Artists and photographers are being asked to come forward to capture the spirit of the region as part of the Black Country Festival.

Dudley Council was gearing up for a series of events and activities during July, but the coronavirus pandemic has meant the annual festival has had to run differently.

The festival runs throughout July and every year people mark July 14th as Black Country Day. This year the Mayor of Dudley is asking the borough’s creative public to produce the picture or photograph that best captures the spirit of the Black Country.

The winning entry will be framed and will hang in pride of place in the Mayor’s parlour later this year.

It is part of a series of videos and images which will be shared online via the council’s social media channels to mark the special month, despite government restrictions to combat coronavirus. Councillor David Stanley, Mayor of Dudley, said:

"These are very strange times where normal life is very restricted while we all work together to keep the borough safe. But, as the historic capital of the Black Country, it is still really important that we mark such an important event as the Black Country Festival.

"We are very fortunate to have some really talented and creative people in the borough and it would be great if they could help us, not only celebrate the rich heritage, cultures and spirit of the Black Country, but also recognise this historic period in our lives.

"We’re looking for paintings, drawings, pictures or photographs that capture the spirit of the Black Country in some way. We are famous for our humour, history, culture and diversity as well as our innovation and hard graft which makes the borough what it is today. It would be fantastic if we could capture some of this for the future."

There is no criteria for entries but they must be submitted and available for display in the Council House.

The Mayor’s parlour is used for civic occasions, welcoming high-profile visitors to the borough, as well as community groups and charities. Hundreds of people will be able to view the winning picture.

People are being asked to submit their entries on social media, tagging them with #BCFestivalOnline and the Mayor will choose the winning design to hang in the parlour. Entries can also be emailed to capa.events@dudley.gov.uk.

Entries need to be in by August 14th.