:: HISTORY OF THE PUBLIC

The Public (formerly Jubilee Arts / c/PLEX) began life in 1974. Over the subsequent 18 years to 1992, the organisation worked with over 850 different local groups, reaching over 200,000 people. Jubilee Arts was part of, and reflected, the communities with which it engaged, raising the profile and status of arts practices, expanding our notion of what art is, who makes it, and where it is found.

c/PLEX was established by Jubilee Arts in 1998 to find ways to continue, enhance and expand the award-winning work that Jubilee had developed. In 2002 the organisation finally won Arts Lottery funding for a new £30m landmark arts building designed by Alsop + Stormer, to be located in the Black Country town of West Bromwich. The transparent building will house a gallery, an education centre, shops, a conference centre, cafes and restaurants, creating a dynamic new cultural centre for the town.

In early 2003 Jubilee Arts / c/PLEX changed their name to The Public. For more about The Public's history & future, visit The Public's web-site.