The Black Country Dance Hub in partnership with Walsall Arena is excited to present a programme of its first LIVE socially distanced performances (supported by the Cultural Recovery Fund, #hereforculture):

• 9^th June – Autin Dance Theatre – “A Posi+ive Life” 10.30am, 1.30pm & 7pm. A Posi+ive Life is an accessible, immersive and interactive theatre experience led by six contemporary characters featuring dance, physical theatre, spoken word and BSL interpretation. The piece is a special invitation to a house party like no other, where a web of stories around sex, love and relationships unveils, with audience participation and original scenography, transporting the guests to the heart of the story.
• 16^th & 17^th June – infuseDANCE – “Bloom” 10.30am & 1.30pm each day. A magical dance performance full of positivity and hope for children and families. Bloom is a visually spectacular family dance theatre performance for ages 3+ that aims to invite gentle conversations about mental health, developing a positive mind-set, imagination, hope and resilience.

Both Companies will also deliver 24 days of workshops in local schools during April and May.

Members of the Compact wishing to attend either performance as a guest should contact Maggie Lewis directly: maggie.lewis@dancespace.co

The School of Performing Arts at the University of Wolverhampton would love to hear from you! We want to know how we can be involved in supporting your organisation and the work you do in the community, in Covid recovery and beyond.
Please make contact if we can work with you on any of the following:

• Training, mentorship or community leadership
• Practical workshops for young people
• Support with performance, music-making and audio or theatre technology
• Workshops for the wider Walsall community
• Assisting schools and colleges to re-integrate students post-lockdown
• Use of our facilities for community projects.

We’re based at the Performance Hub on The Broadway, and you can see our wide-range of industry- standard facilities here.

Please feel free to contact us for an informal discussion or to express your interest in working in partnership: email sarah.browne@wlv.ac.uk and richard.glover@wlv.ac.uk

Funding Available for UK Visual Artists and Small Arts Organisations. A national fund for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds is accepting applications. The fund is committed to helping artists and art institutions and galleries that depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities. Funding priority is given to artists in the fine arts and small organisations and galleries within the United Kingdom.
Grants are usually limited to £2,000, but larger grants of up to £5,000 may be considered. The deadline for applications is 27 June 2021. The Elephant Trust

Call for Artist Educators! The New Art Gallery Walsall would like to recruit two creative practitioners to join the existing group of talented artist educators who facilitate workshops for its family audiences, schools and the wider community. NAG is looking to diversify the demographic of this group, to better represent its audiences and the communities living in Walsall and would like to hear from artists currently under-represented: artists of different heritages, communities and ages (particularly ages 18-30) or who identify as having a disability, long term condition, LGBTQIA+ or belonging to any other protected characteristic group and are passionate about having their voice heard. If you are a freelance creative practitioner with experience working with groups of children and/or adults, NAG would love to hear from you! For more information and to apply, email Alex Jolly, Learning and Engagement Coordinator: alex.jolly@walsall.gov.uk
On application, please state why you would like to be considered for this opportunity, attach your CV and a selection of images of your work. Deadline for applications: Monday 31^st May.

Creative Black Country: Dial a Story is a free opportunity for people in the Black Country to enjoy a 1-on-1 performance over the telephone, with either a poet, a storyteller, or a pair of musicians.
Funded by Creative Black Country with support from Arts Council England, the project is aimed at combating loneliness and isolation amongst vulnerable sections of our community, including, but not limited to: people experiencing social isolation, those who live alone, the elderly. Dial a Story proved very popular last Autumn, with over a hundred participants, who described the project as “magical,” telling CBC that they “closed their eyes and [were] someplace else.” For more information and to book a performance, please visit https://bctouring.co.uk/dial-a-story-spring-2021/

Artsfundraising has collated a list of funder responses to COVID -19 from across the arts and charity sectors as a resource for charities. Information is updated regularly as things change rapidly. Read more here: bit.ly/3bqtfoR pic.twitter.com/9nCq3WGITh

Affordable mental health and wellbeing webinars from SOLT & UK Theatre. Taking place between 26th April and 31^st May 2021, the topics of these webinars include managing stress, the business case for wellbeing, creating a racism defence strategy, and strategies for organisational recovery. Free places are available for the unemployed or freelancers and AMA members can receive a £5 discount off the non-member rate by entering the promo-code INDUSTRYWELL at the checkout. If you have any queries email events@soltukt.co.uk Find out more about these webinars.

Creative Connections are GO! Want to take part in an urban photo project, send out self-designed positive postcards or sow some seeds to brighten up your street? If so, make sure you keep an eye on the social media channels of Creative Black Country as it shares news of the 17 projects it has commissioned and how you can get involved. You can find out more about the commissioned projects and how to get involved here.

The New Art Gallery Walsall: School Support 2021 for teachers and students. In this time of recovery and reconnection NAG is offering virtual and Gallery-based opportunities from May 2021, throughout the summer holidays and beyond.

For all Key Stages

• NAG Art Club: Monthly, fun, creative, cross-curricular workshops at your school with a talented, DBS certified artist educators.
• Wellbeing Workshops: Mindful Marks: Designed to support good mental health, these gallery-based workshops reduce stress and promote calm and foster individual expression through mark-making.
• Free Online Workshops: More than 70 exciting step-by-step films to discover at school or home, exploring a variety of themes and art mediums. View online here.
• Free bespoke digital teacher resources: Talk to NAG about your upcoming theme and it will tailor a short film or a digital worksheet for you.

For Key Stage 3-5

• GCSE Art Exam and Sketchbook Support: Virtual or Gallery-based tailored sessions for Year 10 and 11 students, designed to inspire and boost confidence. Watch demos and learn new creative techniques, discover artists in the Collections and identify ways to develop sketchbooks and respond to exam questions.
• Sketchbook in a Day: A fast-paced day of workshops at the gallery exploring drawing and printmaking techniques to fill a sketchbook!

To find out more and to discuss how NAG can support you and your students, email Catherine James, Education Assistant : catherine.james@walsall.gov.uk