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Welcome
to September's Issue of the Newsletter for members of "The
Creative Networks"
'Creative Networks' at UCE Birmingham's Technology
Innovation Centre (tic) is
about bringing together all parties involved in sound
and screen-based media in the West Midlands. 'Creative
Networks' seeks to promote both successful business development
and collaboration. It also seeks to contribute to the establishment
of a strong, long-term, sound and screen-based Creative
Industry in the West Midlands. The tic
achieves this through increasing knowledge sharing and use of innovative
technologies, creative practice and business processes.
Regular monthly networking events are held at tic.
They offer opportunities for individuals and companies
to network, make pitches and identify the resources they
are seeking or support for the projects they are planning.
Visit our online portal www.creativenetworksonline.com
for up-to-date news, funding, business support, training
and tender opportunities.
In This Issue:
1. COMING UP -
September's Creative Networks Event @ tic - SEEKING FINANCE
2. Event Reviewed
- August's Creative Networks Event - SUMMER PARTY
3. Autumn Showcasing Event - Call for Entries *DONT
MISS OUT*
4. Cinem@tic 2006 - tic's Short Film Festival - Call for Entries *DONT MISS OUT*
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Cinem@tic provides a showcase for some of the Midlands best, new film-making talent. |
5. Get the most from your business with our latest i4 short courses
*DONT MISS OUT*
|
...we’d also like to hear from you!
Contact Mandeep Chana, The Creative Networks administrator
with any feedback, case studies, success stories, interesting projects, collaboration opportunities or news:
:: phone
0121 331 5400
:: email
mandeep.chana@tic.ac.uk
:: or
post to Technology Innovation Centre, Millennium
Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG
:: or online at www.creativenetworksonline.com |
| 1.
COMING UP - September's
Creative Networks Event @ tic *DON'T
MISS OUT* |
Thursday
28th September - From 6.00pm til LATE at tic, Millennium
Point
The
Collaborative Networking Event for Creative Industry Professionals
Seeking Finance?
Routes to successful funding for your business
Whatever sector of the creative industry you are in, this event will channel you in the right direction to access the right source of finance for your business.
Banking, finance and funding professionals will shed light on the different sources of finance available for your business requirements.
There are also a limited number of spaces available for companies to exhibit their products/services at this event. These are available on a first come, first served basis – so book your space now!
The Creative Networks event is FREE. If
you would like to join us, please contact Mandeep Chana
on email mandeep.chana@tic.ac.uk,
or call Scarlet Scardanelli on phone 07969 226 693
or register online on the Creative Networks portal www.creativenetworksonline.com
You'll be very welcome.
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| 2. Review of August's Creative Networks Event - SUMMER PARTY |
Thursday 31st August - From 6.00pm ‘til LATE at tic, Millennium Point
The 2006 Annual Summer Party was a bash to celebrate the resounding success of Creative Networks in the West Midlands, bringing together a mass of creative talent from across the region under one roof for the 22nd consecutive month. A wide spectrum of professionals were in attendance, including performance artists, video editors, animators and camera operators to name just a few. This time our get-together did not involve pitching, presentations or guest speakers, just a good old fashioned shindig.
The evening began in the tic café with a free buffet laid on for the early arrivals, who took advantage of the opportunity to network over a meal and a glass of wine with fellow creatives. There was a very relaxed atmosphere as people discussed industry developments and collaboration opportunities. The growing crowd soon made its way down to the iBar where the party was just getting started with casino games, karaoke, pool and plenty of amusements to keep the partygoers entertained.
Each guest was given £50 worth of toy money from the ‘Bank of tic ’ which could be gambled at our casino games tables (kindly provided by Matthew Sandilands of Casino Staff Direct). While some lost their stakes almost immediately, the more shrewd gamblers bided their time and amassed a good sum of chips which could be used as currency at the bar!
In the centre of the iBar, the night’s karaoke was just getting underway. Following some reluctance from the audience to be the opening act, free drinks were offered to the first three singers as a very tempting incentive. This offer was quickly taken up, with a number of people losing their inhibitions and picking up the DJ’s red book to choose a song.
The range of vocal talents on display was varied to say the least, with Creative Networks regular Aston Walker belting out Queen’s classic ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ to a great ovation from the crowd which steadily grew in front of him. Michael Guest, showed everyone up with some great renditions of timeless Elvis Presley tracks, but the most entertaining performance of the night had to go to Mark Pressdee and Liam Walsh. These chaps continued the Queen theme by giving us an absolutely shameless performance of Bohemian Rhapsody, with Mark’s long undiscovered soprano skills seeing the light of day for the first time in public. |
| There was a prize draw open for all attendees with three great prizes on offer and the three lucky winners were: |
| 3. Autumn Showcasing Event "Shake Your Arts" - Steering Group |
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You are invited to be part of a FREE 4-day Creative Networks Showcase of creative talent at Millennium Point - which could promote you to a wider market.
From 26th to 29th October 2006 'Shake your Arts' offers Midlands creative companies and freelancers a unique opportunity to demonstrate their skills, capabilities and achievements to wide-ranging business and public audiences.
Resources to demonstrate film, video and other creative performance activities will be available in and around tic. Further exhibition space will be offered to selected participants in the HUB on the lower floor (Curzon Street entrance) of Millennium Point.
