Arts Council

I attended a drop-in event on 18 July 2023 hosted by the Arts Council to promote their ‘Creative People and Places’ programme, a programme designed to help people take part in creative and cultural events specific to their local area and community and focused on parts of the country where involvement in creativity and culture is significantly below the national average. You can find out more about the programme here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/creative-people-and-places-0

Creative People and Places funds 8 projects across the Midlands. Creative Black Country (CBC) is the project that covers Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. You can find out more about their ongoing projects, access podcasts made by locals and discover local volunteering opportunities here:
https://www.creativeblackcountry.co.uk/

CBC work with the community in Walsall to explore and develop new creative projects and regularly work alongside local experienced creatives and specialists. I met Sajida Carr, Director of Operations and Development for Creative Black Country who told me about upcoming projects and events in Walsall. Over 2022, Creative Black Country worked with artist Jason Wilsher-Mills who was commissioned to produce the wonderful ‘Walsall Water Argonaut’, an inflatable 6.5m tall sculpture, that was co-designed with local disabled people, and floated on Walsall’s Arboretum Lake and The Wharf Canal Basin.

If you have an idea for a project you would like to discuss you can contact the Creative Advisor for Walsall, Richard Franks: [email protected]