What’s On Walsall – October 2024

HIGHLIGHT

Billy Billingham: Always A Little Further

Sunday 27 October, 7.30pm. £33. Walsall Arena

Billy Billingham MBE QCB is as tough as they come. Chief Instructor on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, Paratrooper, decorated SAS leader, and a bodyguard to Hollywood superstars, Billy has seen extreme combat and gruelling missions aplenty. Spend an extraordinary evening with him, as he shares his incredible, inspirational story. 

For this live event, Billy will share stories of his astonishing experiences: from leaving school at 11 and running with gangs in Birmingham before joining the Royal Marine cadets and Parachute Regiment, to rising to the rank of sergeant major in the SAS and undertaking dozens of classified and extremely dangerous missions. He’ll consider the 20 years he spent serving in countless warzones, winning a commendation for bravery and being awarded an MBE by the Queen, before embracing the life of a bodyguard to celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe.

October events at The New Art Gallery Walsall

Gallery Square, Walsall, WS2 8LG. 

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, Sundays 12 noon to 4pm. Closed on Mondays and Bank Holidays. 

Free admission.

Sunday Art Club

Sundays, 12-3pm. Age 4+. Free, drop-in.

The Gallery’s weekly art club for children and young people. Meet artists and creatives and learn to paint, print, sculpt, craft, make films and more!

• Sunday 6 October – Painting Autumn Trees in Watercolour Inspired by the 150th Anniversary of Walsall Arboretum.
• Sunday 13 October – 3D Mazes & Marbles Create cardboard mazes and try to get the marble in the hole!
• Sunday 20 October – Funky Fungi Make a forest of colourful toadstools using egg boxes and paint.
• Sunday 27 October – Charcoal Ghosts & Ghouls Create spooky drawings using charcoal and erasers.

Baby & Me

Wednesday 9 October 2024, 10.30am-12noon and 12.30-2pm. Every second Wednesday of the month. Suitable for 0-24 months. £3 per child, places are limited, booking essential. Book at Reception or call 01922 654400.

Multi-sensory sessions for parents, carers and their babies. Explore colours and light projections, discover new smells, feel new textures in our touchy-feely books and relax in our comfy cushions whilst you listen to a short story and meet other new parents.

Hearth and Home – Creative sessions for children with Additional Needs

Saturday 12 October 2024, 11am-12pm & 1-2pm. Free, book at Reception or call 01922 654400. Places are limited.

Join Peter & Nicola from Fantastic Journeys in a musical journey of discovery inspired by exhibition ‘Carlos Bunga: Citizen of the World’. Using instruments and props we will travel the world and think about the places we call home and the people who make our homes special. Participants will sing, vocalise, play instruments and explore objects and textures.

11am – 12pm: A lively session suitable for most children with Additional Needs.

1-2pm: A quieter session for children with Profound and Mulitple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) and/or Complex Support Needs.

Walk and Draw

Saturday 12 October 2024, 11am-12.30pm. Every second Saturday of the month.

Free. Booking essential.

Make speedy sketches of artworks in the Collections and temporary exhibitions, the Gallery’s architecture, the magnificent views from the Gallery’s windows, and the local area, including the wildlife along the canal, public sculptures and historical buildings along the high street. 

Spooky Spirits & Spiders

Saturday 26 October – Friday 1 November (Excluding 28 October)

Free. Drop-in during opening hours. All ages welcome.

Use the black and white art materials to make a ghost or a spider inspired by artist Odilon Redon.

Exhibition Preview: REFLECTOR

Saturday 26 October, 2-4pm. Free, all welcome.

This exhibition is the culmination of a year-long creative and professional development programme, specifically for artists, photographers and curators of colour. This national programme has seen 20 UK-based emerging practitioners take part in masterclasses, mentoring, advice sessions, portfolio reviews, group crits and talks led by leading, established and internationally acclaimed artists and curators of colour.

