Re. Future work to create a creative community space which is safe, friendly and accessible. To achieve this we need to look beyond ourselves and support initiatives that address issues affecting our local community.

Community Safety Meetings

Over lockdown we noted a significant increase in antisocial behaviour in the local area including begging gangs, cars parking and driving dangerously and disorder in the street.

We asked our Local Police Team, the Birmingham City Council Antisocial Behaviour Team, local businesses and third sector organisations to get together and start tackling issues directly. We now meet once every two months to discuss issues, support statutory services to support us and enable our local community to have a say in how their area is looked after.

Broadband Poles Objection

In 2023 we woke up one day to find a circle and cross splodged outside Perrott’s Folly. We soon realised we had been earmarked for a monstrous 10 meter pole outside the Folly, despite this being in breach of planning regulations. This started an 18 month campaign to stop the Alt Net responsible from putting unnecessary poles outside places of significant heritage and people’s homes in the local area. We already have adequate fibre provision and understood the poles to be cheaper, not the only option. We don’t like things being forced upon the Folly, our organisation or our community, so we said ‘No’. Following a mix of campaigning, protesting and emails, our local MP has just raised the issue in a debate in parliament.

https://twitter.com/PreetKGillMP/status/1870791013813661989

Birmingham City Council Funding Cuts

We were devastated by the announcement of the section 106 funding for our local community. Many experience pronounced financial disadvantage and would be deeply impacted by the cuts to services. To have such a significant cut to cultural funding is a huge blow to not only our building, but the sector more broadly. The Arts are notoriously wobbly and it is difficult to make a living within it. We attended a protest to advocate for cultural funding, wrote to Max Caller and continue to advocate for how impactful the creative industries are for our city and participants. ‘Culture is Vital’.