Archive for January, 2013

Visualising the Rural

Visualising the Rural is a photography conference set for 4th-5th July 2013 in Cumbria. It will look at the growing neglect of the countryside in terms of its visual representation in serious photography, struggling amid waves of slanted imagery from tourist boards and eco-worriers alike.

New UK broadband survey – Birmingham fastest, Stoke-on-Trent most consistent

Birmingham has the fastest average UK broadband speeds at peak time: 12.88Mbps, according to a large new survey by “uSwitch [which] used the results of 2.3 million speed tests across the UK”. The city of Stoke-on-Trent also came top, for consistent speeds… “Stoke-on-Trent residents see the most consistent broadband speeds throughout the day”. A similar […]

Creative industries in Manchester

Interesting summary of a new report on the creative and digital industries in Manchester, from Oxford Economics for New Economy for Manchester Monitor, said to be… “an analysis of current trends in the sub-regional economy” in the Manchester city-region…    * 33,800 people are currently employed in the creative industries.    * 28,700 currently work in the […]

Gone to Coventry

A trip around ‘alternative’ Coventry, part of the BBC Radio 4 documentary series “Reimagining the City”.

HS2 through the northern Midlands

Phase 2 of the proposed High Speed 2 rail line (circa 2032, if ever) has just been announced: Birmingham – Crewe – Manchester, and also a spur for Birmingham – Derby/Nottingham – Sheffield – Leeds. No Stoke or Keele station, but there’s interesting talk in today’s Independent of… “a “dedicated link” alongside the high-speed line […]

Ice Age art

A major new ticketed exhibition is set to open shortly in London. Ice Age art: arrival of the modern mind runs 7th February – 26th May 2013 at The British Museum. This is art from before Gobekli Tepe, art… “created between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago”. To whet your appetite, here’s my macro picture (above, […]

Wikipedia Wanderings

Curators at West Midlands museums have been crafting Wikipedia pages in their spare moments, and also enticing the occasional ‘Wikipedian in residence’ into their store-rooms. Now a showcase event on the various Wikipedia works is to be held in Dudley, on 4th March 2013. “Wikipedia Wanderings with West Midlands Museums – a showcase” will open […]

Map of the digital humanities

I made a map of the digital humanities…

Hyperlocal news study – initial results

A useful summary of initial research on the UK’s hyperlocal news websites. It’s one of the first public outputs from the “Media, community and the creative citizen” AHRC study, funded with £1,130,299 of public money… “This is a summary of what researchers at Cardiff and Birmingham City Universities found in an ongoing study of hyperlocal […]

The Future of Identity – new UK report

Interesting new British evidence-based research review, The Future of Identity by the government’s Chief Scientific Advisor Sir John Beddington… “The Future of Identity project has utilised over 20 independent papers, providing a wide ranging evidence base for the project. You can access each of these driver review papers below, as well as both the full […]

The 2013 Edge question

The new Edge question page is now available for 2013. Edge asked a selection of the world’s top minds (and this year, also some top journalists and independent pundits): What should we be worried about? What resulted isn’t your usual recounting of the big Hollywood-style threats (such as a giant meteor hitting Earth, a new […]

Slow journalism

A 21,000 mile walk… “On 10th January 02013, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Paul Salopek will begin a seven year journey on foot from Ethiopia to Patagonia, following the footsteps of the first migration of humans across the planet 60,000 years ago.”

Arts Organizations and Digital Technologies

New PEW report from the USA, on Arts Organizations and Digital Technologies, based on a survey of 1,258 NEA funded organisations (the NEA is the equivalent of our Arts Council).

New issue of JoIF

New issue of my ‘overlay’ ejournal, Journal of the Imaginary and Fantastic, on the novel and movie of Cloud Atlas.

PhD Studentship in the History of Photography

A rare PhD Studentship is on offer in the History of Photography, in Leicester.

New 2013 events listing

I made a quick calendar for 2013 digital and creative events in the West Midlands. Doubtless there are many more to come, and the arts in particular haven’t yet got their collective head around 2013.

Rust, Regeneration and Romance

Interesting Midlands conference set for 10th to 14th July 2013, at Ironbridge in Shropshire. Rust, Regeneration and Romance: Iron and Steel Landscapes and Cultures… “This conference seeks to engage in an open multi-disciplinary analysis of iron and steel landscapes and cultures, from the ancient to the modern.”

Slade in Flame

Xmas. Old feature films. You’ve probably had your fill of them for the next few months. But I’ve found a very enjoyable local feature-film, one that I hadn’t known about before, which might interest. It’s undoubtedly the best movie we’ve ever made about ourselves (although admittedly there are only a very small number to choose […]