Thank you to everyone who attended Thursday’s Digbeth Summit: Keeping Digbeth Different event. We recorded an attendance of at least 75 people, which is very encouraging for our first event of this kind!

As well as thanking everyone who attended, Digbeth Residents Association would also like to extend thanks to our keynote speakers, Shabana Mahmood MP and Mark Barrow from Birmingham City Council, for supporting the Digbeth Summit. Special thanks also go to our volunteer facilitators for running the group discussions and feeding back to the wider attendance.

As promised at the event, Mark Barrow kindly agreed to share the presentation he gave; please find a copy of the slides below. Videos and a report of the group discussions from the Digbeth Summit will also be made available on mydigbeth.co.uk as soon as possible.

Initial responses to the event have been positive, and we may hold a follow-up in future. As such, DRA is looking for any feedback, be it positive or negative, to help our planning. Comments can be sent by email, Twitter, Facebook or by posting a response in the comments after this article.

Of course, this event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors: the Custard Factory, South Birmingham College, Bay Leaf Restaurant and the Urban Futures Project at the University of Birmingham.

Digbeth Summit M Barrow 16.02.12

The Digbeth Summit: Keeping Digbeth Different event is less than two weeks away. To help promote the event, Digbeth Residents Association has enlisted the talent of two second year animation students at BCU’s Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) to create a viral video.

The event to be held on 16th February at the Custard Factory, will bring together residents, business owners, voluntary sector agencies, developers and council staff to discuss the future of Digbeth. Digbeth residents strongly recognise the need to work in partnership with local businesses to make the area a destination rather than an exit out of Birmingham, and to influence its direction.

Students Michael Price and Brian Lobeda jumped at the opportunity to create a video to promote the Digbeth Summit. Michael said: “Hopefully, our animation will help to show people that Digbeth is just as important to the city as the other districts, and that its legacy should not be neglected.”

Brian said: “I have learned a lot about Digbeth, especially about the Custard Factory and the Ty.Phoo factory.”

DRA Chair Val Woodward said: “It’s great that so many of the diverse sectors in Digbeth are working together so constructively. We are keen to support creative arts students and their contributions to Digbeth as one of the two main cultural areas in Birmingham. Our logo was also designed by a BIAD student and we have always been delighted with the quality of their work.”

The video created by Michael and Brian is below. For more information about the Digbeth Summit please click here.

Last week was extremely busy week, with the fight to prevent Island House from being demolished coming to a climax. Click here to see a history of Island House, and join the campaign on Twitter by searching for #saveislandhouse. Tomorrow there will be a protest to save the historic building, please see Nicky’s post for further details.

As a reminder, the Digbeth Summit will be touching upon issues like the proposed demolition of Island House. Please ensure to click here to see more information about the summit.

In related news, DRA‘s counterparts in the Jewellery Quarter, MyJewelleryQuarter (@MyJQ on Twitter) offered us their formal support in the campaign. Not only is this fantastic news, but as the second cultural quarter in Birmingham, having the support of residents in the Jewellery Quarter can only help to bring about positive change in the city.

What: St Patrick’s Festival EGM
When: Wednesday 18th January 7:30pm
Where: Irish Centre, High Street Digbeth

Do you want the St Patrick’s Day Parade to go ahead this year?

If so, please attend this evening’s meeting!

Please note that this is for business audiences only

When: Thursday 19 January 2012
Where: Lloyd House, Colmore Row, Queensway, Birmingham B4 6QT
Refreshments will be available from 5.30pm with a prompt start at 6.00pm.

Businesses are invited to the WMP Business Consultation next week. Many issues will be discussed including Police budgets, the Olympics, and the introduction of  a ‘Police Commissioner’.

Please see the below document for more information. If you do not air your concerns now then it is much more difficult to do so later!
Letter of Invitation 2012

Many thanks to Michael of Shop Crime for sending this through.