Frames of Mind

We are very excited to be hosting a new storytelling, nature and wellbeing project “Frames of Mind” with Peter Chand and Kirsten Milliken at Caldmore Community Garden in partnership with The New Art Gallery Walsall.

Come and explore how the garden and outdoor spaces can enhance mental well-being and restore balance.

Booking is essential, please email caldmoregarden@gmail.com or message us on social media

Frames of Mind with Peter Chang Storyteller and Kirsten Milliken Scottish Storyteller and Artist

An exciting Storytelling and Nature Art project exploring how the garden and outdoor spaces can enhance mental wellbeing and restore balance

In these sessions you will be creating your own stories and enhancing your frames with natural materials found in the gardens.

Maximum number of participants is 15

Suitable for adults; you have to attend all three workshops:

12.30pm – 2pm Caldmore Community Garden

10th March 2026

7th April 2026

14th April 2026

February 2026 Half Term Activity in the Garden

Looking for relaxed, creative activities for the kids this February half-term? Come and spend time outdoors with us at Caldmore Community Garden, Tuesday – Saturday from 11am until 12, enjoying nature, crafts, and hands-on fun in a friendly community space.

🌱 Tuesday 17th – Gardening

Get stuck in with planting, digging, and learning how to care for our garden together.

💘 FULLY BOOKED!! Wednesday 18th – Valentine Science THIS IS NOW FULLY BOOKED!!

Fun, simple science experiments with a Valentine twist — perfect for curious minds!

🎨 Thursday 19th – Mosaic Art

Create colourful mosaic artwork to take home using tiles and mixed materials.

🦔 Friday 20th – Clay Animals Crafts

Shape and sculpt your own clay animal creations — messy, creative fun encouraged!

🔥 Saturday 21st – Campfire (Booking required)

Gather around the fire, toast marshmallows, and enjoy a cosy end to the week.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦This is suitable for all children and families and its a relaxed, welcoming environment.

Apple Wassail 2026

Saturday 17th January 2026

We really enjoyed our first event of the year, starting off with an excellent pruning workshop from Sally Cunningham and Yoke Van der Meer.

Thank you to everyone who took part and helped to prune our fruit trees. Also a big thank you to Laura and Holly from Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust for the amazing nature crafts.

To everyone who took part in our Wassail by creating a cacophony around the fruit trees with the shakers they’d made with Monika and joining in the songs around the campfire with the beautiful performance of traditional wassail songs from Ash Mandrake.

As ever, a big thank you to our volunteers and the staff at Caldmore Community Garden for making it all happen. The event was funded by Reaching Communities.

Photography by Julia Kazmierczak (one of our Young Person Volunteers)

Garden Video – Creative Brief

We are looking to commission a video to promote our project to the wider community and present it to our existing and potential funders. The focus of the video is children’s and young people’s journey and growing with the Garden, and to share the work we do with support from The National Lottery Community Fund and other funders.

Please e-mail caldmoregarden@gmail.com with your expressions of interest by Friday 30th January.

Download the brief:

October Half Term Holiday Activities at the Garden!

Half Term Holiday Activities at Caldmore Community Garden

Free Entry!

Wednesday 29th October // 11am -2pm

Lantern Making workshop with Sam Hale from Bostin’ Arts, no booking required!

Thursday 30th October // 11am – 2pm

Powered by Can – art workshops for all the family! No booking required!

Friday 31st October // 11am – 2pm

Movie screening of a movie about wizards at a School of Magic (booking required)

11am – 2pm

Followed by Harry Potter Event, 5pm – 7pm Free entry!

Saturday 1st November // 11am – 12.45pm & 1.15pm – 3pm

Dance & movement workshop with Autin Dance (booking required)

phone: 07384112507

email: caldmoregarden@gmail.com

Gardening workshop with Garden Organic

Encouraging Biodiversity with Garden Organic on Tuesday 21st October 2025

Garden Organic will be delivering a workshop at Caldmore Cummunity Garden on Tuesday 21st October
12pm – 3pm

Garden Organic workshop at Caldmore Community Garden
21st October
12-3pm
Encouraging Biodiversity
Trainer: Caroline Nettleford

– The importance of biodiversity for your growing and the
environment
– How to make your garden more biodiverse and wildlife
friendly
– Choosing plants and growing methods to attract different species

please book your free space emailing caldmoregarden@gmail.com or WhatsApp on 07384112705

This workshop is free and funded through National Lottery Community Fund

Festival of Lights 2025

We are excited to announce this year’s Festival of Lights programme!

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November 2025

Caldmore Village Festival presents : Festival of Lights 2025

A weekend of creativity! Free! 8th-9th November

A weekend of creativity and performing arts in Caldmore to light up all the community!

