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A major live performance and exhibition will take place inside Birmingham’s famous Wholesale Markets, Pershore Street, Birmingham from Wednesday 30 May running until Sunday 3 June 2018 celebrating the end of nearly 900 years of unbroken market history on the site.
‘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.
The celebratory live performance piece, produced by Birmingham-based Friction Arts, has been two years in the making and will feature a specially commissioned electronic soundtrack based on the sounds of the market, a 16-screen video showing footage, past and present, of the site; live musicians, sculptures, a photographic exhibition by Birmingham-based photographer Dan Burnwood, as well as performances and surprises from professional actors that reflect market life and memorable characters.
Audiences will enter the huge space and make their way around the building as the story of the Wholesale Markets unfolds and they themselves become part of this unique performance celebrating the history of this historical site.
Friction Arts have been making artworks and projects at the market since 2001, and since 2015 have been intensively recording, photographing and filming this special place.
Sandra Hall, Co-Director of Friction Arts said “We have been working on this project for several years spending thousands of hours meeting and recording market traders and customers. It’s been a fascinating and incredibly emotional journey listening to their stories.
Here at Friction Arts we work with communities locally as well as internationally and we’re delighted to have been given the chance to use the Wholesale Market space for this one-off Heritage performance piece right here in our home city. What is really exciting is that the information we have gathered will help form the basis of an archive to be housed at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Library of Birmingham.”
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.”
‘EVERYTHING MUST GO’, is part of the Wholesale Memory project, kindly supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England and will provide free tickets to local community groups and traders who will be given the chance to enter the site for one last time.
‘EVERYTHING MUST GO’ promises to be an event that will remain in your memory long after Everything Has Gone.
‘EVERYTHING MUST GO’ runs over 5 days from Wednesday 30 May until Sunday 3 June 2018 at Birmingham Wholesale Markets, Pershore Street, Birmingham B5 6UN.
Times: 30 May at 6pm-7.30pm
31 May-3 June Two shows each evening at 6pm- 7.30pm and 8.15pm-9.45pm
Tickets cost £10/£5 concessions and are available via the Eventbrite page (Eventbrite: Wholesale Memory: Everything Must Go) – free to traders and their families. #EverythingMustGo
The performance takes place across the Wholesale Markets indoor site – please wear comfortable shoes!!