This article is about culture and the arts in the city of Birmingham, England. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The arts is a broad subdivision of Culture, composed of many expressive disciplines. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It covers both notable history and notable contemporary activities.

Contents 1 Popular music 1.1 History 1.1.1 1950s 1.1.2 1960s 1.1.3 1970s 1.1.4 Early 1980s 1.1.5 Late 1980s 1.1.6 1990s 1.1.7 List of notable historical musical artists 1.1.8 Famous instruments 1.2 Contemporary bands and labels 1.3 Contemporary Venues and Music Festivals 2 Jazz 3 Classical music 3.1 History 3.2 Groups, venues and orchestras 4 Literature 4.1 Historical authors 4.2 Contemporary authors 5 Theatre 5.1 Famous stage names 5.2 Theatres 6 Comedy 7 Visual arts 7.1 History of painting and illustration 7.2 History of photography 7.3 Contemporary artists 7.4 Current art galleries 8 Film 8.1 History 8.2 Contemporary 9 Publishing 9.1 History 9.2 Contemporary 10 Broadcast 10.1 History 10.2 Current stations and programmes 11 Major arts events 12 References 13 External links

Popular music

Music of the United Kingdom
History	Nationalities
Early popular music	England
1950s and 60s	Scotland
1970s	Wales
1980s	Ireland
1990s to present	Caribbean and Indian
Genres: (Samples) Classical - Folk - Hip hop - Opera - Popular - Rock - Jazz
By year: 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007
Awards	Mercury, BRIT Awards, Gramophone Awards
Charts	UK Singles Chart, UK classical chart, UK Albums Chart
Festivals	Cambridge Folk Festival, Creamfields, Download Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Eisteddfodd, Glastonbury Festival, Homelands, Isle of Wight Festival, Royal National Mod, The Proms, Reading and Leeds Festivals , T in the Park, V Festival
Media	NME - Melody Maker - Mojo - Q - The Wire - The Gramophone
National anthem	"God Save the Queen"
Regions and territories
Birmingham - Cornwall - Isle of Man - Manchester - Northumbria - Scotland - Somerset - Wales Anguilla - Bermuda - Cayman Islands - Gibraltar - Montserrat - Turks and Caicos - Virgin Islands

History

Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history in popular pop and rock music, since the 1950s. Music from the United Kingdom has lost great popularity since the 1960s when a wave of musicians helped to popularise Rock and roll. The diverse Nations that now make up the United Kingdom were much more distinct from each other prior to modern times The roots of British popular music for the rest of the 20th century and into the next were set during the 1950s Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to Pop music In the 1970s, music from the United Kingdom further diversified Wales has a strong and distinctive tradition of Folk music related to the Celtic music of countries such as Ireland and Scotland. In the early 1980s in the United Kingdom, Punk rock diversified into genres such as Gothic rock (e Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the border In the early 1990s American grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam helped inspire the British alternative rock scene Music from Trinidad Large-scale Caribbean migration to England began in 1948 The music of India' includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, and classical music. This article is concerned with Classical music in the sense elsewhere defined of formally composed and written music of chamber concert and church type as distinct from popular British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of Hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. The history of Opera in the English language commences in the 17th century Music from the United Kingdom has lost great popularity since the 1960s when a wave of musicians helped to popularise Rock and roll. British rock and roll, or Brit rock, was born out of the influence of Rock and roll and Rhythm and blues from the United States, but added Jazz in Britain has been performed in the country since shortly after the music's first appearance on record in 1917 This is a summary of 1999 in music in the United Kingdom including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2000 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2001 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2002 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2003 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This article gives details on 2004 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2005 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts This is a summary of 2006 in music in the United Kingdom including the official single and album charts This is a summary of the year 2007 in British music. It was the first year of Digital downloads being fully integrated into the charts leading to many songs not The Mercury Prize, formerly the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize for Sponsorship reasons is an annual music prize The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on the classical Record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry The UK classical chart is a commercial monitoring and marketing device used by the UK music industry to measure its effectiveness in promoting and selling albums nominally in the field The UK Albums Chart is a list of Albums ranked by sales in the United Kingdom. There are a large number of music festivals in the United Kingdom, covering a wide variety of genres Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual Music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Creamfields is a large Dance music festival featuring DJs and live acts The Download Festival is a three day Music festival held annually at Donington Park (which hosted the Monsters of Rock Festivals between 1980 and 1996 The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of Performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around See also An eisteddfod (aɪˈstɛðvəd Welsh ə(iˈstɛðvɔd plural eisteddfodau or eisteddfods) is a Welsh Festival For the classical music and theatre festivals co-founded by Rutland Boughton between 1914 and 1926 see Glastonbury Festival (1914-1925 The For the Magic The Gathering expansion set see Homelands (Magic The Gathering. The Isle of Wight Festival is a Music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. The Royal National Mod, (Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail is the annual national mod, a festival of Scottish Gaelic song arts and culture The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily Orchestral T in the Park is a major Music festival that has been held annually in Scotland since 1994 The V Festival is an annual music festival in England, the first to be held simultaneously at two sites - currently Hylands Park in Chelmsford and The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper Mojo is a popular Music Magazine published by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 The Wire is a British Avant garde music Magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray Gramophone is a magazine published monthly in London by Haymarket devoted to classical music and particularly recordings of classical A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National This article is about Culture and the Arts in the city of Birmingham, England. Cornwall has been historically Celtic though Celtic-derived traditions had been Moribund for some time before being revived during a late 20th century Roots revival The Isle of Man is a small island nation in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. Manchester had an impressive music scene before 1976 with groups like The Hollies, The Bee Gees, Herman's Hermits, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders Here Northumbria is taken to mean the traditional counties of Northumberland, the northernmost county of England, and County Durham, Sunderland Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to Pop music Somerset is a County in the southwest of England. The county has a well-documented and still vibrant Folk music heritage as it was studied by one of the Wales has a strong and distinctive tradition of Folk music related to the Celtic music of countries such as Ireland and Scotland. The music of Anguilla is part of the Lesser Antillean music area. Bermuda is an Atlantic island and an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, often treated as part of the Caribbean music area. The Cayman Islands a Caribbean island chain is a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory with many musical influences Montserrat is a dependency of the United Kingdom. The influence of Irish traditions is apparent in Montserrat's symbols and heritage especially the Set dance -like The Turks and Caicos Islands are an overseas dependency of the United Kingdom. The music of the Virgin Islands reflects long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists Black Sabbath are an

1950s

Fifties bands such as Billy King and the Nightriders, Pat Wayne and The Deltas and The Dominettes gave rise in the following decade to the Brum Beat era of the early 1960s featuring early progressive rock and bluesbands such as The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Fortunes, The Rockin Berries, The Idle Race, The Moody Blues and The Move (members of the last two going on to form The Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard). The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Brum Beat is the name of a magazine about the music within Birmingham, England. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The Spencer Davis Group was a mid 1960s British Beat group from Birmingham, England, founded by Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939 Traffic were an English rock band formed in 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. The Fortunes are an Archetypal English Beat group. Formed in Birmingham, The Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965 The Rockin' Berries were a Beat group from Birmingham, England formed in 1961 The Idle Race were an English cult Rock group from Birmingham in the late 1960s and early '70s The Moody Blues are an English psychedelic rock band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England, and were among the most popular British bands to not find any success Wizzard were a Birmingham -based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra

