DUDLEY Creates Commissions - now open
Creative Black Country (CBC), alongside our partner Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) with support from CoLab Dudley, is offering commissions of £750 - £4000 for projects that develop creative activity with and by local communities across the Dudley borough.
Applications now open for Dudley Creates Commissions - BSL Signed and captioned video.
The projects will form a Summer of Creativity across Dudley which will coincide with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games.
We are encouraging creative responses which either:
Tell stories about local people
Engage with young people and build legacy
Celebrate our Green spaces and/or waterways
This year the region will benefit from exciting events which will be part of the Commonwealth Games 2022, you may want to participate and create events/projects that align with the games. For example in Dudley we will see the Cycling - Time Trials pass through the area - could you make a project with your community that celebrates or takes inspiration from the Commonwealth Game events in creative and innovative ways?
ABOUT CBC
Creative Black Country (CBC) work with communities to explore and develop creative projects with local people in the places where they live. CBC aim to support communities to co-create work with us that is relevant, authentic and genuinely participatory. We also offer support to help communities to develop their skills and confidence in building creative and cultural activities*.
*Our definition of creative and cultural activity is really broad, and includes any opportunities for local people to explore their creativity through any of the following; performing arts, dance, theatre, music, visual arts, painting, sculpture, photography, design, crafts, heritage, museums, literature, poetry, storytelling, film and digital media.
Who and what we can support
We want to support activities that increase opportunities for people to experience great creative and cultural experiences in Dudley.
We are not prescriptive about how this is done, it could be a digital or analogue solution, or a combination of both. What is important to us is that local people are involved in the design and delivery of the project, and that it reaches people who may not normally have this kind of creative opportunity.
You can apply for up to £4000, to help you to make your creative idea happen with your local community. If you want to apply for this commission please read the following information carefully, it explains the next steps in how to submit a proposal for support.
Your project will need to take place between June 2022 and complete by the end of September 2022 and you should specify the area of the borough where your work will take place.
Your proposal
You will need to write a proposal of up to 1000 words or create a video of up to 5 minutes long, outlining your project idea and plans and provide a simple budget illustrating how the money will be spent.
Please include:
Your name & contact details
Proposed name and title of your idea (if applicable)
An outline of the activity taking place (who, what, where, when and why)
The locality of your project - please be as specific as possible as we will be looking to spread out our reach across the borough
How many people you hope will be involved
A time frame for your project
What you hope will be the outcome or benefit to the people involved
Amount requested with a simple budget breakdown (please only ask for the amount you need, don’t feel you have to request the full £4000 limit, we only have a limited budget and can support more projects if lower amounts are requested)
Within the proposal please tell us:
How will the project engage local people in creative and cultural activity, who do not regularly engage in the arts and culture currently?
How does the project involve local people in the design and delivery of the activity?
How will you ensure that the project provides a quality experience for participants?
How will you ensure your project is accessible? (e.g. if it is digital can you provide audio description, subtitles and/or BSL interpretation)
NEED ADVICE OR WOULD LIKE A CHAT BEFORE YOU SUBMIT?
You can book in advance for a face-to-face chat on the following dates:
-Thursday 24th March: Between 11am-1pm
-Thursday 7th April: Between 10am-12noon
-Friday 8th April: 10.30am-11.30am - ONLINE SESSION - accessible session please let us know if you require assistance. BOOK HERE.
-Tuesday 12th April: Between 10.30am-2pm
Kerry will be at CoLab Dudley, 201a High Street, Dudley. Please email kerry@creativeblackcountry.co.uk to book a slot. Slots will last 30minutes. If you are unable to get to Dudley please email with your phone number and she will contact you over the phone for a chat.
NOTES:
The activity should build audience engagement for arts across Dudley. We’re looking for projects that could have legacy beyond the Summer of 2022.
The activity must not have been previously delivered as a pilot/taster session or have already started as we can not invest in projects retrospectively.
You will need to complete a simple evaluation at the end of the project and encourage all participants to complete a short CBC evaluation (which we will provide). Impact & Insights Toolkit - Arts Council England occasionally require us to evaluate certain activities via a new online platform called the Impact and Insights Toolkit. If your activity is selected to take part in this, we will be in touch.
You will need to provide basic documentation of the activity. This could be photographs, film or online documentation.
