A major survey will take place this month to discover how people experience arts and culture in their everyday lives in the West Midlands. Respondents will be asked what cultural activities they have taken part in during one 24 hour period, from noon on Friday 24th to noon on Saturday 25th October 2014. Residents across the region, from cities to rural areas, are encouraged to fill in the short questionnaire at www.24hourculture.co.uk 

The 24 Hour Culture Survey has been commissioned by the West Midlands’ What Next? group of arts organisations including WCE partners and collaborators Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Birmingham REP, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Royal Shakespeare Company, Talking Birds and Warwick Arts Centre.

It is hoped that the findings will be used to inform arts policy in forthcoming years, both by the organisations themselves but also by local authorities and government. Findings from the 24 Hour Culture Survey will be analysed by experts at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Audience Insight team and will be released before the end of 2014.

You can find a trailer to the survey at: http://youtu.be/cwHOJ9_77wg

For further information, contact:

Helen Stallard, Co-ordinator, 24 Hour Culture Survey

T: 0774 033 9604

E: helen@helenstallard.co.uk

'All Roads Lead to Coventry' was an event initiated by Warwick Creative Exchange, and co-organised with Warwick Arts Centre and Coventry Artspace, to explore how arts and culture can help to build a thriving city that draws in its visitors and nourishes its citizens. It brought together artists and cultural producers, Coventry City Council officers, and academics from Warwick and Coventry Universities, in a series of walks through the city on 16th September.

To find out more, visit our Events page.

The video of WCE's event, 'The Audience as Co-producer: Re-thinking the role of the artist and authorship in the digital era', is now available on the Events page of this website. Watch it and then send your comments to our blog or tweet #wcecopro . We hope you find it as interesting as we did!

WCE's event 'The Audience as Co-producer: Re-thinking the role of the artist and authorship in the digital era' took place at AE Harris (home of Stan's Cafe) in Birmingham on Tuesday 20^th May. Despite a prolonged deluge of rain - which chose our travel time as the best moment to drench us! - many hardy souls arrived to hear contributions from Annette Mees, Co-director of interactive theatre-makers, Coney (http://coneyhq.org/) and Sam Underwood, musician, sound artist, and artist-in-residence at THSH Birmingham (www.mrunderwood.co.uk). The event was opened by Chris Bilton, Director of the Centre for Cultural Policy Studies at University of Warwick, and the speakers all triggered a stimulating discussion with the audience.

A film of the event will be on our website very soon - so keep a lookout for it!

WCE invites you to:

'The Audience as Co-producer: Re-thinking the role of the artist and authorship in the digital era'

Tuesday 20^th May, 6-8pm

At AE Harris (home of Stan's Cafe), 110 Northwood St, Birmingham B31. http://www.aeharrisvenue.co.uk/directions.html

With

Annette Mees, Co-director of interactive theatre-makers, Coney (http://coneyhq.org/)

Sam Underwood, musician, sound artist, and artist-in-residence at THSH Birmingham (www.mrunderwood.co.uk)

Come and explore questions such as 'Can digital tools and crowd-sourcing enhance and develop collaborations between artists and their audiences?', 'What new forms of collaboration between artists and audiences are being developed without the use of digital technology?'

There will also be time after the presentations and discussion for networking and conversations over drinks.

Please RSVP to wce@warwick.ac.uk by Monday 12th May.