I was really touched by what Chris wrote about Baldy’s Blog in his thank you post last Thursday. It got me thinking that if we could harness the huge support of the creative community which made it possible for CiB to win an award, what could we do if we used that support within project which would affect people who need it most, for example a charity?
When I was looking at Ben Javens’s website shop yesterday I had a flash of inspiration. Here is my idea:
- Brum’s best known 2D artists donate an original image, drawing, photograph etc. to CiB
- CiB sets up an online shop using a website service like Cafe Press.
- CiB sells limited edition t shirts, canvas bags, pin badges etc which sport the original images
- All the profits go to a Birmingham based charity suggested by you, the CiB readers.
So, that is the bare bones of an idea which could be made into a rather nice charity project, with a bit of your help. What I am asking you, the readers is:
- Would anyone like to offer an image / illustration to be used?
- Can anyone recommended a Cafe Press type service?
- Most importantly: What Birmingham based charity could the proceeds go to?
Answers in the comments please! Any other ideas / comments gratefully received.
Cafe Press is ok, but you do have to watch how much you order as the goods are shipped form the US — and if you go over £20 (around there) have to pay VAT and also Post office charges.
Spreadshirt.net are ok – very good at vector images, but a little slow and expensive.
I’ve been most impressed with Creative Craving who I’m now using for much of the BiNS shop : http://www.creativecraving.co.uk/shops/bins-shop
very quick (2 days) turn around and huge variety of colours/styles
I know it’s a fairly large operation, but Acorns Childrens Hospice springs to mind, as i’m sure it is a Birmingham based charity! :)
Freshwinds are a worthy cause to support based in Selly Oak.
http://www.moo.com (cards, business cards, stickers) have an API so you can automatically hook in pictures to their system – they have designers who presumably get cuts, but looks like that’s currently closed: http://www.moo.com/help/help.php?page=designers-and-moo
Might be worth asking anyway.
IO agree with the Acorns suggestion, I gather they are really short of funds at the moment. I’d be very interested in how this proceeds. I have a similar scheme for a physical shop at one of our campuses…
You’d be best doing a numbered limited run at a local printers, that way it’s a little bit more exclusive and there’s a bit of an incentive for me to buy one. You’d get a decent quality too and they wouldn’t need to be shipped around the world in a crate.
Happy to contribute an image… any suggestions as to what?
Also, haven’t CafePress recently launched some sort of UK set-up? I have a feeling it all still happens State-side though. Not sure how that affects the VAT/price thing.
Acorns is a nice idea but there’s also St Mary’s Hospice in Selly Oak which deals with adults rather than children. St Basil’s is in the heart of Birmingham’s creative community in Digbeth so worth considering them as well.
Birmingham Community Foundation lets you direct your funding to a particular group
Might also be worth having the occasional auction of one-off pieces. I’m thinking that there are websites devoted to the sale of handmade articles, and that some makers might like contributing the occasional piece for fund-raising. And of course there’d be a nice option of limited edition runs of CiB shirts with designs by local graphic artists.
I’d be happy to contribute an image or some prints.
I’d vote for Acorns as the charity too.
I’d agree that the best idea would be to get items from local suppliers rather than any of the ‘convenience’ brands. They exist in Birmingham and may not necessarily be more expensive.
In fact, why not have a competition where people produce a piece of art on a t-shirt which are then displayed in an art gallery and sold as individual pieces of art? Then the winning entry could be reproduced and sold.
[declaration of interest: we just ran a competition a bit like this]
We would be happy to contribute t-shirts for this and know local suppliers of mugs, t-shirts etc.
I third the hospice idea.
You could chat to Jerv at Mission Print – they do short run t-shirt screen printing AFAIK?
Think it’s a good idea but like the limited run idea/local printers more. Keeping it local[ish] is more CiB-flavoured, after all. :D
Cracking idea Kate, and I like the idea of keeping it local. A personal charity close to my heart would be Birmingham Focus on Blindness.
Wouldn’t it be nice to give a Birmingham business a bit of trade? Besides, I’m pretty sure that CafePress is all about heat transfer which does tend to stretch or peel after a time and you’d be much better off going with a screen print. It’s not terribly expensive for single/double colour templates, and once you’ve had those made up, printing is pretty cheap. You can also go for neat options like fluo and glow in the dark. We’ve used a great Gloucester based bunch in the past – I’m sure there will be similar operations in Birmingham.
