The latest news, updates and events in Birmingham
Lohri is a popular winter time Punjabi folk festival, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab region in the northern part of India. The festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice. It marks the end of winter season, and is a traditional welcome of longer days and sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere. It also celebrates marriages…
This year, Diwali – the Hindu ‘Festival of Lights’ – will be celebrated on the Wednesday 7th November. For those taking part, it’s a celebration of goodness overcoming evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.
Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali. October and November are busy periods for celebrations in the Hindu calendar. Most people know of Diwali, the ‘Festival of Lights’, goodness overcoming evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair, but very few are aware of Navratri and Dussehra which proceed the Diwali celebrations.
This year’s Birmingham Improv Festival will welcome over a hundred performers to the Blue Orange Theatre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, between Friday 26th October and Saturday 3rd November. We caught up with festival director Jon Trevor at the Birmingham REP, where he gave us an insight into the planned performances and what to expect.
A creative new play about hoarding and clutter is coming to Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre this month. STUFF, from Women and Theatre, is a brand new quirky and comedic production that respectfully shines a light on the subject of hoarding – which this year was recognised by the World Health Organisation as a mental disorder.
South Staffordshire circular Railway Walk and Bratch locks have a walk around distance of around 5.5 miles. If you fancy a gentle walk taking in a bit of countryside and the splendour of the canals, this is a pleasant circular walk.
We chat with with author AA Abbott, who is about to release her fourth book, The Revenge Trail, the latest part of the ‘Trail‘ series. Author AA Abbott – real name Helen Blenkinsop – moved to Birmingham as a teenager, got her first “proper job” in the city, got married and together they stayed in the city…
The city’s annual Zombie Walk – which was postponed last year to make way for the Big Sleuth art trail – has been indefinitely put on hold, according to fundraisers at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. The fundraising event – which has raised thousands of pounds for the hospital – brings together hundreds of individuals dressed in horror-themed costumes for…
I happened to be in Manchester and stumbled upon Bernie Wilcox, who was one of the main organisers of the Northern Carnival Against the Nazis, which took place 40 years ago. A defining moment in establishing anti-racism movements in the city and beyond, the gathering was supported by music bands including Birmingham’s reggae group Steel Pulse…
Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Kashav Sehra, a co-opted Trustee and a member of the Shree Geeta Bhavan Mandir in Handsworth, provided us an insight into the religious celebration: