Author Archive

BCU have revamped their Media Talent Bank. Probably simpler if I just repost the press release.

With finding work becoming more important than ever, Birmingham City University’s Media Content Lab have recently re-launched Media Talent Bank, a supportive new website to help businesses in the creative industries source talent and freelancers to find work.

The freshly revamped website allows businesses and creatives to upload a profile, CV and portfolio onto an online directory which can easily be browsed by potential employers or collaborators. This intuitive search is accompanied by a dedicated ‘Jobs’ page with sector-specific job feeds and an ‘Out There’ page, featuring work opportunities posted to info@mediatalentbank.com.

“Media Talent Bank has been designed to help break-down some of the barriers to the creative and media industries,” says administrator David Allen. “Although run from Birmingham, the site acts as a platform for creative workers from across the UK to actively promote themselves, as well as allowing businesses both within and outside the sector to efficiently find skilled freelancers to work with.”

In addition, the site is currently on the look-out for creative industry professionals interested in contributing to the Media Talent Bank blog. Those interested in becoming a voluntary blogger should contact info@mediatalentbank.com.

“Whether looking for work in the creative industries, searching for people to collaborate with, or on the hunt for the best professionals to employ in your local area, Media Talent Bank will form an essential online tool for the creative industries,” says David.

Items of interest found about the place

• Patrick “The Mighty” Quinn vs Dangerous Dale - You be familiar with concerts, gigs and club night taking place is Space2 but did you know it occasionally hosts boxing? Here’s a video of the sport in action.
• Social Media Surgery for Voluntary Organisations - Last month a bunch of bloggers ran a surgery for charities and the like at the BVSC centre in Digbeth. It was a tremendous success so we’re doing it again. Any charities or similar are more than welcome to come along and see how blogging, etc can help you achieve your aims. No charge and there’ll be refreshments.
• A Creative Masterclass with Michael Wolff - Rescheduled from last month, this Creative Republic event sees branding expert Wolff (who was the keynote speaker at the Plus design expo last year) lead a masterclass developing a brief for the, currently fantasy, role of a Creative Director for Birmingham.
• Substrakt have moved to Fazeley Studios - and welcome all visitors. They have a pool table aparently.
• Gigbeth Links Round-up - Jon Bounds started gathering the online collective memory from Gigbeth. I’m sure there’s more out there so feel free to add links in his comments.
• Fireloop Creative won an award - Bronze at the Cream 2008 awards for the steakandbyday.co.uk site. They also have a blog, which I’ve added to the blogroll here.
• The Antiques Diva loves the Custard Factory Flea Market - “Stalls range from the bizarre to the truly wonderful. Japanese baby clothes, vintage and handmade garments, rare records, original photography and art, crepe suzettes, pottery, kitsch collectables and homemade fudge are a small taste of what’s available.”
• Rumble Rumble - Penumbra reviews Saturday’s Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip gig at the Factory Club.

Now the Custard Factory website is pretty much operational and is getting more attention I’m bringing in some more writers for the blog. The responsibilities are divvied up as a follows.

Frankie Kane and Katie O’Neill on reception are looking after Tenant News. If you’re a Custard Factory tenant (in that you rent a space here) you should send your news to info@custardfactory.co.uk

Jonathan Goodwin is looking after Events News. He books out the Gallery and Theatre amongst other things and works with Dave Peebles on lettings. If you’re putting on an event at the Custard Factory email him at jonathan.goodwin@custardfactory.co.uk.

The most important thing, however, is that you put your news online somewhere and send us the link. If you don’t have your own website (or have been lumbered with a site you can’t update easily) I recommend you use the free service from Posterous which couldn’t be simpler. Write you news in an email, attach any images, documents and mp3s that are relevant and email it to post@posterous.com. They’ll then email you a link to a page containing all your information nicely laid out along with an option to edit it. Once you’re happy with this, send the link to the the relevant person.

Seriously, Posterous is as simple as it gets. Give it a go.

Meanwhile I, Pete Ashton, will continue tracking the Internets for snippets of news using my magical Internet powers, along with keeping an eye on what Katie, Jonathan and Frankie are doing, managing the comments and filling in any gaps.

Adam from Looks Can Kill sent through some info about Kings Of Neon, a new venture he’s starting:

Kings of Neon is a concept brand offering a personalised footwear service. Our service is completely unique in that we are able to print footwear in colour and detail with any supplied graphic and with short lead times. Photos, names, band names, company logos, an illustrators favourite piece, a sports team, a dance team; everything and anything can be branded onto the most popular styles and brands of footwear.

