Platform from platform on Vimeo.

Bright Space recruiting youth bloggers for new arts and social media project

 Bright Space is launching a new and exciting social media project entitled Platform (www.projectplatform.org.uk) for 16-19 years olds living in Birmingham. Platform will be a blog featuring articles, reviews, events listings and much more, written by young people for young people and will represent a unique perspective on arts activity in Birmingham.  Bright Space is now looking to recruit 15 young people who are interested in reporting, reviewing and attending the many cultural events in and around the city. This includes theatre, dance, exhibitions, launches and gigs. Deadline for applications is Monday 19^th July 2010.

Successful applicants will receive a £200 bursary and the opportunity to attend a week long intensive summer school, which will highlight the many techniques and skills they will need to become fully fledged Platform bloggers. During the week they will take part in workshops led by industry experts including; journalists, photographers, bloggers and film-makers.  Subjects covered will include:

• Journalism, writing, reviewing and interview techniques
• Podcasting with audio and video
• Photo blogging and social media tools
• Events management, promotion and marketing

 The Platform bloggers will then organise a live launch of the website to their peers, parents, friends and mentors. The group will meet regularly throughout the project with continued access to and mentoring from industry professionals who will support them in creating content, researching articles and building their on-line readership.

The core group will improve skills in; ICT, literacy, independent learning and critical thinking. The  project will also support those wishing to pursue a career within the creative and cultural industries.

The aspiration for Platform is to amplify young people as unique, dynamic, cultural commentators that successfully communicate, inspire and engage other young people, while at the same time propose significant debate about their cultural offer.  It is also hoped that Platform will become a vehicle that cultural organisations, venues and promoters connect with to ensure their programming reflects the breadth and individuality of young people in Birmingham.

How to apply:

• Applicants need to write a 200 word article on a creative passion that they have
• Include their name, address, date of birth and contact details
• Send the completed article with all the necessary contact details to: Bright Space, Studio 222 The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B9 4AA

 Bright Space (www.brightspace.org.uk) is committed to developing and encouraging activity that helps young people find creative progression routes in and beyond the arts. Bright Space works actively to encourage sustainable cross-sector partnerships that broaden the horizons and opportunities available to young people.

For more information about Platform, please contact me – Amy Martin on 0121 772 6932 or email: amy@brightspace.org.uk

Merz Party, Eastside Projects, Saturday 12 June, 1-4pm, FREE.

Merz Party is about everyone making collage. With an exciting array of printed material waiting at Eastside Projects to be cut up, and stuck back together, it uses a group dynamic to generate new ideas by swapping, sharing, obliterating and adding to each others’ work. Bring your best scissors and help artist Elizabeth Rowe bring a collage revolution to Birmingham!

Lots more like this at Ming Makes Cupcakes including coconut rum cupcakes and vanilla almond. Wow.

Underneath Eastside’s arches you’ll find a whole host of organisations making and presenting film, music, visual arts, digital media, craft, literature, and photography – and some great pubs and cafes too. We Are Eastside is a guide to some of these hidden treasures.

We are Eastside is made up of;

7 INCH CINEMA – BIRMINGHAM JAZZ – CAPSULE – CRAFTSPACE – THE CUSTARD FACTORY – EASTSIDE PROJECTS – GRAND UNION – IKON EASTSIDE – PROJECT PIGEON (Photo featured above) – PUNCH – RHUBARB RHUBARB – THE EDGE – TINDAL STREET PRESS – THE LOMBARD METHOD – VIVID – VRU

A couple of exciting developments in the We are Eastside camp in Digbeth, Birmingham is the addition of a new photographic gallery space called Rhubarb East Gallery situated in the Rhubarb Building and a performance by Japanese artist Atsuhiro Ito.

Vivid and Capsule are combining forces to present Atsuhiro Ito. Atsuhiro uses a fluorescent light with pick up mics attached, and alters the voltage applied to tubes causing the lights to flicker. Microphones pick up electromagnetic noise perfectly synchronised with the flickering lights in a light/noise/electric eye festival at only a fiver it is well worth a look next week on Wednesday 10th March 2010, more information can be found here.

The project is aimed at diverse young people aged 16 -19 from inner city Birmingham (some of whom are not in education, employment and training) but who have some interest/ability in the arts. The project will focus on ideas of guerrilla craft, DIY Craft and Craftivism – with a view to developing a young people led craft collective which will then organise a series of interventions throughout the city.

More info here.

Had a little heads up from my glamorous pal Alex about this Birmingham based fashion blog. Betty Who? aka Isabel Beresford makes gorgeous bespoke dresses – you could call it Kings Heath Couture. Gorgeous. Peep here.

I design each dress to be totally unique – I never make the same dress twice. betty who? dresses are made with love and care and I hope you like them! If you see something you like but its not in your size I will always do my best to create something similar for you, made to fit! x x x

Here is a collection of alternative Christmas gifts available from creative folks in and around Birmingham. Firstly a Christmas type mix of records from me. Feel free to wang this mix on whilst wrapping your presents or mulling your pies… enjoy!

At the top of the page we have the infamous Spinwell Bobble Beanie – which had almost sold out from this Birmingham based cycle blog, before the delivery had even arrived. Thankfully some are still available and now in stock ready for Christmas, very reasonably priced at £15 a pop. You will look hot when you are cold.