1960s

The Brum Beat era of the early 1960s featured early progressive rock and bluesbands such as The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Fortunes, The Rockin Berries, The Idle Race, The Moody Blues and The Move (members of the last two going on to form The Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard). Brum Beat is the name of a magazine about the music within Birmingham, England. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The Spencer Davis Group was a mid 1960s British Beat group from Birmingham, England, founded by Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939 Traffic were an English rock band formed in 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. The Fortunes are an Archetypal English Beat group. Formed in Birmingham, The Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965 The Rockin' Berries were a Beat group from Birmingham, England formed in 1961 The Idle Race were an English cult Rock group from Birmingham in the late 1960s and early '70s The Moody Blues are an English psychedelic rock band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England, and were among the most popular British bands to not find any success Wizzard were a Birmingham -based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra

The city is often cited as the birthplace of heavy metal music in the late 1960s, with Judas Priest and Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham. Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1970 in Birmingham. Black Sabbath are an Robert Plant and John Bonham, later members of Led Zeppelin and being local to the city, played in bands which were part of the Birmingham music scene, they performed and rehearsed frequently in the city. Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948 West Bromwich, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter famous for his membership in the John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham (May 31 1948 – September 25 1980 was an English Drummer and member of the band Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin were Rob Halford of Judas Priest attributes the band's success to 'Birmingham having that [. Robert John Arthur Halford (born August 25, 1951) is an English singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band . . ] tough, working-class feeling [. . . ] We weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths. The English language expression silver spoon is an expression for wealth someone born into a wealthy family is said to have "been born with a silver spoon in his mouth" We had to go to work and work really hard. Some people that work in a coal mine or work in the car industry might argue and say, 'These guys haven't worked a day in their lives. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. ' That's not true. To be in a band – to be in a worldwide, successful band – is incredibly hard work. [1]

Also in the late 1960s, there were psychedelic rock bands, such as Bachdenkel, who Rolling Stone called “Britain’s Greatest Unknown Group”. Bachdenkel were an English Rock group which came to life in and around the King's Heath area of Birmingham in the late 1960s evolving out of a combo called "U

1970s

In the 1970s members of The Move and The Moody Blues formed the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. Wizzard were a Birmingham -based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra In the 1970s, Birmingham's increasing West Indian population contributed to the popularity of reggae, with Steel Pulse's ground-breaking album Handsworth Revolution being a notable product of the time. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Steel Pulse is a well-known Roots reggae musical band They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School in Handsworth Revolution is a Reggae album by Steel Pulse. It is named after the Handsworth district of Birmingham, England

Early 1980s

As the 1980s arrived, the Rum Runner nightclub played a significant role in rock music in the city, particularly in the case of New Romantic supergroup Duran Duran. The Rum Runner nightclub was opened on Broad Street in the Birmingham city centre in 1964 A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark New Romantic was a short- lived Fashion and music movement that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the very early 1980s Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two Dexys Midnight Runners, Stephen "Tintin" Duffy and The Bureau also emanated from the city's music scene at this time. Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop Group with soul influences who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s Stephen Anthony James Duffy (born 30 May, 1960, in Birmingham) is an English Songwriter, Vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist The Bureau were a New Wave Soul group formed in late 1980 in Birmingham, England when the original lineup of Dexy's Midnight Runners

Later Musical Youth, UB40, the first truly mixed-race UK dub band, and Pato Banton found commercial success, as did 2 Tone band The Beat who drew their influences from Jamaican ska music. Musical Youth is a Grammy Award -nominated British - Jamaican pop / Reggae group UB40 are a British Reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008 the band placed more than 50 Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Pato Banton (born Patrick Murray) is a Reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady The Beat (known in North America as The English Beat) are a 2 Tone Ska revival band founded in England in 1978

Political skiffle was, for a short time in the mid-1980s, a notable Birmingham sound - led by bands such as Terry & Gerry.

The hip hop scene dates back to at least 1980, and has produced popular performers like Moorish Delta 7 and Brothers and Sisters. Moorish Delta 7 (also known as MD7) are a Hip hop / UK garage outfit from the Newtown area of Birmingham, England. The city had a pirate radio station called 'Fresh F. The term pirate radio usually refers to illegal or unregulated radio transmissions M. ' which broadcast from the city. The station played hip hop and breakdance records and inspired a rap crew called Jump who released two records, 'We Come to Jam' and 'Feel It', as early as 1985. In 1980 a Birmingham rapper 'Sure Shot' appeared on a UK breakfast show, followed in 1985, a hip hop collective named Jump (which included Sure Shot) released two records; 'We Come to Jam' and 'Feel It'. The crew formed 'The Audio Kings' and 'The Black Prophetz'.

Late 1980s

Later in the 1980s, Grindcore music, a blend of punk and heavy metal, was pioneered in the city by Napalm Death. For the fictional character with this name see Grindcore (Transformers. Napalm Death are The Charlatans, Dodgy, Felt, The Lilac Time, and Ocean Colour Scene were other notable rock bands founded in the city and its surrounding area in this period. The Charlatans (known in the United States as The Charlatans UK) are a British Alternative rock band Dodgy are an English Powerpop rock trio that rose to prominence during the Britpop era of the 1990s best known for their Felt were a 1980s British Alternative rock band named after the way Tom Verlaine enunciated the word "felt" in the Television The Lilac Time are a band formed in Herefordshire, England and now based in Cornwall by Stephen Duffy and his brother Nick Duffy in Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English Britpop band from Birmingham. Pop Will Eat Itself formed in nearby Stourbridge and consisted of Birmingham band members, as did Neds Atomic Dustbin. Pop Will Eat Itself (also known as PWEI or the Poppies) were an English band formed in Stourbridge, with band members from Birmingham Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Ned's Atomic Dustbin is an English Grebo rock band formed in Stourbridge in West Midlands in November 1987

The city embraced the national acid house scene (see Birmingham House music scene), supported by local figures such as the late Tony De Vit, Steve Lawler and Scott Bond. Acid house is a sub-genre of House music that emphasizes a repetitive hypnotic and trance -like style with samples or spoken lines usually used rather than sung lyrics This article is about Culture and the Arts in the city of Birmingham, England. Tony De Vit ( September 12, 1957 &ndash July 2, 1998) was a club Disc jockey. Steve Lawler is a British House music producer and DJ born in Birmingham, England. Scott Bond is a Trance music artist producer, and promoter from Birmingham, England. Acid house nights such as Spectrum took place at the Digbeth Institute (now the Sanctuary), C.R.E.A.M., the Hummingbird (now the Carling Academy Birmingham), and The Que Club (one of the biggest clubs the city has ever had). Acid house is a sub-genre of House music that emphasizes a repetitive hypnotic and trance -like style with samples or spoken lines usually used rather than sung lyrics The Digbeth Institute is a 2000 capacity music venue in Digbeth, Birmingham, England, which has been synonymous in the development of the British The Carling Academy Birmingham is a music venue in Dale End Birmingham, England (not to be confused with the Academy at the NIA, as the nearby National Birmingham has given birth to some of the UK's most influential dance nights Gatecrasher, Sundissential, Atomic Jam, and later, Gods Kitchen. Gatecrasher (later Crasher) is a Dance music event formerly held at the venue Gatecrasher 1, previously Republic in Sheffield England. Sundissential is a music event formed in Birmingham, England, that started in the mid to late 1990s Atomic Jam is one of the largest and the most influential Techno events in the United Kingdom. Successful house musicians and DJs included the late Tony De Vit, Steve Lawler, Steve Kelley, Scott Bond, Jem Atkins, Al McKenzie, Colin Dred, The Ryan Brothers, Mark Jarman, Patrick Smooth, Tall Paul and Jeremy Sylvester. Tony De Vit ( September 12, 1957 &ndash July 2, 1998) was a club Disc jockey. Steve Lawler is a British House music producer and DJ born in Birmingham, England. Steve Kelley (born January 8 1953 is a former Minnesota state Senator. Scott Bond is a Trance music artist producer, and promoter from Birmingham, England. " Tall Paul " was a seminal song in both the careers of Annette Funicello and the Sherman Brothers.

