Soul City Arts celebrates Elevate Grant with immersive Zoom session

Just before COVID-19 hit the world, we at Soul City Arts had shared the news of our ‘Elevate’ award from the Arts Council England. Elevate focuses on organisational development and resilience and as recipients, will see Soul City Arts grow its oraganizational capacities.

We were due to gather for a celebration in our studio, but due to the lockdown, all of our plans changed. Instead, we chose to deliver this celebration online on Zoom.

Artistic Director, Mohammed Ali said, “During the dark days of lockdown, we have been developing a highly distinctive live stream format, translating our characteristic social engagement with a unique immersive feel.  So do enjoy watching back our immersive Zoom session”.

With a global audience of participants and key leaders in the arts from across Birmingham and beyond, our celebration event offered an insight into a decade of arts programming in the city and further afield.

Watch the celebration back in video

Testimonials from event participants

“It was an honour to be a part of your celebration to look back on some of those meaningful projects and to also look to your future and the purposeful things you have planned” – Lucy Canham

“Having attend a research meeting earlier in the day of a think tank I’m on the Board of, which was really interesting but the Zoom form is becoming so deadening that I struggled to focus properly, it was really nice to feel thoroughly engaged by a Zoom event. You really are an inspiration”. – Catherine Roe

“Deffo made me want to be more involved with SCA and to support the work” – Dan Jackson

“I haven’t seen a zoom production like it. Most beautiful, creative use of the platform, including transfixing music, which could transform the meaning of art in our temporarily digital world. Holding our attention is more difficult than ever and mine was captured for the entire session”. – Hannah Green

“The event was a testament to the network Mohammed has created and the promise that Soul City Arts will continue to grow creatively” – Participant

“It was great! I live on Zoom Teams etc and it’s quite lonely. Great to feel part of something powerful!” – Johanne Clifton

“Simply amazing. Didn’t take my eyes off it. Haven’t seen anything like it” – Saad Awan

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