In three weeks’ time, the last daily edition of the printed version of the Birmingham Post will roll off our presses in Erdington, marking the end of a publishing tradition that stretches back more than 150 years

Roy Greenslade rounds up the changes:

The Birmingham Post, as forecast in the summer, is to go weekly; the Birmingham Mail will become an overnight, morning title; both editors are leaving; and there will be about 80 redundancies across the group

There are plans to put the titles on a more even keel, but this isn’t good news and sympathies go to those who’ll be affected.

While we’re on the subject of the Post, they had the most fantastic front-page story this morning:

Birmingham council’s £100,000 communications chief Debra Davis attacks own department

Bearing in mind that Ms Davis has been running the department for the past two-and-a-half years, there are many questions that spring to mind – many of them articulated by ‘DiliGent’ in the piece’s 4th comment. Worth a read.

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It’s an opportunity to get together with other creatives, to share what you’re doing and find out what they’re up to, as well as meeting Creative Republic board members who’d love to know what you want from a membership organisation.

There’s more info on the Creative Republic site.

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We’re told that:

under new management channel4.com/4talent will at least continue

but whether they can maintain the impeccable standards set by Nick Carson, Helen Byrne and Catherine Bray is another matter.

© chrisunitt for Created in Birmingham, 2008. | 4 comments |

We, the Waverley Youth Panel (which consists of 15 young people from years 7 to 8) who want to make our school an exciting place for pupils and staff, and to allow them all to be active learners together. We will be working with our teachers to help them set up our Bright Space/Waverley Change school programme. Our initial ideas are to employ/commission one creative person or even an organisation to work with us to ‘find our voice’ and to support us in finding out what is already in our school and how we all want to use it. We also want to continue to draw on the strengths our school and community

If anyone wants to get involved then further details (incl contact info) are on the Arts News item.

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Mark Thomas, the BBC Resources chief executive, has apparently emailed staff to explain that jobs will be lost across the corporation’s commercial post-production and studios arm and that the Birmingham premises are no longer commercially viable.

As the BBC Resources website says:

BBC Post Production Birmingham is home to some of the best Drama, Magazine and Contemporary Factual programmes on television. From ‘Doctors’ and ‘The Afternoon Plays’ to ‘Coast, ‘Countryfile’, ‘Gardeners World’ ‘Don’t Die Young’, ‘The Sky At Night’, ‘Indian Food Made Easy’, and ‘To Buy Or Not To Buy’

(Via Simon Howes)

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Originally started in Summer 2006 by designers Claire and Kelly, the Moor Street Station Markets won the station industry awards but disappeared after the following Christmas. Now they are brought back to you by Moseley Arts Market Coordinator Jamie Lewis, initially for the 2008 Christmas period and most likey for special events throughout the next year. At Moor Street Station Market the emphasis will be on smaller affordable art, craft, jewellery and fashion with wide appeal

I like the way this has been done.  No need for a flashy website or owt, just a simple (free) blog to stick some info on.

Oh, and stalls are still available and they cost a tenner.  See the website for info.

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Birmingham City Council has launched an ‘X Factor’ style hunt to find the city’s top undiscovered talent, offering them a chance to perform in front of many of the city’s most influential creative industry and media figures.

Entertainers of all genres, whether magicians, dancers, circus acts, singers, groups or comedians, are being invited to take part, with the winner claiming an exclusive performance spot at the 2008 Creative
City Awards Ceremony, being held on November 29th at the ICC

Auditions will be held at The Custard Factory at the end of October. The successful candidates will be judged by the creative and events teams behind the Creative City Awards.

For more information, or to enter the competition, please send a short e-mail introducing yourself and your act to ed.king@bcguk.com, or alternatively call Ed at BIG CAT Group on (0121) 200 0910.

Thoughts?  Anyone going to have a go?

**UPDATE** – actually, from the looks of the comment by Ed below, it looks like this isn’t happening.  Or something’s happening but in a different format.

© chrisunitt for Created in Birmingham, 2008. | 7 comments |

They also mention that they’re working on a couple of feature films in preference to companies from London, although details of the projects can’t be divulged just now.

So yes, that’s all well and good.  However my favourite thing on their blog is a short entry for a computer animation competition – you can read about the background to it on the blog and watch it here:

Robotochan_15s (HD) by EESB

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at present I think it’s fair to say that there will not be a Fierce Festival in 2009 but that we will aim to produce 2-3 large scale ambitious public projects throughout ‘09, one of which may be at the festival time. Our partners too, may still want to programme audacious and risky work in May and June, and we will certainly be working with them as usual to promote performances if they do.

We’d like to deliver a bigger, more ambitious programme, and it may take some time to sort that out.

So it’s not all bad and a reflection of their ambitions more than anything.  It’s worth reading the whole post for more about the whys and wherefores but, as Helga says, watch the blog for developments.

There’s also information about Fierce’s Creative Learning work and the announcement that:

We’re considering announcing a call for projects and inviting ideas for innovative and exciting creative learning projects with people who would be willing to partner Fierce Earth

So if that sounds like something you’d be interested in then that’s another reason to watch that space.

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Email your support to kent[at]rootyfrooty.co.uk. Now, please.

Not sure what to say? Maybe something along the lines of:

Kent

I would like to give my support to you in your Premises Licence appeal. In my experience events run at your venues have always been organised to the highest standards and have helped to promote the licensing objectives. Your venues also help to bring some much needed vibrancy to this area of Birmingham.

The Rainbow and the Rainbow Warehouse host music and film and we’re lucky to have them so please give em a hand.

© chrisunitt for Created in Birmingham, 2008. | 3 comments |

Arts & Business Awards

“Nominations are now open for the 30th Arts & Business Awards, designed to celebrate excellence in the field of arts and business partnerships and sponsorships”
Deadline for nominations is 30 May. Further information might be on their website but, frankly, if they want to deliberately hide it away I’m not going to look for it.

Open 08 West Midands

“Open is a biennial collaboration between Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery, celebrating the vibrant talent of the art scene in the West Midlands and allowing regional artists the chance to show their work at these prestigious venues.”
The deadline is 28 May 2008. Follow the link for application packs and further details.

Short Cuts Film submissions for ArtsFest

D’log reports that the Short Cuts Film programmers are seeking submissions but warns that the deadline for seeing and agreeing films is tight. I’ve not found any further useful information on this but D’log has the contact details so I’d start there if you’re interested. (Via D’log).

BSCI grant funding suspended

The budgets for Birmingham City Council’s feasibility and creative space grants is now fully committed. If this affects you, or you’d not heard of these grants and are interested then bookmark this page and check back in June. Appreciative nod to Simon Gray.

Changes to Grants for the Arts

From 20 May 2008 several changes to the programme run by Arts Council England will come into effect. Further info on the Arts Council England website. (Via Audiences Central News).

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