CBC team picks of 2023
2023 has been jam-packed full of projects here at CBC and we’ve really enjoyed meeting new creatives and communities, alongside supporting people to make projects happen in the places they live with the people that matter to them.
As we begin to lean into 2024 we asked the team to share their best bits, favourite memories and key highlights of the year…
Laura Dicken - Dudley Creative Advisor
My highlight from 2023 hasn't actually happened yet, but it's about to... Through Creative Communities I supported Carl at Team Pumpkin to put forward a successful expression of interest to take 40 kids from Dudley to see the panto at Stourbridge Town Hall this Christmas.
The kids are predominantly from low income families and live in what are labelled 'deprived areas'. This will be the first time that most of the kids have ever been to the theatre or seen a Panto. A number of the group have been referred to Team Pumpkin via the Police and local schools because of behavioural issues. Team Pumpkin gives them stability, routine and a community.
They have all worked really hard this year and shown dedication, discipline and self-confidence and this theatre trip will be a well deserved treat and celebration. The ticket sales will also support a local venue and creatives.
Gavin chatting to poet Rick Sanders at the Winter Warmer event.
Gavin Mezda - Programme Coordinator
One of the highlights of the year for me was attending the Summer Social and Winter Warmer gatherings organised by CBC for the artists, groups and organisations we’ve worked with or supported. As I mostly work from home, the social events were a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the people I speak to on a regular basis and to hear more about the work they do. I intend to go and see a lot more creative work next year to offer further support and help strengthen relationships with CBC.
The Arts Council team headed to Dudley to support creatives and artists who want to apply to National Lottery Projects Grants.
Yvonne Gregory - Fundraising Manager
The Fundraising Fellowship Scheme took place again this year and we had some great peer-working group sessions, especially the ACE session at CoLab. For me it was the real motivation and boost it seemed to give the creatives in the room, that there were actual ‘people’ behind the ‘Grantium’ form who would give their time to help support their project ideas. The 1-2-1 surgeries seemed to really help people too - to have that individual time for advice. Most special was the buzz in the room, seeing people connecting and introducing each other saying ‘you should speak to…’ ‘have you met…’ etc - a great day! And it was summed up brilliantly by Sallyann Rock who wrote lovely guest post for us.
Another highlight was the workplace well-being workshops at Paycare. Seeing people who were not confident, saying they couldn’t draw and weren’t creative etc being guided by artists Sarah and Tom and watching them grow in confidence in a very short time! These are people working in (basically) insurance type roles, where there is no real creative stimulation. They mentioned how it has been so long since they did anything creative and that they wanted to reconnect and start being creative again.
Potential volunteers take a walk around the Grand Theatre.
Fiona Dye - Project Lead for Culture Volunteer in the Black Country
It’s hard to pick one favourite thing from the Culture Volunteer WM project this year because there have been so many lovely bits to it, but there are a couple of things stand out.
One of them has been working with the team at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton, launching their brand-new volunteering programme. It’s such an iconic venue in the city, and it’s been decades since they last worked with volunteers. Meeting the team there, helping them get everything ready to recruit the volunteers, then hearing about how much everyone is enjoying the whole experience has been great.
It’s also been an absolute joy to see the way the refugees from Hong Kong have fitted into the volunteering team at Moseley Old Hall. They are so willing to contribute, and it’s been lovely watching new relationships form between them, the other volunteers, and staff. It was just a six week pilot project to see how we got on, but they want to continue and we’ve got another group who are keen to give it a go too.
If I have to pick a ‘favourite’ thing about the project in general it’s been connecting different people and organisations, watching the relationships flourish, and knowing that they will continue in the future.
The Dudley Creates Winter Cultural Collaborators Gathering - showcasing projects supported during 2023.
Kerry Ocoy - Marketing + Content Manager / Dudley Creative Associate
It was great to bring together some of CBC’s projects and stories for the second edition of Bostin News - our ad hoc compendium of great Black Country projects and info. It helps to showcase the breadth of work that we do here at Creative Black Country via the varied and diverse strands of support we are able to offer. Community creativity has really grown since we started thanks to the co-creation of work with people and artists directly.
With my Dudley Associates hat on I really loved supporting the 30 creatives we’ve been able to commission to continue and/or start new projects across the Borough that is supporting Dudley’s Cultural Compact and the Dudley Creates - 100 year cultural stragegy in action thanks to an ACE national lottery project grant. This network approach to a cultural strategy has been a little different to how many towns and cities might develop a Compact but we’ve really seen the benefits of people feeling a shared input Into deciding on the type of culture they want to see if their own neighbourhoods and towns. The democratic approach has certainly raised a few eyebrows but it’s important to try new things and not always follow the business as usual way.
Anisha, Tod and Ajay visit Lorrach in Germany with members of the CBC team as part of the ‘Cultural Bridge’ programme.
