The Second Saturday of the Month
✨❄️The GAP Winter Craft Market❄️✨ Saturday 9th December, 11am – 4pm
Pop down to on 9th December for a festive fun-filled day out whilst supporting local artists and young people. Expect an exciting array of unique handmade gifts and goodies for sale – all made by local young artists, designers and crafters – in amongst our cosy community cafe and during the bustling – in The GAP
Dr. Bike with Fabio of Biclas B12 10am-1pm
Free safety checks and basic repairs
Fabio will be around a lot of the day to help you with your pedalled friend and part of our evening event, Together We Cycle
Back again by popular demand – fabric sewing workshop in the lower gallery, with Eddie and Adeline – drop in
2pm – 3.30pm The Old Print Works Music workshop with Arianna
we will play, sing, make some noise and have fun.
Just bring yourself – no experience necessary
See you there!
Its that time of year – Crafty Christmas party – make some crafts for Christmas, bauble making, gifts for under the tree all sorts of stuff, have some food, a drink or two – all invited- Food pay as you feel, bring your own booze or take advantage of the bar.
Christmassy (kind of), tunes from the usual dj too – all welcome –
Make your own bracelet from used bike parts! 2pm until 4pm, Drawing Room
Walking & Cycling Activities @ Second Saturday Balsall Heath
Have Fun • Explore & Connect with Your Local Area • Make Friends • Build Confidence • Learn New Routes
10am – 1pm – Pop by our stand to chat about walking/cycling and route planning + Pick up a FREE 69Wards by Bike or Foot Map
10am-11am – Walk & Talk – Get social, explore the local area by foot and share your thoughts
12-1pm – Led Ride – Explore the local area by bike and build confidence riding as a group
Back again by popular demand – fabric sewing workshop in the lower gallery, with Eddie and Adeline – in the afternoon – drop in
The GAP Gallery 2 – 3.30pm/ exhibition all day
To celebrate the opening of the ATHAC Creative Artists exhibition join Ort Gallery for this drop in pottery workshop exploring pattern and texture, using a range of mark making tools and air drying clay.
Create a unique selection of nature inspired tiles that you can take home and paint.
The workshop will be assisted by one of our ATHAC Creative Artists.
11am until 1pm, Drawing Room, Courtyard Entrance, The Old Print Works
Monthly family carving club, all ages welcome, learn how to use a sharp knife to make beautiful things from wood
Donation/ pay what you feel – drop in – get there early – limited spaces
The MIAH Foundation is now part of the ‘Balsall Heath Second Saturdays’ – a monthly mini-festival celebrating making, creativity, community, local culture and the arts held on the second Saturday of every month.
Ottoman flower motifs (or biomorphic patterns) can be found across Ottoman and Persian art, including in manuscripts, ceramics, textile and armour. The five petal flower motif was particularly popular and gives this type of art its name (penç means five in Farsi), even though some of the flowers in this style had more than five metals. Each flower also follows a basic geometric and symmetrical division.
Join us on Saturday 11th November 2023 at either 1pm or 2pm to draw Ottoman flower motifs (penç). You will learn to draw four flower motifs and then create your own either freehand or using a template.
Session 1: 1pm-2pm (please book in advance using the ‘register’ to confirm your place)
Session 2: 2pm-3pm; drop-in (advanced booking is not necessary – first-come, first-served until we reach capacity)
***Tickets via eventbrite – for workshops and performance****
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/october-fiesta-balsall-heath-second-saturday-at-old-print-works-tickets-751555581977?aff=oddtdtcreator
14:00 – 15:00 = Mask Workshop 1 in Upper Gallery at OPW
Drop-in ‘Alebrije’ mask-making workshop for all ages!
Pay What You Can – Suggested Donation: £4 or 6
15:00 – 16:00 = Mask Workshop 2 in Upper Gallery at OPW
Drop-in ‘Alebrije’ mask-making workshop for all ages!
Pay What You Can – Suggested Donation: £4 or 6
18:00 – 19:00 = Public Performance of ‘October Fiesta 2023’
18:00 – 18:30 = Storytelling – ‘Stories of the Wind’
18:30 – 19:00 = Games – ‘PokPok TokTok’ & ‘Loteria!’
Join ITZATNA Arts this autumn for their ‘October Fiesta’ – an interactive children’s
theatre show inspired by Mexican Day of the Dead and reimaged traditional
stories and games about life, death, and rebirth in the animal kingdom. Through
playful interaction, these stories and games support how families and adults can
engage their young ones to think and talk about the subjects of death, dying, grief,
and bereavement, through a renewed appreciation for life, animals, and Planet
Earth, through the vibrant lens of Mexican culture.
