Posts Tagged ‘Fazeley Studios’:
Written by Nicky Getgood on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 ( Start discussion )
Tags: big city plan, birmingham coach station, Birmingham Post, digital district, Fazeley Studios, shameless self promotion, south birmingham college, The Bond
If you buy a copy of this week’s Birmingham Post you’ll find inside a supplement all about Digbeth: Soul of the City, with articles about that Big City Plan, Digital District things and places like South Birmingham College, The Bond, Fazeley Studios and the new Birmingham Coach Station. You’ll find some spectacular photos from yesteryear on pages 4 and 5 and on page 16 there’s an article by yours truly, all about a few if my favourite Digbeth things. In a newsagent near you until Wednesday.
Written by Nicky Getgood on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: 7 Inch Cinema, Capsule, citizensheep, Custard Factory, devonshire house, Fazeley Studios, michaelgrimes, Rhubarb Radio
Back in September, Michael Grimes (aka Citizensheep) kick-started a lively online discussion about small but significant changes the Custard Factory could make as ‘It’s looking run-down, and suggests no-one really cares anymore about promoting it as a vibrant space, and no-one really goes there (except for loud music at weekends).’
A couple of months on and it’s looking even more under the weather – the boardwalk is more patchwork chipboard than flooring and going to the toilet is still a cold and uncomfortable ordeal. The website isn’t regularly updated, which can make it hard to find out what’s in store there. Far worse, a few tenants have suffered break-ins recently (I’m aware of three over recent months – two studios and one ground floor shop unit).
I’m not just saying this for a pointless moan – the Custard Factory is a vital piece of Digbeth’s vibrant make-up and is home to some of the most exciting elements of local life – Capsule, Rhubarb Radio and 7 Inch Cinema to name but a few (let’s face it, I could never name them all). As a regular visitor, seeing it fall short of its brilliant potential for a long period can be really frustrating, especially with its sister development Fazeley Studios serving as an example of how good things can be.
I’m hearing great rumors about the forthcoming opening of Devonshire House on Digbeth High Street. I really hope its restoration rubs off onto the original Custard Factory complex, and we can see it return to its former glory.
Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, November 30th, 2009 ( 6 responses )
Tags: andy munro, anna blackaby, Birmingham Post, dave harte, digbeth study, Fazeley Studios, microsoft, rare games
So all of Birmingham’s buzzing with the news that Microsoft subsidiary Rare Games are set to move into the remaining vacant Fazeley Studios. Martin Mullaney thinks it’s ‘awesome’. The Birmingham Post have visually interpreted the big news in an interesting way – a massive, Microsoft bat-signal emanating from Digbeth. I’m liking this. I’m liking this so much I want it to be first of my three wishes to Andy Munro, in response to the the genie-style last question of his Digbeth Study:
- What are the top three things you feel should be done for Digbeth?
My second wish is for many local loud-speakers to play the Intel sound logo to accompany the Microsoft bat-signal. Both can go off whenever one of the many Digbeth websites gets updated. It could be a bit like Twitter blog updates for those not on Twitter. Or something. My third and final wish is for the following not to happen:
For some reason I imagine these Rare Games people to be big-shot Yanks. I’m sure they’re not, but it placed a picture in my head – I’m walking through the Fazeley Studios corridors and meet a dashing American, who flashes me a bright-white smile. He says Hey There and tells me he’s new in town, and asks if I can help. I say Of Course (anything for you). Then he asks, Where’s the nearest cashpoint, decent parking, supermarket, mobile phone signal? I look uncomfortably on whilst realisation dawns – he has traded in his land of milk and honey for a place with None Of The Above.
According to Dave Harte, the best way to prevent this is to take Anna Blackaby’s advice of developing a Digbeth Business Improvement District (BID). I honestly don’t know if this is the answer, I just know I don’t want to disappoint the dashing American. Can you fix that for me Andy Munro? Pretty please?
Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, October 19th, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: bvsc, cow vintage, data.tron, day into night, Fazeley Studios, Ikon Eastside, jordan mckenzie, karen strunks, manzils, nick booth, ryoji ikeda, social media surgery, Vivid
Last Thursday evening was an incredibly varied one for me. It started with the Social Media Surgery organised by Nick Booth in Fazeley Studios, where we gave social media advice and help to people from local voluntary and community groups. This was the Social Media Surgery’s first birthday and it’s come on in leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings as a one-off event in the BVSC building. Many happy returns.
