Created in Birmingham

• Area Culture Guide – The Independent Issue
  Verr noice.
• BE Festival 2011 « More Canals than Venice
  A nice interview here with “Miguel Oyarzun, BE Festival Co-Director about the festival and what to expect in 2011″
• The Stage – O2 to host The Nutcracker at Christmas
  “Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker will play at the O2 between Christmas and New Year, and is expected to feature more than 60 dancers, who will be accompanied by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia”
• How Britain is failing its modernist masterpieces
  Birmingham central library gets a nod here (nice pic, Steve)

There are two organisations after some support at the moment.

mac are after the last little bit of funds they need to cover their refurbishment. They’re not too far off by the sound of things (it’s the last 1% they’re after) and are hoping enough people can be tempted to donate a fiver or so (more if poss). I just chipped in.

To sweeten the deal they’ve put up a little gamey thing you can play with called Famous for Five.

Rather more ambitiously, this story went up on the Birmingham Post website today:

Birmingham City Council wants to raise £34 million from local people and businesses to go towards the £189 million cost of the library in Centenary Square

For your consideration:

Project Brutal: Initial Meeting: 20th April 6:30-7:30pm. CiB Shop.

Project Brutal is a plan to bring together people and networks interested in creatively celebrating and capturing Birmingham’s Brutal library before it’s too late. We’re looking to formulate a series of events and projects under the Brutal banner over an extended period of time.

So if you’re passionate about the library’s architecture, space and history and are keen to find out more and get involved in making this a reality then come and join us on April 20th

You can register your attendance on Eventbrite and follow developments on the Project Brutal website. There’s a tag for Twitter too: #projectbrutal.

Taken from the poster (PDF) found on Rhubarb Rhubarb‘s noticeboard:

Where?

Birmingham Central Library, Conference Room 4, floor 4

What?

A meeting to gauge interest in a new photography collective. Aimed at people who are post college, with some experience of exhibiting who want to discuss work, creating exhibitions and inviting guest speakers etc

Who?

johallington@googlemail.com

• stitches and hos October 09
  The ‘little knitting hootenanny’ is back at the Hare & Hounds on Tues 27 October. Wool and needles provided, everyone’s welcome and they insist you don’t even have to be any good
• Snowman Colouring Competition winners
  Congratulations to the winners of The Rep’s competition
• 7 Inch Cinema » Living and listings
  The film folks’ latest round-up of good stuff happening around Birmingham/the West Mids in the next few weeks
• Birmingham Library tender reignites free pitching debate | News | Design Week
  “Birmingham City Council is the latest public-sector client to come under fire for asking for unpaid creative work in a tender”
• Fused Magazine – SXSW MUSIC MISSION DELEGATES WANTED
  “Fused Magazine along with UKTI are organising a mission to SXSW Music 2010. The visit is being organised by UK Trade & Investment and FUSED”
• Birmingham Post – News – 60th anniversary of Cluedo, a worldwide hit invented in Birmingham
  “Anthony Pratt, a clerk from Kings Heath, Birmingham, devised the game which was originally called Murder and designed for eight players”
• claire hartley
  “Hello. I’m Claire Hartley, a graphic designer and illustrator”. Claire has a new portfolio
• National Restaurant Awards 2009
  Birmingham did well in the NRA’s top 100 UK restaurants. Congrats to Simpsons (24), Purnell’s (34) and Turners (85)
• West Midlands Open 2010: Artists wanted
  “Artists can submit up to three original works, made since January 2007, in the form of 2D (any medium), 3D (sculpture or construction, but not furniture or crafts), or time-based and digital work. First Prize is £1,000, Second Prize £500 and Third Prize £250″
• Peter Watkins Photography – americana
  Peter Watkins has been taking photos around the West Midlands that evoke the idea of Americana (via http://brokenbottleboy.tumblr.com/)

The current Exhibition In The Window at Birmingham Library on Chamberlain Square is of Janice Rider‘s work and will be in place until 12 September 2008.

Inspired by Degas’ Little Fourteen Year Old Dancer, Janice Rider examines her own evolving identity through a series of poignant, often humourous photographs, metaphorically encapsulating the fear and anxiety of the ageing process and physical desire and longing for unattainable lost dreams of youth

I have no real intention of following the interminable shenanigans surrounding the new library.  However, I reckon it’s worth announcing that the contract to design the new building has been given to Mecanoo (whose buildings had better be more attractive and useable than their website).

The new library, which at the rate things seem to be going won’t be built in any of our lifetimes (although 2013 has been mooted), is to be built in Centenary Square and will incorporate The REP, who have been quick to report on the appointment.

There’s more info from The Birmingham Post and Property Week.

In the meantime, here’s one Mecanoo prepared earlier – the National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Center in Taiwan:

The urge to find a picture of a building made out of Meccano was very nearly overwhelming.