First Word Birmingham May.qxp_Layout 1 21/04/2022 11:11 Page 1
News from around the region
Large-scale portraits on show across the city A large-scale photographic portraiture exhibition - presented as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival - is aiming to celebrate ‘families, individuals, diversity and the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands’. Titled Generations, the exhibition sees photographer Julian Germain use a largeformat camera to work collaboratively with families of four and five generations from across the region. The photos will be displayed in prominent public spaces, including billboards and poster & exhibition sites.
A weekend of fantasy at University of Birmingham
Watercolour Masters in the West Midlands
The University of Birmingham is hosting a one-off weekend celebrating and developing the city’s rich heritage of fantasy. Held in honour of JRR Tolkien, who spent his childhood in Birmingham, Fantasy Worlds Weekend (Friday 27 - Sunday 29 May) invites visitors ‘to reconsider the city in relation to fantastic world building in the wake of Tolkien’s achievements’. For more information, visit birmingham.ac.uk
Shropshire’s Lilleshall Hall is this month hosting a prestigious exhibition celebrating the work of some of the world’s greatest watercolour painters. International Watercolour Masters sees 42 artists displaying their work from Monday 16 to Sunday 29 May. Practical demonstrations by the Masters will take place on most days of the exhibition. To find out more, visit internationalwatercolourmasters.com
History of Soul through song at Symphony Hall The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Strictly singing star Tommy Blaize and acclaimed vocalist Vanessa Haynes are inviting soul music fans to join them on a musical journey this month. Taking place at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Friday 27 May, History Of Soul explores the genre’s initial influences of gospel, jazz, and rhythm & blues. The programme of music includes the greatest hits of soul legends such as Aretha Franklin and James Brown. To find out more and book tickets, visit cbso.co.uk
Step out for Parkinson’s fundraiser this summer People in the West Midlands can now sign up and step out for Walk For Parkinson’s, a series of annual walks which raises funds for vital research into the debilitating condition. The walks are coordinated by Parkinson’s UK, Europe’s largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research. A walk in Sutton Park, Birmingham, takes place on Sunday 10 July. To find out more, visit parkinsons.org.uk
Community organisation awarded £525,000 West Midlands community organisation Culture Central is to receive £525,000 in funding to support community volunteering opportunities. The money is being provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sports via Arts Council England. The funding will see Culture Central, in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust, Creative Black Country, Stoke Creates 04 whatsonlive.co.uk
and Open Theatre, working to deliver a regional and place-based volunteering & development programme.
Autin Dance to run May half-term workshops Autin Dance Theatre is on the lookout for young male-identifying individuals aged 12plus from the West Midlands who would be interested in joining its youth company during the half-term holiday at the end of the month. Man Made Youth Company’s free artistic programme (at MAC Birmingham, from Monday 30 May to Thursday 2 June) will include dance and physical theatre workshops, indoor and outdoor work, and an exploration of digital programmes and screen dance. For more information, visit macbirmingham.co.uk
Commonwealth Games batonbearers selected The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has revealed the identities of the people who will take on the role of batonbearers in the Queen’s Baton Relay this summer. The Queen’s Baton will reach the West Midlands on 18 July. It will then be carried through local communities, arriving at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on 28 July for the Games’ Opening Ceremony. To find out more, visit birmingham2022.com/qbr.
