A collective and a collective voice:
Speaking with and for all sizes of organisations, both commercial and subsidised, individuals and freelancers who work in the sector, across all forms of arts, culture and heritage.
As a collective, we work across the West Midlands region, from rural, towns, cities and urban centres (including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire).
Inclusivity & Collaboration:
Everyone is invited, welcomed, with positive action to ensure representation, equity and access so the sector is a place for all to thrive. We work to promote genuine partnerships and collaborations across and beyond the cultural sector and region.
Transparency & Authenticity:
We will be open with our communication and information and listen carefully and thoughtfully to all voices. We work to develop and support the cultural sector as a whole as a supporter, not a producer, of artistic work. Everything we do is for this purpose.
Cultural Innovation:
Supporting cultural change, recovery, resilience and innovation of the sector through research, thought leadership and cross sector work through new and unusual partnerships.
Capacity Building:
Identifying national and international opportunities and priorities, and bringing together the collective power of the region's cultural offer to capitalise on them. Through collectively sharing practice, information and resources we advocate for developing a quality, varied and sustainable cultural offer for people in the West Midlands and beyond.
Equity & Opportunity:
Making the work of the cultural sector visible, democratic and open through intersectional approaches that foreground the people and the places of the West Midlands. Creating spaces for people to have challenging conversations about the changes we need to see in the sector and society.
Placemaking:
Highlighting the role that culture has in supporting and growing communities across the towns, cities, urban centres and rural environments of the West Midlands. Ensuring that culture is foregrounded alongside regeneration, development, and sustainable growth.
Advocacy, Connection & Ecology:
Leveraging existing assets, sharing knowledge and creating the environments to connect freelancers, artists, leaders, organisations and partners at local, regional and national levels. Being a powerful voice and critical friend for culture and creativity in the West Midlands.
If you would like to learn more about joining Culture Central as a member, please visit the Join Us page on our website.
Transforming Narratives is a three year project which aims to establish Birmingham as a leading international centre for contemporary South Asian arts practice, presenting multi-art forms through an artistic exchange programme, for the mutual benefit of Birmingham and cities in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
This initiative is working to deliver a step-change in the cultural relationships and to focus on the reciprocal exchange of contemporary cultural practices between these countries and the UK.
These are:
- Artistic programme
- Cultural leadership development
- Audience development and engagement with a strong focus on diversity
- Archiving culturally diverse work produced by minority ethnic artists
- Critical exchange and dialogue /Reflections on practice and intercultural relations
Birmingham’s arts festival | October 2019
In October 2019, Birmingham Weekender set up home in Birmingham’s creative quarter, where we showcased the area’s thriving independent arts scene.
Visitors enjoyed a packed weekend of events including dance, music, art, performance, hands-on workshops, parties, street arts and more. The weekend included fun for all the family, with some of the city’s leading artists and arts organisations.
As ever, it was all FREE.
Produced by Culture Central | Funded by Birmingham City Council & Arts Council England
Programme Partner: Dance Hub Birmingham | Media partner: What’s On Live
Culture Central has been working with Birmingham City Council to establish a “Cultural Compact” for the city.
The Birmingham Cultural Compact seeks to co-create and co-deliver a holistic vision for culture in Birmingham. Our vision is part of a step change in the sustainability and contribution of culture to the life of the city. It will link the cultural sector to broader aspirations and priorities for Birmingham and secure partnerships between the cultural sector and other sectors.
To find out more please see the draft terms of reference or contact info@culturecentral.co.uk.
You may also be interested to read the Birmingham Cultural Investment Enquiry, which is referred to within the draft terms of reference.
