Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, , B1 2HS 0121 248 0708 / www.ikon-gallery.org Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-5pm / free entry

Events Diary October 2015 – January 2016

All events take place at Ikon Gallery unless otherwise stated

Fiona Banner, Bam Bam Bam Snoopy! (2011). Nose Art on Chinook Helicopter, Vietnam, 1971. Silver gelatin photograph Image © the artist.

Exhibition Opening

Friday 9 October, 6–8pm – FREE Join us to celebrate the opening of our new exhibition – , Scroll Down And Keep Scrolling. Pay bar.

Talks and Tours

Spotlight Tours Every Friday, 1pm and Sunday, 3pm – FREE Join a member of Ikon’s staff team for a 15 minute spotlight tour looking at a key work in Fiona Banner’s exhibition. No need to book, meet in Ikon foyer.

Type Talk Thursday 22 October, 5.30–7pm – FREE Birmingham City University P350 Lecture Theatre, Parkside Building 5 Cardigan Street, Birmingham B4 7BD Designer James Langdon and Simon Taylor, Ikon Head of Learning, discuss Fiona Banner’s use of type and the origins of Font, used for her current Ikon exhibition. Organised in partnership with the Typographic Hub, Birmingham City University. Places are free but should be booked. Visit www.typetalk-ikongallery.eventbrite.co.uk or call 0121 331 5871.

Plane Spotting in Sheldon Sunday 25 October, 2–4pm – FREE Join artists Juneau Projects for a walk through Sheldon Country Park to the Airport Viewing Area for an afternoon of plane watching. Organised as part of Ikon’s work as Arts Champion for Yardley. Places are free but should be booked. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Seen/Unseen Tours Wednesday 28 October, 1pm – FREE Wednesday 25 November, 1pm – FREE No need to book, meet in Ikon foyer Join artist Jacques Nimki for a 15 minute introductory tour of Seen/Unseen, a permanent installation throughout Ikon Gallery of more than 300 barely visible silhouettes of plant drawings.

Art Bus Friday 30 October, 5–9pm – FREE As part of Museums at Night 2015, travel on the free Art Bus and visit six Birmingham art galleries – Ikon Gallery, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham Museum and , RBSA Gallery, mac Birmingham and The Parkside Gallery, Birmingham City University. Each gallery stays open late with free gallery tours. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org for an Art Bus timetable.

Art, prison and rehabilitation – a conversation Monday 23 November, 1–5pm – FREE Artists, academics and prison professionals discuss responses to issues of crime and incarceration in today’s society. Speakers include Edmund Clark, Ikon Artist in Residence at HMP Grendon, Buckinghamshire, Dr Elizabeth Yardley, Associate Professor of Criminology, Birmingham City University and Andy Watson, Artistic Director, Geese Theatre Company, Birmingham. Places are free but should be booked. For more information and to book online visit www.ikon-gallery.org or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Artist’s Talk - Fiona Banner Thursday 26 November, 6–7.30pm – FREE Join artist Fiona Banner in conversation with Michaela Crimmin, co-Director of Culture + Conflict as she discusses her work, including the inspiration behind her current exhibition. Places are free but should be booked. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

BSL Tour Thursday 14 January 2016, 2.30–4pm – FREE Join us for an informal exhibition tour with British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation. Suitable for Deaf visitors, their friends and family. A fitted induction loop is available. Booking essential, visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Audio Described Tour Available on request – FREE Ikon provides audio described introductions to our current exhibitions with a focus on two key works. Suitable for blind and partially sighted visitors and their friends and family. Places are free but should be booked. Call Ikon on 0121 248 0708 or email Erin Libetta [email protected].

Workshops and Courses

Life Drawing Sessions Wednesday 4 and Wednesday 11 November, 6–8pm £7.50 per session £5 concessions: students, unwaged, 60+ Join us for these self-directed drawing sessions. A clothed model is provided and poses are inspired by Fiona Banner’s work. Basic equipment and materials are provided, please bring any specialist items such as sketchbooks with you. Suitable for adults, students and teachers. Places are limited, booking essential. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Typography Masterclass Saturday 14 and Saturday 21 November, 10am–1pm £45 per person £35 concessions: students, unwaged, 60+ A two-part opportunity to develop your own typeface, using original source material, with expert tuition from designer Sam Jones. All materials are provided. Suitable for adults, students and teachers. Places are limited, booking essential. Book online at www.ikon- gallery.org or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Saturday Studio Saturday 21 November, 2–4.30pm £6 per person* Join us for a practical, gallery-based session devised especially for adults who want to explore creative approaches to making art in response to Fiona Banner’s work. An informal opportunity to develop a portfolio or take part in a fun afternoon. Places are limited and booking is essential. Book online at www.ikon-gallery.org or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708. *Cost includes refreshments and materials.

Printing workshop with Juneau Projects Saturday 21 November, 1–4pm Drop in and make a set of unique festive cards with stamps created by Juneau Projects, prices from £2.50. No need to book.

