The Hidden City’s aim is to create a database of stories that have helped shape the community we live and work in today

It’s basically a map with some nicely produced audio slideshows and very nice it is too. You can subscribe to updates via Twitter, the Tumblr or iTunes. Have an explore around. This one’s about The Drum:

In 2010, Birmingham was due to become a leading digital city. I’ve no reason to assume that didn’t happen on schedule, although I’ve been flicking through The Drum’s list of Top 100 Digital Agencies (by fee income) and they don’t seem to have got the memo.

The Midlands (east and west) only have three agencies listed. Those are:

• Freestyle in Warwick (59th)
• Big Picture in Leamington Spa (92nd).
• WAA, who are identified as Sutton Coldfield rather than Birmingham but we know the truth (90th)

The good news is we beat Wales (one agency listed) and the North East (also one agency, although their fee income easily outstrips the combined Midlands ones). Hurrah, I suppose.

Well done to 383 Project for their mention in the ones to watch for 2012 list.

Over the past few months a group of people have been taking part in MOB:

MOB is a project inspired by the current craze of ‘flash mobbing’ where seemingly unplanned ‘happenings’ take place involving hundreds of children, young people and adults. MOB is about creating new ‘disturbances’ that help share the values of the Olympics & Paralympics.

Among various other things (the full list is actually pretty exhausting), they’ve performed at Prince Albert School, spent a day with First Light Movies, did a photoshoot with Adrian Burrows and rode a red bus around the city doing good deeds.

All of the activity has been collected together on this Tumblr.

The final part of the project is an exhibition that’ll be launched at The Drum on Monday 18 April at 6.30pm.

Dee Patel‘s photographic series ‘Land of Hope & Glory‘, is a non-political piece aiming to remind us that immigration is not a 21st century phenomenon, it’s been occurring for hundreds of years, bringing with it opportunity and diversity.

Behind each immigration statistic lies a story and with it, a human being. Throughout the series, Dee photographed and listened to stories from the people in Handsworth communities, where 170 of the world’s countries are represented.

I sat down with each individual asking questions to get an idea of their roots. I laughed with them and we shared coffee. This opportunity enabled me to look into their lives, into their histories, listen to their hopes and fears and to share a moment at some deeper level.

‘Land of Hope & Glory’ is currently on display at Handsworth Library until 18 March. From there it will join Anna Fields in the Creative Leap Exhibition at The Drum , opening 25 March until 14 April.

Handsworth Library is open Mon/Tues/Sat 9am – 5pm; Thursday 12 noon – 7pm.

Round these parts The Drum, The Rep and Hippodrome have offers. Looking a little wider there are offers at Warwick Arts Centre, Belgrade Theatre, Playbox Theatre and the RSC.

Desipulp in association with The Drum present a fresh reworking of the 1997 hit Arrange that Marriage.

Throw in a couple of hysterical parents and some confused young people… add a ‘liberal’ helping of emotional blackmail and some good old fashioned cultural pressure… allow to simmer … then sprinkle with music and dance from the Bollywood, Nashville and R&B genres…

What do you get?

The most frivolous and irrelevant theatrical examination of the arranged marriage paradigm!!

Catch this darkly comedic show from 9 – 14 November. To book tickets, call the box office on 0121 333 2444 or visit www.the-drum.org.uk

Tickets are £10, but if you manage to book before 10 October, it’s 2 for £10, and before 5 November you can get tickets for the Wed/ Thu/ Fri performances for £7 each. And as if that’s not a good enough set of deals, The Drum have a limited amount of free tickets for theatre goers under 26 as part of A Night Less Ordinary.

The Drum is looking of 16-25 year olds to create Olympic and Paralympic inspired flash mobs, creating new ‘disturbances’ that share values of the games – Excellence, Respect, Friendship, Courage, Determination, Inspiration and Equality.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to gain and Arts Award, work experience in the arts industry, plus paid expenses whilst you give up as much or as little of your time as you can afford.

To join the MOB and take part in free weekly activities which are open to all, call 0121 333 2422 or email n.galbraith@the-drum.org.uk

Academic Stewart Brown has produced an extensive set of prints in which he adopts and twists the words which constantly surround him, while combining this with his experiences of African buses, Caribbean carnival and postmodern Birmingham.

I live in Letterland, an illuminated Babel, beautiful, unsayable, meaningless, profound.

His current exhibition Babel is on display at The Drum until 30 November, with an Artist’s Talk on 28 October at 6pm, whereby he will present his work and critical studies of famous Jamaican and African literature.

If you are interested in purchasing any of his prints, contact Stewart on 0121 414 5127 or S.Brown@bham.ac.uk

On 6 October at 7.15pm, ARC (Anti Racist Campaign) and Duende Performance Co. will be hosting this event at The Drum.

A panel featuring film and theatre makers Kenan Malik, Colin Prescod (Institute of Race Relations) and Dave Rogers (Banner Theatre) will dicuss why they believe immigration has been, and is, good for Britain.