New exhibition ‘Paperpulp’ showcases artist’s mixed media work at Lighthouse

 

A new exhibition has opened at Light House’s Balcony Gallery in Wolverhampton’s iconic Chubb Buildings. ‘Paperpulp’, by Ghislaine Harrison, highlights the development of the artist’s work as she explores light and shade through combinations of different media and techniques, with pulped paper, embroidery and patchwork coming to together to form intriguing and beautiful artworks.

Ghislaine, a University of Wolverhampton alumna who alongside her creative practice has also worked in arts education, will be holding ‘meet the artist’ sessions where members of the public are invited to view the exhibition and take the opportunity to discuss it directly with the artist herself.  These will be taking place on Thursday 8^th September at 3pm and Thursday 15^th September at 5pm.

Light House CEO Kelly Jeffs says of the exhibition,

‘We love showcasing artist’s work here at Light House, and it’s been a pleasure to work with Ghislaine and to see the exhibition develop as it was installed. The work is stunning to see in person so you can appreciate the textures and details in each piece. The exhibition really brings to life the beautiful space that is our Balcony Gallery. We’d also like to thank Paul Kitterick, Cory McClane and Margot McClane for their technical and curatorial assistance installing this show.’

Ghislaine’s exhibition runs until the end of September and can be viewed between 2pm and 8pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Have your say on the future of arts and cultural provision in Worcester

Worcester residents are invited to have their say on a blueprint that will shape the city’s arts and cultural provision for the next five years.

Worcester City Council is seeking feedback on its draft Arts and Culture Strategy to ensure it represents the wide variety of cultural activities in the city, and people are being encouraged to give their views at www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit.

Worcester has a well-established cultural scene, both amateur and professional, and it already hosts hundreds of events each year, from small community initiatives to major festivals that attract thousands of visitors to the city and provide a valuable boost to the economy and national profile of Worcester.

Arts and cultural activity is important as it brings communities together, contributes to jobs and prosperity, attracts visitors, and supports health and wellbeing. Many arts organisations in Worcester are key employers.

Performance venues, museums, galleries, historic buildings, libraries, and public art are core parts of the unique picture of Worcester as a home, tourist destination, and business base. The wide range of galleries, shops and studios that host, display and sell visual and applied arts provide both social and economic benefits to the city.

The aim of the strategy is to support and develop arts and culture in the city, and to set out how the City Council will secure and invest funding, and work in partnership with local organisations.

Councillor Robyn Norfolk, vice chair of the Place & Economic Development committee, said: “I would urge residents to read the draft Arts and Culture Strategy and to have their say on what happens next at www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit. We’re looking forward to working with residents, cultural partners, and other stakeholders to make sure that Worcester is a city with creativity at its heart.”

From festivals to theatre, from dance to music - there is already a wealth of activity taking place all over the city, led by a vibrant mix of volunteer-led and professional organisations. Events range from the Elgar Festival to the popular Light Nights, while a range of exhibition spaces include the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, the Museum of Royal Worcester, the Bevere Art Gallery, Yew Tree Artist Studios and the new opportunities provided at The Arches – Worcester.

Worcester is currently undergoing a significant period of change and regeneration, having benefited from almost £40m of Government funding in recent years. This money is enabling improvements to heritage buildings and the repurposing of many public spaces and buildings, and the draft Arts and Culture Strategy looks at how this can be a platform to showcase the city on a national and global stage.

The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 30 September. To have your say, go to  www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit

Celebrate Sandwell's heritage

National Heritage Open Days start on Friday 9 September and run until Sunday 18 September.

Members of the public get the chance to enjoy and explore heritage for FREE with events, peeps behind the scenes, talks, walks and open days.

Discover the ironmongers of the 1600s from Oak House. Explore some of the weird and wonderful objects in our museum collection. Enjoy a talk about the history of Bromwich Hall (Manor House) and visit our fantastic medieval encampment with loads of great activities for all ages.

Celebrate 100 years of Haden Hill Park with live music and entertainment, explore the attics at Haden Hill House and the cellars of the Old Hall. Discover the little known story of Bishop Asbury, explore life on the canals at Galton Valley and enjoy a tour of parts of Chance Glassworks.

Details about individual events and activities in Sandwell

An exhibition of stories of the Pandemic through Photography and Quilting

 

Come along to our free exhibition to view people’s stories of living through the pandemic in Dudley borough. We have worked with clients from Queen’s Cross Network to put together a personal photographic account of their experiences. At the same time Dudley residents and groups were asked to quilt a square depicting their stories of Covid-19; these have now been made into a wall hanging. The project has been commissioned to ensure that people’s lived experiences of Covid-19 contribute to our learning from the pandemic and inform our future working practices and priorities and will be fed in to the borough’s new health and wellbeing strategy.

The exhibition can be viewed at: Stourbridge Library Monday 15 August to Friday 2 September Beacon Centre Café Wednesday 7 September to Wednesday 28 September Halesowen Library Monday 3 October to Monday 24 October Library opening times.

Download the exhibition leaflet

Meet Sandwell's BOSTIN PEOPLE

 

Celebrating Sandwell and its Bostin People

📢 We're so proud to be telling the stories of all of these Bostin People who are helping us to celebrate Sandwell

Meet Karnell, Haseebah, Sadeh, Dave, Brian, Parmjit, Amy, Marcus and Mollie... you'll be seeing them all around Sandwell on our billboards!

⭐ They're all incredible people. And they're not the only Bostin People and Bostin Places we have to be proud of in Sandwell.

