What We Learned from Creative Communities: CVS Go & Sees
Between November 2025 and March 2026, Creative Black Country worked with the four Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS) across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton to deliver a series of Creative Communities Go & Sees. The aim was simple. By providing funding through our CVS partners, local community groups and charities could experience creative and cultural activities that they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to access.
In total, 19 organisations took part, delivering 23 activities and engaging 398 participants. What stands out most is that 63% of participants told us they had not engaged with arts and culture in the previous year.
For Creative Black Country, this is exactly why programmes like this matter.
Opening doors to new experiences
Feedback from participating organisations was overwhelmingly positive. Across the programme, groups described the value of being able to do something new together, whether that was visiting a theatre, museum, gallery or new destination. Many participants were accessing these kinds of experiences for the first time. For some, financial barriers would normally make attendance difficult. Others faced challenges linked to confidence, health, caring responsibilities or accessibility.
Again and again, organisations reflected on the joy, confidence and sense of connection that came from spending time together in a different environment. The opportunity to travel as a group, share experiences and create new memories became just as important as the destination itself.
Several groups have since gone on to explore further creative and cultural opportunities, demonstrating how a single experience can act as a catalyst for future engagement.
The importance of partnership
One of the key objectives of this approach was to work through trusted local infrastructure organisations that already have strong relationships with community groups. The CVS partners played an important role in identifying organisations, promoting the opportunity and supporting applications. Their local knowledge helped us connect with groups that Creative Black Country had not previously worked with, helping to extend the reach of the programme across all four boroughs.
The programme also highlighted the importance of continuing to build shared understanding around what we mean by creative and cultural activity.
While guidance and support were provided at the outset, some uncertainty remained around the types of activities that could be funded. This reinforced the need for ongoing conversations, examples and support throughout the commissioning process, ensuring that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the programme's aims.
Learning about support and capacity
A consistent theme across feedback from all four CVS partners was the amount of time required to support groups throughout the process. Although the application paperwork was generally considered straightforward and accessible, supporting organisations through planning, delivery and evaluation often required more time than anticipated.
This learning is important. Reaching organisations that are new to creative activity often means providing additional support, reassurance and guidance. Building relationships takes time, and the success of these opportunities relies on regular communication between partners, delivery organisations and participants.
The experience reinforced that while partners play a vital role in local delivery, Creative Black Country's involvement remains important in helping projects meet the programme criteria, troubleshooting issues and supporting the overall process.
Making evaluation work for everyone
The evaluation process generated some of the most valuable learning from the programme. Many participants were older adults or people who had limited access to digital technology, which created challenges when using online surveys. In some cases, paper forms were more accessible and effective.
The programme highlighted the need for flexible evaluation approaches that work for different audiences and circumstances. While digital tools can reduce administration, they do not always provide the most accessible option for every participant.
Future activity will continue to consider how evaluation methods can balance efficiency with accessibility, ensuring that participants can share their experiences in ways that work for them.
Looking ahead
The Creative Communities Go & Sees programme demonstrated the value of working through local partners to reach new organisations and create opportunities for people to engage with creativity and culture.
It also provided important learning about the support, communication and capacity required to make partnership programmes successful.
Most importantly, it showed that relatively small investments can create meaningful opportunities for people to connect, explore new experiences and take part in creative and cultural activity.
As we continue to develop Creative Communities, these insights will help shape how we work alongside partners, support community groups and create opportunities that are accessible, meaningful and impactful for local people.
This content is taken from a report put together by our Programme Coordinator, Gavin Medza and with feedback and statistics gathered by our Impact Lead, Kat Pearson.
With thanks to our four CVS partners who helped with the Go & See support.
If you are part of a community group who would like to try a new creative activity but are looking for support and advice you can reach out to the Creative Adviser for your area. Find our more information here.