ArtsFest…and a rant about empty shops and the plans for a Birmingham Photo Gallery – Birmingham 11th-13th September 2009

Enjoyed a very pleasant weekend strolling around ArtsFest again and had the good fortune to be press ganged (in the very nicest way possible) by Pete Ashton into taking part in Birmingham’s People – a project that aims to capture for posterity the faces of some of those who live here. It’s part of a wider project to establish a photo gallery for the city, which seems to have a particularly active snapper scene but nowhere to show off its collective talent. How about the old library eh? Instead of knocking the whole thing down (granted, you might want to knock a few chunks off) why not turn that into the gallery? It’s close to the existing museum and art gallery and could, I’m sure, be knocked into a workable space. There. That’s decided then.

In the meantime might I suggest that some of the many empty shops in the city (I’m looking at the old Virgin Megastore for example...either of 'em) be used? This recession is going to drag on for a while and, even when we do emerge, I wouldn’t mind guessing that t’web will continue to erode the need for a ‘high street’. How much nicer it would be to have a whole bunch of semi permanent ‘pop up’ galleries across the city for artists to display and sell their works. The property owners get someone to look after their empty buildings and we get something interesting to look at. I believe that's a win/win to borrow management speak. At the very least why not just stick big boards up in the windows of all these empty shops and bung the pictures on there? Of course I’m oversimplifying things and no doubt people will shoot ruddy big holes in this plan (security, staffing, heating and lighting, health and safety...blah blah blah...couldn't this all be covered with some form of lottery grant or sponsorship from local firms?) but why the hell not eh? I’m sure I’ve seen other cities do (or at least propose) something similar and I can’t see any benefit whatsoever in having empty shop windows. You’d attract more visitors to the city, encourage the arts scene to develop and make the place look a whole lot better. You could even turn one of the shops into a more permanent base for the Birmingham’s People project…

I’m sure someone’s already thought of this. If not, why not? And if they have, why hasn’t it happened? Eh? Eh? Oh so many questions…I guess I’m in a questioning (and somewhat evangelical) mood today. I propose a motion that makes it ILLEGAL to have 'bare' windows in Birmingham City Centre. All those in favour? Motion carried (hey, this politics business is really simple). Over to you Birmingham City Council. Oh, by the way, I've got another bone to pick with you. When are you going to sort out Lightwoods Park in Bearwood eh? Why not just give it to the good folk who are already running Warley Woods? Or better still why not employ me to come up with a whole bunch of crackpot schemes? I'm full of silly ideas and very reasonable...

To make this post vaguely about music I’ve stuck up my shot of Anthony Joseph and the Spasm Band who played a short, but darn fine, set of funky soulfulness that recalled echoes of the late, great Isaac Hayes. Awesome.