❤ Check out their stories on the Celebrate Sandwell website

International Festival of Glass - 2 days left!

 Friday 26 -  Monday 29 August

The International Festival of Glass will take place across Stourbridge Glass Quarter 

'Expanding Horizons' showcases East Asian influences and celebrates the UN International Year of Glass.

 Expect four days of dynamic and dazzling glassmaking, family friendly events, street entertainment, lots of free activities and have a go workshops. 

There is a free shuttle bus between the venues.

Cherry Blossom Tea Light Holder Friday 26: 10am - 6pm Hour long fusing sessions suitable for ages 8+  £8.25.  Book: 01384 812750   Blowfish Glass Friday 26: 10am - 4pm Saturday 27: 10am - 4pm: Glassblowing demonstrations by our newest residents, Elliot and Beth.

Meet the artist Saturday 27 11am - 4pm. Visit our small exhibition showcasing the work of local artist Keith Turley.  Keith will be in attendance working on a new project and can answer any questions you have. Other paintings from the collection depicting glass artists at work will also be on show alongside glassblowing tools and equipment. Free. Drop in.   Hard hat tours Friday 26: 11am, 2.30pm, 4.30pm, 6.30pm Saturday 27: 12, 1.30pm, 3pm Sunday 28: 11.30am, 1pm Monday 29: 11am, 1.30pm Hard hat tours inside the cone.  Free To book call:01384 812750 or pop into Reception.

Crafts at The Cone Sunday 28 & Monday 29: 11 - 12.30 Drop in themed family crafts. £4   Celebrating Stuart Crystal Sunday 28: 1pm & 3pm Hour long talk by author Dr Eleanor Feldman about her new book on Stuart Crystal. This is a FREE talk. Book: 01384 812750

Volunteering Come along and speak to our Volunteer Co-ordinator and volunteers to see how you could help us  with our Industrial Collection.   Haybridge High School Arts Award Exhibition in our Courtyard Gallery showcasing the talented work of Year 10 young people who completed their Bronze Arts Award.

  

Wolverhampton Centre offers a new Oasis for the city’s young people in care

 

The City of Wolverhampton’s Council new Oasis Co-Production Hub, for children and young people who are in or leaving care, was officially opened yesterday (Wednesday 24 August, 2022).

The Oasis, on Willenhall Road, is the main base for the city’s House Project, a partnership between the council, Wolverhampton Homes, the National House Project and commercial partner Reconomy which supports young care leavers make the transition to independent living...continue reading

Cazoo Grand Slam Darts returns to Wolverhampton!

The darts are returning to Wolverhampton this November! Experience the iconic Grand Slam where sport's biggest party will be back with all of the top names in the sport.

This year’s Cazoo Grand Slam will take place at Aldersley Leisure Village from 12 to 20 November and tickets are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here. 

 

One week to go until Godiva Festival Just one week left now until we're back in War Memorial Park for Godiva Festival 2022.  Not long remains until we venture into the park for three days of fantastic music and family fun. With big name artists, local bands and family activities, this year's festival promises to have something for everyone.  Tickets for the festival are still available but are moving fast. Day tickets start at £6 and you can get an adult weekend pass for just £25.  Get your tickets now Set times Set times for this year's star studded line-up are now on our website! With over 80 artists across multiple stages there's lots going on at Godiva this year.  Check out the full line-up Get a closer look at the festival site Heading to War Memorial Park next week? Get acquainted with this year's site by checking our the site map which is now live on our website.  Check out the map Line-up spotlight: Brutus Gold's Love Train Dig out your platform shoes and get ready to dive straight into the heart of '70s disco with this incredible live stage show.  Headlined by the charismatic Brutus Gold, this disco experience is the perfect excuse to dress up, get down and have fun.  Expect an A-Z of classics, cheese and funky stuff all designed to capture that disco vibe. Brutus Gold's Love Train rolls onto the Serendipity Stage in Godiva Festival's Family Field on Saturday 3 September.  It joins a loaded family field line-up which, across the weekend, includes everything from live performances from noted children's entertainer Nick Cope to life-sized versions of classic video games.  Tell me more about the family field Win tickets to Godiva! We're giving away a Godiva Festival family weekend pass via our Godiva Facebook page! Entering the competition is really simple. Just head over to our Facebook page to find out more.  Win tickets to Godiva

Volunteer wanted to support Dance to Health at Wyndley Leisure Centre, Sutton Coldfield

Activity Volunteer – Dance to Health

Focus Birmingham is looking for a Dance Group Activity volunteer.

Our range of group and activities are growing, building on the invaluable social opportunities we offer to those with visual impairments.  We are looking to expand our dedicated team of volunteers to support a range of groups and activities.

Role Tasks and Skills required:

-        Providing help to individuals attending and staff

-        Support those attending to make connections and    social interactions

-        Acting as a sighted guide, push wheelchair if needed – training is provided

-        To undertake any other training relevant to this role

-        A commitment to the aims and values of Focus Birmingham

-        Great communicator

-        Willing to get stuck into a variety of activities

-        Friendly and welcoming

-        Flexibility and reliability

Location

At Wyndley Leisure Centre, Sutton Coldfield each Tuesday from 6^th September, 10.30 – 12.30

Training

-        Focus Core Training elearning training

-        Any additional relevant training to enable you to undertake the role

Further information

For more information about this role or if you would like to apply, please contact the Volunteer Co-ordinator on:  07734373408, email:  volcoord@focusbirmingham.org.uk