Creative Communities, why feedback matters
Feedback is more than a form at the end of a project. It is how ideas grow, how trust is built and how creative work stays responsive to the people it is made with. Across Creative Communities, artists and organisations have told us how support, flexibility and care have helped projects evolve in unexpected and meaningful ways. Their reflections show why listening matters and how creativity thrives when people are given space to adapt, reflect and shape work together.
Artist Explorers is a brilliant example of what happens when artists are trusted and properly supported. From the earliest stages of shaping the proposal, the artist was backed by our Creative Advisor and wider team, with hands on support around applications, promotion and documentation.
Crucially, once the project began, space was given to deliver the sessions freely. There was no pressure to force outcomes or rush ideas, just reassurance that support was there if needed. Professional documentation meant the artist could stay present with participants, while also creating a lasting record of the work.
The project also helped launch a new group the artist had wanted to start for a long time, turning an ambition into something real, rooted and sustainable.
Beyond One Culture was built on collaboration and care. Working with Kurdish Clerisy Organisation, the project created a space for live performance, visual art and cultural sharing that welcomed people from across the community.
Support from the Creative Black Country team was consistent from start to finish, offering practical advice, encouragement and a genuine commitment to making the project work. That reliability mattered. It allowed the organisers to focus on bringing people together, celebrating culture and creating an event filled with warmth, connection and pride.
This Is Yours was a project that grew through conversation and responsiveness. Rather than chasing the same outcome each week, the artist was able to adapt ideas as the sessions unfolded, working closely with participants and library users.
That flexibility made a real difference. It created space to test ideas, make changes and respond directly to the needs of the community using the library. The final outcome is more than a series of sessions. It is now a practical resource and development toolkit that continues to support groups, individuals and library services, shaped by participant feedback and lived experience.
We understand that what starts as an idea might turn into something completely different once a project is underway, and Creative Communities is exactly the programme that can give groups the flexibility to change things up as needed.
We love to get feedback from organisations, artists and communities and use this to continually adapt and shape our core programmes. The recent feedback helps us to understand how, working as a team, if the support we offer is helpful and useful.
We have 10 years of feedback and knowledge that helps shape Creative Black Country, and so we continually flex and diversify as needs require, and society and climates change.
We thank everyone who fills out a questionnaire, takes the time to tell us what they would like to see in their community and trusts us to help make their ideas happen in the neighbourhoods where they live.