Sure, CiB got the award thing and that’s all lovely and stuff, but no blog is an island, especially one like this which employs the via credit liberally. So here’s a quick run down in no particular order of some of the Birmingham blogs I like to think of as Rather Good.
(Not a comprehensive list, inclusion based on arbitrary factors, won’t be relevant in a week’s time as everything changes, etc…)
Andrew Dubber is someone I’d consider a peer and while his New Music Strategies blog has an international reach his being based in Birmingham makes it essential reading. Together with online journalism guru Paul Bradshaw it’s nice to have experts on hand as they help focus my thinking about these unchartered waters.
Ana Milgram, aka Art Stalking Ana, and Nikki Pugh are a couple of practicing artists who really get the blogging thing, giving coverage to stuff they’re involved with and a bit of criticism to complement their practices. Useful models for artists to look at, especially given they’re usually isolated in their studios. A blogging network of artists would be a good thing.
Some of the city’s design agencies provide me with a river of cool stuff which they collect as inspiration and post on their blogs. It’s rarely Birmingham centric but it goes to illustrate the global thinking of these folks. Or something. Substrakt, Boxer, Clusta, Surely and TAK! spring to mind.
Actually, TAK! deserve a second mention as I’m always impressed by how Dom uses that blog to share his knowledge in a way that promotes his business, alongside having some fun, of course. Definitely a blog people can learn from.
Antonio Gould consults in the world of social media these days and when he blogs it’s usually interesting and thought provoking. He helps me put a real world spin on my more fantastical ideas.
Duncan of The Autumn Store‘s blog has become somewhat invaluable of late. Rather than just plug his gig nights he uses his blog to spread the knowledge he’s garnered putting on bands and talking about stuff he likes the look of. A great model for a local arts blog.
Birmingham: It’s Not Shit‘s Jon Bounds is like a blogging brother to me, coming at this stuff with the same spirit yet from different directions. Jon really should be running the local tourist board and no mistake.
Anthony Herron of new-ish record label Boy Wonder has embraced the blogging thing with gusto, using it to get his opinions out there and start to join a bigger debate. Early days still but I have high hopes.
There are a number of podcasters in the city but none have quite the level of passion, dedication and consistency as Little Chris and his Brumcast where he manages to fill a hour every week with new Birmingham music. Give the guy a medal.
Bunny Bissoux became one of my favourite blogs this autumn as she single handedly became the best advertisement for the Custard Factory’s Sunday Flea Market where she had a stall. Hard to describe exactly what maker her blog so good other than it’s a joy to read.
Charlotte Carey gets the whole blogging thing, though she’s a little schizophrenic about it. She’s got a personal blog and a main blog on Creative Enterprise but I like to treat them as one thing. Again, hard to pin down but that’s a good thing.
Leon Trimble’s Chromatouch blog is a great example of a digital notebook. He’s a VJ and experimental film maker by trade and uses this blog to record stuff he finds along those lines. As such it gives a good picture of where he’s coming from and what he’s thinking about.
Clare Edwards of Gigbeth fame is one of the people I’ve been wanting to get blogging properly for a while now. She’s nearly there.
The Crowded Gallery blog from photographer Craig Holmes is a nice example of how you can add a small amount of informal chat and revolutionise your web presence.
Related to this, photographer Steve Gerrard’s blog is a fantastic example of using a blog to promote the photographer as a person. I’d hire Steve not only because I like his photos but because I feel like I know him. It helps that he’s a lovely guy as this really comes out in his blog.
And also on the “lovely people” tip, Friends of the Stars blog well because their souls are pure. What started off as a jokey diary of how rubbish they were at getting their album out has turned into a savvy promotional tool for their music and the scene they operate in, though I suspect a lot of this savvy was accidental.
Andy Pryke is one of Birmingham’s original bloggers (so much so he wrote his own blogging software) so he deserves a mention out of respect, but also because he’s a regular face at arts events with his curly hair and big grin. A lovely man whose enthusiasm for the local arts and music scene is infectious.
I’m intrigued by what Fused are going to do with their slowly growing network of blogs after dipping a toe into fashion. It seems they’ve got all the tools ready and are just waiting for the right moment to launch. If they get it right, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t, Fused could become a rather powerful force online.
It’s safe to say D’log makes my job a hell of a lot easier. I don’t know where he finds half the stuff he does but I’m happy to just sit back and let him do it. Everyone in the Midlands should be following this blog.
