Author: Nick Booth

Birmingham’s Digital Citizens – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

bismarckandmillie fromnewtownnickboothThis programme was recorded by the people of Birmingham to tell us what they love about their neighbourhoods. We’d been offered some space in the marquee on Victoria Square as part of the first birthday of Digital Birmingham.

We just wanted to accomplish a couple of things: introduce more people to the Grassroots Channel and give as many as possible the opportunity to record and then edit their own comments for this programme. It was a chance for people to get their hands on some simple digital technology. Millie and her son Bismarck (in the picture) had a go and everyone found it pretty easy. Most seemed to really enjoy the power of digital editing.

And what were they talking about? It was Valentines’ day so we asked them to tell us what they love about their neighbourhood:

Birmingham Drama – this time the grown ups.

Last year I had a great time working with Kate Chapman and others in Frankley – helping children at Reaside School use podcasting to develop some varied radio dramas. Kate’s grown up job is as a radio drama producer for the BBC here in brum. She’s just been in touch to tell us there’s a whole slew of new stuff coming out of the Mailbox over the next few week’s. This is what you should listen out for:

White Open Spaces by Ian Marchant, Richard Rai O’Neill, Sonali Bhattacharyya, Rommi Smith and Kara Miller. Produced by Kate Chapman and Peter Leslie Wild. 19 – 23 February BBC Radio 4 10.45 am and 7.45 pm A series of short plays written in response to the question of whether a “passive apartheid” exists in the English countryside. Produced in partnership with Pentabus Theatre Company.

Dr Pfeffer’s Lonely Hearts Club by Craig Stephens, Jake Oldershaw and Derek Nisbet. Produced by Kate Chapman. 21/28 February 7/14 March BBC Radio 4 at 11pm A series of late night musical encounters. Consider the mysteries of romantic love and have your heart soothed by the inimitable Dr Pfeffer.

Tiaan by Rupi Dhami and Annalisa Hounsome. Produced by Kate Chapman. 20 February BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm. Two sisters travel across the globe to visit their mother in India for the festival of Tiaan celebrating the bond between mothers and daughters.

First Bite of Air by Stephanie Dale. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Sara Conkey. 26 February BBC Radio 4 2.15pm. A drama documentary focusing on the community of Keresley, once a mining village near Coventry.

What is Missing from your Life? The Men by Stephanie Dale. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild. 5 March BBC Radio 4 2.15pm. A drama doc follow up to What is Missing from Your Life. The Women.

Zubeda by Naylah Ahmed. Produced by Kate Chapman. 10 March BBC Radio 4 2.30pm. An epic tale of an ageing henna artist who has spent her life attending brides but never married herself.

In Form by Louise Ramsden and Tim Jackson. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Rosie Boulton. 12 and 19 March BBC Radio 4 at 2.15. Two drama documentaries looking at musical form, focusing on pieces by Saint Saens and Beethoven.

And just to make it a touch digital you can always catch up (for a week through the BBC’s listen again service).

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Citizen Snitch? Nah

The headline isn’t mine (thanks Jon Bounds) and neither is the story (thanks for the pointer from Pete Ashton again), but photographer Pete Marshall (troutmask on flickr) captured this pretty image of the Lord Mayor making fulsome use of the double yellows outside the side entrance to the Mailbox in Birmingham.

Citizen Snitch was the title of the e-mail alerting me to this. I think not, after all snitching is a core part of journalism – so Citizen Journalist it is. In true journalistic tradition Paul’s blog entry has even managed to tie editorial and advertising together, if you look at his site google ads is offering all sorts of options to help the Lord Mayor avoid driving fines.

Of course we are only talking about the evidence of one passing citizen.

Now where’s that parking ticket I need to pay (convicted on the evidence of one pair of eyes) and the speeding fine I need to settle (convicted on the evidence of one camera lense).

Barcelona Graffiti – the answer?

Last month I posed a question about graffiti in Barcelona. Why did it seem that the taggers were avoiding tagging the fabric of buildings. Was this a communal understanding or something else?

Roger Tallada has come up with an answer. He says it’s because of an intense long term cleaning policy by the city council and points us to a before and after film on youtube. Thanks Roger. It still leaves me wondering if the cleaning policy has changed the behaviour of taggers (street artists) on a more permanent basis or whether the cleaning squads simply swoop on anything that appears?