A Creative West Midlands: Understanding the Creative Engagement of West Midlands’ Residents
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70% of West Midlands residents think they are creative people, and 50% want to do more to be creative – this is one of the many incredible findings we shared a few weeks ago at the launch of ‘A Creative West Midlands’. While we know there’s a lot of analysis to do, we now know that over three million people in the region want to do more to be creative. Join us on the 23rd September to:
Understand more about what ‘A Creative West Midlands’ can do for you, your work or your organisation
See the latest data on creative and cultural participation in the West Midlands
Get hands on with the new place profiler to understand creative and cultural participation across the region
Be inspired by how other places have used the research and data.
At this event we’ll be exploring what the data shows us, and thinking about why the region has the lowest levels of attendance at all types of creative events compared to all other regions. We’ll also be exploring how we can change this, based on the work we do as a sector and how we can better serve the people of the West Midlands.
Culture Central and the West Midlands Combined Authority worked with Indigo, Warwick Business School and Counting what Counts, supported by Arts Council England and the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund to deliver ‘A Creative West Midlands’. Our plan is to continue this work - as a baseline for the region to advocate for investment, growth and to create opportunities through culture, for the people and places of the region.
Contributors to keynote discussion on Why the West Midlands Needs Creativity:
Indy Hunjan, Cultural Consultant and Mentor
Indy Hunjan
Indy Hunjan is the Founder and Director of Kala Phool, an arts development agency with over 30 years of international and collaborative experience with an aim of supporting individuals and ideas to thrive. Having led on a number of leading diverse projects across corporate, arts, and heritage sectors, she has been able to cut through bureaucracy and blocks to ensure growth and sustainability of the work is rooted.
Indy is an experienced cultural consultant and mentors business leaders internationally. Her mentoring style is rooted in ‘restorative care practice’ where the person is at the centre of their time working on developing their one self.
Hayley Pepler, Head of Culture, Creative Industries and Digital Roadmap, West Midlands Combined Authority
Hayley Pepler
Hayley is responsible for driving the development of the West Midlands creative industries as Head of Culture, Creative Industries, and Digital Roadmap at the West Midlands Combined Authority. With a wealth of experience as an Executive Producer and Director, Hayley has been at the forefront of major cultural and digital projects, including leading digital strategy for Manchester International Festival and producing arts captures featuring Maxine Peake and Danny Boyle. She has worked with institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, creating high-impact, audience-focused content across multiple platforms.
Erica Love, CEO, Culture Central
Erica Love
I have worked in the region’s cultural sector for 18 years, on transformative programmes, leading both Creative Partnerships, Creative People and Places in Stoke on Trent as Director of Partners in Creative Learning.
I joined Culture Central in December 2019 and during that time have led it through a period of significant change, transforming the organisation into an inclusive and democratic space to ensure the visibility and viability of the region’s cultural ecology through the pandemic.
I believe in the power of creativity and Culture and am looking forward to leading Culture Central at both an exciting and challenging time for the sector and the West Midlands.
A cultural experience that sticks with me most is Bianco, by No Fit State Circus, in a park in Hanley Stoke on Trent in 2013 as part of Appetite. Not only was it a stunning performance but seeing people who never normally have the opportunity to see a show like that, stood opened mouthed in wonderous awe - this will stay with me always.