Celebrating the unique people and stories of Wednesbury

Communities in Wednesbury are invited to take part in a series of exciting creative activities to celebrate the people and stories that make the town unique.

Multistory – a community arts organisation based in West Bromwich – will be organising exciting arts projects, artist commissions, workshops, talks and events in libraries, community centres and indoor and outdoor public spaces throughout the town until early 2024. These are part of ‘We are Wednesbury’, a cultural, community engaged programme that is being developed with, and for, local residents, communities and artists.

Multistory has launched the new programme with ‘Wednesbury Through the Lens’ – a new photography competition for the town that is now open to everyone of all ages. You are invited to send in photographs that you have taken of your favourite people, places, food, building – anything that you think makes Wednesbury unique and interesting. No prior photography experience is necessary, and you can use your camera phone or digital and film cameras.

The deadline is 10 January 2022 at 9am; please send your photographs to tekkinpix@gmail.com

Four poets will take up residency on 2, 7, 8 and 9 December, in four independent businesses that are a vital part of the local community, so please go and have a chat to help them create their poems. The businesses are:

• Vintage Tea Room & Café;
• Boobielous;
• Blue Sheep Books; and
• Junction 9 ¾ Café.

There will be free live performances by the poets on Friday, 17 December.

Tom Hicks, aka Black Country Type, will conduct a photo-walk around Wednesbury town centre, followed by a talk about his work.

In January 2022, artist duo Hipkiss & Graney will run a series of free textile workshops, as part of their project ‘Market’, to explore with Wednesbury residents the town's stories and histories. The work will be shared at a community-led celebration of the refurbished Wednesbury Clock Tower in early 2022.

Over the next four months there will be plenty of other activities, including Market Place events and a project that celebrates the diverse languages, cultures and dialects of Wednesbury. During each year of the project there will also be a Hi-Street Community Newspaper and eight young citizen journalists, aged 18-25, will be invited to write pieces that shares stories from the high street.

Multistory produce creative projects that tell stories of everyday life, using the power of art to reflect the times we live in and tell stories to bring people together. In 2019, Multistory produced Blast!, a six-week festival of photography, talks and walks for Sandwell’s six distinct towns.

Councillor Iqbal Padda, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and growth, said: “Wednesbury has a rich legacy of heritage and culture, and Multistory’s programme will celebrate these aspects of the town and encourage local people to get involved.”

Councillor Maria Crompton, deputy leader, said: “By working with local people to create community-based activities, Wednesbury HSHAZ and Multistory will add to the vibrancy of the town, showcasing local talent in an engaging and inspiring programme.”

To get involved in the programme, please email wearewednesbury@multistory.org.uk to find out more.

We are Wednesbury is part of the Wednesbury High Street Heritage Action Zone, funded by Sandwell Council and Historic England.

The Wednesbury HSHAZ project is part of Sandwell Council's commitment, in partnership with Historic England, to help the borough’s struggling high streets and to highlight the historic significance of the area. The heritage-led regeneration scheme runs until March 2024.

The HSHAZ is a £95 million government-funded programme led by Historic England, designed to secure lasting improvements and help breathe new life into our historic high streets for the communities and businesses that use them. Historic England is working with local people and partners to unlock the rich heritage on these high streets, through repair and improvement works as well as arts and cultural programmes, making them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors.

Historic England is the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops. It protects, champions and saves the places that define who we are and where we’ve come from as a nation. Historic England cares passionately about the stories these places tell, the ideas they represent and the people who live, work and play among them. Working with communities and specialists it shares its passion, knowledge and skills to inspire interest, care and conservation, so everyone can keep enjoying and looking after the history that surrounds us all.