This autumn we are delighted to announce support from The John Feeney Charitable Trust towards a new project with Birmingham Libraries. Part of a programme of archival research, We Did It Together brings Internationally acclaimed artist Gary Stewart to Birmingham to lead a series of creative digital workshops in community libraries. Gary is known for his innovative practice spanning art, technology, and social engagement, and will be delving deep into our archive of 1980s-90s materials capturing the history and strength of Birmingham’s working-class communities, to explore themes which will act as a catalyst for the workshops.

Gary says “I’m very excited to be part of this project. I grew up in Balsall Heath and attended Moseley School of Art before Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham in the early 1980’s, sharing a flat with artists Keith Piper and Donald Rodney. After graduating I worked with Jubilee – part of a network of organisations that included Vivid Projects antecedents TURC Video and Wide Angle. My interest in engaging with people  whose stories are untold or forgotten originates here. This participatory experience is intended as a space to re-work and re-appropriate archival material and support multiple points of entry to facilitate new lines of enquiry into British politics and media”.

Participants can bring their own stories to the workshops, connecting lived experiences and community memories with the archive films and audio recordings that resonate with them. We are particularly excited to share that Gary will introduce participants to the Materialities Montage Mixer, which was first made by the artist for The Ghosts of Songs – A Retrospective of the Black Audio Film Collective in 2007. The artist will support participants to share spoken memories and experiences, opinions and reflections as well as visual materials.