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Welcome to May's Issue of the Newsletter for members of "The Creative Networks"
'Creative Networks' at Birmingham City University'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 - May's Creative Networks Event
*DON'T MISS OUT*
2. Event Reviewed
- April's Creative Networks Event
- Soweto Kinch
3. Media Vault - New Equipment - *DON'T MISS OUT*
4. The Music Network - Monthly Networking Event held at tic
5. IGNITE - Creative Photography
6. i4 Skills - Courses NOW Available
7. Coming Up...
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:: Shoot to Thrill - Virgin Media's Short Film competition
Submission between 1st May - 30th June |
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We’d also like to hear from you!
Contact Scarlet Scardanelli, the Creative Networks co-ordinator
with any feedback, case studies, success stories, interesting projects, collaboration opportunities or news:
:: phone
0121 331 5400
:: email
creative.networks@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 - May's Creative Networks Event *DONT MISS OUT* |
Thursday 29th May - From 6.00pm until 10.00pm at tic, Millennium Point
Power Your Business With Web 2.0
Using the internet to communicate, collaborate and create content
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Creative Networks invites you to explore the new media world of business and social networks, interactivity and user-generated content. Our May event will show you how the latest Internet tools can empower your business and enhance the way you communicate, collaborate and create content.
Guiding you through a bewildering array of blogging, wikis, RSS feeds and podcast tools, will be 3Form’s Stef Lewandowski and professional blogger, Pete Ashton. |
Having recently returned from the worldwide ‘South by South West Interactive’ new media conference in Austin, USA, our expert panel will have advice and ideas for all, from the new media newbie to the podcasting pro!
This event is free to attend. If you would like to join us, please email creative.networks@tic.ac.uk, or phone 07969 226 693. Alternatively, you can register online via the Creative Networks portal www.creativenetworksonline.com. |
| 2. Review of April's Creative Networks Event |
Thursday 24th April - From 6.00pm until 10.00pm at tic, Millennium Point
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Soweto Kinch - Performance, innovation and all that Jazz
Forty two is the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything according to Douglas Adams in his series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It took the computer Deep Thought about 7½ million years to work out this simple answer to the Ultimate Question.
Fortunately, attendees to Creative Networks don’t have to wait so long for answers, 42 matching, exactly, the number of events held so far. Unfortunately, the Ultimate Question itself is unknown - suggesting on an allegorical level that it is more important to ask the right questions than to seek definite answers.
So it was that, in a similar spirit of enquiry and courtesy of our sponsors the Musicians’ Union and Advantage West Midlands, we welcomed the multi award-winning alto-saxophonist, composer and lyricist, Soweto Kinch, to our April event.
Soweto explored the power of originality and had many interesting answers for us with the theme for Creative Networks No.42 being 'Performance, innovation and all that Jazz'.
In time honoured fashion, starting in the café at 6pm, the evening also provided an opportunity to talk and network with other individuals and companies representing the creative industries across the region. |
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NTI in Birmingham, part of Birmingham City University run a full public schedule of Apple, Avid & Adobe Accredited training courses. Since opening in 2006 the NTI in Birmingham has become one of the most successful and well respected Apple Accredited Training Centre in Europe and has won two awards for the facilities from the Institute of IT Training and the British Council for Offices.
A range of courses leading to certification are available on Final Cut Pro 6, Motion 3, DVD Studio Pro 4, Soundtrack Pro 2, Shake, Logic Pro 8, MacOSX Support, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Dreamweaver, Flash and Avid Xpress. |
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Dubtransmissions is a team of experienced writers, performers and Grammy nominated producer. We have a fresh approach to developing music for the people and the dance floor, and have undertaken recent collaborations with national and international artists.
Dubtransmissions is an independent, Birmingham based record label, which is dedicated to the development of New Age Dub and Innovative Urban Folk for the international dance floors.
Dubtransmissions has 6 artists signed to the label, 3 with product ready for promotion. In 2005 we set up internet distribution deals with iTunes, ioda and Tune Tribe and have been selling music downloads ever since. |
NOTE: If you would like to pitch your own company in this way and get you message across to all the attendees at CN (as well as getting a mention in our monthly newsletter) then please contact Scarlet on 07969 226 693 or email creative.networks@tic.ac.uk |
| Guest Speaker - Soweto Kinch - Performance, innovation and all that Jazz |
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Soweto Kinch
Performance , innovation and all that Jazz
Company Soweto Kinch Productions
phone 0121 241 0705
email contact@dubtransmissions.co.uk
web www.myspace.com/sowetokinch
We would like to say a special thank you to the Musicians' Union and Advantage West Midlands for sponsoring this month's event, the theme of which was 'Performance, Innovation and all that Jazz'.