The aforementioned Andrew Dubber explained the social internet to Mark Badger and he dove in head first without water wings or a snorkel. The resulting Iron Man Records blog can be rather disorienting but it’s a pretty accurate representation of the stuff that comes Mark’s way. Part of me wants him to calm it down but the sensible part of me knows it’s better the way it is, a reflection of the chaos that is Mark’s life.
I like watching journalists experiment with blogging. They’re a bit like web nerds in that they’re really keen to figure out how it all works and what it’s all for. Two Birmingham journos who really seem to get it are Joanna Geary and Tom Scotney, both of the Birmingham Post. Their blogs are as different as their personalities and might not be of interest to those outside the journalistic bubble, but as the media landscape in Birmingham changes watching how these two figure it all out is fascinating.
Marc Reck’s blog was pretty invaluable last year for both Project X Presents and La Traviata, not to mention his presence as a Birmingham DJ. He’s gone a bit quiet of late but I understand there’s a bit project a’coming regarding an elephant.
Who is Nunovo? What exactly does he/she/it do? And why? And, ultimately, does it matter is these questions are never answered? What I can say is Nunovo has pointed me to stuff in varying degrees of note over the last year and I’m very grateful for the existence of the various blogs.
If blogging is like pontificating in a crowded pub then Russ L is the guy at the bar keeping order with judiciously placed glances. Or something. His blog is essential, not just for putting us in our places but for his monthly roundups of Things To Do and extensive reviews of gigs and events. And he’s a reliable haunter of the comment boxes.
Nick Booth of Podnosh is an interesting case. Ostensibly we’re doing the same thing – using new technologies to encourage communities in Birmingham to use new technologies – yet we very rarely seem to blog about much in common. I’ve decided to see this as a good thing implying we’re both on the right track and that the future of Birmingham’s social internet is more varied and vibrant.
Adrian Goldberg’s Stirrer is another odd one (and not strictly a blog if you can define such things). Adrian’s a lovely chap but the tone of his site irritates the hell out of me and the attached forum is too often a nightmare of idiocy. Still, he’s carved out a niche for himself and that I have little desire to go there could be seen as a success in that regard. I include him here as he does cover arts stuff and his video interviews with local authors have been very nice to see.
Here’s a nice example of why you should take blogging seriously when designing a website. When Chris Keenan’s Prime Objective website was built the blog was tacked on and buried under the Flash interface as an afterthought. It’s since become one of the best arts blogs in the region, but it’s still buried under that Flash interface with no permalinks to the posts. Aargh! But the RSS feed works and it’s well worth keeping tabs on, even if it’s impossible to link to, because Chris is a fascinating chap who does interesting work, keeping his eyes and ears open to to the world.
Rich Batsford is currently off the radar a bit on his 6 month sabbatical in Australia but he’s been an essential figure on the Birmingham blog scene, tying together his personal perspectives on life with his heavy involvement in stuff. Hurry back, Rich!
Thomas Moronic was one of my favourite finds of last year. Ostensibly a creative writing blog where our hero plays about with words and ideas, he also uses it to profile and interview the people who likes and admires. Analogous to an old-school zine in many ways, it oozes attitude and character.
There are a number of bloggers who do gig reviews but the most consistent has to be The Hearing Aid. The coverage is mostly, but not exclusively, of the indie variety and The Baron covers that niche well, regularly haunting the Rainbow and Barfly.
Finally, my man Stef Lewandowski whose uses his blog to rant and rave about stuff, rubbing folk in power the wrong way at times but usually getting away with it. And when he’s not venting about how things should be done he’s offering handy tutorials on setting up blogs and websites and evangelizing the good word.
That’s your lot. As you’d expect there’s an emphasis on the arts and creative blogs and I’ve missed out loads in order to make this a vaguely manageable list, so apologies to those who didn’t make it. You’re all doing good work and I still loves ya.
And if any journalists want to use this post when writing an article, say one on mapping the UK’s blogosphere, feel free to pinch and plunder.
many thanks for the kind words Pete and congratulations again. Without Created in Birmingham Id not only sometimes feel that I was blogging into semi-vacuum but would be without by far the best source for interesting news about whats going on in Brum.
This site is indispensible if the actual cultural development of the area is ever going to match what the city planners are always trying to market it to be.
Rich
Xx
That’s the strangest way anyone has ever described me, but I think I quite like that. Cheers.
And congrats on the BBC bit, too.
Ditto Russ L. schizophrenic? Ta I think.
Blame it on trying to describe you all in a hurry…
Congratulations on the award Pete (and Stef)! Thoroughly well deserved. I quite like the idea of haunting the Barfly and Rainbow…after all Russ L has the comments boxes sorted.
Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo scareydarey whooooooooooooooooo.
(That was me haunting a comments box).
Maybe you could spread the love a little more by distributing the funding you get to blog about other peoples blogs, and sharing it with the people who blog?
Still it’s nice that you have become an arbiter of taste for Birmingham. As with the council, RDA’s and funding bodies – these ‘civic’ decisions which affect us all positively and adversely are seldom made through any civic, cultural or business dialogue and self elected taste makers abound in the creative ‘industry’s’ Alpha male role.
I enjoy your RSS feed, but wonder about both your credentials and your independence in editorial and curatorship decisions.
We see boards, discussion groups, panels, policy groups, steering committee and funding strategy populated by such taste makers. Invariably they get it spectacularly wrong from a civic, regional and industry perspective.
I have observed much back patting in all of this and more than a little in your ‘independent’ funded online listings directory.
Now that you have the ear of those with little or no intellect capable of independent thought or considered opinion and judgement, maybe you could actually do something amazingly positive for Birmingham and help stop the corruption? That would be a worthy role of someone in the position you now find yourself.
Don’t get comfy and please don’t lose sight of who are the real leaders and taste makers out there if you actually know or care who they are. (Here’s a clue – they aren’t the one’s who write the cheques).
OK bring on the back patted for a barrage of ill conceived defence and ‘man in the pub’ ethics.
Well, since such things are impossible to prove other than by my actions, and since seven years of my actions online at http://peteashton.com and elsewhere (not to mention a decade involved in the small press comix and zine worlds) don’t seem to hack it for you I’d be happy to meet up for a coffee sometime. You can then blog about what you think about me.
For the record, if I was coming to this blog cold I’d have pretty much the same opinion as you do. It’s something that bothers me a bit but I’ve no idea how to deal with it. Sure, I’m enjoying this attention but don’t worry – I never get complacent. If anything this award has made me want to get more grass roots and use this bullshit for something really useful.
So yeah, feel free to drop me a line for a chat by email or in real life. Same applies to anyone else. The only condition is you blog about it.
Okay, I’m gonna Fisk your comment
Maybe you could spread the love a little more by distributing the funding you get to blog about other peoples blogs, and sharing it with the people who blog?
This is something I’d love to see happen. I had the idea that Creative Republic could set up some kind of network of bloggers, supporting people who want to start up or who need that extra help and time. There are issues here, of course. How do you decide who deserves it? Also I’ve approached a few bloggers saying they could get money for what they do and most of them didn’t like the idea. I certainly wouldn’t want money for peteashton.com. This blog is different.
Also, I’ve been told £500 a month is pathetic for the amount of work I do. I’m happy with it, I have to say, but for most people it wouldn’t replace their current jobs.
Still it’s nice that you have become an arbiter of taste for Birmingham. As with the council, RDA’s and funding bodies – these ‘civic’ decisions which affect us all positively and adversely are seldom made through any civic, cultural or business dialogue and self elected taste makers abound in the creative ‘industry’s’ Alpha male role.
AN being the key word there. I want there to be as many arbiters as there are tastes. I want everyone to be blogging at some level. I don’t like the idea of anyone being an Alpha male, and certainly not myself. I’m not doing anything special here – just doing it full time. I’ve said many times, if Created in Birmingham is the only venue for this sort of thing then I have failed in a most terrible way. This is an example for people to follow.
I enjoy your RSS feed, but wonder about both your credentials and your independence in editorial and curatorship decisions.
I have credentials as someone who knows about blogging and the internet. I don’t have any credentials at all as an expert on the arts / creative scene and I don’t think I’ve ever said otherwise. This blog was started as a kind of travel journal as I explored Birmingham’s arts communities. I then discovered it’s absurdly easy to become part of those communities, even a know-nothing nobody like me. Try it yourself.
We see boards, discussion groups, panels, policy groups, steering committee and funding strategy populated by such taste makers. Invariably they get it spectacularly wrong from a civic, regional and industry perspective.
Indeed. And it’s up to the rest of us to hold them to account. If I’ve become part of that then it’s up to you to hold me to account. Please do so.
I have observed much back patting in all of this and more than a little in your ‘independent’ funded online listings directory.
Hopefully you’ll forgive a bit of celebration. Building up a blog from nothing to something in a year, while proving your crazy ideas about sharing information and being open to be of value, was rather pleasing. Normal service will resume asap.
Now that you have the ear of those with little or no intellect capable of independent thought or considered opinion and judgement, maybe you could actually do something amazingly positive for Birmingham and help stop the corruption? That would be a worthy role of someone in the position you now find yourself.
