On World Octopus Day (8 October 2025) guests gathered at the Black Country Living Museum for the world premiere of Black Country by the Sea, a new, fun, mockumentary film and video game by artist Alex Billingham.

From 2020 Creative Associates Kerry + Laura have been working on Dudley Creates where they partnered with local artists, communities, cultural organisations and CoLab Dudley to…

The What? Centre, a longstanding Young Person’s Advice and Counselling Service, is proud to announce the upcoming launch of an innovative and impactful art exhibition ‘Take a Walk in Our Shoes.’

This is the first part of a larger creative project of by Dan Whitehouse which taps into Doris Lessing's belief that "Writing is a machine for exploring experience,” and aims to explore issues surrounding masculinity, self-care, and cultural migration, through the lens of Dan's personal journey.

CBC Creative Advisor Laura chats to illustrator Roots who supported the Friends of Abbey Street Park to design and paint a mural to brighten up a wall and celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Creative Communities special series - PART 02: DUDLEY

Hear more about the ideas and concept for ‘Sound Aloud’ by artist Gavin Rogers who worked alongside women and LGBTQIA+ people living in and around Dudley to find their voices together and discover the possibilities of Netherton Tunnel.

Steve shares what it was like to be part of a group making poetry and an animation having never tried it before with Dudley Creates commissioned project Portrait of a Place.

Jennifer tells us about her experience of taking part in our Dudley Creates commissioned project ‘Sound Aloud’ a project by artist Gavin Rogers.

At Creative Black Country, alongside our friends at CoLab Dudley, we have been working with colleagues across the creative and cultural sectors; members of the local creative and artistic community and locally-based practitioners, as well as the local authority to develop a new Cultural Strategy for the borough that will help more people take part in creative activity.

Poet Lee Mackenzie and Filmmaker Lauren Hatchard facilitated a workshop at St Peter's Church in Netherton in August 2022, the aim of the workshop was to capture memories of the green spaces and waterways in the area and put a 'pin in the map' of the location they associate with.

As part of Dudley Creates artist Gavin Rogers worked alongside women and LGBTQIA+ people living in and around Dudley to finding their voices together and discover the possibilities of Netherton Tunnel - a 3 km Victorian tunnel that passes along the canal and under Dudley.

During the Summer in Halesowen shoppers, residents, workers and passers-by were invited into an empty shop unit in the Cornbow Centre to participant in a pop-up studio where David Rowan and Joseph Potts, assisted by Kelly Hadley, had photography and filming equipment ready to capture people’s portraits and hear about people’s thoughts and memories of the town.

There was a beautiful celebratory procession of the Walk and Draw group’s colourful puppets at Priory Park in Dudley during September as part of our Summer of Creativity commissions.

Over the Summer Katie Holtom has been working with community groups across Dudley to share their stories of the Borough. Through a series of workshops the groups have co-created a zine to showcase a collection of stories and poetry, written by local people, based on the areas they live and the memories they have.

If you are aged between 13 and 21 you are invited to help produce a public art installation comprising of 60 bottles (to represent the 60th anniversary) removed from the local canal which, once cleaned and sealed, will contain a personal statement about what locals love or want to protect in Dudley.

We would love you to join us for a FREE workshop which invites you to capture how Netherton is today. The workshop will involve a 4-mile stroll around the green spaces and canal paths of Netherton; it aims to engage you with the surroundings in a new creative way through asking you prompts and fun mini-exercises. Bring a note-pad & pen, a camera, sound recorder or any other way of documenting the places as we walk. No arty experience necessary.

On Saturday 9 July, Dudley High Street will burst to life with opportunities for unusual encounters and dipping into some hands on doing and making. They are all part of the Radio Public Festival, a free, one day celebration and exploration featuring sound, installations, walks, talks, performances, workshops and transmissions. You are warmly invited.

Artists David Rowan and Joseph Potts will be starting a ‘Dudley Creates’ residency at the Cornbow Centre in Halesowen in April and are looking for an Assistant Artist to help with the project.

Creative Black Country (CBC), alongside our partner Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and support from CoLab Dudley, are offering small commissions of £750 - £4000 for projects that develop creative activity with and by local communities across the Dudley borough.