Creative Communities special series - PART 01: WALSALL
We are celebrating our Creative Communities strand of work with a series of blog posts and podcasts that we are releasing every Wednesday throughout September.
Creative Communities is one of CBCs most popular rolling projects. It allows folks from all over the Black Country (which we class as Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell boroughs) to have a go at a brand new creative activity.
It could be a group of neighbours eager to explore a new skill in a pottery workshop, a craft group secretly interested in trying poetry, or carers who’d love to organise a ‘go and see’ trip to the local theatre.
GET INSPIRED
Project name: Wild Canvas
Group: Reach for a Star C.I.C.
Dates: October - November 2023
Location: Cannock Chase & George Rose Park Lodge
Reach For A Star is a Community Interest Company based in Walsall. Their mission is: “to enable individuals and organisations to go through transformations and positively influence the lives of everyone they have interactions with”.
With the support of Rich, the Creative Advisor for Walsall, Sylwia, who is founder of Reach For A Star, came up with a fantastic idea for a Creative Communities micro-project. Sylwia put together an expression of interest for Creative Communities which was successful. This meant that the group were awarded seed money to make The Wild Canvas project a reality.
THE AIM OF THE PROJECT
The aim was to bring families together to strengthen their relationships through shared activities which focused on nature and art. The first part of this was a group visit to Cannock Chase for a hiking experience. Families met in Darlaston and transport was provided to take them to and from the Chase. This trip aimed to foster family connections, ignite creativity, and nurture a love for nature, while also promoting outdoor exploration and physical activity.
The second phase of the project invited the families to use their experiences of the trip and keepsakes gathered in Cannock Chase on their day out to produce something creative. The creative items that were made went on to be displayed in an exhibition in January 2024 at Darlaston Library.
A Wild Canvas participant told us that:
“The event was really good. It provided us with the opportunity to spend time as a family and create beautiful art.”
Rich, CBCs Creative Advisor for Walsall, who supported Reach For A Star throughout the project was full of praise for the group sharing that:
“The Wild Canvas Project brought families together from across the Black Country, combining a visit to an area of outstanding natural beauty with creative activities that all ages could enjoy. The project helped families to see, appreciate, experience, and respond creatively to the beauty of nature on their doorstep.”
If you feel inspired by what you have read or heard and have an idea (or seeds of an idea) for a co-created project in your community get in touch with the Creative Adviser in your area.
Dudley - Laura@creativeblackcountry.co.uk
Sandwell - Richard@creativeblackcountry.co.uk
Walsall - Richard@creativeblackcountry.co.uk
Wolverhampton - Nelson@creativeblackcountry.co.uk