I have a ten year plan to sort this city out. I can’t do it on my own and I’ll probably fail but I’ve love to shake everything up, make everything transparent and so on. The problem is whenever I hear anything coming out of Mike Whitby’s mouth my brain freezes.
Don’t get comfy and please don’t lose sight of who are the real leaders and taste makers out there if you actually know or care who they are. (Here’s a clue – they aren’t the one’s who write the cheques).
That’s my plan. Year one was getting established and getting the ear of the establishment. Year two is giving them something to listen to.
OK bring on the back patted for a barrage of ill conceived defence and ‘man in the pub’ ethics.
Fuck, I hope not. Anyone doing that kind of bollocks can go away please.
I’ve already been described as ‘the man in the pub’, but I think it would be a mistake to assume that I have any ethics.
Big City, Small Internet | Friends of the Stars
[…] to Pete Ashton on winning a Guardian New Media award for his Created In Birmingham […]
Good to see some debate coming out of this and glad to see someone asking some questions about what’s going on in the city in terms of its leadership and direction.
But what’s clear from Justice’s message is that perhaps we haven’t been clear enough about what this blog is about, who it’s for and so on – in fact it sounded pretty angry to me.
I don’t see why Pete should be passing on any of his very modest income to anyone for the work that he does, nor do I think that he should be working for free.
We set up this site because of a huge hole in the online presence in the city in terms of how people find out about what’s going on, what’s new and what content is appearing online. I’ve been working on improving the city’s web presence for the past ten years and this one site has done a huge amount more than any other site I’ve been involved in.
The people in charge of the city weren’t engaging in what Pete and I saw as a new wave of publishing and self-generated content. We saw an opportunity and went for it. We all have bills to pay – so we needed a model to help make it happen until it could perhaps become sustainable in itself.
A standard PR consultant rate for a day’s work is over £500 – I’d certainly prefer 100 blog posts a month over a single press release! In fact I think that CiB is a model of how to do something lightweight and smart (which we both do free talks about to people) – you really should be aiming your criticism elsewhere!
I’m with you on the leadership front to some extent. I’m aware of a growing opinion amongst many of the people I talk to who are emerging voices in their particular areas getting frustrated about various decisions and activities that are going on.
I’ve blogged about this subject before, and been to lots of events trying to get some intelligent thinking into the mix wherever possible. I think we’re doing pretty well at making a difference.
Anyway – there’s an event I’m speaking at in March on this very subject so keep an eye on my blog. Blurb:
“Exploring the value of sustainable disturbance
What or who should determine good power and great leadership in the modern face of Birmingham? How do we ensure the widest participation of talented leaders to support the growth, development and cohesion in this great city? Are we ready for revelations about creative and cultural leadership?”
Can I also just add (as the person who writes the cheques!) that it’s a bit misleading to talk about this blog being “funded” as if Pete is hogging some publicly-available funding that might, otherwise, be available elsewhere.
Can I refer people to the “about” section of this blog. Creative Republic has been given some seed money from Arts Council managed funds, in short, that means the Arts Council’s own money for its own strategic development. NOT the grant aid pot, not the lottery money, not the G4A.
And who are Creative Republic? Well at the moment we are a Board (who work on a voluntary basis) of which myself and Stef are a part – you can see the rest of us on the website http://www.creativerepublic.org.uk who are working to create a representative industry body run by and for the creative industries in this region.
I am acting Chair of Creative Republic – I would never claim to be a “real leader and taste maker” in the city but I do work for Fierce Earth, producer of the Fierce! Festival and Metapod Training and Momentum development scheme for producers and curators. I hope what we do as Fierce, and our participation in Creative Republic makes a difference in the City – so perhaps we have more in common than you think!
We’ll have some initiatives in which you can get involved, Justice, so that you can continue to contribute to the debate, about Birmingham, about the creative and cultural life here.
Cheers for the mention Pete;
I have high hopes too!!
» Blog Archive » Back to the Blog! Yeharrr :)
[…] and here’s to Created In Birmingham for winning their well deserved award! Wishing you and the mighty Creative Republic a very happy birthday. Wishing i could be there to dj […]
Yeaaahhhh. Go on Pete and Stef, and all you bloggin people. A constant inspiration to me over the last year :)
Sorry for late reply, but i just finished and moved websites, so back in blog land once again :)
Hope you have a fanriffic party tonight. I was going to come (and dj) but this is the only night Lopan can rehearse for our marathon set at tomorrows project x and its a biggy, so i’ll just have to send my birthday wishes to you and the creative republic.
Happy Birthday and well done once again!