As part of the Culture Volunteer project, we are launching the Culture Volunteer Knowledge Sharing Network.

Culture Volunteer West Midlands (a regional volunteering programme for volunteers in the arts and culture sector) are recruiting 16 people across the region, to be trained as Volunteer Access champions.

Culture Central is working in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust, Creative Black Country, Stoke Creates and Open Theatre to deliver regional and place-based, volunteering and development opportunities.

We wanted to understand more about the actual day-to-day experiences of freelancers working in the West Midlands, and we’ve partnered with the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies at the University of Warwick to ask freelancers ‘What do you do all day’?

Are you a Creative City Grantee looking to take your arts and cultural practice to the next level? Are you interested in building sustainable partnerships, expanding your reach and mastering fundraising skills?

Culture Central have today launched a brand new membership scheme, which gives everyone working in arts and culture in the West Midlands, an opportunity to be part of the collective voice of the cultural sector in the region, and enjoy a range of member benefits.

Whether you would like to join as an Individual or an Organisation, there is a membership option for everyone.

Over 160 community organisations, including Culture Central, are set to support 7,800 new volunteering opportunities over the next two years, as the Government has confirmed the beneficiaries of a £4.6 million fund that will level up access to the benefits of volunteering across the country.

Culture Central, Birmingham 2022, Coventry City of Culture, and the West Midlands Combined Authority  recently invited strategic leaders and partners from across the region to discuss how the findings from the recent West Midlands Cultural Sector Research Project impact on the future of creativity and culture in the West Midlands.

As lockdown restrictions once again begin to shift in England, we wanted to take some time to reflect on what we have achieved so far as a collective, and think about what we’ve learnt about working together.