Where Are You? Part of What's in Store - Celebrating Bearwood Road through music, theatre and poetry.
Where Are You? tells the story of two penpals, Rochi in Bearwood and Abena in Dzorwulu. After Rochi experiences some sad news, Abena decides they should meet in the middle, leading both girls to embark on a perilous journey across land, bridges, mountains and sea.
An international collaboration between Black Country Touring and Accra Theatre Workshop in Ghana, the show will take place simultaneously in Bearwood and in Accra connected through a live stream. A beautifully illustrated children's book has been created to accompany the show and will be available to all attendees for free.
Where Are You? is presented by Birmingham 2022 Festival and generously supported by the British Council.
About What's in Store
What’s In Store will bring two days of fabulous live poetry, music and theatre performances to independent shops and cafes along the Bearwood Road, Smethwick. All performances are free and a maximum of 20 minutes in length. You can experience all of them in succession or just drop in throughout the day!
During June, a team of local artists have been in residence in shops along Bearwood Road. They’ve developed new performances based on stories gathered from business owners and customers inspired by the area.
Shops
Writer-Performer Rupinder Kaur at Ar-Raqib (no. 618-620). Inspired by the smells, fabrics, foods and people visiting Ar-Raqib.
Poet Bohdan Piasecki The Shop of Poems - Bearwood Indoor Market (no. 509). Inspired by the people of the market.
Sound Artist Deci4Life (Auden Allen) at RPM Analogue Audio (181 Sandon Rd/Bearwood Rd junction). Inspired by what makes music special to us and how we listen to it.
Cafes
Freestyle Poetry with Dreadlockalien
Bearwood Indoor Market Café, A La Mexicana, Serenity Café, Anatolia Cafe
Former Birmingham Poet Laureate, Mr Grant aka Dreadlockalien has worked in the realm of spoken word, performance poetry and live literature for over 20 years.
Writer-Performer Jake Oldeshaw’s ‘Coffee & Tea’
Serenity Café, Market Café, Anatolia Café, A La Mexicana
Coffee & Tea is a warm-hearted performance inspired by tales from Black Country cafés that take us on a journey into the complex history of tea and coffee and the cultures that gave birth to it.
Walking Tour / Live Music
Join performer and theatre-maker Vimal Korpal and musician Katie Stevens on a walking tour of some of Bearwood’s brilliant independent shops and food outlets and finishing up at an inviting Portuguese café. Here you will be greeted by warm hosts and master musicians Sam Frankie Fox & Ricardo Santos Rocha, with a performance inspired by the tastes and tales of Brasil and Cape Verde.
On The Road
Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band
The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band is a living embodiment of the landscape of Rajasthan, a spectacular celebration of its vibrant and colourful lifestyle, music and dance. It is a heady, exciting and hypnotic reflection of this enchanting region.
Curious Cargo’s Lollipop Patrol
With excessive enthusiasm and a slippery grip on reality, the Lollipop Patrol is here to help and hinder in equal measure. These two are full of self-importance and will take any opportunity to escort an unsuspecting passer-by or bring things to a standstill in order to form a safe walkway
Is that a Yeti, Hetty? at Magic Garden (no. 556). Family show.
When your windows need a clean, you cover them in soap and squeegee them. But these window cleaners know the soap suds have more to say. Every window tells a story and this window has an exciting snowy adventure written all over it. Is That A Yeti Hetty? is a live-illustrated storytelling show for families, about a child on a quest to convince her nay-sayers that yetis really do exist.
What’s In Store is suitable for people of all ages and has something for everyone, with a fantastic team of actors, musicians and poets celebrating the independent businesses at the heart of the local community in Bearwood. Drop into our information points outside St Mary’s Church on Bearwood Road and the King’s Head clock near the bus station for more information.
Where Are You? is presented by Birmingham 2022 Festival and generously supported by the British Council.
For the full programme and more retails visit bctouring.co.uk
