In no particular order …
1) The Symposium on Multistory’s ‘Black Country Stories’ explored recent commissions with photographers, writers and filmmakers through talks and discussion. It brought together international speakers, Martin Parr (UK), Margaret Drabble (UK), Hans Eijkelboom (NL), David Goldblatt (SA), Susie Parr (UK) and Mark Power (UK), to speak about their work in response to the Black Country, its people and communities. It was hosted by Plymouth Photography Research Group at Plymouth University.
2) The ‘Black Country Man’ book launch in June 15, was a special event for project participants and their friends and family. As well as the presentation of the book, there were speeches, a song and Cradley Heath’s finest bread pudding. The event celebrated a wonderful publication that tells many different men’s stories in their own words, along with a selection of images by renowned photographers and historic archival collections. The book is available to buy from our shop. More images from the launch can be seen here.
3) In June 15, the sun was shining, live music blaring and food lovingly prepared for ‘The Big Lunch‘ event, organised with Brushstrokes in Sandwell, as part of photographer Liz Hingley’s Multistory commission. The one-day neighbourly get-together was a celebration of the home cooking fusions of the many different ethnic groups living in the Victorian terraces of Smethwick in the Black Country.
4) It was standing room only for Multistory’s ‘Black Country Stories’ talk at Port Eliot Festival in July 15. Documentary photographer Martin Parr, author Margaret Drabble and writer Susie Parr, presented aspects of their work with Multistory, and joined Emma Chetcuti (Director of Multistory) and David Chandler (Professor of Photography at Plymouth University) in conversation to consider the programme’s wider impact and achievements.
5) We rolled out the red carpet at The Odeon in West Bromwich in September 15, for the movie premiere of Daniel Meadows’ Multistory commission, ‘High Street Stories’, which showed to a packed out cinema. The film caught the attention of BBC West Midlands who broadcast live from outside the cinema and interviewed Daniel and Mandy Price, the owner of Wizard T-shirt Printing based in the West Brom indoor market. See the coverage here.
6) Tipton residents who took part in the project brought their friends and families to receive their complementary copy of Mahtab Hussain’s book The Quiet Town of Tipton at its launch in September, 15 at the annual Tipton Community Funday. The well-attended event reflected the strong relationships Mahtab developed during his two year Multistory commission in the Black Country.
7) In September 15, Magnum Photographer, Martin Parr paid a visit to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre in Dudley to open an exhibition showing a selection of his photographs from his four year Black Country Stories Multistory commission. Martin also gave a talk to photography students from Dudley College and presented the archive box of his Dudley photographs to Dudley Archives. A box of archive prints, specific to each geographical area, has also been given to Sandwell Council, Walsall Council and Wolverhampton City Council to leave a permanent record of Martin’s work in the Black Country for future generations.
8) We are delighted that Susie Parr’s specially commissioned Multistory project Black Country Allotment Society was ‘Highly Commended’ at the British Book Design & Production Awards (Self Published Category) 2015
Sneak a quick peek at Black Country Allotment Society by @Multistory – #BBDPA Self-Published Book Finalist pic.twitter.com/x61PboADV4
— BBD&PAwards (@BBDPAwards) November 23, 2015