STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE ABOUT OUR CULTURE BID

Reagan Oates has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Stop being so negative about our culture bid

Leicester has announced that it is bidding to become the UK's next City of Culture in 2017. With a proven track record of excellent festivals and cultural events from Diwali to Pride and with the recent discovery of Richard III's bones, it's no wonder the city has decided to try its luck.

If successful, it could lead to millions of pounds in increased trade, a rise in tourism and the possibility of hundreds of new jobs.

Since this exciting news, what has Leicester done to celebrate? Readied the bunting, congratulated ourselves?

Sadly not. We've done what the Brits do best and started to moan.

We've moaned about our lack of culture, lack of architecture and, more worryingly, a lack of British festivals and events on offer in the city.

Now hold on: we live in one of the most multi-cultural cities in the UK. What exactly is it that makes a festival British? The definition of British relates to the characteristics of the citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom, and last time I checked our events have reflected the people of Leicester.

On top of that, you can't walk 10 yards these days without a new festival or event popping up.

Also, if anyone has a reason to moan about the culture of the city this month, then sorry folks it's me, not you.

Having watched The Monograph magazine recently announce it was ending its printed production, struggling without council or arts funding, I could sit around bemoaning its fate, forever holding a grudge against Leicester's cultural empire.

However, if the city council wants to spend £50,000 on this new city of culture venture, then let it.

Agreed, times are hard to be spending money on arts, but look at the long-term possibilities.

A city celebrated for culture will attract attention, investment and will benefit us all.

It's a simplistic view, yes, of a complex situation but – newsflash, people – recessions are nothing new.

They've happened before, they suck and, yes, we're all skint!

But for this you have a choice. You can choose to pick apart the intentions of the people that are trying to make something for your enjoyment – or you can stop moaning about it and get involved.

Go explore the city. Visit one of our attractions or free museums, such as the one in New Walk (everyone enjoys a good dinosaur) and get behind the bid!

Cease looking at what is wrong with the city. Tackle the small things, such as simple pleasures, and maybe the big things won't seem so bad after all.

The bid gets my vote and I look forward to seeing what's on offer in the future.

Raegan Oates is music editor at From Dusk 2 Dawn magazine.

CITIZENS' EYE "OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY" AT THE CRUMBLIN' COOKIE

I'm pleased to accept an invitation from John Coster and Tina Barton to the Citizens' Eye "Office Christmas Party" this evening in the Crumblin' Cookie on Leicester's High Street.

There's plenty of food and plenty of disco in the Cookie Jar, downstairs. The Cookie jar is an adaptable venue that's been used for all sorts of public and private events since it opened earlier this year. Last thing I attended in the Cookie Jar was the launch of Rethink Your Mind on 12 May this year (see blog post for that date). I'm glad to see Peter Hirst here, who was behind that successful evening in May.

The food's very nice (with arguably the best hot cheese chilli dip I've ever tasted) but the music's a bit too loud for my ageing ears, so I spend most of the evening upstairs, nursing a couple of gingerbread lattes (tis the season to be jolly, after all). Since I've become such a devotee of Strictly Come Dancing over the past few years, I can't really imagine myself up on the dance floor just throwing shapes any more - and I'm not brave enough to tackle an American Smooth (and I wonder who might be willing to throw caution to the wind and dare partner me for that, in some imagined fanciful AU).

In lieu of that, I enjoy some entertaining and stimulating conversation, particularly with Linda Faulkner regarding some improvised experimental music sessions taking place in Leicester once a month in which I might be able to get involved and with Dan Lamoon of From Dusk 2 Dawn (aka FD2D) on the topic of intrapreneurship. We discuss its difference from entrapreneurship and how it might be the key to pulling Leicester Council of Faiths out of its funding nosedive, preserving my post and restoring our fortunes in the year ahead. I had never heard of intrapreneurship before; thanks to Dan for enlightening me.

I welcome a couple of comments from people whose opinion I care about regarding the blog. Though hardly more than throwaway lines, they stiffen my resolve to get new posts out on time and to catch up on a growing number of Lost Episodes before the turn of the year. A busy festive season of filling in the gaps throughout 2012 awaits!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone involved with Citizens' Eye, The Crumblin' Cookie and to all whose paths they cross. Stick together and we can take on whatever 2013 has to throw at us!

CREATIVE GARDEN HAS BLOSSOMED

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Creative garden has blossomed

Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre recently hosted "Creative Garden" – a day-long event celebrating the wealth of creativity on the local scene, writes George Ballentyne.

Just about every available bit of space in the venue was packed with people showing their wares, demonstrating their skills and promoting the arts in business. The inside of the building was filled with stalls.

Visitors were treated to a variety of talents on display: fashion designers, film makers, jugglers, musicians, photographers, poets, writing services – even designers of apps for smart phones.

There was also a variety of talks, workshops and seminars on how to identify,nurture and promote creative talent and practical advice on how to use it to make a living.

Creative Garden was put together by the team behind "From Dawn to Dusk" [sic] with the collaboration of the LCB Depot in Rutland Street. The event drew on a wide range of contacts and contributors, showing how a successful network of imaginative and artistic individuals and businesses has become well established in and around Leicester over the past couple of years.

With events like this (alongside other activities such as CreativeCoffee club and Amplified Leicester), Phoenix Square continues to establish itself as a centre which attracts creative people from the city, county and further afield – and as a hub from which that creativity flows back out into the wider community, touching schools, colleges and the universities, offices and businesses, shops and public spaces.