pkgem’s fanart – Adventures in Salt-Shaking… – Members of The Guillemots fan forum go to see them in action at Gigbeth but neither they nor the band leave particularly pleased with the results. ‘The crowd was more a “something to do at the weekend” casual festival crowd than a Guillemot fan crowd. There was quite a number of fans and other considerate people there but they we were all drowned out by the kind of people for whom you just wonder why they bother?’ Possibly the type of problems that arise when you have such a diverse festival?
Denise – the hats! – Russ L gives a mixed review of Capsule’s Release The Bats gig at the Custard Factory, ’sort of enjoyed it and sort of didn’t.’
Andy Pryke’s Eastside Halloween – ‘Wandered down to the (newish) Eastside Projects Space when I took part in a interesting space-age maze installation which involved wearing a helmets which made you look like an alien. All the participants had cameras – either in the helmet, on in their “ray-gun” which also featured a screen which you could flick between the views from different cameras – quite dis-orienting, but fun!’
Dice Productions’ Hunt For St Patrick’s Festival Blogger – ‘St Patrick’s Festival is finally back online in the form of stpatricksbirmingham.com. We’ll be looking to get a dedicated volunteer blogger for it soon, and get some much needed updates on there.’
Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra to be based at Custard Factory – ‘The start of November sees the launch of the BGSO – Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra…will give lgbt people & their friends the chance to perform wonderful music, meet new people and socialise together in a welcoming and supportive environment.’
Custard Factory – Bennie Gray’s manifesto to avoid Detroitification of Birmingham – ‘What Birmingham needs right now is dozens of informal Custard Factory-type organisations helping to unleash the multitude of small enterprises which, given the right backing, are ready to spring forth from the garages, spare bedrooms, colleges and sheds where they have been honing their nascent skills and ideas and waiting for the right opportunity for too long.’
Custard Factory – Rhubarb ready to harvest – ‘Rhubarb Radio, the community radio station based at the Custard Factory, has quietly been pulling the pieces together over the last few weeks and is pretty much live.’
Plus+ Touring the city with the Walking Tours – Ben Waddington is ‘a Birmingham-based historian with an especial interest in architecture, industrial history and typography’. He’s giving guided typography tours for this year’s Plus festival including a ‘Digbeth Type Tour: Exploring use of typography and handwritten letterforms in industrial Digbeth side streets. The area’s history revealed through its use of type.’ These will take place 12.00-1.30pm Weds 5th-Fri 7th Nov. Other tours are Baskerville’s Birmingham, Blue Plaques tour and City Type Tour.
FREE training « Creative Launchpad – ‘Business Planning for a Successful Creative Business’ on Tues 11 Nov in Birmingham, plus other dates elsewhere.
Film Dash: And the winner is… – TTV Team for their film’s ‘charm, humour, the use of non-conventional filming techniques and the use of the city.’ I do hope Thingamagoop found his way home from the Digbeth dustbin he ended the film in. If he did, chances are he’s getting jiggy with the Flip machine the winners were given as I type.
Capsule Blog » Points mean prizes… – A reminder that this Saturday brings the Capsule/ATP Release The Bats Halloween party in Space 2 at the Custard Factory, with an unmissable line up of: SHELLAC / OM / WOODEN SHJIPS / PISSED JEANS / LIGHTNING BOLT + DJ ANDY WEATHERALL
Custard Factory – A Creative Marketplace for Digbeth / Eastside? – There has been investment ‘in the development of Digbeth and Eastside as a Learning and Leisure Quarter and a centre for the creative industries, particularly the digital media sector…One of the project ideas now under discussion is the establishment of a Creative Marketplace.’ Take the short, simple survey to help determine whether or not there will be one and what form it may take. My first thought was ‘what the hell is a creative marketplace?’, so I was grateful to Created in Birmingham for linking to the explanation here.
Eastside City Farm – Another great idea for guerilla gardening, this time from Andrew Hemmings. Turn all the building sites abandoned due to the credit crunch into gardens, allotments and mini-farms. Bloody brilliant idea, count me IN!
Blog Action Day social media surgery at BVSC tomorrow – Nick Booth serves a reminder by taking stock of who’s coming and what’s on offer for voluntary and community groups coming in need of advice. Social media surgery is tomorrow (Wednesday, October 15th 2008) at BVSC 5.30pm to 7.30 pm. ‘Come when you can for some free, friendly, one to one support.’
Plus+: Call for volunteers – Plus is looking enthusiastic, hardworking and motivated volunteers, with a passionate interest in graphic design and the creative industries in general, or arts festivals in particular or those who just want to share time and energy for the event. Plus 2008 is going to be held in Digbeth at Fazeley Studios from the 5 – 8 of November.
Search for the stars – A Birmingham City Council-backed ‘Birmingham’s Got Talent’ competition. It’s part of the Creative City Awards and finalists will have the chance to perform at the 2008 Creative City Awards ceremony on Nov 29 at the ICC. Auditions will be held at the Custard Factory at the end of October.
Big Cat Group originally marketed this as an X Factor style contest but after the feedback this received on Created in Birmingham they decided it was the ‘wrong approach’ and changed tack to……another Simon Cowell-fronted, bad, reality telly contest. And sent the press release out with this simply gorgeous picture of Councillor Neville Summerfield. Really went back to the drawing board and thought outside the box there, then.
Other, less maddening, news is:
Plus Design venue – I do so love being right. The confirmed venue for Plus International Design Expo 5-8 November is Fazeley Studios.
Koganecho Bazaar and Digbeth – A fantastic article by Nikki Pugh about Koganecho Bazaar in Japan and how it ‘resonates strongly with various conversations going on here regarding the regeneration of Digbeth’.
Hello World – Created in Birmingham post the programme of the Hello World international digital media conference at Millennium Point 23-24 October.
Artists at Ltd Edition – I missed the last Ltd Edition art sale at the Custard Factory, but Chris Unitt made it and discovered Designer Art, Shy Mouse Design and the gorgeous Ruth Green Design.
Ticket shop a coming – To the Custard Factory, for events at the Custard Factory, which makes sense.
Plus International Design Festival – Now’s you last chance to make your application to exhibit, speak or run a workshop at the 2008 Plus International Design Festival. All proposals must be made via the Plus website (www.youplusus.net) by midnight Friday 17 October 2008. Rumour has it the festival will be held on Fazeley Street, but the venue has yet to be confirmed.
Connecting Digbeth – ‘Nicky is sort of the Hostess of Diggers, a cyber social networker if you will; keeping tabs on all of the goings on and her blog is like a drinks party (anyone for Pimms?) where you can find out about the recent Digbeth gossip and upcoming happenings.’ Flattery, my dear Melinda Schwakhofer, will get you everywhere!
The Dubliner pub in Digbeth refurbished after fire – Spice Girls covers act Spice Aloud joined landlord Patrick Finn in a pint of the black stuff to mark the refurbishment of The Dubliner in Digbeth. Woo-hoo!
Film Dash – On Friday 17 October at 6pm at the Old Library Theatre in the Custard Factory participating teams will be given a short briefing and the criteria for their films. At 7pm the teams will be set loose and will then have 48 hours to script, shoot and edit their films.
Fluid Design: Bleep Bleep – Fluid is starting a new night at The Sanctuary called Bleep Bleep playing techno and such.
Deritend Bridge, anyone know anything about it? – Situated between Digbeth High Street and Bradford Street, Deritend Bridge is a mixed use development comprising offices, shops, hotel and residential accommodation.
