Actor performing outside to socially distanced audience

Your Autumn Culture Fix, brought to you by Earthen Lamp

Amy Rushby 10.09.2020 COVID blog, Events

Over the summer, like most, we missed having our calendar bursting with all the usual festivals and events reflecting all that is good and great about the arts and cultural sector.

However, as we scroll through Twitter and Instagram we’re discovering more to experience and be part of – make the most of the end of summer days before Autumn truly sets in and we dig out our hat and scarf collections. We’ve enjoyed seeing the innovation and creative thinking that is coming out of cultural organisations – ever the problem solver.

Here’s our round up of what’s coming up. Please note that all details are correct at time of publishing but please check organisation websites and social media for the most up to date information.

Snapshot Outdoor Theatre at Royal Shakespeare Company

With three indoor performance spaces in the town closed, the RSC has taken to using its outdoor space – continue walking along the river bank, past the theatre to find The Dell. Free outdoor performances are taking place across weekends in September and include selection of monologues, duologues, sonnets and speeches (see photo above by Mark Williamson, copyright RSC).

Free to attend, but numbers are limited, and places allocated a first-come, first served basis – so please form an orderly (socially-distanced, of course) queue. All the details are on the RSC website.

Also look out for a free outdoor adventure, inspired by The Comedy of Errors, on the Bancroft Gardens – a self-guided activity for anyone to enjoy.

Alice in Lockdown – Heartbreak Productions

Heartbreak Productions tour a programme of productions to outdoor venues every summer. Since August,  Alice in Lockdown has played at thirteen outdoor venues, including Coventry Cathedral Ruins and has two final performances scheduled for the end of September. Audiences are required to abide by the 2 metre social distancing guidelines and upon arrival a steward guides you to your very own socially-distanced island, based on your party size.

Van Gogh Alive at Birmingham Hippodrome

Birmingham Hippodrome is turning its currently dormant auditorium into an exhibition space to host Van Gogh Alive, “a multi-sensory arts and entertainment experience for the whole family to enjoy”. This immersive experience includes interactive art stations, interpretative areas, a re-creation of Van Gogh’s ‘Bedroom in Arles’ and a ‘Sunflower selfie room’. Opens on 8 October with tickets costing from £15.

Happy 100 years to the CBSO

Celebrating its 100-year anniversary the CBSO celebrated with a centenary concert on 5 September, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and presented by Adrian Lester, broadcast live on YouTube and to date has clocked up almost 23,000 views. It is available to watch until the end of the month.

Derby QUAD

This month the team at Derby QUAD have opened up again, with a cinema, gallery and workshop programme plus the café is now open too. They’ve produced an explainer video welcoming back its audiences and explaining the new procedures in place, including the intriguing “COVID-19 certified fogging machine” used between each screening in its cinema spaces. Watch the welcome video.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery plus the Edwardian Tearooms are due to re-open on 7 October. We loved their quirky re-opening GIF all over social media yesterday.

General admission is free, but tickets need to be booked in advance. There’s a new Birmingham-themed 2-metre collage, Benny’s Babbies, to admire and from 17 October the museum is hosting the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition from the Natural History Museum (tickets available for this exhibition from 17 September).

We’re happy to see live art and events returning to the Midlands for all to enjoy. We’ll be sharing other events and venue openings as we hear about them on the Earthen Lamp Twitter feed. If you’re heading out to enjoy some art and culture, have an amazing time

Photo by Mark Williamson. Copyright RSC.