Paying artists properly

A great blog/debate has started on Bobbie Gardner’s blog about the trials of getting paid properly if you are a community artist. I’ve waded in as it is a subject close to my heart…

Real good at Realtone House

I went to visit one of Birmingham’s newest studio spaces last week - Realtone House - 34 Cliveland Street, Birmingham B19 3SH. There is no website as yet as they have literally just opened but you can email Bal on bal@realtonerecords.co.uk if you want to have a look around. They have a sizeable dance studio with a sprung floor and recording studio and live room with all the kit. The place has been put together nicely with good areas for people to break out if there are events on etc. This project has not had public funding behind it and so Bal should be congratulated for pulling together such a big project. I will certainly be hiring space there - and by the sounds of it we need to get in early asthe level of interest in the space is already high…

Tuesday at Midem

Well today is just a half day - as I’m off home on a plane to my lovely family this afternoon.I started the day with I quick session on the British Midlands at Midem stall to catch up with all the other folks. It turns out that Khaliq is very ill and has been kept in hospital over night for tests following his horrible electric shock on the stand. It brings it home to me as I was using that plug just before him - so it so easily could have been me. Best wishes to Khaliq for a speedy recovery.I then went off to the Music Week stand to get a discount on my subscription for this year and told them off for sending a journo to the first Gigbeth and never writing anything. I think we may resolve that this year!I then dashed off to some very interesting sessions on ‘How to make festivals green’ - a subject very dear to my heart and very useful and inspirational. Most of the talk was related to summer festivals in fields with camping - but through that I learned that city based festivals based in existing venues will always be the greenest (whoopie!). This is because people can get to city festivals more easily by public transport (discuss!) and there is less waste generated by paper cups etc. However following our partnership with Friends of the Earth this year I am keen to see what we can do to move even further on this in 2008. The journey home was easy. Saw Pete Townsend at the airport on his way home and some very nice views of the Alps from the plane! I also had a giggle to myself when I read the section on Birmingham in the BMI Baby magazine - it focussed on quirky gigs in Birmingham - so I thought who wrote this?  It turned out to be Pete Ashton of Created in Birmingham….