CALL FOR ARTISTS, ACTS & ACTIVISTS TO RESIST THE CORONATION THIS MAY 2023! This forthcoming May bank holiday, Digbeth Community Garden and Itzatna Arts are collaborating on a DIY grassroots weekender of creative resistance against the coronation of Charles III.

We’re looking for Midlands-based artists, bands, creatives, and campaign groups to join us in creating a subversive garden party as a temporary autonomous zone for Anti-Monarchist, Anti-Imperialist, Anti-Capitalist creativity and discussion. 

Following on from Itzatna Arts '(Secret) Peasants Tea Party' last year in protest against the insidious and unquestioned Platinum Jubilee 'celebrations', and the postcolonial circus of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - we’re now responding to the appalling arrests of anti-Monarchist campaigners in Oxford and Edinburgh last year, which all raise serious questions about the way in which some forces are cracking down on dissent in the UK.

Digbeth Community Garden and Itzatna want to transform the quiet oasis of the community garden at this urgent, potent time of the Coronation bank holiday weekend, to enable radical conversations and collaborations between artists and activists.

We’ve already gathered a few artists and acts for the Friday, but we’re opening the garden gates wide open for anyone and everyone who might have something to say about the Coronation, Monarchy, Imperialism, or Capitalism - but not know where to go and shout about it..! This is a party BY PEASANTS - FOR PEASANTS!

The kind of things we’re looking for:

• Shit portrait paintings of Charles

• Papier-mâché ‘Anonymous’ mask making workshops

• Soapbox stand-up and spoken word acts

• Leftist & Anarchist stalls and info stands

• Rabble-rousing folk punk choirs

• Agitprop Theatre of the Oppressed ensembles

• Radical garbage puppet shows

• Anti-Capitalist reading circles

• Have-a-go spray paint murals and protest banner painting

DATES & TIMES

Friday 5th May 2023 - Live Performances & Music: 18:00 - 21:30 (part of Digbeth First Friday)

Saturday 6th May 2023 - Workshops, Stalls & Talks: 10:00 - 16:00 [TBC]

VENUE

Digbeth Community Garden, Birmingham B5 5TH

https://goo.gl/maps/4Ap3X8tStVac7SD79 

FUNDING & TICKETS

There is no core funding for this event, however, we will be charging a donation for event entry on Friday & Saturday. All box office proceeds will be split among the participating artists, acts, and activists presenting and performing on Friday 5th May. We may ask each activity on Saturday 6th May to charge for their own event depending on costings etc.

ACCESSIBILITY

The event venue Digbeth Community Garden is accessible for wheelchairs, walking frames, strollers, prams. The ground is level soil and wood chip bark.

Toilets are accessible via Warehouse Cafe next door during their opening hours https://www.thewarehousecafe.com/ 

Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, the organizers cannot provide much access support but we will endeavour to try and organize what we can to support you and your community access needs. Please contact us to discuss your accessibility needs.

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO!

• Acoustic music & sound only

• No amplified music (due to neighbour noise complaint issues)

• All music & sounds have to finish at 9pm

• Cash bar only

• Box office can accept cash or contactless cards

• Toilets are only accessible during Warehouse Cafe hours. Check their website https://www.thewarehousecafe.com/ 

• In the event of adverse weather conditions e.g. heavy rain storms - we will take collective consensus from all involved in the event to decide if we cancel or continue, albeit at limited capacity.

TIMELINE

The Warehouse is Birmingham Friends of the Earth’s environmental community building which is home to our campaigns activity, meeting space, the vegan Warehouse Cafe, Sprocket Cycles, Vesta Living, BrumRadio and Voce Books. We also have office spaces which are used by a community of organisations that share our values. Our vegetarian and vegan menu comprises a range of vegan dishes, such as Seitan kebab or Seitan ‘chicken’ Caesar salad, as well as a selection of burgers, curries and regularly changed specials. you will be greeted by a lovely display of our vegan cakes made in-house by our superb pastry chef, and we try to have at least one gluten-free option at all times.

We offer a wide range of botanically brewed Fentimans soft drinks as well as organic juices from Luscombe. Our bar comprises vegan beer from local breweries, vegan wines, and speciality spirits. We source our alcohol as much as possible from local, ethical and organic sources, we hope you enjoy.

Website: https://www.thewarehousecafe.com/

ITZATNA Arts

ITZATNA are an emerging artist collective based in the Midlands that create intercultural collaborations between artists and diaspora communities between Mexico, Latin America, and the UK. ITZATNA cultivates radical, decolonial, and cross-disciplinary approaches to creating cutting-edge projects that combine visual, community, culinary, and live art to create unique experiences for all ages.

ITZATNA are a non-profit arts organization based in Birmingham/West Midlands (UK). We have presented projects in the UK and the EU, including Centrala (Birmingham), Friction Arts/The Edge (Birmingham), Coffin Works (Birmingham) Coventry Artspace, OPEN Ealing Arts Centre (London) ]performance s p a c e [ (London), Sarean Centro Cultural (Bilbao), and MeinBlau Galerie at Month of Performance Art (Berlin), among others.

Website: www.bit.ly/itzatna