Untold Stories is a documentary covering the Birmingham music scene from 1965 to 1985. It’s been produced by Birmingham Music Heritage.
A full DVD’s due at some point, but it’s all up on YouTube in 7 parts. Here’s part one:
Author Archive
- Shared Creative Studio Space Birmingham
“A small digital agency are currently looking at subletting desk space to like-minded individuals, or a small team.” Based in Fazeley Studios and sharing with good people - Business case for the £5m Creative Industries Fund
This is the FBC from BCC for the CIF that’ll complement the BLF and EF, with shout-outs to FB, the CAF, LEP and ERDF (via Dave Harte)
The other night I went to Speak Up at the Hare and Hounds - a night of poetry, spoken word and music with a little bit of crazy dancing thrown in for good measure.
It was good – the place was busy, there was a nice, relaxed atmosphere and the performers were an entertainingly mixed bunch. I’ve seen Polarbear a few times and usually enjoy his stuff so it was good to catch him again. I’d heard of Byron Vincent but hadn’t expected him to be quite so funny as he was. On the musical side of things, Tom Peel was a revelation, Martyna Baker was impressive and there was a young lady called Mahalia who blew everyone’s socks off.
Everything was admirably compered by Jodi Ann Bickley and Matt Windle, who were both very good too. A good night out, all told. Keep an eye out for the next one of these (if there is one – hopefully there will be).
The Birmingham Post has a pretty grim report on the latest Birmingham City Council arts funding decisions. You may remember that a significant chunk was taken away this time last year. Well, the current level of funding will be frozen for a couple of years, with plans to take away a further £1.4m in 2014.
In response to that, mac have said they might have to close for 6 weeks from January 2013, reduce their operating hours and feature less adventurous work.
The Music Hub organisations (Symphony Hall, the Town Hall, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Ex Cathedra) are apparently being accused of not getting their act together sufficiently and have been told they can just have one year of funding for the time being.
So, yes. Grim. The Post goes so far as to use the phrase ‘plunged into crisis’.
I’d like to quote something I wrote a year ago:
The leaked figures suggested a rather bleak scenario of 2012/13 and 2013/14 – one that’s been described as ‘politically unacceptable’. The idea, as I understand it, is for the figures announced yesterday to hold for the next three years. Funding is to be kept at this level by income generated by (for example) sponsorship secured by the likes of Performances Birmingham (Town Hall/Symphony Hall to you and I)
Is the scenario any less bleak or, for that matter, politically acceptable? The attempts to sell naming rights for the Town Hall and Symphony Hall have apparently fallen through too, by the way – corporate cash being a bit more tricky to come by these days.
One last thing – it’s worth noting that the Birmingham Post article was written by Paul Dale who left the paper yesterday. Over the years he’s done more than his fair share of bothering people in power and I’ve enjoyed reading his work. I was gutted to see him go (I bet there are a few who feel relieved) and wish him all the best in whatever he does next.
33TV is an online music channel based in Birmingham. We are dedicated to showcasing upcoming artists and musicians, featuring interviews, freestyles and unplugged performances
They’ve got interviews with Sox, Leo LeVox, Brian Travers, Firedon and plenty more. 33TV is on Twitter, Facebook and they’ve got a website at 33TV.co.uk but the best place to check out what they’re doing is on YouTube.
Town Hall and Symphony Hall have got a shiny new website and a new video to show off the kind of things they put on.
First up, the video, which was made by Vermillion Films:
And then the website, which was built by Made Media (which is where I work, full disclosure fans).
Also, blimey – I’ve just noticed that next year they’ve got a show called The Infernal Comedy:
John Malkovich stars in a stage play for baroque orchestra, singers and actor, based on the real-life story of convicted serial killer Jack Unterweger.
Yes, that John Malkovich. I’m a bit impressed by that.
From The Hubb on Twitter:
#soulinthemachine Khyle raja drawing upon @thehubb1 walls pic.twitter.com/KuSs6jxr
That’s for an exhibition called Soul in the Machine that’s opening tomorrow.
Nicky over on Digbeth is Good has picked up on some Digbeth-themed animations by some BCU students.
