On Friday 1st March 2024, we’re bringing the iconic Artists Behind Bars event back to Brum as part of Digbeth First Friday, with partners Eastside Projects.
Artists Behind Bars is an event concocted by Kitty Finer that brings together artists to build, install, host, and run their own bars. For one night shift only, the bar is the work of art, the artist is the bartender, and the spectator is the punter.
The Artists Behind Bars 2024 will be announced nearer to the event.
Examples of past bars include Liz Ord’s Winners Only Bar where everyone was an opulent deluxury winner with more trophies, awards, sashes and crowns than you can shake your jewel-adorned sceptre at! Louisa Robbin’s Hard As Nails Bar (nail bar serving watermelon cocktails), Round Lemon invited you to worship the Lemon God with the mission to share the prophecy of the Lemon, with a host of lemon based bevvies, Turner Prize winning Tai Shani served shots of sambuca, sans toga from a Greek column and Marcia Farquhar hosted a champagne speakeasy where punters could sit and hear a story or two.
Join us for this legendary event to try drinks specially developed by some of the region’s most exciting artists, from behind their bespoke bars, then join us on the dance floor till the small hours.
This event is 18+.
ACCESS: The venue has step-free access, and a wheelchair accessible toilet. Please see Eastside Project’s Visitor Access Guide for further information.
The above image shows the entrance to Eastside Projects. You will access the space via the right hand-door as you look at the building. Please note that the artwork on the building rotates on a regular basis and may not look exactly as shown in the image on the day of the event.
Inside the venue you will find 8 bars situated around the space, each one run by a different artist with its own theme and drinks menu. Some of these bars will encourage audience participation, but it is not mandatory. Each bar will be decorated/designed to reflect its theme, and in some bars there may be moving image, lighting and/or audio elements. The noise level will be moderate (i.e. people will be able to hold a conversation over any music/sound effects). Separate to the bars, there will also be a main dance floor area, with music provided over a sound system. The audio levels here will be slightly louder than the bar areas. There will also be stage/club lighting in this area – but no strobes.
If you require allergy information, please ask at the individual bars.
There will be seating available for those that need it.
Fierce will have access backpacks on site, available at the front door. The undecorated bright pink backpack will be worn by volunteers (who will have fierce logo t-shirt / bibs on). The backpacks contain:
- Water bottles
- PPE standard Masks
- Hand Sanitiser
- Pack of Tissues
- Ear defender headphones
- Fidget toys
As we have now fully sold out tickets for this event and we are at maximum capacity for the venue, unfortunately we cannot offer any more free tickets to Refugees or asylum seekers, or those that have financial barrier to attending (via the ‘skint list’).
