Create and Change began its life as a community project centred around Ward End, Birmingham. The project ran from January 2018 to March 2019 and saw nearly six hundred participants take part in workshops, watch performances and work with us to design activities they wanted to see in their community centres. In 2020, Create and Changed moved online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2022, we have been running a weekly arts and wellness session at Dolphin Women’s Centre, Washwood Heath, every Tuesday.
This area, in the Ward End constituency, is among the top 10% of most deprived nationally, with 86% of the population from South Asian or Black African/Caribbean backgrounds, 45.5% economically inactive and 11.5% unable to speak English ‘well.’
These sessions are designed for women to make new friends and enjoy socialising with other women during craft and wellbeing sessions.
Sampad is very important to the Dolphin Centre. Participation has grown and now includes women with additional needs. There is a waiting list – we could easily fill two workshops a week. It’s not just ‘art’ – it’s much, much more than that. You cannot underestimate what coming here and taking part does for the women and where it can take them
Maxine Mills, Dolphin Women’s Centre Manager
In its first year, funding from the Baring Foundation enabled us to employ an Artist Practitioner to develop and lead the project, with plans to expand to a local library. However, engagement dropped significantly due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and capital redevelopment work at the Dolphin Women’s Centre. Feedback also suggested that working with a single artist limited creative variety.
In response, in the second year we revised the project to a termly model, introducing a new artist each term. This increased engagement. We also focused on support for artists new to a community-based practice, with our Learning Officer attending every workshop, building rapport with participants and offering hands-on support to the artist and Centre in the delivery of this work.
Over the course of the project, we’ve worked with artists at different career stages, including Nilupa Yasmin (lens-based and craft artist), Tarla Patel (photography and heritage), and Abeda Begum (costume and textile artist). Participants have created work to take away, to display at the Centre, and in 2025 their work formed part of an exhibition at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Each term, we deliver at least ten workshops, two family days reaching 50+ participants, and one cultural trip – including visits to Midlands Arts Centre and National Trust’s Back to Backs. We’ve involved four volunteers and ensure mental health support pathways are clear to participants and artists.
We now have 20 participants, with an average attendance of 16. A waiting list ensures we can welcome new women into the project as places become available.
Activities include seasonal outdoor workshops, crafting and making, drama, meditation and movement, as well as conversations around wellness.
Life can get too much and coming to the Sampad days is an escape from being alone. You can come and do the arts activities and there is no judgment and a lot of support and help. There’s a wide range and you get to meet people, make friends and try different things and learn new skills.
Participant
Related Pages
Create and Change 2018 – 2019
Create and Change 2020-2021
Create & Change, now in its 4th edition
Create & Change Welcomes Anam Zafar as Lead Artist for an Exciting Autumn Project
Create & Change Autumn 2023
Create & Change Summer 2024
Create & Change Spring 2024
Create & Change with Abeda: Embroidery
Create & Change Autumn 2024 – What is an Archive? Exploring Care, Stories and Creativity with Create & Change
Introducing Sam McEwan as our new Create & Change artist
Create & Change Summer Term 2025
Create & Change Spring 2026 – Introducing Artist Zunaira Raid
Related
