It’s that time of year where we breathe out, sit back and reflect on the year gone by. Here are some of our best bits. 1) We started the year with Liz Hingley’s exhibition ‘Home Made in Smethwick’ touring to six Sandwell libraries from January to June 2017. Joined by Liz and many project participants, […]

It was a wonderful day yesterday at our very own Gardeners’ Question Time at Central Library, West Bromwich. Alys Fowler (British horticulturist and journalist) and Susie Parr (writer, researcher & amateur beekeeper) lead the panel along with local allotment holders’ Alison and Alan, and Helen, a cottage garden owner. A huge thank you to everyone that […]

Join us for a special film screening of Teddy Gray’s Sweet Factory in memory of Edward Gray (1936-2017).  There will be a blind sweet tasting, a vintage sweet cart and a quiz. Magnum photographer, Martin Parr returns to using a film camera in this wonderfully engaging documentary about Teddy Gray’s sweet factory in Dudley in […]

1. Meeting the Magnum photographers commissioned for Open for Business at the launch event. From left to right: David Hurn, Stuart Franklin, Jonas Bendiksen, Jo Quinton Tulloch, Mark Power and Peter Marlow. National Media Museum, Bradford. January, 2014.  2. Hosting a visit from Magnum Photographer, Bruce Gilden and his assistant,  Jonathan Auch. W.H Marren, Willenhall. April […]

For the past couple of years, it has been my job to collect and record stories from the wonderful people who live and work in the Black Country. But this autumn, I’ve handed over the baton to a group of 10 year olds in a Stourbridge school. And judging by how good they are, I’ll […]

Martin Parr travelled to Paris Photo in November and took along some copies of Black Country Women magazine. Held annually, this year’s art fair took place at the Grand Palais, in the 8th arrondissement. It is the world’s leading event dedicated to still images and brings together international photographers, galleries and publishers. We hope the Parisians enjoyed our […]

Over the past few weeks I have been listening back to the ‘Black Country Stories’ that I’ve recorded during the last six months. The stories are the personal memories and experiences of a wide range of people, who were photographed by Martin Parr earlier this year. And these people are as diverse as they are […]

Where We Dream is featured in a conversation on episode 3 of Chris Goode & Company’s Thompson’s Live podcast. Joining Chris for this recording at Stoke Newington International Airport were: Phelim McDermott, co-artistic director of Improbable Rajni Shah, performance maker John Hall, poet; Professor of Performance Writing, University College Falmouth The panel were asked to […]