The countdown to Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth, produced by Culture Central, has begun with more commissions confirmed for the packed programme of dance, music, art and performance taking place from 4 – 6 October.

6 new productions, commissioned by Dance Hub Birmingham especially for Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth, join the city’s leading artists and arts organisations as part of the packed, FREE, programme.

These new commissions feature dance artists across a range of disciplines and include:

• Sonia Sabri Company and Cirque Bijou present Kindred bringing nature and technology together through fast-paced contemporary Kathak in dialogue with urban dance styles, live and looped table music, mesmerizing lighting and innovative video projections.
   
• Extended Play present Jukebox an interactive work for audiences of all ages and walks of life. The jukebox includes recognizable songs from different eras. Audiences are invited to select a song as they pass by and enjoy a short, unique and intimate performance.
   
• Altered Skin present Home Brewed combining a pint and a chat with dance at The Old Crown, telling stories of migration and identity. Sparked by everyday conversations, dancers take the audience on a theatrical journey culminating in a rousing song and dance finale.
   
• DeNada Dance Theatre present Caribbean Drag Carnival - a highly camp, dynamic and very Latin celebration of carnival through the streets of Digbeth. Choreographed by Carlos Pons Guerra and inspired by Dominican and Cuban folk dance, this processional explosion of Caribbean folk drag is performed by the male dancers of DeNada.
   
• Jamaal O’Driscoll in collaboration with Marius Mates present ONE% a 15minute dance performance featuring the dynamic rawness of breakin’. Two b-boys with colliding mental states respond to the energy of society around them, moving through perceptions of misunderstood emotion.
   
• Birmingham Dance Network present Introducing……a jam-packed afternoon of dance performances, showcasing some of the most exciting dance makers in the region. This will be the seventh Introducing… curated by BDN, expect the unexpected and be part of the future of new dance in Brum.
   

The full programme of dance, music, art and performance is now available online at birminghamweekender.com and in brochures available to pick up in venues across the City.

Clare Lewis, Executive Director of DanceXchange said on behalf of Dance Hub Birmingham:

“Dance Hub Birmingham partners are delighted to have commissioned this fabulous line-up of dance for Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth, raising the profile of dance as a vital artform for the city region, and promoting Birmingham as a vibrant dance city.”

Steve Ball, Director of Culture Central said:

“Birmingham is a city known for its fantastic dance sector and we are thrilled to have been able to include these new works in the Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth programme, an opportunity to get a real sense of the breadth of dance talent in the region in the most surprising locations.

“Our whole free programme looks fantastic, a real celebration of Birmingham’s cultural organisations, venues, artists and performers. What an opportunity too to spend some time in Birmingham’s thriving contemporary art scene and perhaps try out spaces, venues, exhibitions and performances that you’ve not experienced before.

“It’s a packed programme, I urge everyone to get online or pick up a brochure and to start planning their Weekender, I shall see you there!”

Be part of Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth by volunteering, find out about the roles available and upcoming drop-in sessions to find out more by visiting https://www.facebook.com/groups/BirminghamArtsVolunteerBank/.

Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth is funded by Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England.

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