Creative Black Country will run until 2020 after being awarded £1 million

Creative Black Country seeks to make the most of creative talent in the region and has run projects including Desi Pubs, 100 Masters and the ongoing Funny Things comedy festival.

It was established in 2014 for an initial three-year run but has now received £999,335 from the Arts Council’s Creative People and Places fund, which will allow it to continue until 2020.

Parminder Dosanjh, creative director at Creative Black Country, said: “We’re over the moon. Over the past few years we have been lucky enough to collaborate with some exceptional people.

“We look forward to building on the work of Desi Pubs, 100 Masters and Funny Things, and continue to share rich narratives from people and places across Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.”

Creative Black Country was one of six successful arts projects across England to receive a share of the £5.5m Arts Council funding.

The money is designed to ensure more people create and experience arts and culture in the places where they live. It targets 21 places across England with low levels of arts and cultural engagement.

Creative Black Country’s Desi Pubs project sought to redefine pub culture in the region through a partnership between artists and pub landlords. It saw traditional handcrafted pub signs reinvented using Punjabi text.

The 100 Masters campaign sought to find the 100 most talented and skilled masters in the Black Country. It aimed to inspire and offer local people a fresh perspective about the strengths, skills, talent and expertise surfacing from their locality and community.

The list of Masters included award-winning authors, sought-after designers, green-fingered gardeners, globe-trotting art directors, engineers, athletes, crafts people, entrepreneurs, brewers, dancers, artists, poets and community ambassadors.

The project will culminate in a Festival of Masters at Starworks Warehouse in Wolverhampton later this month.

Currently running in Wolverhampton, Funny Things is a comedy programme featuring more than 120 events spread across 16 city centre venues over 14 days. Headlines acts have included Henning Wehn, Tom Stade and Jimmy Carr.

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “Arts and culture make the places we live vibrant and exciting, entertaining and inspiring us, benefitting our wellbeing and helping local economies.

“Our latest investment in Creative Black Country will see the team build on their achievements so far, with great arts events like Desi pubs, where they worked Punjabi landlords to create beautiful art works, ensuring more people in Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton can take part in and enjoy arts and culture in their communities.”