What We Do
Midland Creative Projects Limited undertakes Project Management, Research, Consultancy, Fundraising and Training. We also Produce Live Literature Performances and undertake Writing Commissions.
We work with clients across the country, including publishers, arts organisations, literature festivals, public libraries and local authorities, broadcasters and Arts Council England regional offices. All of our work is connected with reading, writing and performance.
As well as work for clients, we run our own projects, developing creative ideas around reading, writing and performance. We are particularly interested in new ways for people to experience good writing as live literature.
Project Management
We manage a range of projects for clients in the West Midlands and around the UK. These include the West Midlands Readers’ Network, the Birmingham Book Festival and Write On! – Adventures in Writing (the Birmingham Book Festival’s regional Creative Writing in Education programme). We have just finished our third live literature tour: Changing Lives and we managed this year’s Library + Information Show’s Seminar Programme (23 – 24 April 2008). In February 2008 we ran a talk radio project for twenty young people aged 16 to 19, working with New Style Radio and funded by Mediabox. In March 2008 we devised and managed four days of creative writing activities for Year 6 children in Solihull Primary Schools.
Research / Consultancy / Fundraising / Training
We undertake research and consultancy for organisations in the UK and Ireland. This can include preparing reports and proposals and also drafting funding applications for Arts Council England and other funders.
This year we have worked with the Bluecoat Arts Centre in Liverpool developing plans for their literature programme (including a successful GFA bid to Arts Council England), with Cumbria County Council on their work to support new writing and with the Swindon Festival of Literature on securing future funding.
We have just finished working with Poole and Bournemouth Borough Councils on a Literature Development Framework and are working with Warwickshire County Council on planning and delivering a family readers and writers festival for the north of the county. We are in the middle of a fascinating piece of research for Arts Council England West Midlands on Literature Development in the region and are currently working with Nottingham Writers’ Studio on a business plan and funding programme.
We regularly devise and deliver training projects for public libraries and related organisations. These include literature development and reader development training for library staff and live literature production for arts organisations. We are shortly to delivery staff training for Galway Libraries in Eire and for Cambridgeshire Libraries.
Writing / Producing
Jonathan Davidson has had six radio plays broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3; most recently Icarus, Falling (R4, 25th July 2007). He has adapted Mary Webb’s novel Precious Bane for Interplay Theatre to tour to special schools and arts centres during 2008. He is producer of three live literature touring performances. Sara Beadle has worked as a script editor for the Birmingham theatre company Deep Impact and is currently working on her first novel.