It’s mainly a chance to get people together to talk game stuff, but in particular we’ll be looking to get people involved in making a Central Library project happen and programming some playful things for Shenanigans on Saturday 27th of February.
It’s completely free and all are welcome. It’s 7pm on Mon 15th Feb at the back of The Lamp Tavern, 157 Barford Street, Birmingham, B5 6AH.
a photog blog & more… – M T Sullivan takes a picture of people you pass on the street in Digbeth, which is a girl lost in the music on her iPod. This is a great Birmingham photo blog full of quirky local life.
Digbeth O’lympics 09 « John Mostyn’s Blog – John’s account of the Digbeth O’Lympics last year. It has some great photos of the bizarre fun, such as the cardboard coracle race, welly wanging and the soapbox race. But most importantly, it has this film of John announcing the Free State of Digbeth.
The Free State of Digbeth has no constitution. It has no geographical boundaries. It is the most powerful of all states – a stare of mind…
Ask not what Digbeth can do for you, but what you can do for Digbeth.
New postcard from South Africa! | Friction Arts – The lovely chaps at Friction Arts are not long back from a fruitful trip to Johannesburg and they’d like to share their experiences with you all:
If you’re from the cultural industries or the public sector and you’re interested in projects that focus on participation and engagement, intercultural dialogue or legacy, or an artist interested in international work or how interventions can work in differing cultures, then this is an event you should not miss. As usual, the event is free (and unfunded, feel free to donate), refreshments will be available, and there’ll be a big, fat Q+A at the end which will go on for as long as the audience require, then retiring to the annexe (the Anchor public house and real ale emporium), for a ‘debrief’.
RSVP to Friction if you would like to attend as there’s a limited capacity. Going by the blog posts they wrote whilst out there, this should be a good ‘un.
Custard Factory In Birmingham closing Down – Yes, that headline made me start too, but it’s just the subject header of an interesting forum discussion that says The Factory Club at the Custard Factory is closing down after Eclectricity’s “END OF AN ERA WEEKENDER” on Easter Bank Holiday weekend 2010.
as the Factory Club @ Custard Factory closes down for good, we are proud to putting on the official closing parties….. It goes without saying that it will be an emotional end to what has been Birmingham’s finest music institution… We will ensure it goes out in style!!
A lot of the clubbers in the forum are understandably gutted, but I can imagine some of the Custard Factory’s tenants might not be quite so upset. Does anyone know if The Factory Club is moving home to a new venue, or is it shutting up shop for good?
Ghouls on Film – a Women in Horror Recognition Month event – Good grief, there actually is such a thing as a Women in Horror Recognition Month. Who’d of thunk? Anyway, to mark this rather bizarre celebration of women in the horror industry there’s a programme of horror films made by, involving or about women. It’s at The Mixing Bowl Theatre in The Custard Factory on 20th Feb 2010 from 3pm. The event will include short films, two independent feature films and a scary special guest in the shape of cult star Emily Booth.
Ghouls on Film will play host to the UK premiere of the acclaimed Soska Sisters’ debut feature film, as well as a screening of Kate Glover’s outback slasher ‘Slaughtered’. The short films include a brand new short by Maude Michaud and the award-winning film ‘Pop Art’ by Amanda Boyle. Emily Booth, best known for her TV presenting and roles in films such as Evil Aliens and Doghouse will be talking about her career in horror, as well as leading a discussion on the role of women in the horror industry.
Entry to the event is £6, solely to cover costs. Any excess money (whatever the amount!) will be donated to a charity chosen on the day.
I took a stroll down Cheapside today to take a look at what was left of the D&P Textiles warehouse after the massive fire yesterday. As you can see from the photos, quite a bit of damage has been done – the roof of the storage area has completely gone.
One of the guys clearing up said, “It’s made a lot of mess. But it’s made the news, it’s made this area famous.” Although I’d like to think Digbeth can be famous for a bit more than a fire, he’s not wrong:
BBC News reported on the ’suspicious’ nature of the fire and the building’s asbestos roof, which apparently ‘poses no risk to the public’. Good to know.
The Birmingham Post quoted a lot of numbers – ‘45 firemen tackled the blaze…ten engines, three main jets and a hydraulic platform had been used to douse the fire.’
The Express and Star disagreed with the Birmingham Post and said there were 60 firemen. They’ve got a picture of three of them squirting hosepipes at the blaze.
The Birmingham Mail predicted Monday morning ‘commuter misery’ due to resulting road closures, which I was surprised by as the Bradford Street entrance to Rea Street was open by the end of Sunday and Cheapside is not a major route road. Did anyone experience any problems this morning?
According to an update report on BBC News today, Managing Director of D&P Textiles Phil King has promised the factory will reopen soon, and ‘he hoped his workforce of 35 women would be back at their machines within the next couple of weeks.’ Let’s hope the mammouth clean-up operation he faces goes as smoothly as possible.
Thank God the only casualties were clothes. However, I did manage to find one surviving item – a lone piece red and gold ribbon. This now has a new home in the DiGpuss Shop of found items.
Flatpack Festival is back this year from 23rd- 28th March. As always, we will be treated to a programme of weird and absolutely beautiful films, music and workshops that will take place in venues right across the city. For the fourth Flatpack Festival bus trips, art deco cinemas and optical illusions will be a few of the offerings. I can’t wait!
I can’t wait either as I’ve heard Digbeth features heavily in the Flatpack plans, so like last year we’ll be in for a rather serious treat on our doorstep. If you’d like to give the lovely chaps at Flatpack a hand in making it happen, they’re after volunteers – get in touch and get involved!
Reversible Bag Workshop on Tuesday! – Creative Open Workshops – If you want the prettiest shopping bag in the whole wide world, learn how to make your own at the COW shop tomorrow. Places are still available to book and cost £15 (incl. all materials, equipment, warm drinks & cakes). For more information call 0121 224 8445 or 0789 655 9406.
