Hello, and welcome to the October edition of our newsletter. There are quite a few things to cover, and we would also like to use this opportunity to thank the 80+ people who attended the Coventry Music Mixer event last week.

We have had some positive feedback and also really good ideas on how we make any future events event better. We are hoping to organise more music mixers in the future so do get in touch if you have any ideas for future themes by emailing: ArtsDevelopment@coventry.gov.uk.

Thank you to everyone who came to our Creative Industries event In June, we are now pleased to publish the full mapping report of Coventry’s Creative Industries. This report was commissioned by Coventry City Council to ensure that we have up to date data and evidence on our creative industries sectors.

The Creative Industries are focused on the more commercial end of creativity, including:

• IT, software and computer services (includes video games)
• Advertising and marketing
• Design and designer fashion
• Film, TV, radio and photography
• Museums, galleries and libraries
• Music, performing and visual arts
• Architecture
• Publishing
• Crafts

Having up to date information about these sectors is important as we now want to develop a creative industries plan for Coventry. This is particularly important as the West Midlands Combined Authority was recently allocated £25m for 3 years from 1 April 2026 onwards to support creative industries in the region.

We therefore want to ensure that some of this investment will benefit Coventry and our specific needs. A Creative Industries Plan will help to prioritise actions and highlight key opportunities and challenges  

The next steps in developing this plan will include a further engagement session on Thursday 30 October, 3:30pm, at the Council House, Earl Street, CV1 5RR - to share some of the initial thinking and to get further sector input.

To sign up, please fill in our 'What’s next for Coventry’s Creative Industries? The Next Steps' form.

We're inviting anyone from Coventry's cultural and creative sectors to join us on Wednesday 22 October 4:30pm to 6:00pm at the LTB Showrooms, Priory Visitor Centre, 6 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX, for an informal networking event, bringing together creative professionals from Coventry with a visiting cohort of 5 people from Dresden’s cultural and creative industries. 

The German delegation includes specialists in music programming and promotion, management of cultural venues, festivals, and technical innovation, who are all keen to explore collaboration, exchange ideas, and build working connections with Coventry.

This will also be a great opportunity to visit the LTB gallery space in the new-look Priory Visitor Centre, where you can enjoy the new ‘Dresden Photography’ exhibition in the medieval Undercroft.

Numbers are strictly limited so please sign up by midday on 21 October. Given the limited number of spaces, please could you only sign up if you are definitely able to attend. Attendees will receive a token for a soft drink.

October is Black History Month - a time to celebrate and learn about Black history and culture.

For 2025 the theme is “Standing Firm in Power and Pride”, a tribute to the resilience, strength and unwavering commitment to progress that defines Black communities around the world.

It celebrates the contributions of Black leaders, activists, artists and pioneers while urging us all to stand tall in our identity and purpose.

The Black History Month organisation said: “The theme focuses on 2 core values: power and pride.

“Power represents the influence, leadership, and capacity to effect positive change and acknowledges the visionaries.

"Pride reflects cultural identity, heritage, and the celebration of Black excellence. From the art and music to the stories passed through generations, pride is the heartbeat of Black communities worldwide.”

Coventry Biennial 2025 has launched

Obsessions, Possessions opened on Friday 3 October with a programme of exhibitions and events that explore the roles of collecting in art and society.

Running until 25 January, the Obsessions, Possessions programme invites a compelling collective exploration into the roles and meanings of collecting— within the sector, the community, and the studio.

Join Coventry Biennial and journey through the works of over 60 incredible artists to explore society’s shared obsessions and possessions.

See the digital guide to discover the exhibitions, artists, venues and travel information, or grab a copy in person at exhibition venues.

Coventry City Council and Coventry Libraries have announced the city's 2 new Poet Laureates for 2025 to 2027.

The Adult Poet Laureate has been named as Andrea Mbarushimana and the Young Poet Laureate is Diamond Kayode-Osunlana.

Coventry Libraries will be presenting a launch event in October 2025 to celebrate their successful laureates and thank all those who took part.

The Coventry Poet Laureate and Coventry Young Poet Laureate are honorary positions which involve writing poems to commemorate significant moments, giving performances of their work and encouraging an interest in poetry across the city. The posts will run until 2 October 2027 at which date 2 new Poets Laureate will be appointed. Both positions are appointed every 2 years.

Coventry City Council and partners are developing a new strategy for physical activity. This means helping more people to move, play sport, and enjoy being active. We want everyone in Coventry to have the chance to be healthier.

The strategy will guide how we can:

• help more adults, children and young people get active – especially in areas where fewer people currently do
• bring together local groups, clubs and people who can support you to be active
• close the gap in health between the most and least advantaged communities in Coventry

It is important that we also capture physical activity taking place within the cultural sector – including things like dance – but also how cultural activities could help people to be more active in general. This will help us to make the case for how the new physical activity strategy should support activities taking place in the cultural sector.

It would therefore be great if you could fill in the ‘Let’s Talk Movement’ survey below - this will help us develop the strategy and should only take 5 minutes – and the deadline for completion is Sunday 2 November 2025.

The survey will cover areas such as:

• how much physical activity you do now
• what makes it difficult for you to be active
• what would help you move

Coventry City Council is inviting volunteers, families, schools, community groups, and individuals to take part in a unique and powerful creative project this November, as part of the Coventry Blitz 85th anniversary programme.

Join internationally acclaimed artist Olivier Grossetête and his team in constructing a spectacular large-scale cardboard structure that commemorates the 85^th Coventry Blitz and celebrates the community spirit that helped rebuild the city.

This amazing temporary landmark will rise as a symbol of remembrance, resilience, and the extraordinary strength found in unity. World-renowned artist Olivier will reimagine Coventry Cathedral in a bold and imaginative interpretation from thousands of pieces of cardboard.

Yet the true wonder of this project lies not only in its stunning visual impact, but in the spirit behind it: a whole community coming together in peace, creativity, and solidarity.

The BBC has signed a new memorandum of understanding [MOU] with Richard Parker, Mayor of West Midlands, West Midlands Combined Authority [WMCA] and Create Central, as part of its Across the UK Strategy.

The landmark agreement sets out a significant expansion of BBC production investment to further support creative growth in the West Midlands, working with WMCA, Create Central and local partners to promote the region as a centre of creative excellence to the wider industry. It will ensure BBC network television production spend in the West Midlands almost doubles from £24m to £40m a year by the end of 2027.

Recent analysis commissioned by the BBC shows that the Corporation's additional investment in the West Midlands, since 2021, will bring an additional £282m of economic benefit to the region by 2031 and will grow further following the MOU. The agreement with the BBC to bring more TV productions to the region will also benefit local creatives.

ERIC is hosting its biggest online careers event yet in celebration of Discover! Creative Careers Month!

Every weekday in November, from 9am to 12pm tune in to hear from 150+ speakers representing leading creative employers and educators, including Burberry, Netflix, Sony Music, and Penguin Books.

Registrations are now live for Schools, Colleges and Universities to register student attendance.

Speakers will share insights into creative career pathways, highlight opportunities across the sector, and give young people practical guidance and tips to help them get started. All sessions will also be available on demand via the ERIC app, so students can catch up anytime.