The aim of Creative Networks is to bring together small and medium sized businesses working in the creative industries, whether that involves film, video, interactive content, graphics, photography, music or radio, to name but a few. The event themes vary from month to month. Over the past few years, previous speakers have included performers such as Rankin' Roger, Aubrey Nunn, Big George and Ninder Johal, all of whom have provided valuable insights into the music industry. The emphasis with these speakers, as with those from the fields of TV and Film, has been on cross media work, new media and the opportunities and threats of the digital age.
This month was no exception, however, in a change to the usual format, Andy Derrick from the MU interviewed Soweto Kinch and this resulted in a lively mix of anecdotes, opinion and numerous questions from the audience.
Soweto is a well-renowned jazz leader and pioneer with a collection of accolades including two 'Best Jazz Act' MOBO Awards in 2003 and 2007. The event lived up to its promise to inspire and challenge us to innovate in our creative approaches.
The session, which was informative, stimulating and at times very personal, lasted for almost an hour in front of an audience of 115 people made up of predominately music-focused aficionados from the local creative scene. In a relaxed atmosphere, the conversation covered everything from Birmingham, Jazz and Hip-hop, to funding in the music industry and to current projects.
Soweto said that he was inspired by musicians such as John Coltrane and that his passion for jazz started at an early age.
In Birmingham, Soweto was influenced by the activities at the Handsworth Cultural Centre where he was first introduced to various forms of music. He eventually got the ‘Jazz Bug’ when touring the Edinburgh Festival with his playwright father and when sneaking into concert venues in Birmingham with a friend to catch performances.
Soweto emphasised that he has a emotional appreciation for Jazz and does not have a fear that people 'won't get it', he feels that people respond to the integrity of music more than the genre itself and said that self-belief in music is the key that will draw people to you.
Starting at a local level, Soweto played with the 'Tomorrow Warriors' where he had numerous gigs in a small Jazz club in Winson Green, Julio's, one that players at Symphony Hall would visit after hours. His Sunday freestyle sessions attracted musicians from all over the globe, resulting in a 'creative free-for-all' of fantastic quality.
Soweto suggested that music, and creative work in general, can be seen as a baby that needs nurturing and it's sometimes painful to release it into the big wide world. Creative work needs to develop and when asked about the form of today’s 'Live Music Product', Soweto had some interesting ideas and agreed that there needs to be diversification in new income streams for musicians and that live music is providing this, being an important element between an audience and the artist.
When asked about electronic online and computer generated music, Soweto again reiterated the importance of live music but said that the greatest asset to be gained from online delivery was the increased democratisation of music, the internet providing a conduit for creativity and a stimulus for the live experience. Although he can appreciate the positive aspects of electronic music, Soweto feels that there is no substitute for live music. For this reason, ‘Robots’ will never really replace musicians, live music is about the ‘vibe’ and it also includes the mistakes along with the collective creativity of the performance.
Soweto is optimistic about the future of live music in Birmingham, praising the amazing performers playing in and around the area. Looking at the scene in general, he feels that there is a need for something to bridge high art and dancehall. To this end, he highlighted an interesting one day event, that's due to take place soon, under the Hockley flyover, that will bring in talent from the worlds of dance, drama, rap, Jazz and community music - on Saturday 31 May 2008 at 1pm. Billed 'Underneath The Hockley Flyover', the event will feature a stellar line up - including Ty, Bashy, Eska and many more.
The overwhelming message that came from Soweto was one of tenacity, integrity, professionalism and above all creativity. Digital is still a tool and no amount of it makes up for a lack of creativity. Tenacity and integrity will ensure you always keep going and that you can still live with the art you create; professionalism should be automatic.
It was inspiring to hear from someone who has enjoyed a great deal of success and publicity, from his Mercury nomination and 2 MOBO's, to see that he still maintains his Live Box gig now hosted at the Drum in Aston. This grounding in his career keeps him in touch with where he comes from as a creator and provides a beacon to others trying to create art, whether it be poetry, drama, dance or music.
Once again, we'd like to thank our sponsors and Andy Derrick in particular, who did such a sterling job as interviewer. Most of all, we'd like to thank Soweto for an inspiring evening, although he was not performing in the musical sense, it's safe to say that on the night he gained a huge number of enthusiastic new fans.
