Dance, theatre and music are coming up at the Bromsgrove venue.
Established in 1996 and based in Birmingham, ACE dance and music was set up in order to make a specific and unique contribution to contemporary dance locally, regionally and nationally. The company is open to the experiences and influences offered by its peers who work in other idioms, particularly those from Africa, to forge a contemporary black dance aesthetic for today.
In MANA, exceptional dancers will draw inspiration from a number of movement styles including Afro-fusion, Martial Arts techniques, Flamenco and Ballet. During this powerful performance, the dancers will combine rhythm soul and movement against a stunning backdrop of commissioned music and cutting-edge lighting. This double bill of dance will encompass ‘A Thousand Shepherds’, an energetic celebration of discipline and dedication and ‘Mana’ which evokes the spirit and earthy ambience of African dance and Shaman traditions.
ACE Dance and Music present MANA on Friday 28th March at 8.00 pm. Tickets cost £14 (£12).
A tabletop football game in a dreary seaside cafe might seem an unlikely setting to address one of the most important global problems of our time. Tabletop Games, which is coming to Artrix on 29th March, is a new piece from Ian Kendall whose previous work has been performed across the West Midlands over the past ten years. The play was short-listed in the 2012 Capital Theatre Festival and achieved a place in the last ten plays from over 1,900 calling card script submissions to the BBC in April 2012.
This thought-provoking work depicts a world where ritual takes precedence over belief or faith, and where moral ambivalence reduces human relationships to a series of brutal power struggles. Stripped of sentiment and empathy, the desperate need to assert control makes the characters powerless subjects within the vicious cycle of life.
Wild Edric Media presents Tabletop Games in the Artrix Studio on Saturday 29th March at 7.30 pm. Tickets cost £10 (£8).
Paul Lamb started playing at clubs in his native North-East before forming first the Blues Burglars and then the King Snakes. Over the years Paul Lamb & the King Snakes, who are playing at Artrix on 4th April, have won countless awards, sold record breaking quantities of albums and been inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Peter Green & John Mayall.
There’s a great deal of experience behind vocalist and rhythm guitarist Chad Strentz, too. He started out as a rockabilly hound, encouraged by the wilder excesses of Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette and Mac Curtis, with some Elvis and Little Richard in there for extra relish.
Bass player and vocalist Rod Demick formed his first group, the Vibros, when he was eleven and later graduated to Wheels, the only R&B competition in Belfast for Van Morrison & Them.
The youngest member is Ryan ‘Junior’ Lamb. Having the legendary harmonica player Mr Paul Lamb, as his father, you could say he was born to play the blues. However make no mistake – it’s because of his outstanding guitar talent, rather than nepotism, that landed Junior the job of lead guitarist in the King Snakes in 2007.
Dino Coccia was the King Snakes drummer in 1991 and he is now back in the drum seat coming full circle. He is a talented musician who brings to the band a strong foundation that allows for the instrumental and vocal expression that the band attains.
Paul Lamb and the King Snakes are playing at Artrix on Friday 4th April at 8.00 pm. Tickets cost £13.
Fellow Bromsgrovians Dan Greenaway and Alex Rainsford will be giving a special musical performance at Artrix on 5th April when both musicians will be celebrating the release of their new albums.
As a percussive acoustic guitarist, musician, singer & songwriter Dan Greenaway throws out a much bigger sound than one might expect. He’s been likened to recent artists such as Newton Faulkner, Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran. His CV includes: Glastonbury Festival, Gold Coast Ocean Fest, BBC Radio 1, and Sky TV. Dan will be releasing his third and most experimental solo album to date, featuring an array of instruments and special guests such as Laura Broad (semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent) on single ‘Unbreakable’ and Julianne Bourne on violin.
Alex Rainsford, who will be celebrating the release of his second EP ‘Gone Away’ is a singer/songwriter with a unique blend of alternative, folk-rock influence with his own powerful distinctive edge. 2013 saw Alex play many festivals across the country including Glastonbury’s Worthy Farm & Devon’s Oceanfest (with Dan Greenaway), playing the same stage as rising talents Willy Mason, Bastille & Gabrielle Aplin. Later in the year Alex also went on to be main support for Brother & Bones during their UK tour, along with playing other various shows in Europe.
Dan Greenaway and Alex Rainsford are playing at Artrix on Thursday 3rd April at 8.00 pm. Tickets cost £12 (£10).
All tickets are available from the box office on 01527 577330 or online at www.artrix.co.uk