even a bit beautiful) that will make people want to come and experience the Space Programme for themselves. Something that will contribute to building up an understanding and expectation in the wider Coventry unconscious that FarGo is a place where cool things happen.
What:
The Space Programme is an opportunity to make a scene where there isn’t one. Each individual slot is an opportunity to explore how the space could be used/transformed prior to the opening of FarGo, Coventry’s new creative village.
When:
Slots from September 1st 2011 (subject to lease agreement).
Where:
In Unit 4 at FarGo, Far Gosford Street, Coventry.
How:
The Space Programme is curated by Talking Birds and has been running since July 2010. You can find details of projects so far at by clicking here
Successful applicants will be awarded £100 at the start of their residency.
If you are interested in taking part, please send an email of up to 600 words to
janet[at]talkingbirds[dot]co[dot]uk detailing:
– who you are
– what you would do with your month in the Empty Space Module
– what your event might look like
– whether you could go on site at the drop of a hat (September 1st) or need a longer lead in
– links to any online images/info about your past work
Deadline for expressions of interest: August 15th 2011
Here’s some pictures of The Q Enhancement Operatives enhancing people’s Q-ing experience on New Street & in Victoria Square this afternoon:
You can see more pictures in our FB album if you click here.
Or read the story of the Q in Coventry & Birmingham in tweets via our Storify if you click here.
The Q is also available for festival bookings in both show and walkabout formats, contact us by clicking here.
Join The Q in Birmingham
1pm-Chamberlain Square
3pm-New St
6.30pm-Hippodrome Plaza
Q by Q updates @Q_mob
And for the story so far, clicky here.
Three Birds-related things coming up this week:
Tuesday 26th – Pecha Kucha Night Coventry Vol 5 (hosted by JV)
Friday 29th – Trove at FargoSpace 6-9pm
Saturday 30th – The Q in Birmingham as part of Six Summer Saturdays
Hope to see you at one or more!
Pic by Alan van Wijgerden
Come & join the Q-mob: it’s like a flashmob, only slightly more orderly.
If you’re on twitter, follow @Q_mob – we’ll be tweeting a pic of the exact Q-ing location 30 mins before we start to give you chance to find and join the Q. Wear or bring something orange.
(Or if you aren’t on twitter, you can cheat and look at the map)
Remember: ‘the queue is a way of moving forward, but also a way of standing still‘ chapter 1, Book Of Queues
The Q Corporation is committed to world beating queuing, and we’re coming to Coventry to be inspired by the quality of yours. We’ll be appreciating and enhancing queues throughout the day, and giving public demonstrations of championship-grade queuing at the following times and locations:
*** Click here for Coventry City Centre map with locations ***
Friday 22nd July >> 1pm Shelton Square >> 2.30pm Lower Precinct >> 4pm Upper Precinct
Saturday 23rd July >> 12noon Upper Precinct >> 1.30pm Shelton Square >> 3pm Millennium Place
To join the Q flashmob, follow @Q_mob on twitter for details of when and where to assemble.
PDF flyer >
Meanwhile, here’s some tryouts for the voice of the Q Corp – could you do better? Ring the Q-line on 0845 22 55 918 and record your “Cashier number 4 please” – YOU COULD BE THE VOICE OF THE Q!
The Q is a brand new outdoor performance which will celebrate the great British Art of Queuing. So pre-eminent are we in this highly competitive field, that it sometimes seems like we’re the only ones taking part.
But now, in the run up to 2012, there’s no room for complacency, and we know for a fact that we face strong competition from the Russians, increasingly from the Japanese, and there have been worrying reports of late surges from the Scandinavian countries (where their efficiency has, for many years, led to a near total absence of queues).Talking Birds aims, therefore, to ensure that our position on the medal table remains unassailable. We know we British have the raw ability, it’s just a matter of having the BELIEF. Existing queues will be lavished with attention by our Queue Enhancement Team which will provide temporary seats, one minute stand-ins, and shelter from inclement weather, and, in the case of particularly elegant examples, a round of applause and possibly a fanfare.
Meanwhile, in the city centre, a team of crack queuing specialists will recreate Great British Queues of Our Time, demonstrate the Science of Queueology, present the thrilling yet heart-wrenching drama of Pushing In (and its terrible consequences), as well as imparting helpful tips such as How to Hold Your Place in the Queue and How to Queue Like A World Beater. Together, we hope to maintain our dominance in this discipline so that, whatever happens in the Olympic Stadium, the world will look on us with envy and, maybe even awe, as we file, in an orderly way, out into the sunset. Taking place in locations around Coventry City Centre during London 2012 Open Weekend on Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd July 2011, culminating in A Very Big Q on Saturday at 3pm in Millennium Place CV1 1JD.
Words from the Birds 