Community Makers

The Concept

Redditch is full of creative and energetic people, and we knew that, given the opportunity, people would come together with a real sense of purpose and collective vision to create something new, and perfect for their particular community. We knew because that’s what people in Redditch told us.

We wanted to connect, empower and fund small community groups and artists to do whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted.

So, we set up our Community Makers commissions precisely so that Community Groups and Artists could create the art they want, where they want it.

In the Autumn of 2024, Reimagine Redditch commissioned the people of Redditch to creative activities and events they want to see between then and Spring 2025.

We offered 5 x £10,000 commissions to enable 5 co-created projects which bring together Redditch Community Organisations and Artists.

The project leads and artists collaborated on their own event, or series of activities, which culminated in their own showcase event, by the end of March 2025.

Jump On Board – 57/58 Edition

Jump on Board 57/58 edition

Connected communities along the 57/58 bus route through a series of community workshops in early Spring 2025.

Led up to a celebration day in March 2025 when the communities’ creations would be displayed.

The project’s co-created artwork is a huge mural inside Redditch bus station.

Bound Together CIC’s partners include: Layla Glen – Creativity; Diamond Bus Service; and The Kingfisher Centre.

Alison Osborne, Co-Director of Bound Together, says: “We were delighted to be commissioned to deliver Jump on Board. It is such a novelty; seeing artwork inspired by views from the bus. The giant co-created mural is a thing of beauty.”

Send Suicide Packing 

Centres around creatively and physically depicting the burden that poor mental health and thoughts of suicide have upon an individual.

The project works with multimedia, installation artist Ben Adamson.

The artwork will be shared with the public in March 2025.

Brenda Morrison-Webb, Founding Director and Therapist, says: “Ahead of Wellbeing and our men are very proud to have been commissioned to address a difficult and necessary subject.

“We love working with our creative partners and hope our project will help create change for Redditch, which currently has the highest suicide rate in Worcestershire.”

Oh Yes We Can – Again! Community Pantomime

After a gap of five years, this project reunites Jestaminute Community Theatre with the Winyates community to co-create and stage a brand-new pantomime after half term February 2025.

Directors Rachel Ind and Shannon Gawn say: “This commission is a fantastic opportunity for Winyates.

“People absolutely loved the whole process last time – from creating the story, characters, costumes, sets etc, to background roles such as publicity, ticketing, marketing, front of house, health and safety – everyone learned such a lot, Oh Yes, They Did!”

In March 2025, following lots of rehearsals, set building, costume design, stunt work and more, hundreds of people packed into Arrow Vale School Auditorium to see two performances of ‘Redditch, We’re All Mad Here: Our Take on Alice in Wonderland’. The shows were a huge success.