Key to the City.qxp_Layout 1 24/05/2022 15:07 Page 2
by Roz Lawes
impossible thought was, ‘Why don’t we make a key that will open the cage to the lions in the zoo?’. “Fierce have been fantastic to work with to bring the project to Birmingham. They’ve introduced me to wonderful spaces like the tunnel beneath New Street Station. There’s something very Harry Potterish about that, the city extending under our feet via a secret door on Platform One. “Some people will want to be competitive and tick off every location, but I think it’s more than a game. Having a key might make you notice more about what’s closed to us and why. Ultimately I hope people think, ‘Why are we so afraid of each other?’” Key To The City is sponsored by Yale, which has been making all the keys at its factory in Portobello, Willenhall and fitting the special locks. The key is a master one which opens padlocks, door locks and display cases. There is no need to register in advance for the key exchange, which takes place from 11am to 7pm every day until 5 June, and then from Wednesdays to Sundays. Just turn up in pairs, or solo to be partnered up. Fierce has been trying to bring Key To The City to Birmingham for 10 years, but such a large-scale project needed major funding. Now it’s happening in Fierce’s 25th anniversary year thanks to the £12million cultural festival around the Commonwealth
Games. Artistic Director Aaron Wright says: “We’ve had more than 200 conversations in order to get 22 locations. The project captures people’s imaginations. Many places were keen to be involved but encountered health & safety, insurance and security issues. One site we really wanted but which didn’t work out was a secret tasting room at the Cadbury factory. “It’s often easier if places have 24/7 security, such as Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull. That’s built on a public right of way, so they keep it open late for people to walk through. But the Key To The City will open it between midnight and 6am. “We wanted sites which pose a question or have a unique perspective, and places you wouldn’t normally see which are right under your nose. The key has an interesting psychological effect, giving the holder a sense of power. “Most journeys in Birmingham happen around where you live or from your suburb to the centre. We’re giving people the motivation to explore other parts of the city, and it’s as much about the journeys as the destinations.” Louisa Davies, senior producer of Birmingham 2022 Festival, says: “We commissioned Key To The City because there’s often a lot of activity in city centres
during festivals, but we want events to happen all over Birmingham and beyond. “We loved the idea of thousands of people going on adventures in their own city during the Birmingham 2022 Festival. It feels like it shouldn’t be allowed, and there’s something about that that’s really exciting. I love the sense of ownership the key gives and the democratising of an honour.” The honour goes back to medieval days, when the gates of walled cities were guarded and locked at night. The literal key to the city meant the freedom to enter and leave at will. The Freedom of the City is one of Birmingham’s oldest surviving ceremonies, given to a person or a military unit for their service. Regiments with the honour are allowed to march into the city ‘with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed’. Civilian recipients have included Joseph Chamberlain, members of the Cadbury family and former CBSO conductor Sir Simon Rattle. But now, 15,000 ordinary people can have the Key To The City as well. Where will yours take you?
For more information about the project, visit birmingham2022.com/festival