1990s

Electronic artists include electro dub music creators Rockers Hi-Fi, Big Beat musicians Bentley Rhythm Ace, UK garage/house act The Streets, and Electronica bands Broadcast, Pram, Plone, Surgeon, Add N to X, Electribe 101, Mistys Big Adventure, Editors and Avrocar. Rockers Hi-Fi were an electronic Dub/dance outfit formed in Birmingham, England in the mid 90's Big beat (sometimes called chemical breaks) is a term deployed in the mid 1990s by the British music press to describe the music of The Chemical Brothers, Bentley Rhythm Ace ( BRA) are a duo formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1990s consisting of Mike Stokes and Richard March UK Garage ( UKG) is an umbrella term that refers to several different varieties of modern Electronic dance music generally connected to the evolution of house House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Mike Skinner (born 27 November 1978) more commonly known by his stage name The Streets, is a Rapper from Birmingham, England Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range Broadcast are an electronic Music band based in the Kings Heath part of Birmingham, England. Pram are a band formed in the Balsall Heath/Moseley area of Birmingham, England in 1990. Plone was an Electronic music band from Birmingham, England. The group was created in late 1994 when Mark Cancellara & Mike Johnston started Surgeon is the pseudonym of Anthony Child an English Electronic musician and DJ. Add N to (X were a three-piece British band specializing in Electronic music performed on analogue Synthesizers, formed in London Electribe 101 was a British -based Electronic music group in the late 1980s and early 1990s managed by Tom Watkins of Bros, Pet Shop Boys Misty's Big Adventure are an eight piece band from Birmingham, England. Editors are a British Indie rock band from Birmingham who formed in 2002 Avrocar are an Electronica band from Birmingham, England. They have had an influence on the evolution of Radiohead 's sound

Electroacoustic and experimental music emerged in the city, via ensembles such as BEAST.

The city's cultural diversity also contributed to the blend of bhangra and ragga pioneered by Apache Indian in Handsworth. Bhangra (ਭੰਗੜਾ pa-PK بھنگڑا pə̀ŋgɽäː is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a sub-genre of Dancehall music or Reggae, in which the instrumentation primarily consists When hip hop performer Afrika Bambaata visited Britain he inspired new rappers and hip hop DJs including Moorish Delta 7 Elements, Roc1, Mad Flow, Creative Habits, Lord Laing and DJ Sparra (twice winner of the DMC mixing championships). Afrika Bambaataa (born Kevin Donovan on April 17, 1957) is an American DJ from the South Bronx, who was instrumental in the Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Moorish Delta 7 (also known as MD7) are a Hip hop / UK garage outfit from the Newtown area of Birmingham, England. Brothers and Sisters took place in the 'Coast to Coast' club in the old ATV television studios on Broad Street in the early 1990s. Associated TeleVision Limited, best known simply as ATV, was a British ITV company from 1955 until 1981 Broad Street is a major Thoroughfare in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. Then came Fungle Junk, held for many years beneath House music club 'Fun'. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's Body or Mind. , and bringing The Psychonaughts, Andy Weatherall and the Scratch Perverts to the city. The Scratch Perverts are a collective of turntablist DJs from the UK, formed in 1996 by Tony Vegas, Prime Cuts and DJ Renegade

List of notable historical musical artists

Successful Birmingham singer/songwriters and musicians include: Joan Armatrading, Steve Gibbons, Mike Kellie (of Spooky Tooth),Keith Law (Velvett Fogg & Jardine) Jeff Lynne, Phil Lynott, Carl Palmer (of Emerson Lake and Palmer), Roy Wood, Jamelia, Kelli Dayton of The Sneaker Pimps, Martin Barre (guitarist with Jethro Tull), Bev Bevan, Ali Campbell, Steve Cradock (guitarist for Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller), Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Jamelia, Denny Laine, Fritz Mcintyre (keyboardist of Simply Red), Christine Perfect (of Fleetwood Mac), Robert Plant (born in West Brom and played in Brumbeat bands), Nick Rhodes, Ranking Roger, John Henry Rostill (bass guitarist/composer for The Shadows), Matt Skinner, Dave Swarbrick (of Fairport Convention), John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Ruby Turner, Ted Turner (guitar/vocals, Wishbone Ash), Peter Overend Watts, Steve Winwood and Dave Mason. Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading (born December 9 1950 is a British Singer, Songwriter, and Guitarist. Steve Gibbons is a rock vocalist from Birmingham, UK The Dominettes Steve Gibbons started his professional life as a plumbers’ apprentice in Harbourne Mike Kellie (born Michael Kellie, 24 March 1947 in Birmingham) is an English Drummer. Spooky Tooth were an English Progressive rock band from the late 1960s Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947 in Shard End, Birmingham) is a Grammy Award -winning English rock Songwriter Philip Parris Lynott (20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986 was a Singer, Bassist, Instrumentalist, and Songwriter, who first came to prominence Carl Palmer (born Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer, on March 20, 1950, in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English drummer Emerson Lake & Palmer ( ELP) were an English Progressive rock supergroup. Roy Wood (born Roy Adrian Wood 8 November 1946, Kitts Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is a Songwriter Jamelia Niela Davis (born on 11 January 1981) known simply as Jamelia, is a Mercury Music Prize nominated English R&B Sneaker Pimps are a British Trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1995 Martin Lancelot Barre (born 17 November 1946, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is an English Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967-1968 Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead Flute work of front man Bev Bevan (born Beverley Bevan on 24 November 1944 in Sparkhill, Birmingham, England) is an English rock Ali Campbell, (born Alistair Ian Campbell, 15 February 1959 in Birmingham) is a British Singer, solo artist and Steve Cradock (born Stephen Cradock 22 August 1969 in Solihull, England) is a British Guitarist, most notable for Paul Weller (born John William Weller 25 May 1958 in Sheerwater near Woking, Surrey) is an English Singer-songwriter. Stephen Anthony James Duffy (born 30 May, 1960, in Birmingham) is an English Songwriter, Vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Frank Anthony "Iommi (born February 19 1948, in Aston, Birmingham England) is an English Guitarist and Songwriter John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born December 3 1948) is a British singer Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, October 29, 1944, in Tyseley, Birmingham) is an English Songwriter Simply Red is an English pop band Their style draws influences from pop, rock, jazz, Lovers rock, and Blue-eyed soul Fleetwood Mac are a British / American Nick Rhodes (born Nicholas James Bates in Moseley, West Midlands, England, 8 June 1962 is the keyboardist for Duran Duran Ranking Roger (born 21 February 1961) born Roger Charlery in Birmingham to Jean Baptiste Charlery The Shadows are an English instrumental and vocal Rock and roll group active from the 1950s to the 2000s David Cyril Eric 'Dave' Swarbrick (born 5 April 1941 in New Malden) is an English folk musician John Taylor (born Nigel John Taylor on June 20, 1960 in Birmingham, England) is the Bass guitarist and co-founder Roger Andrew Taylor (born April 26, 1960 in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, England) is the drummer for the electronic pop/rock Ruby Turner (born 22 June 1958) is a British soul Singer and Actress. Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American Media proprietor and philanthropist. Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved particular success in the early and mid-1970s with their most critically acclaimed records including Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1944) is an English Musician, singer songwriter, and Guitarist from Worcester Nick Mason of Pink Floyd was born in the city and was brought up in London. Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason (born 27 January 1944 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England) is the Drummer for Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd are

