Our Work

Common Threads

Common Threads was a community arts programme that has delivered two community theatrical productions and four community photography projects from May 2024 to December 2024. In each of the projects we sought to enable, empower, show and inspire local people - women, men, young people alongside local artists and volunteers.

All images courtesy of Iza Korsak

Programme Overview

Our first theatrical production, Us and Them, by David Campton was performed at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 18 July 2024 and has now also been turned into a short film for showing at local schools. The actors comprised 25 year 11 students from Hodge Hill College who learnt an array of theatrical skills including acting, stage management, lighting, set design and marketing and engaged in intensive rehearsals prior to the production. Many of the pupils were classified as potential Not in Education Training or English in a school location characterised by high deprivation. As an immediate consequence of playing the narrator in Us and Them one pupil has become significantly more confident, engaging with both teachers and pastoral staff with a real improved attitude to learning, social interaction and future career development.

Our second theatrical production was - Listen to Me: Women's Dialogues - engaging 14 women over the course of the project from May 2024 and seven women performing their monologue at the Mac Hexagon Theatre on 4 December. The women - a mix of single mothers, unemployed or Carers from East Birmingham communities have all gained a mix of skills and confidence and have also volunteered on Us and Them bringing an element of intergenerational co-learning. Pull quotes they have made "i have always been a little shy and this has helped my confidence and self-esteem", "I found myself looking forward to Monday afternoons and having a new challenge each week", "I joined to improve my confidence and self-esteem which I had lost because of my size. It had made a significant difference especially during my job interview on Friday where I felt confident and also it is fantastic to support my mental health challenges".

Watch the promotional video from this event: here

Our four photography projects (which we expanded from our proposed one project) included:  

1

Hello Alum Rock working with a local Community Interest Company, Go-Woman Alliance with seven women working with an established photographer, Tracey Thorne. 

2

Ladypool Road: The Past is Present, with ISRA UK partnership with SHARE two local charities again with photographer Tracey Thorne.

3

My Safe Haven with 11 students and Kirstin Roberts, Art and Photography lead from the City of Birmingham School Link and poet Alan McGeachie producing a collection of pictures and one 'spoken word' poem. 

4

I am East B-ham working with 13 men from the Yaraana Project working with photographer Kois Miah exploring their lived experience in Alum Rock and Saltley. 

Each project has had their work exhibited. Hello Alum Rock was launched and exhibited at Go-Woman Alliance hub in Alum Rock Road and also featured at the wider exhibition held at the MAC on 4 December. The other three exhibited at the MAC on the same date and ISRA intend to follow up with an exhibition at their Centre. Each project has produced a handbook which have been distributed to the participants and community members. All projects were led by our Creative Producer and volunteers.

We expected that we would deliver a programme of community arts through two drama performances and four photography projects with people living in east Birmingham and to do this well. the experience What we did not expect was how the participants - men, women, young people would embrace their projects with zest and how uplifting the experience and learning would be for their self-esteem and confidence and determination to continue to be active as co-producers not just learners or participants of community art .

  • Us and Them

  • Photography exhibition

  • Listen to Me

  • Us and Them

  • Photography exhibition

  • Listen to Me

  • Us and Them

  • Photography exhibition

  • Listen to Me

  • Us and Them