Two City of Wolverhampton Council arts and entertainment venues have scooped prestigious awards voted for by the readers of What’s On Magazine. The Slade Rooms won the What’s On Readers’ Award for Best Small Music Venue, Wolverhampton & Black Country, and Wolverhampton Art Gallery was named Best Art Gallery/Exhibition Space Outside Of Birmingham. It is the result of more than 25,000 votes cast online from readers of the six What’s On titles, covering Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Mark Blackstock, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Head of Visitor Economy, said: “We are delighted and honoured to pick up these two awards which are voted for by the public.

“Wolverhampton Art Gallery and The Slade Rooms are fabulous venues as part of what is a fantastic arts and entertainment offering in the city. “It is wonderful that Wolverhampton is proving to be the cultural capital of the Black Country.”

Wolverhampton Art Gallery boasts more than 300 years of art, from the best Pop Art collections outside London to work by English landscape and portrait genius Gainsborough. It offers a packed programme of activities for all ages and regular world-class touring exhibitions, including the forthcoming global Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Visitors can even dress up as a Georgian and take a ‘selfie’, as well as view the quirky Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing mechanical clock that sits proudly above the gallery’s Lichfield Street entrance. There is also a café serving breakfast, lunchtime salad platters, delicious cakes, and speciality teas and fresh coffee. The Slade Rooms in Broad Street is Wolverhampton’s busiest live music and comedy venue, with an adjoining bar to accommodate club nights.

It has a full programme of exciting new music, established artists and a burgeoning calendar of contemporary stand-up comedy. The venue has the flexibility to cater for small, intimate shows but can also stretch to mid-sized shows with a standing capacity of 550.