See also: List of songs about Birmingham

See also: Category:Music from Birmingham, England

Famous instruments

Birmingham-based tape recorder company, Bradmatic Ltd helped develop and manufacture the Mellotron. This is a list of songs about Birmingham, England: Electric Light Orchestra - "Birmingham Blues" The Fall The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s Over the next 15 years, the Mellotron had a major impact on rock music and is a trademark sound of the progressive rock bands. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African

Contemporary bands and labels

Many varieties of electronic and dance music continue to cross-fertilise in the city with acts such as Bentley Rhythm Ace, The Streets, Rockers Hi-Fi, Editors, Surgeon, Mistys Big Adventure and Broadcast. Bentley Rhythm Ace ( BRA) are a duo formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1990s consisting of Mike Stokes and Richard March Mike Skinner (born 27 November 1978) more commonly known by his stage name The Streets, is a Rapper from Birmingham, England Rockers Hi-Fi were an electronic Dub/dance outfit formed in Birmingham, England in the mid 90's Editors are a British Indie rock band from Birmingham who formed in 2002 Surgeon is the pseudonym of Anthony Child an English Electronic musician and DJ. Misty's Big Adventure are an eight piece band from Birmingham, England. Broadcast are an electronic Music band based in the Kings Heath part of Birmingham, England.

Notable dance music record labels include Network records (of Altern8 fame), Different Drummer, Urban Dubz Records, Badger promotions, Jibbering records, Iron Man, Earko and Munchbreak records. Altern-8 is a Breakbeat hardcore duo band featuring Mark Archer and Chris Peat. Leftfoot is a musical event It started life in Birmingham 's Medicine Bar and the Bulls Head Public House in the suburb of Moseley in the late Urban Dubz Records is a Techno and house Record label based in Handsworth, Birmingham, England.

As of 2005 The Medicine Bar (situated in the old Bird's Custard Factory) continues the city's hip hop connection and is home to two of the longest running Funk and hip hop nights in the UK: Substance and Leftfoot, both featured on BBC Radio 1. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Medicine Bar in Birmingham, England started as a collaboration in the 1990s between the London Medicine bar and local hip hop DJ The Custard Factory is an arts and media production centre in Birmingham, England ( Leftfoot is a musical event It started life in Birmingham 's Medicine Bar and the Bulls Head Public House in the suburb of Moseley in the late They fuse Acid Jazz, hip hop and funk artists from across the Globe. Acid jazz (also known as groove jazz in USA is a Musical genre that combines elements of Jazz, Funk and Hip-hop Most Munchbreak, a live hip hop collective, host a regular session in the old Rainbow pub in Digbeth which is part owned by Fuzz Townswend, a former member of Bentley Rhythm Ace and Pop Will Eat Itself. Digbeth is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also the name of the main road through the area Bentley Rhythm Ace ( BRA) are a duo formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1990s consisting of Mike Stokes and Richard March Pop Will Eat Itself (also known as PWEI or the Poppies) were an English band formed in Stourbridge, with band members from Birmingham Punch Records, in the Custard Factory, run street dance and Hip Hop DJ training courses. Punch Records is primarily a Record shop and hip hop Record label based in Birmingham city centre England.

Independent shops in the city selling vinyl records include Swordfish Records, Tempest Records, Summit Records (which now sells mainly reggae and doubles as an Afro Caribbean barbers), Jibbering records, Punch Records, Old School Daze, Dance Music Finder Records, Three Shades Records and Hard To Find Records, which is the original 'dance music finder' in the UK and now trades as one the largest vinyl record and DJ shops in the world. A vinyl compound is any Organic compound that contains a vinyl group (also called ethenyl) &minus C[[Hydrogen H]] =CH sub>2 Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Punch Records is primarily a Record shop and hip hop Record label based in Birmingham city centre England. Hard To Find Records first began in Birmingham, England in 1991 and is currently located near the The Mailbox.

Contemporary Venues and Music Festivals

Birmingham's current music venues - large and small - include Symphony Hall at the ICC, The National Indoor Arena, Carling Academy Birmingham, the National Exhibition Centre, The CBSO Centre, The Glee Club, The Adrian Boult Hall at Birmingham Conservatoire, The Yardbird, mac (Midlands Arts Centre) at Cannon Hill Park, The Custard Factory, the Drum Arts Centre, The Jam House, and pub and bar venues including The Rainbow (Digbeth), The Bull's Head (in the suburb of Moseley), The Cross (Moseley), the Ceol Castle (Moseley), the Hare and Hounds (Kings Heath), Scruffy Murphy's, the Jug of Ale, The Queen's Arms (city centre), a branch of Barfly and the Hibernian. The National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large Indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. The Carling Academy Birmingham is a music venue in Dale End Birmingham, England (not to be confused with the Academy at the NIA, as the nearby National The National Exhibition Centre ( NEC) is an Exhibition centre in Solihull, near Birmingham, England. mac (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit Arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England The Custard Factory is an arts and media production centre in Birmingham, England ( The Drum ( is an Arts centre in the Newtown area of Aston, in Birmingham, England, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for Barfly is a chain of Nightclubs in the UK. It has venues in Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Glasgow, Cardiff

Party in the Park is Birmingham's largest annual music festival, at Cannon Hill Park, where up to 30,000 revellers of all ages listen to popular chart music. Party in the Park is the generic name given to popular music concerts organised by GCap Media in England and Wales, typically in various large parks during Cannon Hill Park ( is a Park located in south Birmingham, England.

The newest music festival that Birmingham has to offer is Gigbeth, first piloted in March 2006 and now annual on the first weekend of November in Digbeth. Gigbeth is a music festival celebrating local independent music from the West Midlands.

