Family-friendly events aimed at celebrating local history coming to Smethwick

Made in Smethwick is a season of free events and activities taking place across Smethwick and the wider area.

Starting in May, the events will explore and celebrate the richness of Smethwick’s industrial heritage.

Made in Smethwick is part of a wider mission by Chance Heritage Trust to raise the cultural profile of disused former industrial sites, such as Chance Brothers Glassworks, and give them a new lease of life within the community by bringing them back into use.

There will be an event for everyone, including guided walks and trips to local historic landmarks, to photography lessons and craft workshops.

John Montague, director at Chance Heritage Trust, said: "Made in Smethwick is a chance for us all to discover new stories about our town and the surrounding area, our canals, railways, factories, buildings and, most importantly, our people.

The first events begin on May 8 and will run throughout the summer.

Families will be able to unleash their creativity in a series of ‘make your own’ workshops, learning how to recreate old recipes, using famous engineering ideas from the town’s history to create something new, or testing their detective skills to solve ‘history cold cases’ relating to the region’s industrial past.

Adults and teens will also be able to join guided walks and visit historic places, museums, and some of the region’s most iconic industrial buildings.

The programme will also feature talks, classes, and workshops on a range of topics, from how to research your family history, to photographing historic buildings.

Henry Chance, director and vice chairman at Chance Heritage Trust, said: "Despite closing forty years ago, the Chance glassworks still continues to retain a place in the minds and the hearts of the people of Smethwick, both of those who had a direct association with the firm and those who benefited from the decades of community enhancement.

"The extensive programme of events and activities over the Spring and Summer will be an exciting opportunity for local people to hear the story but also to tell their own tales, this is heritage in action."

Local residents will also be able to come together to share memories of what it was like to live, work, and grow up in the town across different generations, and even take part in a community-wide effort to map where things that were made in Smethwick ended up around the world.

As well as reconnecting communities with these disused spaces and creating opportunities for people to discover the history of their neighbourhood, Made in Smethwick hopes to encourage people to share memories, forge new connections, and shape proposals for their future.

It is being supported by the Community Renewal Fund, and is being delivered in partnership by Chance Heritage Trust and DigVentures, with contributors from The Living Memory Project, University of Birmingham, The Jessop Consultancy, and many local cultural groups and social organisations, including charities, faith-based organisations, volunteer groups, and heritage-based bodies.

Narinder Singh Rai, longstanding community organiser and Chance Heritage Trust Volunteer, said: "Industrial heritage is so important to this area, and we’re really excited to be bringing such a lively series of events for people of all generations to discover and enjoy."