🦉 OWL is on a quest to find 🌟 COYOTE in an adventure that transcends borders
and defies the boundaries between life and afterlife.
Mictlán, the mystical house of the Dead, awaits in Mexico, where these two
spirit animals guide humans on their unique journey through life and beyond.
❤️ Together, they embark on a journey to Mictlán to help the souls of the departed
reunite with their loved ones. But first, they must find their friend, COYOTE.
🌍 Are you ready to journey to Mexico and assist OWL and COYOTE in their quest?
You may even have the chance to hear a story from COYOTE, a master storyteller.
🌟 Let’s all say “MÉXICO” together, and we’ll be transported to a world filled with
mountains, the fragrance of flowers, and incredible stories.
🌙 Discover the world of 🌟 Alebrijes and the incredible artistry of Pedro Linares
as they take you on a captivating journey of color and imagination.
🦋 Listen to the 🦋 Monarch Butterflies as they share their extraordinary
migration story, guiding the spirits of the departed back to their earthly homes.
🌄 As the Feathered Snake, Quetzalcoatl, meets a selfless Rabbit, you’ll witness
the creation of a celestial symbol on the moon, a tale of kindness, and the
interconnectedness of all living beings
Come along and try some apple varieties with Sally, the new Postcode Gardener for Balsall Heath. Find out more about the work that will be going on in Balsall Heath to make it a more beautiful place, and how you can get involved!
Creative writing workshop with Leila Rasheed & The Emma Press, 2pm Saturday 11 November
If you have an idea for a children’s story and are looking for some friendly support and practical encouragement, grab your pen & paper and join author Leila Rasheed and local publisher The Emma Press for a creative writing workshop. Leila will explore the joys and challenges in creating compelling literature for children, share some exercises to help get ideas flowing and offer feedback on opening pages.
Tickets £5/pay what you can, please book in advance: maximum 12 participants
Please note this workshop is aimed at adults writing for children. It is not a workshop for children.
About the workshop leader:
Leila Rasheed’s first novel for children, Chips, Beans and Limousines was published in 2008 and followed by two sequels which were widely translated. Since then, she has written a wide variety of children’s and YA literature, including the At Somerton trilogy for Disney Hyperion, and biographies of Kamala Harris and Katherine Johnson. Her most recent novel is Empire’s End: A Roman Story (Scholastic), which follows the adventures of a North African girl during the late Roman Empire. In 2015 she set up a pioneering scheme to mentor new children’s writers of colour, called Megaphone, now Megaphone Writers CIC.
The Emma Press is an independent publisher based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter specialising in poetry, short fiction and children’s books with a mission of making publishing and literature as welcoming and accessible as possible.
September 9th 2023 2 – 5pm Drawing room, The Old Print Works, Courtyard entrance
Balsall Heath Repair Cafe is back again at Balsall Heath Second Saturday. Repairers include woodwork ,brass polishing, general repairs, textiles, knife sharpening, bike repair, scrapstore, mechanical electrics, textiles. Check balsallheathrepaircafe.org for repairers closer to the day
Do you have an unused bike collecting dust? 🚲 Consider donating it to a refugee!
The Bike Project collects secondhand bikes, refurbishes them, and provides them to refugees and people seeking asylum. In the UK, over 230,000 refugees and people seeking asylum face challenging circumstances, having fled persecution and war, often unable to work and reliant on limited allowances. Meanwhile, there are around 38 million unused bikes across the country. Matching the two can offer immediate financial relief and practical benefits.
“When you have to go from charity to charity to feed yourself, a bike becomes very important to your life.” – Adam, Bike Recipient
Join us at the Balsall Heath Second Saturday with a pop-up drop-off point. Donate your bike on Saturday, November 11th, from 10 am to 4 pm at The Old Print Works, 498-506 Moseley Road, Birmingham, B12 9AH.
Your unused bike can transform the life of a refugee! Register your bike here: thebikeproject.co.uk/donate-bike
12 – 4pm The Old Print Works
Sundragon Community Pottery will be hosting a FREE Christmas decoration making workshop.
Local artist Julia Frost is holding a very special tattoo flash day in collaboration with our neighborhood women’s charity Anawim.
There will be plenty of pre-drawn, small designs to choose from at set prices. Simple requests such as text and linework designs are also welcome. Walk in anytime between 10am to 6pm on Saturday the 11th Nov.
All net proceeds of the event will go to Anawim, an independent charity dedicated to supporting and empowering women in and around Birmingham.
Stop by to have a look and a chat and find out more about what Anawim does and how you can help.
Check out Julia’s work on Instagram @juliafrosttattoo
10-4 upper gallery The Old Print Works
Another chance to see this piece of Balsall Heath and South Asian music history.
