The East Side Project and the West Side Project

I picked up a leaflet last night from the foyer area of Symphony Hall during the interval when watching the
Rush Hour Blues Poll Winners, the University of Birmingham Big Band. This leaflet told me all I think I needed to know about the East-Side area which I guess is partly inspired by the Lunar Society. What I thought may be suitable for the Birmingham area, largely to keep Cockneys happy would be the antithesis of the Lunar Society on the West Side of the City. While the Lunar Society and the East side project tend to be focused on stimulating ideas, broadening debate and catalysing action for the most ingenious use of industry and commerce, there is the opposite on the West side of the city.

This is largely the purpose Broad Street - reducing the quality of thinking and productivity throughout the city, getting the least out of people, bringing them through places like Spearmint Rhino to their lowest levels of conduct etc. etc. etc. Perhaps there's a social history of stupid things that people in Birmingham have done over the last few hundred years - an issue that may appeal in some form of joke museum - surely this could keep those who wish to maintain a regional predjudice against the Brummie very happy, and give us opportunity to take their cash off them. I say that thinking there aren't any joke museums around - they tend to be quite sober places - am I wrong about this, I guess it's an issue to reflect upon. They tend to be places that facilitate what I can class as an air of humility and respect towards your fellow man rather than places that cause a degree of distain, disrespect or concern. Having said that I've been to the Killing Fields Museums - one of which is a former college which was used as a place of interogation and torture by Pol Pot - the horror was way in excess of the types of distain that I may have felt but genocide tourism has never been a strong subject of mine.

There's possibly quite a role for myself and others who may not feel adequate within the Lunar Society - I would also possibly think it quite arrogant to place myself above so many in such an organisation, to join in the East Side project area even by affiliation seems much more suitable. It's got more of a working class edge to it, being based in an industrial heartland - working class people are meant to be there. There may be some scope to try and inspire a few young people to create something a little more creative in the world of the arts of in terms of their contribution to life in the UK - could the East-side project area be a means to doing this through an organisation like the Pump?

I wonder if this will be recognised as a means of establishing the year of Culture in Birmingham - innovation and stupidity, surely two things that Birmingham has the edge on over the rest of Europe. I wonder what the Cabinet member for Leisure, Sport and Culture will think of this? Any comments either Prof. Chinn?