Midlands Arts Centre and Red Earth Collective CIC launch creative health project for Black men

In 2025, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and The Red Earth Collective CIC, an organisation led by MAC Associate Artist Sandra Griffiths, will be working in partnership to deliver a new creative health project: Build It. This vital initiative will support Black African and Caribbean men with and at risk of mental health problems, and has been made possible by a grant awarded from Baring Foundation.

Both MAC and Sandra have years of experience working together. Since 2018, they have produced a number of creative mental health events for global-majority communities, including The StereoHype African and Caribbean Arts Festival (2020, 2023, 2024), the premiere of Revealed (2019), Windrush Celebration Concert (2022) and the ongoing StereoHype Social programme. The latter offers training and performing opportunities for emerging creatives with lived experience of mental health issues.

Build It was developed in response to a severe lack of provision, understanding and representative support for Black men with mental health problems in the West Midlands. Over a two-and-a-half-year period, the project will deliver regular creative workshops in community settings, featuring activities such as acting, music-production, spoken-word, drumming and music. This will culminate in an end-of-project showcase, with an exciting performance produced by Build It participants.

Deborah Kermode, CEO and Artistic Director, Midlands Arts Centre, said:

“MAC has always been a warm and welcoming space - with events, courses and performances reflecting upon and changing to meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve. Mental health and well-being activities and programmes for underrepresented communities is central to our artistic vision, so no-one is left behind”.

Sandra Griffiths, Director, Red Earth Collective CIC, said:

“We really welcome the opportunity to work with colleagues at the MAC on such an exciting project. Our work is all about using the arts to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination experienced by global majority people and we are looking forward to working with men in our communities to create some fantastic new art together”.

Baring Foundation

We are extremely thankful to Baring Foundation for their transformative gift of £50,000. The Foundation launched their grant fund to improve the rates of male participation in arts activities, with the purpose of finding out more about male engagement with the arts. They are committed to supporting creative activity which benefits men experiencing mental health problems.