Jazz

Jazz is popular in the city. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Many venues support a jazz scene in the city, often promoted by Birmingham Jazz. Birmingham Jazz is a voluntary non-profit organisation responsible for promoting and commissioning some of the most exciting jazz and related contemporary music in the UK Jazz musicians associated with the city include Soweto Kinch, Julian Arguelles, Ronnie Ball, Tony Kinsey, Douglas "Dougle" Robinson and King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys. Soweto Kinch is a British Jazz alto saxophonist and rapper. He was born in London in 1978 to a Bajan father who is a Julian Argüelles (born January 28, 1966 in Birmingham, UK is a saxophonist Ronald "Ronnie" Ball (December 22 1927 - 1984 was a Jazz pianist born in Birmingham England. Tony Kinsey (born 11 October 1927 in Sutton Coldfield) is an English Jazz drummer and composer

The busiest promoter of contemporary jazz in the city is the voluntary organisation Birmingham Jazz, which mounts dozens of concerts every year featuring local, national and international artists in venues such as the CBSO Centre, the mac arts centre, the Glee Club and Symphony Hall. Birmingham Jazz is a voluntary non-profit organisation responsible for promoting and commissioning some of the most exciting jazz and related contemporary music in the UK It enjoys the support of the city council and the Arts Council of England and also commissions new works from both local performers and performers of international standing. Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales

Classical music

History

The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784 - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, in Birmingham, England, founded in 1784 was the longest-running classical music Festival of its kind Music was written for the festival by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvořák, Bantock and most notably Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham. Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Biography Gounod was born in Paris, the son of a pianist mother and a draftsman father Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( (often pronounced in English as; DVOR-zhahk; September 8 1841 – May 1 1904 was a Czech composer of Romantic music, who employed Sir Granville Bantock (7 August 1868 &ndash 16 October 1946 was a British Composer of classical music.

Albert William Ketèlbey was born in Alma Street, Aston on 9 August 1875, the son of a teacher at the Vittoria School of Art. Albert William Ketèlbey ( 9 August, 1875 &ndash 26 November, 1959) was an English Composer, conductor and pianist Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Ketèlbey attended the Trinity College of Music, where he beat the runner-up, Gustav Holst, for a musical scholarship. Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatoires, based in Greenwich. Gustav Theodore Holst (21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934was an English Composer and was a music teacher for nearly 20 years

Groups, venues and orchestras

The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall, which in acoustic terms is widely considered to be one of the greatest concert halls of the twentieth century and also hosts concerts by many visiting orchestras. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. Symphony Hall is a 2262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre (ICC in Birmingham, England. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

Other professional orchestras based in the city include the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, a chamber orchestra specialising in modern music with some world premieres; the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, who give concert performances under music director Barry Wordsworth in addition to playing for the Birmingham Royal Ballet; and Ex Cathedra, one of the country's oldest and most respected early-music and Baroque period instrument ensembles. Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG is a chamber Orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is the Orchestra of Birmingham Royal Ballet. Ex Cathedra (ɛks kəˈɵeɪdrə eks kə-THAY-drə) is a British Choir and Early music ensemble based Early music is commonly defined as European classical music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque. Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750. In the Historically informed performance movement musicians perform European classical music using restored or replica versions of the instruments for which it was originally A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music.

Birmingham is an important centre for musical education as the home of the UCE Birmingham Conservatoire, founded in 1859. Birmingham Conservatoire is an international conservatoire. Prior to 1989 it was known as the Birmingham School of Music The Royal College of Organists is based in Digbeth. The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is an educational body of the United Kingdom. Digbeth is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also the name of the main road through the area

The Birmingham Royal Ballet resides in the city as does the Elmhurst School for Dance, based in Edgbaston, and which claims to be the world's oldest vocational dance school. The Birmingham Royal Ballet ( BRB) is one of the UK's foremost Ballet companies based at the Birmingham Hippodrome in Birmingham, Elmhurst School for Dance is the oldest Vocational Dance school in the United Kingdom.

Birmingham's professional opera company - the Birmingham Opera Company - specialises in staging innovative performances in unusual venues (in 2005 it performed Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria in a burnt-out ice rink in the Chinese Quarter). Birmingham Opera Company is a professional Opera company based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England, that specialises in innovative Its artistic director, Graham Vick, has also directed at La Scala, Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House in London. The Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala, as it is known in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous Opera houses The theatre was The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. WikipediaWikiProject Opera --> The Royal Opera House is an Opera house and major performing

Visiting opera companies such as Opera North and Welsh National Opera perform regularly at the Hippodrome. This is about the British organisation for the unrelated American one see Opera North (U Welsh National Opera ( WNO) is a touring Opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1946 The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.

Birmingham's other principal classical music venues include The National Indoor Arena (NIA), CBSO Centre, Adrian Boult Hall (ABH) at Birmingham Conservatoire, the Barber Concert Hall at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and Birmingham Town Hall, currently closed for refurbishment. The National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large Indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. The CBSO Centre is the administrative home and rehearsal centre of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Choruses ( City of Birmingham The Adrian Boult Hall is the main concert hall of the Birmingham Conservatoire in central Birmingham, England. Birmingham Conservatoire is an international conservatoire. Prior to 1989 it was known as the Birmingham School of Music The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an Art gallery and Concert hall in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. Concerts also regularly take place in churches around the city including St Phillips Cathedral, St Paul's in the Jewellery Quarter, St Alban's in Highgate and The Oratory on the Hagley Road. St Philip's Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral, in Colmore Row, Birmingham, England, dedicated to St Philip St Paul's,, is a church and a Georgian square in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England. The Jewellery Quarter is an area of Birmingham City Centre, situated in the south of the Hockley area of Birmingham, England. Birmingham Oratory is a Catholic oratory and church, also known as Little Rome in Birmingham.

Literature

Many famous literary figures have been associated with Birmingham:

