Fierce Festival

Fierce Festival returns to venues across Birmingham this October (16th – 22nd). This year sees the first festival under the helm of new Artistic Director Aaron Wright. The programme features over 50 events providing the perfect opportunity to see work from leading UK and international performance makers working at the edges of practice.

Since 1997 Fierce has been capturing the imagination of the city of Birmingham firstly under the direction of Mark Ball, and then the co-directorship of Laura McDermott and Harun Morrison. Memorable public artworks such as the 'Birdman of Birmingham' - a giant nest (and live-in birdman) installed on the iconic Bullring Rotunda or Bennett Miller's Dachshund UN, which saw a scale model of the UN chamber populated with dogs grabbed headlines nationwide. Whilst to our core audience we're best known for the provocative performance art and dark and messy parties of avant-garde club performance that have earned us a reputation as one of the most daring and uninhibited arts organisations in the country. This year's programme is no exception. 

A strand of programming Performance Art Now features Mexican artist Rocio Boliver with her birthday celebration Sweet 60th, NYC's Preach R. Sun with a site specific piece Lord of Flies: Coronation, Swiss performance maker Anne Rochat and the UK's own Aaron Williamson presenting his 2012 Unlimited commission Demonstrating the WorldCan You Feel It? explores the realms of electronic music, club culture and communal ecstacy with works including Lucy Suggate's iconic solo PILGRIM and Michele Rizzo's infectious dance show HIGHER as well as the big Fierce party Club Fierce: We Are Fierce featuring Kiddy Smile, Imma Asher and Gnucci.

We're further pleased to present a showcase of Canadian work funded by ELAN Quebec and co-curated by Studio 303 in Montreal. This will see the European premieres of works by Andrew TayAdam Kinner & Christopher Willes and Andrea de Keijzer & Erin Robinsong

As is Fierce tradition we're delighted to welcome a number of artists making their UK debut performances. This year the list is particularly impressive with Fierce producing the first European performances by NYC cabaret star Erin Markey as well as UK debuts for Michele RizzoQuartoMarie-Caroline Hominal the aforementioned Preach R. Sun and CAMPO's Louis Vanhaverbeke. There are also notable World Premiere's by UK based artists including The Famous Lauren Barri Holstein's Notorious before it travels to the Barbican, London, Attenborough Centre for the Contemporary Arts, Brighton and Reykjavik Dance Festival; Jamila Johnson-Small's i ride in colour and soft focus no longer anywhere; Owen G. Parry's fic.the.sky and Malik Nashad Sharpe's $elfie$.

Also look out for performances by artists who have come through Fierce's own artist development programme Fierce FWD: Vivian Chinasa Ezhuga presents Ghana Must Go and Brtiney Spears at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in a line up that also features Noemi Lakmaier and Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir; Demi Nandhra continues her current research with I'm Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired and Louise Robbin presents to care at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. There are also UK premiere's for Simone Aughterlony and Jen Rosenblit's Everything Fits In The Room, Francois Chaignaud and Marie-Caroline Hominal's Duchesses and Colin Self's Siblings.

For the full programme including a number of talks and workshops see the full brochure online. All professional attendees are invited to a number of industry events. To register your interest in these events and receive further information rsvp to contact@wearefierce.org

Categories: Featured Activity


Date Posted: 29 September 2017