Spinwell Projects No.1 will be the Spinwell Bobble Beanie. Limited to 30 pieces and available in two colour options – Red/Grey/White and Grey/Red/White ( unfortunately not the colour pictured, this is my special sample! ).

Current State is the work of Birmingham based designer and illustrator Jane Anderson. Current State do lovely bold prints and are often feature in Fused Magazine. You can purchase postcards and Eco bags from Studio 4 Gallery aka The Framers along with a whole bunch of other stylish prints, postcards, bags and stickers from other artists and designers. Picture of Current State’s Eco Bag below - online shop and information here.

Mouldy Loaf is an independent company and brand which stocks the best in men’s and women’s wares. We have created an innovative and alternative brand which provides a great change to mainstream, high street fashion.

I say amen to that! Mouldy Loaf also run We Create* in Oasis Market. To go peep their wares just head down to the Custard Factory or look online here.

From mouldy bread to tasty and mouldy (if you so please) cheese! I love cheese and I love this shop! Newly opened in Kings Heath with a tasty collection of cheese, deli goodies and chutneys.

Capeling and Co is a specialist cheese shop and delicatessen on York Road, Kings Heath. We sell a large range of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, olives, antipasti, chutneys, vinegars, oils and lots more!

You can find out more here and become a fan on facebook. Support your local independent cheese retailer!

Merry Christmas!

Best Believe xx

Whilst rummaging on tinterweb I came across this gorgeous blog, by the name of Coral Stars, written by the lovely Leah from Birmingham.

Here she talks to Best Believe about her aspirations and gives us an insight into the world of Coral Stars.

My aim in blogging is to document my inspirations and thoughts within the realm of fashion, diy + art. Coral Stars lives to serve as a place for my witterings, creative experiments and other things of that ilk.

Hello, hello! I’m Leah – an 18 year old currently living in Birmingham, I like fashion, sewing, knitting, drawing, writing, photography and generally dabbling in creative endeavors.

My blog, Coral Stars, would best be classed as a fashion blog. It’s my second blog, so I’ve actually been blogging since 2006. The focus on this blog is more diy, personal style and independent craft. I have a slight leaning toward vintage fashion, mostly because I view fashion as cyclical – but am not wholly opposed to mainstream fashion!

I started reading blogs as a way to keep up with the happenings in the fashion world and started blogging to keep a record of my thoughts, creations, obsessions and so forth. I’ve wanted to be a designer for a long time now, so this may explain why a little better!

I like sewing, knitting, generally making stuff, drawing, “thrifting” (to take the american word), music (like most), reading books, writing/blogging, photography (or at least, ‘taking pictures’), learning stuff about history, visiting galleries/museums… and a whole lot more.

This looks brilliant….

Following the worldwide economic downturn there has been a reported resurgence in an interest in home crafts such as embroidery, dressmaking, knitting and crocheting, skills which have long been regarded as the domain of the domestic and the hobbyist.
However these home crafts have now entered the artistic mainstream, reflecting the intertwining of our modern complicated lives, but are being subverted from their conventional conservative stereotype, and taking on a more sinister and unpredictable nature.

Among the artists exhibiting will be Elizabeth Lee, Jasvinder Mehta, Laura Westwood, Michelle Munn, Helen Grundy, Anne Guest, and Rebecca Timbrell.

On until Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:00pm
Margaret Street Exhibition Space, Birmingham B3 3BX
Opening times : Mon – Thurs 08:00 – 19:00 / Friday 08:00 – 20:00

With London Fashion Week starting this weekend, Birmingham is also celebrating fashion with ‘Style in the City’.  Which looks like a right pile of crap, heavily endorsed by TV stylist Gok Wan, and his desperate attempts to get everyone in girdles and whack jersey wrap dresses.

However there are two ways to give a sultry respectful nod to London Fashion Week here in Brum. Firstly you can go and see ‘ The September Issue ‘ the new docu-drama about Anna Wintour at The Electric Cinema (see the Events page) and secondly is to go check out the Pop Up Style & Fashion shop which is an opportunity for independent fashion designers, independent retailers and boutiques from Birmingham to preview their work.

Pop-Up In The City will be on Corporation Street from Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th September (the old Jade shoe store next to New Era).

The shop is open from 10am-6pm each day and will be hosting designs from the following designers & independent retailers;

Chatterbox Boutique, People, Top Banana, The Wedding Club, Steel & Jelly, Rachel Simpson Shoes, Benjamin’s, Honey’s Lingerie & Terry Terry Accessories

Moseley and Kings Heath town centre manager Nikki Carr has developed the project along with the city council’s leisure, sport and culture chief, Martin Mullaney.

This is a good opportunity for independent fashion retailers to take pride of place in Birmingham’s city centre (where they should be) and to make pretty just one of the many empty shops in the city.

Apparently..

Council regeneration bosses are already working with art students to turn empty shop windows into temporary galleries during the recession and although unable to offer free selling space to businesses they are looking to help with the refit…

Coun Neville Summerfield, a Kings Heath businessman and the Cabinet member for Regeneration, said: “We are discussing what we can do with our empty shops and this is just one of a number of initiatives.”.

The Birmingham Mail

So for an alternative shopping experience check out this temporary shop and support the individual.

“Birmingham isn’t just one big Primark”

Best Believe September 09