Highlights from Blast! Festival of Photography, Talks and Walks 2019. A celebration of people and place produced with, and for, local people. Blast! Festival invited 40 international and local artists, photographers and curators to showcase work, develop projects and collaborate with communities to present stories about everyday life. With exhibitions, film screenings, events, family friendly activities, performances, talks and walks, Blast! was presented on the streets, the Metro line, in shops, libraries and pubs, on historic buildings and in the community spaces of Sandwell. The festival took place over six weeks in each of Sandwell’s six towns: West Bromwich, Tipton, Rowley Regis, Oldbury, Smethwick and Wednesbury; it was free and open to everyone. The festival showcased a range of new commissions by diverse contemporary photographers and artists working at the intersection of social practice and documentary photography, made in collaboration with local communities, that explored questions of accessibility and equal representation in the arts. At the heart of the festival was The Sandwell Pride of Place exhibition: artists Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale of The Caravan Gallery, turned a derelict space that used to house a Poundland shop, into a temporary exhibition space / alternative visitor centre. Co-created with Sandwell Residents, the exhibition invited the community to contribute to the exhibition with their own words and images. The exhibition culminated into an alternative, local perspective on Sandwell, growing daily as visitors added to the artwork and ephemera on display, shared stories and made a mark on The People’s Map of Sandwell. For more on the project: https://multistory.org.uk/project/blast-festival-of-photography-talks-walks/

In Summer 2018, Multistory and artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood invited people from the six towns of Sandwell to nominate women who deserve to be honoured and celebrated. This film gives an insight into the three winners, Barbara Platts, Leonie Hart and Bally Barquer and the process behind having their portrait drawn by Sarah. The nominated women had many things in common: they went above and beyond; they often worked behind the scenes; they were strong supporters of families and communities; and were volunteers or carers. Ultimately, incredible women, who deserve to be honoured and celebrated. The judging panel included: Julie McKirdy, senior librarian at Thimblemill Library; Councillor Syeda Khatun, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member of Sandwell Council; and Tina Cockbill who works at the much loved Nod’s Café in West Bromwich.

Hear about Housing First and the transformation it brings to people's lives, directly from those who have benefited from the services and the staff they are supported by.

Richmond Park - National Nature Reserve is a new film by the Friends of Richmond Park, produced by Media Trust and presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough. "Richmond Park is not just a local park it's London's own National Nature Reserve with thousands of species of flora and fauna" Sir David explains, "but with 5.5 million visitors each year, the Park is under immense pressure.

Magnum photographer Susan Meiselas collaborated with Multistory and women in refuge during 2015 and 2016 to make a book - A Room of Their Own - which explores the lives of women who are survivors of domestic abuse in the Black Country, a post-industrial region in the UK.

At AbilityNet we're acutely aware that many disabled or older people aren't making the most of technology such as smartphones, iPads and computers. We want to help. Our clients are often using technology at home, work or in education for everything from emails and shopping to creating reports and researching for essays.

The AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards, sponsored by BT, celebrate the amazing work people do with technology for good. This years winners include Be My eyes, the Water Watcher, the Small Robot Company and Tap SOS. For more information on the awards visit www.tech4goodawards.com

All the highlights of Revenue by Design's Annual Conference 2018 - 'Revenue Management 3.0-Where Next?'

Highlights of the Sea: The Future conference held at Trinity House, London, on May 22, 2019.