Local arts group funds community theatre trip thanks to grant from new Sandwell waste facility

Curl Girl Productions creates immersive theatre to convey dynamic stories from the local South Asian community in Sandwell. Thanks to the funding from enfinium, the group has provided support for local members of the community to get involved in their most recent production, The Valley of Queens, at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham. 

The Valley of Queens is a piece of theatre based on verbatim migration stories of South Asian women living in Sandwell Valley, sharing tales of strength, resilience and joy. Thanks to the funding, a group of residents in Sandwell have been able to attend the show and engage with the power of theatre, sharing like-minded interests to strengthen relationships and enhance their wellbeing.

The funding has been awarded to the organisation as part of a £50,000 Community Benefit Fund from enfinium’s nearby Kelvin facility. 

Kirandeep Kaur Jogi, Company Director of Curl Girls Productions, said: “Supporting minority voices in the arts is really important, and we take great pride in our work to share South Asian culture and identity within our local community. We are so grateful to enfinium for this grant, as it means we can provide local residents with experiences they otherwise would not have had access to, enriching their lives through performance art.” 

Chris Swanick, Project Manager at enfinium Kelvin, said: “We are pleased to be supporting Curl Girls Productions and the work they do in sharing stories from the South Asian community in Sandwell. Strengthening community ties is important to us, and we continue to look for new initiatives to support through our community fund throughout the year. We’re already creating new jobs and generating new opportunities for local businesses, so we look forward to seeing how our grant – and the other grants we have made and will continue to make across Sandwell in the coming months and years – makes a positive impact on the local community.” 

enfinium’s £50,000 Community Benefit Fund has been made available to community groups and organisations in Sandwell and the surrounding area through enfinium Kelvin, which is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2025. 

Applications to enfinium’s Community Benefit Fund are open and will be accepted from projects or organisations that will directly benefit the communities neighbouring the facility’s site. Organisations who are based outside of this area are also eligible to apply for grants, as long as they can prove how the award of funding will have a beneficial impact on these communities. Applications are welcomed from registered charities, schools, places of learning, not-for-profit companies, community organisations and groups – including those supported by public funding.

All applications must demonstrate that the project or event in question will either deliver environmental benefits (such as the promotion of clean energy, waste reduction and / or recycling improvements), improve standards of health, safety and wellbeing or enhance the wider community. This could mean promoting skills and educational development, environmental improvements or activity that helps boost community cohesion. 

Application criteria and application forms can be downloaded from the project website: enfinium.co.uk/facilities/kelvin.