Creative Development Team
So who are we then and what do we do?
Introducing people to participatory arts as a tool for change is the primary concern of Walsall Creative Development Team.
The team of eight principal officers and development officers and three support staff works with dozens of specialist freelance workers to open doors for people and organisations using participatory arts activities such as music, performance, creative technology, creative writing, graphic design and visual art as the inspiration.
The Team’s work is nationally recognised as a model of good practice when it comes to giving people a voice, highlighting opportunities and enriching communities.
How do we do it?
The team offers a range of support to fellow Council departments, the people of Walsall, artists and potential artists, and more recently to the other Black Country boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.
Our role is to be a catalyst in finding the opportunities where the arts and creativity can help in making positive change.
We identify partners, funders, art workers and participants to make a project happen, and manage those projects to ensure that it keeps to track, has the desired outcomes, maximises its potential and celebrates both process and product. All projects are unique.
The Team forges strong strategic and working partnerships with statutory bodies, voluntary organisations, community groups and other Council departments to work towards the Vision for Walsall.
The Walsall teaching Primary Care Trust ( for health), Social Care and Supported Housing (for disability) and Black Country Arts partnerships provide funding for development workers within the team.
All of our work is inspired by the concept of Community Arts, and indeed that was the Team’s title until 2006 when we realised our ‘umbrella’ had opened much wider to cover a far bigger area.
Our Heritage
Community Arts isn’t about looking at pretty pictures. It’s not even necessarily about painting those pretty pictures. It’s about being in the picture….
One of the hardest tasks for a local authority is getting people involved in day-to-day business in a productive, positive way.
It’s often easier to moan when you’ve got a problem than it is to access the decision-making process in the first place, especially if, for whatever reason, you have obstacles to overcome such as poor communication skills and lack of self-confidence.
You need a ‘hook’ to pull people in, something interesting in itself that can open the door to discussion, decision-making and getting the job done well. Something empowering.
Working with local service providers and community groups, we creatively design projects that access hard to reach groups of people, and approach the most difficult of issues in fun, non-threatening ways.
Contact us
Creative Development Team
Leisure Culture and Lifelong Learning
12th Floor Tameway Tower
48 Bridge Street
Walsall
WS1 1JZ
Telephone 01922 653114
Email sladed@walsall.gov.uk