Many thanks to everyone who came along to our Birmingham Photospace meeting on Monday 3rd August and gave us such an interesting range of ideas to think about.

For those of you who didn’t manage to make it, we spent some good time talking about our future plans, and got some great advice, suggestions, challenge and support from people that came along.

It was an inspiring and motivating session. We discussed everything from a strategy to deliver a gallery early and at low cost, to how we engage with local groups, develop graduate photographers and gain support (and run some fun events in the process!)

Some of the ideas we discussed:

• We should focus our efforts on lobbying, connecting and raising funds for the Photospace exhibition/resource space that is our main vision – ‘A beautiful space for excellent, amazing photography’
• Holding a debate about photography and Birmingham (perhaps in partnership with Rhubarb-Rhubarb?)
• Speak to Birmingham City Council leaders about inclusion of Photospace in the City of Culture proposals
• Deliver local projects in partnership with Community Arts organisations (e.g. Multistory) to build awareness and support
• Work with a regularly-funded arts organisation to digitise their content
• Take over an empty city centre shop window for Photospace. Display 20 photographs which are self-selected by contributors and which change every week.
• Start a petition to demonstrate the support for a space for photography in Birmingham
• Put on more low-cost, low maintenance high-impact events.
• Concentrate on excellence and high quality in photography (fine art photography) – community photography will follow
• Lobby the Council to give us the rent/rate-free use of one of the empty properties they own in the Digbeth area to start a gallery
• Identify a professional fundraiser with the right contacts to work with us.
• ‘Claim’ bits of the street as a Photospace (posting photographs up in public places)

What do you think of these ideas? Which ones appeal to you?

We’re meeting again next week with a focus on the detailed planning of our Artsfest event – we’d love you to come along and join in the discussion – and especially help out at Artsfest!

Thanks again to everyone who came along – it was a very thought-provoking session and exciting to see how much support there is for a space for photography in Birmingham.

Tags: artsfest, meet us, planning, tweet