Participants will be selected from entrants at the discretion of the steering groups. To put forward your 'Shake your Arts' entry, please request the Submission Guidelines by emailing one of the addresses shown below:
For music & dance submissions email musicanddanceshowcase@tic.ac.uk
For film, video & theatre submissions email filmandvideoshowcase@tic.ac.uk
For interactive & design submissions email interactiveanddesignshowcase@tic.ac.uk
For photography & art submissions email photoandartshowcase@tic.ac.uk
All submissions to be made by 18th September 2006 (extended deadline). For further information visit: www.creativenetworksonline.com |
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| 4. Cinematic 2006 - Short Film Festival - Call for Entries |
Tuesday 24th - Wednesday 25th October
7.00pm onwards
IMAX Cinema, Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
Short film categories (no longer than 10mins in length):
:: Drama
:: Documentary
:: Animation
:: Experimental / Misc
For entry forms contact:
Nina Parmar on 0121 331 5400 or cinem@tic.ac.uk
Or online at www.tic.ac.uk/cinem@tic
Deadline for submissions: Friday 15th September 2006
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‘Cinematic’ film festival to provide a showcase for Region’s film-making talent at Birmingham’s IMAX Cinema
The fourth, annual short-film festival, organised by UCE Birmingham’s Technology Innovation Centre (tic), is being held for the first time in Birmingham’s IMAX Cinema at Millennium Point.
‘Cinematic 2006’ will provide a showcase for some of the Midlands best, new film- making talent on the region’s biggest cinema screen. The event takes place during the evenings of the 24th and 25th October 2006.
Festival director, tic’s Stephen Gordon says: "Cinematic’s new venue will provide a unique experience for both film-makers and audiences. The IMAX Cinema has a screen as high as a five storey building and as wide as four buses nose-to-tail!"
The festival provides a platform for creative film-making talent, irrespective of the production budget available. The variety of films shown, which can be anything up to 10 minutes in length, will range from student productions, through independently produced shorts, to those by established production companies. Up to 20 films will be shown each evening, from thought provoking and hard-hitting drama, to comedy and cutting-edge animation.
tic’s Cinematic festival is not only supported by Birmingham’s IMAX Cinema, but also boasts prize sponsorship from Canon and Apple Computers. The overall festival winner receives the Cinematic trophy and a Canon digital video camera; the Canon MVX3i. World leader in digital imaging, Canon has supported the festival for three years, providing state-of-the-art camera equipment as the main prize.
There will be awards for best film in each of the four categories of drama, documentary, animation and experimental films. The judges will also make an award to the outstanding student entry, with the prize sponsored by Apple Computers for the second year running. This sponsorship has come through TIC operating the Midlands first Authorised Apple Training Centre (AATC) at Birmingham’s New Technology Institute (NTI).
tic’s Stephen Gordon says: "We are again expecting a bumper crop of Midlands film-making talent. There is now a comprehensive range of regional activities to stimulate both creative talent and the overall quality of local creative work. Many film-makers have been encouraged by the recent success of Midland’s Director Debbie Isitt’s, Screen West Midlands-supported film, Confetti."
Anyone wishing to submit a film is asked to send preview copies, together with a completed registration form, on VHS or DVD format by 15th September 2006. All submissions must be suitable for a general audience. Master copies of short-listed films must be supplied in miniDV, DVCAM, DVCPro, Betacam SP or Digital Betacam format.
The Cinematic showings on 24th and 25th October are free and open to the public.
However, seats must be booked in advance. Anyone wishing either to submit a film, or reserve seats is asked to contact: Nina Parmar on phone 0121 331 5400 or via email to cinem@tic.ac.uk or visit www.tic.ac.uk/cinematic |
| 5. Get
the most from your business with our latest i4 short courses *DONT MISS OUT* |
|
Harness your creative talent with your own business
FREE 'START WITH SUCCESS' 3-DAY BUSINESS START-UP COURSES
i4 'Start With Success' will help you realise the full potential of your creative talents by starting and managing your own business in the screen and sound-based media industries. The course is also suitable for recent business start-ups requiring additional support to get their business going.
| i4 'Start With Success' will help you to: |
Course Start Dates |
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| Understand the fundamentals of starting a business |
11th September 2006 |
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| Prepare a basic business, financial and marketing plan |
25th September 2006 |
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| Improve presentation skills for networking & pitching |
16th October 2006 |
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| Develop your sales and client management skills |
30th October 2006 |
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| Manage your time & creative projects more effectively |
20th November 2006 |
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| Produce or develop your showreel |
4th December 2006 |
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Identify new markets for your creative media services
FREE 'MARKET MAKER SKILLS' 3-DAY MARKET DIVERSIFICATION COURSES
i4 'Market Maker Skills' will help screen and sound-based media professionals identify, analyse and engage with new markets for their creative media services, to secure project contracts and/or paid work.
| i4 'Market Maker Skills' will help you to: |
Course Start Dates |
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| Review the market potential for media solutions |
18th September 2006 |
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| in various industry sectors |
2nd October 2006 |
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9th October 2006 |
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| Assess emerging markets that have media requirements |
23rd October 2006 |
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6th November 2006 |
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| Develop business proposals and presentations for |
13th November 2006 |
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| specific market sectors |
27th November 2006 |
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11th December 2006 |
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i4 'Start With Success' and 'Market Maker Skills' are FREE to those meeting the eligibility criteria. The courses are delivered by a series of seminars, workshops and activities over three full consecutive days (9.30am - 4.30pm), at Millennium Point in Birmingham City Centre.
Co-financed by the Learning Skills Council and European Social Fund, i4 Skills training courses are run by UCE Birmingham's Technology Innovation Centre, in conjunction with Wolverhampton-based Light House.
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Technology Innovation Centre (tic) 2006
Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
phone +44 (0)121 331 5400 fax +44 (0)121
331 5401
email enquiries@tic.ac.uk www.tic.ac.uk
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