Parminder Dosanjh - Creative Director
New friendships across the waters through a cultural bridge programme: Members of CBC team accompanied by three young artists from the region visited Germany to explore cultural connections, visit arts venues, and co–create some work. Presenting at Wolverhampton Literature Festival next year for the first time, these young artists have developed their practice through exchange, conversation, and mentoring with our German partners. We are excited to see how this relationship continues to build.
Innovating with The SPACE: This year we launched a unique partnership with The SPACE kicking off with a consultation with local creatives. This will follow with exciting opportunities for creatives and communities to test digital ideas specific to the Black Country over the next two years. We are proud to collaborate with a national partner The Space to offer an innovative programme in our region.
Beautiful Communities with CBC Creative Associates: CBC Creative Associates Dudley Creates and Curl Girl Productions (Sandwell) have co–designed projects that promote better well-being, connections, and making creative things happen. Both Associates have deepened community engagement in their neighborhoods that continue to ripple and inspire beautiful communities.
CBC invited Geoff of Urban Has with our Summer Social to share the news about The Guildhall.
Sajida Carr - Director of Operations and Development
Behind the Scenes at The Guildhall with Urban Hax: This summer, some of our team got an exclusive look behind the scenes at The Guildhall with Urban Hax.. They've been collaborating with Walsall Council on an ambitious project to establish a larger and more prominent creative enterprise facility in the town. The project has successfully secured funding, and the building for the new Creative Industries Enterprise Centre in Walsall town centre has been acquired. Geoff and Deta shared their insights on the future plans, envisioning the building as a cultural hub in Walsall. Walking through the building was a mesmerizing experience, with numerous stories and rooms, complemented by a kitchen decor that left a lasting impression. For more details on the plans, check here.
A Vibrant Recap of This Year's Mela Celebration: This year's Mela in Victoria Park, Sandwell was a standout event, featuring incredible talent from the South Asian LGBT+ community and emerging artists. The village showcased the talents of BAFTA-nominated artist Asifa Lahore, who captivated the park audience. Despite a rainy start on the first day, dedicated attendees showed up to support the Mela. The sun graced us on the following day, transforming the park into a lively party. Amidst the bespoke Arts Village, I had the pleasure of connecting with audiences, volunteers, artists and partners.
A Reflection on CBC Gatherings and the Joy of Community Connections: Since last year, the introduction of CBC gatherings has been a delightful experience. This year's gatherings in Walsall and Sandwell have simply been brilliant. The team meticulously plans these gatherings, ensuring a warm welcome and a creative experience, thanks to local creatives. What I've particularly enjoyed is witnessing people engage in creative workshops and strike up conversations with strangers seated next to them. It's also heartening to witness mini-reunions, complete with exclamations like, 'Oh my, I haven't seen you in ages.' In this digital age, these face-to-face gatherings are invaluable for us at CBC, providing opportunities to continually learn about our local communities and the creative sector. We are starting to plan our next one, and you can find out more about them by signing up here.
A young participant enjoys a workshop with MILA CIC in Sandwell, supported by Creative Advisor for Sandwell, Rich
Rich Franks - Sandwell + Walsall Creative Advisor
It’s been an incredibly busy year, an absolute blur of creativity that has gone by so fast. I haven’t got one specific highlight as that would be too hard to choose, so instead I wanted to say how wonderful it has been to see and help community groups and creatives in Sandwell and Walsall, develop, deliver, and take part in an array of fantastic projects. Theatre trips and performances, gallery visits, art workshops, writing workshops, photography workshops, family fun days, and creative nature rambles have all happened thanks to the brilliant talents, ideas, and creativity of the people of the Black Country.'
Lino printing fun at the CBC Summer Social which Rosalind helps coordinate
Rosalind Argo - Programme Coordinator
A highlight for me this year has been the Summer Social and Winter Warmer events. We worked with two brilliant venues for the first time to host the events, The Rock Centre in Walsall and West Smethwick Park Pavilion in Sandwell, as well as having a variety of artists delivering creative workshops for our guests including Lino printing, Hapa Zome, Circus Skills, Air-Drying Clay, bird feeders and milk carton snowmen workshops. Thank you to Creative Active Lives, Deb Slade (Walsall Creative Factory), Becki Emmery, Hali Ray, Ruth Durrant, Ruth Conover (Creative Arts Project), Michelle McPherson (West Smethwick Park Pavilion), Ian Evans and Andy James (The Rock Centre) for their help in making our socials such great events and thank you to all of our guests and supporters who attended. It was wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed the events.
We’ll be having more socials next year so we hope to see you at one of them!
CBC exists to support more creativity to happen in the places where you live so if you’d like to talk to one of the team about getting involved then email info@creativeblackcountry.co.uk.
CBC is not a funding organisation but we do support communities to get projects off the ground and supporting ideas. We can do this through one of our strands of support (like Creative Connections) or by helping with fundraising ideas. The team have a wealth of experience and are really well-connected across the Black Country so always have ideas.
Join our mailing list if you’d like to know about future opportunities.