Black Country Digital Firsts: IntroduCing Sarah Ann Cromwell
This profile is part of our Meet the Next Cohort series which introduces the artists and collectives selected for the second round of Black Country Digital Firsts. Each participant is exploring bold digital ideas that push creative boundaries and expand access to culture in the region.
Sarah Ann Cromwell + Freya Shaw
Introducing: Sarah Ann Cromwell
Sarah Ann Cromwell is an award winning operatic comedian, trained audio describer, BOM Unreal Engine Bootcamp alumni and creator of Sandwell Visually Impaired (SVI) accessibility resources for creatives. Her research with SVI identified two key points. Visually impaired people want to be treated as intelligent capable individuals, and sighted people often approach visual impairment from a “how can we help blind people see?” perspective rather than asking “how do blind people already navigate the world?” A mindset that reinforces exclusion rather than fostering accessibility.
What inspired you to apply for Black Country Digital Firsts and how did you hope it would impact your creative practice?
I applied to Black Country Digital Firsts because I believed they had the expertise to support me in prototyping a project that strives for excellence in sound rather than visuals. I also wanted the opportunity to collect and showcase oral histories from the vibrant women in Sandwell’s visually impaired community. I needed mentoring and advice to help translate access principles into interactive design choices, build my technical confidence, and plan for audience testing. And because being an artist can be isolating, I hoped the programme would give me space to talk through ideas and challenges with other creative professionals.
Can you share a little about the project you are working on and why you feel it is particularly bold or imaginative?
Beyond Vision: Black Country Women, An Interactive Sound Journey is an immersive interactive sound experience that transforms a section of Warley Woods into a navigable world built entirely from sound. Using a Meta Quest to enable room-scale navigation, participants walk through a spatial audio soundscape. Those who choose the gamified route can follow audio cues to a bench where a woman from Sandwell Visually Impaired shares her story. Unlike plain headphones that provide a flat listening experience, spatial audio combined with world tracking creates an experience that feels as different as looking at a photo of a forest and standing inside one.
I’m building the piece with Freya Shaw, a registered blind musician, sound designer, software developer, founder of Immersion Sound Studio and developer of Hodr Engine, a no-code tool for visually impaired developers. She is also working with John Thornewill of Red Nought, who has created games ranging from Ivor the Engine and The Clangers to full motion VR simulator experiences. John is developing the underlying game engine that allows visually impaired gamers to play complex games without assistance. They bonded over stories about Unreal Engine glitches, the inaccessibility of games and a shared curiosity about how sound can support mindfulness, joy and escapism.
At its heart, Beyond Vision is an experience that subverts stereotypes about visual impairment, blindness and the Black Country. It amplifies the voices of women who are blind or visually impaired, showcases visually impaired creative practitioners and spotlights ground-breaking accessibility tech. It celebrates what non sighted and sighted creatives can achieve together when accessibility is not a barrier.
How do you believe fostering digital creativity can contribute to the cultural landscape of the Black Country?
The Black Country is already a melting pot of incredible artists with a real can-do attitude, unfortunately studios, galleries, and rehearsal spaces are financially or physically inaccessible to many creatives. Exploring digital ways of creating helps break those barriers, allowing people to work differently and more inclusively. It is not perfect, but the more artists embrace digital methods, the stronger the demand becomes for better accessibility, pushing digital companies to raise their game.
What has been the most valuable lesson or insight you have gained from the mentoring and advice sessions?
Being an artist can be isolating, we often juggle marketing, PR, finance, and legal tasks ourselves, leaving less time for creativity. The mentoring has reminded me that I am not alone. Having experts who genuinely want to share knowledge and support my work has been refreshing. It is a reminder that collaboration is as vital as creativity.
In what ways do you think Black Country Digital Firsts can amplify diverse voices and perspectives?
The Space team and network behind this programme reflect the region’s diversity which means ideas develop through multiple lenses which is the best way to learn, share best practice and formulate our ideas. This kind of inclusive collaboration makes our work more informed, meaningful, and exciting.
How do you now envision the role of technology in enhancing your creative practice going forward?
I have always loved immersive experiences, and now I am fascinated by how far we can push them using sound. Technology opens up new possibilities where artists of all abilities can create together. Working with Freya’s Hodr Engine, learning from John, a seasoned games-industry pro, is incredibly exciting. I am curious to explore how can we co-create experiences that are mindful, educational, questioning, and, in an age of AI, human.
What advice would you give to other creatives who are considering applying for funding and support?
Absolutely go for it. I applied to several funds before being successful; resilience is key. Competition for funding is high and rejection is tough, so have people around who can cheer you on, because if you do not apply, you will never know. And when you finally get that successful application email, it feels like winning the lottery.
Black Country Digital Firsts is a unique partnership between Creative Black Country and The Space that aims to build digital creative confidence, inspire excellence in the area, foster digital creativity, commission artists, and offer creative support via mentoring and advice sessions.