Photo-walks with Tom Hicks & Liz Berry

Ikon, in partnership with Transport for West Midlands, has commissioned Black Country artist Tom Hicks to co-create a new public sculpture with members of the local community at the Cross Street Local Travel Point in Halesowen – a public green space providing options for active and environmentally friendly local travel.   

People living in Halesowen and the local area are invited to take part in a series of free guided photo-walks led by Tom Hicks. During these walks participants can hear about his ideas, explore new approaches to documenting the urban landscape and feed into the design of the new sculpture which aims to celebrate the local environment, its cultural history and identity.  

For some sessions, Tom Hicks is joined by poet Liz Berry who, following a guided photo-walk, leads a poetry workshop inspiring new writing about the region. 

No previous experience of photography or creative writing needed, just bring along your smart phone or camera. Please wear suitable warm clothing and footwear for urban walking. Each walk lasts 1 hour and includes regular stops. Participants can book on as many sessions as they like.  

Please email education@ikon-gallery.org to register your interest and receive a booking form. Places will be confirmed by Ikon’s Education team via email. 

This project is supported by Transport for West Midlands.

Workshop dates 

Friday 8 March, 11am–1pm

Friday 15 March, 11am–1pm – with Liz Berry  

Saturday 6 April, 11am–1pm 

Saturday 20 April, 11am–1pm

Workshops for young people 

Tom Hicks and Ikon Youth Programme invite local residents aged 16–21 to join their workshops: 

Wednesday 27 March, 11am–1pm – with Liz Berry  

Thursday 4 April, 11am–1pm

About the artists 

Tom Hicks is the artist behind the documentary photography project Black Country Type. His work explores the post-industrial landscape of the region, focusing on words, typography, handmade lettering and signs. Hicks also photographs ‘types’ of architectural features, objects and structures. Influenced by psychogeography, his photographs are taken on regular ‘drifts’ through the Black Country, typically by bicycle. Hicks intends to reveal the “sometimes hidden beauty” of the region in his compositions, as outlined in his new photobook  Black Country Type (2023), published by The Modernist. 

Liz Berry  is an award-winning poet and author of the collections  Black Country (Chatto, 2014); The Republic of Motherhood (Chatto 2018); The Dereliction (Hercules, 2021), a collaboration with artist Tom Hicks; and most recently  The Home Child (Chatto, 2023), a novel in verse. Berry’s poems, rooted in the landscape and language of her native Black Country, have received multiple awards.