I thought I’d also better check out the art launches of that evening – Ryokji Ikeda’s data.tron at Ikon Eastside (pictured above) and Jordan McKenzie’s live performance piece Day Into Night at VIVID.
Like the blurb said, Ryoji Ikeda’s video art is ‘truly engrossing’ – I found the rows after rows of data speeding by on the big screen kind of hypnotic and I kept glazing over, like my brain was tuning into its white noise. Or maybe I was just a bit tired. The exhibition is on until 8th Nov, shortly after which it will become part of the Ikon Eastside closing party on 12th Nov.
I popped into VIVID on my way back but found I couldn’t really get into it – Jordan McKenzie was in the corner of a cold, dark room repeatedly lighting matches off the wall. I think the best thing about it was the burnt-out match smell that hit me as soon as I walked into the room. You can re-watch VIVID’s recording of the piece.
After that I made my way to Manzil’s curry house for a spot of dinner, but found myself distracted by a late-night student sale at COW Vintage store. This is a great business booster of theirs – give the fresher students an after-dark party of beer, cakes and pumping music and rake in their student loans through the cash tills. It worked, too.
After purchasing a rather fetching yellow bangle, I made my way to Manzil’s on Digbeth High Street to celebrate photographer Karen Strunk’s birthday in style. The curry was up to its usual delicious standard and was nicely polished off with birthday cake and modeling balloons, courtesy of her magician friend Pat.
Written by Nicky Getgood on Sunday, November 30th, 2008 ( Start discussion )
Tags: alex hughes, creativerepublic, design week, Fazeley Studios, fierce earth, michael wolff, steflewandowski
Michael Wolff led some serious brainstorming at Creative Republic in Fazeley Studios on Thursday evening, helping answer the question ‘does Birmingham need a creative director?’, which Stef Lewandowski recently posed in Design Week. If they can generate the discussion and ideas that emerged on Thursday, the answer is an unequivocal YES.
Fierce Earth posted their memories of the event, which consisted of tables of teams creatively addressing key areas of the city – the elderly, transport, healthcare, culture, housing, young people and brand. Michael Wolff encouraged us to be totally unreasonable, which was lots of fun and resulted in the Birmingham brand becoming a ‘rough blue curry’. I was in the education team that came up with learning in pubs, obviously.
Local cartoonist Alex Hughes was there scribbling away, as you can see.
Written by Nicky Getgood on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 ( Start discussion )
Tags: BirminghamMusicNetwork, birminghampost, chrisunitt, createdinbirmingham, CreativeNetworks, Custard Factory, Digbethisgood, digbetholympics, Fazeley Studios, Fierce Festival, Flickr, gigbeth, johnmostyn, leekern, links, Midge Diabolik, millenniumpoint, monkeytennis, Nicole Blackman, Pete Ashton, thinktank, toblog
- You sing it, we’ll hum it – John Mostyn hums along to the German national anthem at the Digbeth Olympics. He promises video footage soon. In the meantime, you’ll have to make do with my crap photos.
- Gigbeth 2008 line-up announced – Birmingham Post – Geek rockers, hip hop legends and dance music pensioners all in the one festival.
- Birmingham Music Network and Creative Networks – Two meetings in Millennium Point Thurs 28 Sept. The Birmingham branch of Musicians Union pig out on chocolate 4-6pm and afterwards Creative Networks learn ‘How to break into TV and the battle to retain your filmmaking integrity thereafter’ from Lee Kern, of fake TV production company Monkey Tennis.
- Stay Away From Lonely Places – The Custard Factory blog is back again, reminding us what those gleaming white Fazeley Studios used to look like by linking to Nicole Blackman’s narrated tour of the ‘Custard Factory Quarter’ from last year’s Fierce Festival.
- Custard Factory Flickr Roundup – this is what happens when you search Flickr for ‘Custard Factory’. Liking Midge Diabolik’s picture of a gangly Pippi Longstocking. Who is it that’s pasting these paper people to the walls of Digbeth? I love them. Can I get one for my flat?