By the way, http://www.folksy.com is the British version of Etsy and is a great place to buy and sell handmade items.
These local charities are great to think about – but what about Baldy’s blog, as it prompted the idea in the first place? Is there scope for contributing a design, if not actual proceeds, to their cause? Kind of a CiB hat-tip.
Of course, it might ripple out to the other contenders as well. I’m sure they’d all want a Best of UK shirt or mug designed by the winner and dedicated to the other contenders.
The problem with doing a short run with a printer is having the cash up front, or having the cash at all if they don’t sell, which is why I think Kate’s going for the Print On Demand options.
That said, I’ve noticed a few smaller t-shirt designers get around this by taking orders prior to printing. I’ve done this myself a couple of times. Pay £20 a month or so in advance and when I get the shirt I know it’s a limited edition.
Here’s how it might work:
Feb: Announce the product (say a screen printed canvas bag). Start taking paid orders.
March: Close orders for the canvas bag. Announce the next product, a tshirt. Make the canvas bags and dispatch.
and so on.
Downside – fair bit of admin here.
There is a ‘middle way’ between screenprinting and nasty transfers – vinyl press. You pay per piece, so there are no setup fees like there would be for a screen. And there are several suppliers in Birmingham.
The downside is that it is not as flexible in terms of design as a screenprint.
Or look to a clothing company or even Mission print to donate the T-shirts and printing on the first item, to create a bit of cash and then you’ll have a fund to cashflow further designs print. I definitely think that limited editions of t-shirts or prints is more appealing than heat transfers, it should show the design off to the best quality, and people are more likely to pay a decent amount then.
suggestion number 2. why don’t you do say 5 prints each attached to a different charity based in Birmingham.
Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions folks. I totally agree that we should try and make the the T-shirts as ‘Created in Birmingham’ as possible, but as Pete pointed out the problem would be getting the cash up front, also if we printed locally we would have to set up a distribution network, which would involve a lot of admin work and running around. Also agree we need limited edition & good quality printing. Acorn is looking like a popular charity. Not sure of a theme for the images yet. Lots to ponder. Keep the suggestions coming.
Maybe a photo book using something like Blurb might be worth a look at. You can set the price so can dictate the profit.
Great idea! I’d suggest speaking to the Birmingham Foundation as we could set up a fund there from which we could make donations to any charity or charities CiB chooses (which may well include Acorns). Happy to put you in touch with Derek Inman, their Cheif Exec, if it helps; I know he’d be receptive
I would like to suggest Rage Arts as the charity we give people of all ages the opportunity to work with professionals to create productions using theatre,film,music
…. to gain self esteem/confidence and skills to help them in their life and careers……
Through something which is of interest to them…..
Slow:-
http://www.mydeo.comvideorequest.asp?XID=12260&CID=165233
A video made by the young people of Birmingham Rathbone.
A video about our work
http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=12434&CID=166783
I have no idea about their capacity to deliver what people would want, but Jericho Print – http://www.jcp.org.uk – is a social enterprise based in Balsall Heath. Could be an excellent way of producing printed goods locally as well as supporting another worthwhile project?
Acorns would be a good one as like many charities at the moment, they have a deficit in the balance sheet.
I’ve got lots of contacts with the charity and would be happy to forward them. They have a really good team and I’m sure they could help market/offer advice with the project.
You might want to check out Zazzle. They are print on demand and recently launched a UK site. It’s similar to Cafe Press but most of the products are produced within 24 hours. And I know they have a non profit division called Zazzle Giving.
I really like this idea. It’d be great if each run of products was unique in some way e.g. for the bags, every time a new image is used so too is a new type of bag
Thanks again for all of your input. I am going to take a look into it and see what I can come up with!
Hey really interested in the tee idea when is the submission
deadline for it?
Cheers Rich
Hi Rich – Just at the ideas stage at the moment, more details to follow.
Thanks!
I would be happy to contribute an image.
I think St Basil’s is a wonderful charity.
woo-hoo! great idea, i’m in – am happy to donate illlustration for putting on whatever (though i’m sure i don’t qualify in the “best known” category ;)).
Would definitely vote for Acorns – know a few volunteers, it’s an amazing place.
If this is a charity project, why not involving suppliers too? I mean: those who sell & print t-shirts and bags, mugs, whatever could also be interested in getting involved. This way would be easier for instance, to get the first run, and with that paying for the second one. They can help, for saying something, paying for the delivery costs or just delivering themselves at no cost.
It’s just an idea.