Current exhibitions at The New Art Gallery Walsall (Free admission) 

• Carlos Bunga: Citizen of the World. Until 27 October 2024.
• Communion. Until 17 November 2024.
• Daniella Turbin: A Place to Return To. Until 6 October 2024.
• Equal + Able = Not a Label. Until 18 May 2025.
• REFLECTOR. 26 October – 9 March 2025

October events at Walsall Arboretum

Hawbush Road, Bloxwich, Walsall, WS3 1AG. 

Box Office: 0300 555 2898. Box Office opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm. 

Online booking available 24 hours at www.walsallarena.com

Senior Citizens Orchestra Concert

Thursday 3 October, 2pm. £2. Tickets available on the door.

The Senior Citizens Orchestra perform bi-monthly concerts at Walsall Arena and Arts Centre. 

Their programmes always offer a great mix of fabulous music and feature a whole range of popular classics and favourite show tunes. The concerts also include invited guests and performers.

Big Country + Mike Peters 'Return To Steeltown'

Friday 4 October, 7.30pm. £35.

‘Steeltown’ was Big Country's second studio album. Released in October 1984, it topped the UK album charts. Big Country will perform songs from ‘Steeltown’ and classic hits like ‘Fields of Fire,’ ‘In A Big Country,’ and ‘Chance.’

Mike Peters, frontman of The Alarm and founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, will also perform. Known for his acoustic work, Mike has shared stages with legends like Bob Dylan and Bono and performed at Mt. Everest and Kilimanjaro summits.

We Three Kings

Sunday 6 October, 7.30pm. £24 / £24 concs.

Three West End artists celebrating the music of ‘Three Kings of Rock n Roll’: Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Elvis. Will Rock n Roll in Walsall ever die? That’ll be the day!

Wishbone Ash

Thursday 10 October, 8pm. £30.50.

Following the outstanding response to their recent ‘Live Dates Live’ tour - in which the band celebrated 50 years of their seminal multi-million selling live album - Wishbone Ash return with a show featuring songs from its follow-up… ‘Live Dates 2’. Experience the legendary band - whose iconic twin-guitar sound inspired the likes of Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest & Iron Maiden - performing a stellar set that also includes much-loved classics from a remarkable back catalogue spanning an astonishing 55 years!

Shaun Ryder - Happy Mondays, and Fridays, and Saturdays, and Sundays

Saturday 12 October, 7.30pm. Various prices, from £31.

He’s the wild man of rock who became a national treasure. Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder is hitting the road for a new, spoken word tour. The star of more-TV-shows-than-anyone-has-a-right-to-feature-on – including ‘Celebrity Gogglebox’, and ‘I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’, among many others – redefined the sex’n’drugs’n’rock’n’roll lifestyle during the halcyon age of Madchester. He’s touring in support of his new book: ‘Happy Mondays - and Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays.’ Fans can look forward to a carnival of excess, wild tales, and improbable truths, as they enjoy the talents of a unique rock'n'roll star dubbed Britpop's answer to WB Yeats.

Strap yourselves in and say Hallelujah for Shaun!

Bowie Experience

Thursday 17 October, 7.30pm. Prices from £28.

Direct from London’s West End, Bowie Experience is a spectacular concert celebrating the sound and vision of David Bowie. A must see for all Bowie fans, the latest production features all the hits from A to Ziggy.  Bowie Experience continues to amaze audiences with an astounding attention to detail, bringing the golden years of David Bowie to the stage. So, put on your red shoes and Let’s Dance! 

The Fleetwood Mac Legacy

Saturday 19 October, 7.30pm. £26.50.

