Birmingham Gems (incl. Culture Trail) - the biggest ever collaboration with community starts!
With help of young people on the National Citizens Service run by Sport 4 Life and with the full support of WM Police, we're starting to build the largest digital Culture Trail ever attempted by a City's community.
The Trail promoting our wonderful Birmingham Gems will be fully populated ahead of the Commonwalth Games in 2022.
Thanks also the great UB40.
The vision
The project ACT Community will deliver as ‘a curator’ the most inclusive, digitally accessible art and culture trail ever created by any city, bringing together, for the wellness of society, all of community in a massive celebration of place with events held throughout the year and an annual celebration taking place in the banqueting suite of the Birmingham City Council.
Schools, community groups, charities, faith groups, clubs, societies across all districts will be engaged through the art and creative contacts and partnerships already established across every district in Birmingham, bringing together people regardless of disability or mental health.
Building on community ‘spirit’
There is no better time for engaging community in ACT Community and it will offer a great opportunity for the creatives and those passionate about culture to shine.
This bottom up engagement will promote the values delivered by a connected, engaged and cohesive community and build on those values and strengths shown by people during the fight against Coronavirus.
The project will feed off and into the “spirit” shown by community during this difficult period and every year a showcase of community, culture and creativity will be held in celebration of what is being showcased and delivered on the digital trail.
Delivery and logistics
ACT builds on the work already started and funded by philanthropists. This work over the past 2 years has led to the growth of a large and co-ordinated community of people who are passionate about their place and their culture.
ACT also builds on the huge success of an event held at Birmingham’s Council House in January 2020 which showcased the work (art and culture) of over 100 #PeoplewithPassion #BirminghamPassion from across community.
Digitally, the work of our #PeoplewithPassion is followed by over 100,000 people across the UK. Many of these passionate contributors are known to face mental health challenges and for many our platform has become a positive outlet and a form of ‘medicine’ for their wellness.
Through a mix of digital and traditional engagement, we will expand and bring together in one digital space over 1,000 people from across community to promote, share and showcase their place, culture and the creativity of community.
This community will be hosted at www.birminghamWeAre.com.
A minimum of 100 people/organisations per district will be given free access to use digital tools and collaborate in populating and maintaining the Art & Culture Trail.
Once restrictions over travel and social distancing are fully lifted, we will utilise drone technology to map and pin the creative and cultural places of interest in key locations.
Mapping software already used for another linked project ‘Birmingham Gems’ and VR technology (see www.BirminghamGems.com) is also available.
The Birmingham Contemporary Art Gallery will operate as the physical city centre hub where creatives from the districts can come together, inspire and be inspired. Here creatives can pitch their ideas, attend wellness workshops and meet potential funders .
All of our community artists and creatives will be invited to join in the annual celebrations at the Council House banqueting suite and will have the chance to display their work.
Benefits of participating
People and organisations involved and participating in the trail and all the associated events and celebrations will benefit in so many ways.
Health & Wellbeing. People will be given the digital and physical opportunity to share their passions and develop their skills.
Belonging. By collaborating in something that has clear social value across the community people take pride in contributing to something with real purpose and value that can be measured.
Digital skills. Our digital workspace with free access to tools will help people grow their digital competencies.
Overriding it all is community wealth and employment by providing a space where new faces are given the opportunity to shine and develop careers.
Evaluating our progress
A quarter by quarter evaluation will cover 3 targets.
First, the development of the trail district by district. With a target of 100 contributors per district, we will monitor how we are progressing against our target of mapping all art, creativity and culture.
Second, the number and coverage of events and participation across community will be monitored to ensure representation, irrespective of ability, skill or location.
Third, and overarching everything, is the social value added from the combined contributions of individuals, alliances and corporate sponsors.
Location
In partnership with over 50 organisations with a direct interest in promoting the city’s culture and with support from the City Council’s neighbourhood team, we will roll out the digital trail across all districts.
Note: This model, with similar support from other Councils, can be expanded to include the whole region.
At regular events (every 3 months), district artists and galleries have the chance to pitch their work and their ideas at The Birmingham Contemporary Art Gallery to an audience they would not ordinarily have the chance to meet.
Wellness workshops held by the Gallery will give creatives much needed support to help them on their journey.
All of these community artists and creatives will be invited to join in the annual celebrations at the Council House banqueting suite and will have the chance to meet corporates, funders and investors of art, design and creativity.
The events will be an opportunity for all those contributing to the art and culture trail to shout out. It will provide the chance for creatives through the ongoing engagement we have with schools, community-based galleries, community groups and charities to connect without physical or geographical barriers.
Our selection of partners and associates will ensure representation of all community and all people irrespective of ability, wealth or location. Giving schools and community groups free access to our community workspace, as partners and stakeholders will ensure the participation of people of all ages in a secure and access rights environment.
The roll out will be inclusive as it will be supported by a range of stakeholders that represent the interests and needs of all groups irrespective of their physical or mental challenges.
Over 50 organisations.across community are being approached to participate in the project and assist in introducing ACT to their community. With these organisations, we will jointly run events to promote the project and bring people together promoting the values and strengths of a cohesive community.
This is just the start!
Funding
This will be a process of matched funding from 3 sources.
First, in order to inject support during and immediately after the coronavirus, we are approaching multiple organisations for funding and grants, including philanthropists. Our target is £150,000 in funding from these sources each year for the next 3 years.
Investors and sponsors, include corporates that keen to see their brand associated with the growth of creatives in the City, will contribute a further £150,000.
The commercial activities conducted at the gallery and the advertising revenue brought in through commercial advertising on the associated Birmingham Gems platform will generate a further £150,000.
The on-line home for all sponsors and supporters will be www.CreativesWeAre.com and the physical home for events, socials and creative pitches will be The Contemporary Art Gallery at the Indoor Arena.
This will cover all costs associated with the delivery and maintenance of two complementary digital ventures including all services, products and administration.
1. Act Community - Art and Culture Trail
2. Birmingham Gems – the City mapped and tracked for visitors
Contact for further details and to arrange a tour of the digital platform: Jonathan Bostock Jonathan@yourplaceyourspace.net m: 07432 637322