The first event in the Text Festival is tomorrow. Apologies for late notification. There will be more on the Festival shortly. From the mailing:

The Language Moment is the opening event of the international Text Festival which will continue with a series of worldwide events during 2011-12.

Specifically it’s tomorrow, Friday 15 April at 8pm in the Green Room, Manchester. Tickets are £9.50 and can be booked on 0161 615 0500 or online here if you can’t be arsed talking to anyone.

The evening features ‘virtuoso vocal performance and groundbreaking sound art’ from Icelandic poet Eirikur Orn Nordahl, ‘baritone live art sensation’ Phil Minton, Maggie O’Sullivan and ‘a live collaboration between Ben Gwilliam and Philip Davenport, a sound distillation of Davenport’s spreadsheet poem appeal in air.’

There will also be specially commissioned ‘soundpoem interventions’ by Carol Watts, Simon Smith* and Sarah Boothroyd*.

*Can’t find links for either that can confidently be assumed are the same people.

The audio from Counting Backwards #6 has now been uploaded.

You can find here or at the Counting Backwards 6 audio link over on the right.

At the moment (17:50-ish Friday 8 April) I can only see two of the four tracks in the main browsers I use. I’m hoping this is just a short-term thing.

Aht-n

Gary Fisher

Matt Dalby

Unfortunately due to personal circumstances Bill Drennan has had to withdraw from Counting Backwards #6 on Thursday 7 April next week.

We will reschedule him for another time, and there will be a replacement announced as soon as we’re able.

Apologies to anyone hoping to see Bill perform.

Look forward to seeing you Thursday, when Aht-n and Helmut Lemke will perform, along with Bill’s replacement. Thanks for your support.

Due to a mistake on my part, press free press were assumed to be performing despite not having confirmed. They cannot perform at Counting Backwards #6, and were not expecting to.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to press free press for any embarrassment and confusion this may have caused them.

I hope they’ll be able to perform at a future event.

Apologies also to anyone expecting to see them perform.

The recordings of last week’s performances from Counting Backwards are now available here.

Reviews of the event are now available here.

Since none of the organisers managed to bring a camera there are currently no photos. If you have pictures of the event you’re happy to share then let us know and we’ll post them.

Helen Shanahan is an artist who works in various media. Her main emphasis is on moving image, creating a mixture of narrative cinema and video art . Helen’s work explores the complexities and ambiguities of intimate relationships and often centres on the theme of  grief and loss. Helen’s recent work includes the abandonments blog, where she documents her ‘desertion’ of miniature sculptures of loved ones in obscure locations. She is 27 and lives in Manchester.

Manchester Artists’ Bonfire happens Friday next week 28 January. The perfect palate-cleanser for The Other Room and Counting Backwards the following week.

It now starts later than previously advertised with the burn happening at Islington Mill between 8-10pm and after party gig from 10pm to late.

The date for pledges of art to be burned has now been pushed back to Wednesday 26 January.

Submissions to manchesterartistsbonfire@gmail.com

Include your name, a brief description of your practice, your website/blog address if you have one, your 250 word pledge, and details of the artwork to be burned in no more than 100 words with one image.

The bonfire is free entry, the gig afterwards is a modest £3 to cover costs of the event.

Obviously you can read the poster for yourself, but the performers on the night are:

• Womb Collective
• Paddy Steer
• Matt Dalby

DJs are: 

• Paddy Steer
• Ana (Womb Collective)
• Danny Saul
• Martin Warm Widow
• Neil Gnod

If you spend much time around Islington Mill you’re probably familiar with the DJs, and most of the performers will at least look familiar.

See you there.