1. Special Places……. The Birmingham Sub-Regional Strategy
Planning and activities to progress and support the development of the Birmingham SRS
have progressed significantly since the summer, with a clear direction having now been
agreed, to strengthen the NT relationship with our local urban audiences up to 2015.
Terrace Melting Pot (TMP) Stories
A Project Officer is due to be appointed shortly to establish a firm basis, from which
TMP Stories can grow in 2014-2015. Several pieces of research are due to be
commissioned, alongside 3 small-scale community consultation events by March 2013, to
learn more of the issues which are important to the Sparkbrook community. Issues that
are cross-cultural and cross-generational will be specifically explored, for example,
family life and work life, all of which will ultimately contribute to the long-term
objective of developing a new business offer for TMP audiences in Birmingham by 2020.
The use of Social Media, to make TMP Stories an interactive project for the
Sparkbrook community is currently being explored, including a ‘Secret Author’ BLOG.
NT Promotional Tour
Activities to raise the profile of the NT within Wards in Birmingham, which include
significant ‘Terrace Melting Pot’ communities, will kick-off
with a launch in March 2013, followed by a tour until the
end of May. A multi-functional vehicle is to be designed,
which will enable local communities to discuss the special
places that they love and express an interest in developing
a relationship with the NT – a target of signing-up X20
volunteer, X 20 Community Ambassadors X200 Twitter
followers have been set.
Membership Drive
Options to increase existing membership levels in the inner urban areas of Birmingham
have been produced, with the potential targeting of key ‘Golden’ postcodes that offer
valuable insight to Explorer Families, an audience, of whose needs are not so well
understood. The potential to join on-going membership activities with properties near to
the City Centre borders (e.g. Baddesley Clinton and Packwood) is also to be explored.
Green Academies Project (GAP) Stage 2
The first of 3 visioning workshop was held with an internal audience on 31 October, to
explore how GAP should evolve to work with other ‘Claimant Culture’ communities in
Birmingham. A second workshop, with potential new partners will be held in Jan 2013.
SRS Volunteer Strategy
An initial meeting to discuss the recruitment and management of volunteers working off-
site, to support SRS activities has been arranged for December. It is envisaged that
volunteers will be particularly involved in supporting the NT Tour and TMP Stories.