Ikon Book Club Ikon’s Book Club explores texts in relation to themes drawn from Fiona Banner’s exhibition. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Book Club – Heart of Darkness Tuesday 24 November, 6–7.30pm £4 per person Led by Dr Daniel Moore, Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature, .

Book Club – Reading Pornography Tuesday 12 January 2016, 6–7.30pm £4 per person

Showcase

More Birmingham Instagram showcase 26–29 November, 11am–5pm – FREE Throughout 2015 Visit Birmingham, the city’s official leisure tourism programme, has worked with photographers and organisations across the city to host a series of Instameets. Bringing together hundreds of people from Birmingham and beyond, these events have resulted in photographs that show Birmingham through the eyes of the people who live in and love the city. The Instameets have documented many areas including the soon-to-be-demolished Central Library, ’s street art scene and some of Birmingham’s ‘hidden spaces’ and Ikon now hosts them in a public showcase. Organised in collaboration with Visit Birmingham. www.visitbirmingham.com

Literature

Ikon hosts a number of events as part of the Birmingham Literature Festival, 8–17 October 2015.

Baltic Breakfast Saturday 10 October, 9.30–11am £12 per person, £10 concessions Café Opus at Ikon Celebrating the literary traditions of Baltic nations Latvia and Lithuania, this event is hosted by Olivia Chapman, Writing West Midlands. To book online visit www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org or call 0121 245 4455.

Cooked Up Tuesday 13 October, 7–8pm* £8 per person, £6 concessions Cooked Up is a new short story collection drawing together authors from all over the world, each providing a unique literary response to food. Four of the contributors – Susannah Rickards, Pippa Goldschmidt, Nikesh Shukla and Elaine Chiew – share their stories and discuss why food is such a rich creative inspiration. * A special supper is available at Café Opus at 8.30pm. For more information and to book visit www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org or call 0121 245 4455.

Writing Home Thursday 15 October, 7–8.15pm £8 per person, £6 concessions Meet Bangladeshi writer Shahaduz Zaman, writer and translator Rohini Chowdhury who works in both Hindi and English, Polish literary translator Barbara Bogoczek and Shirin Ramzanali Fazel, an Italian writer of Somali and Pakistani origins. This event includes readings and a debate about how we can encounter more literature from other cultures. Chaired by Dr Chantal Wright, University of Warwick. To book online visit www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org or call 0121 245 4455.

Family Events

Creative Workshops

Activities aimed at specific age groups. When booking please indicate children’s ages and note that children should be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Parent and toddler mornings Tuesday 20 October, 10–11am Friday 13 November, 10–11am £4 per child These gallery-based sessions are for parents with toddlers aged 0–3 years. Places are limited, please visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Free drop-in activities

For all ages. No need to book, stay for as long as you like

Family Saturdays Saturday 7 November, 1–4pm – FREE Saturday 5 December, 1–4pm – FREE Saturday 9 January 2016, 1–4pm – FREE Open to all ages (adults welcome), these creative afternoons engage, challenge and delight. Explore Fiona Banner’s exhibition and make original artwork.

As part of The Big Draw (1–31 October) and the Family Arts Festival (9 October – 1 November) Ikon hosts family-friendly drawing based activities.

Musicadoodle-do with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Monday 26 October, 1–3pm – FREE South Yardley Library, Yardley Road, Yardley Birmingham B25 8LT As Birmingham City Council’s Arts Champion for Yardley, Ikon collaborates with BCMG for an afternoon of ‘drawing with sound’. Make your own graphic score for musicians to perform and make live drawings to music.

Whisper Chatter Draw with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Tuesday 27 October, 1–4pm – FREE The voice is an extraordinary and versatile musical instrument. Not only can it sing in many styles, it can whisper, wail, chatter, cackle, gurgle and roar. Join us in making music from these unique sounds and draw them to make a musical score.

Gamescapes Thursday 29 October, 12–4pm – FREE Combine drawing and gaming with this interactive event for families led by artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood. Move between a Gaming Zone with a selection of consoles, a Writing Zone exploring gaming language, and a Drawing Zone with materials for you to study and draw fellow gamers and virtual avatars.

Events for Young People

Ikon Youth Programme (IYP) is a group of young people, aged 16–21 years old, who share an interest in visual art. Meeting regularly at Ikon, participants are encouraged to devise creative projects, establish links with other youth groups and share their opinions about a range of topics. www.ikon-gallery.org/iyp

Open Social Friday 16 October, 6.30–9pm – FREE A chance for young people to visit the exhibitions and enjoy workshops and discussions produced in collaboration with Writing West Midlands Young Writers’ Foundation Group. Presented as part of the Birmingham Literature Festival. Booking essential. Please email Claire Bird [email protected] or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

IYP spotlight tours Saturday 24 October, 12pm and 2pm – FREE Join a member of the Ikon Youth Programme for a 15 minute spotlight tour looking at a key work in the exhibition. No need to book, meet in Ikon foyer.

