Midlands creative firms join global showcase at SXSW festival

Mar 15 2009 by Anna Blackaby, Birmingham Post

Some of the West Midlands’ top creative firms have flown to Austin, Texas to take part in the world’s most important festival for new media technologies, film and music.

Birmingham-based music promoters Capsule, run by Lisa Meyer and Jenny Moore, are among the delegates from the region attending SXSW, which is seen as a global showcase for trends in culture and media.

Capsule, whose visit is funded by Arts Council England, is particularly interested in finding new ideas to promote its Home of Metal project, an initiative aiming to celebrate the West Midlands’ heavy metal heritage which includes a digital archive dedicated to the genre.

Ms Meyer said: “We’re going for the interactive event and then staying for the music. We have never been for the interactive part before so it’s really exciting for us.

“We are looking at ways of developing the Home of Metal archive and how we can use this technology to help people access the archive.”

One of the areas Capsule is interested in is Bluetooth technology and how it could be used in heavy metal heritage tours around Birmingham city centre, which the music promotions company is planning together with Marketing Birmingham.

Custard Factory-based music, art and fashion magazine Fused Magazine has also organised a group going to SXSW from the West Midlands, with funding from UK Trade & Investment West Midlands, which includes Sophie Sladen from Punch Records and photographer Phil Sharp.

Other Midland new media names going to the festival include bloggers Pete Ashton and Chris Unitt.

Regional screen agency Screen WM is organising a “Postcard Event” when people return so that those that have been out at SXSW will be able to share their knowledge and experiences with others in West Midland creative businesses in a structured setting.