Services We Deliver

• The Arts Service aims to provide something for the interest and enjoyment of everyone.
• The Arts Service works with other sections of the council to deliver services.
• We are planning to develop a calendar of events and activities for occasions such as Black History Month, and Easter.
• The Arts service will be working with The Parks and other parts of the council to improve family events such as the Sandwell Show.
• The Art service is supporting the visual arts element of the Sandwell Children and Young Peoples festival.
• Work is being done with the Youth Service on the Dance project called Leap and Bounds, where young people learn how manage the problems in their lives.
• We are working with Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery to stimulate interest in Art. Prizes have been awarded to children and young people who took part in an art competition.

The arts service also works with a range of external partners to deliver services.

• We are working to deliver more art and craft experiences to the elderly in the home.
• The Arts Service supports the work of local organisations like Black Country Touring in providing theatre in community venues, training opportunities to Black and Minority Ethnic people interested in comedy, and training opportunities to schools and communities groups to learn all the skills to promote shows.
• We are working with the Arts Council to encourage applications to the Arts Council for funds.

Arts Policy and Strategy 2006 - 2009

1. To improve the quality of life for all Sandwell people, particularly children, young people and older people – this contributes to the Council’s priority, ‘Strengthening the protection and support for vulnerable children’.
2. To create opportunities to support formal and informal lifelong learning – this contributes to the Council’s priority, ’Educational Attainment’.
3. To celebrate the diversity of Sandwell’s communities, ensure inclusive participation and promote community cohesion- this contributes to the Council’s priority, ‘Safer, cleaner, stronger communities’.
4. To improve the health and well - being of Sandwell citizens.
5. To support the economic vitality of Sandwell, including maximising the visitor potential of residents and tourists

On the 16 December 2004 the Cabinet Advisory Team approved the report Arts at the Strategic Centre Developing A Sandwell Arts Strategy (Forward Plan RefeNo:CL002)

Venue Development

We will focus activity on a range of key venues, across the six towns, including West Bromwich Town Hall, Coneygre Youth Arts Centre, and Wednesbury Musuem and Art Gallery

Audience Development

The focus of this work will be in relation to:
Commissioning a programme of culturally diverse activities that reflect a variety of art forms and support progression. Delivering the higher profile arts events whilst retaining a focus through the six Town Teams.

Commissioning Model

To deliver the arts for Sandwell and specifically the priorities indicated above a commissioning model is proposed as follows:
The current Arts in Sandwell funding will be refocused to commission high profile, quality arts activity to support the above.

Partnership Working

The focus will be to strengthen local, Black Country, regional and national partnership working.

Corporate Arts Forum

To ensure engagement across all themes, a Corporate Arts Forum will be established building on existing arrangements and developed in the context of the Education and Cultural Outputs agreement with THE pUBLIC.

Arts Manager Appointed

In September 2005 Sandwell council appointed an Arts Manager to implement these changes and to develop an arts policy.

Following community consultations in February 2006 Arts for Sandwell will seek the approval of the Cabinet Advisory Team to implement its policies, priorities, and outcomes that contributes to the councils five aims. With the approval of the council, an arts programme for the year’s 2006- 2009 shall be progressed.

Garry Morris. Arts Manager. December 2005.
garry_morris@sandwell.gov.uk