Today, The Public in West Bromwich received £8,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project, Places and Faces, themed around the social and cultural history of cinemas and dance halls in West Bromwich, Sandwell and The Black Country – and the people who remember them.
The Public
Places and Faces will provide visitors to The Public, local community groups and historical societies, with a unique opportunity to learn about and participate in developing and celebrating these historical venues, (dating back from around 1932 and up to 2002), through living memory stories and photographs.
Volunteers from local historical societies, schools and community groups will work with The Public, to capture people’s memories of the borough’s old heritage and showcase it in an exciting and inspiring community venue. Through a range of workshops, talks and research, the project will enable the development of new skills and empower others to learn about and participate in their local heritage.
Commenting on the award, Linda Saunders, Managing Director of The Public said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, providing the community with an opportunity to discover more about their local heritage.”
Reyahn King, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “What better way of capturing the community’s memories of visits to the cinema and the dance hall in years gone by than recording their reminiscences and collating old photographs? This project will recruit volunteers and train them in a range of skills so they can help conserve a community memoir of life and leisure time in past decades.”
[otw_is sidebar=otw-sidebar-1]