The Proposal

‘ETHNIC CITY’

Contemporary Art in Birmingham

Proposal

by

Alexis Komodikis

                                                                                                          

From the faces on the street, to the music, accents, shop-fronts and the food, it’s obvious that Birmingham is truly an international city, and this is reflected in the backgrounds of its creative people. The contemporary art exhibition - ETHNIC CITY - is intended to appeal to the population at large, because although there is a lively and varied local trend in pop-up art shows, these lack the resources to reach the wider community. Thus, there is very little dialogue between the citizens of Birmingham and the talent that is nurtured here. This is in contrast to the national and international scenes. 

ETHNIC CITY  will promote Birmingham and its international heritage. Our citizens will be given the opportunity to take pride - and have an emotional stake - in their artists by experiencing the art, and getting to know the people that create it.

It’s a celebration of the city’s diverse culture, and the artists drawn from that ‘melting pot’. Creatives of various and mixed backgrounds, including English, Persian, Afro-Caribbean, Pakistani, Irish, Colombian, Welsh and Greek heritage, will be exhibiting. Some of the artists have exhibited widely and internationally, whilst others are just starting out. Excellence in terms of skill and ideas is the connecting thread throughout the show. (For examples of artwork and artist biographies, see the attached sheets.)

The show will feature paintings, drawings and installations of a multi-disciplinary nature.  ETHNIC CITY is intended to attract and thrill people with the variety of styles and talent on display. 

We aim to curate ETHNIC CITY to achieve the following:

               

1 )        to create an awareness and to celebrate artistic excellence within the diverse local MAC communities.

2)         to feature both up-and-coming and prominent artists from various ethnic and religious backgrounds in Birmingham.

3)         to inspire and bring together communities, especially young people, via an interactive

and engaging artistic dialogue.

4)         to show Birmingham in a culturally positive light, both nationally and internationally.

Represented in ETHNIC CITY will be artistic champions from many of our communities. These will provide inspiration to younger people, and show that a life in art is a credible and positive thing. Where scheduling allows, many of the artists would be only too happy to talk about their art and inspirations in lectures and workshops. Ideally, the exhibition will communicate the spirit of art and dispel the myth that contemporary art is middle-class, dry and theoretical.

The MAC has a long-cherished tradition of bringing the citizens of Birmingham into direct contact with the arts, specifically people from non-art backgrounds that do not usually have the opportunity to experience or appreciate art.  Also, in terms of location and accessibility, the venue perfectly conveys the ETHNIC CITY ideal. Artists will, through their art, confirm and maintain that art is a universal platform for building community understanding and awareness, allowing the population to consider the cultural value of art in relation to their lives and aspirations.

We aim to encourage participation and increase audience awareness in the surrounding neighbourhoods and outside the city. The artists will personally reach out into their communities, and proactively advertise the event via mail drops, radio and newspapers. Social networking and blogging will also be used to promote the show.

We already have endorsements from various community leaders, the BBC, and the team behind the Birmingham City of Culture bid. We also have a film crew and art marketing companies ready to promote the exhibition as widely as possible*.

Future aspirations are for a regular show (annual or bi-annual), continuing to showcase Birmingham art. This will keep the art within public reach and inspire future artists from within the local communities. Visitors from outside the city will also be encouraged to visit what we hope will be a much anticipated regular event. Perhaps timed to coincide with other large local events, this will create significant gallery/curator interest. It will also boost the Birmingham scene and the careers of our local artists. The show can potentially stimulate a long-dormant interest in the city as an artistic/cultural centre.

ETHNIC CITY will go towards building upon Birmingham’s international standing, and could help to win the coveted European City of Culture title. A touring version of the exhibition could also visit our twin cities, such as Chicago, Lyon and Milan, or at least encourage the exchange of artists to and from our respective cities.