Creative public in Walsall come together to celebrate the arts
Poets are coming together in Walsall to launch a joint collaboration which will provide a platform for all the arts in the town to be heard.
Creative Walsall will be launched on Thursday evening at The Crossing at St Paul's Coffee House with an evening of art and poetry and live performances.
It will then be followed by a second event at the same venue two days later which will also include an open mike event where the public can take part.
The whole project is a joint venture between the Walsall Society of Artists and poets in the town with the idea to give all forms of creativity a chance to work, perform and demonstrate together.
Walsall Society of Artist's chairman David McGuire said: "So much damage was caused by the pandemic to the arts in general and we need to pick up the reins again.
"The additional constraints triggered by the current economic situation makes the need for opportunities even more urgent.’
Ian Henery, who was Walsall's Poet Laureate in 2021-22 is also involved in the project.
He said: "I had an email out of the blue from the chair of the board of directors at The Crossing whose challenge was to increase the number of groups using the centre and to turn it into a hive of community activity.
"The chair was keen to promote arts and culture and she noted I had been the town's poet laureate and involved in the poetry scene in Walsall.
"She wanted a chat to see if we might perhaps work together and suggested collaborating on a project with the society of artists who were due to stage an exhibition at The Crossing".
"I set about recruiting a commando team of poets who could deliver quality work and performances at short notice.
"Each poet I recruited has marked excellence in their practice and would add value to the project – some have performed at the Wolverhampton Arts and Literature Festival, Waklsall festival of Words, the Raising Steam festival and Lakeside Live."
Poets include Tina J Cox, Laura Liptrot, Mark Ingram, Ian Davies, Phil Buckley and Brendan Hawthorne, Glyn Phillips, Dr Paul McDonald and Mickey Angel.
The event takes place at The Crossing at St Paul's, Darwall Street from Thursday at 6pm.
Those who are interested and would like to contribute to future events should contact either David McGuire da.mcguire@virgin.net or Ian Henery ian@ianhenery.com