As ever, our thanks also to the attendees of Creative Networks – for participating to the full with excellent questions to round off the evening, but mostly for tenacious and continued support of these events and for making it all worthwhile. |
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The Music Network leads a monthly networking event at the tic for all music related businesses from the West Midlands region.
Running successfully for over five years, their meetings have proved inspirational in the support, development and promotion of thousands of music related activities.
If you have news to report, events to promote, points for discussion or a pitch to make, the Music Network will be useful for you.
They offer access to contacts, opportunities, help, advice and guidance - and even free tea and biscuits.
The Music Network is a voluntary, not for profit, social enterprise organisation seeking charitable status. Meetings take place on the last Thursday of each month, 4-6pm at Birmingham City University's Technology Innovation Centre (tic), Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG.
email info@birminghammusicnetwork.com
web www.birminghammusicnetwork.com |
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A new group has taken us up on the offer of hosting their meetings at Millennium Point.
Ignite is a newly formed group of 14 photographers who aim to showcase their work to new audiences and start a new network for creative practitioners to link into.
If you would like to join the group, their meetings will take place on every last Thursday of the month from 4-6pm, prior to each Creative Networks event. Please contact annie@creativealliance.org.uk |
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LOW COST Short Courses Currently Available
i4 Skills courses at Birmingham City University's Technology Innovation Centre (tic) provide a low-cost way to realise the full potential of your creative talents.
Courses |
Course Start Dates |
Further Website Design & Production |
02-May-08 |
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Introduction to 3D Modelling |
13-May-08 |
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Broadcast Editing |
16-May-08 |
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Digital Video Editing & Production |
21-May-08 |
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Introduction to MAX/MSP |
23-May-08 |
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Introduction to Sound Recording |
28-May-08 |
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Introduction to Sound Production |
29-May-08 |
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Business Essentials for Media Start-Ups |
05-Jun-08 |
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Camera, Sound & Lights |
06-Jun-08 |
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Desktop Publishing |
10-Jun-08 |
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Digital Video Editing & Production |
11-Jun-08 |
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| Further MAX/MSP with Jitter |
13-Jun-08 |
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Further Live Sound Engineering |
18-Jun-08 |
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Graphics for Web & Multimedia |
20-Jun-08 |
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Further Sound Recording |
23-Jun-08 |
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Flash Video Development |
26-Jun-08 |
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Further Sound Production |
26-Jun-08 |
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Broadcast Editing |
27-Jun-08 |
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DVD Authoring |
30-Jun-08 |
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Motion Graphics and Video Effects |
01-Jul-08 |
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Digital Video Editing & Production |
02-Jul-08 |
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Market-Led Diversification for Media Business |
03-Jul-08 |
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Further MAX/MSP for Audio DSP |
04-Jul-08 |
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Introduction to 3D Modelling |
08-Jul-08 |
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Introduction to Digital Photography & Image Manipulation |
08-Jul-08 |
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Introduction To Website Design & Production |
12-Jul-08 |
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Further Website Design & Production |
18-Jul-08 |
All courses are delivered at Millennium Point in Birmingham City Centre.
For more information or to book a course phone 0121 331 6400 email course.enquiries@tic.ac.uk or visit www.i4skillsonline.com. |
:: SHOOT TO THRILL
Submit your work to virgin media's short film competition
Between 1st May and 30th June.
And you could see it on tv, online, mobile internet and over
211 cinema screens nationwide not just once or twice, but
For a whole year's run
Plus, win £30,000 to shoot your next 20 minute film.
:: WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
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Virgin Media Shorts is a brand new short film competition which champions undiscovered filmmakers and showcases the best British talent |
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Since Virgin Media are the only people to offer TV, Broadband, Phone and Mobile, they’re in the perfect position to help you get your work broadcast in front of millions, online, on TV, through mobile internet and on 211 cinemas screens, nationwide |
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Virgin Media are working hand in hand with UK Film Council |
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So as well as making use of Virgin Media’s massive platform to show off your talent, you’ll benefit from industry expertise on all aspects of your film making |
:: HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED
For all the details including technical specification and full overview visit: www.virginmediashorts.co.uk
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© Technology Innovation Centre (tic) 2006
Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
phone 0121 331 5400 fax 0121 331 5401
email enquiries@tic.ac.uk www.tic.ac.uk
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