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10th February 2026 The Rep Theatre, Birmingham

The Big Creative UK Investment Summit: West Midlands

Celebrate West Midlands creativity with panels, performances, and networking - showcasing growth, impact, and innovative businesses.
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About The Summit

Celebrate the creative power of the West Midlands.

Join us for an afternoon of bold ideas, inspiring founders, and vibrant performances - all spotlighting the region’s creative industries. Hosted by multi-award winning broadcaster and journalist and Create Central Champion Marverine Cole, this event brings together creative professionals, investors, and cultural leaders for an energising mix of panels, fireside chats, and networking.

Highlights Include:

  • Curated Exhibition: Explore a showcase of creative businesses from across the region.
  • Panel Discussion – From Idea to Impact: Hear directly from founders and sector leaders on scaling creative ventures and shaping the region’s future.
  • Networking Lunch & Drinks: Connect with peers, funders, and industry partners over relaxed lunch and evening drinks with canapes.
  • Live Performances: Enjoy performances throughout the day, celebrating the region’s creative energy.

This event marks the finale of the West Midlands Create Growth Programme, delivered in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority and Create Central, supporting over 80 high-growth creative businesses since 2024.

Speakers

Marverine Cole

Marverine Cole

Journalist & Broadcaster
Amahra Spence (1)

Amahra Spence

Director of Hood Futures Studio
Michael Ford

Michael Ford

CEO & Creative Director of Threewise Entertainment
Dr Rajinder Dudrah

Dr Rajinder Dudrah

Professor of Cultural Studies and the Creative Industries at Birmingham City University
Richard Parker

Richard Parker

Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority
Romanah Buchanan

Romanah Buchanan

Creative Entrepreneur, Artistic Director, Choreographer & Speaker
Simone Smith

Simone Smith

Wordsmith & Creative Director of Curious Pencil
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Marverine Cole

Marverine Cole

Journalist & Broadcaster
Marverine Cole is a multi-award winning broadcaster and journalist. She is best known as a newsreader on ITV1's flagship breakfast programme, Good Morning Britain (GMB).
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Amahra Spence (1)

Amahra Spence

Director of Hood Futures Studio
Amahra Spence is an artist and spatial practitioner. After 12 years as founding director of MAIA, an organisation engaging artists to rehearse alternative futures, Amahra now leads Hood Futures Studio, a community infrastructure organisation working at the intersection of cultural, economic, climate and land justice to address the root causes of 'hood displacement and dispossession. The Studio develops propositional projects that demonstrate how community-led visions can bring about structural change. Current projects include the development of ABUELOS, a cultural centre of radical hospitality and restoration, envisioned in the spirit of her Grandad's house.
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Michael Ford

Michael Ford

CEO & Creative Director of Threewise Entertainment
An RTS Award-winning Producer, Michael has worked in scripted Film & TV for the last 18 Years. In 2020, he founded UK Kids & Family indie, Threewise Entertainment, dubbed a “Future30” indie by the UK Trade Body for Film & Television, and later selected for the inaugural Interactive Entertainment Accelerator Programme by Coutts. Since launch Threewise has racked up an array of production and development deals with global entertainment studios including Paramount, CBBC and Warner Bros. Discovery, including co-creating the live action mystery adventure series, Rock Island Mysteries for Nickelodeon. In January 2025, Threewise announced its shift into the world of CreaTech, fusing storytelling and technology to create licensable Character IP, followed by the launch of its own Licensing Division in October 2025, centred around the return of 50 Year Old British Heritage IP, Bagpuss, “the most important, the most beautiful and the most saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world”. Threewise is now in active development on Bagpuss’ first big screen adventure alongside a slate of Kids & Family stories for screens big and small, both horizontal and vertical.
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Dr Rajinder Dudrah

