Image from Workshop 24’s short film: Sonic Lighthouse: The Hinkley Horror'

Dudley Creates Gatherings bring together people who have all different kinds of roles in relation to creativity and culture in Dudley borough. The gatherings are open to all free to attend.

Reserve your spot for 17 April

Spring Gathering 2024

Vital Signs | group discussions

Last year we launched Dudley Creates: a 100 year cultural strategy in action for Dudley borough. 30 locally-based artists and creatives brought the strategy to life in its first year. At this Spring gathering we will explore the many and varied kinds of value generated through different ways of creating with over 430 local people through 66 workshops/activities in 38 different spaces and places across Dudley borough. Through facilitated discussions we'll assess whether as a result our local cultural ecosystem might be flourishing any more, using locally developed vital signs to understand ecosystem flourishing. This will help us to consider new possibilities and opportunities for collaboration and sharing / attracting resources.


Sonic Lighthouse: The Horror of Hinkley | a short film screening

There will be a number of opportunities during the evening to view a short film screening made by local social artists exploring water and climate in Dudley.

Time Rebels Helen, Bill and Rick go on a 'very dangerous' field trip to Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, paying homage to millions of fishes who are in terrible peril. Their short film, entitled 'Sonic Lighthouse: The Hinkley Horror' tells of this strange tale and how they are now on the side of the fishes...

Exhibitions

There will be two exhibitions that you can visit while you're at the Spring Gathering.

Potential for urban agriculture in Dudley

CoLab Dudley is collaborating with architecture and design students from Birmingham City University who are exploring regeneraive design and the potential for urban agriculture in Dudley town centre. They have been developing gifts, and designs with strategies and possible sites for growing in the town.

Stories of Place: Time Portal

In the CoLab Dudley space we have a physical manifestation of a developing digital archive. Over the last 3 years local people have gathered data, artefacts and imaginaries of the past, present and future of Dudley High Street. Visit the Time Portal to see unusual observations the High Street, imaginings of the future High Street, and artefacts shared and created by local people.

Over the next 3 years we'll be collaborating with community technologists and local people to co-design a digital living archive of creative artefacts, experiments and imaginaries from the past, present and future of Dudley borough. The archive will lift and celebrate stories from local action as a learning and sharing tool to inspire and inform future experiments. If you're interested in being part of this as an archivist, researcher, coder, imagineer or in any other role please do get in touch: colabdudley@gmail.com

How to take part in Dudley Creates Seasonal Gatherings

Each Seasonal Gathering will be different, and will take place in different locations through the year. The focus of each gathering will evolve with our collective ideas and action, and be rooted in the vibe of the season. You can come to any gatherings which you are drawn to, there is no expectation to attend all of the gatherings. There will usually be opportunities for you to join focused group discussions, explore exhibitions of current work evolving in Dudley, and time to chat to others who have different kinds of roles in relation to creativity and culture in Dudley borough.

Reserve your spot at the Dudley Creates Spring Gathering on 17 April 2024