We cannot wait to welcome you to Artists Behind Bars at Eastside Projects this Friday 1st March, as part of Digbeth First Friday. You know who the artists are, now it’s time to reveal the details of the bars!
#1 – Birdhouse in your Soul
A bar by Benjamin Whitehouse & Natascha Rohde (Inclusive Gathering)
Our human-sized bird house bar is not for the birds but for you! Your sanctuary in the busyness: Come and rest and receive (delicious mocktails and glitter blessings) and tweet to your own tune. Leave a message in our bird houses, wait for the cuckoo clocks to reveal their secrets and kick back with a delicious glitter(mock)tail.
Signature drink: (not a Shirley Temple, not an Early Bird, but…) the Temple Bird/Blue Canary (glitter blessing included)
Bar explained in 3 emojis:
🐦🏠🏳️🌈
#2 – Bar on the New Earth
A bar by Cathy Wade
Want to reach unimaginable heights? Visa applications are now being accepted to join us on The New Earth, the galaxy’s most successful terraforming project. A place to reimagine everything about yourself, give yourself a new name, take up that career you have always wanted and change your star sign. Why not enjoy a delicious cocktail while you wait in the departure lounge?
Signature drink:
The New Earth has just experienced our first mango & beetroot harvests, join our celebrations with a tropical sunrise or a borschtini.
Bar explained in 3 emojis:
🌍🚀💅
Tell us a bar joke:
A 🥭’s into a bar, unfortunately the 🍊,🍍 & 🍋 couldn’t get out of their work meeting.
#3 – The Office Rats
A bar by Kengo Brown and Jacob Carter
Over the hum of telephones, the clicking of keyboards, and the monotony of working life, our bar isn’t exactly a bar. It’s two exhausted workers leaning up against the water cooler, sharing gossip, serving coffee and pairing this with appalling customer service. The seemingly insignificant conversations we will have in the corner of the room, are actually the problem solvers of modern day issues.
Signature drink: When every workday is the monotonous 9-5, all you need is an ice cold baileys from the water fountain. Our signature Flat Depresso is all that’s available in the staff room and you should consider yourself damn lucky that there’s anything at all. It’s a drink that everyone should take to join the circle, an invitation to our ritual.
Bar explained in 3 emojis: ☕️👔👀
Tell us a joke: An office rat walks into a bar and orders a coffee. The bartender asks, “Why the long face?” The rat replies, “I got nothing but tea all day in the corporate maze and I’m exhausted”
#4 – Preloved
A bar by Tat Vision
Join us for a glass of wine and reminisce about your favourite things you had when you were younger. Then meet Cilla Black for a tatty version of Blind Date where you can take home a preloved item after finding out which bit of tat’s right for you.
Signature drink:
Red wine with a thumbs up
Bar explained in 3 emojis:
🍷❤️🪀
Tell us a joke:
A cat walked into a bar for a saucer of milk. The cat had a really tough and long day at the office so missed out as the bar was closing. Quickly the cat asked if it could have a saucer of milk and the bar tender said yes its last pawders.
#5 – The Lady Diana Public House
A bar by Huw Bithell
The Lady Diana Public House is a play on the classic British pub that we all know, but with a dedication to Princess Diana (and made out of cardboard, for some reason?)
Signature drink:
‘Di Royale’, a play on the French kir royale, but with cheaper/more accessible ingredients – prosecco and Cherry B
Bar explained in 3 emojis:
👸🏼🍾🏴*
*but in a fun way not a weird right-wing way
#6 – Plant Gaze
A bar by Ellis Miles & Blü Romantic
A heady, lush, herbaceous paradise, contained in a little metal frame. The greenhouse of your dreams, curated by the green gays of your dreams.
Signature drink: Gin and botanicals
Bar explained in 3 emojis: 🪴🧌🪩
Tell us a joke: A gay walks into a bar picking his nose with his thumb, he pulls it out and it’s covered in snot, and the barman says ‘can you sort out my garden, looks like you’ve got a green thumb’ *holds for applause*
#7 – You Wish!
A bar by Sevonah Golabi and Poonam Maher
Imagine if you could have one wish…what would you wish for? Welcome to You Wish! – A bar where your wishes might (or might not!) come true.
Signature drink: Dark’n’Dreamy: Spiced rum, ginger beer, fresh lime with a golden shimmer
Bar explained in 3 emojis:
✨🔥😈
Tell us a bar joke:
A woman walks into a bar and there is a genie bartender. The genie says if you order a drink, I’ll grant you a wish. The woman orders a drink and wishes to become a time traveller. A woman walks into a bar.
#8 – Thirsty???
A bar by Barbielonmustfall
Behind a black and white bar, a big white screen is lit from behind. Behind the screen your drinks will be prepared, in a way that leaves you questioning how thirsty you really are. You’ll be served by a most unpleasant bartender, who may or may not flick some ash into a cup as a final signature before passing over your drinks. Are you still thirsty???
Signature drink: Pina Colada
Bar explained in 3 emojis: 😱🍸😏
Tell us a joke: Definitely not a joke, more of war cry! – Sally walks into a bar, the bartender tells her to piss off, Sally leaves the bar. Don’t be like Sally… If you’re thirsty PROVE IT!
#9 – Painters and Decorators
A bar by Jo Gleave and Francesca Millican-Slater
The painters and decorators are in and they’re tired of being the most commonly used euphemism for “let’s just call it a bloody period shall we?”. Come and get your light, medium or heavy flow drinks and let the painters and decorators take care of you on your period.*
*Actual level of care depends on which part of the cycle they’re in.
Signature drink: Medium flow negroni. Campari, vermouth and prosecco.
Bar explained in 3 emojis: 🩸🍷🖌️
Tell us a joke: Two tampons walk into a bar and the bartender says a friendly hello. Neither of them says hello back, they’re both stuck up c*nts.
#10 – (Every Action is) A Happening Bar
A bar by Kitty Finer and Bláithín Mac Donnell
Kitty Finer and Bláithín Mac Donnell will be running a bar under the influence of Fluxus. Each punter will be given a limited edition instructional placemat and accompanying “kit” that has been designed and devised in homage to the Fluxkits.
Signature drink: We will be serving STIFF(Negroni sbagliato) or SOFT (San Bitter Aperitif). We will serve you when you put your finger on what you want.
Bar explained in 3 emojis: 🥨🎉🔮