The Be Active Zone (Centenary Square)

Located in the Centenary Square site are:
The Broad Street Stage hosting a range of outstanding singer-songwriters, duo’s and trios.

The Be Active Zone where you have the chance to get involved and participate in a range of workshops & demonstrations throughout the day.

Art on the Railings which is part of the outdoor arts market, and is where you can browse and buy affordable art and craft works from both aspiring new and established, from the railngs in the square.

The New Library of Birmingham where you can get a sneak preview of Birmingham’s new Library on one of ArtsFest’s Library of Birmingham site tours.

In The Square where you should expect the unexpected and look out for a range of roaming street theatre and mystery performances throughout the day.

Indoor Venues located within the Centenary Square site:
Symphony Hall
The Yardbird Jazz Club
The Flapper Pub
The Prince of Wales Pub
The CBSO Centre
Ikon Gallery

Venue Specific Information

The Broad Street Stage
(The House of Sport, 300 Broad Street, B1 2DR)

The Broad Street Stage is an intimate outdoor performance area located under the large porch of the House of Sport opposite Centenary Square. The stage provides the opportunity for smaller performing arts groups to present their work in an outdoor setting, for example comedy acts, performance poets and acoustic musicians and solo artists.

Availability:

Saturday 8th September: 11.00 – 19.00
Sunday 9th September: 11.00 – 19.00

(Please note that these times are provisional at this stage and may be subject to change).

Stage Size:

Approximately 2 metres by 1 metre in size.

Equipment / Facilities Available:

- A basic vocal PA system with speakers and a maximum of 6 channels for input

- 2 vocal microphones

- CD playback

Staffing:

The stage will have a technical support volunteer who will be responsible for the equipment at the stage and helping artists to set up for their performance. An ArtsFest Volunteer Venue Officer will be in charge of the venue on behalf of ArtsFest and will liaise with all artists before the event and on the day.

Additional Notes:

There are no changing facilities at this stage.

Access:

Access will be provided for artists to drop off equipment at this stage if required.

The Be Active Zone
(Centenary Square)

Formerly known as the pARTicipate Area, The Be Active Zone is located in Victoria Square. This move from it’s location in 2011 allows even more visitors of all ages to take part in a rolling programme of workshops throughout each day of the festival. The area also helps to promote Birmingham City Council’s Be Active programme, aiming to get more people in Birmingham active.

Workshops lasting between half an hour to an hour and a half will be programmed and due to the large numbers of visitors that gather in this area during ArtsFest, workshops need to be able to facilitate a good number of participants. Applications are invited for workshops in any genre that encourages participants to get involved physically and these could range from music making to tai chi, drumming to yoga, soccer skills to martial arts or belly dancing.

Availability:

Saturday 8th September: 11.00 – 18.30
Sunday 9th September: 12.00 – 17.30

(Please note that these times are provisional at this stage and may be subject to change).

Workshop Area:

Workshops will take place in the open air. The workshop area will be located outside the Council House in Victoria Square, on the side of the Square closest to Waterloo Street. The area will measure 25 metres by 15 metres and be marked on the ground. This space needs to accommodate workshop leaders and participants. A mini marquee will be situated in one corner of the area to house the PA.

Equipment / Facilities Available:

- A basic vocal PA system with speakers and a maximum of 6 channels for input

- 2 vocal microphones

- CD playback

(Please note that this venue does not have any other equipment available and workshop facilitators need to be able to link to the PA system and provide any other equipment they require themselves).

Staffing:

An ArtsFest Volunteer Venue Officer will be in charge of the zone on behalf of ArtsFest and will liaise with all artists before the event and on the day. A sound technician will also be located in the area to operate the PA system.

Additional Notes:

Changing facilities are not available in this area.

Access:

Access will be provided for artists to drop off equipment close to the area if required.

Art on the Railings
(Centenary Square)

Art on the Railings is where artists hang and sell their work along the railings on the Broad Street side of Centenary Square. It is open to artists working at all levels to take part and is an ideal chance for students, amateurs and those not as experienced in exhibiting to have the opportunity to display and sell their work.

Artists are provided with a section of railings approximately 2.5 metres in width and 2 metres in height (please note that pitch sizes are provisional at this stage and may be subject to change). Artists are asked to hang their pieces of work closely together as the pictures above demonstrate, to create a visually appealing event. It is important for the look of the event that large sections of railing are not left bare and artists are asked to bring spare work to fill gaps once pieces are sold. Artists are also encouraged to bring items such as browsers, tables and easels to display additional work that cannot be hung.

Art on the Railings pitches are charged at £45 + VAT = £54 for one day and £75 + VAT = £90 for two days. This is payable in advance of the event. Payment must be made by cheque and must be received at least 4 weeks prior to the event.

You do not need to apply for a Street Traders Licence, as this will be purchased for you by ArtsFest from Birmingham City Council Licensing Department. The above prices include the cost of the required street trading licence.

ArtsFest can provide 1 table and 1 chair for each successful applicant, however these will be charged at an additional cost of £5 per day. These must be requested on your application and the cost included in the payment that you make to ArtsFest.

ArtsFest does not take a commission from any sales once an artist has paid for their pitch and advise that work priced from £1 – £50 is that which usually sells. If a Collective or Society is successful in an application for Art on the Railings, ArtsFest will discuss with them the allocation of a larger pitch on the railings and the associated increase in cost.

If successful, the artist is responsible for setting up their pitch on the morning of each day of the event and removing their work overnight on Saturday. Artists are responsible for manning their pitch at all times within opening hours and are responsible for all of their sales.

Availability:

Saturday 8th September: 11.00 – 18.00
Sunday 9th September: 11.00 – 18.00

(Please note that these times are provisional at this stage and may be subject to change).

ArtsFest encourages artists whose applications are successful to work while manning their pitch. Sketching or drawing encourages visitors to come and have a look and then buy a piece of work. ArtsFest cannot take responsibility, or offer any reduction on pitch price if sales are low. In the event of severe weather, due to the railings not being covered, Art on the Railings would be moved inside to The Council House in Victoria Square.

To be considered for Art on the Railings artists are asked to submit a minimum of ten pictures of their work for consideration. These must be submitted with the application. The images do not have to be of the exact pieces that would be exhibited, but should give a clear representation of the type of work that would be shown.

Art on the Railings will be managed by the Art on the Railings Coordinator, who is a member of the ArtsFest team.