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Friction Arts’ EVERYTHING MUST GO performance and exhibition piece opened last night at Birmingham’s Wholesale Markets. And what a production it was!
This has been 3 years in the making with Friction Arts working closely with traders to film, record and archive the history of the current space before it is demolished.
Co-Directors Sandra, Lee and colleagues have worked tirelessly and passionately with the Wholesale Markets community producing a thought provoking and emotional piece – their artistic homage to the legacy of the Wholesale Markets.
EVERYTHING MUST GO features video walls, installations and amazing footage, with recorded memories, photographs, sculpture and exhibitions set up in units the traders used on an everyday basis.
This vast vacant space, originally opened in 1974 , is big enough to house three zeppelin balloons and that doesn’t include the rest of the site!
This heritage piece took audiences through over 850 years of history of a market being on the site with actors performing in and around the space reflecting colourful characters and their everyday life.
There was a particularly poignant moment when Lee from Friction Arts was pushed onto the site, and without giving much away, gave a strong and emotional performance making some of the Traders, who had made a special journey back to their old place of work, cry.
The space has been turned into one big exhibition so it’s worth walking around as much as you can to discover its history.
If you are a Brummie you’ll probably have someone from your family or someone you know who worked at the Markets so it makes it extra special – I for one certainly do and felt so proud to have come from a city with so much history. Thank you Friction Arts!!
EVERYTHING MUST GO offers a rare opportunity for audiences to gain access to the largest Wholesale Markets in Europe, before the building is demolished for future regeneration of the area.
A special archive will be housed at Birmingham Museums Trust. Dr Ellen McAdam, Director of Birmingham Museums Trust added: “The work that Friction Arts has done with the community at this site, a historic core of Birmingham, is truly ground breaking. The performance promises to be a one-off in Birmingham’s history and Birmingham Museums is excited at the prospect of acquiring the collection relating to Friction Arts astonishing work over all these years.”
An event like this doesn’t happen that often in the city so this is a rare opportunity for audiences to be part of this special farewell!
EVERYTHING MUST GO ends this Sunday. (3 Jun) so you only have another few days to catch it while you can. Tickets available from Eventbrite
Friction Arts have been working in the community, both locally and internationally, for over 25 years. You can find out more here
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