10am – 4pm The Old Print Works, Lower Gallery
Art and crafts from the people at The Old Print Works community and beyond including pottery, art, jewellery, postcards, crafts, and lots lots more.
The Original Art Club to The Old Print Works and Balsall Heath Second Saturdays.
The Original Art Club is a safe creative space for children to explore, create and develop their artistic skills. This is project-based learning tailored to each individual and their ability. The idea is progress not perfection and with an ‘I can do’ attitude here at the club we want all our budding artists to feel confident and encouraged in their creative journey. We teach several 2D and 3D techniques within our projects using a wide range of materials from pencil, acrylic paint and watercolours, to clay and paper mache. Our mixed age and mixed ability classes is a unique way in building self-confidence, independence and social bonding. Those children who have been with us longer will have gained more flexibility in steering their own projects and outcomes. We use mediums such as acrylics, watercolours, oil/soft pastels, inks, fine liners and 3D work with papier mache, clay and paper sculpture. At the club we value art and believe it is a significant component for the holistic education of children.
Join us this Saturday between 12-3pm to find out all about our new garden project and how you can get involved! ✨🌱
You will be able to….
👀 …have a rare opportunity to look around the charming front garden of Myrtle Cottage, the oldest house in Balsall Heath and the former home of The Old Print Works director
👋🏽 …meet Rebekah Warmington, Nature Pedagogue and Environmental Educator, who is collaborating with The GAP and young people to regenerate the garden
💡…share your ideas for how the garden can be transformed into an urban oasis which reflects the heart and history of Balsall Heath and its vibrant communities and cultures
🍂 …get crafty with some Autumnal Activities to get your ideas flowing!
Be sure to pop by, have a little browse, let your imagination wander and share your ideas and inspiration to support the project 💫
All ages.
Free.
Drop-in
2pm – 4pm, The Old Print Works
It’s back, your favourite workshop!!! Come along to our mini paint by prompt workshop! As we are entering a new season, we are excited to warmly welcome an autumn themed painting experience!! Create a mini painting on a mini canvas. This is an intuitive art workshop to reconnect you with your inner artist while creating a calming environment of wellbeing.
No experience is required (there is no right or wrong way here, this workshop is for relaxation purposes but also we welcome anyone eager to learn and develop their painting skills), all materials and light nibbles will be provided, and ALL ages are welcome! It’s going to be so much fun and we can’t wait to see you there!
11am until 1pm, Drawing Room, Courtyard Entrance, The Old Print Works
Monthly family carving club, all ages welcome, learn how to use a sharp knife to make beautiful things from wood
Donation/ pay what you feel – drop in
12 – 4pm The Old Print Works
Sundragon Community Pottery will be hosting a FREE clay pumpkin making workshop.
Join us at the Old Print Works for the community screening of A Bedroom For Everyone, a new film commissioned by Ed Webb-Ingall, currently showing at Grand Union 1pm-4pm The Drawing Room, The Old Print Works
Taking inspiration from Leeds Animation Workshop’s powerful short animation ‘Home and Dry’ from 1987, which remains strikingly relevant today, ‘A Bedroom for Everyone’ serves as a sequel of sorts, shifting our focus to the current housing crises and the essential role of grassroots organizing. It prompts us to reflect on the progress we have made and the work that still lies ahead. 💪🏠
The script of this animation was crafted collaboratively with members from four inspiring activist and community groups: Save Druids Heath and Acorn Union from Birmingham, Akwaaba Social Centre for Migrants and Housing Action Southwark & Lambeth from London. By incorporating the voices and perspectives of those with lived experience of the housing crisis, the film acts as a powerful resource, inspiring individuals to seek out local groups, lend a helping hand, raise awareness, and contribute to the cause. It is a testament to the strength of collective action and the transformative potential it holds. 🌍❤️
We invite you to engage with ‘A Bedroom for Everyone’ as a resource that can be shared with anyone interested or engaged in housing struggles. Reach out to us at info@grand-union.org.uk if you would like to showcase this impactful film in your community setting. Let’s empower one another, raise our voices, and ignite positive change. Together, we can make housing a fundamental right for all. 📧🎉 Available in Arabic, English, Polish, and Spanish. 🌍🌟
Made by:
@Edwebbingall
@Sofia_niazi
@astroidg
With support from:
@acornbirmingham
@sifafiresideofficial
@leedsanimation
@makinglevel
@stirchleycd
@granby4streetsclt
@Acorn_notts
@nottm_contemp
@luxscot
@rule_of_threes
The Women Asylum Seekers Housing Project
Generously funded by:
@oak_foundation
@aceagrams
@artfund
@unibirmingham
@serpentineuk
