About this Event
About this Event
Join us for a dropin found poetry and flag making workshop. Assemble
a poem or a collection of words that express what community, home and Smethwick mean to
you. You will then stencil your found words and symbols onto a silk banner, creating your
own unique flag.
Your flag will become part of an art installation on the canal in July — and you’ll have the
chance to fly your flag story as part of the canal project.
About the artist
Beth Derbyshire is an artist and educator who works with social practice, sculpture and storytelling. Her work explores themes of togetherness, displacement and active citizenship through temporary, time-based and performative works in the environment and non-art spaces.
Book now
Please book to secure your spot.
Parents and guardians must accompany their children throughout the event.
More about Smethwick Imaginarium
Connecting Community, Heritage and Nature through Art
Smethwick Imaginarium is a year-long arts programme celebrating the cultural diversity, canal heritage and community spirit of Smethwick.
Six artists – working across photography, performance, poetry, graphic design, sculpture and curation – are collaborating with local residents and community organisations to explore our hidden waterway treasure: the Galton Valley Canal.
This programme celebrates what makes Smethwick special: our shared histories, cultural diversity and the natural spaces on our doorstep.
Join us for workshops, creative activities, and public events that celebrate heritage, ecology, and wellbeing. Activities are free and open to everyone: families, individuals, and community groups.
Open to all – families, individuals and community groups welcome.
Meet the Artists
● Anneka French is a writer, editor and curator based in the Black Country. Her work spans contemporary art publishing, experimental writing and independent visual arts curation, with contributions to major UK art publications and projects including Coventry Biennial. She has held senior roles across the regional arts sector and worked with galleries including Tate Modern, Ikon and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
● Beth Derbyshire is an artist and educator who works with social practice, sculpture and storytelling. Her work explores themes of togetherness, displacement and active citizenship through temporary, time-based and performative works in the environment and non-art spaces.
● Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora is a multidisciplinary, socially engaged artist working with communities to explore untold stories of gender, ethnicity and place. Her award-winning work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the UN Headquarters in New York. She is also the founder of Women in Photography Birmingham, supporting women photographers across the West Midlands.
● Juneau Projects (Ben Sadler & Philip Duckworth) are a collaborative artist duo whose practice is participatory and embedded in creative empowerment and shared learning. They have worked extensively with communities in urban planning, natural landscape and ecological settings, creating temporary, digital and permanent sculptures.
● Sarah Barton is an experienced artist educator and education activist with over 20 years of art teaching experience in secondary school as well as experience of developing and delivering collaborative community art projects and developing community forums. Sarah’s personal art practice combines her interest in social activism with folk art traditions.
● Sharonjit Sutton is a Birmingham-based multidisciplinary artist, designer and co-founder of the South Asian Arts Collective. Her practice involves graphic design for community, education and heritage projects, as well as paintings, videos and conceptual projects exploring cultural identity and family history.
A Canal & River Trust project funded by Arts Council England and through funds raised by players of People's Postcode Lottery. Delivered in partnership with North Smethwick Development Trust, Brasshouse Community Centre, and Smethwick Interfaith Friends Group.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Smethwick Library, 100 High Street, Smethwick, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
