This year we’ve got plenty to look forward to with Blast! A festival of photography, talks and walks taking place across Sandwell between the 24th May – 29th June 2019, along with some exciting projects and commissions from Multistory’s ongoing cultural programme.
Later this month, we’ll be hosting the big unveiling of portraits by visual artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood at West Bromwich Town Hall, as part of her project The Women’s Honour Award, which celebrates the incredible and often unrecognised work carried out by women who live and work in Sandwell. The three winners, chosen by our judging panel of local women, will join us alongside their family and friends and other amazing women who were nominated for the celebration event.
Our next touring exhibition to visit local libraries and community centres is Sandwell Stories – an audio project where we record the everyday experiences, ideas and stories of local people to create a bi-monthly podcast. The installation will give the public access to the recordings, as well as images by photographer Emma Case, where they will get the chance to explore West Bromwich Indoor Market, Town Hall and the Black Country through the perspective of the people who work and live there.
Over the summer, our first ever arts festival BLAST! will be played out across the streets, shops, libraries and community halls of Sandwell. The festival will focus on each of Sandwell’s six distinct towns: Oldbury, Wednesbury, West Bromwich, Rowley Regis, Smethwick and Tipton. Over 40 artists based nationally and internationally have been commissioned to make new work alongside Sandwell communities for Blast Festival, work that will be exhibited in new and exciting ways across the region. Public space, community venues, pop-up sites, print, broadcasting and online platforms will all play a role in connecting the work of exceptional artists with local people. UK and International artists making new work include: Billy Dosanjh, The Caravan Gallery, Dawinder Bansal, Erik Kessels, Jon Tonks, Laura Pannack, Niall McDiarmid and Rob Clayton. Regional artists commissioned as part of the Forge programme include Anand Chabra, Andrew Jackson, Bethany Kane, Faye Claridge, Kate Jackson, Mark Murphy, Nilupa Yasmin, Rob Hewitt, Sound Kitchen, Stephen Burke, Trevor Pitt and Vicky Roden. Join us for the opening festival weekend on Fri 24th to Saturday 25th May 2019, for exhibitions, events, a special feast and a bit of a shindig.
You can sign up to the newsletter here for all the events and opportunities coming up. There’s also lots of exciting volunteering opportunities – if you’re interested please contact Richard ([email protected]).