Digbeth an area traditionally at the heart of British industry shall play host to three emerging Polish artists intending to explore its heritage

View of Digbeth and the sign   ‘A Hundred thousand welcomes’ A  translation of a traditional Irish greeting, in Gaelic ‘Cead mile failte’ , phot. David Miller

We are expecting  the artists from Poland (Christian Costa, Kamila Szejnoch and MASH/HER/DIP) very soon. The Artists’ visit will mark the official beginning of Post Industrial Revolution. Artists will begin the one month residency  from the 15^th of January  till the 15^th of February 2011, using it as a period for research and for the production of new art works directly responding to the district of Digbeth, its historical and social context.  

These newly create art works will be displayed in an exhibition at the Lombard Method (Digbeth), an artist run studio and project space, from the 18^th of February 2011.  The call for submissions for British artists will be circulated in January 2011 with the residency and exhibition taking place from May 2011 at Wyspa Institute of Art (Gdansk).

Co-curator  of Post – Industrial Revolution Kate Pennington – Wilson outlined ‘The focus of this residency exchange is for artists to develop work which responds to these environments, reflecting this shift in usage as well as the change in social, political  and industrial history of such spaces’.

Both Residencies will be accompanied by a series of events including Workshops, Artist Talks and Screenings.  

Post-Industrial Revolution is developed in collaboration with the Lombard Method (UK) and Wyspa Institute of Art (Poland). The Project is conceived by Birmingham based curators Roma Piotrowska and Kate Pennington – Wilson in partnership with Polish Expats Association (PEA).  PEA is a not for profit organisation. 

Post – Industrial Revolution is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.