The Deep End Calls for National Poetry Day and other poems…

Today is National Poetry Day, so we thought we’d share a couple of poems. The first was written at the Fun Palace on 1st October as part of a water-themed haiku challenge. A Haiku is a poem with 3 lines; the first with 5 syllables, the second with 7, and then the third with 5.

Twisting with the wave.

The boy is coming to shore.

Smiling happily.

Anon.

The second poem was written by Mary Chafer, one of the University of Birmingham drama students who devised and performed The Deep End back in April. For those of you who came to see the show, I expect you’ll remember it!

THE DEEP END CALLS

This building is flooded with the light from above
And drowning in echoes of a persistent past.

Splash, tick, drip…
Permission is granted.
History repeated, reworked and revisioned;
What seeds have been planted?

Wartime washhouse in the winter months
Until Jean rides in on her wonder wave…
‘Get on your dancing shoes Sandra and let’s have a ball’
We bring the life to this water after all.

Splash, tick, drip…
Rain seeps through the crack.
History is here in this sunken bath.
It’s time to look forward, but first let’s look back.

The long hot summer melts the ice from the bones;
Oh the Sixties did swing whilst the Seventies swam
And there stood history taking it in,
Whilst the people, they watched, and they wiled her to win.

Splash, tick, drip…
Tell us, does she stand here alone?
A pressure too great, the cause of collapse.
Sometimes at night hear her solitary moan.

But the people! Oh the people, they came,
Writing their words on the walls of her memory.
Now they begin to craft her future with needle and crane.
They lost it all, but have it all to gain.

This building is flooded with light from above
And drowning in echoes of a persistent past.
Stirchley, she’s here now, we’ve got her, at last.

Mary Chafer

Don’t just watch animated movies. Make them!

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What are One-day Animation Challenges?

  • Creating a short stop motion animation film together.
  • There will be a maximum of 10 young people participating in each animation challenge.
  • Everyone can try out different roles.
  • We want to make stories which use the history of Stirchley Baths which can be used in the education programme in the future.
  • The challenges take part at Stirchley Baths.
  • We play lots of games at the beginning to help us work together as a team.

How much does it cost?

  • A very reasonable £10 per participant for the full day workshop (9.30am-5pm). (This includes the film screening celebration event).
  • The project is heavily subsidised by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the Heritage Activity Programme.

Who can take part?

  • We have two age groups for our October Half Term Film School: ages 6-10 and age 11-15.
  • The Film School is targeted primarily at young people local to Stirchley Baths and in the Selly Oak District.
  • The film challenges are open to all abilities. You may be a budding filmmaker or want to have a go at something completely new. There will be an emphasis on team working.

What do I do to book a place?

  1. Ring or text Suzanne 07793 075737 or email suzanne@suzannecarter.co.uk to check there are spaces available.
  2. If places are available, please download the Registration & Booking Form, which includes some Rules of Engagement. You can also pick up these in person at Stirchley Baths (reception). registration-booking-form_under-16s_inc-rules-of-engagement-october16
  3. Get the completed form back to Suzanne as soon as possible to confirm your place. You can bring your £10 participant’s fee on the day if you are sending the form back electronically. Places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. 

Who is running the workshops?

  • Scott Johnson is a filmmaker, visual artist and musician with over 15 years’ experience in both the UK film and music industries. He has also been facilitating filmmaking with young people for the past 8 years. Scott works across a number of media creating short films, music videos, multi-media installations and music. He has been commissioned internationally, including by Ikon Gallery, BBC Television, Flatpack Festival, Sonar, Edinburgh Film Festival, Domino Records, Capsule and Experimenta Festival. Check out Scott’s work here: https://vimeo.com/album/2962345
  • Suzanne Carter is the Community Heritage Coordinator at Stirchley Baths and will be there to support the workshops. She knows a fair bit about the history of the place, so you can ask her questions! She has also done a lot of work with schools and young people in the past. if you want to find out more about Suzanne please see her website:www.suzannecarter.co.uk

What do I need to bring to the animation challenge?

  • A packed lunch.
  • Ideas, creativity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to work as part of a team.

What does Stirchley Baths provide?

  • All filmmaking equipment.
  • Tuition with a professional filmmaker – Scott Johnson (DBS checked).
  • Support from Suzanne Carter who works at the Baths (DBS checked).
  • A safe room to leave your belongings.
  • Drinks and snacks.
  • An incredible venue and a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills.
  • Popcorn and drinks at the Film Screening event for you, your friends and family at the end of the workshops on 28 October.

How do we celebrate all our achievements and watch the films we make?

  • On Friday 28 October, 7.30pm we will host an open event for friends, family and interested local supporters of the Baths. We’ll provide the popcorn and refreshments!
  • We’d like the young people to be involved in running and organising the event.
  • A certificate of attendance for the film challenges if you would like one and link to the film you have made.

Want to talk this through with someone?

Contact Suzanne Carter on 07793 075737 for a chat, or email suzanne@suzannecarter.co.uk

STEAM at Stirchley Baths: Big Draw 2016

The Big Draw Festival is the biggest celebration of drawing in the world with 26 countries participating worldwide during the month of October. Stirchley Baths is delighted to be part of the 2016 event, working in collaboration with Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists who have their home at the Baths, and Leaf Creative Arts (workshop funded by Stirchley Community Group).

