West Midlands Culture Response Unit 2025-26

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 2025-26, WMCRU meetings will explore 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 arts education and workforce strategy, and industry policy for the sector. WMCRU sessions are planned in partnership with our members and sector with focus on emerging themes and priorities.

Dates and themes

Next session:

9th December 25 - Empowering Creative Futures: A New Guide for Capacity Building in Non-Urban Areas, Professor Lidia Varbanova

Join Professor Lidia Varbanova to hear the latest European research on developing the cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas. This session will be of interest to those working in and supporting the development of culture and creativity in the non-urban areas of the West Mildands region. Sign up here.

Future sessions:

13th January 26 - Visitor Levy: What does it mean and how could the region benefit? 

Culture Central will be coordinating a collective sector response to the visitor levy consultation starting with our WMCRU session on 13th January 2026. We will hear from Claire McColgan, CBE, Director Culture Liverpool and Associate Director Liverpool City Region, and Jane Morgan, Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership, about how the visitor levy will benefit Liverpool and discuss its impact on our region. 

Sign up for sessions here.

Previous sessions:

8th April 25 - Arts Education at a Crossroads: Challenges, Opportunities, and Action, Susan M Coles, Arts Creativity Educational Consultant

Just what is happening or not happening in terms of Arts policy within education? What is the 'day in a life' of a school teacher like in 2025 ? Why should we believe in the 'Wisdom of Crowds?' in an interconnected world?  This session was led by Susan M Coles, Arts Creativity Educational Consultant. Watch the recording here.

13th May 25 - Global Trends Shaping Our Future, Mike Clemence, Engagement Manager IPSOS UK

How are global trends shaping the present – and future – of people in Britain? Mike Clemence from Ipsos Strategy3 reflects on how the first quarter of the 21st century has changed UK society, identifying the key tensions that have emerged over that time. Using data from Ipsos Global Trends and other sources he presented current public opinion on a range of topics, from nostalgia to the manosphere, highlighting areas of consensus and disagreement. He also focused on where we practice optimism in a turbulent present and the role the arts can play in helping us to find it. Watch the recording here.

10th June 25 – The West Midlands Cultural Workforce, Dr Mark Taylor, University of Sheffield

Dr Mark Taylor presented his research findings from Culture Central’s commissioned West Midlands Cultural Workforce Strategy Data. He looked at where and who makes up our workforce and considered how that impacts the sector and those who work in it and the future. Watch the recording here.

8th July 25 – What does the Spending review mean for Culture, Professor Rebecca Riley, University of Birmingham

Following on from Rebecca’s insightful WMCRU session on the Budget in October, Rebecca unpicked the impact of the Spending Review on the culture sector and the West Midlands - the good, the bad and the uncertain. Watch the recording here.

12th August 25 – Summer Networking with CEO Erica Love, Culture Central

9th September 25 – The National Centre for Arts and Music Education - What do we know? Rob Elkington, Director of Arts Connect, Trustee of Cultural Learning Alliance

This session provided a briefing on the National Centre for Arts and Music Education announced by DfE in March. We covered what we know about it so far, how it complements DfE policy in the arts in schools, what it might mean for arts and cultural organisations, and what to prepare for when it starts operations next spring. Watch the recording here.

14th October 25 - Culture in Libraries – how do we better connect and collaborate? Lucy Carlton-Walker, Creative Director, Warwickshire Libraries

In this session, Lucy Carlton-Walker, Creative Director for Warwickshire Libraries with colleagues from Solihull and Staffordshire library services shares how library services operate, what actitivites they deliver, and how to develop and build partnerships between cultural organisations, artists and library services. Watch the recording here.

11th November 25 - Co-desigining a Workforce Strategy, Julie Temperley, Senior Associate, Innovation Unit

Julie Temperley, Senior Associate at Innovation Unit, joined us for our November WMCRU meeting to share the journey we have been on to co-design a workforce strategy for the cultural sector in the West Midlands. Watch the recording here.

See 2023-2025 sessions here.

Getting involved

These meetings take place online at 9:30-10:30am on the second Tuesday of every month. Please fill out the form here to register for the sessions.

We aim to facilitate and accommodate all accessibility needs.  Please email info@culturecentral.co.uk let us know 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.