Gamescapes Thursday 29 October, 6–9pm – FREE Discover the art of gaming with Sarah Taylor Silverwood and meet designers working in theindustry. No need to book, just drop in. Suitable for 16–25 year olds. Please note some games may contain violent scenes. Presented as part of The Big Draw (1–31 October). www.campaignfordrawing.org/bigdraw

Schools Events

ARTiculation – Sixth Form Crit Workshops

Tuesday 3 November, 5–7pm – FREE The Barber Institute of Fine Arts University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TS

Tuesday 10 November, 5–7pm – FREE Ikon Gallery, Brindleyplace A two-part introduction to the art crit – sixth form students can develop skills to analyse, discuss and present artworks. Free refreshments served from 4.30pm. Teachers welcome. Produced in collaboration with The Roche Court Educational Trust, University of Birmingham and Q-Art. Places are free but must be booked. Book online at www.ikon- gallery.org or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

4MAT Network Meeting for Midlands Art Teachers Thursday 12 November, 5–7pm – FREE 4MAT is the regional teachers’ network that meets regularly to share advice, expertise and experience whilst making new connections with colleagues from across the region. Places are free but should be booked. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Portfolio Sessions Thursdays 7 and 14 January 2016, 6–8pm One-to-one portfolio advice sessions aimed at sixth form students looking at options for further study, UCAS applications or a career in the . 20 minute sessions including advice from Birmingham City University tutors. Places are free but should be booked. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Black Country Voyages

Black Country Voyages (2014–2017) is an art programme for local people, involving members of the Ikon Youth Programme (IYP). It takes place on board a canal boat, generously lent by Sandwell Council.

Jacques Nimki is the lead artist for Black Country Voyages 2015, transforming the boat into The Black Apotheca – a floating laboratory of herbal liquids derived from local plants, fermenting slowly over time, housed in glass, reflecting light and colour. It showcases drawings, recipes and objects, all relating to the business of apothecaries, plus a collection of lozenges, cordials, country wines, sorbets and teas available for consumption at selected events. During the year Nimki and IYP host workshops along the canal network for visitors to interact with Black Country Voyages – for more information visit www.blackcountryvoyages.org or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Black Country Voyages is organised in partnership with the Canal & River Trust. Facebook: blackcountryvoyages Twitter: @bcvoyages #blackcountryvoyages

Associated events

Stourbridge Navigation Trust Open Weekend Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October 10am–5pm – FREE Bonded Warehouse Canal Street, Stourbridge DY8 4LU Join us for a weekend of drop in workshops in Stourbridge, with craft stalls, canal boat trips and demonstrations.

Black Country Living Museum: Half Term Myths and Fables Saturday 24 October – Sunday 1 November 10am–5pm Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ Black Country Voyages is touring to the Black Country Living Museum to join a trail of activities for their Half Term Myths and Fables events. Discover the world of apothecary – sample the wares on board, drop in for creative workshops with the Ikon Youth Programme and at special times receive a one-to-one consultation with artist Jacques Nimki, the Black Apothecary! For more information and ticket prices for Black Country Living Museum visit www.bclm.co.uk

A Story of Black Country Voyages Friday 6 November, 6–8.30pm – FREE Titford Pumphouse Engine Street off Tat Bank Road, Oldbury B69 4NL Black Country Voyages is returning to Titford Pumphouse for an evening of talks by guest speakers including the Chairman of Tipton Civic Society, Keith Hodgkins; public speaker, writer, performer and radio broadcaster, Dr Brian Dakin (Billy Spakemon); and artist Jacques Nimki. Come and hear about the history of the Aaron Manby canal boat, the Black Country canals and Ikon’s art programme Black Country Voyages. Places are limited and booking is essential. Visit www.ikon-gallery.org to book online or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Note to Editors:

1. Ikon is an internationally acclaimed venue situated in central Birmingham. Established in 1964 by a group of artists, Ikon is an educational charity and works to encourage public engagement with contemporary art through exhibiting new work in a context of debate and participation. The gallery programme features artists from around the world and a variety of media is represented, including sound, film, mixed media, , , and installation. Ikon’s off-site programme develops dynamic relationships between art, artists and audiences outside the gallery. Projects vary enormously in scale, duration and location, challenging expectations of where art can be seen and by whom. Education is at the heart of Ikon’s activities, stimulating public interest in and understanding of contemporary visual art. Through a variety of talks, tours, workshops and seminars, Ikon’s Learning Team aims to build dynamic relationships with audiences, enabling visitors to engage with, discuss and reflect on contemporary art.

2. Ikon is open Tuesday – Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 11am - 5pm. Admission is free.

3. For the latest news and events follow @ikongallery on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

4. Ikon Gallery is supported using public funding from Arts Council and Birmingham City Council.

5. For more information and high-res images and to request an interview with the artist please contact Rebecca Small or Emily Luxford at Ikon on 0121 248 0708 or email r.small@ikon- gallery.org or [email protected]

Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS 0121 248 0708 / www.ikon-gallery.org Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-5pm / free entry Ikon Gallery Limited trading as Ikon. Registered charity no. 528892

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Visit Birmingham Instameet

Black Country Voyages Family Workshop