This year Grand Union celebrates fifteen years of artist-led activity in Digbeth, the rapidly developing district close to Birmingham city centre. In that time the gallery and artists' studio complex has secured a reputation as a place to experience the best in experimental and socially relevant arts programming. Their events and exhibitions have become a prominent and important facet of the arts ecosystem in the region, and the organisation has demonstrated how the right timing, careful consideration of place and its complex histories, alongside a significant amount of graft, can secure space within major city-wide development; not just for the activities of artists, but for the nurturing of a whole series of meaningful relationships and entanglements.
Anna Francis is a Senior Writer/Sub-Editor at various esteemed publications. She focuses on themes such as education, special education, medicine and healthcare, and alternative medicine, often exploring their intersections with individual and team sports. Anna's work has been featured in notable outlets including Formula 1, Panthera Team Asia F1 Team, Tortoise Media, Corridor8, the University of South Carolina, and BMJ.











