Up in the air

High up on its top floor of The Public in West Bromwich, there is a network of regional organisations and small companies occupying what are known as the “lily pads”. Definitely not for the vertigo-afflicted, each lily pad is a semi-enclosed space with curved partitions – no doors or walls – strung out and interconnected with narrow walkways, suspended above a cavernous void and the main galleries. Each lily pad is home to a different creative organisation, and this new community is thriving within a building which is rapidly establishing itself as the region’s leading artistic hub.

The Public is a creative, community and cultural space in the West Midlands’ Black Country, which now plays host to residents including Black Country Touring, Changing Our Lives, Inquisitive Explorers, Stage Electrics and The Change Consortium. There is already a waiting list of others who are eager to be part of the community.

It took a while for the lily pads to find their purpose. They were always part of the vision for the building, but early discussions with a university and then with a commercial letting agent attempting to define their purpose came to nothing. For a while it seemed that the lily pads would remain a great idea but be forever bogged down with insurmountable practical concerns such as storage, security, privacy and ambient noise.

Managing Director Linda Saunders, who has been leading The Public for the last three years, was determined to make the lily pads integral to the organisation and part of the building’s ecosystem. Accepting that a purely commercial approach was not the answer, Saunders and the team set about attracting partners who would pay to a certain level for the space, but who would benefit from being part of a much larger endeavour.

The benefits are obvious. Professional touring theatre and dance organisation Black Country Touring made the move from a traditional white box “four walls and a door” office space, and after some trepidation about the new environment, embraced the communal atmosphere of the lily pads. The direct outcome of Black Country Touring’s relocation is that it can work together with The Public on projects including Kali Theatre’s ‘Behna’, for which The Public provided box office, marketing and practical support. The lily pads indirectly led to this collaboration, and we now meet regularly with them and all our other tenants to explore options for working and collaborating together.

Another success story is a recent project with Multistory, who are working with photographer Martin Parr on their four year project “Black Country Stories”. Multistory made the move to the lily pads, and what followed was a new partnership with The Public which led to the hosting of Parr’s exhibition, and a public vote to retain the six most popular images to become part of the The Public’s permanent collection.

Changing Our Lives support people with learning disabilities of all ages, working across Birmingham and the Black Country. Since relocating to The Public, the organisation has developed its arts activities, and now regularly hosts open mic sessions in the building, as well a new mentoring scheme.

The lily pad residents are often to be found in The Public’s ground floor cafe space “Pink Tank”, and it is sometimes serendipity that sparks conversations and new thinking. There are literally “water cooler” moments as well, as all the residents share a kitchen space, and The Public ensures that regular meetings take place to develop ways of working and joint long-term plans.

So what next for The Public and its growing creative community? The lily pads are now fully occupied, but Saunders has a plan to put some unused open office space on a lower level to good use as a drop-in location for organisations who are based elsewhere but wish to establish a foothold in the region.

If you are visiting The Public, when you walk through the main doors, look up at the ceiling and you will see the lily pads. They may not be on view, but up there in the air is a rather unusual and thriving creative community.