We build on a lineage of antecedent organisations and steward an important media archive of works produced by our predecessors between 1984-2011. The holdings include the archives of Birmingham Centre for Media Arts (1992-2012) and it’s antecedents: TURC Video, community arts organisation Wide Angle, Midlands Video Consortium and from 1992 Birmingham Centre For Media Arts – which t/a ‘VIVID’ until closure in 2012.   The archive encompasses materials ranging from 1980′s workers’ campaigns against discrimination, original trade union campaigns and early digital arts practice in the West Midlands region. Our stewardship is active and we encourage contemporary engagement with cultural and sub-cultural histories.

How Do We Work?

Our curatorial practice centres cultural and contextual histories builds long term relationships with artists and champions new voices.

We develop programmes to cultivate diverse talent and strengthen the creative sector

We establish academic, voluntary sector and cultural partnerships to widen the academic and social history aspects of our work.

We support a community of artists and producers to work collaboratively,  exploring processes and critical ideas.

We contextualise archives with contemporary artists practice, drawing from an innate knowledge of the subject matter and creating relevant and accessible cultural experiences for audiences.

We provide resources  including mentoring, open source, free to use digital technologies, a library, audio-visual presentation equipment and a media archive.

Alongside this, we continue to evolve the long term Birmingham Media Archive Project, exploring the tape and print archives of 1980s-90s trade union and media resource centres and collaborations between the labour movement and emerging community filmmakers, photographers, designers, academics and publishers.