Big Blank Canvas

Big Blank Canvas is a project managed and devised by Fierce (on behalf of the council who are responsible for the bid itself) which, in its first version, is asking people:

• What do you do in your cultural life in Birmingham, and where?
• What would you like to see happen as part of Birmingham City of Culture in 2013, and where?
• Where would you like to have a cultural experience in Birmingham?

The second question has generated the most interesting ideas so far. Here are a few that jumped out at me:

a touring show for kids and families playing a different suburban park every weekend in the summer hols; with locals creating and participating (from Rob)

Literal street art – a day with no traffic when the streets can be used as a gigantic canvas by communities all over the city, free balloon flights to view the full effect… (from Mark Scourse)

Shut down all the major cultural institutions for a month and promote/support cultural events and activities across the outer city in non traditional venues (from The Blade)

The aim is for the site to be up in this form for the next couple of months, after which it’ll change somehow – responding to the ideas people put forward.

There’s also a Facebook Page and Twitter account you can follow to keep up with what people are suggesting.

I should also say (for the purposes of disclosure) that I’ve done some work with Fierce on the concept/design behind this one.

Cultural Birmingham – Have Your Say!

This is the bit that has been aimed specifically at under-25’s. Antonio Roberts was asked to get involved with the steering group for this and has written up some info about it. Again, it’s an online consultation exercise:

There is a three-page questionnaire that young ‘uns can fill out, but more interestingly I think it’d be better to get involved in the discussion on the Facebook Group (liek wot all da cool kids iz doin)

G’wan, have a go

Irrespective of the City of Culture bid, it’d be nice to show that folks around these parts really care about the cultural life of the city they live in and have some good ideas for how to build on/show off what we’ve got. Go nuts and use this to air your wildest dreams, fervent passions or give a mention to those things that you’ve seen elsewhere and wish would happen in Birmingham.