The theme of this year’s festival is STEAM – not the water vapour kind, although we love the fact that there would have been lots of steam in the sauna back in the day here! S.T.E.A.M is, in fact, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths! Read on to see how we are bringing these elements together at the event!

Suitable for all ages and abilities. EVERYONE is welcome to join us for this free event on Sunday 23 October,1-4pm. No need to book.

Change Kitchen Cafe will be open during the event.

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img_5493Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists

Science Meets Art in the Garden
Botanical Artists will be on hand to demonstrate and explain the relevance of their art in these modern times. Everyone will be welcome to have a go at drawing the plant material provided. The drop-in workshop is suitable for everyone interested in looking at plants in greater detail.

The Society held a successful Big Draw event in 2015 and will host two events in Birmingham in 2016.


linocut-mapLeaf Creative Arts: Roots and Routes 
How you got here, a linocut printmaking workshop 
Come and show us how you got here! Using the medium of linocut printmaking (and foam print for the younger folk) explore anything from your route to The Baths, your family/community roots or maybe even a landmark along your journey. Bring an image or piece of nature or keepsake for inspiration or just be as spontaneous as you like. With printmaking, often the most interesting images happen on instinct!  Drop-in workshop. Funded by Stirchley Community Group.


img_2066Stirchley Baths Heritage Programme
Exploring Patterns & Shapes
The building is full of patterns, shapes and original architectural details; in the windows and within the brick work. Come and see how many shapes you can spot whilst exploring, and then create our own mosaic designs. Contribute to our string art design to create a piece of community artwork. There will be different measuring tools on hand to get mathematical precision if you want to do your own artistic interpretations of parts of the building. This drop-in session is more suitable for children than adults.

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Stirchley Baths’ Fun Palace sets sail 1 October. Jump on Board!

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For Stirchley Baths’ maiden voyage on the Fun Palace Event Sea we are going wonderfully nautical with a watery theme! From a mass boat ‘den’ building challenge, racing your own floating creations and experimenting with materials, to making underwater sea creatures, contributing to a giant desert island mural, planting FUN PALACE bulbs ready for spring, heading underground into the well and deep end, and going crochet crazy to yarn bomb the tree outside and cover it with fishes! From tin baths in front of the fire, to falling in the canal; bring your watery Stirchley stories, oh…and do you know anyone who doesn’t like a good ‘ole sea shanty sing-a-long? 

EVERYONE is welcome to enter our FREE watery world of fun; it’s for the whole community and there will be something FUN for everyone, whatever your age! The Stirchley Baths Fun Palace sets sail at 11am and will end at 4pm in Stirchley Park with a MASSIVE community water fight, so bring your wellies and waterproofs!

Jump On Board for bucketfuls of art, science and, of course, fun; together let’s make this a community event to remember! To find out more about this national FUN PALACE weekend and what else is happening across the city, click HERE..

Everyone an artist, everyone a scientist.

Here is the programme for the day!

programme

Look out for our flyers

Fold these into paper boats! Bring yours with you on the day. fp-for-website-image

More hands on deck required

We are still looking for more active citizens to Jump on Board to help organise, promote and contribute on the day, so please get in touch if you can join the Fun Makers team: hello@stirchleybaths.org This event is being organised by the community for the WHOLE of the community.

Can you deliver flyers through the houses on your street? Please get in touch!

We need your recycling!

We are also collecting plastic drinks bottles, cardboard boxes – the bigger the better – and things that float – so drop these into reception (instead of your recycling bin!) please.

See you at the Palace on 1st October!

Did we mention…. WATER FIGHT!!

Movie Magic from Summer Film School

At the end of July and the beginning of August we ran two Summer Film School Challenges for young people from the local area. Wow. What an exciting and fun process it was working with facilitator and film-maker Scott Johnson who brought the creative talent out of 23 young people aged between 10 and 15.

Here are a few pics of the challenges!

Film Challenge 1 Montage Summer Film Challenge 2 MontageBy the end of the first day of their challenges, these talented young people had scripted the film, created characters and decided on props, locations and costumes.

Day two was all about the production schedule, acting and filming and putting new skills into action.

We’ll let the results speak for themselves.

Stirchley Film School is proud to present…

THE DEEP END (rated PG)

THE TIME CAPSULE (rated PG)

The films premiered on August 13th in a packed ‘Cinema’ room with friends, family and local residents at the Baths.

Film Night

Thank you Phil for these last photos.

So, what did the film reviews say on the night?

  • EPIC! Sequel!
  • Amazing! young people, heritage, collaboration, skill-building. Excellent! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.Great films!
  • Great show. Thank you!
  • Sooooooo fantastic!
  • Superb opportunity and extremely impressive outcomes. Well done and thank you.
  • Everyone should be very proud! excellent movies. Job well done.
  • Well done to you all! 2 fantastic films – we want more!
  • Absolutely fab! you should be very proud of your achievements and all that you’ve learnt at SBFS! well done.
  • Fabulous film-making! I loved both movies – the cast and crew did magnificent jobs. well done everyone.
  • Blockbuster! Epic!
  • What talent!
  • Excellent spine-tingling film! Can’t wait to see you at the real Oscars.
  • Really enjoyed the show and would love to see another instalment
  • Excellent, excellent films! I was a bit scared tough. Brilliantly scripted, acted and filmed. well done all.

Tell us what you think!!

Thank you to the Heritage Lottery Fund who funded this through the Baths’ heritage programme.