Creativity shines through on day of fun in town centre
A day of colour and fun has showcased the best creative talents within Walsall.
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The first Walsall MakerFest on Saturday brought hundreds of people to centre of the town to take in a packed programme featuring live music, dance, storytelling, workshops, pop-ups, fashion shows, street food, a makers' market and much more.
Running alongside Walsall’s usual Saturday market traders, the Makers' Market showcased the work of 40 creators from Walsall and the surrounding area and brought a diverse array of ceramics, jewellery, beauty products, prints and cakes.
Gallery Square was the location of Let’s Dance, a showcase of dance featuring more than 120 dancers from 16 dance companies including Break Da Code, Ultimate Bhangra and Me Dance Company. Performances will span discipline and include Bhangra, break dance, Bulgarian folk, and street dance.
The stage also featured the culmination of bootcamps with choreographer Shaun Cope, who has worked with students from Walsall Studio School as well as Bethel Lighthouse Centre in the run up to the festival.
The stage was also hosted by Wolverhampton singer-songwriter Shay Ramsey who has appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, Songs of Praise and was a semi-finalist on The Voice in 2023.
There were performances all day, from 19 singers at the Crossing at St Paul's to 7-piece international collective Rhythms Del Toro, drag queen Asifa Lahore, Black Country-based Jamaican singer Janel Antoneshia and the talented local Zimbabwean mbira player, percussionist and singer Millicent Chapanda.
Walsall MakerFest was delivered by Walsall Council in partnership with local non-profit Urban Hax CIC, The New Art Gallery Walsall and Walsall Cultural Compact.
It was supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)’s Cultural Development Fund: Round Three through Arts Council England.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Walsall Council's deputy Leader and portfolio holder for economic growth and regeneration, said the day had been a fantastic one and Walsall had felt vibrant and full of creative energy.
He said: "The aim of today has really been to bring creative industries into the heart of the town centre as part of our creative industry strategy, working with Urban Hax and other partners to really make sure that people have got that opportunity to see what we have to offer in Walsall.
"It's an opportunity to showcase Walsall and the exciting opportunities that there are in the town for now and in the future.
"The changes that we're going to make in the wider borough over the next few years as part of our 2040 strategy are going to be incredible and it will show how vibrant Walsall is going to become and how much it is changing."