It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the necessary consents or permissions in place to undertake your project.
You will need to provide proof of project expenditure via the ‘expenditure form’ which will be provided to you on confirmation of our support.
You will need to be able to start your project as soon as you’ve been informed of our decision on your proposal. We will get back to you as quickly as we can after the deadline.
Submitting your proposal
Submission deadline midday Thursday 14th April 2022.
You will be notified of the decision by 5th May 2022.
Please send your proposal along with the monitoring form: Download the form here.
By Email: fiona@creativeblackcountry.co.uk with ‘Dudley Creates Commissions’ in the subject line.
If you would like to receive a copy of the information or monitoring form in an accessible format, please contact Fiona Dye on 07736 275547 or fiona@creativeblackcountry.co.uk with your requirements.
How we decide what we will support
Proposals for support will be reviewed by a small panel, which is a group of Black Country community representatives facilitated by the CBC team.
You will be informed by 5th May 2022 whether we are able to support your proposal, and we will be in touch as soon as possible so that you can begin your project if you are successful.
If you are interested in finding out more about the commissions or being part of our panel please contact kerry@creativeblackcountry.co.uk / 07931 995463
Are you eligible?
Support is available to individuals, groups or organisations wanting to become involved in arts and cultural activity in Dudley.
Groups and organisations must have some terms of reference for working together (i.e. a Constitution or Partnership Agreement).
Individuals might include:
Artists, musicians, writers, performers, designers, promoters, producers; curators, directors; Collectives, consortiums and informal groups of people i.e. a performance group (one member will need to take the lead and have the main responsibility for managing the project).
Organisations who CAN submit proposals:
Voluntary organisations e.g. arts clubs, collectives, choirs or groups that meet regularly;
Arts organisations;
Public organisations such as libraries, youth centres, etc.;
Organisations whose normal activity is not related to the arts but who want to include arts in what they do e.g. an allotment or residents’ association; youth group, senior citizens group;
Not for Profit organisations and community groups, whether registered charities or not;
Faith groups/organisations;
Schools i.e. affiliated parent/community groups. The activity should engage the wider community and the award cannot be used to subsidise work as part of the school’s curriculum.
Who CANNOT submit proposals?
The following individuals or organisations cannot receive support form this programme:
Organisations that share out profits to members or shareholders;
University students using this grant to fund their creative projects as part of their undergraduate or postgraduate course;
Those running activities that do not benefit people living in Dudley;
Activities that are already taking place or have already been completed. This must be a new activity.
Further Notes:
Partnerships and working with artists:
We encourage partnerships. It is a good idea to seek advice from local arts and community venues and organisations to help the activity reach more people. We also encourage working with professional artists and naming the artist you are thinking of working with in the proposal.
Cash and in-kind Support:
We do not require any match funding for this support. However, if you do get any cash or in-kind support for your project please let us know.
What is funding in kind:
This refers to ‘in kind’ contribution to the project. For example, receiving rehearsal space without cost, expertise in voluntary time, equipment at no cost. It is great if you can tell us about any in-kind support you have for your project, and what the value of that would be if you paid for it.
What is cash match funding:
This refers to actual cash contributions to your project received through fundraising, other grants and awards. It is not a requirement to get cash match funding for your project, but you will be able to achieve more and reach more people if you do.
Rates of pay for artists:
We are committed to making sure those who work in the arts and culture are properly and fairly paid. We are unable to suggest rates of pay for artists or creatives. We recommend you visit Arts Council England’s Fair Pay webpage that contains information on where to find advice on this subject. https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/ACNLPG_Fair_pay_0.pdf
Acknowledgement of Support and Publicity:
Those in receipt of support agree to acknowledge support from CBC, DMBC and CoLab Dudley in any publication, publicity materials, communications, website, or events relating to the project. Whenever possible, supported projects should also include relevant logos which will be available upon receipt of support.
Monitoring Forms:
A completed copy of the Monitoring Form must be submitted with your proposal. Download the form here.
If you would like any information or advice relating to your proposal, including information on match funding, please contact us.
Contact us /send proposals to:
If you would like to receive a copy of the commission information or monitoring form in an accessible format, please contact Fiona Dye on 07736 275547 or fiona@creativeblackcountry.co.uk with your requirements.