In the wake of a very busy week at Fierce we are pleased to announce alongside the Cultural Leadership Programme a CLP Peach Placement with us that will span June to December 2010:

Joint Artistic Directors, Harun Morrison and Laura McDermott see this year as an exciting opportunity for Fierce to investigate what internationalism means to a festival so are looking for an Associate Creative Producer (International Projects):

“we are seeking to explore the challenges of internationalism in its broadest sense. How can international collaborations evolve in light of online technologies? How might an artist from abroad relate to a particular diasporic community? How can internationalism be reconciled with an environmentally sensitive travel policy? What is the best way to fund international projects? How can we engage more with arts communities of South America, Africa, India, China, the Middle East and Eastern Europe? How can we develop and disseminate a model of internationalism for a regional city?”

The placement will be Creative Producer for three specific International projects (potentially EXYZT/ Jeanne Van Heeswijk / South African Artists Platform: including James Webb) supported by Fierce’s artistic directors. We’re excited by the prospect of a mid-career individual with at least five years experience to be joining our team at this pivotal point in Fierce’s evolution.

Alongside Fierce there are a range of opportunities available with the following organisations: DanceEast, Ipswich; Fuel, London; Manchester City Council; National Portrait Gallery, London; and Tate , London.

The deadline to apply for our Peach Placement is 12noon on Monday 10 May 2010. Interviews will take place on Friday 4 June 2010.

For more information about the Peach Placements visit www.culturalleadership.org.uk.

Hopefully you heard the good news that Birmingham has recently been short-listed to become a UK City of Culture for 2013 (see the DCMS Press Release). Birmingham is now one of a list of four final cities (the others are Derry, Norwich and Sheffield) bidding for the title.  During the bidding period Fierce has been working with Birmingham Cultural Partnership on Big Blank Canvas – a project designed to find out from the people who live and work in Birmingham what they do in their cultural lives already, what they’d like to see happen in the city in 2013. We are engaging with people both online, via the website and in person, on the streets of the city centre, in local libraries and at festivals, gatherings and gigs. This project will continue to grow and gather momentum now that we have been shortlisted.

We have received hundreds of inspiring ideas so far but we want to hear from a real range of voices so please help us to spread the word!  Below are a few highlights of the project so far…

We had a team go along to Birmingham’s Chinese New Year Celebrations on Sunday 14 Feb to talk about the bid and gather opinions which you can see on the vimeo:

Big Blank Canvas at Chinese New Year 2010 from Big City Blank Canvas on Vimeo.

Helga talked to Ed Doolan on BBC WM, and the BBC’s Culture Show and can be seen here talking to Paul Hadley:

Helga Henry, Fierce Earth. from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

We are so pleased that Birmingham has been short-listed as we know the talent, determination and creativity that lies within the people of this city and the possibilities that this opens for 2013.

If you’d like to shout about what already happens please add images and video to our vimeo, flickr ‘Big City Blank Canvas’ and facebook page – this is our city and our culture, lets all get involved. And keep adding your ideas for cultural events in 2013 at www.canvasbirmingham.com

You can keep up to date with the latest contributions and news from the bidding process by following us on Twitter @BigBlankCanvas.

 If you’d like to volunteer as part of our events team please contact: volunteers@wearefierce.org.