We produce one off pairs (perfect for presents) through to supplying band merchandise and corporate events. Individual personalised pairs are £29.99. For prices on larger orders contact Adam Duffy.

Cinnamon Aitch emailed to say their range of hand-made Christmas cards is now for sale to tenants. Please pop into Studio 203 in Scott House, 8.30 - 4.30 Monday - Thursday. All cards are £2.00 each.

Fiona & Bernie from World of Homoeopathy send this for publication after chatting with Frankie on reception. They have a shop on Gibb Terrace.

Hi All,

Frankie tells us that a lot of you in the Custard Factory, are not aware of us and what we do, right on your very doorstep! So below is a short description of what Homoeopathy is about, and other things that we cover in the service we offer.

What is Homoeopathy?

A complete system of alternative medicine , which reminds the body how to get back to its natural balance, without the need of addictive drugs. And no side effects!!!

What is Hair analysis? What can it tell me?

For whatever reason: Stress! Grief! Job change or loss! Marriage and partnership breakups! Our bodies can start to get tired, weary, drained of energy, and what energy we do have seems to be going round that same old thought process. Sleep can be restless, un-refreshed or in short supply, then other things start to happen; constant coughs, colds, headaches, mood swings, aches and pains, indigestion , IBS, depression, etc. All of these are signs the body is becoming more imbalanced. Hair analysis is a good place to start, it will show if there are simple foods draining the system. Deficiencies of vitamin and minerals that can also be creating excessive tiredness .

What is Reiki?

A relaxing form of healing , which unblocks stuck energy both emotional and physical to aid a more stress free approach to life.

Reiki (Wednesday & Saturday afternoons – by appointment only)

Tuesdays only from November 25th to December 16th, from 12.30 to 2.00pm, we are offering free 10 minute consultations. To give you a better idea of how Homoeopathy can help you to maintain a healthy more stress free approach to the problems we all encounter within the home and work environment.

Christmas Gift Vouchers
£5, £10, £20 (available now)

Treatment gift vouchers :
Reiki £30
Hair Analysis £35
Homoeopathic Consultations £50 & £35

Ready made or tailor made remedies (tablets):
Coughs, Colds , Flu, Coldsores, Stress, Tiredness, Headaches, Toothache plus much more

Also a range of remedies for babies teething, colic, bumps and bruises and temperatures.

We also stock oils for burners etc

Claire Farrell of EC Arts sent through a load of information about a public art project she’s involved with in Digbeth. Here’s the artist’s sketch:

The final piece, she says, will be “181 linear meters spanning Mill Lane, Bradford St and Rea Street, standing at lowest point 2.2 meters per sculpture/haunch and rising to 6 meters tall” and is due to be finished next Autumn.

Here’s the artist’s statement by Rob Colbourne & Stuart Mugridge:

Digbeth Public Art Artists Statement

Here’s a photo of the prototype being built and tested:

And a video:

The Birmingham Central blog is currently going through the council’s Big City Plan and producing some very useful summaries of the notions contained therein. Part 3 is particularly of interest to us as it deals with the connectivity issues across the city centre and the various options for the quarters under development including Digbeth / Eastside where the Custard Factory resides.

it also has some nice diagrams. If you like diagrams.

via D’log

Items of interest found around the Internets

• New Birmingham Studios to offer homes to creative firms. - Lots of information in this Birmingham Post article about Fazeley Studios.
• City councillor wants Birmingham to celebrate creative communities - Birmingham Post - With the Creative City Awards coming up Councilor Neville Summerfield bigs up the creative industries:

  “As a civic leader Birmingham City Council has to establish and nurture progressive partnerships with all sectors of industry, within its city walls and outside them. It is our duty and our proud responsibility to create a culture of communication, recognition and mutual respect from which a healthy marriage of the private and the public sectors can be free to build the roads to future successes.”

• Plus+ Roundup - Who said what about the design festival.
• Birmingham Creative City Awards finalists - The contenders for the council’s annual awards are up featuring a number of Custard Factory and Big Peg tenants. The ceremony is on Saturday November 29th.
• Time for Birmingham to support the independent arts - Helga Henry of Fierce Earth and Creative Republic, calls on Birmingham to extend the support given to the CBSO et al to smaller independent outfits. It does sound like she’s talking about Digbeth here…

Something of a spate of website redesigns at the moment. Must be the time of year. Here’s Substrakt’s new site: