Punch's 2024 Rewind: 9 Moments That Defined The Year

12 Dec

#1 touring samory i & mortimer

“Kicking off 2024 with Punch’s first tour of the year, we had the brilliant Samory I & Mortimer alongside Tippy I Grade! From producing the tour from start to finish, witnessing the crowds in awe, and hearing the fans share their stories whilst reminiscing to the lyrics from Samory I & Mortimer, it was a great experience. I especially enjoyed seeing the crowd's reaction when we brought out special guest, Protoje!

My second highlight of the year is being accepted on the CBSO Community Board, which resulted from my CPD last year, being on the Future Board Accelerators programme with People Make It Work.”

- CAS Thompson, Creative Producer

#2 celebration & Recognition

“Birmingham is a humble city and often quiet about its incredible achievements.

At Punch this year and going forward, we’ve committed to celebrating the artists we work with and showcasing the brilliant work we do. This year, I was proud to see our Marketing & Comms team, Sannah Sajid and Ellie Howard, nominated at the Inspirational Youth Awards—alongside Gallery37 artists Connor Pope, Dayle Demarae, and Lo Williams, with Ellie taking home a win! Nikki Riggon and I had the pleasure to present the Arts & Culture Award during the ceremony, representing the work that we do at Punch proudly. We also earned awards from the Social Economy Awards and CORE.

Excitingly, Punch awarded a full scholarship to a student at ACM Birmingham, providing them with an education & investment into their career career worth thousands. Over the year, we have seen more and more of the brilliant artists that we’ve worked with recognised and awarded all over the UK, including Georgie Neath, Anya Kalsi, and Amaan Jahangir.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re focusing more on spotlighting artists and opportunities across our platforms. Birmingham’s creatives and entrepreneurs deserve their flowers, and we’re determined to help them shine.”

- Bradley Morrison, Head of Marketing & Communications

*Punch team at the Inspirational Youth Awards*

*Community Routes Panel with Daniel Alexander, Kezia Rose, Buxley, Screama and Kibla Ahmed*

#3 supporting artists journeys

“I have two highlights this year, the first being BBC Introducing LIVE in Birmingham. Being on a panel giving one-on-one feedback to artists on their songs was an exciting moment for me. I felt I got a chance to contribute to different artists' journeys and met some really talented individuals along the way.

My second highlight has to be Community Routes, I was in charge of booking each facilitator which meant that I got to have some insightful conversations with some amazing people. It was incredible to see the way the final selection of facilitators connected with the creatives on Community Routes and really brought out the best of their abilities.”

- Jasmine Leslie-Booth, Creative Producer

#4 gallery37 Commissions

“This year we commissioned six participants from our creative development programme, Gallery37, to bring their brilliant ideas to life.

In a challenging creative landscape with limited opportunities beyond the foundational level, nurturing and growing the talents of these artists felt vital.

Dabbling in Creative Producing has deepened my understanding of curatorial perspectives and strengthened my leadership skills. Working with these artists has allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the development of the next generation of creatives.”

- Fahmida Choudhury, Insight Producer

*Gallery37 Commission, Mixed Messages Exhibition at the Old Library*

*D’Yani in London on his sold out UK Tour*

#5 touring D’Yani

“The D’Yani tour has truly been the highlight of my year, especially getting the chance to work behind the scenes and experience the industry from a completely different perspective. Being on the other side has opened my eyes to the intricacies of the production process, giving me a deeper insight into what makes everything come together. It’s been an invaluable experience that’s broadened my understanding and appreciation for the work that goes on beyond the spotlight.

I was surrounded by a talented, passionate team, and everyone brought something unique to the table. Not only did I learn a lot from them, but I also had the opportunity to build valuable connections and expand my network. It was inspiring to collaborate with such interesting individuals, and the relationships I’ve formed will definitely be a lasting part of the experience.”

- Lamar Riviere, Creative Producer

#6 Developing New Projects

“Experiencing Community Routes, seeing the programme come together and witnessing each creative camp in full flow was exceptionally rewarding- and more than that, it was inspiring to watch each artist come into their own whilst in less than one week during the Residency.

This was my first year at Punch, and from the jump I recognised that this organisation doesn’t just share their values and work ethics, but the more importantly practise what they preach- and make the working environment, events, initiatives, commissions and programmes inclusive and diverse.

I couldn’t end my string over stand out moments of the year without highlighting my work on the BRIG and WMCA projects. Leading my first event [BRIG Summit] was both challenging and exciting, and was a great introduction to Punch. As I come up to the end of the year, I’m happy to see our collaboration [Activate] with WMCA has enabled us to offer 54 creative professionals & entrepreneurs invaluable opportunities for growth.”

- Lizzie Giles, Creative Producer

*RTKal on set of his latest music video in Jamaica*

#7 jamaica Adventure

“Earlier this year in October, I travelled to Jamaica with a small group of from Punch, and some of our collaborators and I can’t wait for you to see what we got up to.

We worked on two documentaries, with one being alongside Rolling Stone Africa, which explores Africa’s influence on Jamaica’s Music & Culture.

I got to meet and work with the likes of 1 Biggs Don, D’Yani, Maestro Don, Big Zeeks, RTKal, Cali P, Likkle Wacky, King Kally and Autarchii, and it was great to capture some of their stories.

- Ellie Howard, Content Creator

#8 LEGACY’s impact

“Working on the campaign for LEGACY, a six-part docuseries that premiered on LinkUpTV was an amazing experience. This series delves into the history of Birmingham's rap and grime scene, unraveling the key factors that have shaped it into what it is today.

Developing the platform for this project allowed me to witness firsthand the impact that storytelling and music can have in preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of a community. We received over 300K views from Reels & Shorts alone, and this project allowed me to contribute to an important cultural conversation with untold stories from Birmingham heavyweights and showcase the invaluable contributions of Birmingham's music scene to a more national audience.”

- Sannah Sajid, Digital Marketing Co-Ordinator

*LEGACY’s Birmingham Premiere at Millennium Point*

#9 legacy’s next steps

“The biggest highlight of my year with Punch has been announcing our collaboration with the CBSO to bring LEGACY 0121 to the stage.

LEGACY started in 2022 when Punch funded a project to document Birmingham’s rap scene. We commissioned Daniel Alexander to create a film, and, true to form, he delivered something incredible. We screened it at two sold-out events, and the response was amazing.

That momentum pushed us to dig even deeper into the stories of Birmingham’s music pioneers. We teamed up with Daniel again to create a series for LinkUp TV and worked with the likes of Casey Bailey and Jess Munroe to produce a book.

Then earlier this year, CBSO approached us with an idea to take LEGACY even further. For the past six months, we’ve been co-producing a live stage performance - a fusion of Birmingham’s rap history with the power of a 60-piece orchestra. It’s happening for one night only at Symphony Hall, and it’s going to be something truly special.

This collaboration with the CBSO lets us push creative boundaries, reach new audiences, and shine a spotlight on some of the most talented musicians The Midlands has to offer including Jaykae, Lady Lesurr, NODB, C4, Roxxxan, Dapz OTM and so many more.

I’m extremely proud to be a part of this project and can’t wait to see it all come together in 2025.”

- Nikki Riggon, Head of Programme

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Bradley Morrison