Historical authors

• W.V. Awdry wrote his first Thomas the Tank Engine in Kings Norton and remained in the city until 1965. Symphony Hall is a 2262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre (ICC in Birmingham, England. Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE, ( 15 June 1911 &ndash 21 March 1997) better known as the Reverend W Thomas the Tank Engine is a Fictional Anthropomorphic Tank locomotive created by the Rev Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield
• W. H. Auden grew up in Harborne, Birmingham, and taught for many years at schools in nearby Malvern. Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973 ˈwɪstən ˈhjuː ˈɔːdən who signed his works W Harborne is an area three miles southwest from Birmingham city centre England.
• Barbara Cartland was born in Edgbaston in 1901. Dame Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland DBE CStJ ( 9 July 1901 &ndash 21 May 2000) was a successful English Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own District committee. The family home was on Cartland Road, Kings Heath.
• Charles Dickens once gave readings in Birmingham Town Hall and was the sixteenth President of The Birmingham and Midland Institute. Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. The Birmingham and Midland Institute ( now on Margaret Street in the city centre of Birmingham, England was a pioneer of adult scientific and technical education
• Leonard Cottrell was a Brummie author, archaeologist, commentator, and producer for the British Broadcasting Corporation. An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos He also worked as a war correspondent for the Royal Air Force, and later became the editor of the Concise Encyclopaedia of Archaeology (1965).
• Arthur Conan Doyle [2] lived in Aston from about Spring 1879 - early 1882 and some of his works include references to people or places he knew there. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England.
• Edgar Guest was born in the city in 1881, moved to America with his family as a boy, and achieved fame there as a poet. Edgar Albert Guest ( August 20, 1881, Birmingham, England &ndash August 5, 1959, Detroit, Michigan
• Gerard Manley Hopkins taught under John Henry Newman at the Oratory School in Edgbaston when he graduated and converted to Catholicism in 1867. Gerard Manley Hopkins ( 28 July 1844 – 8 June, 1889) was an English Poet, Roman Catholic convert and Family John Henry Newman was born in London and was the eldest son of John Newman (d An Oratory School is any of several schools founded or initially operated by the Oratorians (priests of the Oratory of St Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own District committee. It was here that he first developed his ideas of inscape and instress that were to prove central to his poetic practice. Inscape is a concept derived by Gerard Manley Hopkins from the ideas of the medieval philosopher Duns Scotus. ^[1]
• William Hutton 1723-1815, moved from Derby to Birmingham at a young age and became well know in the region as a poet and documented the history of the region in many books. William Hutton ( 30 September 1723 -1815 was a poet and the first significant historian of Birmingham, England.
• Washington Irving [3] stayed with his sister in Birmingham for some time, during which he wrote stories including Rip van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Washington Irving (April 3 1783 – November 28 1859 was an American Author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th " Rip Van Winkle " is a short story by the American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " is a Short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon Gent Bracebridge Hall, or, The Humorists, A Medley is based on Aston Hall. Aston Hall is a Jacobean -style mansion in Aston, Birmingham, England.
• Louis MacNeice lectured in classics at the University of Birmingham in the early 1930s, and wrote several poems about the city, including parts of Autumn Journal. Frederick Louis MacNeice ( September 12 The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham
• Enoch Powell was born and raised in Birmingham, and was a significant poet as well as a politician. Brigadier John Enoch Powell, MBE ( June 16 1912 &ndash February 8 1998) was a British Politician,
• J. R. R. Tolkien spent most of his childhood in the Birmingham area, and his work is much influenced by his time there [4], his parents also came from Birmingham.
• Arthur Henry Ward, born in Birmingham, wrote the Fu Manchu thrillers under the pseudonym of Sax Rohmer. Dr Fu Manchu is a Fictional character first featured in a series of novels by English author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward ( 15 February 1883 - 1 June 1959) better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English Novelist
• Charles Talbut Onions worked on the Oxford English Dictionary and was a prominent etymologist. Charles Talbut Onions ( CT Onions) (1873-1965 was an English Grammarian and Lexicographer. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English
• Emma Jane Worboise, known as Mrs Etherington Guyton, was born in Birmingham in 1825 and was well known for her many novels (including "Overdale", subtitled "The Story of a Pervert").
• John Wyndham, author of The Day of the Triffids, The Midwich Cuckoos and many others, was born in nearby Knowle and lived in Edgbaston until he was eight years old. John Wyndham was the main Pen name used by the often post-apocalyptic British Science fiction writer John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris The Day of the Triffids is a post-apocalyptic novel written in 1951 by the English science fiction author John Wyndham. The Midwich Cuckoos is a Science fiction Novel written by English author John Wyndham, published in 1957. Knowle (ˈnoʊl is a small town in the West Midlands borough of Solihull, England and is a few miles east of the town of Solihull.

Contemporary authors

• Jonathan Coe was born and raised in Birmingham, which is the setting of two of his novels The Rotters' Club and The Closed Circle. Jonathan Coe, born 19 August 1961 in Birmingham, is a British novelist and writer
• Judith Cutler's crime novels are set in present-day Birmingham. Judith Cutler is a writer of Crime fiction whose novels are mostly in three series ten in the series about amateur sleuth and lecturer Sophie Rivers; six about Detective
• Roshan Doughe became the fifth Poet Laureate for Birmingham in October 2000.
• Julie Boden became the seventh Poet Laureate for Birmingham in October 2002.
• David Lodge taught and wrote in the city, which appeared as Rummage in his books. David John Lodge CBE, (born January 28, 1935 at Brockley London, England) is a British author
• Benjamin Zephaniah is a black dub poet from Handsworth who tackles prejudice, poverty and injustice. Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958, Coleshill Birmingham, England is a British Rastafarian writer and dub poet Dub Poetry is a form of performance poetry consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms that originated in Jamaica in the 1970s. Handsworth ( is an inner city suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England.

The city also has literary publishers such as Tindal Street Press and hosts The Young Book Reader UK festival, as well as an online literary community called Birmingham Words. Tindal Street Press is a Birmingham -based independent Publisher of contemporary Fiction, with a particular focus on writers born or living in Birmingham

Theatre

Famous stage names

Kenneth Peacock Tynan and David Edgar are possibly Birmingham's most famous members of the theatrical scene. Kenneth Peacock Tynan ( 2 April 1927 - 26 July 1980) was an influential and often controversial British Theatre Critic David Edgar (born 26 February 1948 is an English Playwright. He was educated at Oundle School and later read Drama at Manchester University The Birmingham School of Acting trains actors in the city. Birmingham School of Acting is a Drama school located in Birmingham, England, founded in 1936 and formerly known as Birmingham School of Speech & Drama

Theatres

There are many theatres in Birmingham. The four largest professional theatres are the Alexandra Theatre ("the Alex"), Birmingham Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Old Rep. The Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as The Alex, is a Theatre on Station Street in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Repertory Theatre (commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep) is a Theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. The Old Rep is a Theatre located in Station Street in Birmingham, England, managed by Birmingham City Council. The mac and Drum arts centres, the Crescent Theatre and the Old Joint Stock Theatre also host many professional plays. mac (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit Arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England The Drum ( is an Arts centre in the Newtown area of Aston, in Birmingham, England, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for The Crescent Theatre is a small amateur Theatre run mostly by volunteers based in Sheepcote Street Brindleyplace in Birmingham, England. The Old Joint Stock Theatre is a pub theatre located at 4 Temple Row West in the centre of Birmingham, England. Sutton Coldfield Town Hall has theatre facilities and hosts numerous amateur productions. Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is a former hotel and council building in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. The actors in the long-running Radio 4 serial The Archers live in and around Birmingham, where the supposedly rural programme is recorded. The Archers is a British radio Soap opera broadcast on the BBC 's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4.

Birmingham also hosts a number of independent and community theatre companies, including Banner Theatre which was founded in the city over thirty years ago. Banner Theatre is a community theatre company based in Birmingham, England ( United Kingdom) Round midnight ltd produce work for schools, colleges and arts centres as well as film, television and radio. For ten years, Birmingham's Fierce! festival has presented a performance art festival. Fierce! is an international performance festival produced by Fierce Earth that has taken place annually in and around Birmingham, England since 1997 It has recently begun commissioning new works from British and international performers.

Comedy

Famous comedians from Birmingham include Sid Field, Tony Hancock, Jasper Carrott and Shazia Mirza. Sid Field ( 1904-04-01 - 1950-02-03) was an English comedy entertainer Anthony John "Tony" Hancock (born 12 May 1924 &ndash 24 June 1968) was a popular British Actor and Jasper Carrott OBE (born Robert Norman Davis, March 14 1945) is an English comedian (declaring himself "world famous in Shazia Mirza is a British comedian from Birmingham in England. Other leading figures include Jo Enright, Natalie Haynes, James Cook, Weakest Link winner Andy White and Barbara Nice (the creation of actress Janice Connolly). The Glee Club and Birmingham Jongleurs are both prominent comedy venues. The Glee Club is a chain of Comedy venues in the UK. The first Glee Club was opened by Mark Tughan in Birmingham 's Chinese Quarter in 1994 Jongleurs is a chain of sixteen Comedy clubs in the United Kingdom, established in 1983. The Drum Arts Centre and the mac also host monthly comedy sessions while smaller independent comedy promoters/ venues include The Laughing Sole (in Strichley), Cheeky Monkey (The Station, Kings Heath - and the city's longest running independent comedy club), Up The Cross (The Cross, Moseley) and The Collective (Nightingale, city centre). The Drum ( is an Arts centre in the Newtown area of Aston, in Birmingham, England, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for mac (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit Arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England

The Birmingham Comedy Festival was founded in 2001 and runs during 10 days at the beginning of October.

