The Art of Ideas is three events taking place in Birmingham this week. I’m going to attempt to gather the various online responses in this post. As usual, send me links or add them in the comments.
Ruth Ward has set up an Arts of Ideas blog gathering together all the material associated with the events in one place, including the essays and images. Nice one!
Tuesday: Culture and Identity – The Role of Place in Shaping the Arts
I took notes during the talk. Yes, that was me tapping away in an irritating manner. Sorry.
James Yarker posted his notes on the Stan’s Cafe blog. (Yes, there’s a Stan’s Cafe blog! And it’s very good.)
Catherine O’Flynn’s talk is on the Post website.
Jon Bounds at BiNS was there. He also points us to Euphoria, mentioned by Catherine and celebrating the forgotten bits of Brum. Worth a look.
Twitter:
@RussL: “Reading all this stuff about this talk last night: B’ham is the ultimate post-modern city. It’s strength is its ability (and tendency) to interrupt its own meta-narrative. Or is that too wanky?
@AnthonyJHughes: “Art of ideas – do we really need to discuss/ have discussed our industry as if we weren’t there? Do we need to anylise creativity to death?” and “It’s a bit like a late night review where Tom Paulin and Sarah Dunant discuss why something is funny…..Margaret Street”
Wednesday: Why Should We Care About Creativity in the West Midlands?
I again took notes during the talks. Hope they’re of some use. Of course if the organisers recorded the event and make that public it’d be even better (hint!)
D’Log gives a detailed report.
Stuart Parker wasn’t overly impressed.
Thursday: Future of Sound
This is now taking place at the John Lee Theatre at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, 7:00pm to 10:00pm
Two essays by Matt Price and Catherine O’Flynn are available printed on an absurdly large piece of paper. If these are online anywhere please let me know else I’m going to have to try and scan that bastard.
I couldn’t make it to the talk so thanks for the handy round-up of Tuesday’s stuff. (Oooh, it’s like a Bento box of people’s thoughts.)
Looking forward to reading about tonight’s talk tomorrow!
Cath’s Post article is the essay, and Matt Price’s is also in a da Post. Saved you some scanning there Pete.
I found Tuesday’s debate somewhat inconsequential. Not really the fault of the speakers, but it didn’t quite address ‘the role of place in shaping the arts’ so much as look at how artists respond to places in their work. If there is a Birmingham/ West Midlands aesthetic, it’s very diffused.
I’d like to assure the world that I’ve meted out the appropriate level of punishment unto myself for the stupid apostrophe misapplication in the tweet quoted above.
Hi – I’ve set up a blog with all of the content from the talks – pictures and essays – see
http://theartofideas.wordpress.com