Created in Birmingham

• Birmingham’s flagship garden show to be held in derelict bank
  Sounds pretty cool to me.
• Project Platform Review – Bright Space- Eventbrite
  Project Platform was an interesting thing and here’s an invite to a follow-up discussion. Given some challenging circumstances, ‘how can we build on our successes and improve the relationship between youth and culture in Birmingham’?
• Birmingham City Council insists on £2,000 tea at three-hour meeting
  In April, the Local Government Chronicle did a list of ‘the 50 most influential people in local government’. People asked why there was nobody from Birmingham City Council. Here’s your answer.
• Sarah Ray illustration: Art markets this weekend
  Moseley market and Harborne carnival are both on this weekend. Sarah will be at both
• Dirty Bristow Issue Two: Beast | Dirty Bristow
  “80 pages packed with essays, stories, opinion pieces and artwork on the theme of ‘Beast’”
• Piccadilly Arcade – Part II « Birmingham Conservation Trust
  A look at the ceiling of Piccadilly Arcade
• Birmingham Royal Ballet – Carmina burana rehearsals on Vimeo
  “Céline Gittens and Tyrone Singleton in early studio rehearsals for David Bintley’s ballet, Carmina Burana”
• Fierce Festival Caravan of Artists 2011 – 12 | Fierce Festival
  “These are the artists that will form the core of the festival in Spring 2012. Over a nine month period they will develop their ideas with us, through city walks, discussion and residencies in Birmingham. We will share the process and development of these works over the year, online, through ad-hoc events, words and pictures. We invite you to follow and share that journey.” With pics and vids and everything
• People’s Festival « Active Arts
  “The Castle Vale Active Arts People’s Festival brings together performances, workshops and activities across the area.” 29 June to 9 July
• Museum Network Warwickshire
  “News, useful resources, events, training, joint projects, support and issues will all be here”
• IdeasTap Student Ambassador x 4
  One wanted for Birmingham City University. Could be a good thing to be involved in
• Urban Breakfast
  “Birmingham’s Premium Weekend Breakfast Delivery Service”. Granted, it’s not yer usual CiB thing but it’s a compelling service all the same

Dereliction, written by local playright Chris Cooper, has been touring the West Mids for the past few months and will get its last outing in a free community performance at Pegasus Primary School, Turnhouse Road, Castle Vale (map) on Thurs 11 Dec.

Dereliction is a study of freedom in a climate of fear, alienation and anger. The play is part of Big Brum’s year long celebration of the Rights of the Child

(via aCtiVe Arts)

• Lots Of Things To See And Do In The West Midlands: October 2008
  Russ L’s ever-useful round-up with loads of stuff happening this month. I’d like to add my own Film Dash 48-hour film challenge to the list (happening 17-19 Oct short film fans!)
• Pre-Raphaelite Online Resource | TAK! Design & Art Direction. Birmingham. UK. +44 (0) 121 288 2528
  The nice folk at Tak! are “very excited to announce a new working partnership with the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to design & develop an online educational resource for public, students and professionals”
• Wheatley Fellowship 2008/09
  News from BIAD – Juneau Projects have been selected as the Wheatley Fellow based in the School of Art 2008/09
• Support the Castle Vale Community Awards – aCtiVe arts
  “Castle Vale will proudly celebrate the achievements of a number of its residents at the second annual Community Awards on Friday 24th October”
• It’s fun to play at the M A C E | Birmingham: It’s Not Shit
  Jon Bounds has found the Media Archive for Central England and does some delving around
• Birmingham Conservation Trust – new futures for Birmingham’s historic buildings
  “Birmingham Conservation Trust is a charity created ‘to preserve and enhance Birmingham’s threatened architectural heritage” and it has a shiny new website

• Brumcast 105 ‘Everybody Goes Mad’
  Little Chris rounds up the local talent, plays their songs and talks between them
• Ben Neal’s Blog: Got Flummoxed!
  Ben Neal went to Flummoxed and has written all about it
• Through the Eyes of a Child, Fri 11 July – aCtiVe arts
  The culmination of a community poetry project and competition with an event at Pegasus Primary School, Turnhouse Road, Castle Vale. Featuring Big Brum Youth Theatre and with Charlie Jordan (Brum Poet Laureate) attending
• Picture a Day
  Photographer Craig Holmes of Crowded Gallery intends to take a picture of something that interests him every day for the next year

You’ll have to excuse some slightly hectic posting this week and next while I get my head round 300ish new RSS feeds and an inbox stuffed with interesting (and hopefully not yet out of date) emails.

I’ll also introduce myself properly later but for now, here’s a round-up:

• “aCtiVe arts is a steering group, made up of committed residents and local professionals, dedicated to providing quality arts experiences and opportunities for the Castle Vale community of North-East Birmingham”. They have a blog and you are advised to see what they’re doing.

• The next Drop Beats Not Bombs runs from Friday 2 to Monday 5 May (the bank holiday) and tickets are available. That’s at The Rainbow (and the warehouse and arches) in Digbeth. There should be more info on their website but it was having bandwidth issues last I checked.

• The people at the People shop in Kings Heath are having a party with drinks and canapés at their store on Saturday 26th April from 10am until 5:30pm. It’s in aid of Macmillan, there’s a raffle for a luxury goodie bag and visitors can have their photo taken by Emily Quinton. Get all the info here.  **UPDATE** It was a big success with £430 raised on the day.  More events will follow.

• Simon has started a blog called Birmingham Central. He says he’s “been inspired by the recent blogging epidemic sweeping Birmingham and the value of a good blog to share news and information”.

• Speaking of bloggers, the next Birmingham Bloggers meet-up will be on Tuesday 29 April at Rooty Frooty in the Custard Factory. Nick Booth has more info but I refer you also to the Facebook event and the Upcoming page.