Visual arts

History of painting and illustration

David Cox was a famous Birmingham watercolour artist and President of the Associated Artists in Water Colour in 1810. David Cox may refer to David Cox (Australian politician, former member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Kingston David Cox

An "Academy of Arts" was organised in 1814, and an exhibition of paintings took place in Union Passage that year. A School of Design, or "Society of Arts," was started Feb. 7, 1821; Sir Robert Lawley, Bt (the first Lord Wenlock) presenting a valuable collection of casts from Grecian sculpture. Robert Lawley 1st Baron Wenlock (1768 – 10 April 1834) was a British landowner and politician the eldest son of Sir Robert Lawley 5th Baronet and Jane The Culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years with its beginnings in the Mycenaean and Minoan Civilizations, continuing most notably into Classical Greece The first exhibition was held in 1826, in a building on New Street.

The first Ballot for pictures to be chosen from the Annual Exhibition of Local Artists took place in 1835.

Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham, spent his first twenty years in the city, and later became the president of the Birmingham Society of Artists (which dates from 1826). Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (28 August 1833 &ndash 17 June 1898 was an English Artist and Designer closely associated with the later He strongly influenced the Birmingham Group, which formed the link between late Romanticism in the visual arts and the Birmingham Surrealists who were prominent in the city's arts in the early and mid 20th century. Disambiguation you may be searching for the Birmingham School. Birmingham Surrealists were an informal grouping of artists and intellectuals associated with the Surrealist movement in art based in Birmingham, England

David Bomberg's first well known works date from the 1910s. David Garshen Bomberg ( December 5, 1890 – August 19, 1957) was an English painter, and one of the Whitechapel Boys They are rather complex geometric compositions built over relatively traditional subjects, and typically use a limited number of striking colours with humans being turned into simple, angular shapes. Some have likened these works to 70's New York Graffiti. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property Bomberg travelled France, where he met Modigliani and Picasso. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973

The Birmingham Arts Lab at Gosta Green was an important centre for alternative comic art in the late 1970s; in the 1990s the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery staged a historical retrospective of the work made there. Gosta Green is an area in the city of Birmingham, England. It lies at the edge of the city centre about three-quarters of a mile (or roughly 10-15 minutes'

History of photography

Victorian photographer Sir Benjamin Stone (1838-1914) lived and worked in Erdington, Birmingham. Sir John Benjamin Stone ( February 9 1838 - July 2 1914) known as Benjamin was born in Aston, Birmingham the The Birmingham Central Library now holds the Benjamin Stone Collection. The Victorian "father of art photography", Oscar Gustave Rejlander lived and worked at nearby Wolverhampton, and was a founder member of the Birmingham Photographic Society. Oscar Gustave Rejlander ( Sweden 1813 &ndash Clapham, London on 18 January, 1875) was a pioneering Victorian art photographer The BPS later elected Henry Peach Robinson as a member. Henry Peach Robinson ( July 9, 1830 in Ludlow, Shropshire – February 21, 1901) was an English Pictorialist

Contemporary artists

Graffiti (or "spraycan art") culture appeared in the early 1980s, with the area featuring in Channel 4 documentary Bombing. Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Local artists who use urban Birmingham as their canvas (this is illegal, and regarded by some as vandalism) have included Chu and Goldie (see Birmingham Hip Hop scene). Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie (born 19 September 1965 in Walsall, England) is an English Electronic music artist This article is about Culture and the Arts in the city of Birmingham, England. Graffiti competitions are still regularly held.

The construction of the Bull Ring Shopping Centre included three light wands which were erected at the main entrance, a huge mural on a glass façade located at the entrance facing New Street station and three fountains in St Martin's Square in the shape of cubes, which are illuminated at night in different colours. The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 WAND is an NBC affiliate serving the Decatur&ndash Springfield &ndash Champaign area A facade or façade (fəˈsɑːd is generally one side of the exterior of a Building, especially the front but also sometimes the sides and rear Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. A cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces facets or sides with three meeting at each vertex. ^[2]

Contemporary African Caribbean artists and photographers who have exhibited internationally include Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and the late Donald Rodney. Pogus Caesar is a British artist television producer and director Keith Piper born 18 December 1969 in Leicester is a former professional cricketer Donald Gladstone Rodney ( May 18, 1961 – March 4, 1998) was a British artist

Current art galleries

• The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is housed at the University of Birmingham and although only a small gallery it was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the Good Britain Guide 2004. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an Art gallery and Concert hall in Birmingham, England. The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham
• Birmingham has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world at The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG ( is an art gallery in Birmingham, England.
• The Ikon Gallery is housed in a neo-gothic former school in Brindleyplace and showcases modern art. The Ikon Gallery ( is an English gallery of Contemporary art, located in Brindleyplace, Birmingham. The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England ( History of Modern art Roots in the 19th century Although modern Sculpture and Architecture are reckoned to have emerged at the end of the nineteenth Number 9 The Gallery is close by.
• The Halcyon Gallery is located inside the International Convention Centre. The Halcyon Gallery is a group of three art galleries in the United Kingdom. The International Convention Centre (abbreviated to ICC) is a major conference venue in central Birmingham, England. It opened with a major retrospective of Robert Lenkiewicz, and has continued with exhibitions by artists as diverse as Rolf Harris and L. S. Lowry. Robert Oscar Lenkiewicz ( 31 December 1941 &ndash August 5 2002) was one of the South West England's most celebrated artists of modern Rolf Harris CBE, AM (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian Musician, Singer, Composer, painter Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976 was an English Artist born on Barrett Street Stretford, Lancashire.
• The Waterhall gallery in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery displays a regular showcase of modern art which includes local artists and others sometimes from the city's own extensive collection. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG ( is an art gallery in Birmingham, England.
• Harborne Gallery, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and the 'New Gallery' in St Paul's square also shows local artists. The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a Learned society of Artists and an Art gallery based in the Jewellery Quarter
• The old Bird's Custard Factory is now one of the largest media and arts villages in Europe, with occasional exhibitions and modern sculpture and water features. The Custard Factory is an arts and media production centre in Birmingham, England (
• The mac hosts theatre performances, concerts, literature and poetry showcases, courses, film screenings and small art exhibitions. mac (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit Arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one
• The Drum Arts Centre features works of African, Asian and Caribbean contemporary artists. The Drum ( is an Arts centre in the Newtown area of Aston, in Birmingham, England, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for
• Selly Oak ball park is home to many graffiti murals that change on a regular basis. For the Selly Oak Parliamentary constituency see Birmingham Selly Oak (UK Parliament constituency. Other graffiti art can be seen across the city on disused buildings and canal towpaths as well as subways.