This is Voices of Digbeth by a few people who have modestly decided not to put their full names to it:
And this is Wasted Digbeth by Keanu Jones (I liked his Attack of the Dinozilla too):
Last weekend I went along to Aston Hall for one of the candlelit tours they do at this time of year:
One of the country’s finest Jacobean houses, Aston Hall is seen at its most breathtaking, lit by around 300 shimmering candles and warmed by two glorious historic fireplaces
It was pretty good too. It’s an amazing place and some of the actors that were dotted around were clearly having a lot of fun (especially one of the sword fighters at the beginning). I hadn’t realised what a big deal it was either – there were a lot of people booked in for each tour.
If you didn’t make it along this year than apparently you’ll have to wait until 2013 for the next one. In the meantime, here’s a video:
Pic from Birmingham Culture on Flickr, from a previous year.
- Make Your Voice Heard – City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – “What have the cuts meant to the CBSO? […] to balance the budget this year, we had to cut staff and costs, reduce education activity and remodel our concerts”. After the open letter from the MAC, here’s the CBSO
- The Other Way Works – We are recruiting Board Members | The Other Way Works
“The Other Way Works is currently recruiting Non-Executive (voluntary) Directors to join its Board of Directors.” Not sure if I should disclose that I’m on their board, but I will just in case. There are some great plans coming up for 2012 - Beside the B-side: The Lilac Time: ‘Street Corner’
“Street Corner is what it was like to grow up in the West Midlands in the 70s”. - The Old Wharf Closes. | Digbeth is Good
“after five years Dave & Michelle have sadly taken the difficult decision to leave. Finer hosts of the old school variety you couldn’t wish to meet”. Midge’s send-off to The Old Wharf - Massive Attack vs Burial – Paradise Circus
I can’t see this soundtracking the proposed redevelopment so well - Network Music Festival « A hi-tech musical weekender // 27-29 January 2012
A weekend of hi-tech musical performances, installations, workshops and talks where networking is central to the aesthetics, creation or performance practice of the work.
Obsessionistas presents an exhibition of personal collections from across the staff and student community at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.
On show are a broad range of items representing twenty five different collectors and their collections, including Japanese guitars, vintage hairdryers, Spirograph sets, English delftware, Mickey Mouse ties and deely boppers
The exhibition’s on now and runs until 16 December. The photo above is of Jo Pond’s collection of brushes.
There’s something really quite nice about this. Obsessionistas is run by Graham and Helen Powell and started back in April. Their aim is to celebrate collectors and their collections, with around 80 highlighted so far – many of them from around the West Mids area.
This one’s kinda brilliant. Fierce Festival are looking for 60 dachsunds from around the West Mids to take part in one of the projects featuring in next year’s festival:
Bennett Miller’s ‘Dachshund U.N.’ is a replica of the former United Nations office in Geneva which will hold a meeting of the Commission of Human Rights. Each of the 47 nations will be represented by a dachshund. The piece is a ‘playful and often chaotic comment on the aspirations of the Commission of Human Rights, and our capacity as humans to imagine and achieve a universal system of justice.’
Watch the video. I’m very much looking forward to this happening.
If you want your dog to get involved then More Canals Than Venice has the contact details.
VIVID is inviting people from Birmingham to take part in a collective recitation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with artist Monica Ross. Take this chance to learn a small part of the Declaration of Human Rights and recite it in public, in your own language, as part of this unique performance.
More detail and contact info is available via Vivid’s Facebook page.
There’s even more info about the project on Monica Ross’s website.
The Big Give Christmas Challenge kicked off this morning (after a false start yesterday when their servers crashed). It’s a big fundraising drive, with the bonus that donations are matched by a combination of Big Givers, so any money you give is doubled.
If you’re after something local:
- This link will take you to a list of West Mids culture/sport charities
- This link will take you to a search of charities that mention the keyword ‘Birmingham’
- Audiences Central has a list
A public meeting “Crisis in Midlands Journalism” is being held on Thursday, December 8, from 6.30pm-9.30pm, Committee Rooms, Birmingham Council House, Victoria Square
Discussing the horse that bolted a few years back, presumably. Not meaning to be unpleasant about it, but it’s not as if the writing hasn’t been on the wall for long enough. Waiting for another 50 jobs to go before the ‘crisis’ is addressed doesn’t quite seem adequate.
Via both Roy Greenslade and the NUJ.
UPDATE
There’s a Hacks/Hackers Birmingham meet-up the following Thursday (15 Dec). It’s a regular event bringing together journalists, developers and others who are looking for new/better/different ways to find and tell stories.