Saturday 8th November 2025

4.30pm // Family Lantern making workshop, with artist Daya Bhatti. 5+ with adult supervision (email caldmoregarden@gmail.com or whatsapp 07871813252)

6pm // Mr Shadow: Hand Shadow performance by Drew Colby

7pm Hand Shadow workshop

7.30pm // Fire Show with Helter Skelter

Sunday 9th November 2025

5.45pm // (meet at the garden)

6pm // Lantern Procession with RSVP Bhangra Band, B’Opera & Thingumajig Theatre

Come dressed up & light up the night!!!

7.30pm // Ghost Caribou performance with Thingumajig Theatre

Doors open half-an-hour before performance time.

The café will be open with drinks and refreshments

With thanks to National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council England, Black Country Touring and The New Art Gallery Walsall

Autin Dance Theatre Announced as Associate Artistic Company at Caldmore Community Garden

This collaboration celebrates our shared commitment to community-rooted arts, creativity and storytelling!

All photographs taken by Kate Jackson https://www.katejacksonphotography.co.uk/

Caldmore Community Garden is delighted to announce Autin Dance Theatre as our new Associate Artistic Company. We’re excited to have Autin Dance on board to bring new and inspiring elements to our annual Festival of Lights procession.

Our ongoing work with Autin Dance Theatre follows a series of successful creative projects, iFestival of Lights in 2023 and 2024, where Autin Dance Theatre captivated audiences with roaming and stage performances featuring the iconic Brimstone the Dragon and Echo the Sea Giant from Out of the Deep Blue.

As part of this year’s Festival of Lights 2025, Autin Dance Theatre will be working with Year 5 pupils at Caldmore Primary Academy to create a choreographed movement piece for the annual lantern procession through Caldmore.

In addition, there will be two opportunities for families to also take part in the lantern procession and learn some choreographed movement with Autin Dance Theatre during our Garden Saturday workshops

These free, creative sessions are open to children, parents, carers, and local residents of all ages. Together we’ll explore movement, storytelling, and simple performance techniques to build confidence, connection, and shared celebration. Everyone is welcome!

Whether you’ve danced before or not!

Together we’ll shape the light and movement of the Festival of Lights Lantern Procession!

Dates: Saturday 25 October & Saturday 1 November
Times: 11am–1pm and 1pm–3pm (two separate workshops for families to sign up to – please look on social media for sign up links)
Location: Caldmore Community Garden

With thanks to Arts Council England for funding this project

About Autin Dance Theatre

Autin Dance Theatre is an award-winning, innovative dance company and registered charity

based in Birmingham, UK, under the artistic direction of acclaimed choreographer Johnny Autin.

ADT’s mission is to inspire, educate, and drive positive social change through thought-provoking

and engaging multi-disciplinary arts activities. The company actively connects with local

communities, participants, and audiences, delivering work in theatres, public outdoor spaces,

and unconventional settings.

As a collaborative ensemble known for its unique blend of contemporary storytelling, striking

physicality, and large-scale designs, ADT creates socially inclusive and mass- participatory

movement projects across the UK and internationally. From dynamic outdoor processions to

immersive static performances, the company transports audiences on unforgettable journeys. Its

critically acclaimed productions include Out of the Deep Blue, Street Games, Brimstone the

Dragon, Parade – The Giant Wheel, and Light Up Fest, all of which have garnered a strong

reputation for impactful community engagement and artistic excellence.

In 2025, ADT is performing Up in the Sky, a groundbreaking new aerial dance production

featuring a colossal 7-metre rig, exploring themes of displacement, resilience, and belonging.

autindt.co.uk

@AutinDT

For full details about the company please visit: autindt.co.uk

Autin Dance Theatre media contacts:

Artistic Director Johnny Autin johnny@autindt.co.uk +44 (0) 755 798 1497

Autin Dance Theatre CIO | Birmingham, UK |T: +44 (0) 755 798 1497| hello@autindt.co.uk

autindt.co.uk | @AutinDT | Registered Company No 10824986 | Charity No 1210281

Festival Coordinator Kirsten Tranter kirsten@autindt.co.uk

Creative Producer Annalise McIntyre annalise@autindt.co.uk

Outdoor Arts Consultant Adam Towndrow adam@autindt.co.uk

Education & Participation Coordinator Natasha Boyes natasha@autindt.co.uk

Communication & Marketing Paulina Ozynska paulina@autindt.co.uk

Autin Dance Theatre CIO | Birmingham, UK |T: +44 (0) 755 7

Harry Potter Night!

Friday 31st October 2025, 5-7pm

Get your wands ready and your cloaks on – it’s time for a Harry Potter evening at the Garden

Come dressed as your favourite witch or wizard and discover which Hogwarts House you belong to! We can’t wait to see your costumes!

Join us for:

Potions lessons

Sorting Hat

Forbidden forests

Make your own wand

…Expect the unexpected!