There are a variety of other small and private galleries in the city.

Film

History

Albert Austin (born 13 December 1881 or 1885) was an actor, film star, director and script writer, primarily in the days of silent movies. Albert Austin ( 13 December, 1881 or 1885 - 17 August, 1953) was an Actor, Film star, director and Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He was born in Birmingham. He worked for Charlie Chaplin's Stock Company and played supporting roles in many of Chaplin's films, and working as his assistant director.

In the 1920's Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in the UK in Perry Barr. Oscar Deutsch (1893-1941 was the founder of the Odeon Cinemas chain in the United Kingdom. Perry Barr is an area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own District committee. By 1930 the Odeon was a household name and still thrives today.

In 1930 the Birmingham Film Society was set up.

Contemporary

The Electric Cinema on Station Street is still open and is said to be the oldest working cinema in the UK. Electric Cinema is a cinema in Birmingham, England. It opened in Station Street on 30 December 1909 and is now the oldest working

Publishing

History

The first known Birmingham newspaper was the Birmingham Journal, which was published by Thomas Warren from 1732 and whose early contributors included Samuel Johnson. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. The Birmingham Journal was the first Newspaper known to have been published in Birmingham, England. Thomas Warren ( fl 1727 – 1767 was an English bookseller, printer, publisher and Businessman. Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September ^[3] The most notable of the town's early newspapers however was Aris's Birmingham Gazette, which was founded in 1741 and continued publishing until 1956. Birmingham Gazette, known for much of its existence as Aris's Birmingham Gazette, was a newspaper that was published and circulated in Birmingham ^[4]

Contemporary

Birmingham now has two local daily newspapers - the Birmingham Post and the Birmingham Mail - as well as the Sunday Mercury, all owned by the Trinity Mirror, who also produce The Birmingham News, a weekly freesheet distributed to homes in the suburbs along with Forward (formerly Birmingham Voice), the Birmingham City Council's free newspaper distributed to homes and via community centres and public buildings. The Birmingham Post Newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England in 1857 by John The Birmingham Mail is a Tabloid Newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham The Black Country Sunday Mercury is a Sunday newspaper published in Birmingham, UK Trinity Mirror plc is a large United Kingdom Newspaper and Magazine publisher The Birmingham News is the principal daily Newspaper for Birmingham Alabama, United States, and the largest newspaper in Alabama. Birmingham shown within Several local newspapers serve Birmingham including the Sutton Coldfield Observer and Sutton Coldfield News for the area of Sutton Coldfield. The Sutton Coldfield Observer is a free local Newspaper serving the residents of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England. The Sutton Coldfield News is a free weekly Newspaper serving the area of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. Sutton Coldfield ( is a town within the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England

Birmingham is also the hub for various national ethnic media, including The Voice, The Sikh Times, Desi Xpress, The Asian Today^[5] and Raj TV (based in The Mailbox^[6]). The Voice is a British national weekly Tabloid newspaper owned by the Jamaican Publisher, GV Media Group aimed at the British The Sikh Times is a Handsworth -based dual language weekly Newspaper primarily targeting Sikhs in the Birmingham area in England. Desi Xpress is a monthly entertainment pullout in The Asian Today Newspaper The Asian Today is a community newspaper providing the region's South-Asian community access to important News stories current events and encouraging community interaction The Raj Television Network was started in 1994 and is an important player in the South Indian cable television market National showbiz magazine Ikonz is based in Birmingham, one of the few outside of London. Ikonz is a national entertainment magazine published in the United Kingdom.

Broadcast

History

The area was one of the first to receive programming from the new ITV network in 1956. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent The networks' original representatives were Associated TeleVision (ATV) who served the area during the week and ABC Weekend TV who broadcast at the weekends. Associated TeleVision Limited, best known simply as ATV, was a British ITV company from 1955 until 1981 Associated British Corporation (otherwise known as ABC Television or ABC Weekend Television) was one of a number of commercial television companies set up in the 1950s In 1968 ATV won the contract to serve the area seven days a week and built new studios off Broad Street at the heart of the city featuring the landmark Alpha Tower. Alpha Tower is a commercial building in Birmingham, England. It was built to a design by George Marsh of Richard Seifert & Partners as the headquarters In 1982 ATV was reorganised and became Central Independent Television, which was rebranded as Carlton Central in 1999 and again as ITV Central in 2004. Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central and now legally ITV Central Ltd, is the British Independent Television contractor Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central and now legally ITV Central Ltd, is the British Independent Television contractor ITV's Birmingham studios are famous for many shows, including Tiswas, Crossroads and Bullseye. Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British TV show which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 Crossroads is a British Television Soap opera set in a Motel near Birmingham, England.

Current stations and programmes

The BBC has two facilities in the city. The Mailbox in the city centre is the location for the national headquarters of BBC English Regions,^[7] the regional headquarters and television centre for BBC West Midlands and the headquarters of the BBC Birmingham network production centre. The Mailbox is an upmarket development of offices exclusive designer shops restaurants bars and luxury city-centre apartments in Birmingham, England. It is here programmes including Midlands Today and the world's longest running radio soap opera, The Archers, are produced. Midlands Today is the BBC 's regional Television News programme for the West Midlands region, which comprises the West Midlands A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. The Archers is a British radio Soap opera broadcast on the BBC 's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. ^[8] The overnight programmes of BBC Radio 2 are also broadcast from here.

The BBC Drama Village, based in Selly Oak, is a production facility specialising in television drama and is the home of nationally networked programmes such as Dalziel & Pascoe and Doctors. For the Selly Oak Parliamentary constituency see Birmingham Selly Oak (UK Parliament constituency. Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel (usually known as Andy) and Detective Sergeant (later Detective Inspector Peter Pascoe, known together as Doctors is a British Daytime television Soap opera, which started in 2000 ^[9] Before 2004 the BBC's Birmingham home was at the famous Pebble Mill Studios. For the talk show see Pebble Mill at One. The BBC Birmingham network production centre Pebble Mill was located in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham

Sky TV has its own news team bureau based in the University of Birmingham's Aston Campus. British Sky Broadcasting ( BSkyB — Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham Local cable and satellite broadcasters include the Natural Health Channel and Asia 1 TV.

Local legal radio stations include BRMB, Galaxy, BBC WM and Heart FM, and Kerrang! 105.2, Birmingham's first dedicated rock station. Galaxy Birmingham is a regional Radio station owned by Global Radio UK as part of its Galaxy Network of stations specialising in Dance music BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands and South Staffordshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Kerrang! Radio is a specialist Rock music radio station broadcasting to the West Midlands in England. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African

Major arts events

For several years the city has hosted an annual arts festival ArtsFest during September, where families can enjoy many of the city's arts, for free. ArtsFest is an annual arts festival held in September in Birmingham, England. It is said to be the largest free arts festival in the UK. In December 2006 the City Council announced that it would no longer hold Artsfest. [5], but it seems set to continue in 2008.

References

Konow, David. Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal (New York: Crown, 2002) ISBN 0-609-80732-3

External links

• Birmingham Alive!
• Created in Birmingham
• Birmingham ArtsFest
• mac (Midlands Arts Centre)
• Birmingham Comedy Festival

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