BIRMINGHAM 2022 FESTIVAL

SIX MONTHS OF CULTURE ACROSS THE CITY AND BEYOND

The Birmingham 2022 Festival, a six-monthlong cultural programme, takes place across Birmingham and the West Midlands this summer. It is the biggest celebration of creativity ever seen in the region and one of the largest ever cultural programmes to surround the Commonwealth Games.

There will be over 200 events including a spectacular open-air show, a brand-new Birmingham inspired album, an immersive 3D experience on public transport, photography exhibitions across billboards, a city centre forest of magical proportions, a tap-dancing record attempt and much, much more.

BIRMINGHAM 2022

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Hew Locke & Ikon Victoria Square, Birmingham

Birmingham’s city-centre sculpture of Queen Victoria is reimagined by acclaimed GuyaneseBritish artist Hew Locke for the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Originally unveiled in 1901, Sir Thomas Brock’s marble figure of Queen Victoria was then recast in bronze by William Bloye and members of Birmingham School of Art in 1951. Locke’s vision is to create “an object of veneration, leading a battalion of other statues to represent the home nation throughout the Empire”.

Locke’s interest in the power of statues originates from his childhood in Guyana where he passed a sculpture of Queen Victoria every day on the way to school. He has been reimagining historical statues for twenty years. Commissioned by Ikon, this is Locke’s first temporary public sculpture.

THE COMMON WEALTH TABLE

Birmingham Cathedral Until 15 September Cathedral Square

The Common Wealth Table is a 30-seater table designed by Intervention Architecture. It provides a place for different groups of people

BIRMINGHAM 2022

to come together for conversation, food and other inspirational gatherings. Herbs will also be grown in the middle of the table.

The table is located in Pigeon Park – Birmingham Cathedral’s Churchyard and the main green space in the Business District. Members of the community can use the table from the beginning of July until Harvest Festival in mid-September.

The cathedral and Grand Union will be partnering to put together a programme of events during the table’s installation.

An opportunity for inspirational gatherings in Cathedral Square this summer. Open to individuals and community groups to book from the start of July through to midSeptember.

For more information please email TheCWT@ birminghamcathedral.com for a booking form.

ON RECORD

Live events at Symphony Hall throughout the summer. Go to birmingham2022.com/festival/ on-record for dates A brand-new album, On Record, featuring eleven original songs about Birmingham offers a sonic love letter to the city. Featuring new songs by Birmingham artists – including SANITY, UB40 and Dapz on the Map – On Record has been created and produced by Jez Collins of Birmingham Music Archive and Grammy-nominated producer Simon Duggal. Visit birmingham2022.com/festival

Birmingham 2022 Festival and Ikon has launched Foreign Exchange: a temporary public artwork by acclaimed artist Hew Locke which reimagines Birmingham’s Queen Victoria sculpture in Victoria Square