West Midlands Blogs

Danny Smith takes over at the Student Birmingham website — and starts by trying to give student types in Brum an idea where else to head online. [link]

I’ve just got back from the National Digital Inclusion conference – very, enjoyable. I was particularly interested in the strand on social housing and digital inclusion which has spun off the work chaired by Helen Milner on just that problem. At the forefront of the case that Social Landlords are key to tackling digital inclusion is [...]

Job listing for Apples & Snakes: Programme Coordinator “Apples & Snakes, England’s leading organisation for performance poetry requires a Programme Coordinator – West Midlands” Call for Artist to Exhibit at Lickey Hills Country Park ““Out Yer Tree” is an outdoor arts organisation whose aim is to set-up, organize and promote contemporary art exhibitions in country...

Dear Sirs, We regret that the House of Lords last week adopted amendment 120A to the Digital Economy Bill. This amendment not only significantly changes the injunctions procedure in the UK but will lead to an increase in Internet service providers blocking websites accused of illegally hosting copyrighted material without cases even reaching a judge. The [...]

That’s ’sting’ with a small ’s’. See below. I’ve not had much of a chance to check out the Flatpack Festival schedule yet. All I know is that it will be superb and will be worth attending to the fullest possible extent. For example, the first thing I’ve looked at is a talk by Barry Purves: Barry has [...]

These are my links for March 7th through March 9th: The State of Social Media Around the World 2010 – JFDI vs Being Boring – "Don’t let strategy and process get in the way of doing good stuff. At the same time, don’t JFDI and find yourself exposed." New Proposal – “Community DigiLand Bank Register” « Birmingham [...]

Bearing in mind their hit rate recently, it might be worth keeping an eye out for the Indeterminate Creatures by Alan Apperley, soon to be released into the world by Tindal Street Press (on 25 March, as I understand it). It’ll be the one with the cover that looks something like this: From the blurb accompanying [...]

I just stumbled on this on the council’s arts page, having been interviewed for it when I looked after CiB the first time. The Birmingham Arts Survey – The State of the Arts 2005-08 (PDF, right click-save as) is a short document that gives an overview of where Birmingham’s arts are at (or were at the [...]

It’s great to see The Flyover Show becoming a regular item on the city’s events calendar. The third Flyover Show will take place under the Hockley Flyover on 29 May 2010. Details are still coming but it’d worth saving the date now. The Facebook event has some info: For the first time this show explores the specific [...]

The answers over Lord Cashpoint's generous funding of the Conservative Party have been dragged out of them by a Freedom of Information request, not as a result of Call Me Dave's desire to be more open. Forced honesty is no honesty at all. The fact is some time before the election has answered the questions. It has been done. And it was done by me - right? If that was genuinely the case, why did...

Seeing as how I can’t find anything at all about this online anywhere, I’m just going to copy and paste the whole thing here. I know there’s a flyer doing the rounds though, I saw one on the pinboards at the back of the CiB Shop. Anyway, here’s the blurb… CREATIVE LEAP Call for Artists who want [...]

Before this month runs any further away from us, many many thanks to the CiB Supporters who are helping to keep this site (and the shop, for that matter) going. Last month we gained: Edward Moss Photography As a heads-up to our supporters, we’ll soon be adding your logos and names to a board in the Created [...]

As One (or AsOne or AS1, depending) is one of the more prolific graf and sticker hounds around town. If you’ve ever wandered around Digbeth you’ll have seen his stuff – often evangelising the benefits of a nice cuppa. You’ll also see designs/illustrations for nights at the Rainbow and if you see half a skateboard tied to [...]

The latest stage of Capsule’s West Mids heavy metal legacy project, Home of Metal, is a launch at big music bash SXSW. Here’s the invite that’s been sent out: If you’re in the area it might be worth popping in. If not, I reckon it’s just nice to know how these things are being pushed on. © [...]

Not even able to take a simple publicity photo... Good to see the nutty Rev West is still around. He used to run the Christian Council of Britain, which he denied was a BNP front organisation.

Welcome to the new faces of Conservatism - five white blokes in suits. The usual suspects. Cameron and Hague, Cuddly Ken Clarke, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt (another of the former PR-merchants in the Tory party). All Oxbridge, all with no significant life experience outside politics. But wait - no room for the man who would be our next Chancellor? The man who should be front and centre,...

Those who can do, those who can't, teach and those who can't teach become Tory education ministers. Question Time this week saw a car crash of a performance from Carol Vorderman, when she was thoroughly outclassed by those around her and her 'independent' voice was exposed as a sham. Unqualified to serve as a teacher under a Tory government, she relied on reading her crib notes - wonder who...

Nadine Dorries has a story - Mark Oaten apparently trousered £3600 for his appearance on Tower Block of Commons, staying in a council flat of someone on benefits worth a twentieth of that. Liberal Democrats winning here, certainly. Shameless.