Dr Rajinder Dudrah

Professor of Cultural Studies and the Creative Industries at Birmingham City University
Dr Rajinder Dudrah is Professor of Cultural Studies and the Creative Industries at Birmingham City University, UK. He has researched and published widely across film, media, culture and the creative industries and is the author and co-editor of 15 books, including South Asian Creative and Cultural Industries (2020) and The Evolution of Song and Dance in Hindi Cinema (2019). He has led international research projects across the creative economy and academia, including being a Co-Investigator on the £4m AHRC 'Creative Multilingualism' project with the University of Oxford (2016-2020), and leading on the 'India-UK Creative Industries at 75' project (2022) which brought together 30 artists from India and the UK across fashion, live performance, and the screen industries.
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Richard Parker

Richard Parker

Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority

Richard Parker is the Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the West Midlands 
Combined Authority. Elected in 2024, Richard is focused on delivering his four key priorities: jobs, homes, growth and journeys for everyone.

Since taking office, Richard has championed the West Midlands as a prime destination for global investment and innovation. He has secured £5 billion for the West Midlands Investment Zone which will create 30,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing, green energy, and health-tech.

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Romanah Buchanan

Romanah Buchanan

Creative Entrepreneur, Artistic Director, Choreographer & Speaker

Romanah Buchanan is an award-winning creative entrepreneur, artistic director, choreographer, and speaker, widely recognised for her leadership, innovation, and impact across the arts, education, and entrepreneurship. 

As the Creative Director of Eloquent Dance, Romanah has established the company as a leader in fusing Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Praise Dance into powerful works of performance, empowerment, and worship. Alongside her work with Eloquent, she is an in-demand choreographer and creative director, working across live shows, music videos, and productions. Her portfolio includes collaborations with emerging and established artists, particularly within the UK gospel music scene, where she has become known for shaping movement that brings music and worship to life on stage. 

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Simone Smith

Simone Smith

Wordsmith & Creative Director of Curious Pencil
Simone ‘Word’ Smith is a poet whose work is influenced by the fusion of poetry, storytelling, and music. She has a natural gift for bringing to life untold and under-celebrated stories through the power of poetry, making them relatable and meaningful to diverse audiences. Simone has been commissioned by a wide range of organisations to give voice to those who are often unheard. Her work spans performance poetry, film, audio, and published collections, including anthologies and her own poetry book, Untold.

She has delivered workshops in schools and community settings, engaging audiences of all ages, and has collaborated with organisations such as the National Memorial Arboretum, Bertz Associates, Birmingham City Council, Nottingham University, and Birmingham Museums. Her poetry seeks to inspire, uplift, and connect people, bringing creativity and hope into many spaces.

Alongside her poetry work, Simone runs Curious Pencil a business which creates bespoke corporate greeting cards, that help organisations build meaningful relationships through connection and design. Her work as a poet and business owner reflects her commitment to giving voice to people and making them feel seen, heard, and valued.

With thanks to our programme partners and funders

West Midlands Combined Authority
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Jam-Packed Agenda

 

The programme for the day includes panels, live pitches, networking and much more.

  1. 13:45-14:45

    Lunch & Networking

  2. 14:45-15:10

    Introductory speeches

    Hear from our host Marverine Cole and enjoy a performance from Simone 'Word' Smith.

  3. 15:10-15:45

    Fireside chat

  4. 15:45-15:50

    Performances

  5. 15:50-16:00

    Comfort Break

  6. 16:00-16:45

    From Idea to Impact: Scaling Creative Businesses in the West Midlands

    Featuring: Amahra Spence, Michael Ford and Dr Rajinder Dudrah.

    Chaired by Nick Grimshaw, Associate Regional Director South, Creative UK.

    Join a dynamic panel of creative founders and sector leaders as they unpack what it takes to grow a creative enterprise in the West Midlands. From accessing support and investment to navigating policy and delivering impact, this session explores real-world strategies for scaling creative businesses. Expect candid insights and practical takeaways from those on the ground.

  7. 16:45-16:55

    Performances

  8. 16:55-17:00

    Wrap up & close

  9. 17:00-19:00

    Networking Drinks & Canapés

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