The gently upbeat BiNS makes me happy. It’s run by someone for no money (and sometimes fewer thanks) by someone with a palpable affection for their city.

Forward is a council-sponsored propaganda rag with plenty of ‘good news’ but no personality and even less credibility. If it wasn’t foisted on every household in the city I doubt anyone would ask for it. I almost feel sorry for the thing.

By all means stick the latter on the web and call it #Birmighamproudtobeabrummie (sic). I know which I’d rather read.

UPDATE: Fairy nuff.

Artsfest, the annual free arts festival is on 10-12 September this year, so not long now.

Most of the details are yet to escape but there’s a few bits and bobs to be found. The general theme will be ‘Landscape and Heritage’ and the latest copy of Forward has some info about some of the bigger items:

• Folk Dance Fest – Birmingham Royal Ballet will be going for a ballet dancing world record as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations
• Classical Fantasia – CBSO doing their thing (populist classical music and film scores, I’ll wager)
• The Land of Fairytales – street theatre happenings from the Hippodrome
• Kerrangfest – with The Twang, The Young Guns and Elliot Minor confirmed so far

Here’s some info about the ‘Forward’ mural that adorns the building next to the Heath Mill Lane car park in Digbeth:

The wall has been painted as part of an exhibition we are putting on. We have invaded B.J. Components a small factory that produces hand made parts for classic motorcycles, we have used materials provided by them and have created 1 piece each based on the theme of Birminghams industry, typography and product design. These pieces have then been donated to and displayed within B.J. Components (the show has no commercial value at all)

Which is modest of them. ‘Them’ being Newso, Juice 126 and Zoot (whose photo it is).

The exhibition was called Forward and was at the Wild Building from 5-8 November (flyer here) but the mural remains.

(Hat-tip – hmm, I can’t remember where I saw this first now, so I’ll credit Brumblr)