West Midlands Culture Response Unit 2023-25
Set up during COVID, our regular West Midlands Culture Response Unit (WMCRU) meetings were a vital lifeline for the sector in connecting, sharing and getting practical information and advice.
WMCRU has continued to be a useful space for organisations and individuals that Culture Central continues to support as a collective and collaborative space for all those that are interested in the cultural ecology of the region.
In 2023-25, WMCRU meetings explored key strategic challenges and opportunities that affect the sector and the region. The sessions are aimed at those leading strategic activity in their organisations or networks. It is a place where we can all come together no matter size, scale or art form to collectively share, learn and support.
We’ve been working with members, and the WMCRU to plan and deliver our programme, with topics including Martyn’s Law, environmental responsibility and political advocacy for the sector.
Full list of dates and themes:
11th July 23 – Public Health and Cost of Living Crisis Update
Dr Justin Varney, Director of Public Health, Birmingham City Council.
8th August 23 – Culture Central Updates & Summer Networking
Relaxed meeting due to summer, Culture Central team updates and activity.
12th September 23 – Radical Listening Feedback – Moving towards a more equitable sector for all.
Charlene Carter-James (Culture Central), Elizabeth Lawal (More Than A Moment) and others, presented their reflections on a series of radical listening sessions for those that have traditionally been underserved by the cultural sector.
10th October 23 – Environmental Responsibility
Hear from guest speakers to understand strategic and practical approaches to environmental responsibility in the cultural sector.
14th November 23 – Politics and Culture
How as a sector do we engage and advocate with local, regional and national politicians ahead of local, mayoral and national elections?
12th December 23 – Martyn’s Law
'Martyn's Law' will place a requirement on those responsible for certain venues to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures. Hear from an expert in implementing measures with time to share practice.
9th January 24 – Towards a more accessible sector
Hear from some of our recently trained access champions taking part in the Culture Volunteer programme on their learning and approaches to access.
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14th May 24 - Advocacy Toolkits with We Made That
The first session in this year's WMCRU series was delivered by We Made That, who we have been working with on a series of advocacy toolkits, which focus on some specific cross-sector collaboration and advocacy. Watch it back here.
11th June 24 - Britain Votes: What’s About to Happen to Culture?
What do we already know about the future for arts, heritage and culture in the UK after the general election? Long-time political observer and ex-public affairs advisor turned arts strategy and data consultant Robin Cantrill-Fenwick reflects on the election to date. Watch it back here.
9th July 24 – Resource Launch: Making Culture More Accessible
Following on from the January 2024 WMCRU session, Richard Hayhow, CEO and Company Director of Open Theatre joined us alongside the Open Theatre team to share the practical resources created through the Culture Volunteer WM Access Champion programme. In this session we delved into the resources and continued the discussion on how collectively we can create a sector that is truly accessible for everyone. Watch it back here.
13th August 24 – Culture Central Updates & Summer Networking
Relaxed meeting due to summer, Culture Central team updates and activity.
10th September 24 - Creative Practice and People-Led Change
Our September WMCRU session was led by Rebecca Davies, Co-Director and Co-Founder of The Portland Inn Project CIC (PIP) based in Stoke-on-Trent. PIP is a creative arts organisation with an aim to achieve community cohesion, economic, social and cultural development by involving the community in the development of a pioneering community space, cultural hub and social enterprise. This CRU session provided a deep dive into the values and principles, practice and partnerships of an organisation cited as an exemplar project of people led change. Watch it back here.
8th October 24 - Passions, (I)Property, Pounds
Most people join the creative and cultural industries for love. Love of film. Love of history. Love of storytelling. And most don’t earn what they could. Partly industry endemic, partly lack of understanding how inventive harnessing of the IP they create could provide incomes they only dream of. In Passions, (I)Property, Pounds, IP game-changer Erica Wolfe-Murray raced us through new ways to look at IP and how it can change what you offer, own, earn.
12th November 24 - Budget 2024: what does it mean for the region and those working in the cultural sector?
Following the autumn budget announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the first Labour budget in 14 years, we took a deep dive with Professor Rebecca Riley, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Regional Engagement at the University of Birmingham and Co-Director for City-REDI, and explored the potential impacts. Watch it back here.
10th December 24 - Creative People and Places: Best Practice from Across the Region
Explore the key principles embedded in three different organisations in terms of co-creation and community-led decision making for culture. For those considering running Creative People and Places and Place Partnership programmes our guest speakers - Dr Richard Bromhall, Director of Reimagine Redditch, Sarah Bird, Director of Outside, Gemma Thomas, Director of Appetite - highlight some of the priorities they think you may want to consider. Watch it back here.
11th March 25 - Cultural & Creative Placemaking: Envisioning the Future
Dr Cara Courage and Dr Nicola Headlam led a discussion about the latest policy and practice in cultural and creative placemaking, and explored how devolution and local decision making will have an impact on these areas. Watch it back here.
Getting involved
These meetings take place online at 9:30-10:30 am on the second Tuesday of every month. Please email info@culturecentral.co.uk for the link.
We aim to facilitate and accommodate all accessibility needs. Please do let us know below if you have any specific questions, needs or comments and we will do our best to meet them.
Header Image: Audience in The Rep’s foyer. Graeme Braidwood.