Troubled gallery breaks visitor records. 

The Public in West Bromwich is celebrating a record-breaking summer with usernumbers up 33% on last year and the opening of the New Square shopping centre leading to many first-time visitors to the gallery .

Throughout the six week school holiday period some 53,825 people visited the Black Country venue, explored the gallery’s exhibitions, took part in a number of family workshops, and enjoyed a wide of range of free live performances. With a different creative workshop taking place daily, children and young people have been able to try their hand at a wide range of activities from film making to soft play, gaming to photography, drama to den building.

Visitors exploring the gallery’s free exhibitions have been equally as impressed.  The Summer Show, a collection of artworks from over 125 Sandwell artists has been described as “excellent” with “a great variety of wonderful, enjoyable images”. Ordinary/Extra/Ordinary, featuring work by Turner Prize recognised artists Tracey Emin, Jeremy Deller and Martin Creed has drawn further appreciation  from visitors.

Throughout the summer holidays a free eclectic festival of street theatre regularly drew huge crowds to the venue. WOW Festival, curated by Freshold Theatre, featured a diverse mix of acts from dance and live music to circus performers and magicians, in a celebration of local creative talent.