Sarah Brown, a renowned glass artist and illustrator, has been commissioned as the artist in residence for a new creative project in Woodrow. Sarah will co-create new artworks with Woodrow people, which will celebrate the Woodrow community. 

The Love Woodrow project aims to use creativity to bring people together, boost health and wellbeing, enhance pride in the area, and brighten up the Woodrow Centre with public art. 

Sarah is known for her ability to create location-specific artwork, having previously worked on public projects such as illustrations on bin lorries and student accommodation in Tufnell Park, London.

The ambition and impact of Sarah’s art has been recognised internationally where her work has been exhibited at prestigious venues like the British Glass Biennale, Collect Art Fair in London, and Habatat Galleries in the USA. This autumn, Sarah will also exhibit work at the prestigious British Glass Biennale (in Wolverhampton) and at this year’s Biennale in Venice.

Sarah’s vision for Love Woodrow is clear: "Woodrow has a fantastic community spirit with lots going on, and I want to work with people in the neighbourhood to celebrate their stories through creativity. Creating celebratory artworks that highlight the best things about the area, the people who are pillars of the community, and to give some love to the centre." 

Richard Bromhall, Programme Director for Reimagine Redditch, said: "We're thrilled that Sarah Brown is leading the Love Woodrow project. Sarah is not only a highly talented creative professional, exhibiting her creative work all over the world, but she is also an artist that makes work with communities. She was commissioned by a community panel who are from and work in Woodrow. This is what Reimagine Redditch is all about. We can’t wait to see what they create together.”

As part of her commitment to the Love Woodrow project, Sarah plans to work closely with residents. "Throughout the project I will meet and talk to as many people within the area as possible, getting to know the locals, finding out what makes Woodrow a great place to live, and celebrating the community spirit and those who help. As an area of low cultural engagement, I will provide a range of ways to engage with creativity. With a particular emphasis on having fun and promoting the arts as a great way to boost your wellbeing." 

Sarah will work with community organisations to engage residents across the neighbourhood. The artworks will be created together with the artist in residence and the people of Woodrow, reimagining their neighbourhood creatively. This co-creation process will ensure that the work is relevant to the community and is owned by them. 

The Love Woodrow project, which will begin in September, is a collaboration between Severn Arts and Reimagine Redditch. The initiative is supported by a £69,000 grant from the Inclusive Communities Fund — a £9 million initiative inspired by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Are you from Woodrow? And do you want to get involved in this project? Contact Reimagine Redditch here to share your ideas and sign up to Reimagine Redditch’s mailing list or follow them on social media.