What spaces and places can unlock culture-led renewal in the West Midlands?

24 July 2025

The Black Country boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall are rich in heritage, culture and creativity. From the Black Country Living Museum to the UNESCO Global Geopark and from Sandwell’s Brierley Hill Civic Hall to Walsall’s Creative Industries Enterprise Centre, these places hold powerful potential to drive inclusive growth and cultural renewal.

Working with Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy,West Midlands Combined Authority and local partners, we’ve been exploring how to unlock that potential—starting in Dudley, the capital of the Black Country.

With its industrial legacy, strong visitor economy of 380,000 visitors and +£273m annual spend and iconic destinations like the Glass Quarter and Wren’s Nest, Dudley is well-placed to lead a culture-driven renewal. But with creative sector employment in decline, strategic action is needed.

That’s why we’ve proposed an asset-based approach to cultural infrastructure.

Dudley is placing culture and the creative industries at the heart of its vision for sustainable development—driving economic diversification, inclusive growth, and improved wellbeing, mobility, and life chances for its residents.

Here’s what the opportunity in Dudley looks like:

Opening access to green and blue spaces through its Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark status
Investing in culture-linked visitor destinations along new Metro routes
Reimagining heritage buildings for community and creativity
Empowering libraries, halls and centres as local cultural hubs
Revitalising town centres with public art and creative uses
Improving access and flexibility of spaces
Supporting creative skills, education and jobs in cultural education, workspaces and pathways into creative industries

“These cultural infrastructure opportunity frameworks provide each set of partners with a robust evidence base, clear project pipeline, and strategic next steps to unlock the potential of their cultural assets as drivers of social and economic growth—both locally and across the region.

It was a pleasure to work collaboratively with each local authority, their cultural practitioners and providers, and the West Midlands Combined Authority on this important piece of work.”

Eve Avdoulos, Senior Associate, We Made That

The report identifies place-based opportunities to enhance cultural space provision in the borough, by addressing specific gaps and needs, and leveraging unique strengths. Dudley’s diverse and dispersed population spans a network of town centres with unique identities, assets, and challenges. Localised deprivation — particularly in Lye, Brierley Hill, and Dudley Town — reinforces the need for accessible, community-defined cultural spaces, such as libraries, indoor markets, and town halls.

Priority assets to support renewal include a mix of existing cultural spaces and vacant spaces that can be better utilised for culture.

The combined authority, council and Dudley’s creative and cultural partners, communities, businesses, and key public and private stakeholders will take a series of coordinated actions to ensure successful delivery of the projects outlined.

Image credits: Creative Black Country and Katja Ogrin, Black Country Living Museum and Sonia Sabri