this is birmingham

This is Birmingham: animated

Chris Unitt — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:01:11 +0000

Jan Bowman’s book, This is Birmingham, has been given the animation promo treatment by Graham D Lock, an animation graduate from Wolverhampton. Very nice it is too:

Links for 2 December 2010

Chris Unitt — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:49:16 +0000

The Culture Show – Clemency Burton-Hill talks to Graham Vick about his production of Othello
“Clemency Burton-Hill travels to Birmingham to talk to renowned opera director Graham Vick about his production of Othello” I’m still in awe of Graham.
YouTube – RoxXxan – Heavyweight (DJ Target – 1Xtra Radio Rip) As feat on Shank Soundtrack
“Course I’m Brummie that’s my slang/Yeah it’s gully where I hang”
Fullrange – This Is Birmingham
“The film was being commissioned by commercial property giant Land Securities. Although buried under layers of non-disclosure at the time, they were planning to use the film as part of a sales pitch to sell a sizeable stake in Britain’s busiest shopping centre, Bullring”
Hell’s Kitchen star Marco Pierre White to open Birmingham restaurant
“Marco Pierre White – who was the youngest ever chef to receive three Michelin stars – is set to launch a Steakhouse Bar and Grill on the 25th floor of the recently completed Cube development in the heart of Birmingham”
Birmingham City Council reveals plans to axe 10,000 jobs
“Coun Randal Brew (Con Northfield), cabinet member for finance, said: “We are giving people the opportunity to help themselves.” Right, yes, aren’t they the lucky ones.
steveharding’s posterous
Steve Harding works “in a policy role in Birmingham City University on EU projects about the creative economy”. Interesting to see comparisons between Birmingham and the other cities he visits

Jan Bowman – This Is Birmingham

Chris Unitt — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:18:39 +0000

Jan Bowman trained as an architect and now draws pictures for a living. Her work celebrates the best of 21st-century civilisation. Originally from Scotland via Canada, she lives in England with the Old Boot and two cats

She’s also the writer/illustrator of a new book called This Is Birmingham which is out on 10 December and recently earned this gushing review from Shirley Dent in The Guardian:

a book very much continuing that tradition of imaginative non-fiction at its best. Stunningly illustrated it brings to glorious life the sights and sounds of Brum so familiar to my nephews. But the real genius is that it sneaks in some hardcore social and political history, starting with Birmingham’s Lunar Society and broadening out into the American, French and industrial revolutions, taking in immigration and urban development along the way. And the whole thing, my middle nephew will be pleased to learn, reads like an adventure through time and place

It’s well worth visiting Jan Bowman’s website for a glance at some more of the pics. The book’s aimed at those of us who are aged 8+ and it’s only £6.99 on Amazon at the moment.