‘Go Your Own Way’ is a brand new spellbinding show featuring the music from the legendary multiple Grammy Award Winning Fleetwood Mac. Their rock n roll legacy is beautifully performed by a highly talented and acclaimed ensemble of musicians who will take audiences on a powerful journey through their incredible song book. With hits including “Dreams”, “Don’t Stop”, “Everywhere”, “Rhiannon”, “Gold Dust Woman”, “Little Lies”, “Big Love” and many more! Paying tribute to their “Rumours” line up of Stevie, Mick, John, Christine & Lindsey, which remains their most commercially successful to date, this show perfectly recreates the live energy and passion of Fleetwood Mac.

Walsall Comedy Club ft. Gary Delaney

Wednesday 23 October, 7.30pm. £26.

Chuckl. in association with Walsall Arena proudly presents Walsall Comedy Club​ Join us for a night of top-notch comedy featuring Gary Delaney (as seen on ‘Live at the Apollo’), along with some of the best comedians on the circuit, including Gerry K, Sarah Jonson, and MC Justin Panks.

Bublé by Candlelight

Friday 25 October, 7.30pm. £26.

Get ready to be transported into the mesmerizing world of the legendary Michael Bublé with the UK's number 1 tribute artist, Josh Hindle, and his sensational live swing band. Embark on an unforgettable journey as we bring you ‘Bublé by Candlelight.’ Immerse yourself in the timeless classics and irresistible charm of Michael Bublé as Josh Hindle and his band recreate the magic of the Canadian crooner's greatest hits. From the soulful melodies of ‘Haven't Met You Yet’ to the infectious rhythms of ‘Feeling Good’, ‘Cry Me a River’, ‘Fever’, ‘Sway’, and many more, this show promises an evening filled with romance, nostalgia, and unbridled joy.

The Drifters

Wednesday 30 October, 7.30pm. £31.

The Drifters are back on tour in the UK performing all their classic hits including ‘Saturday Night at the Movies', ‘You’re More Than A Number,’ ‘Come on Over to My Place’, ‘Under the Boardwalk’, ‘Kissin’ In The Back Row’ and many more!   The legendary group have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, performed for the President of the United States and listed among the Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.   

October events at Walsall Leather Museum

Littleton Street West, Walsall, WS2 8EW

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. 

Free admission.

Stitchers and Skivers

Wednesday 9 October, 10am-1pm and 1.30-4.30pm. £6.50. Booking and pre-payment essential

Our monthly craft group where everyone is welcome! Each month we try out a new craft with the emphasis on getting stuck in and having a go. We provide materials, support, starter ideas, tea and biscuits and chat! October’s session will explore printmaking.

Willow bird feeder workshop with Daisy Askins

Saturday 12 October, 10.30am – 3.30 pm. £50 (all materials provided). Booking and pre-payment essential.

Discover the basic tools and techniques of willow weaving and go home with your very own woven bird feeders. Shropshire-based willow artist and basket maker, Daisy Askins, will show you how to make your own fat ball and seed feeders to feed your garden birds this winter. This workshop is suitable for complete beginners, and all tools and materials will be provided. 

Paint Like a Master with Rob Conway - Starry Night

Saturday 26 October, 1-4pm. £27. All materials and tea and cake included. Booking and pre-payment essential.

An opportunity to join Rob for one our popular paint along sessions to create your own canvas masterpiece.

'Bats in the Belfry' craft drop-in 

Tuesday 29 October 2024, 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm. £1.50 - no need to book, just drop in any time during the session.

Join us for a spooky bat drop-in half term activity.

Junior Paint Like a Master with Rob Conway

Wednesday 30 October 2024, 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm. £4.50 – booking essential. Suitable for children aged 7 and above.

In a week traditionally full of spooky happenings, what better than to create your own version of Edvard Munch's famous artwork, ‘The Scream’? Rob guide younger visitors step-by-step to paint their very own masterpiece. 

October events at Walsall Arboretum

Walsall Arboretum User Group’s Apple Day

Saturday 19 October 2024, 11am-3.30pm. Orchard Pavilion. Free, drop-in.

Family-friendly event including apples, sauces, chutneys and apple juice for sale, kids games and activities, a bouncy castle and music.

ENDS.