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 19th 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 Platformbloggers. 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.
Bass Festival has come around again this year’s theme is DNA…
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) forms the building blocks of life and controls the development and functioning of all known living organisms. But what does DNA mean to us individually in the 21st century? Identity, test tubes, control, heritage, science, ID cards, family, databases, samples, genomes, protest?
The fifth BASS festival will explore how DNA varies and develops, whether caused by external forces, or by personal development, enabling us to rethink our evolving identities.
There is a full programme of events and exhibitions celebrating black culture and creativity, take a peek at the flyer and website for all the details.
Just peeped this over at Ideal Skate Supply, looks like they have secured a screening of the Vans film just out. This is a high coo by any standard. The film will be shown at the shop down at The Custard Factory on 24th April, for all the info peep here.
…Just had Kris Vile in the store and we worked out a date for a Birmingham premiere of the Vans Europe DVD. We are going to hold it in the Cinema space at 5.30pm on Saturday the 24th of April. Tickets will be on sale in the store this weekend and for a measly £2 you will get to see Chris Pfanner, Danny Wainwright, Ross McGouran, Flo Marfaing, Sam Partaix and more in the first video to come out under the Vans banner. And of course you will be able to shake Kris by the hand and congratulate him on his section which, so I have heard, is rather good.
The Smash Bro’z Hip Hop Collective are a Birmingham based crew who are currently dining out on the competition’s Puma States and dancing the ‘Victory Wig Out’ for taking gold at this year’s Hip Hop Championships. The crew are now preparing for the finals in Las Vegas and the last I heard still wearing their winning gold medals.
They have a nice feature on the BBC Birmingham site here.
The crew also run the Open Circles Radio Show which is hosted by Bboy veteran – Silence (pictured centre).
This is a radio show for people in the dance community to link up, share stories and info on training spots, performances, classes, jam nights, battles etc…
Music policy is all those beats that have inspired people to get up a be creative with movement.
That’s anything from Hip-Hop to House, Jazz to Rock, Salsa to Samba I could go on all day! Music that B-Boys battle to. Lockers, Lock to. House dancers, Jack to. Waackerz, Waack to etc….
OK! say there’s people getting into the dance world and they are looking for classes to go and learn a new style.
They want to find out about the music that inspired that style.
Then they want to find a place to practise what they’ve learnt with others that have more and less experience then them to share ideas with.
Then find a place to throwdown all these new styles with other dancers. THIS IS THE PLACE!
The show is on Rhubarb Radio every Thursday from 3pm-5pm.
FOR over 60 years, the Vogue Talent Contest for Young Writers has been one of the UK’s most prestigious writing awards. Many established journalists started their careers after entering the contest, and recent winners have gone on to become successful poets, playwrights, authors and members of Vogue’s staff. So, what are we looking for? Journalists who can identify a story, and know how to tell it with pace and creative flair. What’s the prize? £1,000, plus a month’s paid work experience at Vogue, with £500 for the runner-up.
How to enter – you must complete all sections:
Write about a personal memory. This could be a memory of an extraordinary event, place or person, or simply something that resonated deeply (800 words).
Write a short feature article – a contemporary cultural review or a fashion trend (500 words).
Write an opinion piece or polemic. This could be about a person, or on current affairs or social issues (500 words).
Accompanying your entry should be a passport-sized photograph of yourself, attached to a sheet of paper listing your name, permanent address, telephone number, date of birth and occupation. The judging panel will include Vogue’s editor Alexandra Shulman, senior members of the magazine’s staff, guest editors and writers. Finalists will be invited to a lunch at Vogue with the judges, after which the winner will be decided.
Closing Date: April 9, 2010. – Please note this competition is for under 25s only.
This is Tavi Williams of the infamous Style Rookie blog and she is only 13.
From her blog:
13 year old garden gnome with the brain of a wind-up monkey, posture of a crotchety old hag, and tact of Larry David. I enjoy vulgar thoughts, rapping about Rei Kawakubo, and reenacting scenes from the Lion King with 10-month-old babies. I am not cute.
I am currently in the middle of researching youth bloggers for a project at Bright Space and am pleased to see the sheer volume of young people who recognise that blogging is a fantastic way of getting their voices and opinions heard. Tavi is a great example of this and her blog is well worth a subscribe. If you are a blogger or read any blogs written by young folks please get in touch via the comments box I would love to hear more…
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.
