“Last year creative jobs grew by 25 per cent in the West Midlands” — said by John Kampfner, chief executive of the Creative Industries Federation, speaking today at the launch of the report “The True Value of Creative Industries Digital Exports”. Such exports are 40% higher than officially measured — who knew?
Archive for the ‘Creative industries’ Category
On the job
An interesting new article on the “job blocking” effect in UK museums and the arts. How it happens: A relatively mundane arts/heritage job attracts an overqualified person to do it, due to a small number of sector vacancies and vast oversupply of graduates. But the overqualified person soon announces they are leaving for a better […]
On the table
Why is UK price inflation rising? Here’s the ONS table. The rise in “other recording media” is largely videogames, according to the Office of National Statistics. So if you’re not a regular reader of new books, or playing lots of new games purchased in the High St. on DVDs, or steering your new gas-powered boat […]
Budget highlights for creatives
23 Nov 2017 at 07:05
David Haden
Artist(s), Creative industries
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Here are some highlights of yesterday’s Budget, of relevance to freelancers and small business: * From April 2018, a personal tax-free earnings allowance of £11,850 a year. Pay no tax, on annual earnings up to that amount. Good for artists and other low-income freelancers. * “No business will be required to use the Making Tax […]
The 2017 Arts Index – a broadly positive picture for the UK
21 Nov 2017 at 06:22
David Haden
Arts cuts, Creative industries, Teaching, Zeitgeist
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Ahead of the Budget, the advocacy organization National Campaign for the Arts has its bi-annual report out, on the health of UK arts funding. The 2017 Arts Index has been updated with statistics from 2014/15 and 2015/16. Note that they’ve translated all their figures into “per person”, which means the ever-rising UK population will appear […]
Digital histories
07 Nov 2017 at 19:38
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries, Techie
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“The Museum of London has started contacting digital agencies and web designers from the 90s and early 2000s in order to locate saved content. At the same time the museum will be running an oral history project to document the untold story of the beginnings of the Web in London. At the same time the […]
Power to the people
A new report from environmental consultancy Julie’s Bicycle for the Arts Council shows that… “a core group of 136 arts organisations have been reporting energy use since 2012/13. The total kilowatts per hour they consume – of electricity, gas and on-site renewables – have dropped by 22% over the period. This includes a 9% decrease […]
Exhibitionists wanted in Stratford.
06 Nov 2017 at 13:34
David Haden
Artist(s), Creative industries
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A fab West Midlands job, just appeared: the Royal Shakespeare Company requires an Exhibitions Officer, in Stratford-upon-Avon.
New report: BBC spending in the Midlands
27 Sep 2017 at 08:05
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries
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The Campaign for Regional Broadcasting Midlands has a new report out… “The new annual report showed the BBC spent just 1.5% of its programming budget in the Midlands in 2016, down from 1.8% the year previously.” Admittedly Birmingham will soon get BBC Three, but on investigation that’s less impressive than it sounds. According to Computer […]
Senior Lecturer in Games Art
05 Jun 2017 at 13:28
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries, Gaming, Teaching
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Lovely job… Coventry University wants a Senior Lecturer in Games Art, at up to £52k full-time. Ref: REQ005098.
1000 volunteer mentors needed
05 Jun 2017 at 13:04
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries, Regeneration, Teaching
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The new elected Mayor of the inner West Midlands is seeking 1000 volunteer mentors to help guide unemployed young people into the world of work. Sounds good. Though so far as I can tell it only covers the inner ‘Greater Birmingham’ bit of the West Midlands, not the real West Midlands.
Comics at Leeds
Not local, but an excellent opportunity: currently wanted is a Course Leader for B.A. (Hons.) Comic and Concept Art at Leeds College of Art.
Museum of Science Fiction
03 Dec 2016 at 23:27
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries, Entertainment
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There’s a Museum of Science Fiction, near Worcester (UK).
Dull Brum
24 Nov 2016 at 08:09
David Haden
Artist(s), Birmingham, Creative industries, Stoke-on-Trent
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A stunning level of boring uniformity and dullness was on show to the press yesterday, as Birmingham’s bosses officially backed the Coventry bid for City of Culture. Expect better odds on the gritty bid from Stoke-on-Trent as the winner of City of Culture, from today.
A Midlands Engine mis-fire
18 Nov 2016 at 06:28
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries, Stoke-on-Trent
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Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace appears to favour Coventry for City of Culture, while forgetting about the equally major bid by the West Midlands city of Stoke-on-Trent… “Sir John said the Midlands is readying itself for a “golden decade” which will include the arrival of HS2 in 2026. Birmingham has also put its name […]
Postgrad student loans
24 Jul 2016 at 21:38
David Haden
Artist(s), Creative industries, Teaching
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The government’s new postgrad student loans are here. If you plan to take a Masters course from 1st August 2016, you can apply for a loan of up to £10,000 to help with course fees and living costs. All types of courses are eligible, including media and the arts. Payback only starts when you start […]
Shock news: suggestion algorithms still crap
24 Jul 2016 at 17:07
David Haden
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The Silly Season is here. So here’s an amusing 20 minute pinpointing of just how rubbish Facebook’s “Discover Groups” function is. Facebook’s suggestions for me are:— Friends: “Momentum North Staffordshire” (extreme-left Labour Party members) and similar. Er, no, definitely not. Location: “Shell Island, North Wales”. Probably lovely, but never heard of it and can’t afford […]
Glass making lives on in South Staffordshire – new £5.5m glass museum, studios, maker network website
20 Jul 2016 at 21:00
David Haden
Arts cuts, Birmingham, Creative industries, Regeneration
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I’m pleased to see there’s a new £5.5m glass museum in South Staffordshire (*) which is having open days and which is only a few months away from fully opening in 2017. To be more precise the new museum is in Wordsley, which is my ancestral village and also where my ancestors engraved glass in […]
Karen Bradley, new Culture Secretary
14 Jul 2016 at 19:29
David Haden
Artist(s), Creative industries, Stoke-on-Trent
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Very good news that a local West Midlands MP, Karen Bradley MP (Staffordshire Moorlands), has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. She’s based in the north of the West Midlands, just north-east of Stoke-on-Trent. Here’s my quick 60-minute ‘instant analysis’, for what it’s worth… Bradley grew up seeing […]
Community Media Conference 2016
03 Jun 2016 at 14:34
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries
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10th September 2016.The Community Media Conference 2016, Birmingham city centre.