Taking place online from 26 July – 04 August 2022, Chance Conversations will explore some of the biggest current topics in industrial heritage, from the different ways it can revive communities, to how old industrial buildings can reveal the global foundations a town is built on. The talks are being hosted by Chance Heritage Trust and DigVentures as part of #MadeinSmethwick – a programme of public events inspired by stories from Chance Brothers glassworks in Smethwick, and the continuing mission to give this disused industrial building a new lease of life within its surrounding community.

Panellists include Simon Briercliffe (University of Birmingham), Lizey Thompson (Canal and River Trust), Graham Worton (Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark coordinator), Mary Lewis (Heritage Crafts Association), Malcolm Dick (University of Birmingham), Marianne Monro (Chance Heritage Trust), and many more. Each panel discussion will include a live Q&A.

You can see the whole series and join in the discussion by registering for FREE at:

Chance Conversations: The Future of Industrial Heritage
Hosted by Chance Heritage Trust and DigVentures as part of #MadeinSmethwick

26 July – 04 August 2022

Full programme: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/the-future-of-industrial-heritage-661909

Global Smethwick: The history of a town in 10 buildings

Tue 26 July 2022, 6pm BST (via Zoom, recording available)

Smethwick isn’t just any old town: from the Red Cow pub to Marshall Street’s Malcolm X plaque and Guru Nanak Gurudwara, it has been built by people from all over the world. Our panel will discuss how the buildings you walk past every day can reveal the foundations of a town, and the global history it is built on.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/372178354477

Art of the Industrial Revolution and the Future of Heritage Crafts

Wed 27 July 2022, 6pm BST (via Zoom, recording available)

During the industrial revolution, artists created murals and paintings showing the skill and craft of its workers, like the dancer-like glassblowers painted by Mervyn Peake inside Chance Glassworks. What can we learn from images like this? And what’s being done to save the skills they depict today? Our panel will discuss the art of the industrial revolution, and introduce some of the people trying to save heritage crafts today.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/372184111697

Revival to Reuse: Can industrial heritage save us?

Tue 02 August 2022, 6pm BST (via Zoom, recording available)

Why is industrial heritage so popular right now? And can its ruins be used to heal some of the wounds created by the human and environmental impact of industrialisation? From museums to canals and even geoparks, our panel will discuss how industrial heritage can encourage revival, reuse, and renewal within our communities, particularly in the Black Country.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/372186579077

Working Class Life: From Industrial Revolution to the Future

Wed 03 August 2022, 6pm BST (via Zoom, recording available)

Working life has changed in so many ways over the last few hundred years, for men, women, children, and families – not just in the UK, but around the world. Our panel will discuss the history of work and working-class life, how it has changed (and how it hasn’t) from the industrial revolution to the present day, and even where we might possibly go from here…

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/372191433597

A future for Smethwick’s industrial past

Thu 04 Aug 2022, 4pm BST (Brasshouse Community Centre, Smethwick)

How do you bring an old industrial building back into use? And how do you make sure it contributes to community life? Our panel will discuss the journey, from the different options available and how to get started, to what can be learned along the way – all while hearing about Chance Heritage Trust’s ongoing plans to bring the former Chance Brothers Glassworks back into use in Smethwick.