Birmingham Creatives - I can't hear you

David,

I am so delighted that you have such a passion for the creative sector in the City and please call me (I work at Fierce Earth and am chair of Creative Republic on a voluntary basis) and talk to me about how you can get involved and make something happen that you want to see. We consistently ask for input so it's great to see so very much input here in your post.

Come to an event and talk to us about what we are doing - better still - join us and start a blog for us. If you don't like our marketing, come and speak up and change it! Don't be depressed, David, talk to me!

Far from "politicking behind the scenes" we the Creative Republic board, are earning a living in our own or our employees' organisations and then working on Creative Republic on top of that in our spare time. This is a slow process, and doubtless irritating or frustrating to those outside, but we do it because we value our independence and becuase it strikes me that the answer lies in your hands, because our constant request is that you join us and make the type of difference that you are talking about.

Our next event is with Mike Whitby and the Chamber on the Big City Plan - exactly the opportunity for ANY creative working in the city to hold one of the City Fathers (and nunber 8 in this Power 50, no less) to account about how the plan will addres the needs and aspirations of the "creative sector". What do you want to ask him? How many SME's get an audience with someone at that level of authority? These are some of the aspirations that we have for the city, to have the ear of the types of people here in the Power 50 and to make our voice heard.

So call me at Fierce Earth - 0121 244 8080. Find out what and how you can get involved (if you want to, and the length of your post indicates to me that you do). Sign the charter, if you haven't already - www.creativerepublic.org.uk/charter. Come to events. Come to a meeting - we are not a secret society, just a bunch of creatives working in the City and doing the best we can to reflect the desires of the sector forward.

Thanks for your comment Helga. I certainly will give you a call. I signed the charter a while back actually because I believe in organisations like this that represent workers. I guess my post is saying how come it isn't a bit more outwardly feisty. South Africa has a Union for Creative Industry Workers (they even invite along the communists to hear what they have to say) with all the politics that being a union implies. I actually like that model but I realise others don't and that there is probably a good reason why pitching ourselves as enablers to the powers-that-be rather than agitators works better for us.

Love to chat to you about this and will try to get along to the excellent event you have planned about the City Masterplan (can't find the date for it on the CR site or your facebook group) - you're right, that is exactly the kind of event we should have.

Dave

Anon

(Sigh). We're not having "a dig" at anyone and I'm sure you will be pleased to know that we co-ordinated with the good folks at Creative Networks about the date (our event was not targetted at the people who attend their event, so no harm there), our inclusion in their newsletter (did you see us there and sign up to the charter?) and our pitch at the next Creative Networks session. I know, Anon, that yours is a more news-worthy (blog-worhty?) take on the whole thing, but alas, untrue.

Patricia Q: The event is Thursday 21 August. It hasn't been publicised yet because there are still some things we're sorting with the leaders office. The invitation will be issued to charter signatories, and then the general public, shortly.

So the way to get all our information is to sign up to the Charter. It's free. You get advance information about our events, you get priority booking if we are over capacity and can't move venues to accommodate everyone.

As I mentioned, all the Board, like you are "holding down jobs" so we are time and capcity constrained, but you'll no doubt be pleased to know that in addition to our efforts here in the City there are going to be "launch" events in a number of other Cities in the region - but these need sorting out with newly formed partnerships in the respective cities. So, sign the Charter and watch this space. More events in more cities coming soon.

I hate online communication - you see - I read "politicking behind the scenes" as something to be avoided, something which benefited the individuals and not the sector -you clearly read it as something that we OUGHT to be doing. One clearly can't win. In the mean time, just speak to us. The photos and e-mails of the board are all on the website. My phone number is above. When Dave joins us as a steering group member (which I sincerely hope he does, as I hope you do Patricia) he can blog about all the stuff we're up to and then, in addition to Created in Birmingham, our website, the number e-flyers we send via as many networks as we can beg, borrow and steal and all our other advocacy work, there will be another route to us.

Finally as to our lack of response on subjects of interest in the sector (such as the recent anouncement regarding Culture West Midlands), as I said last week, please bear with us.

We are establishing our mailing list (building it from scratch rather than buying one in), and looking at sustainable structures that will have the ability to consult, compile the response and feed it back or diseminate it in a meaningful fashion.

If the individuals on the Board simply opined on various matters in the region and claimed that Creative Republic "spoke" for the creatives in the region I'm sure the bloggosphere would be white-hot with indignation at our lack of consultation and "daring to presume" the mind of a wide, disparate and geographically diverse sector. And rightly so. So, if we're not doing anything now it's because we want to get it right... Like I say, nothing sinister, just a responsibility to build the organisation in a sustainable fashion.

I've heard off-line is the new online so, if there are any more questions, catch me when you see me (I'm out a lot), speak to me at an event (sign up and you get invited!) or call.