Creative Black Country secures a 3-year £247,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support new, community heritage projects in Walsall that will include a number of grant opportunities for artists and community groups to apply for that celebrates Walsall's diverse heritage.
We are excited to announce 'Making Our Mark,' a new project supported by a £247,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by National Lottery players. Over the next three years the project will celebrate Walsall’s diverse communities and uncover their rich heritage, supporting local groups to share unique stories and contribute to Walsall’s cultural history.
'Making Our Mark' will follow CBC’s successful ‘Creative Communities’ model to create new projects that share untold stories, while developing skills that aim to support Walsall’s thriving heritage. CBC will be inviting community members, heritage enthusiasts, and local creatives to join in this journey of discovery and celebration.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
Community groups will get the opportunity to be inspired and explore different experiences as part of a ‘Go and See’ programme with small grants available to support initial activities that include visiting heritage sites, meeting heritage experts, and participating in workshops.
As groups gain confidence they will be encouraged to lead their own heritage projects receiving further grants and training in project planning, fundraising, community engagement, digital skills, and storytelling.
With this added skillset it is hoped that groups will feel ready to share their heritage stories on a larger scale encouraging sustainable practices and collaboration. Training will help them reach wider audiences through digital platforms and creative documentation.
Creative Director of CBC, Parminder Dosanjh comments: “We hope that the power of Making Our Mark will lie in the new stories that will be discovered through communities taking the lead. The projects could explore themes such as place, migration and evolved subcultures in Walsall.
We think it is really important that we collect, preserve and profile heritage stories rooted in communities so that they can help us connect and feel inspired about what a Walsall of the future might look like. We are grateful to the Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for making this project possible.”
'Making Our Mark' will also invite local creatives to propose projects that explore shared heritage themes. Up to £8,000 will be available for selected projects, including a digital project in partnership with THE SPACE.
Further details on how communities can get involved will be available soon.
