Date: Tuesday 5th February 2025
Time: 10:00am-4:00pm
Location: Black Country Living Museum, Discovery Way, Dudley, DY1 4AL
One year on from our inaugural summit we are once again in a new landscape, but as a sector we have made the conditions and taken action to ensure we can continue to work collectively for culture in the region.
Co-created by over 125 leaders from the regions cultural sector at our last summit, Collectively Strategising Culture outlines our priorities and ambitions as a sector in the West Midlands. This plan has been designed to create a shared sense of direction, purpose and responsibility to ourselves and our stakeholders.
Join us at our 2025 summit to hear about the actions we have taken together so far: and begin to work together on the next parts of our plan:
A unique and distinctive West Midlands that reaches across the world.
Creativity at the heart of education and lifelong learning and clear creative career pathways
Infrastructure and mobility for Culture
Announcing our Summit 2025 Keynote Speakers:
Richard Parker - Mayor of the West Midlands, West Midlands Combined Authority
Richard Parker was elected as Mayor of the West Midlands in 2024. He is chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). He is currently in office until May 2028. He is a qualified public finance accountant, who joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1989, working his way up to become a partner and the company’s lead on housing and communities. From 2010 to 2015 he led the firm’s relationship with the Labour Party, working closely with the Shadow Front Bench.
Laura Dyer MBE - Deputy Chief Executive Places, Engagement & Libraries, Arts Council England
Laura Dyer MBE leads on the growing agenda around local government, devolution and place-making, as well as overall leadership of all five of the Arts Council’s area teams. Before joining the Arts Council, Laura was Chief Executive of East Midlands Arts Board. Until 2010, when she became Executive Director Midlands and South West, she held the post of Executive Director, East Midlands. During her time in the East Midlands, Laura led a capital development programme which transformed the region's cultural landscape, with a total investment of over £130 million creating six new arts and cultural facilities. Laura joined the Arts Council in 2003 and is an Executive Board member.
Ama Agbeze MBE
Ama Agbeze is an accomplished athlete, holding 100 caps for her country. As former England Netball captain, she led her team to historic victories, including a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2018. A passionate advocate for youth empowerment and education, she currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at Birmingham Children’s Trust, where she helps guide the strategic direction of services supporting children and families across the region.
Who will be there?
This event is for those leading culture in the West Midlands, including CEO’s, Executive and Artistic Directors in all scales of organisation as well as individuals leading change in the sector. Our definition of leadership at Culture Central is not limited to experience or seniority.
We welcome anyone who has an interest in the role of creativity and culture in regional development and strategy.
The summit is our annual member’s conference, developed and guided in partnership with them. This has enabled an inclusive pricing structure to support the wider sector ecology and we have a number of options available to members, non-members, affiliates and freelancers to attend.
Cost: (non-members)
£50 +VAT for organisations
£20 + VAT for individual affiliates /freelancers /micro-organisations / and those on low incomes
Member Spaces:
Band 1-3 Members - Turnover £1-4m
Four free places*
Band 7-4 Members - Turnover Under £1m
Two free places*
Individual member
1 free place* **
*Our events are often over-subscribed, and we want to make sure everyone who would like to attend can join us. Please note that non-attendance or cancellation of a free place with less than 48 hours’ notice (with reasonable exemptions) will result in us issuing your organisation with an invoice for £50 for irrecoverable venue and catering costs.
**We have 5 bursaries of £100 available to support individual freelance members to attend. These are prioritised for those who financial barriers to attending and will be available on a ‘trust based’ first come first served basis. Please email info@culturecentral.co.uk if you would like this bursary.