Sunday, April 3, 2011

Postcard from the festivals

Springtime in Birmingham means a blossoming of arts festivals. The Flatpack film festival brought this vintage mobile cinema (22 seats and fully upgraded to digital, Dolby, etc) to my local park and used it to screen hilarious public information films about Birmingham in the 1960s. For free! How charming is that?

Also unusual and intriguing was the event I chose at the Fierce arts festival. I indulged in a walk with a difference around a museum. They put a blindfold on me. I had a guide to prevent me falling over and a soundtrack delivered via wireless headphones. The whole experience was disorienting, deep and memorable.

Next weekend is the first of the book festivals. Brummies obviously love reading so much that we're treated to multiple events. I'm showing favouritism by picking my highlight event before it's happened, but I'm looking forward to the historical fiction discussion.

We've been spoilt for choice for things to do and see. I only hope the cuts to arts funding don't mean next spring won't be as vibrant.

4 comments:

Lexi said...

The mobile cinema sounds fun. Is that a tiny sun deck above the driver's cab, suitable only for midgets?

Katharine D'Souza said...

I wish that were true! I think it's where the original 16mm projector was housed though. Imagine how cutting edge it would have looked in the 1960s.
K

Timberati said...

So much to do.

How wonderful to experience people talking about BOOKS.

Katharine D'Souza said...

I know I'm fortunate, Norm. And I'm looking forward to doing some talking about books. I won't interrupt Guy though; he is actually on the panel after all. I'm just an opinionated bystander!
K