Comments on: Some non-Digbeth linkage

By: Dumbo NYC, Brooklyn » Archive » Dumbo Links Week of 28Feb2010 (DumboNYC.com)

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:10:34 +0000

[...] Birmingham:Digbeth as Brooklyn:Dumbo, 02Mar10, Digbeth [...]

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:05:29 +0000

Watch this space – I’m going to set something up soon at the Edge, but it’ll take a bit of work to get the ‘right’ people together – so look out for something in early April, expect an invite.

By: Nicky Getgood

Nicky Getgood — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:39:11 +0000

I’m not going to google GOMT. Something tells me that will be NSFW. Love the idea of a discussion group to talk about forging a bold new path!

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:16:48 +0000

Sorry – I tend to make up acronyms as I go along. somebody’s usually done it first though. Having ideas to do stuff is great, being influenced by what others do is how stuff develops often, but what GOMTs (google that!), is the wholesale adopting of stuff that worked elsewhere. Ultimately context is everything and just ‘cos something worked once in a particular place and time, doesn’t mean it’ll be quite the same thereafter. Like a first drug experience, for instance, not that we’d know ;-) I just think we need to be looking at what we do best and doing more of that. Maybe we can get a discussion together to work out what that is, instead of the aforementioned bandwagon-hopping? (and I didn’t mean that Artsfest was totally useless, just another pale imitation)

By: Nicky Getgood

Nicky Getgood — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:13:42 +0000

Lee I managed to decipher IMNSHO but had to google STFU. So I’m not very down with the kids.

Fair point, really. When I saw Oubliette and Grand Opening I thought they’d done some interesting things with empty old buildings and shops, two things Digbeth has plenty of!

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:31:57 +0000

Digbeth’s already been given a silly name – unfortunately a really boring one not chosen by anyone with an ounce of creativity, which we shouldn’t be buying into, IMNSHO. ‘Artist-led culture only works when it is led by artists’ – we do have a lesson to learn here, which is to take charge of our own destinies. Stop looking at how other people are doing it all the time because somebody has seen something on their latest work jolly over cocktails at SXSW or somewhere. One of the biggest cockups that is continually made in this city is to try and apply models from elsewhere – which just end up being inferior copies (Artsfest, anyone?). We should start looking under our noses at what is good and positive about our locality and do more of that. Do more of what we are good at. And STFU and get on making things happen – let’s define ourselves through who we are, not who we think we would like to be. And stop jumping on every bandwagon that rolls along and then make a half-arsed job of it.

By: Digbeth is Good » First Digbeth cashpoint update: we’ll be waiting a while longer

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:26:17 +0000

[...] as Dave Harte commented yesterday, ‘As much as we’ve all moaned about lack of signposting and cashpoints perhaps having [...]

By: Nicky Getgood

Nicky Getgood — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:22:11 +0000

Funny you should mention cashpoints Dave – I’ve an update on that to post later today.

I see the old Cocoon shop has a SOLD sign on it, but there are empty properties both sides of it and plenty more elsewhere in Digbeth….

By: Dave Harte

Dave Harte — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:00:45 +0000

Of course every time a new gallery opens round Digbeth way it takes one step closer to gentrification. By and large though the process is painfully incremental enough for none of us not to notice too much. Actually, there’s an industrial/arts balance to the place right now that kind of feels right. So perhaps the question might be how to preserve that balance.

As much as we’ve all moaned about lack of signposting and cashpoints perhaps having neither is your greatest asset.

By: Nicky Getgood

Nicky Getgood — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:19:54 +0000

Hell, just returning Cocoon to its former glory would be an installation and a half! ;-)

Cheers for your comment Debra – great to hear a comparative voice from across the water!